Chris Harlan stories, Page 38
Trib HSSN WPIAL high school football rankings: Week ending Aug. 27, 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 1-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 1-0, 2 3. Canon-McMillan, 1-0, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 1-0, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 0-1, 5 Class 5A 1. Penn Hills, 1-0, 2 2. Gateway, 0-1, 1 3. Pine-Richland, 0-1, 3 4. Bethel...
Central Catholic routs Woodland Hills in Ryan Lehmeier’s debut as Vikings coach
There’s no question Ryan Lehmeier’s reputation as a motivator and sharp offensive mind enticed Central Catholic to hire him as a first-time head coach. One game into his Vikings tenure, that reputation remains solidly intact. Wide receiver Peter Gonzalez caught a touchdown on Central Catholic’s opening drive, the first of...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the new coaches
TribLive HSSN broke down the top players at one position per day leading up to Week Zero. Now, here’s a look at the top coaching changes for the 2023 season. 1. Ryan Lehmeier Central Catholic Lehmeier, a former offensive coordinator at Seneca Valley and Pine-Richland, is a first-time head coach....
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the specialists
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top specialists for the 2023 season. 1. Bennett Henderson Upper St. Clair Senior, 5-11, 170 Henderson kicked a WPIAL-best 10 field goals last season, following up a sophomore season...
High school teams go high tech: Local football programs invest in innovative tools
North Allegheny’s Art Walker has coached long enough to remember when filming practice required a bulky camcorder and tapes. “When I started, it was VHS and then the smaller tapes and then DVDs,” said Walker, who is entering his 26th season as a head football coach. “Now the video is...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the safeties
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top safeties for the 2023 season. 1. Jason Cross Bishop Canevin Senior, 6-1, 170 The West Virginia recruit reached the WPIAL finals as a sophomore and junior, and will...
Bishop Canevin gets back to basics in quest to return to top of WPIAL Class A heap
Bishop Canevin coach Rich Johnson believes his team will be boring at times this season, and he’s excited to see it. The duller the better. “We need to get better at boring football,” said Johnson, entering his fourth season. “We come out here (on the practice field) and we’re exciting....
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the cornerbacks
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top cornerbacks for the 2023 season. 1. Kyshawn Robinson Westinghouse Sophomore, 5-10, 165 As a freshman, Robinson was somewhat overshadowed when Westinghouse reached the state finals with a senior-heavy...
PIAA upholds 1-year suspension for Shady Side Academy girls basketball coach Jonna Burke
The PIAA sided with the WPIAL on Tuesday and upheld the one-year suspension of Shady Side Academy girls basketball coach Jonna Burke. The decision came after a 90-minute appeal hearing in which Burke’s attorney argued that the longtime coach did not violate PIAA recruiting rules when she sent a direct...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the linebackers
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top linebackers for the 2023 season. 1. Cole Sullivan Central Catholic Senior, 6-3, 210 Sullivan had a terrific junior season and emerged as one of the state’s most disruptive...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the defensive line
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top defensive linemen for the 2023 season. 1. Connor Young Mt. Lebanon Senior, 6-3, 260 A Navy recruit with a good motor for chasing down ball carriers, Young earned...
With roster loaded with skill, Clairton planning to return to WPIAL championship picture
Call it what you want, football in shorts or touch football, but Clairton coach Wayne Wade sees some value in 7-on-7 tournaments, so his Bears spend the summer competing in them. They entered six this year, reached the finals five times and won their division at Pitt’s camp. The Bears...
2023 WPIAL Class 5A football breakdown: Reaching postseason no easy taskVideo
In WPIAL Class 5A, there’s no room for error. Penn Hills knows that as well as anyone after ending last season disappointed. The Indians tied for second in the Northeast Conference, yet missed the playoffs on tiebreakers. They had even celebrated a regular-season win over eventual state champion Pine-Richland, but...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the tight ends
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top tight ends for the 2023 season. 1. Brandon London Shaler Senior, 6-3, 240 Shaler’s two biggest wins last season were over playoff qualifiers Franklin Regional and Woodland Hills,...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the offensive line
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top offensive linemen for the 2023 season. 1. Ryan Cory Pine-Richland Senior, 6-4, 290 Pine-Richland had one of the state’s best running attacks last season, and the blocks Cory...
Clairton seeking donations to renovate 93-year-old football stadium
Before next football season, Clairton’s nearly century-old stadium could undergo a major renovation with new seats, locker rooms and restrooms, artificial turf, modern lighting and a brickwork entrance. But first, organizers need to raise $3 million in donations, a campaign announced Friday as the high school team held media day...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the wide receivers
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top wide receivers for the 2023 season. 1. Peter Gonzalez Central Catholic Senior, 6-3, 200 Gonzalez’s size, athleticism and strong hands make him a big-play threat who opponents have...
Enthusiasm grows at Imani Christian with numbers up, talent abundant
Imani Christian’s practices look different this summer than last, largely because there are twice as many players. The Saints have around 30 on the roster nowadays, which gives coach LaRoi Johnson confidence the program can make a big jump in his second year there. “My guys played well and did...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the running backs
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top running backs for the 2023 season. 1. Quinton Martin Belle Vernon Senior, 6-3, 205 The Penn State recruit scored 31 times last season, including 22 rushing touchdowns, as...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the quarterbacks
Starting today, TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top quarterbacks for the 2023 season. 1. Julian Dugger Penn Hills Senior, 6-4, 205 Dugger, a four-year starter, passed for more than 2,600 yards combined over the...
With experienced roster returning, Mars’ jump is ‘mind blowing’
Mars coach Eric Kasperowicz doesn’t go out of his way to compare his current team with his previous one, but he does see some promising similarities. For example, in his first year at Pine-Richland, the Rams went 5-5 and qualified for the playoffs. In year one at Mars, the Planets...
Skill returns, but Aliquippa has holes to fill in quest for WPIAL 3-peat
In a tradition-rich football town with 19 WPIAL titles, change doesn’t come easily for everyone. Aliquippa has a beautiful new stadium, modern lights and top-notch artificial turf. But to build it, the school first had to tear down its crumbling stadium that had stood for almost a century. If the...
New Woodland Hills coach expects big, athletic line to pave way to success
Woodland Hills football is well known for the wide receivers, running backs and defense backs who migrated from Friday nights to Saturdays and eventually Sunday afternoons. There’s an occasional tight end, fullback or defensive end too, but when it comes to skill-position talent, the Wolverines are always among the best...
With new big-play offense, Gateway looks to return to playoff win column
Most visitors return from Florida with theme park souvenirs, a suntan and maybe some oranges, but Gateway coach Don Holl brought home a new offense. When Holl took a trip to the Sunshine State a couple of months ago, he visited with one of his former players, now a college...
As football season begins with heat week, Central Catholic starts to lay foundation
Central Catholic’s new football coach, Ryan Lehmeier, and his predecessor, Terry Totten, were both on the practice field Monday when the Vikings started heat acclimation. But there was no coaching controversy brewing. “I have a really good relationship with Terry,” Lehmeier said. “He’s probably the best resource I possibly could...
