Tag: Clairton

PIAA Football Quarterfinals Recaps 2015

December 5, 2015

Last year, the WPIAL sent all four of its champions to Hershey to play in the PIAA football finals. In both 2012 and 2013, three of the four District 7 teams made it to Hersheypark Stadium. This year after the Quarterfinals, only two teams are left standing as another WPIAL Triple-A champ is ousted by Erie Cathedral Prep while Clairton is stunned by a team they beat last year by 28 points. Here are recaps from all four PIAA Quarterfinals state football playoff games involving the four WPIAL champions. A special thanks to Sean Meyers, Bob Gregg, Bob Barrickman and Paul Paterra for their help on these recaps.

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Scholastic Notebook – 12/04/2015

December 4, 2015

Bill Cherpak’s coaching resume is as impressive as it gets. It took him less than 20 years to win 200 games at Thomas Jefferson High School. He has five WPIAL championships on his list of accomplishments. But this season may have very well been Cherpak’s best coaching job. This was not one of Cherpak’s best teams in terms of talent. Just about anyone will tell you that. Even Cherpak will admit it. But when they handed out the WPIAL Class AAA gold championship trophy last week at Heinz Field, it went to the black and gold of Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson beat Central Valley for the title. Who would’ve thunk that after the first two games of the season, the Jaguars would be calling themselves champions.

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WPIAL Big Game Hunting – State Quarterfinals

December 2, 2015

For the final time ever it will be just four WPIAL teams carrying the District-7 flag into the PIAA tournament. A tough job for WPIAL coaches this quarter-final round of the state playoffs,(the WPIAL Championship games are the first round of the state playoffs), the tough job of re-igniting your team emotionally after playing for a gold football at Heinz Field. It is no secret that the District-7 title games are a much bigger deal than a lot of other districts around the state. Not just in football but truly in every sport, avoiding a WPIAL championship hangover is a tall task moving into the PIAA tournament. Lucky for us we have four of the best coaches in the business going to the quarter-finals.

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2015 WPIAL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS Results

November 29, 2015

Three of this years champs are partying like its 2008. Seven years ago, Clairton, Aliquippa and Thomas Jefferson also won WPIAL titles while it was Bethel Park and not Pittsburgh Central Catholic wining Quad-A gold. We discovered two things on what it took to win this year. First, be ranked #1 in the MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten like Central Catholic, Thomas Jefferson and Clairton were all top ranked by The Network with Aliquippa #2 behind South Fayette. The second thing would be to reach Heinz Field and run the ball while shutting down the other teams ground attack.

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Clairton Caps Decade of Dominance With Rout of Jeannette

November 28, 2015

Defending champion Clairton wasted no time getting things started in this year’s WPIAL Class A Championship.  Senior running back Harrison Dreher took the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.  Lamont Wade added a two point conversion to put the Bears up 8-0 just 16 seconds into the game. Jeannette took over at the 36-yard line.  Struggling to find an offensive rhythm, Jeannette went three and out on its first possession.

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Chicks Picks – Championship Saturday – 11/26/2015

November 26, 2015

Welcome to Championship Week of the high school football season. Chick’s Picks never understood why the song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” was a Christmas carol, when the title clearly explains WPIAL football Championship Week.  First, Thanksgiving.  Then, Championship Saturday.  What time of year could possibly be more wonderful than that? In the midst of this most wonderful time of the year, Chick’s Picks took a moment to reflect on all that she is thankful for this year.  First and foremost, she is thankful for her loved ones that will place the fate of their Thanksgiving dinners in her hands on Thursday.

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WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Championship Saturday

A little light reading for your post-turkey dinner relaxation in this week’s Big Game Hunting. This is a pretty epic Championship Saturday. The eight contestants have combined for some astronomic numbers over the years. All-time, this group of teams has combined to win 50 WPIAL football championships. More recently the numbers get even more impressive. Since 2003 there have been 48 WPIAL football championships won, these teams have combined to win 26 of them, that’s 56% of the championships in the last twelve years going to these teams! They know all about Big Game Hunting. Weather, the surface, the bright lights, and injuries all will play a part Saturday.

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WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Semifinals

November 21, 2015

Every team has similar goals when they start camp in the heat of August. One of them is to still be playing and practicing into Thanksgiving Day and beyond. Reaching that fun on Feastday usually means another goal has been reached, playing at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, the home to both the Pitt Panthers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. These eight performances helped make both dreams a reality for Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Penn-Trafford, Central Valley, Thomas Jefferson, South Fayette, Aliquippa, Clairton and Jeannette. Ronnie Jones - Pittsburgh Central Catholic

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Chicks Picks – Week 12 – 2015

November 19, 2015

Welcome to Week 12 of the high school football season. After a rough week of prognosticating the WPIAL quarterfinals, Chick’s Picks decided that a day of relaxation was in order.  After all, she needed a clear mind (and crystal ball) as we approach this final stop on the Highway to Heinz. So, Chick’s Picks and her trusty crystal ball headed out to their favorite local spa.  Their spa treatment specialists greeted them and showed them to their appointments.  An hour later, a much more relaxed Chick’s Picks emerged, awaiting the arrival of her crystal ball.  When the specialist arrived, however, Chick’s Picks knew that something was wrong.

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WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Quarterfinals

November 14, 2015

Most of the teams that advanced to Round Three in the WPIAL football playoffs were expected to be there while others are surprise participants still cruisin' on the Highway to Heinz. Some of the teams dominated their opponents, then there were others caught up in a tight game into the second half before they finally pulled away to victory, while a handful of teams needed to rally to win and advance. Whatever the case, these players we salute were instrumental in leading their teams to a superstitious victory on Quarterfinals Friday the 13th. Brett Laffoon - Penn-Trafford

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