Sports

MSA Sports Big Game Hunting – Week One

August 28, 2013

It is funny isn’t it? How every year near then end of summer the smell of freshly cut grass just starts to smell like football? Doesn’t smell like that in the springtime. I wonder how that works. I am glad it works that way, and I am delighted that it is time to crank up the Big Game Hunting for another WPIAL football season! The first of 16 Big Game Huntings is always determined by the four defending WPIAL champions. So let’s kick it off for the 2013 year it’s time to take a look at four big games for opening weekend!Class AAAA - Non-Conference:

CTK 2013 – MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten: WPIAL Triple-A

August 27, 2013

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. With days to go before the 2013 WPIAL football season kicks off, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams. This article, we present the Top Ten in Class AAA.Final 2012 record is in parenthesis.WPIAL CLASS AAA PRESEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN:1. WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS (12-2)2. THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS (11-1)3. CENTRAL VALLEY WARRIORS (9-3)4. WEST MIFFLIN TITANS (11-2)5. MARS FIGHTING PLANETS (9-2)

CTK 2013 – MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten: WPIAL Quad-A

August 26, 2013

Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. With days to go before the 2013 WPIAL football season kicks off, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams. This article, we present the Top Ten in Class AAAA.Final 2012 record is in parenthesis.WPIAL CLASS AAAA PRESEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN:1. WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES (10-3)2. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (8-3)3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (16-0)4. GATEWAY GATORS (9-2)

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/26/2013

The curtain is about to be lifted in GRAND style on the high school football season as we conclude our Countdown to Kickoff 2013 schedule this week here on the MSA Sports Network. How about over FORTY WPIAL and District 6 football games on Friday and Saturday to get the high school season started, beginning with the expanded MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding with the one and only WPIAL High School Football Scoreboard Show, plus the pro baseball season winds down with Frontier League baseball featuring the Washington Wild Things as well as news from the auto racing world with Rappin on Racin ALL here at MSAsports.netMonday, August 26th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netTuesday, August 27th:

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Single-A Eastern Conference Preview

August 25, 2013

One record setting streak ended in the Eastern Conference last fall while another overall slide continues into this 2013 campaign.While all eyes were on Clairton’s WPIAL and PIAA record winning streak, the longest losing streak in WPIAL history came to an end last fall when West Shamokin finally put a game in the ‘W’ column. The Wolves snapped a 46-game, five year losing streak that dated back to 2007 when they knocked off the Riverview Raiders 25-6 in Week 3. West Shamokin liked the feeling so much, they won two more games before the season ended.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Single-A Tri-County South Conference Preview

August 24, 2013

Youth was served last year in the Tri-County South Conference. Of the 24 positions for first-team all-conference last year, 16 were filled by sophomores. Those players are a year older, which means the Tri-County South could be a little stronger. Last year was the first of the “new” Tri-County South. That basically meant Monessen no longer was in the conference. The Tri-County South did not fare well in the postsesaon as all four teams lost in the first round. Will the conference get to taste any postseason success this year? With so many returning all-conference players, maybe Tri-County South teams will fare better.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Single-A Big 7 Conference Preview

August 23, 2013

Every team in Class A has been chasing the Clairton Bears and their 64 game winning streak for the last five seasons. Could this be the year that the Bears are dethroned? That is still to be determined but several of the candidates to try and knock off the Bears will come from the Big Seven Conference.Sto-Rox has played at Heinz Field the last two seasons and the conference had three teams of the top four seeds(thanks to the WPIAL creative seeding process) in last year’s playoffs. The Vikings, longtime conference power Rochester and Neshannock, all tied for the Big Seven championship last season. And the spotlight will shine bright on the Lancers and Vikings on September 12th for a Thursday night Root Sports matchup which can be heard live on MSA Sports.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Single-A Black Hills Conference Preview

August 22, 2013

Any discussion of the race in the Class A Black Hills must start with Clairton. The Bears come into the season on a 63-game winning streak, the longest current streak in the country and the longest in the history of Pennsylvania. Clairton lost a number of key players to graduation. So do the Bears simply reload? Do they step a back? Is this finally the year the streak ends? Questions abound about the Bears. For sure, they are good enough to win a conference title again and maybe a sixth consecutive WPIAL and fifth consecutive PIAA. Maybe Brentwood or Monessen are ready to give a serious challenge to Clairton. Remember Char-Houston gave the Bears fits on the opening night last year.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Double-A Allegheny Conference Preview

August 21, 2013

The Allegheny Conference of Class AA has seen its share of balance recently. Over the past four seasons, four different teams have won at least a share of the conference title.While many are picking Shady Side Academy as the team to beat this year, balance seems to permeate through the section again.A number of teams seem capable of grabbing one of the WPIAL playoff spots. One thing the teams in the conference would like to do is improve their playoff fortunes. Shady Side Academy is the only Allegheny team to win a playoff game the past two seasons.Here is a look at the Allegheny Conference: BURRELL BUCCANEERS:

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Double-A Century Conference Preview

2012 was another strong year for a pair of Class AA powers and South Fayette and Seton-LaSalle finished one-two in the conference and had some playoff success with the Rebels going to the Quarterfinals and the Lions to the Semifinals. But they were not the story last fall in the Century Conference.In his 4th year at South Allegheny, former Duquesne High School football coach Pat Monroe did what few people thought he could, he turned the Gladiators into a contender.The moribund program turned it around in the fall of 2012 as South Allegheny finished third in the conference and was 7-2 in the regular season before bowing out in Round One of the WPIAL playoffs.

Imani Christian OUT For 2013 Football Season

August 20, 2013

Less than two weeks before the 2013 high school football season kicks off, Bishop Canevin suddenly does not have an opponent for opening weekend. In fact, eight other members of the Class A Black Hills Conference are trying to fill the void of an open week after receiving letters that Imani Christian will not field a team this fall.WPIAL Executive Director Tim O'Malley said Imani Christian school officials sent a letter to the district and the eight other teams from the Black Hills Conference that they would not be able to honor their 2013 football schedule because of a lack of players.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Double-A Interstate Conference Preview

August 19, 2013

Over the past four seasons, four different teams have won the Interstate Conference championship. It was Washington last year, Jeannette in 2011, Greensburg Central Catholic in 2010 and Mount Pleasant in 2009. The race for the 2013 conference crown looks to be among those same four teams. All four have some firepower that could lead a team to the conference title. Washington made it to the WPIAL title game last year and has super running back Shai McKenzie. But the Little Prexies still have a lot of holes to fill. Here is a look at the Interstate Conference: BROWNSVILLE FALCONS: There is nowhere to go but up for the Falcons.

Fall Sports Underway

This week marks the start of section play in WPIAL boys golf, girls golf and girls tennis. Next week marks the beginning of section play in football while it's a post-Labor Day start up for section play in boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball, girls field hockey and boys and girls cross-country.You can check out ALL of the 2013 WPIAL section schedules in football, boys/girls soccer, girls volleyball, boys/girls golf, girls tennis, girls field hockey and boys/girls cross-country by clicking the high school link at the top of the page...then click on the logo of your favorite school and then the sport you wish to see.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL/Pgh City League Week Two Scrimmages

One scrimmage is in the books and one more is coming up this weekend as WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football teams continue to prepare for the kickoff of the 2013 season. Scrimmage number two will take place for most teams on Friday 8/23 with four scrimmages on Saturday 8/24 and one scrimmage taking place Thursday 8/22. Here is a rundown of ALL the second week scrimmages involving District 7 and District 8 high school football teams.All games are Friday, August 23rd unless otherwise indicated.WPIAL vs Pittsburgh City League:Perry Commodores AT Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings at 6:00pmKnoch Knights vs Brashear Bulls AT Cupples Stadium in Pittsburgh at 6:00pm

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Double-A Midwestern Conference Preview

The Aliquippa Quips continued their dominance of Class AA with another WPIAL championship in 2012. The win was the fifteenth title in school history and the second of back to back gold footballs for the Quips.Aliquippa is likely the favorite once again in both the Midwestern and the classification, a huge challenge could come from their old rivals, the Beaver Falls Tigers, who are also in everyone’s top 5 to start the season. Could it be another Beaver County matchup at Heinz Field in November, stay tuned to the MSA Sports Network to see.Here is a look at the Midwestern Conference.

This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 08/19/2013

it is the calm before the storm as the focus for the final time this year is squarely on Frontier League baseball and auto racing as we get closer to wrapping up Countdown to Kickoff 2013 this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things are home at CONSOL Energy Park for three games hosting Gateway before hitting the road for a weekend set at River City, plus we have the latest news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, August 19th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netTuesday, August 20th:Pro Baseball: Frontier League - Gateway Grizzlies vs Washington Wild Things at 7:05pm on WJPA-FM 95.3Wednesday, August 21st:

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Triple-A Greater Allegheny Conference Preview

August 17, 2013

Will the Greater Allegheny be as defensive again? Last year was the first season of the “new” Greater Allegheny, where nine teams were in the conference, including a few that used to play in the old Keystone Conference. Although the conference featured some standout offensive players, it seemed defense was the cornerstone of a number of teams. Mars, Franklin Regional and Knoch gave up less than 100 points in conference games.No other conference in Class AAA had three teams give up less than 100 points in conference games.Points could be hard to come by again in 2013. The main reason is some teams lost some key offensive players (except Mars).

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Triple-A Big Nine Conference Preview

August 16, 2013

The Big Nine Conference the past two years has been about the Big Two – Thomas Jefferson and West Mifflin. Don’t look for things to change this year. It seems just about everyone thinks Thomas Jefferson and West Mifflin will be the top teams in the conference again this season, with Thomas Jefferson holding the upper hand. Thomas Jefferson beat West Mifflin in the regular-season finale last year. Two years ago, they tied for the conference title. Thomas Jefferson has won the conference title outright nine times since 2002 and looks strong again. Elizabeth Forward made some waves last year, finishing third in the conference race. The Warriors are a team to watch again and could make some noise.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Triple-A Parkway Conference Preview

August 15, 2013

While repeats have been the story in the WPIAL in the last few years with Clairton winning five consecutive Class A titles, two straight Class AA titles for Aliquippa and three straight titles for North Allegheny in Quad A, there have been no repeat champion in Class AAA.However, a team from the Parkway Conference has claimed the last four AAA trophies, with West Allegheny as the defending champion. In fact, five of the nine coaches in the conference has won a WPIAL championship, those coaches have combined for 13 gold medals for their teams since 1991.

CTK 2013 – WPIAL Quad-A Southeastern Conference Preview

August 14, 2013

Four teams finished within a game of each other at the top of the Southeastern Conference last year. It could be a great race for the title again this year.Coming into this season, many coaches inside and outside the conference are predicting strength in numbers for the Southeastern this season. Woodland Hills, Upper St. Clair and Bethel Park appear to be strong this year, and Mount Lebanon could make some waves. Peters Township could be a sleeper, while Canon-McMillan, Baldwin and Plum have new coaches who want to make a mark.A year ago, Upper St. Clair and Mount Lebanon tied for the conference title while Woodland Hills and Bethel Park were only one game back. Look for much of the same this season.Here is a look at the Southeastern Conference:

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