Tag: Central Valley

CTK ’14: WPIAL AAA Parkway Conference Preview

August 14, 2014

The Parkway Conference has dominated the WPIAL title picture since 2009. The last five champions have come from the conference and in three of the last five, two conference teams have played each other in the title game. The Parkway has been represented at Heinz Field every year since 2005. It has to start with the coaches, who have racked up 14 WPIAL titles at their current schools. Even the newcomer to the conference, has made two title game appearances. Add in a pair of coaches who won gold as players and you have a great collection of championship gold and some tough football games. Five playoff spots are guaranteed in the conference, a sixth is possible with the WPIAL wild card, that race for post season play will be exciting as always.

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2014 MSA Sports Girls Basketball All-Netters

March 23, 2014

The MSA Sports All-Netters squad is going places in the future. Five of the 10 players on the all-star girls team have either signed or made verbal commitments to Division I colleges. Another has around a dozen Division I scholarship offers. The team also has some youth. Four juniors and a sophomore are on the squad, which was picked by the MSA Sports staff. The team takes into consideration all WPIAL players. Here is a look at the 2014 All-Netters team. FIRST TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR BRENNA WISE, VINCENTIAN ACADEMY 6-0, Junior, Guard-Forward The MSA Sports staff made a Wise pick for Player of the Year.

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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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