COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF 2013

By: Bruce Markey
Wednesday, July 31, 2013 | 12:25 PM

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The countdown to the start of the 2013 high school football season is underway. High School football training camps throughout Western Pennsylvania open up on Monday, August 12th as teams prepare for a new season starting Friday, August 30th and Saturday, August 31st. As has been the case in the fourteen previous years here at MSA Sports, the ONLY place to turn for original DAILY updates that help prepare fans for all the excitement of the 2013 high school football season in the WPIAL is 'Countdown to Kickoff 2013' ONLY here at www.msasports.net

ALL UPDATED:

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* This Week in the WPIAL and the Kennywood Preseason All-Star Team Presentation Show LIVE from Kennywood Park (DONE)

MSA Sports 'Countdown to Kickoff 2013 kicked off with a special edition of This Week in the WPIAL from Kennywood Park on Tuesday, July 30th. Don Rebel, Mark Schaas, Josh Rowntree, Sam Hall, Melissa Carle and Mike Azadian took an early look at the 2013 campaign, plus the players from the 2013 MSA Sports/Kennywood Park Preseason All-Star Team were honored during the presentation awards show by Kenny Kangaroo and MSA Sports.

This Week in the WPIAL: Special Preview Show – http://www.msasports.net/talkshows/this-week-in-the-wpial/s15e01

Preseason All-Star Football Team Awards Show – http://www.msasports.net/broadcasts/2013-kennywood-park-msa-sports-preseason-all-star-football-team-awards-show

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* Football Schedules for Every WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League High School (UPDATED)

MSA Sports 'Countdown to Kickoff 2013 began with the releasing of this seasons football schedules for every team in the WPIAL and the Pittsburgh City League. Just click the high school link at the top of the page and locate your favorite school. Then click on the football link on top of the page. Every game, whether it be non-conference or conference for all 125 teams in the WPIAL and 6 Pittsburgh City League teams is just a few clicks away.

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* 7:00pm Kickoffs (UPDATED)

So will your favorite team kick off their Friday night games at 7:00pm or at 7:30pm? Find out which schools around the WPIAL will get the ball rolling on their Friday night fun with a 7:00pm kickoff for home games?

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-700pm-kickoffs-in-wpial

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* New Head Football Coaches (UPDATED)

New Faces – New Places – New Hopes – New Dreams. Some are rookie head coaches replacing long-time legendary coaches while other veteran coaches are starting over at new venues. Some schools have a new football coach for the first time in decades while others continue to play roulette with their head coaching position.

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-new-wpial-football-head-coaches

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* New Football Rules for 2013 (UPDATED)

Many fans may think they are an expert on the rules of high school football, making sure everybody in their section knows when they have witnessed a 'bad call'. Well, you can study and truly become the expert in the stands by checking out the new rules for the upcoming 2011 season throughout the WPIAL and PIAA.

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-new-high-school-football-rules-for-2013

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* A Look Back at the 2012 WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League Football Season (UPDATED)

2012 AAAA Football Flashback
North Allegheny capped off a three-peat in perfect fashion. The Tigers became the first school to win three straight WPIAL Quad-A championships by going undefeated and capping off their historic run with a PIAA state championship. we don't know if the run as ended for NA, but we do know 2012 was the end of three great coaching runs as Jack McCurray retired at North Hills, Clair Altemus retired at Pine-Richland and Terry Smith took a college coaching job after turning his alma-mater Gateway into a perennial power in Class AAAA this past decade.

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-2012-quad-a-football-flashback

2012 AAA Football Flashback
It was another banner year for Parkway Conference. For the fourth straight year, the WPIAL Class AAA champion came from arguably the 'toughest conference in the state." West Allegheny won their sixth WPIAL championship and second in four years despite the fact they finished in a three-way tie for the Parkway Conference title with 2010 winner Central Valley and 2011 district champion Montour. Meanwhile despite finishing behind Thomas Jefferson AGAIN in the Big Nine Conference, West Mifflin rebounded with a strong playoff run that put the Titans back in the title game for the first time since 2004.

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-2012-triple-a-football-flashback

2012 AA Football Flashback
It was strange to see South Allegheny in the playoffs and Ford City home for the postseason. But there was nothing strange about the end result in Class AA as Aliquippa won a second straight WPIAL championship with another dominating campaign. The title was the third in five year for the Quips, who soundly beat a Washington team that was back in the title picture for the first time in over a decade thanks to superstar junior running back Shai McKenzie.

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-2012-double-a-football-flashback

2012 A Football Flashback
The beat continued for the Big Bad Bears in Class A. It seemed every time Clairton took the field, another record would fall after yet another victory. The Bears once put together their third straight perfect 16-0 season while winning a record fifth straight WPIAL crown as well as a fourth consecutive PIAA state championship. Clairton's state title game win was their WPIAL and PIAA record setting 63rd consecutive win and is the longest current win streak in the nation. The flip-side was West Shamokin snapping a WPIAL record 47-game losing skid with a Week 3 victory over the Riverview Raiders en route to a 3-victory season for the Wolves.

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-2012-single-a-football-flashback

2012 Pittsburgh City League Flashback
It was leaner and trimmer Pittsburgh City League in 2012 with the first year of only SIX teams taking part in District 8 football. After winning it all in their very first year of competition in 2011, University Prep made it back to the City League Championship Game for a second straight season. However the Panthers were schools by the old dominant team in City League football, the Perry Commodores, who captured their second title in three years.

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-2012-pittsburgh-city-league-football-flashback

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* Players to Watch in Each Classification (UPDATED)

Top talent in the WPIAL Class AAAA:

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-cass-aaaa-players-to-watch

Top talent in the WPIAL Class AAA:

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-class-aaa-players-to-watch

Top talent in the WPIAL Class AA:

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-class-aa-players-to-watch

Top talent in the WPIAL Class A:

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-class-a-players-to-watch

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* Complete WPIAL/City League Saturday High School Football Schedule (UPDATED)

Everybody knows about the passion that is Friday night high school football in Western Pennsylvania. However let's not forget the local teams that still tee it up "old school" under the sun on Saturday afternoons or under the lights on Saturday night.

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-complete-wpial-pgh-city-league-saturday-football-schedule

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* Complete Scrimmage Schedule – Week #1 (UPDATED)

Here is a rundown of all the local scrimmages to be played on Saturday, August 17th.

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-pgh-city-league-week-one-scrimmages

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* 2013 MSA Sports Preseason Elite 11 (UPDATED)

The MSA Sports Elite Eleven are the individuals MSA Sports believes are the best of the best, the top players in the WPIAL coming into the 2013 season.

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-msa-sports-preseason-elite-eleven

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* Complete Scrimmage Schedule – Week #2 (UPDATED)

Here is a rundown of all the local scrimmages to be played on Friday, August 23rd and Saturday, August 24th.

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-pgh-city-league-week-two-scrimmages

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* Previews of Every Conference in Each Classification (UPDATED)

Class AAAA:

Northern Eight Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-quad-a-northern-eight-conference-preview

Foothills Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-quad-a-foothills-conference-preview

Southeastern Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-quad-a-southeastern-conference-preview

Class AAA:

Parkway Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-triple-a-parkway-conference-preview

Big Nine Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-triple-a-big-nine-conference-preview

Greater Allegheny Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-triple-a-greater-allegheny-conference-preview

Class AA:

Midwestern Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-double-a-midwestern-conference-preview

Interstate Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-double-a-interstate-conference-preview

Century Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-double-a-century-conference-preview

Allegheny Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-double-a-allegheny-conference-preview

Class A:

Black Hills Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-single-a-black-hills-conference-preview

Big 7 Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-single-a-big-7-conference-preview

Tri-County South Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-single-a-tri-county-south-conference-preview

Eastern Conference

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-wpial-single-a-eastern-conference-preview

Pittsburgh City League:

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-pittsburgh-city-league-preview

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* MSA Sports Preseason Rankings (UPDATED)

Each and every Monday during the high school football season, Team MSA Sports will rank the top ten teams in each of the four WPIAL classifications. Here are the initial rankings in each class for 2013.

Top 10 – WPIAL Class AAAA

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-msa-sports-preseason-top-ten-wpial-quad-a

Top 10 – WPIAL Class AAA

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-msa-sports-preseason-top-ten-wpial-triple-a

Top 10 – WPIAL Class AA

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-msa-sports-preseason-top-ten-wpial-double-a

Top 10 – WPIAL Class A

http://www.msasports.net/articles/ctk-2013-msa-sports-preseason-top-ten-wpial-single-a