Chris Harlan stories, Page 2
Semifinal victory means Aliquippa likely stays in 4A — 5 things we learned in Week 11
Aliquippa will compete in the WPIAL Class 4A championship game for the fifth time in six years, an accomplishment that Quips coach Mike Warfield says should always come with a footnote. His note would be a reminder that Aliquippa is still a small school playing against much larger opponents. “Everybody...
Colorado, ‘Coach Prime’ make Moon landing before heading to WVU
Moon’s football stadium welcomed a “Prime Time” visitor, or as Deion Sanders is better known nowadays, “Coach Prime.” The high-profile Colorado football coach and his team held a walkthrough practice Friday at the high school stadium in advance of their Big 12 Conference game Saturday against West Virginia in Morgantown....
WPIAL field hockey coaches announce 2025 all-stars
WPIAL field hockey champions Pine-Richland, Fox Chapel and Shady Side Academy were well represented when the league’s coaches announced all-stars. The three title-winning teams had eight individuals apiece recognized Friday by the WPIAL Field Hockey Coaches Association. Four players from both Pine-Richland and Fox Chapel also were selected for All-WPIAL...
Aliquippa’s defense stands tall in avenging loss to New Castle, seals return to WPIAL final
When Aliquippa went back and watched film of a Week 5 loss to New Castle, the Quips made a point to count their missed tackles. That wasn’t much fun since they counted more than 50. “It was terrible,” senior linebacker Lester Longmire said. “But at the same time, it’s good...
New PIAA classification parameters move 11-time WPIAL champion Thomas Jefferson to 5A football
One of the WPIAL’s strongest football classifications is adding an 11-time champion next season when Thomas Jefferson moves up to 5A. The PIAA released updated classification parameters for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years, a key step in the realignment process that occurs every two years. The parameters list the...
Big-school rematches highlight WPIAL playoffs — 5 things to watch in Week 11
Pine-Richland coach Jon LeDonne is already familiar with the Rams’ next opponent and not just because he spent three seasons as Shaler’s coach. The two teams played one another only two weeks ago in the regular-season finale. This time, they’ll meet in a WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal at 7 p.m....
Facing Aliquippa, New Castle hopes to finally clear Parkway traffic in WPIAL 4A playoff bracket
New Castle hadn’t celebrated a conference title in almost two decades, but the Red Hurricanes have a chance to win their second in three weeks. Well, at least it feels that way. That’s because New Castle keeps running into Parkway Conference foes in the playoffs. It was Montour in the...
Pine-Richland defensive back Jay Timmons flips commitment to top-ranked Ohio State
Pine-Richland’s Jay Timmons, a nationally ranked cornerback, has flipped his college commitment for the second time in five months and now is headed to Ohio State. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior committed in June to Florida State, the alma mater of his father Lawrence, a former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker. However, those...
Dominant Clairton defense adds another zero to shutout streak — 5 things we learned in Week 10
Coach Wayne Wade has a special place in his heart for a legendary Clairton defense from 15 years ago, a historic group that won WPIAL and PIAA titles in 2010. Those Bears held their first 15 opponents to a touchdown or less that year, part of an epic 66-game winning...
Kane Eggerton’s 3 TDs help Thomas Jefferson roll past No. 5 Mars in WPIAL quarterfinals
Thomas Jefferson’s Kane Eggerton used a three-touchdown night to remind everyone — including himself — that a turf-toe injury hadn’t diminished his knack for making big plays. In the process, the junior also helped his Jaguars remind the WPIAL that they’re still the reigning champs. Eggerton caught two touchdown passes...
Grass fields a rarity in WPIAL playoffs nowadays — 5 things to watch in high school football
Bentworth’s football team has something that’s becoming rare in the WPIAL playoffs these days. That’s a grass field. Only a handful of first-round games — all in the small-school Class A and 2A brackets — won’t be played on artificial turf, with Laurel, South Side, Mohawk and Apollo-Ridge also hosting...
Expect ‘throwback game’ when Thomas Jefferson, Mars collide in playoff opener
Being a former lineman himself, Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak likes the look of a six-man offensive line, a run-game tactic the Jaguars have used lately. “I’ll put 10 linemen in there next,” Cherpak said with a laugh. The reigning WPIAL champions hope to defend their Class 4A title largely...
Denied a wild card, South Fayette finds WPIAL snub ‘not an easy way to go’
South Fayette coach Marty Spieler gathered his players after a three-point loss to Moon on Friday, a narrow setback against a talented Allegheny Six foe. He knew there was nothing more they could do now. “I told the kids, ‘Guys, I hope that the committee gives you a chance to...
Breaking down the 2025 WPIAL football playoffs
Class 6A Favorite: Defending champion Central Catholic has dominated Class 6A this year, outscoring conference opponents 265-35. The Vikings, under third-year coach Ryan Lehmeier, are favorites to win the program’s 10th WPIAL title. They’re trying to reach the finals for the 11th time in 12 years. The roster is loaded...
‘Shocking’ 4A pairings debated as WPIAL reveals brackets for 2025 football playoffs
Only eight teams qualified for the Class 4A football playoffs, but the WPIAL’s smallest bracket has surely raised the most eyebrows. McKeesport drew the No. 1 seed, as expected, but the rest of the 4A bracket proved unpredictable until the WPIAL revealed its pairings Saturday. Most notably, there was an...
WPIAL bracketology: Chris Harlan, Don Rebel forecast 2025 football playoff pairings
Other than the wild cards, the 2025 WPIAL playoff field is set. In the current playoff format, the 16 wild card teams aren’t determined by tiebreaker formulas, but instead chosen at the discretion of the WPIAL football steering committee. So, bubble teams must wait until Saturday afternoon to learn whether...
Sparked by big-play freshman, Montour locks up playoff berth with win over West Allegheny
Montour’s Archie Collins will be dressing up as a freshman football player on Halloween night, a look that can surely frighten quite a few of his opponents. Call him a pick-six poltergeist. The star freshman scored twice Friday night, including a 77-yard interception return just before halftime that carried No....
1st-place Parkway clash might also be WPIAL playoff qualifier — 5 things to watch in Week 9
“Go big or go home” surely isn’t the spot West Allegheny planned to be in. With a win Friday night, the Indians would qualify for the playoffs as the top seed from the always-tough Parkway Conference. But if they were to lose, they could miss the playoffs entirely. That’s life...
Return to 4 classes among options on the table for WPIAL football realignment
Ten years after high school football expanded to six classifications, the WPIAL might consider going back to four. That idea is among a handful of proposals submitted to the WPIAL office, varying plans for realigning conferences that the football steering committee will soon discuss. “There are four different possibilities, and...
Central Catholic lineman James Halter commits to Notre Dame
Central Catholic offensive lineman James Halter committed Wednesday to Notre Dame, making him the second member of his family to choose the Fighting Irish. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound tackle is rated as a four-star prospect and ranked as the 10th-best junior in Pennsylvania, according to Rivals. He had nearly two dozen...
Steelers will again televise 4 WPIAL football finals at Acrisure Stadium
Television plans for the upcoming WPIAL football finals remain the same as last year, said the WPIAL administrator who oversees league championships. The four games played at Acrisure Stadium will again be televised through a partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the two games played elsewhere will not. The WPIAL...
WPIAL board accepts executive director Scott Seltzer’s resignation, appoints replacement
The WPIAL will soon have a new administrator at the top. The board on Tuesday accepted WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer’s resignation and voted to promote chief operating officer Vince Sortino to the top spot. The move is effective Dec. 20. “It’s just time to retire,” Seltzer said. “You know...
Traditionally tough WPIAL rivalry produces stunning final score — 5 things we learned in Week 8
There were close to a dozen lopsided shutouts this week, but one final score stood out from the rest. Pine-Richland 67, North Allegheny 0. Traditionally a tough WPIAL rivalry game between neighbors in the north, this one wasn’t close. Bolstered by the return of two injured seniors, the Rams scored...
WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Oct. 19, 2025
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 8-1, 1 2. North Allegheny, 7-2, 2 3. Norwin, 6-3, 3 4. Canon-McMillan, 4-5, 4 5. Mt. Lebanon, 2-7, NR Out: Seneca Valley (3-6, 5) Class 5A 1. Pine-Richland, 8-1, 1 2. Peters Township, 9-0, 2 3. Woodland Hills, 7-2, 3...
2nd-half surge leads Montour to pivotal Parkway victory over Aliquippa
Inconsistency is a trait Montour doesn’t usually like, but this time the Spartans were glad their second half looked different than their first. Sophomore quarterback Brandon Bennett tossed two touchdowns and rushed for another as Montour scored all 34 of its points after halftime to defeat host Aliquippa, 34-20, Friday...
