Tag: Latrobe

Scholastic Notebook – 01/06/2017

January 6, 2017

Look at the progression of the Laurel High School boys basketball program the past few years, and it is quite evident that the Spartans are now all Locked in. Ken Locke is in his fifth season as the Spartans’ coach. The program without much history has made giant strides the past few years. Now this year, the Spartans are doing things never seen before at the school. In the latest MSA Sports WPIAL rankings that came out at the beginning of the week, Laurel was No. 3 in Class 2A. But that was before Laurel knocked off No. 1 Sewickley Academy this past Tuesday. Laurel heads into Friday night’s big game against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart with a perfect 9-0 record. The Spartans are one of only four teams in the WPIAL with a perfect record.

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MSA Sports Top 25 WPIAL Stories of 2016 – #5 through #1

January 1, 2017

It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holiday season here at the MSA Sports Network. As we close out 2016 and another great high school sports year, we look back at some of the top stories from around the WPIAL in calendar year 2016. We conclude our countdown with #5 through #1. #5 - YOUNG AND OLD FINAL FAIRWELLS

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Scholastic Notebook – 09/23/2016

September 23, 2016

At Mapletown, Rush rushes. A lot. Dylan Rush is a junior running back at Mapletown who has enjoyed a big season so far. He is the second-leading rusher in the WPIAL with 1,027 yards. The only running back who is ahead of him is Armstrong’s Zane Dudek, who has 1,201. Rush stands only 5 feet 9 and weighs 180 pounds. You have to wonder how strong Rush’s back is, because he is carrying the Mapletown team on it. Rush’s number of carries isn’t on the high side. It’s on the ridiculous side. In four games, Rush has carried the ball 147 times. That’s 36.8 times a game. The rest of Mapletown’s team has 31 carries. On top of that, Mapletown has thrown 22 passes – and Rush has attempted seven of them.

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CTK ’16: 5-A Big East Conference Preview

August 19, 2016

The 5A Big East Conference bares a strong resemblance for the former Quad-A Foothills Conference, as Connellsville, Greater Latrobe, Kiski Area, McKeesport, Penn-Trafford and Plum all remain intact. The other three spots, though, are comprised of teams previously in the AAA Greater Allegheny Conference, Franklin Regional, Gateway and Armstrong. Six of the nine squads qualified for the postseason last year, with Penn-Trafford reaching Heinz Field for the Quad-A title game and McKeesport also ranking among Quad-A's best. If the Warriors and Tigers take even a slight step back this year, though, the conference could be wide open.

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2015-2016 MSA SPORTS BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-NETTERS

March 25, 2016

The MSA Sports All Netters boys team this season is a junior achievement club. All five players on the first team are juniors. That has never happened before. The second team has a sophomore and four seniors. The All Netters team is made up of the top 10 players in the WPIAL and the squad is picked by the MSA Sports staff. The 10 players on this year’s team had a winning way about them. Nine of the 10 made it at least to the WPIAL semifinals and the 10th to the quarterfinals. Three of the players won WPIAL titles and one of those players also won a state championship. Presenting the 2016 MSA Sports All Netters team: FIRST TEAM: AUSTIN BUTLER, LATROBE 6-4 JUNIOR, GUARD

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PIHL Noteboook – MSA SPORTS ALL-ICERS TEAM

March 24, 2016

Welcome to the final edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. With the 2016 Penguins and Pennsylvania Cup champions crowned, there is just one more order of business we must attend to. It’s time once again to unveil the annual “All Icers” teams as voted on by the MSA Sports Network staff. Did your favorite player make the First Team? How about the Second Team? Read on to find out as we light the lamp on the final 2015-16 edition of “PIHL Notebook.” 2015-16 MSA SPORTS NETWORK “ALL ICERS” – FIRST TEAM: Brendan Johns – Latrobe Regular Season: 20 GP, 37 G, 31 A, 68 PTS, 7 PP, 1 SH, 5 GW, 3.40 PTS/GM Playoffs: 1 GP, 0 PTS

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WPIAL Alum Q&A – Zack Zavatsky

January 18, 2016

Greater Latrobe's wrestling team has been one of the top programs in the WPIAL for quite some time. While the Wildcats have had some great grapplers over the years, perhaps no one left a bigger mark than Zack Zavatsky. Zavatsky, a 2014 graduate, compiled an incredible career mark of 166-18 in high school. After posting 41 wins in each of his freshman and sophomore seasons, the 182-pounder went 42-2 as a junior, and finished third in the Class AAA PIAA Championship. His senior campaign, though, was historic, as Zavatsky compiled an undefeated season, going 42-0 and winning the state title by defeating Mount Lebanon's Kellan Stout.

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Scholastic Notebook – 01/17/2016

January 17, 2016

Maybe just call this a saga of Penn-manship. Jim Rocco resigned in the spring as the boys basketball coach at Penn Hills High School in order to become coach at Penn-Trafford. He is enjoying success at his new job. Dan DeRose took over for Rocco at Penn Hills. DeRose came to Penn Hills from South Park, and DeRose is enjoying success at his new job. So it’s two new coaches at two schools with Penn as the first name. This really is a Jim Dan-dy story. At Penn-Trafford, the Warriors are 10-4 under Rocco, who won two WPIAL titles and one PIAA championship in his 19 years at Penn Hills. Penn-Trafford is tied for second place in Class AAAA Section 1.

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Scholastic Notebook – 12/11/2015

December 11, 2015

There is a Wildcat strike in WPIAL boys basketball this season. Big things are expected of the Latrobe Wildcats and coach Brad Wetzel’s crew has been impressive in the first week of the season. Latrobe is 3-0, including Tuesday’s victory against Pine-Richland, which was the No. 2-ranked Class AAAA team in the MSA Sports preseason Class AAAA rankings. This could be one of Latrobe’s best teams in a while, at least the best since the 2009 team that went 19-4. Latrobe is the odds-on favorite to win Section 1. If Latrobe wins the section, it would be only their fourth crown in the past 30 years. The others were in 1987, 1990 and 2009.

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WPIAL Alum Q&A – April Krivoniak

November 30, 2015

Competing in one college sport is very challenging, but playing two sports at the collegiate level is incredibly impressive. April Krivoniak, a junior at Robert Morris University, competes on both the volleyball and track and field teams for the Colonials. As a result, she is the featured athlete on this week’s installment of WPIAL Alum Q&A. Krivoniak’s diverse athleticism was on display prior to college, as she competed in three sports, including basketball, while at Greater Latrobe High School. She made quite a mark on the volleyball court, however, as she became a four-year starter for the Wildcats. She was a three-time section honoree, and during her sophomore and season campaigns, Krivoniak earned All-WPIAL honors.

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