Chris Harlan stories, Page 7
Aliquippa in unfamiliar position of flying under the radar
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 22. Aliquippa lost some talented football players to graduation or transfer since last season, so it’s understandable if there were some cracks in the Quips’ confidence. But,...
Seton LaSalle QB Anthony Smith remains ineligible after PIAA upholds WPIAL decision
Seton LaSalle transfer Anthony Smith, an up-and-coming quarterback with multiple college offers, remains ineligible for his sophomore season after the PIAA denied his appeal Friday. However, an attorney representing Smith and his family said they may challenge the decision in court. “Not over yet … ” Smith wrote in a...
Bethel Park sets goal to remain among Class 5A elite year in, year out
Only the strongest football programs can graduate a big, talented senior class one year and keep winning the next — a short list that Bethel Park wants to join. For six months, the Black Hawks have talked about having “something to prove,” said third-year coach Phil Peckich. That idea describes...
Peters Township revamps offense in search of another trip to WPIAL finals
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 22. There’s a football team in Western Pennsylvania with a revamped passing attack that’ll feature multiple tight ends — and, no, it’s not the Steelers. It’s Peters...
Despite graduation losses, count out Upper St. Clair at your own risk
Yes, Upper St. Clair graduated some all-conference athletes who were stalwarts for the Panthers, multi-year starters now playing college football. But, no, the roster isn’t empty. “We have more back than I think is perceived,” seventh-year coach Mike Junko said. “We have our quarterback back. We have two running backs...
Gateway looking ahead to playoff return after rare postseason miss a year ago
Gateway coach Don Holl doesn’t like his players to dwell on the past, telling them there’s a reason why the windshield is big and the review mirror is small. But the Gators hit a few bumps in the road last season that flattened their tires, potholes they’d still like to...
Plethora of skill could help Pine-Richland defend WPIAL Class 5A title
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 22. Pine-Richland will embrace the old football adage that the best defense is a good offense as an early season strategy. Especially since the Rams have a...
WPIAL denies eligibility to 2 Central Catholic football transfers, approves 4 others
The WPIAL denied eligibility to two Central Catholic football players, leaving Xavier Harding and Ma’Noah Wright sidelined for the upcoming season. The sophomore transfers had eligibility hearings Monday. WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer said the board found both transfers were motivated, at least partially, by athletics. The decision came on...
PIAA upholds WPIAL decision to make Bishop Canevin quarterback ineligible
Bishop Canevin football player Brady Wagner remains ineligible for his junior season after the PIAA upheld an earlier WPIAL decision. Wagner, a quarterback who transferred from Mt. Lebanon, had his eligibility appeal heard Tuesday by the PIAA via video conference. The hearing panel sustained the WPIAL finding that Wagner’s transfer...
Penn State-bound wideout Khalil Taylor transfers from Seton LaSalle to Pine-Richland
WPIAL standout Khalil Taylor, a Penn State football recruit ranked among the nation’s best wide receivers, has transferred from Seton LaSalle to Pine-Richland. The high-profile move comes one week before high school football teams start heat acclimation for the upcoming season. Pine-Richland football coach Jon LeDonne said Monday he was...
2025 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Central Catholic’s Colsen Gatten
Colsen Gatten’s highlight video starts with a pick-six followed by a nifty one-handed interception a couple of clips later. Yet neither was his favorite play. “It’s definitely my big hit against Canon-Mac,” said the Central Catholic linebacker, who punished a receiver on a crossing route in that one. “That was...
WPIAL grants Josh Pratt eligibility at Lincoln Park, yet basketball star must sit out playoffs
Josh Pratt, one of the top WPIAL basketball players, can join Lincoln Park on the court for his senior season, but he’s not eligible for the playoffs. The WPIAL on Monday granted eligibility to both Josh and Jeremiah Pratt, brothers who transferred from Aliquippa to Lincoln Park. The two were...
WPIAL rules Seton LaSalle QB Anthony Smith ineligible after transfer from Southmoreland
The WPIAL ruled Seton LaSalle transfer Anthony Smith ineligible, sidelining the up-and-coming quarterback for his sophomore season. Following an eligibility hearing Monday, a WPIAL panel found Smith’s transfer from Southmoreland was motivated at least partially by athletics, WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer said. As a result, Smith is ineligible to...
2025 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Central Catholic’s Jimmy Kalis
Jimmy Kalis is the 6-foot-7 son of a former NFL lineman. Recruiting websites rank him among the best tackles in the country, and he has college offers from most of the national championship favorites. So, naturally, Kalis’ opponents might try to test whether he’s legit or just hype. “I definitely...
PIAA taking final steps in flag football journey
Eighty yards long. Forty yards wide. Those measurements are now the official dimensions of a high school flag football field in Pennsylvania. Choosing the layout was among the biggest decisions adopted this week as the PIAA added structure to its newest girls sport. Also approved Wednesday by the PIAA board...
PIAA board supports adding shot clock to high school basketball for 2028-29 season
The PIAA has endorsed adding a shot clock to Pennsylvania high school basketball, a move supported by a majority of WPIAL schools. The PIAA board took a big step Wednesday and voted 22-9 to adopt the 35-second clock for the 2028-29 season. However, the motion was approved only on a...
2 former WPIAL baseball players selected in 2025 MLB Draft
Two former WPIAL baseball players were selected Monday in the MLB Draft with one picked by his hometown team. The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted 2022 Montour graduate Dylan Mathiesen, a right-handed pitcher at Liberty, while the Toronto Blue Jays chose 2021 Upper St. Clair grad Jake Casey, an outfielder at Kent...
2025 Trib 25 Preseason Football All-Star Team: Central Catholic’s Ashton Blatt
Editor’s note: Each day through Aug. 3, Trib HSSN will profile one member of the 2025 Trib 25 preseason high school football all-star team. Ashton Blatt might be a little bit biased, but the Central Catholic senior says there’s no position on defense better than edge rusher. That’s his position....
Championship-winning Shaler baseball coach Brian Junker resigns after 3rd WPIAL title
Weeks after leading Shaler to a WPIAL baseball title, Brian Junker has resigned as coach after 16 years. Junker announced his departure in a social media post Thursday, saying he intended to spend more time with family. Shaler won three WPIAL titles and one state championship under his guidance. The...
Double first-base bags coming to high school baseball for safety’s sake
No, you’re not seeing double. High school baseball will have two first-base bags starting in 2027, a change already in use by colleges as a way to avoid injury-causing collisions. The National Federation of State High School Associations, which writes the rulebook used by the PIAA and WPIAL, announced the...
Navy lands commitment from 3rd WPIAL football recruit in 2026 class
The Midshipmen landed a third WPIAL football recruit from the 2026 class when Avonworth lineman Peter Bonnet committed to Navy on Tuesday. The rising senior announced his decision on social media. A 6-foot-5, 285-pound tackle, Bonnet had more than a dozen Division I offers, including from fellow service academies Army...
Thomas Jefferson’s Shep Turk named 2024-25 TribLive HSSN Boys Athlete of the Year
TribLive HSSN Boys Athlete of the Year Shep Turk Thomas Jefferson Senior Football, wrestling Wrestling started out as something to keep Shep Turk busy in the winter once his football season was over. That was around sixth grade. “But I definitely fell in love with it,” said Turk, who became...
Quaker Valley’s Mimi Thiero named 2024-25 TribLive HSSN Girls Athlete of the Year
TribLive HSSN Girls Athlete of the Year Mimi Thiero Quaker Valley Junior Basketball, track and field Mimi Thiero is going places. After wrapping up her junior year at Quaker Valley, Thiero was off to Colorado where USA Basketball welcomed her and 26 other under-19 players to compete. She was invited...
Trib HSSN’s top stories from the 2024-25 school year
Top high school sports stories from 2024-25 Sept. 18, 2024 Girls flag football officially becomes a PIAA-sanctioned sport. With more than 100 school-sponsored teams statewide, the PIAA board votes to add the sport in the 2025-26 school year. Sept. 27, 2024 Hopewell’s Rocco Marcantonio ties a WPIAL record with a...
2025 TribLive HSSN Softball Player of the Year: Neshannock’s Addy Frye
TribLive HSSN Softball Player of the Year Addy Frye Neshannock, sr., P The Neshannock softball team went 100-1 in Addy Frye’s four seasons with the Lancers, a dominance that ranks their dynasty among the greatest in WPIAL history. They won four WPIAL titles and three state championships. This spring for...
