Chris Harlan stories, Page 81
An early fall? PIAA planning committee opposes starting football season sooner
The PIAA doesn’t have a prognosticating groundhog, but after hearing from its strategic planning committee, it doesn’t look like fall sports will arrive any earlier next school year. By a two-to-one margin, “starting earlier is not something (the 12 PIAA districts) would embrace at this time,” the planning committee said...
WPIAL bracketology: Don Rebel, Chris Harlan take early look at girls basketball tournament
The WPIAL basketball playoffs will seem bigger than ever this winter since the league intends to hold an open tournament in each of the six classifications. Any team that wants to take part can. The WPIAL took this route because covid-related cancellations made the section standings unbalanced, making it nearly...
Trib HSSN girls basketball rankings: Feb. 14, 2021
Class 6A Rk. Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 15-0, 1 2. Upper St. Clair, 10-1, 2 3. Bethel Park, 11-2, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 11-3, 4 5. Norwin, 10-2, 5 Out: none Class 5A Rk. Team, W-L, Last 1. Trinity, 12-1, 1 2. Chartiers Valley, 14-2, 2 3. Woodland...
Trib HSSN boys basketball rankings: Feb. 14, 2021
Class 6A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Upper St. Clair, 11-1, 1 2. Fox Chapel, 12-2, 3 3. Hempfield, 9-3, 4 4. North Allegheny, 12-3, 2 5. Penn-Trafford, 8-5, 5 Out: none Class 5A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Chartiers Valley, 15-1, 2 2. New Castle, 13-2, 1 3. Mars,...
Aspiring photographer, North Hills swimmer Josh Bogniard seeks picture-perfect WPIALs
When North Hills senior swimmer Josh Bogniard isn’t in the water, he’s often taking photographs of some. Icy waterfalls, mossy streams and a duckweed covered pond appear on the aspiring photographer’s Instagram account. Bogniard focuses his camera on nature, landscapes and people. In recent months, he relied heavily on his...
Brayden Reynolds scores 42; No. 2 Chartiers Valley tops No. 1 New Castle
Chartiers Valley’s Brayden Reynolds says his Colts weren’t themselves last month when they hosted New Castle and maybe focused too much on the hype. They saw Friday’s rematch as a chance to show who they really are. “We wanted to come out and make a statement,” said Reynolds, who shook...
Central Catholic lineman Bralen Henderson ‘grinds’ path to Ohio commitment
In a normal recruiting year, Bralen Henderson would’ve visited with the dozens of college football coaches who arrive at Central Catholic looking for future players. He would have gone to football camps and visited college campuses in person. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get any of that,” said Henderson, a 6-foot-3 defensive...
Allderdice tops Obama Academy in rematch of City League championshipVideo
After going weeks without shooting a basketball, City League scorers will need time to find their touch, predicted Allderdice boys coach Devin Crummie. His words seemed almost prophetic in Tuesday’s first quarter when the Dragons went 1 for 13 shooting and scored two points. At the other end, Obama Academy...
WPIAL football players among 30,000 cardboard cutouts in Super Bowl seats
WPIAL football fans might recognize some familiar faces in the Super Bowl crowd at Raymond James Stadium. The NFL filled empty seats with cardboard cutouts Sunday night, and some featured football players who reached the WPIAL finals. Pine-Richland and Peters Township each tweeted to keep eyes open for cutouts of...
‘Sigh of relief’ as City League basketball teams ready for delayed season openers
Snow days are sometimes enjoyable but not when you’re a high school basketball player who has waited weeks for a game, and then winter weather extends that wait a few days longer. Just ask Sayon Bennett, a top player in Pittsburgh’s City League. “We’re just kind of rolling with the...
New Castle no longer unbeaten, loses to Belle Vernon in semifinal rematchVideo
Belle Vernon point guard Devin Whitlock is short in height, quick with the basketball and confident against a trapping defense. That combination caused big trouble for New Castle, which was baffled by the 5-foot-9 junior for the second time in two years. Whitlock scored a game-high 21 points Saturday night...
WPIAL girls basketball rankings: Week ending Feb. 7, 2021
Class 6A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 11-0, 1 2. Upper St. Clair, 8-1, 2 3. Bethel Park, 7-2, 4 4. Mt. Lebanon, 9-2, 3 5. Norwin, 8-2, 5 Out: none Class 5A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Trinity, 10-1, 1 2. Chartiers Valley, 12-1, 2 3. Armstrong,...
WPIAL boys basketball rankings: Week ending Feb. 6, 2021
Class 6A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Upper St. Clair, 9-1, 1 2. North Allegheny, *9-2, 2 3. Fox Chapel, 10-2, 3 4. Hempfield, 6-3, 4 5. Penn-Trafford, 7-4, NR Out: Mt. Lebanon (5-5, 5) Class 5A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. New Castle, 12-1, 1 2. Chartiers Valley, 13-1,...
Football officials organize free online clinic to recruit more colleagues
If someone’s on the fence about becoming a high school football official, there’s an online clinic Saturday designed just for them. “Anything they want to know about becoming an official, we’re ready to answer,” said Nick Morea, who represents boys-sport officials on the WPIAL board. “If they’re on the fence,...
Blackhawk transfer Lorenzo Jenkins ineligible for playoffs after WPIAL hearing
The WPIAL denied a postseason waiver request from Blackhawk transfer Lorenzo Jenkins, leaving him ineligible for the basketball playoffs this winter and for football playoffs next fall. The 6-foot-4 junior transferred from Fox Chapel, where he earned all-conference honors the past two seasons at wide receiver. The WPIAL held an...
WPIAL will use high school venues for basketball, swimming championships
The WPIAL plans to use high school venues this winter for its basketball and swimming championships rather than Pitt’s facilities. State-imposed gathering limits on events make Petersen Events Center and Trees Pool impractical options, WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman said Thursday. Under current covid-19 restrictions from Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration,...
Western Pa.’s top 10 football prospects for the Class of 2022
The WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League saw almost a dozen football recruits from their 2021 class sign with Power 5 schools this winter. The ‘22 class will need some help in the coming months to match that number. It could happen, but for now, only four Western Pennsylvania prospects have...
Sto-Rox scores 20 consecutive 2nd-half points in section win over CarlyntonVideo
The halftime clock had almost reached zeroes before Sto-Rox emerged from the boys basketball locker room. Coach Dwight Hines later laughed at the suggestion he was in there delivering the best motivational speech of his life. Something sure got his Vikings fired up. Sto-Rox scored the first 20 points after...
Opt-in window opens for basketball teams wanting to enter WPIAL playoffs
The WPIAL wants to know: Is your basketball team in or out? The window opened Monday for schools to notify the WPIAL whether they’ll take part in the boys and girls basketball playoffs this winter. An online registration form was sent to athletic directors, who have until 3 p.m. Feb....
WPIAL girls basketball rankings: Week ending Jan. 31, 2021
Class 6A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 9-0, 1 2. Upper St. Clair, 6-1, 2 3. Mt. Lebanon, 8-1, 3 4. Bethel Park, 6-1, 5 5. Norwin, 6-2, NR Out: Penn-Trafford (6-2, 4) Class 5A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Trinity, 8-1, 1 2. Chartiers Valley, 9-1, 2...
WPIAL boys basketball rankings: Week ending Jan. 31, 2021
Class 6A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Upper St. Clair, 8-1, 1 2. North Allegheny, 8-2, 2 3. Fox Chapel, 7-2, 3 4. Hempfield, 5-2, 5 5. Mt. Lebanon, 4-3, 4 Out: none Class 5A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. New Castle, 9-0, 1 2. Chartiers Valley, 10-1, 2 3....
North Allegheny’s Khalil Dinkins works to add snarl to his game
As a future Penn State football player, there’s no questioning Khalil Dinkins’ athleticism. But his basketball coach has told him there’s one flaw in his game: He’s too nice. That’s about to change. Dinkins’ tough side showed clearly Jan. 26 when he made a game-saving block at the end of...
No. 3 Montour builds 15-point lead, hangs on for victory over Central ValleyVideo
Isayah Mosley and his Montour teammates held their breath in the final seconds of a 40-38 victory Friday night as host Central Valley missed at the buzzer. Come Sunday, they’ll be holding pizza and wings. That’s the reward coach Bill Minear promised his team for keeping an opponent under 40...
Young North Catholic lineup wins battle of WPIAL champions over Mohawk
Ava Walker and Alayna Rocco are freshmen starters for North Catholic’s girls basketball team, and teammates Dacia Lewandowski and Tori Drevna are only sophomores. They might form the youngest starting lineup in the WPIAL this season, but their coach reminded them Thursday night how she won’t accept that as an...
PIAA moves state swimming, diving championships to high school venue
The state swimming championships are changing lanes. The PIAA board voted to move this winter’s state swimming and diving meet to Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg. Covid-19 gathering limits led the PIAA to find a host site other than Bucknell, PIAA associate executive director Melissa Mertz said Wednesday. Diving...
