Chris Harlan stories, Page 49
Trib HSSN High School Football State Rankings for Nov. 29, 2022
The favorites remain alive in the state playoffs. The six top-ranked teams in the TribLive HSSN state football rankings all won their games last week and advance to this weekend’s PIAA semifinals. Wyomissing had the closest call among the six with a two-point win in Class 3A. There are five...
Imani Christian transfers eligible for basketball season after PIAA overturns WPIAL decisions
Imani Christian transfers Robert Sledge and Kylan Holmes are now eligible to play basketball this winter after the PIAA overturned earlier decisions by the WPIAL. The two had appeal hearings Monday. “They were so excited and I understand why,” Imani Christian athletic director Cliff Simon said. “Both had legitimate reason...
PIAA announces semifinal sites, times for state football playoffs
The Pine-Richland football team has a two-hour bus ride this weekend and Aliquippa has a three-hour trip ahead. That often comes with reaching the state semifinals. The PIAA has announced sites for the next round of playoff games. Pine-Richland faces District 3 champion Cocalico at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona...
Westinghouse shuts down Farrell, sets up PIAA semifinal showdown with WPIAL champion
Westinghouse fans have a variety of chants and cheers, but “go defense go” seemed to have a little extra enthusiasm Saturday afternoon at Cupples Stadium. “Our alumni gets us hyped,” said senior lineman Donte Taylor, whose defense sure had plenty of energy. District 10 champion Farrell managed only 56 yards...
Aliquippa rolls past Central Valley to capture 19th WPIAL football titleVideo
Aliquippa’s Tiqwai Hayes landed in the end zone after leaping headfirst over his linemen, but the running back was quickly airborne again when guard Neco Eberhardt celebrated by lifting the sophomore off his feet. The big men upfront did a lot of heavy lifting Friday night in a championship effort....
2022 WPIAL 4A football championship breakdown: Aliquippa vs. Central Valley
WPIAL Class 4A football championship No. 1 Aliquippa vs. No. 2 Central Valley 8 p.m. Friday, Acrisure Stadium Video stream: tribhssn.triblive.com Radio: KDKA (1020 AM, 100.1 FM), WMBA (1460 AM, 95.7 FM) Winner plays: District 10 champion Meadville (12-1) or District 11 champion Allentown Central Catholic (8-5) in a PIAA...
2022 WPIAL 3A football championship breakdown: Belle Vernon vs. Avonworth
WPIAL Class 3A football championship No. 1 Belle Vernon vs. No. 2 Avonworth 5 p.m. Friday, Acrisure Stadium Video stream: tribhssn.triblive.com Radio: KDKA (1020 AM, 100.1 FM), WJPA (95.3 FM), WHJB (107.1 FM) Winner plays: District 10 champion Grove City (9-3) or District 6 champion Central Martinsburg (11-2) in a...
2022 WPIAL 2A football championship breakdown: Steel Valley vs. Beaver Falls
WPIAL Class 2A football championship No. 1 Steel Valley vs. No. 2 Beaver Falls 2 p.m. Friday, Acrisure Stadium Video stream: tribhssn.triblive.com Radio: KDKA (1020 AM, 100.1 FM), WBVP (1230 AM, 99.3 FM) Winner plays: City League champion Westinghouse (13-0) or District 10 champion Farrell (10-1) in a PIAA semifinal...
2022 WPIAL A football championship breakdown: Bishop Canevin vs. Union
WPIAL Class A football championship No. 1 Bishop Canevin vs. No. 10 Union 11 a.m. Friday, Acrisure Stadium Video stream: tribhssn.triblive.com Radio: KDKA (1020 AM, 100.1 FM) Winner plays: District 10 champion Reynolds (11-1) or District 9 champion Port Allegany (11-1) in a PIAA semifinal Dec. 2 or 3. WPIAL...
Thanksgiving Day practice now annual tradition for WPIAL 4A finalists Central Valley, Aliquippa
How many folks are coming to Thanksgiving dinner? Central Valley’s Bret FitzSimmons expected to eat turkey with around 70 friends. It’s become an annual after-practice tradition for him and his football teammates, who planned to eat together around noon Thursday for the fourth year in a row. That’s one of...
Trib HSSN High School Football State Rankings for Nov. 22, 2022
There’s a new No. 1 team in Class 2A. Previously undefeated Lakeland of District 2 saw its state title hopes end Friday with a 42-15 loss to District 11 champion Executive Education in a PIAA first-round game. That loss clears the way for City League champion Westinghouse to climb one...
PIAA announces quarterfinal sites, times for state football playoffs
WPIAL Class 5A champion Pine-Richland will host a state quarterfinal in the PIAA football playoffs this week while 6A winner North Allegheny starts on the road. City League champion Westinghouse also drew a home game when the PIAA announced sites and times for the next round of the state playoffs....
North Allegheny shuts out rival Central Catholic in 2nd half to claim 5th WPIAL football title
These teams combined for one touchdown when they met eight weeks ago in a low-scoring, field-position battle between WPIAL rivals who leaned mostly on their defenses. This wasn’t that kind of game. Instead, North Allegheny quarterback Logan Kushner threw touchdown passes of 51 and 68 yards, rushed for 184 yards...
North Allegheny basketball teams adjust to early start to season
Starting basketball season a week earlier than usual probably doesn’t excite WPIAL coaches, but the idea of a less-compact regular season maybe does. Their 22 games will be stretched over 10 weeks this winter instead of nine. “There are gaps in the schedule and I’m looking forward to those,” North...
‘We are here:’ Aliquippa gets defensive in WPIAL semifinal victory over McKeesport
There was no tropical storm or heavy rain. This time it was simply Aliquippa’s defense that took the ball out of McKeesport’s hands over and over. The Quips intercepted two passes, recovered three fumbles, scored a safety and celebrated two defensive touchdowns Friday night in a dominant win over McKeesport,...
2022 WPIAL 6A football championship breakdown: North Allegheny vs. Central Catholic
WPIAL Class 6A football championship No. 1 North Allegheny vs. No. 3 Central Catholic 6 p.m. Saturday, Norwin Video stream: tribhssn.triblive.com Radio: KDKA 1020 AM, 100.1 FM Winner plays: McDowell/State College winner in PIAA quarterfinals Nov. 25 or 26 WPIAL titles: North Allegheny 4 (1990, 2010, ‘11, ‘12), Central Catholic...
2022 WPIAL 5A football championship breakdown: Pine-Richland vs. Upper St. ClairVideo
WPIAL Class 5A football championship No. 2 Pine-Richland vs. No. 5 Upper St. Clair Noon Saturday, Norwin Video stream: tribhssn.triblive.com Radio: KDKA (1020 AM, 100.1 FM) Winner plays: Erie’s Cathedral Prep in PIAA quarterfinals Nov. 25 of 26 WPIAL titles: Pine-Richland 5 (2003, ‘14, ‘17, ‘18, ‘20), Upper St. Clair...
Program-boosting coaches lead North Allegheny, Central Catholic into WPIAL Class 6A title game
Whether he deserves some credit or blame depends on your perspective, but Art Walker certainly helped set Central Catholic on a path to become a WPIAL powerhouse. As a 27-year-old first-time head coach, Walker was hired there before the 1998 season to take over a team that had never won...
5 things to watch in Week 12 of high school football
Aliquippa is trying to reach the WPIAL football finals for the 15th year in a row, meaning some of the players on the Quips roster weren’t born the last time the team failed to get there. That was in 2007. But as impressive as that record streak may be, Aliquippa...
Aliquippa, McKeesport collide again in WPIAL semifinals after 2OT battle last season
For a year, McKeesport has wondered what might’ve been. What if the Tigers had won that dramatic double-overtime semifinal game last season against Aliquippa? Would they have followed the Quips’ path as WPIAL and PIAA champions? Nobody knows. “It’s something that’s kind of left a bad taste in our mouths,”...
5 things we learned in Week 11: Bill Cherpak joins ‘role model’ George Novak in WPIAL’s 300 club
Bill Cherpak could’ve succeeded in whatever career path he pursued, says his former high school football coach, recalling how the Steel Valley graduate already was a bright leader in those days. “He probably could’ve been a nuclear physicist or something, but he likes football,” said George Novak, who can understand...
WPIAL announces playoff sites for semifinal football games
The stadiums of Canon-McMillan and North Allegheny were chosen by the WPIAL to host two of the eight football semifinal matchups scheduled for Friday. Canon-McMillan will host the semifinal between Aliquippa and McKeesport while North Allegheny welcomes Thomas Jefferson and Central Valley from the other side of the Class 4A...
‘Down and out’ Central Catholic tops Mt. Lebanon to make 4th straight finals trip
Central Catholic wideout Peter Gonzalez missed the first three weeks of the season after knee surgery, but quarterback Payton Wehner kept throwing him passes anyway, while he worked his way back to the field. Now, they’re among the top quarterback-receiver duos in the WPIAL. “Me and Payton just built that...
Central Catholic is passing more than ever, yet rainstorm awaits in WPIAL semifinals
There was a new piece of equipment on the field at Central Catholic football practice this week: a five-gallon water jug. “We’ve been dumping the balls in water all week,” said quarterback Payton Wehner, whose team was getting ready for a waterlogged WPIAL semifinal Friday night at Mt. Lebanon. “We’ve...
5 things to watch in Week 11: Thomas Jefferson’s Bill Cherpak could be 4th WPIAL coach to 300 wins
Twenty-seven years ago, Thomas Jefferson started the 1995 football season with a 15-0 win over Belle Vernon behind a first-year head coach named Bill Cherpak. That was win No. 1. Now, almost three decades later, Cherpak could celebrate a much bigger milestone this week that would put him in elite...
