Chris Harlan stories, Page 67

When Central Catholic visited Mt. Lebanon on Friday night, the game was supposed to be electric, not the weather. Yet, the clash between the top-ranked teams in WPIAL Class 6A was suspended in the third quarter because of a lightning storm that hung around Mt. Lebanon for more than an...

Six-time winner Hampton was among five schools named Friday as recipients of the WPIAL Sportsmanship Award, joining Derry, Laurel, Moon and Upper St. Clair. This is the 25th year for the awards, which recognize the schools that “best demonstrate the elements of good sportsmanship,” the WPIAL said in a press...

College football coaches want Robert Dickerson as a slot receiver, but the North Hills senior knew he didn’t want to put away his baseball glove and bat for good. So, he found a place to play both. Dickerson recently committed to Bucknell, where he’ll have an opportunity to play football...

No, it’s not over ‘til it’s over. And, yes, four weeks remain in the regular season, meaning the WPIAL football schedule is far from over. But there are a few key matchups Friday night that sure seem likely to serve as de facto conference championship games. The list starts in...

Unlike last week, there won’t be any motivational banner hanging over Mt. Lebanon’s locker room entrance. No history lesson. No hype. That’s because Friday’s conference matchup may decide the regular-season champion in WPIAL Class 6A when top-ranked Central Catholic (5-1, 3-0) visits the No. 2 Blue Devils (6-0, 3-0) at...

The Wyomissing football team might have a thank you gift headed its way with a Clairton postmark on the package. Suddenly, the Bears are huge fans of the high school near Reading. That’s because Southern Columbia was one win away from tying Clairton’s state-record winning streak of 66 games when...

Class 6A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 5-1, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 6-0, 2 3. Canon-McMillan, 4-2, 5 4. North Allegheny, 3-3, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 4-2, 3 Out: none Class 5A 1. Moon, 6-0, 1 2. Pine-Richland, 3-3, 4 3. Gateway, 4-2, 5 4. South Fayette, 4-1,...

As two-time reigning WPIAL champions, the girls on North Allegheny’s soccer team are trying to defend their title again this fall, with an added emphasis on the word “defend.” They’ve outscored their first nine opponents 53-1 and posted eight shutouts. “There are a lot of teams that are giving you...

If this matchup was meant to decide the most-dangerous playmaker in the Big Eight, Devin Whitlock certainly made his case. The Belle Vernon senior delivered another astonishing play Friday night when he returned a punt 67 yards untouched to the end zone for one of his three touchdowns in a...

Greensburg Salem, Laurel Highlands and Steel Valley lead a collection of WPIAL football teams enjoying a revival this fall. Combined, the three went 4-16 last season before quickly shutting the door on a difficult 2020. This year, the trio already has celebrated 13 wins with only one loss. Greensburg Salem’s...

WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman, who is leading a league-wide food drive this fall, was named Monday to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s Sports and Media Coalition. Scheuneman joins a 20-person council with representatives from local media outlets as well as the area’s college and professional sports organizations. The...

Laurel football coach Brian Cooper has the Spartans off to a 5-0 start, likely for the first time since 1977, but the Spartans aren’t slowing down to celebrate. “We’re really just trying to keep them focused on the next task at hand,” said Cooper, who’s in his eighth season. “That’s...

Class 6A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 4-1, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 5-0, 2 3. Seneca Valley, 4-1, 4 4. North Allegheny, 3-2, 3 5. Canon-McMillan, 3-2, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Moon, 5-0, 1 2. Peters Township, 4-1, 3 3. South Fayette, 4-1, 4 4. Pine-Richland,...

Many of the golfers on North Allegheny’s girls team already have their own swing instructors, so first-year coach Sarah Morrison tries not to tinker much with their mechanics. Instead, the attorney and former college golfer has turned her attention to their thoughts between shots. “My biggest focus with them this...

Central Catholic has a new-look offense with ties to an NFL coach, but the Vikings haven’t abandoned what made them two-time defending WPIAL champions. Gannon Carothers rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns Friday night and the defense didn’t allow a point after halftime as top-ranked Central Catholic defeated No....

North Allegheny maybe isn’t the trendy pick in WPIAL championship talk, but the next few weeks could change that discussion. At least, the Tigers hope so. Central Catholic and Mt. Lebanon remain the top teams in Class 6A, but NA faces them in back-to-back weeks. “The way we look at...

The WPIAL’s message is clear: Not every covid-related cancellation will be excused as no-contest. Many, if not most, will be forfeits. So far, only four football games met the threshold for a “no-contest” designation this fall, said WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman, while at least seven others will go down...

Carlynton canceled its nonconference football game scheduled for Friday against Serra Catholic because of covid-19 cases, but Serra needed little time to find new opponent. Freeport will host Serra Catholic at 7 p.m. Friday. Carlynton athletic director Nate Milsom said the football team didn’t have enough available bodies “with the...

In a helmet and shoulder pads, Eli Wilson looks just like thousands of other high school football players across Western Pennsylvania. But the Bishop Canevin senior has a remarkable life story that started tragically before turning triumphant. He’s mostly kept the story to himself. “I thought people were going to...

A regular-season contest canceled because of covid-19 can be declared a “no-contest” rather than a forfeit, but first the WPIAL intends to make sure teams aren’t bending the rules to avoid an opponent. “If you have able bodies to participate and you choose not to, then that’s a forfeit,” WPIAL...

Six weeks after decommiting from Penn State, Perry senior Tyreese Fearbry has a new plan for college. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound defensive end verbally committed Saturday to Kentucky, choosing the SEC school over his other finalists, Pitt and Auburn. Fearbry is a four-star prospect according to Rivals and ranked 13th overall...

Chartiers Valley junior defensive back Lamont Payne committed to Penn State on Saturday while on campus to watch the Nittany Lions’ win over Auburn. A 6-foot-1, 175-pound cornerback, Payne is a four-star prospect according to Rivals and ranked eighth overall among Pennsylvania’s 2023 graduates. Payne announced his commitment on Twitter....

Rebuilding a football program traditionally takes playbooks and practice, but Bishop Canevin coach Rich Johnson added tree pruners and paint brushes to his list. He spent time sprucing up the practice field in his two years there. “When everyone was in quarantine, me and my staff were down at the...

Class 6A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 3-1, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 4-0, 2 3. North Allegheny, 3-1, 3 4. Seneca Valley, 3-1, 4 5. Canon-McMillan, 2-2, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Moon, 4-0, 1 2. Gateway, 3-1, 2 3. Peters Township, 3-1, 5 4. South Fayette,...

When your boys and girls teams are both defending WPIAL and PIAA cross country champions, what do you do this fall for an encore? “I don’t know how to top it exactly,” said North Allegheny coach John Neff, “but we’re going to try to match it for sure.” Many of...