North Catholic boys hold off upstart South Allegheny, make Class 3A championship game
In this season’s WPIAL Class 3A tournament, three of the final four teams — North Catholic, Lincoln Park and Aliquippa — were routine playoff participants and traditional statewide powers. The fourth team, however, was in uncharted territory. South Allegheny had never reached the WPIAL semifinals round in its history, and...
Top quarterbacks to square off when Central Valley, Wyoming Area meet for PIAA 3A title
As Central Valley football coach Mark Lyons and Wyoming Area’s Randy Spencer look back on the past four months that have led up to their teams meeting on Saturday in the PIAA Class 3A championship game, they both found that the turning points for their respective teams were remarkably similar....
Fresh off bye, Central Valley to face stern test from upstart Bald Eagle Area
For the better part of the last three decades, the players, coaches and fans of the Bald Eagle Area football team got to enjoy Thanksgiving in the traditional fashion — by eating turkey and watching football. But when Jesse Nagle took over as head coach four years ago, he had...
Backyard rivals Central Valley, Aliquippa to play for WPIAL Class 3A title
Every year, as Central Valley football coach Mark Lyons prepares for a new season in the brutal heat of August, he longs for the moments he can put on a winter coat and stocking cap to patrol the Warriors’ sideline. In fact, he’s a regular Punxsutawney Phil: he wants six...
Central Valley overcomes shaky start to ease past Mt. Pleasant in first round
The WPIAL Class 3A first-round playoff game between Central Valley and Mt. Pleasant was a contradiction of football fortunes. Mt. Pleasant, the No. 8 seed on the tournament, was coming off a week in which its playoff fate hinged on the outcome of other games involving teams in its conference....
Dudley leads Central Valley football team to shut out of Quaker Valley
Ameer Dudley said he was a bit shell-shocked a year ago when he was thrust into the starting lineup at quarterback as a sophomore for perennial power Central Valley. But a year later, those nerves have appeared to turn into a burst of confidence for the Warriors. “Last year, coach...
Upper St. Clair defeats South Fayette in first game of post-Render era
Mike Junko knew what the expectations were when he got the job as the football coach at Upper St. Clair. Not only was he inheriting a program that was a perennial power, he was replacing the legendary Jim Render, who walked the Panthers’ sideline for the previous 40 years. Not...
Fast start, highlight-reel goal seal South Fayette’s PIHL Class A semifinal win
It wasn’t over before it started, but almost. Seconds had barely passed in Tuesday’s PIHL Class A semifinal between South Fayette and West Allegheny, and each team found themselves on the opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. West Allegheny was reeling, as it misplayed a puck deep in its own...
