Don Rebel stories, Page 143
Central Catholic leads preseason Trib 10 football power rankings
Here is the first edition of the Trib 10 high school football power rankings for the 2020 season. These are the weekly rankings where you throw classifications out the window. We allow for some wiggle room for the smaller schools to participate. I mean, is Clairton or Beaver Falls going...
After back-to-back playoff trips, Shaler looking to take next step
What a difference a couple of years make. For most of this recent decade, the Shaler football team entered a season just looking to win a game or two. From 2012-17, fans were forgetting the Titans as they struggled to a 2-56 overall record with five winless seasons. However, the...
South Park motivated by last season’s postseason victory
For the last two years, South Park has played in the strongest of the two WPIAL Class 3A conferences — the Tri-County West. There, the Eagles battled some of the top teams in the class in Aliquippa, Beaver Falls and defending district champion Central Valley. You would think South Park...
WPIAL Class 6A football breakdown: NA, Central Catholic cream of shrinking crop
The expansion to six classifications four years ago has been a bonanza for many of the WPIAL classes. Close regular season battles for playoff berths have led to some nail-biting moments in the postseason. That has not been the case for the WPIAL’s largest classification. While the number of teams...
With Teddy Ruffner in backfield, Mars targets postseason success
In 2005, Mars finished with a 5-5 record after a Class AA first-round playoff loss to Burrell. That was the last time the Fightin’ Planets had a non-winning season. Lately, however, Mars has mastered regular season success, but the Planets aren’t aligning come playoff time. From 2006-15, Mars was able...
After WPIAL title game appearance, Sto-Rox enters new class with new quarterback
In LaRoi Johnson’s first year as head coach at Sto-Rox in 2018, the Vikings improved from the previous year to finish 6-4 but missed out on the Class A playoffs. The next step in the program’s growth under Johnson last year was more like a giant leap. Sto-Rox ended up...
Brentwood breaking in new starters after breakthrough season
Brentwood was close to having a golden season in 2019. The Spartans finished 10-3 overall with all three losses coming down to the wire. Brentwood lost its season opener to Keystone Oaks, 26-21, fell to Burgettstown for the Three Rivers Conference crown, 16-13, in Week 8 and then was eliminated...
Carlynton looks to end playoff drought behind experienced line
The Carlynton football team won its season opener for a second straight year in 2019 and was actually sitting in first place at 2-0 after outscoring Bishop Canevin and Fort Cherry by a combined score of 77-20. Then a seven-game losing streak derailed its playoff hopes … again. With Southmoreland...
Despite young roster, bump up in class, Aliquippa still thinking WPIAL title
It took a pandemic to end one of the most impressive streaks in WPIAL football history. Every year since 2008, Aliquippa has played for a WPIAL football championship at Heinz Field. The Quips’ 12 straight trips to the North Shore are more than every NFL team outside of the AFC...
Beaver motivated to move past rare losing season
For a 10-year span, there were few football programs in the WPIAL consistently better than Beaver. From 2010-18, the Bobcats were a combined 70-27. Although they never made it to a WPIAL championship game, they never won fewer than seven games in that nine-year stretch. Then the dam of success...
Drop to Class 4A has enthusiasm on the rise at Chartiers Valley
In 2009, Chartiers Valley closed out the first decade of the century with one of its most successful football seasons. The Colts lost only once in the regular season and finished with an 8-2 record. The last 10 years have been a struggle on the gridiron for Chartiers Valley, with...
With QB Persinger healthy, Montour ready to compete in new Parkway Conference
In back-to-back years, the Montour football program became quite familiar with the ups and downs of high school football. The 2017 season was close to the best of times and the follow up in 2018 was the worst of times. Three years ago, the Spartans finished 9-3 and reached the...
Veteran Seneca Valley team out to even the score
Since the expansion to six classifications throughout the state four years ago, even years have been very good for the Seneca Valley football program. In 2016, Seneca Valley finished 8-4 and defeated Mt. Lebanon and North Allegheny in the playoffs to reach the first WPIAL Class 6A championship game. There...
With new coach, new class, a season of change at Baldwin
Changing addresses and moving from one football program to another can be taxing and tough. The adjustment period between coaching staff and players can last well into the first season. Preparing for the first season at a new school with the limitations of a pandemic makes a difficult transition so...
Canon-McMillan starting to stack up playoff appearances
For nearly 10 years, the Canon-McMillan football team was a spectator to postseason football. From 2009-17, the Big Macs’ season never carried over to November. However, the team is now riding a new streak coming into the third decade of the century. Canon-McMillan is coming off back-to-back playoff appearances. Sure,...
With playmakers back, Freedom has tools to contend in Class 2A
In the first eight years of this past decade, the Freedom football team struggled mightily, going a combined 18-62. However, the decade finished with a flourish for Freedom. The Bulldogs found their bite by going a combined 19-6. The bar has been raised for the program to the extent that...
Entering school’s 2nd decade, Central Valley looks to add to loaded trophy case
What a great first decade of existence for the Central Valley football team. In the first 10 years since the merger of Center and Monaca before the 2010 season, the Warriors are 98-29 with five conference championships, three WPIAL titles and two WPIAL and two PIAA runner-up trophies with only...
After thriving in 2A, Burgettstown looks like big fish in Class A pond
For nine weeks in the 2019 football season, Burgettstown was the class of 2A. The Blue Devils ended the regular season with a perfect 9-0 record and a Three Rivers Conference championship after a Week 8 showdown victory over Brentwood. However, the Burgettstown dream season ended with a nightmare on...
Union building around dominant lineman Aaron Gunn
They have one of the top players in the WPIAL, but will one dominant performer be enough to help Union turn around and enjoy success in the always competitive Big Seven Conference in Class A? The Scotties finished in fifth place in the eight-team conference a year ago with an...
Dual-threat QB Logan Shrubb leads Keystone Oaks into new-look conference
Since expansion to six classifications four years ago, Keystone Oaks has had four winning seasons playing against elite teams from Beaver County in Class 3A. The Golden Eagles have a combined record of 26-14 since 2016 but have only one playoff trip to show for it. The combination of Gardner...
Loaded McGuffey welcomes favorite label in Class 2A
Most coaches want to run away and hide from preseason expectations. McGuffey’s Ed Dalton is not like most coaches. “We are the best team with a big roster and 17 starters back,” he said. “This is the best overall team I’ve had at McGuffey. We think we are Final Four...
Playoff eligibility in doubt for talented West Mifflin team led by Pitt recruit Nahki Johnson
As camps finally begin across the state, every high school football team has questions, from competition for starting spots to trying to stay healthy during a pandemic. However, one district school has another massive question hanging over its heads as practices begin. Will West Mifflin be eligible for the 2020...
After successful Class 5A stint, McKeesport happy to return to 4A ranks
For 3½ decades, McKeesport called Class AAAA home in high school football. Four years after expansion to six classifications saw the Tigers competing in Class 5A, McKeesport returns to 4A football this fall. “Moving into 4A is exciting,” McKeesport coach Matt Miller said. “We get to play against a whole...
Oakmont to host WPIAL girls Class AAA golf championships for the first time
Oakmont Country Club has hosted nine U.S. Open championships, three PGA championships, two U.S. Women’s Opens, five U.S. Amateur Opens and several WPIAL boys championships, including the 2016 and ‘18 Class AAA individual finals. History will be made Oct. 8 when the storied golf course hosts the WPIAL Class AAA...
Mudcats edge Snappers in Game 3 to win 2020 Daily News League championshipVideo
Eric Fairman may have been at the top of the Mudcats batting order, but on Monday night in the third and deciding game of the 2020 Daily News League championship series, the Thomas Jefferson grad was in the middle of his team’s two rallies. Fairman doubled to set up two...
