Chris Harlan stories, Page 99
WPIAL approves new basketball sections; won’t reveal them yet
Basketball sections for next season are almost ready, but WPIAL players, coaches and fans must wait a little longer to see them. The WPIAL board approved updated section alignments at its April meeting, said associate executive director Amy Scheuneman, but those included multiple contingencies in case the PIAA competitive-balance rule...
All-state boys basketball: OLSH’s DiMichele, Spadafora, Rodriguez lead Class 2A team
OLSH junior Dante Spadafora and sophomore Jake DiMichele earned first-team all-state honors Tuesday, and the Chargers’ Mike Rodriguez was named the state’s top coach in Class 2A. In all, four WPIAL players were selected in a vote of Pennsylvania sports writers. Sto-Rox’s Malik Smith and California’s Malik Ramsey earned second-team...
PIAA shouldn’t enforce competitive-balance rule, Lincoln Park basketball coach says
If the PIAA competitive-balance rule forces the Lincoln Park boys basketball team into a higher classification next season, coach Mike Bariski thinks that’s unfair. “We’re not averse to going up,” he said. “I just totally disagree with the process.” Two months ago, Bariski would have accepted the promotion without objection....
All-state boys basketball: Cornell’s Kaden DiVito named Player of the Year in Class A
Cornell’s Kaden DiVito, who saw his senior season cut short two wins away from the PIAA finals, earned statewide recognition Monday as the Class A boys basketball player of the year. A 5-foot-11 guard committed to Washington & Jefferson, DiVito averaged 20.8 points for the WPIAL runner-up. In the state...
Moon sophomore Reilly Sunday adds 5 Division I offers since late MarchVideo
Social distancing hasn’t kept basketball scholarship offers away from Moon’s Reilly Sunday. Gyms are closed, but the all-state sophomore added five more Division I offers in recent weeks. Her most recent came Saturday from Kent State. Since March 26, she’s also added offers from American, Penn, Princeton and George Washington....
Quaker Valley’s Corinne Washington adds Duquesne scholarship offerVideo
Quaker Valley’s Corinne Washington, one of the WPIAL’s top juniors, added a scholarship offer Saturday from Duquesne women’s basketball coach Dan Burt. It’s the second offer this month for the 5-foot-11 guard, who added Boston University on April 20. The 18-point scorer earned all-section honors this season and was named...
Jeannette to pay sports officials despite cancellation of spring sports season
The PIAA canceled spring sports across the state, but Jeannette School District still will pay the officials scheduled to work its games. It is a gesture of appreciation, said Paul Sroka, the district’s business manager. Officials will receive $37.50 for each Jeannette game on their schedule, half of the typical...
WPIAL football has NFL draft streak that’s more than 2 decades long
The WPIAL has had at least one former player picked each year in the NFL draft since 1994, a remarkable streak that could be extended again this week. New Castle’s Geno Stone (Iowa), Cornell’s Dane Jackson (Pitt), Imani Christian’s Kenny Robinson (West Virginia) and McKeesport’s Khaleke Hudson (Michigan) are the...
Upper St. Clair football coach Jim Render among 12 selected for Pa. Sports Hall of Fame
Former Upper St. Clair football coach Jim Render, who retired last summer with the most wins in WPIAL history, was among 12 individuals chosen for induction into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame this fall. The 2020 class also includes professional hockey player R.J. Umberger of Plum, Steelers assistant coach...
All-state girls basketball: Ellis’ Natalie Jasper, Canevin’s Diajha Allen receive Class 2A honors
Ellis School junior Natalie Jasper and Bishop Canevin senior Diajha Allen, who led their teams deep into the playoffs, earned all-state honors Wednesday in Class 2A girls basketball. Jasper was named to the second team and Allen made third team in a vote of Pennsylvania sports writers. Bishop Canevin went...
All-state girls basketball: Rochester teammates share statewide honors in Class A
Rochester teammates Alexis Robison and Corynne Hauser, who repeated as WPIAL girls basketball champions, drew statewide recognition Wednesday by earning all-state honors in Class A. Robison, a junior, made the first team and Hauser, a sophomore, made second team in a vote of Pennsylvania sports writers. Rochester went 26-1 and...
All-state girls basketball: Mohawk’s Karly McCutcheon, Carlynton’s Jada Lee honored in Class 3A
Mohawk’s Karly McCutcheon and Carlynton’s Jada Lee, whose girls basketball teams met twice in the playoffs this winter, each earned all-state honors Tuesday in Class 3A. They were the only WPIAL players selected in 3A in a statewide vote of Pennsylvania sports writers. Both earned third-team honors. Lee is headed...
All-state girls basketball: North Catholic’s Tess Myers, Kylee Lewandowski among 6 WPIAL players selected in 4A
North Catholic teammates Tess Myers and Kylee Lewandowski, who extended their team’s WPIAL title streak to four, shared first-team all-state girls basketball honors Tuesday in Class 4A. Blackhawk senior Mackenzie Amalia also earned first-team honors, giving the WPIAL three of the top six roster spots. Myers is a Duquesne recruit,...
Beaver Falls RB/LB Josh Hough commits to SyracuseVideo
Beaver Falls junior Josh Hough, who saw his recruiting stock rise quickly in recent months, committed Monday to Syracuse. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound running back and linebacker announced his decision on Twitter. Hough drew nearly 20 Division I offers and received them all since Jan. 10. Syracuse offered him a scholarship...
Horse or no horse, Penn Hills football schedules scrimmage at Aliquippa
Jon LeDonne is taking his Penn Hills football team to Aliquippa to scrimmage at his alma mater’s stadium this fall. With one condition. “I told them to make sure they’ve still got the horse and the flaming spear,” said LeDonne, a 2001 Aliquippa graduate who witnessed the Quips’ pregame tradition...
Peters Township hires new coaches for boys, girls basketball teams
Peters Township filled two vacant coaching jobs Monday night by hiring Joe Urmann to lead the boys basketball team and Bob Miles to lead the girls. Urmann coached the Baldwin boys for seven seasons from 2011-18 and was previously an assistant at Mt. Lebanon for four. His Baldwin teams went...
All-state girls basketball: 8 WPIAL players, coach Tim McConnell earn statewide honors in 5A
Chartiers Valley teammates Aislin Malcolm and Megan McConnell earned first-team all-state honors along with Gateway’s Lexi Jackson as WPIAL girls basketball players dominated the statewide Class 5A vote Monday. In all, eight of the 18 all-state roster spots went to WPIAL players, and Chartiers Valley’s Tim McConnell was named Coach...
All-state girls basketball: NA’s Lizzy Groetsch, Spencer Stefko lead WPIAL’s 6A selections
North Allegheny junior Lizzy Groetsch and coach Spencer Stefko saw their PIAA girls basketball title hopes dashed by the coronavirus outbreak, but both earned statewide recognition Monday. Groetsch, a Penn commit, earned first-team all-state honors in Class 6A, and Stefko was named Coach of the Year in Pennsylvania’s largest classification....
100 years ago, Pa. held its 1st state basketball tournament, but anniversary celebration on hold
Two thousand fans came to the Armory in State College to watch the first state basketball tournament in Pennsylvania high school history, a historic event from exactly 100 years ago. Harrisburg Tech won a silver cup and gold medals as the first state tournament champions after defeating WPIAL champion Bellevue,...
Coronavirus outbreak could leave 6-figure dent in WPIAL budgetVideo
The coronavirus outbreak already has spring sports on hold indefinitely, but the WPIAL is bracing for off-the-field impacts as well from the unfolding pandemic. The virus could leave a six-figure hole in the WPIAL budget, cancel the annual meeting and delay the election of board members for next school year....
Union lineman Aaron Gunn commits to LouisvilleVideo
Union junior Aaron Gunn, one of the WPIAL’s top linemen, committed Tuesday to Louisville. He announced his decision on Twitter. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound offensive lineman also listed Power 5 offers from West Virginia, Kentucky and Michigan State, along with Cincinnati, Buffalo, Western Michigan and others. Gunn earned first-team all-conference honors...
PIAA suspends chapter meetings for game officials until state reopens schoolsVideo
The PIAA Officials Council has suspended all chapter meetings until Gov. Tom Wolf reopens schools, the PIAA announced in an email to Pennsylvania high school sports officials. Officials are required to attend six meetings to maintain their PIAA registration, but that number could be relaxed, PIAA assistant executive director Patrick...
Former Baldwin AD Vince Sortino joining WPIAL administration as assistant to executive director
Former Baldwin athletic director Vince Sortino is returning to the WPIAL. The WPIAL board voted unanimously Monday to hire Sortino as assistant to the executive director, a position vacant since last summer. Sortino, who joins the staff July 1, spent the past two school years as athletic director at Dallastown...
No guarantee spring sports are played, but WPIAL discusses ‘what if’ scenariosVideo
The WPIAL board discussed contingency plans for spring sports season behind closed doors Monday, but “anything at this point is uncertain,” associate executive director Amy Scheuneman said. She called them “what-if” scenarios. All of Pennsylvania’s schools were closed Monday to start a two-week shutdown ordered by Gov. Tom Wolf, so...
Future of spring sports season will be considered Monday by WPIAL board
The PIAA already postponed the end of winter sports season, but now spring sports might also be in danger. Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday ordered all schools closed for two weeks in response to the coronavirus outbreak, meaning baseball, softball, lacrosse, volleyball, tennis and track athletes won’t practice next week...
