Chris Harlan stories, Page 25
WPIAL sets championship, consolation schedule for 2024 baseball playoffs
The WPIAL has set its championship and consolation schedule for the baseball playoffs with games May 28-29 in Washington. The finals are played at Wild Things Park and the third-place games are next door at Washington & Jefferson’s Ross Memorial Park. The six-game championship schedule starts with the Class A...
Pinch hitter comes through in extra innings to send North Allegheny past Pine-Richland in WPIAL semifinals
North Allegheny’s Michael Hershberger is a hitter always eager for opportunities, said his coach, who called on the junior in a big spot Tuesday night. In the eighth inning of a tied semifinal, Hershberger delivered a pinch hit two-run single that let North Allegheny complete its late rally and defeat...
Penn-Trafford squeezes past Fox Chapel in another tight game between section rivals
After splitting a pair of one-run games in section play, the WPIAL lined up Fox Chapel and Penn-Trafford for a playoff rubber match that was almost as tight. Penn-Trafford’s Brandon Roher pitched six scoreless innings, and closer Hunter Brown escaped a jam in the seventh to win the matchup that...
WPIAL chooses new board president for 2024-25 school year
The WPIAL board ushered in a new group of officers Monday with Peters Township athletic director Brian Geyer selected to serve as president. Mt. Lebanon athletic director John Grogan was tabbed as vice president and Brentwood principal Jason Olexa will serve as treasurer. Hempfield’s Tom Evans remains secretary. Geyer was...
North Allegheny to induct decorated class into school’s Athletics Hall of Fame
Former WPIAL track standout Ayden Owens-Delerme, a qualifier for this summer’s Olympic Games, was among 13 individuals selected for induction into the North Allegheny Athletics Hall of Fame. The school’s athletic department announced the 2024 class May 16. Also selected for induction were athletes Caroline Wrigley (golf), Abby McKiernan Tevis...
Beaver County judge to decide if Aliquippa football moves to Class 5A or stays in 4A
After three days of testimony in a Beaver County courtroom, attorneys for Aliquippa and the PIAA used their closing arguments to paint a contentious competitive-balance rule in drastically different ways. Aliquippa attorney Tina Miller said the PIAA Competition Formula was “irrational and unconstitutional,” while requesting a preliminary injunction to keep...
Distance-running power couple shatters records at WPIAL championships
There’s probably not much that makes Butler’s Drew Griffith too nervous at a track meet nowadays, but watching Mt. Lebanon’s Logan St. John Kletter run could be on that list. “Honestly, I probably get more nervous for her than me,” he said with a laugh. Kletter says the same about...
After rain halts WPIAL meet, Butler’s Drew Griffith doesn’t mind waiting to make more history
Butler’s Drew Griffith ran the 1,600 meters in record time at the WPIAL track and field championships and then waited around for hours as it rained off and on. He’s one of the fastest seniors in the country, but wasn’t too bothered by the slow down. “We just hung out,”...
PIAA sets 2025-28 state championship sites for basketball, wrestling, swimming
Giant Center in Hershey will continue to host the state basketball and individual wrestling championships for the next four years, and swimming and diving is staying at Bucknell. The PIAA on Wednesday approved those venues as championship sites for 2025-28. However, no site was selected for team wrestling or competitive...
No. 12 Shenango credits strength of its section after upset win over No. 5 Valley
Shenango was the underdog on paper as a fourth-place finisher from one section facing the champion of another. But the Wildcats didn’t play like underdogs. Led by junior Joe Campoli, who had an RBI double and scored twice, No. 12 seed Shenango upset No. 5 Valley, 5-3, Tuesday night in...
Chartiers Valley ‘checked all of the boxes’ for new boys basketball coach Corey Dotchin
Corey Dotchin used to listen to podcasts on his drive to basketball practice, but he won’t have the time anymore. “Now I’ll listen to them when I cut the grass,” said Dotchin, who was hired Tuesday night as boys basketball coach at Chartiers Valley, which gives him a much shorter...
Sewickley Academy athletes to play football for Moon under co-op agreement
Sewickley Academy students will be playing football for Moon next fall under a plan the private school announced Tuesday. Pending approval from the WPIAL and PIAA, the schools will form a cooperative sponsorship of a sport — known informally as a co-op — for middle school and high school football...
Chartiers Valley poised to hire Corey Dotchin as boys basketball coach
Former Highlands boys basketball coach Corey Dotchin is poised to take over Chartiers Valley’s program. Dotchin is listed on the Chartiers Valley school board agenda as the recommended candidate to be hired at Tuesday night’s meeting. He went 55-22 in three seasons as Highlands’ coach and spent the previous nine...
Knoch stays patient at plate, rallies past Greensburg Salem in 4A 1st round
Staying patient was Knoch’s winning strategy in a playoff opener against Greensburg Salem, especially after falling behind by three runs early. Knoch drew 10 walks, added four timely hits and capitalized on four errors to rally back and defeat Greensburg Salem, 8-3, in a WPIAL Class 4A first-round game Monday...
WPIAL baseball committee seeds 5A bracket by ‘throwing out the numbers,’ focuses on matchups
The WPIAL for many decades released playoff brackets that had no seed numbers, a tradition that ended several years ago. Now, the top seeds have a No. 1 next to their name, the second seeds have a two and so on. But WPIAL baseball committee chairman Bob Bozzuto said this...
Breaking down the 2024 WPIAL baseball playoffs
Class 6A Favorite: Mt. Lebanon and coach Patt McCloskey are trying to win their third straight WPIAL title. The Blue Devils return senior ace David Shields, a lefty committed to Miami (Fla.) who threw a no-hitter in last year’s finals. Shields is 4-0 with a 0.43 ERA but is not...
WPIAL releases brackets for 2024 baseball playoffs
Defending champions Mt. Lebanon and Riverside were tabbed as favorites to repeat when the WPIAL on Friday released brackets for the upcoming baseball playoffs. Mt. Lebanon was seeded No. 1 in Class 6A and Riverside was first in 3A. The other No. 1 seeds went to West Allegheny in 5A,...
WPIAL bracketology: Don Rebel, Chris Harlan forecast 2024 baseball playoff pairings
The 2024 WPIAL baseball playoff field is set with 77 teams, including all six defending champions: Mt. Lebanon, Shaler, Hopewell, Riverside, Seton LaSalle and Bishop Canevin. The postseason begins next week and concludes with six title games May 28-29 at Wild Things Park in Washington. The brackets will be announced...
Mars, Mt. Lebanon, Shady Side Academy earn No. 1 seeds in 2024 WPIAL lacrosse playoffs
Defending champion Mars, which swept the WPIAL Class 2A lacrosse titles a year ago, will start this season’s playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the boys and girls tournaments. The Mars boys are seven-time defending WPIAL champions, and the girls have won two titles in the past three years....
WPIAL reveals brackets for 2024 softball playoffs
Four defending champions are favored to repeat in the upcoming WPIAL softball playoffs. Reigning champions Hempfield in Class 6A, Avonworth in 3A, Neshannock in 2A and Union in A were among the six teams that received No. 1 seeds when the WPIAL revealed playoff brackets Thursday. The two other top...
WPIAL bracketology: Don Rebel, Chris Harlan forecast the 2024 softball playoff pairings
The 2024 WPIAL softball playoff field is set with 76 teams, including all six defending champions ready to begin playing for gold. The postseason begins next week and concludes with six title games May 29-30 at Lilley Field at Cal (Pa.). The brackets will be announced at 2 p.m. Thursday...
Depth carries North Allegheny girls, Drew Griffith leads Butler boys to WPIAL 3A team titles
As a former computer science teacher, North Allegheny coach John Neff built a nifty spreadsheet to keep a running score of the WPIAL team track championship. “This is why it looks like I’m on my phone all the time,” he said with a laugh. When Neff checked the numbers late...
Fox Chapel lefty shuts down Plum as 4-way battle for section title rages on
Fox Chapel lefty Jeremy Haigh worked fast, threw strikes and sometimes bopped along to Plum’s walkup songs. There was no doubt Haigh had found his groove. The junior needed fewer than 80 pitches to finish off a dominant one-hitter Monday afternoon as Fox Chapel strengthened its section title hopes with...
WPIAL to hold eligibility hearing for Aliquippa football transfer Jamar Allen
The WPIAL will hold an eligibility hearing for Aliquippa sophomore Jamar Allen, an all-conference football player who transferred there from North Hills. WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer said the North Hills administration didn’t endorse the transfer in paperwork, raising questions of athletic intent. “North Hills didn’t sign off,” Seltzer said....
WPIAL rules Imani Christian basketball’s R.J. Sledge eligible for senior year
Three-time WPIAL and state basketball champion R.J. Sledge of Imani Christian will have a chance to go four for four next winter. The WPIAL board ruled the junior eligible for his senior season following a hearing Monday at the league office in Scott. Sledge repeated a grade in middle school...
