Dave Mackall stories, Page 14
Big 2nd quarter sparks Penn Hills over Penn-Trafford in WPIAL Class 5A playoffs
They played Thunderstruck, among AC/DC’s most powerful anthems, after another lightning strike by the Penn Hills offense early in the fourth quarter Friday night of the Indians’ 63-28 rout of Penn-Trafford in a WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal football game at Yuhas McGinley Stadium. It was strike after strike as No....
Da’sjon Craggette runs for school-record 335 yards as Southmoreland routs Mt. Pleasant
A handout at Viking Stadium in Mt. Pleasant Township promoted the neighboring high school football rivalry between Mt. Pleasant and Southmoreland as “The Real Backyard Brawl.” The results suggest otherwise: Mt. Pleasant leads the all-time series 36-8. And that includes Southmoreland’s dominating 40-3 Interstate Conference victory Friday night. “They’ve dominated...
Moon girls blank feisty Latrobe to earn spot in WPIAL Class 3A semifinals
For Moon girls soccer coach Bill Pfeifer, winning never gets stale. Even after notching back-to-back PIAA championships, his two-time WPIAL champion Tigers continue to provide daily thrills. Thursday night on their home turf at Tiger Stadium was no different. In a particularly chippy atmosphere that saw multiple players tumbling to...
Freeport eliminates Valley from playoff contention
A funny thing happened Friday night at Freeport Area Athletic Stadium: Two winless high school football teams in conference play squared off with the winner still in the hunt for a WPIAL Class 3A playoff berth entering the final week of the regular season. Drew Ross passed for 133 yards...
Latrobe pulls away from Connellsville to run winning streak to 4
Looking relaxed and satisfied, Ron Prady stood back and admired his team’s quiet celebration. The Latrobe football coach knows all too well the feeling of success and he wants his players to experience it as well. So far, so good. Quarterback John Wetzel rushed for three touchdowns and passed for...
Ligonier Valley alum Aaron Tutino makes most of move to offense at St. Francis (Pa.)
It took a former Westmoreland County star and one of Pennsylvania’s top all-time high school receivers more than four years to find the end zone recently in a college football game. Aaron Tutino was hoping it wouldn’t take nearly as long to do it again. Tutino caught 61 touchdown passes...
‘Festive day’ as Robert Morris hockey teams play 1st home games since 2021
A lively celebration enveloped Clearview Arena on Saturday, and for good reason: Division I hockey is back in the hockeytown of Pittsburgh. Outside Robert Morris Island Sports Center’s Neville Island complex, tailgaters were undeterred by a chill in the air as they partied between games of the men’s and women’s...
Burrell runs past Ligonier Valley for conference victory
“Three yards and a cloud of dust.” The late Hall of Fame coach Woody Hayes’ run-first Ohio State football teams of several decades ago helped coin that popular gridiron cliche, a phrase sure to have come to the minds of fans Friday night at Ligonier’s foggy Weller Field. Hayes would’ve...
Jeannette cruises past Charleroi to improve to 4-1
Jeannette’s steady climb back to respectability took another step forward Friday night. Is the WPIAL’s winningest football team all the way back? “I’m not ready to say it yet,” Jayhawks coach Tommy Paulone said. “The progress is pleasing, but we know there’s still work to do.” Payton Molter threw three...
Class 2A No. 1 Washington takes control early in win over Greensburg Central Catholic
Washington coach Mike Bosnic cracked a smile when reminded of his team’s elevated standing in the WPIAL rankings as the Pennsylvania high school football season nears the halfway point. The top-ranked Little Prexies have built quite a resume in the first half. “We actually talked about that this past week,”...
Greensburg Salem jumps on Ligonier Valley, gives coach his 1st win
It’s been 23 years since Greensburg Salem has won a WPIAL playoff game in football, long enough for Ty George maybe to remember. After failing to qualify in 2022, the Golden Lions are attempting to make it back to the postseason in George’s first year as their coach. They took...
Da’sjon Craggette carries Southmoreland to blowout victory
The spotlight on a pair of Westmoreland County running backs with 200-yard games last week during the opening night of high school football shifted Friday night to Southmoreland’s Da’sjon Craggette. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior ran every which way again, finishing with 193 yards and three touchdowns to lead the visiting...
Pirates No. 1 pick Paul Skenes struggles in Double-A debut, charged with 4 runs
ALTOONA — Paul Skenes’ highly anticipated Double-A debut with the Altoona Curve on Saturday turned out to be a dud. The No. 1 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in July’s MLB Draft failed to get through the first inning of an Eastern League game against the Akron RubberDucks before...
Thomas Jefferson makes quick work of Franklin Regional
Thomas Jefferson is hoping to extend its string of WPIAL playoff appearances in football to 29 this season. Judging by Friday’s opening night performance, the Jaguars could be well on their way. Running an offense using alternating quarterbacks, Thomas Jefferson, the No. 2-ranked WPIAL Class 4A team, jumped on Class...
Brownsville seeks end to long losing streak
Baby steps. For Brownsville, taking a patient approach appears likely to be the best method for attempting to halt a long losing streak and reverse the negative trend plaguing the school’s once-proud football program. So says second-year coach Scott “Skooter” Roebuck, whose first season resulted in an 0-8 record that...
Big week for Pitt punter Caleb Junko as he earns scholarship, starting job
After participating in some light stretching and then booting a couple of balls high into the air at the onset of Thursday’s Pitt football practice, Caleb Junko took a timeout and headed to a familiar spot occupied by his grandfather, legendary former Pitt assistant Bob Junko. “How are you doing?”...
Pitt football notebook: Phil Jurkovec on another preseason award watch list
Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec, a Pine-Richland grad, is among the preseason candidates for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. It marks the second award to recognize Jurkovec as a preseason candidate. The Unitas Award is presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with his class....
Pitt’s defense earns revenge against offensive counterparts at 2nd scrimmage
First, it was the Pitt offense that stood out. This time around, the defense took center stage. The Panthers’ second scrimmage of the preseason has been tickling the senses of coach Pat Narduzzi — a defensive-minded guy, mind you — and creating a stir at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex ever...
Experienced line spells good news for Mt. Pleasant offense
This is a story about mutual respect and admiration, an examination of the tight bond of high school football teammates at Mt. Pleasant. There are cornerbacks and safeties. Outside and inside linebackers. Quarterbacks and linemen. Offensive linemen, that is. Speaking of which, Mt. Pleasant takes an abundance of experience into...
Mohawk in good position after ups and downs of 2022 season
At this time a year ago, the Mohawk football team was grappling with the effects of a hazing incident that resulted in disciplinary action for multiple students and forced the cancellation of the Warriors’ first two regular-season games. Fast-forward to the present. “We’re focused on the current season,” Mohawk coach...
Optimistic Mt. Pleasant eyes 5th consecutive playoff appearance
A total of 16 returning lettermen, including 13 starters on offense and defense combined, have the Mt. Pleasant community buzzing. With all that experience coming back, there’s hope among the faithful that this could be a special year. Coach Jason Fazekas, entering his seventh season, was his usual subdued self,...
New coach Brian Hanson wants a new identity for South Allegheny
Growing up in Lancaster County, Brian Hanson saw Western Pennsylvania high school football from afar. A former walk-on linebacker at Pitt, Hanson finds himself now coaching the sport in the WPIAL. “Good players on both sides of the state,” he said. “I think Western Pennsylvania has a way of making...
Playoff mainstay East Allegheny looking to take another step
Excuse Dom Pecora if he tends to fret at this time of year. Ultra competitive in nature, the East Allegheny football coach sizes up the demands of young players, many craving some proper direction. As the Wildcats prepared for another season, their streak of seven WPIAL playoff appearances loomed large,...
With plenty of starters returning, West Mifflin seeking breakout season
He won a state championship years ago at Steel Valley, and he’s been tasked to return West Mifflin’s status to a legitimate playoff contender. Rod Steele knows all too well the process, sometimes, is slowed. As he enters the fifth year as coach of a program that’s seen its share...
Trinity hoping to take a step forward with experienced roster
The positivity resonates throughout Dan Knause’s lingo: • “Make today count.” • “Team chemistry is so important.” • “Person-student-player,” in that order, he says. It’s been Knause’s calling card wherever he’s been, and it’s no different at Trinity, where he serves as assistant high school principal and is entering his...
