Chris Harlan stories, Page 70
5 things to watch in high school football’s Week 5
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 director joins Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank coalition
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...
5 things we learned in Week 4 of H.S. football: 16 teams remain unbeaten at midway point
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...
Trib HSSN high school football rankings: Sept. 26, 2021
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,...
North Allegheny girls golfers chasing individual, team success
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 tops North Allegheny in rematch of WPIAL Class 6A championship
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....
Central Catholic, North Allegheny meet in rematch of WPIAL Class 6A championship
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...
5 things to watch in WPIAL football Week 4: Covid cancellations not always ‘no-contest’
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 football cancellation leads to Serra Catholic vs. Freeport matchup Friday
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...
After near-death experience, Bishop Canevin senior writing comeback story on football field
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...
WPIAL sets covid-19 cancellation policy, won’t require vaccinations for officials
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...
No longer Penn State-bound, Perry’s Tyreese Fearbry chooses Kentucky
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 cornerback Lamont Payne commits to Penn State
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....
5 things we learned in Week 3 of H.S. football: Bishop Canevin joins Class A conversation
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...
Trib HSSN high school football rankings: Sept. 19, 2021
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,...
Strong freshman class adds to lineup for defending PIAA champion North Allegheny cross country teams
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...
Sto-Rox’s big-play defense steals momentum, finds end zone in win over AvonworthVideo
Jaymar Pearson had already shed his Sto-Rox jersey in the minutes after Friday night’s win, but Avonworth’s coach recognized him even without a No. 7 on his back. “That’s the guy right there,” Antelopes coach Duke Johncour said. “He changed the game.” With less than a minute until halftime, Sto-Rox...
After 11 shutout quarters, Sto-Rox defense draws big test from Avonworth
The point totals on Sto-Rox’s side of the scoreboard are often eye-catching, but the numbers next to their opponent have been noteworthy as well this fall. Two weeks in a row, that other number was zero. The Vikings are better known for their high-scoring offense under coach LaRoi Johnson, but...
5 things to watch in WPIAL football Week 3: Coaches like nonconference tune-ups
The sprint to the WPIAL playoffs starts now. The nonconference portion of the football schedule is over for many WPIAL teams, meaning every week matters from here on out. But for the first time in years, all teams were able to ease into conference play with a preseason-like experience where...
PIAA worried teams using covid-19 issues to avoid unfavorable opponents
The PIAA is worried teams may be using covid-19 issues as a way to avoid an unfavorable opponent, so the board on Wednesday debated at length a policy that would’ve made regular season cancellations forfeits. Ultimately, the board voted against the policy change and agreed to instead provide the information...
PIAA board approves vaccine mandate for officials, doesn’t foresee shortage
The PIAA does not expect its covid-19 vaccination mandate to cause a shortage of game officials since the new policy applies only to inter-district state tournament games. “Our inter-district tournament is so much smaller in number of games compared to what goes on across the commonwealth on a day-to-day basis....
PIAA requires covid-19 vaccination for all officials working state playoffs
The PIAA will require its game officials in all sports to be fully vaccinated against covid-19 to work any state postseason contests this fall. In a bulletin for football officials posted online Tuesday, the PIAA said: “All officials must be fully vaccinated to officiate any postseason inter-district contest. The terms...
Nearly forced to move with NFL free agent father, Tyree Alualu excelling as North Allegheny linebacker
North Allegheny linebacker Tyree Alualu is already making an impact as a first-year starter in the middle of the Tigers defense, but the sophomore standout nearly spent this fall playing football for another high school, likely in Florida. His father, defensive tackle Tyson Alualu, was searching for a new NFL...
5 things we learned in Week 2 of H.S. football
Time inevitably erases memories from blowout games with lopsided scores, regardless of whether you’re on the winning or losing side. That has been Greg Perry’s experience in his 30 years of coaching, but the Keystone Oaks coach says memories from wild games like Friday night’s against Chartiers Valley stick around...
Trib HSSN high school football rankings: Sept. 12, 2021
Class 6A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 2-1, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 3-0, 2 3. North Allegheny, 2-1, 3 4. Seneca Valley, 2-1, 4 5. Canon-McMillan, 2-1, 5 Out: none Class 5A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Moon, 3-0, 4 2. Gateway, 2-1, 2 3. Penn-Trafford, 2-1, 1...
