Top 19 of ’19: Trib HSSN breaks down the top stories of the year — No. 4
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Saturday, December 28, 2019 | 4:01 PM
The 2019 high school sports season is nearly in the books.
While we anxiously look ahead to 2020, let’s reflect on the district high school sports scene over the last 12 months.
Here is a look back at the top 19 stories from around the WPIAL in 2019.
HSSN Top 19 in ’19: No. 4 — He’s back
One of the top stories in 2018 was Bob Palko’s decision to step away from one of the most successful football programs in the WPIAL.
Palko had guided West Allegheny to eight WPIAL football championships, a then-district record since tied by Bill Cherpak of Thomas Jefferson.
It was thought Palko might sit out a year and look for a college coaching gig.
He didn’t sit out a year nor did he coach college football.
Palko took his 217 wins and 24 years of head coaching experience to Mt. Lebanon, where he was named head coach in February.
The Blue Devils beat Seneca Valley in the WPIAL quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Central Catholic in the semifinals to finish the season 7-5.
Here’s a look at the rest of the top stories of the year:
No. 19 — Big Ben strikes often
No. 18 — Near perfect on the pitch
No. 17 — Five golden rings
No. 16 — Bucs title run is now a teenager
No. 15 — Worldly results lead to district and state gold
No. 14 — Black out
No. 13 — Big time ballers
No. 12 — Four decade wait is over
No. 11 — Fight for survival
No. 10 — A Crummie ending
No. 9 — Swimmer breaks national mark
No. 8 — PIAA to the rescue
No. 7 — Coaching king hangs up his whistle
No. 6 — Golden run ends
No. 5 — Top cat
Tags: Mt. lebanon, West Allegheny
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