Tag: Belle Vernon

Big Game Hunting for Week Six 2016

October 6, 2016

The game we all circled back on our calendars when the 2016 WPIAL Football schedule came out is finally here. While normally I frown on even inter-conference games getting into Big Game Hunting, let alone an inter-classification game, this game is different. These two teams have long been the gold-standard for WPIAL football and their meeting this Friday at Neil Brown Stadium this week, cannot be denied as a big event for any fan of WPIAL football over the last two decades. I don’t imagine I will get emails complaining about my choices this week, but as a reminder, those should all now be directed to ChixPix1@msasports.net. For now let’s go Big Game Hunting!

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MSA Sports Friday Night HighLights for Week Three

September 17, 2016

Every Friday night, there are hard decisions to make to whittle down many of the great performances from around the WPIAL into our Top Ten HighLights package. But this Friday night was probably the toughest since it was the busiest night game wise of the entire 2016 season. Of the possible 61 WPIAL football games, 60 were played on 9/16, thus the difficult becomes even more so. Here's what we came up with on a pleasant evening weather wise for the Week Three HighLights. Jordan Crawford - Pine-Richland

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Big Game Hunting for Week Three 2016

September 14, 2016

In my time doing Big Game Hunting I cannot recall any other regular season week in which the top games were so obvious. Week three has it all, consistent Top-Ten battles across five of the six classifications, the two leading passers in the WPIAL, the leading rusher and scorer in the WPIAL, and three of the top six receivers in the WPIAL. All of this saves me the trouble of having to come up with an engaging and interesting opening paragraph, and let’s be honest I was only hitting about .250 at that to begin with so, without further ado, let’s go Big Game Hunting!

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CTK ’16: 4-A Big Nine Conference Preview

August 21, 2016

While realignment created some radically different conferences for the upcoming football season, the 4-A Big Nine bears a tremendous resemblance to the former AAA Big 10 Conference. Eight of those teams made the transition to the Big Nine, while only Yough and Elizabeth Forward moved elsewhere. In their place, Greensburg Salem, formerly of the AAA Greater Allegheny Conference, has joined the section. Thus, many of the rivalries are already in place in the section, and teams and coaches will have a high level of familiarity. A notable difference for this season, though, is that only four teams will earn playoff bids, whereas the conference produced five teams a year ago.

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2016 MSA SPORTS DIAMOND DOLLS

June 24, 2016

Pitchers can dominate the sport of softball. But this year’s Diamond Dolls all-star team is led by pitchers who also were big factors as hitters. The Diamond Dolls is made up of the top 10 players in the WPIAL, regardless of position, and is picked by the MSA Sports staff. Pitchers like Hempfield’s Morgan Ryan, Shaler’s Bri Dobson and West Greene’s Madison also had huge impacts as hitters and led their teams to highly successful seasons. All four WPIAL champions have a player on the Diamond Dolls team. Youth also is served on this team as it includes four sophomores. Here is a look at the Diamond Dolls team. PLAYER OF THE YEAR MORGAN RYAN, HEMPFIELD Pitcher - Senior

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Scholastic Notebook – 05/22/2016

May 22, 2016

Plum’s Alex Kirilloff has a good chance to be selected in the first round of the June 9 Major League Baseball draft. Teams love his bat and also like the way he plays the outfield. At Plum, they also love the way he pitches. Kirilloff has a bright future as an outfielder, but at the present, he is one dominating pitcher. He is certainly one of the best hurlers in the WPIAL. When Plum defeated Peters Township, 2-0, in the WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinals Thursday, Kirilloff led the way with his hitting – and pitching. He had a double and triple at the plate. But he also pitched six innings , struck out 11 and gave up only one hit.

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Scholastic Notebook – 05/13/2016

May 13, 2016

Plum High School’s nickname is Mustangs. But when it comes to athletes, Plum has a thoroughbred in Ashley Amato. The MSA Sports staff doesn’t name a female athlete of the year until late June. But you would think Amato will get serious consideration. There are three-season rooms in houses, but Plum houses a three-sport standout in Amato. And in the spring, she shines brightest. So far this track and field season, Amato has the best 200-meter time in WPIAL Class AAA at 25.3 seconds. She has the third-best 100 hurdles time of 14.69 and is tied for the third-best 100 time at 12.2.  She is has the third-best AAA long jump at 18-2 ¾. At the Baldwin Invitational last Friday, Amato won the long jump, was second in the 100 hurdles and sixth in the 200.

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Belle Vernon Softball Forfeits Three Games, Out of Playoffs

May 11, 2016

Despite finishing in second place in the WPIAL Class AAA Section 3, 2015 district softball champion Belle Vernon will not get a chance to defend their crown. The Leopards must forfeit three section victories because of the use of two ineligible players. Those loses drop Belle Vernon to 6-6 in the section and in fourth place. Top three teams from each section make the WPIAL playoffs. The players in question are two freshmen who played for the Belle Vernon 'Junior High' team which consists of players in 7th, 8th and 9th grade. If the players were on an all Freshman or a JV team, they could be promoted to the varsity team at any time. However PIAA rules do not allow players from 'Junior High' to play varsity.

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2016 Hometown Softball Recap – Belle Vernon Leopards

May 10, 2016

Bailey Parshall tossed a two-hit shutout striking out 12 and walking only two as the Lady Leopards raised their Section 3 AAA record to 8-3 and overall record to 14-5. Parshall also went 4-4 at the plate with a double and three singles to key the Leopards 11 hit attack.  Kourtney Gavatorta got Belle Vernon on the board with a bases loaded 2 run double in the bottom of the first inning to put BVA up 2-0 after 1 inning. It could have been worse, but West Mifflin pitcher Amber Cook was able to pitch her way out of a one-out bases loaded jam by getting back to back pop-ups to end the inning with the Leopards stranding 3 runners. 

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Hometown Softball Recap – Belle Vernon Leopards – 04/27/2016

April 27, 2016

For the second time this season, Thomas Jefferson defeated the Belle Vernon Leopards in a low scoring contest. This time by way of a 3-0 final score at Washington Township Field on Tuesday afternoon. After forcing two walks in the first, including lead-off hitter Lindsay Kalup. Thomas Jefferson first-baseman Emily Schleidter popped up a softly hit ball that landed directly between second and short which scored the eventual game-winning run, that being Kalup from second. 

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