Sports
Hometown Softball Recap – West Mifflin Titans – 04/01/2016
April 1, 2016
West Mifflin banged out 11 hits and had 19 base runners but struggled to get hits when they needed them the most, in dropping their first AAA Section 3 game of the season to the much improved Ringgold Rams Thursday afternoon at West Mifflin High School. Titans senior, Amber Cook, led the way with three hits, including an RBI double that knocked home Tiana Sekowski in the 3rd inning which, at the time, cut the Ram lead to 3-2. Sekowski reached base in four of her five plate appearances and had two stolen bases. But, Ringgold would score two more runs in the top of the 4th inning to extend the lead to 5-2. The Titans would threaten but not score in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings as they stranded two base runners in each inning.WPIAL Mourns Jim Collins
March 29, 2016
Administrators, athletic directors, coaches and long time associates of the WPIAL are morning the loss of Assistant to the Executive Director Jim Collins, who unexpectedly passed away early Monday morning at the age of 74. Collins spent Easter Sunday with family before retiring to bed early because he was not feeling well. He was taken to Allegheny Valley hospital overnight where he later passed away. WPIAL Executive Director Tim O'Malley said Collins would be impossible to replace because he did so many things for the district and did them all with great passion.
WPIAL Alum Q&A – JJ Matijevic
March 28, 2016
With the basketball and hockey state finals concluding earlier this month, and the calendar about to change to April, the high school sports season is officially changing from winter to spring. To mark this transition, this week's installment of the WPIAL Alum Q&A features one of the top baseball players in the region in recent memory. Norwin's JJ Matijevic achieved history in his time with the Knights, and now he's emerging as a star for the University of Arizona. Matijevic was a standout for his entire high school career, as he was a three-time All-Section and All-State honoree. As a sophomore and junior, the shortstop helped guide his team to section records of 12-0 and 8-4, respectively.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/28/2016
The winter high school sports season has one more night as it gives way to the start of the spring high school sports season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the season debut of WPIAL baseball, WPIAL softball, WPIAL boys volleyball and WPIAL boys lacrosse, plus a pair of high school basketball all-star games from Quigley Catholic High School ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 28th: No Broadcasts Tuesday, March 29th: WPIAL High School Boys Volleyball - Seneca Valley vs North Allegheny at 7:00pm on the North Allegheny Sports Network at MSAsports.net Wednesday, March 30th:
2015-2016 MSA SPORTS BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-NETTERS
March 25, 2016
The MSA Sports All Netters boys team this season is a junior achievement club. All five players on the first team are juniors. That has never happened before. The second team has a sophomore and four seniors. The All Netters team is made up of the top 10 players in the WPIAL and the squad is picked by the MSA Sports staff. The 10 players on this year’s team had a winning way about them. Nine of the 10 made it at least to the WPIAL semifinals and the 10th to the quarterfinals. Three of the players won WPIAL titles and one of those players also won a state championship. Presenting the 2016 MSA Sports All Netters team: FIRST TEAM: AUSTIN BUTLER, LATROBE 6-4 JUNIOR, GUARD
2015-2016 MSA SPORTS GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL-NETTERS
The Girls All Netters all-star squad this season is certainly a sizeable one. While guards often dominate all-star teams, the first team of the All Netters has four players at least 5-11, including three who are 6-1 or taller and one who is 6-4. The team is picked by the MSA Sports staff from all WPIAL teams. Three of the first-team members won WPIAL championships. One of the second team members scored 1,000 points this season – as a freshman. Introducing the 2016 MSA Girls All-Netters squads: FIRST TEAM: EMILY ANDERSON, SOUTH FAYETTE 6-4 SENIOR, CENTERPIHL Noteboook – MSA SPORTS ALL-ICERS TEAM
March 24, 2016
Welcome to the final edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. With the 2016 Penguins and Pennsylvania Cup champions crowned, there is just one more order of business we must attend to. It’s time once again to unveil the annual “All Icers” teams as voted on by the MSA Sports Network staff. Did your favorite player make the First Team? How about the Second Team? Read on to find out as we light the lamp on the final 2015-16 edition of “PIHL Notebook.” 2015-16 MSA SPORTS NETWORK “ALL ICERS” – FIRST TEAM: Brendan Johns – Latrobe Regular Season: 20 GP, 37 G, 31 A, 68 PTS, 7 PP, 1 SH, 5 GW, 3.40 PTS/GM Playoffs: 1 GP, 0 PTS
WPIAL Baseball – 2016 Season Preview
Every Monday during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the Top Ten teams in each of the WPIAL Baseball classifications. We rank the Preseason Top Ten here, along with Players to Watch in each class and teams to beat in each section. Follow the high school baseball campaign with with weekly rankings and daily broadcasts and updated standings before exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs in May only here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA PRESEASON TOP TEN: 1. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 2. PLUM MUSTANGS 3. SHALER TITANS 4. CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS
WPIAL Softball – 2016 Season Preview
March 23, 2016
Every Tuesday during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the Top Ten teams in each of the WPIAL Softball classifications. Will rank the Preseason Top Ten here, along with Players to Watch in each class and teams to beat in each section. Follow the high school softball campaign with with weekly rankings and daily broadcasts and updated standings before exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Softball Playoffs in May only here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA PRESEASON TOP TEN: 1. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 3. BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS 4. SHALER TITANS
WPIAL Baseball – 2015 Season Review
March 22, 2016
With such a mild winter coming to an end and warmer than normal temperatures in the area for most of March, coaches, players and fans are ready to hit the diamond for the start of a new baseball season. However before we look ahead, we take time to look back at the 2015 season. A pair of district teams struck gold twice last year as Knoch in Class AAA and Neshannock in Class AA pitched their way to district and state championships. Joining Knoch as first time WPIAL baseball champions in 2015 were Pittsburgh Central Catholic in Class AAAA and Greensburg Central Catholic in Class A. 2015 WPIAL BASEBALL STANDINGS: # - Clinched Section Title * - Clinched Playoff Berth x - Eliminated From Playoff Contention
WPIAL Softball – 2015 Season Review
With such a mild winter coming to an end and warmer than normal temperatures in the area for most of March, coaches, players and fans are ready to hit the diamond for the start of a new softball season. However before we look ahead, we take time to look back at the 2015 season. While no district softball teams won state gold, Hempfield, Belle Vernon, Deer Lakes and Jefferson-Morgan are set to defend their 2015 WPIAL softball championships. 2015 WPIAL SOFTBALL STANDINGS: The top three teams in each section qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. # - Clinched Section Title * - Clinched Playoff Berth x - Eliminated From Playoff Contention WPIAL Class AAAA:
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Carly Forse
Last month, the Bishop Canevin girls' basketball team captured its second WPIAL crown with a decisive victory against Greensburg Central Catholic. The previous title came back in 2013, when Carly Forse helped guide the Crusaders to gold. Forse, who has carried her success on the hardwood over to Point Park University, is the focus of this week's WPIAL Alum Q&A.
2016 PIAA BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS Results
March 20, 2016
last year was a banner year for District 12 as the Philadelphia are schools swept all our PIAA boys basketball championships. This year, the West earned a split with District 12. While Roman Catholic and Neumann-Goretti repeated on the state stage, Kennedy Catholic from District 10 in Class A and Aliquippa from District 7 in Class AA also earned state gold. The Quips finished a perfect 30-0 as they became only the 13th WPIAL boys hoops team to go undefeated and only the 33rd team overall in 97 years of state basketball postseason play. Here are ALL of the final results from the Road to Hershey and the 2016 PIAA Boys Basketball Playoffs. All scores followed with (MSA) are games that can be heard archived on the MSA Sports Network.
2016 PIAA GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS Results
Over the last three years, WPIAL girls basketball teams have brought home two state titles in each of the seasons to close out the 2013, 2014 and 2015 campaigns. This year, only one district team qualified for the state finals in Hershey and the gold rush continued as WPIAL Class A runner-up Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic was the last Class A team left standing in the PIAA postseason increasing the run of WPIAL girls teams with at least one state crown to eight straight years. Here are ALL of the final scores from the Road to Hershey and the 2016 PIAA Girls Basketball Playoffs. All results followed by (MSA) are games that can be heard archived on the MSA Sports Network.
Roman Catholic Rolls the ‘Dice to Repeat in PIAA Boys AAAA
After the first 10 minutes of Saturday’s PIAA boys Class AAAA Championship, newcomers Taylor Allderdice held a sizeable lead, opening the game on a 10-0 run on District 12 powerhouse Roman Catholic. In fact, it took the Cahillites nearly five and a half minutes to score a point from the foul line. That foul line just so happened to be the way Roman Catholic thrived Saturday, downing the District 8 champion Dragons 73-62 to repeat as state champions.
LaSalle Routs Cathedral Prep as Flyers Cup Champs Sweep PA Cup
March 19, 2016
It took the LaSalle Explorers less than a minute to show how explosive they could be offensively. In fact, it took just 38 seconds for LaSalle to score in the Class AAA Pennsylvania Cup Championship, and LaSalle took command in the second period as the Explorers defeated Erie Cathedral Prep 7-1. With the triumph, LaSalle claims its fourth state title, and first since 2012. In the process, the Explorers completed the sweep for Flyers Cup winners, who bested in Penguins Cup representatives in all three games. Joseph Mancuso struck in the game’s first minute, as he slide a shot from the far circle inside the far post, past Cathedral Prep’s sophomore goaltender Jacob Kucharski.
Central Bucks South Beats Bishop Canevin for AA PA Cup
Through the first period of play in the Class AA Pennsylvania Cup Championship, the Bishop Canevin Crusaders battled back and forth with Central Bucks South. The second period, however, was complete dominance by the Titans, who scored five unanswered goals to prevail 7-3 at the Pegula Ice Arena at Penn State University to win their second state title in the past three years. Matt Stoll propelled CB South, as he netted four goals, including three in the decisive middle frame. Additionally, the Titans outshot Bishop Canevin 43-17 in a rematch of the 2014 Pennsylvania Cup Championship.
Second Time Is a Perfect Charm for Aliquippa In Hershey
They say that Hershey is the sweetest place on Earth. But for Aliquippa that wasn’t the case after last year’s loss to Conwell-Egan in the Class AA PIAA Boys Basketball Championship Game. The Quips finished 29-1 but took it one step further this year. Aliquippa completed a perfect 30-0 mark with a 68-49 victory over Mastery Charter North at Herhsey's Giant Center on Saturday afternoon. Sheldon Jeter and Jassir Jordan each scored 22 points as Aliquippa pulled away in the third quarter, claiming the fifth state crown in school history and the first since 1997.
Franklin Regional Blanked by 3-Time Champ Bayard Rustin in PA Cup A Finals
Bayard Rustin came into the PA Cup Class A Championship game as the defending 2-time titlists while Franklin Regional was making its first appearance in the championship after winning the Penguins Cup title for the first time. The experience advantage for the Golden Knights eventually wore down the Panthers as Bayard Rustin shut out Franklin Regional 6-0, capturing its 3rd straight PA Cup Title.
Eight is Great as Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Wins Girls PIAA A Finals
Coaches always say rebounding is a key to winning basketball games. Never was it so evident on Saturday afternoon as Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic used a 50-28 edge on the glass to claim a 56-33 victory over Lourdes Regional in the PIAA Class A girls state final at the Giant Center in Hershey. The victory gives Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic their 8th PIAA crown and first in Class A. Sam Breen saved her best performance for last this year, as the 6-1 junior scored 27 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out 9 assists to lead her team to the title.
