Tag: Indiana

CTK ’16: 4-A Northwest Nine Conference Preview

August 21, 2016

With the coming of six classifications, some conferences were merged into others. Gone is the Parkway Conference, one of the toughest in the nation. Also gone is the Greater Allegheny, known for some REALLY long bus trips over a 5 county area. Now we have the Northwest Nine, a combination of the two above mentioned with a little Century Conference thrown in. Let’s preview the new conference, which is sure to be exciting for fans over the next 2 years. AMBRIDGE BRIDGERS The Bridgers finished 5-5 last season and made the playoffs for the first time since 2005 out of the Parkway Conference. Ambridge won their last 3 conference games to make the Highway to Heinz. That was the good news.

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CTK ’16: New WPIAL Football Coaches

August 15, 2016

New Faces - New Places - New Hopes - New Dreams. While there were two fewer coaching changes this off-season then before the 2015 campaign, there were a couple of big names that hung up the whistle after last fall. Legendary McKeesport coach George Smith retired for a second time while record setting coach Tom Nola exited at Gateway. There are a lot of rookie head coaches getting their first crack, and some coaches who are just changing hats and addresses. Whatever the case, there are 17 coaching changes coming into this 2016 season. Here are the new football coaches that will be running the sidelines in the WPIAL this fall. CLASS 6-A: ALTOONA - Nick Felus replaces John Franco

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MSA Sports Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2015 Countdown: #10 – #1

January 1, 2016

It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holiday season here at MSA Sports. Here is a look back at another great high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2015. We conclude our countdown with #10 through #1. #10 - GOLDEN TRIBE

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WPIAL Alum Q&A – Luigi Lista-Brinza

December 7, 2015

Nine days ago, the Central Catholic Vikings captured their fifth WPIAL football championship, defeating Penn-Trafford at Heinz Field in the Class Quad-A Championship. Prior to that, the last time Central Catholic captured gold was 2013, when running back Luigi Lista-Brinza paced the offense. That season, Lista-Brinza totaled more than 1,600 yards on the ground. As a result, he was named to the first team All-Conference, and second-team All-State.

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WPIAL Alum Q&A – Natalie Cignetti

October 5, 2015

The WPIAL Alum Q&A puts the spotlight on former Indiana High School and current IUP volleyball star Natalie Cignetti in this installment. Cignetti, an outside hitter, earned all-state honors during her time with the Little Indians. As a senior in 2013, she helped lead Indiana to the top seed in the Class AA playoffs. In that postseason, the Little Indians finished as runners-up, and won a state playoff match, as well. Following her high school career, Cignetti joined the Crimson Hawks at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where her father, Curt, serves as the head football coach.

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Scholastic Notebook – 10/02/2015

October 2, 2015

Anthony Welsh of Bethlehem-Center will likely run his way into the WPIAL record books Friday night. Welsh, a senior, needs only 62 yards rushing to reach 4,000 for his career. He would become the 63rd player in WPIAL history to reach 4,000 yards. With that in mind, here are some factoids about the 4,000-yard milestone: * The first player known to reach 4,000 yards was Jerry Patterson of Chartiers-Houston, who graduated in 1970 with 4,075 yards. * Welsh would be the second Beth-Center runner to reach 4,000. Keith Miller, a 1997 graduate, ran for 5,121.

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CTK 2015 – Class AAA Greater Allegheny Conference Preview

August 21, 2015

While West Allegheny and Central Valley have battled back and forth atop the Parkway Conference and Thomas Jefferson has reigned supreme in the former Big Nine Conference, the Greater Allegheny Conference has had a number of intriguing teams that have enjoyed success recently. Last year, Hampton captured the top spot, while perennial powerhouse Franklin Regional finished in second. Mars, a team which has been near the top of the standings in recent years, overcame key injuries to still contend and make a playoff run. Conference newcomer Gateway, which was a powerhouse for more than a decade in Quad-A, proved disappointing for most of its debut season.

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2014-2015 MSA Sports Male Athlete of the Year

June 27, 2015

Riley Stapleton comes from a family of athletes. Growing up, he and his three brothers used to play every sport imaginable and even invent their own events. “My oldest brother [Kevin] used to come up with competitions like who can race around the block the fastest or who can touch the highest spot on the wall,” said Stapleton. But never mind the brothers. If you could put all of the athletes in the WPIAL on a wall, Stapleton would be at the highest spot. Stapleton, who graduated from Indiana High School earlier this month, is the MSA Sports Male Athlete of the Year. All athletes in the WPIAL are eligible for the award. Stapleton competed in three sports at Indiana High School and had a big impact in every one.

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2015 WPIAL Scholar Athletes

May 22, 2015

The Class of 2015   On Monday, May 18th, twenty (20) student athletes were recognized by the WPIAL for their extraordinary achievements - both academically and athletically - throughout their high school careers.  This years scholarship recipients are listed below, including brief bios on each  (as provided by the WPIAL).      

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2014-2015 MSA SPORTS BOYS ALL-NETTERS

March 20, 2015

If there would be a catch phrase that would describe the boys All-Netters team, it would be “On Guard.” The All-Netters team is made up of the top 10 players in the WPIAL, as selected by the MSA Sports staff. This year’s first team is made up of five guards. The second team has three guards. Nine seniors make up this year’s team. The only two Division I college signees in the WPIAL this year also are on the team. Here is a look at the All-Netters teams as well as the Player of the Year. FIRST TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Matty McConnell, Chartiers Valley 6-1, Sr., G

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