Chris Harlan stories, Page 66
Aliquippa’s slimmed-down 300-pounders face heavy workload in state finals
At 6-foot-4 and 345 pounds, Aliquippa’s Naquan Crowder fits in nicely on one of the heaviest offensive lines in the state, but a commitment made by the team’s linemen to improve their fitness has him feeling lighter on his feet. That’s good news for the Quips, because they’ll likely ask...
PIAA delays release of updated enrollment numbers to fix vo-tech issue
The PIAA delayed the release of its updated enrollment numbers for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 sports seasons until January after discovering some school districts used inconsistent methods for counting their vo-tech students. New numbers were expected to be approved Wednesday by the PIAA board, giving schools their first look at...
WPIAL schedules hearing to address racial allegations against South Side football team
The WPIAL has scheduled a hearing Dec. 21 to address racial allegations stemming from a football playoff game last month between South Side and Steel Valley. The WPIAL board voted to bring in school administrators and football coaches along with athletes and other individuals identified in written reports submitted by...
Midwestern: Laurel’s Luke McCoy, Beaver Falls’ Mekhi Clark top all-conference team
Laurel running back Luke McCoy, who ranked among the WPIAL rushing leaders this season, was honored three times by Midwestern coaches in all-conference voting. McCoy was named Offensive Player of the Year and earned all-conference honors on both sides of the ball. He rushed for 1,720 yards and 30 touchdowns....
Century: 9 Washington players named all-conference, Davoun Fuse voted MVP
Washington’s Davoun Fuse proved himself to be a dual-threat quarterback by passing for 11 touchdowns and running for 14 more, results that earned the junior MVP honors in the Class 2A Century Conference. In all, Washington garnered nine first-team spots on the all-conference team and earned three individual honors after...
Three Rivers: Sto-Rox leads conference honors with 9 players on 1st team
Sto-Rox outscored Three Rivers opponents 201-12 this season, a dominance that saw quarterback Josh Jenkins and running back Jaymar Pearson named Offensive co-MVPs in the Class 2A conference. In all, the Vikings had nine players earn first-team all-conference honors, and LaRoi Johnson was named as the conference’s top coach after...
Mt. Lebanon coach Bob Palko returns to PIAA football finals with heavy heart
The mood at Mansion Park Stadium was jubilant as Mt. Lebanon’s football team won a state semifinal for the first time in school history, yet amid the celebration coach Bob Palko held back tears. “It’s humbling. Very humbling,” he said. “I’d rather be there (in Hershey) with my buddy, but...
North Allegheny takes on new look with DeGregorio back at the helm
Blue tape forms Xs, boxes and lines on North Allegheny’s basketball court, visual guides put down by boys coach Dave DeGregorio to teach a new offense. The dribble-drive isn’t new to DeGregorio, who has used it for years and won a WPIAL title with the offense at North Catholic. But...
Mt. Lebanon trounces State College, earns 1st trip to Hershey for state football finals
ALTOONA — Mt. Lebanon already proved itself as the best team in the WPIAL. Last week they added the title of best team in all of Western Pennsylvania. Now, the Blue Devils are thinking bigger. “We want to show we’re the best team in the state,” said senior Eli Heidenreich,...
Aliquippa scores 27 consecutive points in PIAA semifinal victory over Jersey Shore
EBENSBURG — Six minutes saved Aliquippa’s state title hopes. The Quips looked out of sorts for two quarters Friday night before scoring four times in a 6-minute span, including an 83-yard pass and an 94-yard punt return, to defeat District 4 champion Jersey Shore, 41-16, in a PIAA Class 4A...
5 things to watch: How many WPIAL teams will reach PIAA football finals?
Could the WPIAL send five or six teams to Hershey? The brackets say it’s possible, but that’s never happened before. Since football expanded to six classifications in 2016, the WPIAL hasn’t qualified more than four teams for the state championships in one season. The WPIAL had four qualify in 2020,...
Only 14, freshman Tiqwai Hayes shoulders leading role in Aliquippa’s playoff run
When he’s avoiding tacklers and scoring touchdowns at a place like Heinz Field, it’s easy to forget Tiqwai Hayes is only 14 years old. The Aliquippa running back is just a freshman, yet he’s already making folks wonder whether he’ll become the next great football player from Aliquippa, a school...
Central Catholic’s Donovan Hinish stays committed to Notre Dame as coach Brian Kelly exits
Central Catholic senior Donovan Hinish had just eaten dinner with a Notre Dame assistant shortly before he heard Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly was leaving for LSU. Hinish was stunned, to say the least, but remains committed to the Irish. “I was lost for a second,” said Hinish, a 6-foot-2,...
Northwestern Six: Central Valley tops all-conference picks with 13 spots on 1st team
Central Valley earned 13 first-team spots on the Northwestern Six all-conference team with Sean FitzSimmons, Jack Bible and Jayvin Thompson honored on both sides of the football. The Warriors, who won the WPIAL Class 3A title with an undefeated record, also swept the conference’s individual player awards. Running back Landon...
Allegheny Seven: North Catholic wins 4 individual awards in all-conference voting
North Catholic’s Kyle Tipinski, Tyler Primrose and Andrew Stephens, who led the Trojans to the WPIAL finals, all earned individual player awards in all-conference voting for the Allegheny Seven. North Catholic’s Pat O’Shea was voted the conference’s top coach. The Trojans (12-1) went undefeated in the regular season with six...
Interstate: Elizabeth Forward’s Brownfield, Southmoreland’s Govern top all-conference team
Elizabeth Forward’s defense allowed only 28 points combined in six conference games, a dominance that led Interstate coaches to name senior DaVontay Brownfield as the conference’s top defensive player. In all, 10 Elizabeth Forward players earned first-team all-conference honors. The Warriors finished 6-0 in the WPIAL Class 3A conference. Southmoreland...
Big Eight: Belle Vernon’s Devin Whitlock, McKeesport’s Bobbie Boyd lead all-conference team
Thomas Jefferson was dethroned from its familiar spot atop the Big Eight this season, and two of the players most responsible received individual honors in all-conference voting. Belle Vernon senior Devin Whitlock was named offensive player of the year, and McKeesport junior Bobbie Boyd was named as the conference’s top...
Greater Allegheny: Hampton rewarded for conference title with 9 spots on 1st team
Hampton celebrated its first conference title since 2014, an achievement recognized in all-conference voting. The Talbots had nine players earn first-team honors, including leading rusher Christian Liberto, a senior who scored 17 times and topped 1,100 rushing yards. Liberto was joined by teammates Benny Haselrig, Mike Witherup, Logan Rutledge, John...
Parkway: Aliquippa leads all-conference voting with 14 players on 1st team
Aliquippa outscored Parkway opponents 237-40 this fall, a regular-season dominance that was reflected in voting for the all-conference team. Fourteen Aliquippa players earned first-team honors in the Class 4A conference, including lineman Jason McBride, who was recognized on both sides of the ball. McBride was joined by teammates Jon Tracy,...
Big East: Penn-Trafford lands 12 players, coach on all-conference football team
A dozen Penn-Trafford football players earned first-team all-conference honors from a Warriors team that went unbeaten in the Big East and won a WPIAL title Saturday. Their coach, John Ruane, was name the conference’s top coach. The first-team all-conference list included Penn-Trafford running back Cade Yacamelli, who starred in the...
Northeast: Dugger brothers among 7 Penn Hills players named all-conference
Penn Hills brothers Julian and Jaden Dugger, a dynamic quarterback-receiver combination for the Indians, each earned first-team all-conference honors in the Class 5A Northeast. They were among seven Penn Hills players who earned first-team honors in a vote of conference coaches. Kiski Area also had seven first-team selections, Pine-Richland had...
Allegheny Six: Moon’s senior class well represented on all-conference team
Moon’s deep and talented senior class, which led the Tigers to the WPIAL finals for the first time since 1998, was well represented on the Allegheny 6 all-conference team. Eight Moon players — all seniors — earned first-team honors, and Ryan Linn was named the conference’s top coach after the...
Class 6A: Mt. Lebanon leads WPIAL all-conference honors with 9 players, coach
Mt. Lebanon won its first WPIAL title in 21 years, and the undefeated Blue Devils were recognized for their season-long success with nine first-team spots on the all-conference team for Class 6A. Their coach, Bob Palko, also was honored. The all-conference list included Mt. Lebanon quarterback Joey Daniels, running back...
Aliquippa celebrates ‘incredible, shameful’ victory over Belle Vernon in WPIAL Class 4A final
Small-school Aliquippa might be short on students, but nobody has more WPIAL football titles than the Quips. Despite playing three levels above its Class A enrollment, Aliquippa added an 18th title Saturday night by winning the Class 4A championship, an achievement the Quips called both “incredible and shameful.” Freshman running...
Central Valley seeks 3rd straight WPIAL title, unbeaten North Catholic could spoil plans
When Central Valley takes the field Saturday, this will be the third WPIAL championship appearance in a row for some of the team’s starters. So, they expected to be here. “It’s just another game,” said senior linebacker Matt Merritt, who’s already a two-time WPIAL champion. “It’s another game to prove...
