Chris Harlan stories, Page 36
WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Oct. 15, 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 7-1, 1 2. North Allegheny, 7-1, 2 3. Canon-McMillan, 5-3, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 4-4, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 3-5, 5 Class 5A 1. Peters Township, 8-0, 1 2. Penn Hills, 6-2, 2 3. Pine-Richland, 5-3, 3 4....
Bruising McKeesport running back Spell spells trouble for Gateway
McKeesport fullback Keith Spell was losing steam on a 79-yard touchdown run, so the senior turned, stiff-armed the nearest tackler to the ground and continued into the end zone. That pretty much summed up McKeesport’s offense Friday night as the Tigers’ running backs bullied their way to a 38-28 victory...
5 things to watch in Week 7: How will WPIAL teams approach late-season nonconference matchups?
The WPIAL schedule-makers gave McKeesport a nonconference game this week, which some coaches might dread this late in the season. It interrupts a stretch of seven consecutive conference games for the Tigers, but coach Matt Miller said they’ll attack a matchup with Gateway as seriously as they do any Big...
Might Penn Hills try to ‘simulate’ winning strategy in matchup with Central Catholic?
Needless to say, Penn Hills was interested in watching game film from Central Catholic’s loss last week, since that was the first time the Vikings had looked vulnerable all season. But that doesn’t mean the Indians will try to copy what they saw. “It can be difficult on the high...
Moon coach Bill Pfeifer nears 500th win, an unprecedented feat in WPIAL girls soccer
Undefeated state champion, national coach of the year and the winningest coach in Pennsylvania girls soccer history. Moon’s Bill Pfeifer was all of those last fall and says he thought about retiring on top after a season that couldn’t have gone any better. The six-time WPIAL champion stresses team goals,...
5 things we learned in high school football Week 6: Trinity finds diamond with signature win
There’s a popular meme that shows two miners digging for diamonds, but one gives up within inches of striking it rich. Trinity coach Dan Knause and his assistants thought the analogy was perfect for their Hillers, who hadn’t seen much reward despite their hard work. Would they give up or...
Trib HSSN WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Oct. 7, 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 6-1, 1 2. North Allegheny, 6-1, 2 3. Canon-McMillan, 5-2, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 4-3, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 2-5, 5 Class 5A 1. Peters Township, 7-0, 1 2. Penn Hills, 6-1, 2 3. Pine-Richland, 4-3, 5 4....
North Allegheny shakes off rivalry loss, focuses on future
North Allegheny’s football stadium was filled nearly to capacity for a hyped-up game with rival Central Catholic. There was an electric atmosphere in the crowd, yet the Tigers ended the night feeling drained after a lopsided loss. But those feelings didn’t last too long. A week later, a re-energized North...
Shady Side Academy forfeits football game against Knoch
Shady Side Academy has forfeited Friday night’s football game against Knoch because of an illness among “several players,” the school announced hours before kickoff. The contest is a conference game in the Allegheny 6, where Knoch and Shady Side each were 1-0. “After careful consideration and in consultation with WPIAL,...
‘Outside of the box’ defense has Peters Township ranked No. 1 in WPIAL 5A
Peters Township’s T.J. Plack is an offensive-minded head coach of a high-scoring team that averages five touchdowns a week, yet he raves about a defense he calls special. “They do something a little bit different than what other teams do in Western Pennsylvania,” Plack said. “They think a little outside...
5 things to watch in Week 6: As NFL mourns, WPIAL remembers ‘coach’ Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus became legendary as one of the fiercest linebackers in NFL history, but folks around the WPIAL might remember him as “Coach” Butkus. Long after his playing days with the Chicago Bears were over, Butkus spent one season as a made-for-TV coach at Montour in 2005. It was the...
5 things we learned in high school football Week 5: Ground game pays off in win column
One of the WPIAL’s leading rushers shook off an ankle injury and returned to the field Friday night, helping West Greene’s offense run its way to victory. In his first game back, senior Colin Brady topped all WPIAL rushers in Week 5 with 301 yards. Brady handled 23 carries and...
Trib HSSN WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Sept. 30. 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 6-0, 1 2. North Allegheny, 5-1, 2 3. Canon-McMillan, 4-2, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 4-2, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 1-5, 5 Class 5A 1. Peters Township, 6-0, 1 2. Penn Hills, 5-1, 2 3. Upper St. Clair, 5-1,...
For North Allegheny cross country team, it’s a matter of staying the course
When it comes to putting down cones, North Allegheny might be second only to PennDOT. There are always plenty lining the school’s cross county course in North Park. “We put a ridiculous amount of cones up,” NA coach John Neff said. “There’s no way anybody is going to get lost....
Wildcat attack sparks dominant 3rd quarter as Avonworth runs away from West Mifflin
There was no fiery halftime speech, but instead, one offensive adjustment had Avonworth looking like a different team in the third quarter. The Antelopes turned to the wildcat. Wide receiver Andrew Kuban started taking direct snaps and scored on a pair of rushing touchdowns 28 seconds apart Friday night as...
5 things to watch in WPIAL Week 5: Finally, every team has reached conference play
WPIAL teams are now five weeks into the football season and 14 schools had yet to play a conference game. That’ll change Friday when the Interstate and Allegheny 6 open conference play. Both are WPIAL Class 3A conferences, not to be confused with the similarly named Allegheny Six in Class...
Fear the Antelopes: Under-the-radar Avonworth to meet West Mifflin in key conference clash
Would there be more buzz for a type of cat, bear or angry bird? Avonworth has started 5-0 this season, a year after reaching the WPIAL finals, but coach Duke Johncour says the Antelopes don’t seem to draw the attention others do. “I think we kind of fly under the...
Suspended Shady Side Academy coach Jonna Burke files lawsuit against PIAA
Shady Side Academy girls basketball coach Jonna Burke, who’s facing a one-year suspension for an alleged recruiting violation, has sued the PIAA seeking an injunction that would let her coach. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court, Burke’s attorney, Kendra Smith, said the WPIAL violated due process rights during...
North Catholic junior Brady O’Hara commits to Penn State: ‘White Out sold it for me’
North Catholic junior Brady O’Hara has visited Penn State’s campus enough times that he’s almost lost count. Maybe seven? Maybe eight? His latest visit came this past weekend to see a stadium “White Out” when Penn State hosted Iowa, and soon afterward he was ready to commit. O’Hara, a 6-foot-6,...
Aliquippa junior Tiqwai Hayes commits to Penn State
When Penn State assistant coach Terry Smith visited an Aliquippa football practice three years ago, he approached Quips coach Mike Warfield with a question. Smith was ready to offer a scholarship to Tiqwai Hayes, but the running back was only a freshman. Should he wait? “Sometimes, when you get that...
5 things we learned in high school football Week 4: Brownsville wins for 1st time in 4 seasons
The drive home from Cupples Stadium is about an hour, but good news travels faster than Brownsville’s team bus. The Falcons had won. “The bus came through town, and there were people on the street waving towels and stuff,” Brownsville coach Skooter Roebuck said. “We get back to the school,...
WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Sept. 24, 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 5-0, 2 2. North Allegheny, 4-1, 1 3. Canon-McMillan, 4-1, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 4-1, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 0-5, 5 Class 5A 1. Peters Township, 5-0, 1 2. Penn Hills, 4-1, 3 3. Pine-Richland, 3-2, 4 4....
North Allegheny boys soccer team living up to standards set by 2nd-year coach
This is year two for Manuel Montero, and the North Allegheny boys soccer coach says there’s a much greater comfort level for the team this fall, and it shows. Some of the differences might go unnoticed, but he sees them. “A perfect example is warm-ups,” Montero said. “I don’t micromanage...
Central Catholic makes statement, handles North Allegheny
There already were reasons to believe Central Catholic was the team to beat in the WPIAL, starting with a roster that’s heavy in major-college recruits. Now, there’s no doubt. Running back Elijah Faulkner scored four times, and Michigan-bound senior Cole Sullivan made big plays on offense, defense and special teams...
North Allegheny, Central Catholic are familiar rivals, but this No. 1 vs. No. 2 clash has different feel
North Allegheny’s practices were noticeably faster this week, said coach Art Walker, but the Tigers weren’t getting off the field any earlier. It’s just that the defense was working at a quicker pace. “We practice for the team that we’re playing,” Walker said. “I’ve been here 19 years now, and...
