Chris Harlan stories, Page 37
5 things to watch in WPIAL Week 4: Schedule pits No. 1 vs. No. 2 in top-ranked matchups
If a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup wasn’t enough excitement for a Friday night, this week also is homecoming at Peters Township, so football coach T.J. Plack had a message for his players. “I don’t care if you’re dancing at the pep rally or who your date is or...
Laurel school board limits girls sports at its facilities to athletes with ‘XX chromosomes’
Citing concerns over safety and fairness, one WPIAL school district has adopted a gender policy that limits girls sports to biological females. The school board at Laurel unanimously approved the new policy, which bases gender on a student’s chromosomes. The rule applies to any sports contest hosted at Laurel’s facilities,...
WPIAL says discipline for ‘egregious’ Imani Christian-Steel Valley fight rests with schools
“Egregious” was how WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer described Friday’s fight between Imani Christian and Steel Valley football players, but he was optimistic there’d be a resolution without WPIAL intervention. “It was a horrible thing that happened in that 60 seconds … but we really believe the schools will handle...
5 things we learned in high school football Week 3: Turnarounds abound this year
Call this the year of the turnaround. Twenty-one WPIAL football teams already have matched or surpassed their win totals from a year ago, and this is only the fourth week of the season. The most dramatic is Waynesburg, which improved to 4-0 on Friday night after a victory over Keystone...
Fight mars final minute of Imani Christian-Steel Valley football game
The WPIAL will look into an on-field fight that marred the final minute of Friday night’s football game between Imani Christian and Steel Valley. WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer said the league will request information from the schools’ administrations, including available video, as well as review reports from the game...
WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Sept. 17, 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 4-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 4-0, 2 3. Canon-McMillan, 3-1, 4 4. Mt. Lebanon, 3-1, 3 5. Seneca Valley, 0-4, 5 Class 5A 1. Peters Township, 4-0, 2 2. Upper St. Clair, 4-0, 3 3. Penn Hills, 3-1,...
No. 4 Beaver has right answers for defeating No. 5 South Park in Western Hills opener
Amari Jackson was upset for about 15 seconds and Beaver teammate Qualan Cain felt down for no more than 20. That’s how long it took them to sprint more than 80 yards on a pair of kick return touchdowns Friday night as No. 4 Beaver defeated No. 5 South Park,...
5 things to watch in WPIAL Week 3: Preseason contenders cope with 0-3 starts
West Mifflin started the season ranked second in WPIAL Class 3A, but the Titans are still winless after three weeks. So, now what? That 0-3 record might cause panic inside some locker rooms, but coach Rod Steele said he hasn’t seen any from his players. In fact, they’ve held onto...
Westinghouse tops University Prep, but ‘made too many mistakes’ for state title aspirations
Westinghouse sophomore Kyshawn Robinson scored twice and senior Sincere Shannon forced a fumble with a strip sack, but neither was all too happy. Their team won Thursday night at Cupples Stadium, defeating City League foe University Prep, 34-18, but the Bulldogs were mostly concerned with the mistakes they’d made. Specifically,...
PIAA changes how it counts students, likely increasing public school enrollment numbers
Public schools will see their enrollments increase in the next few months, at least according to PIAA statistics. The PIAA is changing the formula used to count students, which might cause some sports teams to unexpectedly move into a different classification for the 2024-25 school year. Currently, school districts count...
NIL violations will leave high school athletes ineligible under new PIAA policy
Pennsylvania high school athletes who repeatedly violate name, image and likeness rules would lose their eligibility entirely under penalties adopted Wednesday by the PIAA. The PIAA board approved a three strikes approach for violations of the NIL rules enacted last winter. A student’s period of ineligibility increases with each violation,...
5 things we learned in Week 2: Rough night for defending WPIAL champions
Week 2 was a rough night for defending WPIAL champions. Three of the six teams that celebrated district titles last season were defeated Friday, with Pine-Richland, Steel Valley and Union all taking losses. But Pine-Richland knows better than anyone that it’s a long football season and one game doesn’t define...
Trib HSSN WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Sept. 10, 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 3-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 3-0, 2 3. Mt. Lebanon, 3-0, 4 4. Canon-McMillan, 2-1, 3 5. Seneca Valley, 0-3, 5 Class 5A 1. Penn Hills, 3-0, 1 2. Peters Township, 3-0, 3 3. Upper St. Clair, 3-0,...
Injured Laurel Highlands football player Antwan Black, flown by medical helicopter, ‘in good spirits’
As injured teammate Antwan Black Jr. was on his way to the hospital, first by ambulance and then by helicopter, Laurel Highlands players had a tough decision to make. Should they play the final 34 seconds or cancel the rest of the game? “We just kind of said, ‘This is...
North Allegheny reloads lineup in quest for 7th straight PIAA volleyball title
First-time starters on the North Allegheny girls volleyball team surely have more seasoning than most since they’ve practiced for years against a state championship lineup. The six-time defending champions sure hope so, because they’re relying on new faces in their quest for seven. “We’re lucky because our second side is...
Quarterback Julian Dugger shows his versatility as No. 1 Penn Hills holds off No. 2 Pine-Richland
It’s no exaggeration when Penn Hills quarterback Julian Dugger says he did everything he could to win this one. After Dugger passed for two touchdowns, rushed for two more and served as the team’s punter, he joined the defense in the final seconds when the Indians were shorthanded in the...
5 things to watch in Week 2: WPIAL teams are winning with multiple QBs
There’s an old saying about football teams with two starting quarterbacks actually having none, but Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak clearly disagrees. This year, the Jaguars have two QBs and they’re finding success with both. Senior quarterback Brody Evans and junior Luke Kosko have rotated every two possessions this season,...
‘Champs until proven otherwise:’ Penn Hills challenges Pine-Richland in No. 1 vs. 2 clash
Penn Hills is ranked No. 1 in WPIAL football, but Pine-Richland is the reigning conference, WPIAL and PIAA champion until someone takes those titles away. That’s how Penn Hills coach Charles Morris sees the situation. “They’re the state champs. They’re the WPIAL champs. I’ve got the old school mentality: In...
Aliquippa running back Tiqwai Hayes narrows college options to Top 8
College football teams from the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 are among the eight favorites to land Aliquippa running back Tiqwai Hayes. The junior on Tuesday announced a top eight recruiting list that included Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia, along with Cincinnati, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio...
5 things we learned in high school football Week 1: Longtime Bethel Park coach returns but on opposite sideline
Seeing Jeff Metheny at Bethel Park’s football stadium isn’t unusual, but seeing the longtime Black Hawks coach wearing Mt. Lebanon colors certainly is. Metheny won more than 200 games as a head coach himself and returned to WPIAL sidelines this fall as an assistant for new Mt. Lebanon coach Mike...
Trib HSSN WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Sept. 3, 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 2-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 2-0, 2 3. Mt. Lebanon, 2-0, 4 4. Canon-McMillan, 1-1, 3 5. Seneca Valley, 0-2, 5 Class 5A 1. Penn Hills, 2-0, 1 2. Pine-Richland, 1-1, 3 3. Peters Township, 2-0, 5 4....
Mt. Lebanon tops rival Bethel Park in overtime, avenging last year’s OT loss
Mt. Lebanon thought they’d won and then were sure they’d lost, so the surprised smile junior Noah Schaerli showed afterward summed up Friday’s win perfectly. “It was unbelievable,” said Schaerli, who caught an 8-yard touchdown pass in overtime to secure Mt. Lebanon’s 19-16 win over host Bethel Park in a...
Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon ignore talk of ‘down year’ after coaching change, graduations
New head coaches. Rosters hurt by graduation. Bethel Park and Mt. Lebanon came into this football season with similar situations. “I think there’s a lot of people who thought we maybe would be a little bit down this year from where we were last year because of graduation,” said first-year...
5 things to watch in Week 1: A red-letter day in Aliquippa as the new Heinz Field opens
Not only is Aliquippa’s new football stadium named Heinz Field, but like its North Shore namesake, the Red Zone should be popular. When the Quips cross the 20-yard line, the stadium’s new LED lights will flash red, Aliquippa athletic director Jennifer Damico said. The first game at the new stadium...
5 things we learned in Week Zero: New coaches find success quickly
Central Catholic players were kneeling around new coach Ryan Lehmeier in a postgame circle when longtime Vikings assistant Ron Fuchs spoke up. “A head coach only gets one first victory,” Fuchs announced, while praising Lehmeier’s leadership skills and “infectious” excitement since becoming the team’s coach. “In 25 years, I’ve seen...
