Chris Harlan stories, Page 95

The PIAA strengthened its stance against “ethnic and racially insensitive comments” by making those and other unsportsmanlike actions punishable with a two-game suspension. The board on Monday unanimously approved added discipline for coaches and athletes ejected for the most egregious infractions. That list also includes foul or vulgar language and...

Serra Catholic baseball star Mark Black had his future mapped out way in advance, committing to St. John’s before his sophomore year, until the coronavirus pandemic turned the world upside down. So, the recent graduate decided to reconsider. A power-hitting catcher with MLB aspirations, Black announced plans Sunday to de-commit...

The PIAA could give final approval Monday to a rule change that lets game officials issue a two-game suspensions to coaches and players who cross the line with foul language or make physical contact. The proposal, ready for a third and final vote, is included in the agenda for the...

The covid-19 pandemic forced organizers to cancel the Big 33 Football Classic, but this year’s players will be honored online. The Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association has planned a video “watch party” for 8 p.m. Thursday to celebrate this year’s players and highlight alumni from the all-star game that started...

The WPIAL will send only four Class 6A boys basketball teams to the state playoffs next season, according to preliminary brackets revealed by the PIAA. That’s down from five qualifiers in the past two seasons and six in the 2017 and 2018 postseasons. The WPIAL also would have one fewer...

With a quick left-handed swing that packs plenty of pop, West Allegheny’s Austin Hendrick was naturally a Ken Griffey Jr. fan as a kid. They’ve now got another connection. Hendrick, one of the top high school hitters in the country, was selected 12th overall Wednesday in the MLB Draft by...

Gov. Tom Wolf released covid-19 guidelines for restarting PIAA sports Wednesday, clearing the way for high school sports teams statewide to begin offseason workouts. But before those workouts can take place, the guidelines require every school district to create a detailed health and safety plan that’s approved by the school...

Hot dogs with Skyline Chili and evenings at Great American Ball Park could be in Austin Hendrick’s future, if draft experts are correct. The West Allegheny outfielder is projected as a first-round selection in the MLB Draft on Wednesday night, and the majority opinion has him headed to the Cincinnati...

At Western Beaver, Ryan Matsook’s work duties already include assistant principal and athletic director. Now, add football coach to his busy schedule. Four years after winning WPIAL and PIAA football titles at Beaver Falls, Matsook is making a coaching comeback. Western Beaver needed a football coach after Derek Moye resigned...

The wait is almost over. Covid-19 guidelines for restarting PIAA sports are expected to be released Tuesday or Wednesday, Gov. Tom Wolf said. The PIAA has banned teams from organizing offseason workouts until those guidelines from the state departments of health and education are put into place. “We’re dealing with...

The PIAA wants schools to use this downtime wisely. It’s unclear when Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration will release covid-19 guidelines to restart interscholastic sports, but in the meantime, the PIAA is asking school administrators to start making plans for their own districts, PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said Friday. That...

Athletes, coaches and high school administrators are growing impatient as more counties turn green, but they won’t see return-to-play guidelines for covid-19 until at least next week, according to a spokesman for the Pa. Department of Education. The PIAA has said it won’t clear teams to resume offseason workouts without...

The most dominant high school football team in the state last decade wasn’t from Western Pennsylvania, but six WPIAL programs did make the list. MaxPreps created a formula to rank the teams of the decade and crowned St. Joseph’s Prep as the winner Wednesday. Among WPIAL teams, North Allegheny was...

Where’s the rest of your team? It’s a lighthearted question that makes Quigley Catholic boys soccer coach Dave Baker laugh years later, thinking back to a time when his players shared the field with powerhouse Sewickley Academy. “They had two squads of 30,” Baker said. “They have a varsity team...

Kiski Area’s superintendent announced plans to start next school year online, an approach other districts may adopt, but that doesn’t mean sports are canceled. “If every other PIAA school in the WPIAL is ramping up for fall sports, we will be doing the same thing,” Kiski Area athletic director John...

Here are a few unanswered questions regarding PIAA sports and covid-19: When can Pennsylvania high school teams resume workouts? For now, PIAA teams must wait until July 1 to start working out together because Gov. Tom Wolf has school buildings closed for the rest of this school year in response...

Peters Township junior Donovan McMillon eliminated Pitt and West Virginia a month ago, and now Penn State also disappeared from his list of college football destinations. The 6-foot-2, 193-pound safety announced a top five list of finalists Monday that included Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech. He’d eliminated...

June can be a busy month for college football commitments, but will this year be different? A year ago, 14 of the state’s Top 25 recruits made their decision in June, according to Rivals.com rankings. That 2019 list of June commitments included WPIAL stars Michael Carmody of Mars, A.J. Beatty...

Lawrence County has an abundance of grassy fields, without hash marks or end zones, and there’s probably kids throwing a football around on one. “There’s acreage and farms everywhere,” Laurel superintendent Leonard Rich said. “Could I see the quarterbacks and the receivers getting together and running routes? I’m not condoning...