Sports

WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Twelve 2016
November 22, 2016
The dream of every team when the season kicked off nearly three months ago was to claim the WPIAL Championship. For four of those teams, that dream became a reality at Heinz Field. Two of the title contests came down to the final plays, while the other two matchups were largely decided by key moments in the first half. In Class 5A, a gutsy call to go for a two-point conversion gave the Indians the W, in 3A, the Tigers sealed the victory with a late TD run, while Central Catholic used a punt return to take command in the first half of the 6A game, and Thomas Jefferson's defense tilted the field in the Jags favor late in the second quarter in 4A. Here are the biggest plays of Championship Friday at Heinz Field. 1 West Allegheny 38, McKeesport 37

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WPIAL Alum Q&A – Jessie Thiessen
November 21, 2016
For many athletes, their greatest achievements occur when they face and overcome adversity. For Jessie Thiessen, missing her entire junior season at Allegheny College could've possibly derailed her promising career. Instead, Thiessen came back stronger than ever on the pitch this year. The former Fox Chapel standout is the focus of this week's edition of the WPIAL Alum Q&A. In high school, Thiessen was a four-year letter winner for the Foxes, including a three-time offensive MVP for Fox Chapel. Additionally, she was a three-time All-Section honoree, as well as an All-WPIAL selection in her senior year in 2012.

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Friday HighLights AND Saturdays Scholastic Starz – 11/20/2016
November 20, 2016
There were eight WPIAL football games this past weekend. Half on Friday produced four district champions and the other half on Saturday produced four teams that are now one win away from bringing gridiron gold to their schools trophy case. here are the eight players who made it happen from both the sunny and warm North Shore of Pittsburgh on Friday, or the frozen tundra of four high school sites in Western Pa on Saturday. J.J. Younger - Pittsburgh Central Catholic

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This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/20/2016
Despite the fact that the football fans holiday of high school football at Heinz Field is in the books, there is still plenty of postseason football to feast on this week on the MSA Sports Network. The Road to RMU conclude with both the Class 2-A and Class 1-A WPIAL championship football games as well as the District 6 Class 1-A title game and five PIAA Quarterfinals state playoff football broadcasts, plus a pair of PIHL high school hockey games, this months edition of Carlow Sports Talk and a pre-holiday edition of This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 21st:

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2016 PIAA Girls Soccer State Playoff Results
Two out of three ain't bad. The WPIAL sent three district teams to Hershey to play for state girls soccer championships on Friday and Saturday and two teams return home clad in gold. On Friday, the Moon Tigers won their second state championship with a victory in the Class 3-A title match, then on Saturday, Canon-McMillan went overtime to capture the schools first ever PIAA girls soccer crown. The lone exception to a district girls golden weekend was Shady Side Academy bringing home silver in Class 1-A. Here are ALL the final scores from the 2016 PIAA Girls Soccer Playoffs. 2016 PIAA CLASS 4-A GIRLS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:

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2016 PIAA Boys Soccer State Playoff Results
It was a silver lining weekend for a pair of WPIAL teams at Hersheypark Stadium in Chocolate Town. On Friday, Sewickley Academy fell in the Class 1-A finals, then less than 24 hours later, Quaker Valley settled for silver after falling in the Class 2-A state championship. This marks the fourth time this century and the first time since 2011 that a WPIAL boys soccer team did not win a PIAA title. Here are ALL the finals scores from the 2016 PIAA Boys Soccer Playoffs. 2016 PIAA CLASS 4-A BOYS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Conestoga Pioneers 1 - Elizabethtown Bears 0 PIAA CLASS 4-A Semifinals: Conestoga Pioneers 1 - NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 0

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2016 PIAA Girls Volleyball State Playoff Results
For the third year in a row, a WPIAL has captured gold in the PIAA Class 1-A girls volleyball playoffs and for the second time in three years, that team is Greensburg Central Catholic. The Centurions were dominant Saturday at Richland High School in Johnstown as they swept past Marian Catholic in three games for the schools second state championship. Here are ALL the final results from the 2016 PIAA Girls Volleyball Playoffs. 2016 PIAA CLASS 4-A GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Garnet Valley Jaguars 3 - Parkland Trojans 2 (25-19, 27-29, 19-25, 25-20, 15-8) PIAA CLASS 4-A Semifinals:

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WPIAL Football Semifinals Recaps 2016
November 19, 2016
The new high school football postseason format has some strange twists that will take some time getting used to. Usually after the four games in one day marathon at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, district high school football fans usually can unwind for another week prior to the WPIAL winners entering the PIAA playoffs. However less than 24 hours after the 6-A, 5-A, 4-A and 3-A champions were crowned at the big house on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, the 2-A and 1-A playoffs continued with the Semifinals, setting the stage for next Saturdays completion of The Road to RMU. Here are the summaries of those four high school football Semifinals games. A special thanks to Bob Gregg, Steve Nagler, Bob Barrickman and Jimmy Lee Santorella for their help on these recaps.

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Scholastic Notebook – 11/19/2016
When a roughing-the-kicker penalty gave D.J. Opsatnik another chance at a game-tying field goal in Friday’s WPIAL Class 5 championship at Heinz Field, Opsatnik took advantage, making a 34-yarder that sent the game into overtime. West Allegheny eventually defeated McKeesport, 38-37, to win the title. But not only did that penalty give Opsatnik another chance to tie the game, it ended up giving him a future chance at the state record for career field goals.

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Central Catholic’s 6th WPIAL Title Comes in First 6-A Finals
Pittsburgh Central Catholic used its tried and true formula – a power running attack and suffocating defense – along with crucial special teams plays to secure the first 6A football title in WPIAL history, defeating Seneca Valley 42-7 at Heinz Field. In the process, the top-seeded Vikings (12-1) claimed their second-straight championship, and sixth in team history. All of the previous titles for Central Catholic came in Class Quad-A.

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TJ Storms Past New Castle to Repeat as WPIAL Champs
November 18, 2016
For many teams across the district, winning a WPIAL Championship seems like a giant mountain to climb. For Thomas Jefferson, that mountain feels more like a hill. Quinton Hill, that is. Hill rushed for 248 yards on 39 carries and scored three touchdowns for the Jaguars as they rolled to a 42-0 victory over New Castle in the WPIAL Class 4A Championship Game at Heinz Field. The Jaguars repeat as WPIAL champions, winning in the Class AAA title clash last season also with a convincing shutout. After their semifinal victory last week, coach Bill Cherpak said his Thomas Jefferson squad was "going home" to Heinz Field. Maybe the Rooney family should charge rent to Coach Cherpak, as his Jaguars have won six WPIAL titles at Heinz Field since 2004.

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West Allegheny Wins First WPIAL 5-A Title in OT Thriller
The West Allegheny Indians made sure there was no miracle for McKeesport on Friday at Heinz Field, but the Indians may be the team believing in magic after defeating the Tigers 38-37 in dramatic fashion in overtime at Heinz Field in a thrilling game to become the first 5A WPIAL Champion. Any championship win is special for any team, but the special teams play for both McKeesport and West Allegheny played a huge part in shaping this title game.

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Beaver Falls Avenges Lone Loss With 3-A Title Win Over Aliquippa
After losing the season opener to Aliquippa 44-13, Beaver Falls Coach Ryan Matsook said every game was important throughout the rest of the season. Obviously, his team believed in that sentiment. The Tigers have not lost since with the latest win being a 35-22 victory over that same Aliquippa team, extending their winning streak to 11 games in the WPIAL Class 3A title game at Heinz Field. The Tigers grabbed a lead and had to hold on tight, withstanding a furious Aliquippa rally late in the fourth quarter.

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Chicks Picks for Week Twelve
November 17, 2016
Welcome to Week 12 of the high school football season. After an incredible performance predicting last week’s winners, Chick’s Picks decided that she could take the rest of the season off and leave it in the hands of her trusty crystal ball.  So, she packed up her golf clubs and boarded a plane headed for her favorite southern destination. The sun was shining beautifully on a warm fall morning.  Chick’s Picks took a moment to enjoy the view on the first hole.  Just as she was about to tee off, she heard a man yell, “Hey!”

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Big Game Hunting for Week Twelve
Big Game Hunting salutes one of the all-time greats of the game. In addition to being one of the greatest football coaches southwestern Pennsylvania has ever known, George Novak was always more than helpful, more than kind and more than welcoming to me personally. He was all those things, win or lose, and he was all those things, first game of the year or championship game. That’s class, there is a striking lack of it in today’s society. He takes a big chunk into retirement with him. I wish him all the best and congratulate him on a fantastic career. Have fun coach! This weekend we get the odd situation of Championship Games on Friday followed by semi-finals on Saturday.

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Woodland Hills’ Only Football Coach and AD George Novak Retires
November 16, 2016
The only football coach and athletic director that Woodland Hills High School has ever known submitted his resignation papers Wednesday. George Novak, Pennsylvania’s 14th all-time winningest high school football coach, is stepping down after an illustrious 30-year career. Novak, 66, has won six WPIAL Championships while guiding the Wolverines to 306 wins along the way, the third best mark in WPIAL history. Only former Blackhawk coach Joe Hamilton and current Upper St. Clair coach Jim Render have won more games. “I’ve been blessed,” Novak told MSA Sports on This Week in the WPIAL after his 300th win in September. “I’ve had some great people to work with at Steel Valley and Woodland Hills.”

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2016 PIAA Field Hockey State Playoffs
November 15, 2016
The PIAA has been sponsoring state playoffs for girls field hockey since 1974. In the 43 years since Elizabethtown captured gold in the first title match, a team from the WPIAL has never.....ever won a state title. That streak will continue this year as all three WPIAL teams, Fox Chapel, Pine-Richland and Ellis School were eliminated in Round One. Here are all the results through the Semifinals of the 2016 PIAA Field Hockey Playoffs, plus the sites and times for the State Championship Matches on Saturday. 2016 PIAA CLASS 3-A GIRLS FIELD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:

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WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Eleven 2016
As good as the regular season and the first playoff week were, it's likely that this past week's action provided some of the top moments of the entire campaign. With trips at Heinz Field on the line in 3A-6A, and spots in the semifinals in the balance in 1A and 2A, the crucial plays carried even more importance. This week's selection includes a jaw-dropping hook-and-lateral in an improbable win, a clinching block on an extra-point attempt with no time on the clock, a winning touchdown run in the final minute in a classic 3A bout, and a touchdown that put the exclamation point on a Cinderella run in 4A. 1. McKeesport 41, Gateway 38

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WPIAL Alum Q&A – Jesse Zubik
November 14, 2016
While the Avonworth football team has been on the WPIAL radar courtesy of some impressive playoff runs in recent years, the play of a former Antelope is also making headlines. Former Avonworth standout Jesse Zubik has produced a monster season as Washington and Jefferson College, putting up some of the best receiving numbers in all of DIII football. Consequently, the latest installment of WPIAL Alum Q&A will take a closer look at Zubik. As a member of the Antelopes in 2012, Zubik notched 330 yards receiving and three touchdowns as a junior. That season, Avonworth concluded its campaign with a record of 5-5, including a first-round playoff loss to Rochester.

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This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/13/2016
November 13, 2016
The Highway to Heinz comes to an end while the Road to RMU keeps truckin' into the Final Four this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The 2016 WPIAL football postseason continue with complete coverage of ALL four WPIAL championship games at Heinz Field with full day action from the 3-A, 5-Am 4-A and 6-A Finals along with all four WPIAL 2-A and 1-A Semifinals and concluding with a special edition of the WPIAL Scoreboard Show Saturday at 9:30pm. We also have PIAA and District 6 high school football playoff games on Friday and Saturday, plus PIAA boys soccer state playoff action and title game previews during This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 14th: No Broadcasts

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