Chris Harlan stories, Page 38

Who was the best high school quarterback in history? It’s a debate that’ll never be resolved, but three all-time great WPIAL passers made the list when USA Today tried recently to answer that question. In fact, one of them, Beaver Falls legend Joe Namath, was named the all-time best high...

Kellie McConnell’s family is already linked with Duquesne basketball’s past and present, so she decided to help shape the program’s future as well. The rising senior point guard at North Allegheny has committed to the Dukes, which is somewhat of a family tradition. Her mother Sherri (Hannan) McConnell played basketball...

Avonworth’s Alivia Lantzy, Seneca Valley’s Lexie Hames and Serra Catholic’s Caroline Malandra earned individual honors Thursday when the all-state softball team was announced. Lantzy was named Pitcher of the Year in PIAA Class 3A, and Hames earned top pitcher honors in 6A. Malandra, a third baseman, was named Player of...

In an era where specialization is trendy in high school sports, Freedom’s Shaye Bailey doesn’t like that idea. “I’ve always played more than one sport,” said Bailey, who’ll be a senior in the fall. “I did gymnastics and softball, and I switched to basketball when I quit gymnastics. Then I...

The Strath Haven students behind the third base dugout decided to taunt Miguel Hugas with chants of “overrated.” The Shaler senior responded with two blasts over the fence at Penn State’s ballpark, home runs that helped the Titans ultimately win the PIAA Class 5A championship game in extra innings. On...

Nov. 11, 2022 Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak became the fourth coach in WPIAL history with 300 career wins, joining an exclusive list with Jim Render (406 wins), Joe Hamilton (342) and George Novak (306). Cherpak has coached the Jaguars for 28 seasons. Nov. 19, 2022 Two remarkable state title...

As one of the WPIAL’s hottest football recruits, Jason Cross spent months touring far-flung college campuses, with visits to Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Kentucky, Syracuse and Cincinnati on his calendar. Yet the rising senior at Bishop Canevin says a trip to Morgantown, W.Va., bested them all. “West Virginia definitely takes...

Neshannock’s Addyson Frye and Union’s Mia Preuhs were only sophomores this spring, yet the standout pitchers are already two-time WPIAL champions each. They’re proof that you don’t need to be a senior to make a big impact. In fact, this year’s TribLive HSSN Terrific 10 has more sophomores (four) than...

This was a historic spring for WPIAL baseball teams, starting with Riverside’s undefeated run to a state championship, something no other WPIAL team had ever accomplished. But the Panthers weren’t the only ones celebrating a milestone win. Among the others, Mt. Lebanon won consecutive WPIAL titles for the first time...

KDKA will televise regular season high school football games this fall on sister station Pittsburgh’s CW starting with an Aug. 25 contest between Blackhawk and Beaver Falls. The station announced a 10-game schedule Monday that also included North Hills at Upper St. Clair on Sept. 1, South Fayette at Montour...

This was another banner year for North Allegheny athletics with teams winning WPIAL titles, PIAA championships, and even a Gatorade Player of the Year award for the school’s top girls volleyball player. Here’s a look back at the top North Allegheny sports stories from the 2022-23 school year: Volleyball dynasty...

Central Catholic wide receiver Peter Gonzalez, one of the state’s top college recruits, committed Friday to Penn State. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound rising senior had narrowed his college options to Penn State, Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech. Recruiting website Rivals.com rated Gonzalez as a three-star prospect and ranked him 29th overall...

UNIVERSITY PARK – The Mt. Lebanon baseball players left the state championship game with silver medals, but the Blue Devils’ coach insisted he’d always remembered this team as golden. When they started the year with eight consecutive losses, nobody could’ve predicted then they’d reach the state finals. Yet their dream...

Keystone Oaks defensive back Clinton Robinson, who’ll be a senior in the fall, has committed to Syracuse. He announced his decision on Twitter. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound safety chose the Orange over offers from West Virginia, Bowling Green, Howard, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Monmouth, Ohio, Temple and Western Michigan. The recruiting...

UNIVERSITY PARK — Starting pitcher Derek Leas lasted only nine batters before his coach pulled him from the mound, but this state championship will be remembered for its improbable comebacks. In fact, this one was so unpredictable that Leas was the game’s starter, closer and winning pitcher. And that wasn’t...

UNIVERSITY PARK — In his 55 years as baseball coach at Riverside, Dan Oliastro has seen quite a bit, but he’d never seen this. Nobody else in the WPIAL had either. Riverside finished off an undefeated season with a state championship win over Camp Hill, 4-0, Thursday in the PIAA...

High school sports fans likely will have to pay to watch WPIAL football and basketball championships after the league awarded video streaming rights for its playoffs to the NFHS Network. The WPIAL informed Trib Total Media of the decision Wednesday. The network is associated with the National Federation of State...

Many of Tanner Donati’s classmates traveled to Ocean City, Md., to celebrate their recent high school graduation with a week of sand and sun. He traded that vacation for a trip to Penn State. “It’s been a little tough seeing your friends at the beach,” Donati said. “But if you...

WPIAL champions Mt. Lebanon and Shaler were among the baseball teams who had their PIAA semifinals postponed due to rainy weather Monday. Mt. Lebanon made the two-hour trip to Mt. Aloysius College in Cresson, but because the first game of a scheduled doubleheader was delayed by rain and because the...

Thinking back to his 109-match winning streak in high school, former North Allegheny wrestler Ray Brinzer admits he was a little surprised. Not surprised that he was winning, but surprised people were keeping track of his wins and losses on the mat. “I was partway through my freshman year before...

The original plan for Shaler ace Miguel Hugas wasn’t to pitch him in the state quarterfinals, but Penn-Trafford ran into the talented Alabama recruit here anyway. Three days after leaving early in the first round, Hugas made another start and scattered six hits as Shaler defeated Penn-Trafford, 4-1, on Thursday...

Six hundred miles separate the University of Wisconsin from Western Pennsylvania, but the Badgers’ football coaches keep attracting WPIAL recruits to Madison. The latest was Pine-Richland’s Ryan Cory, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive lineman who’ll be a senior in the fall. Cory on Tuesday announced his Wisconsin commitment on Twitter. He’ll...

Eight miles was how far Mt. Lebanon traveled to reach Boyce Mayview Park, the site of Monday’s state playoff game. That’s the perk for winning a WPIAL title. In comparison, Mt. Lebanon’s opponent rode a bus more than four hours from Lancaster County, and that long journey surely played a...

NFL veteran Jonathan Hayes is best known for playing tight end and coaching football, but as a student at South Fayette, his parents made sure he was involved in other activities. In hindsight, he said that was wise. “My dad, my mom, they wanted us to do outside activities, whether...