Tag: Central Valley

WPIAL Boys Basketball Championship Preview

February 28, 2014

Kudos to the WPIAL basketball steering committee for their excellent work in setting up the boys basketball playoffs. In the end, which is their starting goal, they try to get the two best teams playing for gold. This weekend it will be #1 vs #2 in three of the four finals, with the lone exception being the #1 vs #3 matchup in Class A. Here is a look at this weekend four boys championship hoop games. CLASS AAAA: The game: New Castle (25-0) vs. Hampton (22-3) Saturday at 7 p.m.

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Scholastic Notebook – 01/10/2014

January 10, 2014

No matter what time of year it is at Western Beaver High School, it always seems to be Miller Time. Miller is a senior at Western Beaver. True, he may not be at the same athletic level as, say, New Castle’s Malik Hooker or Gateway’s Montae Nicholson, a pair of future Division I college players who shine in others sports. But as far as production goes in three sports, you’d be hard-pressed to find a WPIAL athlete who is better than Miller. Western Beaver was a .500 team in football, but Miller was their leading receiver for the second year in a row.

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West Allegheny Remains Perfect in WPIAL Championship Title Games

November 23, 2013

It is official. West Allegheny just doesn’t lose when it plays for a WPIAL championship. The Indians (13-0) made it seven for seven with a 16-6 victory over Central Valley (11-2) to clinch the Class AAA title on a wintry autumn evening at Heinz Field. In the process, West Allegheny coach Bob Palko became the first WPIAL grid boss to win seven outright WPIAL crowns. The other Indians titles came in 1997, 1999-2001, 2009 and 2012. West Allegheny won the game with its usual method of success. That would involve controlling the ball and taking large chunks of time off the clock on long, methodical drives. The Indians controlled the ball for 29:12, while Central Valley had the ball for just 18:48.

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Scholastic Notebook – 11/22/2013

November 22, 2013

The weather for the WPIAL football championships Saturday is not good. The forecast is for cold, possible snow showers and winds gusting to 20 m.p.h. But for half of the four title games, the outlook looks absolutely perfect. Never mind the weather, two of the games match perfect teams – and that is a pretty unusual occurrence. Sto-Rox meets North Catholic for the WPIAL Class A title at 11 and Aliquippa takes on South Fayette for the AA championship at 5. All four teams in those games have perfect 12-0 records.

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Chicks Picks – Championship Saturday – 11/21/2013

November 21, 2013

Welcome to Championship Week. Chick’s Picks received a delightful phone call over the weekend.  The recording on the other end of the line delivered the best news—Chick’s Picks was the lucky winner of an all-expenses paid, undoubtedly legit, dream vacation to Aruba next week.  Having never been the recipient of such a lavish price, Chick’s Picks was thrilled.

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Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Championship Saturday

November 20, 2013

So Saturday is your chance to come to Heinz Field and meet the MSA Sports crew. Find the guy who mispronounced your son or daughter’s name and let him have it. Find the guy or girl who left your club out of Big Game Hunting or Chix Picks and let them have it. Find the guy who completely credited someone else with your kid’s touchdown run, or tackle, and let them have it. Find the person who completely messed up the stats and flip-flopped the years when they were talking about your team in the playoff pairings show or on the round table and let them have it! Find the guy who clearly missed the fact that the ball had touched the ground and you saw it with your own eyes and let him have it.

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WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Twelve 2013

November 19, 2013

Before we reach the final destination on the Highway to Heinz, we had one final stop to make. And boy, was it fun. In Class A and AAAA, we will definitely have new Champions, as North Allegheny lost in the Quarterfinals and the WPIAL's biggest powerhouse of all-time, Clairton, fell late in the Semifinals. In AA and AAA, South Fayette and Central Valley will look to dethrone Aliquippa and West Allegheny on Saturday. Don't forget, we will have EXCLUSIVE audio broadcasts of Saturday's Championships. But before we get there, let's look back in the rear view mirror one last time at the Semifinals. 

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WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for Week Twelve

November 16, 2013

Many times, there is a fine line between advancing to the next round and hanging up the gear for good when you get deep into the postseason, and make no doubt about it, Final Four Friday in the WPIAL Football Playoffs is deep into the postseason. A turnover here, a costly penalty there, or a big block that leads to a big play, it all adds up in November football. Here are the Primetime Performers who have helped their team get their ticket punched to Heinz Field and the 2013 WPIAL Football Championships next Saturday here on MSA Sports. Trevon Mathis - Woodland Hills

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Scholastic Notebook – 11/15/2013

November 15, 2013

Look at Friday night’s WPIAL Semifinals and you see many of the same old faces, like Aliquippa, Woodland Hills and Thomas Jefferson, to just name a few. But there are definitely some new faces mixed in.Penn-Trafford is making its first semifinal appearance since 1997. The Warriors have been to only one WPIAL title game.Neshannock is making its second consecutive semifinal appearance and will play Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic. Neither Neshannock nor North Catholic has ever been to a WPIAL title game.

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Chicks Picks – Week 12 – 2013

November 14, 2013

Welcome to Week 12. We have reached the final stop on the Highway to Heinz.  Keeping with tradition, Chick’s Picks stopped by her favorite uptown pizza shop, as she does each football season at this time.  After placing her usual order for the college special, Chick’s Picks sat down to ponder her predictions over the delicious meal.Something caught her eye from across the way.  Sure enough, it was The Fumbler—dining over the same meal, pondering his own picks.  Chick’s Picks confronted her rival prognosticator, demanding an explanation.

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