Trib HSSN May Madness: Tyler Boyd, Clairton vs. Ayden Owens, North Allegheny

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, June 2, 2020 | 9:00 AM

Over the course of the next month and a half, May Madness will determine who fans believe is the WPIAL Athlete of the Century.

HSSN has put together two 32-player brackets, one for the boys and one for the girls, of WPIAL alums. Outside of a few exceptions, the field is made up of former district players who excelled in more than one sport.

Each weekday, May Madness will have one matchup each on the boys and girls bracket with a little background info on each athlete found in a daily tale of the tape.

Starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday and running through 9 a.m. Wednesday, vote on the HSSN twitter page on the two athletes featured in this second round matchup.

Check the HSSN website at noon Wednesday for the matchup’s final results.

Here is the contest for the boys. Round 2, Day 7:

Tyler Boyd vs. Ayden Owens is a battle of south vs. north and a matchup of a small school multi-sport athlete who is now in the NFL against a big school track star who hopes to someday shine on the Olympic stage.

Tyler Boyd — Clairton Class of 2013

(Football, basketball, baseball)

• Defeated Justin King of Gateway in the first round, 76-24%.

• 2012 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review football player of the year.

• 2012 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25 football all-star.

• Despite seeing time as a wide receiver and quarterback in his four years at Clairton, Boyd finished as a running back and was fifth on the all-time WPIAL rushing list with 5,755 yards, including a gaudy 11.9 yards-per-carry average and 2,567 yards his senior year.

• Broke the WPIAL record with 117 career touchdowns.

• After losing his first varsity game at Clairton, Boyd and his teammates won the next 63 games over his four years in black and orange while claiming four straight WPIAL and PIAA Class A championships.

• Played in the 2013 US Army All-American Bowl and the 2013 Big 33 all-star football games. Boyd was MVP of the Big 33 Classic after accounting for five touchdowns on two scoring receptions, a touchdown run, a TD pass and a 91-yard kickoff return for a score.

• Was an all-section basketball player his senior year as he helped the Bears reach the WPIAL championship game.

• Came out for the Clairton baseball team his senior year and was the starting shortstop.

• Played wide receiver at Pitt and currently is a wide out in the NFL for Cincinnati.

Ayden Owens — North Allegheny Class of 2018

(Track and field)

• Defeated Brendan McKay of Blackhawk in the first round, 74-26%.

• 2018 Gatorade Pennsylvania men’s track and field athlete of the year.

• As a senior in 2018, Owens was ranked in the top 10 nationally in seven track events.

• Captured six PIAA championships, including three straight 300-meter hurdles state titles.

• Won back-to-back PIAA 110-meter hurdles championships in 2017-18, won the PIAA 200-meter dash his senior year and also finished second in the long jump that year.

• Four-time New Balance national all-American.

• As a senior, Owens won a national title and set a New York state record by winning the 60-meter hurdles in 7.59 seconds at the New Balance indoor nationals.

• Won back-to-back WPIAL championships in the 110-meter hurdles and won the 300-meter hurdles and the long jump at the 2017 district championships.

• Began his college track career at USC before transferring to Michigan.

Tyler Boyd – @boutdat_23
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Ayden Owens – @Ayden_Owens

— TribLive HSSN (@TribLiveHSSN) June 2, 2020

Tags: Clairton, North Allegheny