Football
Scholastic Notebook – 02/19/2016
February 19, 2016
The first round of the WPIAL boys and girls basketball playoffs are over, and this opening round set a record for records. For sure, the 2016 first round should always be remembered for so many memorable individual scoring performances. Hockey has the Frozen Four. The WPIAL first round had the Hot Four. Four players – two boys and two girls – broke long-standing scoring records for their classifications.2016 WPIAL Football Schedule Released
As the tide continues to roll toward the major changes in WPIAL sports starting this fall, the WPIAL has released the much anticipated 2016 district football schedule. This includes conference and non-conference games in nine weeks of the regular season from Friday, September 2nd through Friday, October 28th. The schedule will be reversed home and away in the 2017 season. One of the most anticipated regular season football games is actually a non-conference game that pits district and state powers against each other in a 'dream' matchup. Defending Class AA champion Aliquippa travels to Neil Brown Stadium on October 7th to face defending Class A champion Clairton, this despite the fact the Bears are still in 1-A and the Quips have moved up to 3-A.WPIAL Boys Sports Realignment
February 16, 2016
We all knew it was coming. A major change to the WPIAL high school sports landscape based on the PIAA's decision to increase from four to six classifications in football, basketball and baseball, plus the increase in other sports such as soccer and lacrosse. The WPIAL Board of Control approved the various steering committee's re-alignment suggestions starting with the 2016-2017 school year. This alignment also will be for the 2017-2018 school year. *For an interactive listing, CLICK HERE FOOTBALL Class 6AWPIAL SPORTS SECTION & PLAYOFF STRUCTURE UNVEILED
February 10, 2016
While WPIAL admiinistrators, coaches, players and fans will have to wait until Monday, February 15th for the new WPIAL Six Classification alignments to be announced, the structure of the sections and the playoff format were released on Wednesday. WPIAL executive director Tim O'Malley said after investigating what course the WPIAL should take after the PIAA expanded classifications in several sports last fall, the district will follow suit and follow the classes set forth by the state expansion.2016 National Letter of Intent Day – Division I-A Football Players from WPIAL
February 3, 2016
Here are the seniors from the WPIAL or Pittsburgh City League who have signed to make their verbal commitments to Division I-A colleges. High school seniors could not sign a binding letter of intent until Wednesday, February 3rd. PITT Theran Coleman, Brashear (DB, 6-1, 180) Brandon Ford, Upper St. Clair (6-5, 310) Bricen Garner, Pittsburgh Central Catholic (WR-DB, 6-1, 160) Damar Hamlin, Pittsburgh Central Catholic (DB, 6-2, 189) Aaron Mathews, Clairton (WR-DB, 6-4, 192) Kaezon Pugh, Aliquippa (RB-LB, 6-1, 215) Rashad Wheeler, Pittsburgh Central Catholic (DL, 6-1, 282) PENN STATE Miles Sanders, Woodland Hills (RB, 5-11, 205)2016 National Letter of Intent Day – MSA Sports Elite Eleven College Destinations
Wednesday is National Letter of Intent Day where high school seniors make their verbal commitments official by signing on the dotted line to the school of their choice. What were the final college destinations for the members of the 2015 MSA Sports The Elite 11 football all-star team? Here is a look: PLAYER OF THE YEAR: KAEZON PUGH, ALIQUIPPA RB-LB, 6-2, 217, Sr. PITT ZACH CHANDLER, AVONWORTH QB, 6-4, 235, Sr. ALDERSON-BROADDUS DAMAR HAMLIN, PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC WR-DB, 6-2, 189, Sr. PITT HUNTER HAYES, SOUTH FAYETTE RB-DB, 6-1, 195, Sr. PENNScholastic Notebook – 01/31/2016
January 31, 2016
Cali Konek’s scoring average has opened eyes across WPIAL girls basketball, and here is another startling statistical fact from the freshman guard at Imani Christian: Konek has a good chance to become the first WPIAL girl to score 1,000 points in a season. And she might reach the milestone in the regular season. Scoring 1,000 points in the regular season seems surreal, but Konek already has 873 points and Imani Christian has three games left this week (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday). Konek averages 45.9 points a game. So if she gets her average, she will break 1,000 points.Scholastic Notebook – 01/22/2016
January 22, 2016
There seems to be some question as to how good the top teams really are in WPIAL Class AA Section 4 basketball. Brownsville is 13-4, Charleroi 12-3 and Waynesburg 7-7. History makes you wonder about the strength of the teams. Among the three, there are a total of three WPIAL titles and only one in the past 50-plus years. Brownsville won a championship in 2001 while Charleroi won titles in 1940 and 1958. On top of that, no one from the section has done much in the playoffs in recent history. But while many may question the strength of the teams in the section, there is no question that Section 4 is where the scorers reside.Scholastic Notebook – 01/17/2016
January 17, 2016
Maybe just call this a saga of Penn-manship. Jim Rocco resigned in the spring as the boys basketball coach at Penn Hills High School in order to become coach at Penn-Trafford. He is enjoying success at his new job. Dan DeRose took over for Rocco at Penn Hills. DeRose came to Penn Hills from South Park, and DeRose is enjoying success at his new job. So it’s two new coaches at two schools with Penn as the first name. This really is a Jim Dan-dy story. At Penn-Trafford, the Warriors are 10-4 under Rocco, who won two WPIAL titles and one PIAA championship in his 19 years at Penn Hills. Penn-Trafford is tied for second place in Class AAAA Section 1.Scholastic Notebook – 01/08/2016
January 8, 2016
It’s been a while since there has been this much of a roar coming from Cougar Mountain at this time of the year. The Yough Cougars basketball team is making a lot of noise this year. Yough is 9-3 overall and in first place in WPIAL Class AAA Section 3 with 4-0 record. Yough took over sole possession of first place with a 77-69 overtime victory against Indiana Tuesday. Indiana is the defending WPIAL champion. Yough is one of the biggest turnaround stories in the WPIAL, under second-year coach Casey Copeman. Yough was 6-16 last year and won only 49 games in the previous eight seasons. The last time they finished above .500 was 2006-07 when the Cougars were 15-9.MSA Sports Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2015 Countdown: #10 – #1
January 1, 2016
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holiday season here at MSA Sports. Here is a look back at another great high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2015. We conclude our countdown with #10 through #1. #10 - GOLDEN TRIBEMSA Sports Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2015 Countdown: #25 – #11
December 31, 2015
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holiday season here at MSA Sports. Here is a look back at another great high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2015. We begin our countdown with #25 through #11. #25 - ODD STREAK CONTINUESScholastic Notebook – 12/21/2015
December 21, 2015
Pittsburgh Central Catholic won the very first PIAA Class AAAA championship in 1988. On Saturday, Central Catholic won the last PIAA Class AAAA title as we know it. And Central Catholic has to be the odds-on favorite to win the first PIAA 6A title. Central Catholic won its latest title Saturday with a 21-18 victory against Parkland at Hersheypark Stadium. Because the PIAA is going to six classes next year, this was, in a sense, the last AAAA title under this system. Although it has only been a day since Central Catholic’s latest title, it’s easy to look ahead and peg the Vikings as the team to beat next year in 6A. The Vikings will play in the largest class under the new system.
2015 PIAA STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS Results
December 20, 2015
District 6, District 12, District 4 and the WPIAL have seen one of their their football champions win state titles this weekend in Hershey. Pittsburgh Central Catholic brought home the gold in the final game of the year as the Vikings held on to beat Parkland 21-18 to win the schools fourth PIAA Quad-A championship. After Bishop Guilfoyle repeated in Class A and Imhotep Charter won the first PIAA crown for District 12 in football on Friday, Aliquippa took it on the chin Saturday afternoon in Hershey as they fell big to Southern Columbia giving the Tigers their first ever state Double-A title and the schools seventh overall PIAA crown. Here are ALL the results from the 2015 PIAA Football Playoffs.
Pgh Central Catholic Holds On for 4th PIAA Football Title
December 19, 2015
Over the lengthy course of an extended season, there are unexpected surprises – good or bad – that seem to pop up. Pittsburgh Central Catholic had one of those pleasant surprises in a 21-18 win over Parkland to win its fourth PIAA Championship in school history Saturday in junior running back J.J. Younger. Younger found the end zone late in the third quarter off a 54-yard run, which proved to be the winning score despite a 21-0 lead at that point by the Vikings. “This is probably the best game I’ve ever had,” said Younger. “Being out here on the big stage with my brothers; that’s what really pushed me tonight.”WPIAL Big Game Hunting – State Championships
December 16, 2015
The final Big Game Hunting of the year is here, and I hear those sarcastic “ahhhs” throughout western Pennsylvania! I have names and numbers and email addresses, each of you will be hearing from me personally. District-7 after going .500 in the PIAA quarters improved that number to 1.000 in the semis moving two teams into the final weekend of high school football in the state. The Quips and Vikings look for state championships number 39 and 40 for the WPIAL in football this weekend. That sounds like a great reason to go Big Game Hunting one more time in 2015.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 12/13/2015
December 13, 2015
The end of another season and the end of the four classification era in Pennsylvania also marks the final cruise on the 2015 Road to Hershey this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the final two scholastic football games of the year on Saturday as the two remaining 2015 WPIAL champions in Aliquippa in AA and Pittsburgh Central Catholic in AAAA play for a PIAA state football championship on Saturday.Scholastic Notebook – 12/11/2015
December 11, 2015
There is a Wildcat strike in WPIAL boys basketball this season. Big things are expected of the Latrobe Wildcats and coach Brad Wetzel’s crew has been impressive in the first week of the season. Latrobe is 3-0, including Tuesday’s victory against Pine-Richland, which was the No. 2-ranked Class AAAA team in the MSA Sports preseason Class AAAA rankings. This could be one of Latrobe’s best teams in a while, at least the best since the 2009 team that went 19-4. Latrobe is the odds-on favorite to win Section 1. If Latrobe wins the section, it would be only their fourth crown in the past 30 years. The others were in 1987, 1990 and 2009.WPIAL Big Game Hunting – State Semifinals
December 10, 2015
The quarterfinals sliced the number of District-7 teams in half and, shocked the entire community of high school football in the state of Pennsylvania. Erie Cathedral Prep over Thomas Jefferson was tough, but we had a feeling something like that could happen, District – 7 has typically, especially lately had difficulty in that quarters round. The jaw-dropper was Berlin Brothersvalley knocking off our Clairton Bears. No one saw that coming, I don’t think even Berlin Brothersvalley fans thought that would happen. Five turnovers are tough to overcome, even for the best. So we move to the PIAA semis with AAAA and AA games involving WPIAL teams.
