Chris Harlan stories, Page 71
Central Valley’s Landon Alexander gets birthday wish, defeats rival Aliquippa
Landon Alexander wished for a win on his 18th birthday. The running back got that and more Friday night as Central Valley defeated rival Aliquippa, 21-12, in a nonconference win at the Quips’ Aschman Stadium. The senior rushed for 212 yards on 23 carries and scored twice in a rematch...
Aliquippa, Central Valley anticipate electric atmosphere as rivalry renews
The cement stands may be weathered, the grass field might be bumpy and the vintage light towers have rust, but few WPIAL football venues can match the atmosphere of a big crowd at historic Aschman Stadium in Aliquippa. Yet, it’s been awhile. The pandemic drained some of that electricity from...
5 things to watch in WPIAL football Week 2: Handmade schedule a hit
Man or machine? The WPIAL heard complaints for years about the way their computer program sometimes paired unequal opponents or created long bus rides for games, nonconference concerns the league’s administration vowed to address. As a result, the WPIAL has matchups this week between successful programs such as Central Valley...
Basketball standout Debaba Tshiebwe eligible after transfer to Central Catholic, WPIAL decides
Central Catholic transfer Debaba Tshiebwe, a basketball standout who arrived this summer from a private school in Ohio, is fully eligible for the regular season and playoffs this winter. The WPIAL held an eligibility hearing Wednesday and cleared Tshiebwe, a 6-foot-6, 265-pound junior who transferred from Grand River Academy in...
Ellwood City, OLSH cancel Week 2 football games
Ellwood City and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart each canceled their scheduled football games this week because of covid-related issues. OLSH would have hosted Beaver Falls. Ellwood City was scheduled to host Shenango. Both were nonconference games. Beaver Falls and Shenango were attempting to find replacement games. There were...
Trib HSSN high school football rankings: Sept. 5, 2021
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 1-1, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 2-0, 2 3. North Allegheny, 1-1, 3 4. Seneca Valley, 1-1, 4 5. Canon-McMillan, 1-1, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Penn-Trafford, 2-0, 2 2. Gateway, 1-1, 1 3. Peters Township, 2-0, 5 4. Moon, 2-0,...
What we learned in Week 1 of H.S. football
More than two dozen WPIAL football teams are off to 2-0 starts, but the most exciting could belong to Shaler Area. The Titans hadn’t started 2-0 since 2009, when coach Neil Gordon still was walking the team’s sideline. In the 11 years since, the program has had one winning season...
Underclassmen to play key roles for North Allegheny boys soccer
With few returning starters and a roster heavy in sophomores, North Allegheny coach Bobby Vosmaer told his boys soccer team to be ready. Other teams will test their toughness. “I think they’re going throw some guys at us just to kick the crapper out of us, so to speak,” Vosmaer...
Senior quarterback steps up, leads Thomas Jefferson past Gateway in battle of top-ranked teamsVideo
Quarterback was considered a big question mark for Thomas Jefferson, so coach Bill Cherpak intended to give a couple of players snaps there. Joe Lekse altered those plans. The senior first-year starter threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another Friday night as Thomas Jefferson defeated host Gateway, 21-16, in...
5 things to watch in WPIAL football Week 1: Teams roll with covid cancellations
If high school football teams were hoping covid shutdowns were left behind in 2020, this week shows they’re not gone yet. In all, four Week 1 matchups were canceled. Scheduled games between Riverview and Chartiers-Houston, Beaver and Central Valley, Hopewell and Blackhawk, Butler and Erie High, and Westinghouse and Kirtland...
Westinghouse football game canceled because of covid case
Friday’s scheduled football game between Westinghouse and Kirtland (Ohio) will not be played because of a covid case within the City League school’s program. According to a Pittsburgh Public Schools press release, a player who was with the team during its game against Seton LaSalle last Saturday tested positive. The...
Central Valley, Blackhawk left without Week 1 games after opponents cancel
In a dilemma reminiscent of last fall, Central Valley has started searching for a new opponent for Friday night’s football game. Central Valley was expecting to host Beaver, but the Bobcats canceled their Week 1 game because of covid-19 cases. In an email Wednesday, Beaver athletic director Alan Alcalde said...
Bishop Sycamore under scrutiny after facing Sto-Rox, IMG Academy on same weekend
Sto-Rox and Bishop Sycamore both wore black uniforms for their football game Friday at the Wolvarena, but the matching outfits weren’t the most unusual part of the weekend for the online school from Columbus, Ohio. Less than 48 hours after losing to Sto-Rox in the Western Pa. vs. Everyone Showcase,...
Trib HSSN WPIAL football rankings: Aug. 29, 2021
Class 6A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 0-1, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 1-0, 2 3. North Allegheny, 1-0, 3 4. Canon-McMillan, 1-0, 5 5. Seneca Valley, 0-1, 4 Out: none Class 5A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Gateway, 1-0, 1 2. Penn-Trafford, 1-0, 2 3. Pine-Richland, 0-1, 3...
5 things we learned in Week Zero of H.S. football
Rather than a double-double, two-sport star Rodney Gallagher recorded a double-triple. As in, the Laurel Highlands junior rushed for more than 100 yards and passed for more than 100 on Friday as the Mustangs defeated Connellsville, 44-14. He also tossed two touchdowns, ran for two more and intercepted two passes...
Big-play defense leads Sto-Rox past Bishop Sycamore at Wolvarena
Sto-Rox’s high-scoring offense will have big nights this season, there’s little doubt about that. But this season-opening win belonged to the defense. Tre’shaun Barron returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown and the Vikings kept forcing turnovers in a 19-7 victory Friday night over Bishop Sycamore of Columbus, Ohio....
Philly power Imhotep Charter wears down Central Catholic with oversized offensive line
Two tight ends, a huge offensive line and a gritty running back gaining chucks of yardage at a time. This certainly was the style of offense Central Catholic usually would relish. Yet, this was the rare occasion when someone was doing that to the Vikings. Philadelphia powerhouse Imhotep Charter ran...
Central Catholic draws Philadelphia power Imhotep Charter in cross-state Week Zero clash
Finding a willing Week Zero opponent nearby isn’t always easy for Central Catholic, the two-time defending WPIAL Class 6A champion. “I’ll be honest, there are calls I avoid, too,” said coach Terry Totten, listing nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. “But for the most part, yeah, teams...
2021 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the new coaches
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the biggest coaching moves for the 2021 season. 1. Steve Campos Pine-Richland Campos’ hire certainly drew the most attention this summer. That’s largely because of the controversy that arose when...
2021 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the kickers
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top kickers and punters for the 2021 season. 1. Andrew Massucci Peters Township Senior, 5-9, 160 Massucci is one of the WPIAL’s top soccer players but also doubles as...
5 things to watch in WPIAL football Week Zero: On opening night, teams have options
“Week Zero” is back. The optional week on the football calendar was eliminated from last year’s pandemic-shortened schedule but returns this fall in full force. In so-called “Week Zero,” teams can replace their second preseason scrimmage with a regular-season contest. A five-game showcase at the Wolvarena highlights this weekend’s slate,...
WPIAL football teams welcome return to traditional ‘Friday night lights’ atmosphere
In any other year, there might have been huge crowds at Sarge Alberts Stadium to witness one of the most dominant seasons in WPIAL football history. Instead, like so many other parts of life in a pandemic, the Warriors’ fans celebrated remotely last fall. “They shared in it,” coach Mark...
2021 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the safeties
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top safeties for the 2021 season. 1. Ta’Mere Robinson Brashear Junior, 6-3, 220 Robinson may project as an edge rusher in college, but his athleticism makes him a difference-maker...
2021 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the cornerbacks
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top cornerbacks for the 2021 season. 1. Rodney Gallagher Laurel Highlands Junior, 6-0, 170 Football or basketball? The two-sport athlete will have to make that decision sometime in the...
2021 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the linebackers
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top linebackers for the 2021 season. 1. Anthony Speca Central Catholic Sophomore, 6-3, 220 As a freshman, Speca was a starting linebacker and leading tackler in the middle of...
