Tag: North Catholic

WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Semifinals

November 18, 2015

This past Friday night the world was attacked once again by a senseless act of terrorism. I wish I had some words that could make us feel better, but I don’t. I would just encourage you to be kind to one another, and kind to yourselves (easier said than done). We will move on, it is all we can do. The final off-ramp on the Highway to Heinz approaches now, very quickly, who can keep the vehicle on the mainline and make their way around the construction barrels to the North Shore? We find out this Friday night on the MSA Sports Network. 50-50 shot your team is in this week’s Big Game Hunting, if you still have a team in the race. Win this week and you are assured a spot in Big Game Hunting for the as long as your 2015 season continues.

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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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Chicks Picks – Week 8

October 22, 2015

Welcome to Week 8 of the high school football season. This week, we officially made it to the future.  Wednesday, October 21, 2015 marked the date when Marty McFly and Doctor Emmett Brown traveled into the future in Back to the Future Part II.  After so much talk about which of the movie’s predictions came true, Chick’s Picks took a moment to reflect on what she was doing back in the days of when the movie was set.

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WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Eight – 10/21/2015

October 21, 2015

Week Eight arrives and we can smell the playoffs now. The post season party is just around the corner at the MSA World Headquarters, in fact pairings shows and medals are already making their appearances. But football is the biggie, the one where everyone shows up and Chix Picks prepares the fresh sushi bar. The Football pairing show is always likely to trigger a Schaasy and Mike Azadian argument about schools from Lawrence County versus schools from Allegheny County. Usually we have two people per classification and there is just enough sushi and just the right amount of seats to avoid problems. Next year though, six classifications for the first time, THAT could be a disaster at headquarters. Just another in the long list of reasons this particular reporter dislikes the move so much.

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WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Week Seven – 2015

October 17, 2015

On the seventh Friday of the high school football season, there was a chill in the air throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Or maybe based on the below performances, there was a thrill in the air. Friday marked the start of the 'Stretch Run' of the 2015 campaign, where the pressure starts to mount over the final three weeks as we inch closer to the on-ramp to the Highway to Heinz...much like real life, where we hope that on-ramp is not closed due to construction. Anyway, here are those players that shined in victory on a mid-October eve. Ronnie Jones - Pittsburgh Central Catholic

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Chicks Picks – Week 7 – 2015

October 15, 2015

Welcome to Week 7 of the high school football season. The 2015 Stretch Run is here – that time of year when the regular season is coming down to the wire with key games and the postseason looming.  Chick’s Picks feels that this is a critical time for the MSA Sports Network team to get mentally prepared for the playoffs, just as do the players and coaches around the WPIAL.  So, each year, Chick’s Picks takes it upon herself to organize a group exercise activity as a means of building teamwork and mental toughness for this most important time of the season.

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WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Seven 2015

October 14, 2015

The “Stretch Run” for 2015 is on us, the final third of the regular season will start this weekend with several big games around the WPIAL. Players, whether you are playing for a number one seed, a conference title, a home playoff game, a shot at the playoffs, a winning season, or to get your only win of the season, play hard, keep your head up when you tackle and make the most of this time in your life. If you are going to watch, cheer hard, bellyache less about the refs and the coaches, support your kids and your team without feeling like you need to control or have some input as to how the other team should or should not conduct themselves. It’ll be so much more fun for you and the people around you. Need to know where to go, or which link to click?

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WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Four – 09/23/2015

September 23, 2015

One third of the regular season is in the books and there are still a lot of questions to be answered. There were some big games in week three that seemed to indicate that 2015 might be wide open with regards to the teams with a chance to reach Heinz Field. That’s what makes this job so much fun. You see, you research, and you get a feel for history, and coaches, and programs but the bottom-line is you cannot really know what will happen when those kids go out there and take the field every Friday night. We do know it will be fun, and we also know MSA Sports will be the ultimate place for you to find out what happened, and how and, why it happened. More unbeaten teams will fall this weekend, it’s time to go Big Game Hunting!

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CTK 2015 – Class A Black Hills Conference Preview

August 28, 2015

The Hills have been alive the past two years. In 2014 and 2013, the a team from the current Black Hills Conference has made it at least to the WPIAL championship game. It was Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in 2013 (then in Class A's Eastern Conference) and Avonworth last year. North Catholic won the title in 2013 and also the PIAA title, while Avonworth lost to Clairton in last year’s WPIAL final. Will the championship-caliber play continue this year? Possibly. Clairton is everyone’s team to beat in Class A, but North Catholic and Avonworth are considered two of the best teams again. Brentwood also looks like it has the makings of a team that could challenge for the top of the conference. Here is a look at the Black Hills Conference:

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Scholastic Notebook – 05/15/2015

May 15, 2015

The name is Aaron, as in Hank. The hitting this baseball season has been Hank Aaron-esque. California senior Aaron Previsky had a regular season for the ages. A year ago, Norwin’s J.J. Matijevic became the first known player to win the WPIAL triple crown (first in batting average, home runs and RBIs). Previsky didn’t do that, but his regular season also was terrific. Previsky finished with a .545 batting average, which was good for 13th in the WPIAL. But he was second in home runs with six and third in runs scored with 35.

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