Sports
Chicks Picks – Championship Saturday – 11/26/2015
November 26, 2015
Welcome to Championship Week of the high school football season. Chick’s Picks never understood why the song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” was a Christmas carol, when the title clearly explains WPIAL football Championship Week. First, Thanksgiving. Then, Championship Saturday. What time of year could possibly be more wonderful than that? In the midst of this most wonderful time of the year, Chick’s Picks took a moment to reflect on all that she is thankful for this year. First and foremost, she is thankful for her loved ones that will place the fate of their Thanksgiving dinners in her hands on Thursday.WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Championship Saturday
A little light reading for your post-turkey dinner relaxation in this week’s Big Game Hunting. This is a pretty epic Championship Saturday. The eight contestants have combined for some astronomic numbers over the years. All-time, this group of teams has combined to win 50 WPIAL football championships. More recently the numbers get even more impressive. Since 2003 there have been 48 WPIAL football championships won, these teams have combined to win 26 of them, that’s 56% of the championships in the last twelve years going to these teams! They know all about Big Game Hunting. Weather, the surface, the bright lights, and injuries all will play a part Saturday.MSA Sports Frozen Fab Five Hockey Rankings – 11/26/2015
Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL high school hockey teams in each of the four classifications for the 2015-2016 high school hockey season...including a NEW #1 team in Class A. Don't miss the latest rankings every Wednesday during the regular season, plus PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm starting in December with audio and video broadcasts as well here on the home of the best PIHL high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network. PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (5-0-3) (Last Week #1)District College Football Preview for Saturday, November 28
November 25, 2015
And then there were three district college football teams alive in the post season. SRU and IUP hope to both advance and meet in the Super Region ! final while Duquesne makes their initial trip into the FCS playoffs. Here are previews of ALL 3 GAMES, with recaps coming Saturday night. NCAA Division II Playoffs/Super Region 1 Semifinal Assumption (11-1) at Slippery Rock (11-1) Noon A battle of the third and second seeds in the region with the winner to advance to the regional final next weekend. The two teams have never met. Slippery Rock is ranked 8th in the D2football.com poll, while Assumption is ranked 17th.PIAA Alignment Numbers for 2017 & 2018 – Spring Sports
The new alignment list has been released by the PIAA for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 spring sports seasons. With the expanded classifications, there are still a lot of questions to be answered by WPIAL school officials and the schools themselves before anything in finalized and conferences are set. Schools must make a decision by mid-December if they want to remain in their designated classification OR decide to move up in class. A school is not permitted to move down.PIAA Alignment Numbers for 2016-2017 & 2017-2018 – Winter Sports
November 24, 2015
The new alignment list has been released by the PIAA for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 winter sports seasons. With the expanded classifications, there are still a lot of questions to be answered by WPIAL school officials and the schools themselves before anything in finalized and conferences are set. Schools must make a decision by mid-December if they want to remain in their designated classification OR decide to move up in class. A school is not permitted to move down.WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Twelve 2015
The 2015 WPIAL football season began in early September, and every team's ultimate goal at that time was to advance to Heinz Field to play for a championship. The teams that accomplished that objective were determined on Friday, as eight teams advanced from the semifinals. The majority of the contests were competitive, with several coming down to the final minutes. To that point, this week's edition of the top plays includes a final-minute touchdown pass for a team building a reputation for comeback victories, a spectacular run by a quarterback to give his team the lead, a long return touchdown on the opening kickoff, and a defensive stop on the final play of the game. Here are the best of the best from the WPIAL semifinals tilts.PIAA Alignment Numbers for 2016 & 2017 – Fall Sports
The new alignment list has been released by the PIAA for the 2016 and 2017 fall sports seasons. With the expanded classifications, there are still a lot of questions to be answered by WPIAL school officials and the schools themselves before anything in finalized and conferences are set. School must make a decision by mid-December if they want to remain in their designated classification OR decide to move up in class. A school is not permitted to move down.Carnegie Mellon Ends A Winner in ECA Bowl Game
November 22, 2015
In the ECAC Legacy Bowl at Central Connecticut State, Carnegie Mellon defeated Bridgewater State 48-13 to pick up their third win in four bowl game appearances. Sophomore RB Sam Benger became the 21st player in D-III history to rush for more than 2 thousand yards in a season. Benger ran for 190 yards and 4 touchdowns in the win, he was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player. He opened the scoring on a 2 yard run. The Bears answered with a Danny Higgins 15 yard pass to Michael Viola. Chris Herrera gave CMU the lead for good with a 88 yard return of the ensuing kickoff and a 14-7 lead after one. Herrera scored his 2nd touchdown on a 50 yard pass from Andrew Hearon and Benger added a 1 yard run to extend the advantage at the break.2015 PIAA Boys Soccer State Playoff Results
In an amazing feat, the WPIAL sent three boys soccer teams to Hershey to play for state gold - Seneca Valley, South Park and Sewickley Academy...this after none of the three even made it to the WPIAL championships two weeks ago. Sewickley Academy was the only team to bring home gold as the Panthers captured the schools third Class A boys soccer state crown. Meanwhile both the Seneca Valley Raiders in AAA and the South Park Eagles in AA settled for silver after greats runs to the PIAA title matches. Here are ALL of the results from the 2015 PIAA Boys Soccer Playoffs. 2015 PIAA CLASS AAA BOYS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Central Bucks East Patriots 2 - SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS 02015 PIAA Girls Soccer State Playoff Results
Upper St. Clair played the role of undefeated spoiler to perfection and in the end, had the gold to prove it. After beating undefeated Norwin in the PIAA Class AAA Semifinals, the Panthers knocked off previously unbeaten Central Bucks East to capture the schools first ever girls soccer state championship. District 10 champion Villa Maria Academy in AA and District 3 champion Camp Hill Trinity in A were the other state champs crowned in Hershey. Here are ALL the results from the 2015 PIAA Girls Soccer Playoffs. 2015 PIAA CLASS AAA GIRLS SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS 2 - Central Bucks East Patriots 1 PIAA CLASS AAA Semifinals:2015 PIAA Girls Volleyball State Playoff Results
Bishop Canevin didn't even win it's regular season section, but the Crusaders had a golden shine to their game in the postseason. Two weeks after winning the schools second WPIAL girls volleyball championship, Bishop Canevin added a first ever PIAA state title to its resume. The Crusaders beat District 5 champion North Star in three games to capture the only state title for a WPIAL school this fall. District 11 champion Parkland won the state AAA championship while District 3 champion Berks Catholic captured state gold in AA. Here are ALL the results from the 2015 PIAA Girls Volleyball Playoffs. 2015 PIAA CLASS AAA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/22/2015
The Highway to Heinz is only open for one more week and only eight special teams are allowed to cruise to their final destination on the North Shore of Pittsburgh for a football feast that they are very thankful for this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have wall-to-wall coverage of ALL Four WPIAL Championship Games at Heinz Field all day Saturday along with a PIAA First Round Class AAA state football playoff game. We also have ice action with PIHL high school hockey along with men's and women's college basketball featuring Carlow University, plus a Championship Saturday preview during This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 23rd: No Broadcasts
Upper St. Clair Wins First PIAA AAA Girls Soccer Championship
November 21, 2015
Two shots, two goals, one championship. That was the recipe for success for the Upper St. Clair Panthers girl soccer team Saturday evening at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey as they edged the Central Bucks East Patriots 2-1 in the PIAA Class AAA title match. Senior Emma Hasco scored an unassisted goal with just over six minutes left in the first half to give the WPIAL runner-up Panthers a 1-0 lead which they took into the half. With about 16 minutes left in regulation, Emma Loving scored for Central Bucks East to tie the game at 1-1 with an assist from Hannah Zach. But with one second under seven minutes left in regulation, Hasco struck again as she executed a great give and go with Rachel Witte before slamming a shot past Kristen Obetz to give USC a 2-1 lead.District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 21
A mix of playoff and regular season action in thecdistrict this weekend. The Division II playoffs kicked off while two local PAC teams participate in ECAC Bowls. The NEC cocludes the regular season with a title deciding tilt at Rooney Field. Here are recaps of ALL THE GAMES: Division II Playoffs/Super Region 1 Slippery Rock 40 – Virginia Union 21 Playing their first home playoff game since 1999, #10 Slippery Rock advanced to the regional semifinals with the Rock’s 8th straight win. Shamar Greene(West Mifflin) ran for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns in the win.
Seneca Valley Soccer Settles for State Silver After Loss to CBE
Five years ago, Central Bucks East lost 2-1 in an overtime heartbreaker to Landisville Hempfield in the PIAA AAA boys soccer title match. In their first championship appearance since then, the Patriots made sure history would not repeat itself. Austin Prime was great in primetime as he made eight saves en route to a 2-0 victory over the Seneca Valley Raiders Saturday night in Hershey. Central Bucks East scored early as Brian Gilligan scored at 12:13 of the first half on an assist from Evan Vare. Then with just over 13 minutes left in the first half, Vare connected on an unassisted goal to make it 2-0 Patriots at halftime.South Park Falls to Unbeaten Lewisburg in PIAA Boys AA Soccer
Heading into the Class AA Championship game in Hershey Saturday, the South Park Eagles knew it faced a tall task against Lewisburg, who was looking to cap off a perfect season without a loss. South Park knows the feeling of imperfection all too well, after suffering its first loss last season in the WPIAL Quarterfinals. However, history did not repeat itself Saturday, As Lewisburg, the District 6 champions, capped off a perfect 25-0-0 season with a 4-0 win over South Park. The Green Dragons kicked off the scoring in the 16th minute off a corner kick that was played short and sent into the box, but couldn’t initially be cleared by South Park. The second clearing attempt failed as well, and Lewisburg was able to bury the second chance.
Bishop Canevin Wins First Ever State Volleyball Title
The Bishop Canevin Crusaders added a new trophy to their already crowded trophy case with an impressive win in the PIAA Girls A Volleyball Championship handling previously unbeaten District 5 Champion North Star in straight sets 25-21, 25-16, 25-17 Saturday at Richland high school in Johnstown.WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Semifinals
Every team has similar goals when they start camp in the heat of August. One of them is to still be playing and practicing into Thanksgiving Day and beyond. Reaching that fun on Feastday usually means another goal has been reached, playing at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, the home to both the Pitt Panthers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. These eight performances helped make both dreams a reality for Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Penn-Trafford, Central Valley, Thomas Jefferson, South Fayette, Aliquippa, Clairton and Jeannette. Ronnie Jones - Pittsburgh Central Catholic
Highway to Heinz – Semifinals Recaps 2015
For eight teams who were victorious Friday night, they can celebrate reaching one of their goals this weekend, then its back to work to prepare to play for district gold. For those eights teams that were on the short end of the stick in the Final Four, this one will hurt long past the holidays even though they should keep their head high and be thankful for a successful season. As we pass the final exit on the Highway to Heinz, here are summaries from all eight WPIAL Semifinals football playoff games from Friday night, setting the stage for Championship Saturday next week ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network.
