Week Zero football showcase at Wolvarena expands to 2nd venue

By: Chris Harlan
Sunday, July 7, 2019 | 7:29 PM

The Western Pennsylvania vs. Everyone Football Showcase is officially too big for one stadium.

The multi-game Week Zero event was held entirely at Woodland Hills’ Wolvarena last season, but this year will grow to include two games at North Allegheny’s Newman Stadium.

All combined, there are eight games on Aug. 23-24.

“I made the decision to expand it because there were so many teams that wanted in last year and we just simply didn’t have enough game spots,” said Woodland Hills athletic director Ron Coursey, the event’s organizer. “I had to turn away several teams, so we thought about how we could expand it and how we could make it bigger. I reached out to (North Allegheny athletic director) Bob Bozzuto and he was excited about the possibility of making it a two-site event.”

The schedule features seven WPIAL teams (Baldwin, Central Catholic, Imani Christian, OLSH, McKeesport, North Allegheny and Woodland Hills) and one from the City League (Westinghouse).

Single-day tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

There are four games on Aug. 23, two apiece at the Wolvarena and Newman Stadium. There are four games Aug. 24 — all at the Wolvarena.

Many of the Western Pennsylvania teams are facing opponents from the Washington D.C. area. Coursey is a Maryland native with connections in that region.

On Aug. 23 at the Wolvarena, Baldwin plays Dunbar at 5 p.m., and Central Catholic faces York William Penn at 8 p.m. At Newman Stadium, Erie plays Theodore Roosevelt at 5 p.m., and North Allegheny plays Friendship Collegiate Academy at 8 p.m.

Dunbar, Roosevelt and Friendship Collegiate are Washington D.C. schools.

On Aug. 24 at the Wolvarena, Imani Christian plays National Christian of Fort Washington, Md., at 11 a.m., OLSH plays Westinghouse at 2 p.m., McKeesport plays Woodrow Wilson of Washington D.C. at 5 p.m., and Woodland Hills plays Calvert Hall of Baltimore, Md., at 8 p.m.

“Last year I thought was an overwhelming success,” Coursey said. “But the one criticism that I got — and it was valid — was that not all of the games were competitive. This year we were able to elevate the competition.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Baldwin, Central Catholic, Imani Christian, McKeesport, North Allegheny, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Westinghouse, Woodland Hills