High School category, Page 807
2021 WPIAL Class 4A football breakdown: Contenders line up to knock TJ from throne
Thomas Jefferson reigned again in Class 4A last season, winning its 10th WPIAL championship followed by its fifth PIAA title. It seems like every year the same question is asked: Can the Jaguars do it again? Veteran coach Bill Cherpak hopes so. But as with other seasons, he sounds the...
2021 WPIAL Class 3A football breakdown: Central Valley the heavy favorite again
Last season, Central Valley outclassed everyone in Class 3A. The Warriors breezed through the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs and capped it off by winning the school’s first state title. Central Valley averaged 50.1 points and allowed 9.8. While those numbers might be hard to duplicate, the Warriors remain the team...
2021 WPIAL Class 2A football breakdown: Teams again chasing Beaver Falls
The announcement that the WPIAL will bring some of its championship games back to Heinz Field this season after a one-year pandemic-related hiatus was greeted by many as good news. For a select few football programs, though, it’s more than good news. It’s motivation. “Absolutely,” Beaver Falls coach Nick Nardone...
2021 WPIAL Class A football breakdown: Clairton returns size, skill, speed … again
Wayne Wade has heard about Jeannette’s transfer issues and low player turnout. But the Clairton coach wants to see for himself if the ravaged Jayhawks are truly in for the rough go everyone says they are. Call it a respectful nod to the defending WPIAL Class A champions, who throttled...
West Mifflin to rely on punishing ground attack
There are various ways to describe the West Mifflin football team. One would be that the Titans are young and big. Or, on the other hand, they could be categorized as “big but young.” “To be honest, we played a lot of young guys last year,” coach Rod Steele said....
Strong line play could help Trinity go toe-to-toe
Competing against perennial WPIAL title contenders Thomas Jefferson and Belle Vernon is a challenge. And that challenge usually is decided in the trenches. Trinity coach Jon Miller hopes improved line play will help the Hillers go toe to toe with the top teams in the Class 4A Big Eight Conference...
Cupboard anything but bare for powerful Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson repeated as WPIAL and state titlists in Class 4A last season, finishing 10-1 overall. The Jaguars built on their championship culture, winning their 10th WPIAL title and record-setting fifth PIAA crown. And guess what? There were 18 sophomores and 24 freshmen on the 71-player varsity roster a year...
Belle Vernon putting pieces in place for another postseason run
In senior quarterback Devin Whitlock and sophomore running back Quinton Martin, Belle Vernon boasts two of the better skill-position players in WPIAL Class 4A and beyond. “I know we’re blessed to have the playmakers we have in those two. They’re two of the best players in the state,” Belle Vernon...
2021 WPIAL Class 5A football breakdown: Pine-Richland saga headlines offseason of change
The defending champion has a new coach. The preseason favorite has a new quarterback. The runner-up from last season has a whole lot of new faces. Yes, this is a year for change. Even the playoff format is different in WPIAL Class 5A this fall with a 12-team bracket waiting...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 23, 2021
WPIAL Monday’s results Golf Boys Class 3A Section 3 Seneca Valley 198, North Hills 230 Medalists: Nolan Nicklas (SV) 34, Tyler Manford (NH) 42 Mars 199, Butler 206 Medalists: Blake Bartolo (M) 36, Parker Worsley (B) 38 Section 8 Kiski Area 246, Freeport 249 Medalists: Campbell Curry (KA) 41, Jayden...
‘Dangerous’ senior running back leads Norwin’s quest for respect
Dom Barca appreciates variety in life. He likes a good country song as much as he does an old-school hip-hop jam or some new age rap. “All types,” he said. “I listen to everything.” Kind of like his athletics career. He has tried them all. The Norwin senior has dabbled...
WPIAL football finals to be played over 2 days at Heinz Field
For the first time, the WPIAL football championships will be a two-day event at Heinz Field this fall. The WPIAL board on Monday officially approved plans to hold five of the six championship games at the North Shore stadium Nov. 26-27. The Class 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A and A finals...
‘Underrated’ senior aims to keep Plum among elite
When asked about senior wide receiver/defensive back Logan Brooks, Plum coach Matt Morgan said that he is one of the most underrated players in all of the WPIAL. That’s fine with Brooks. He’s not concerned about where he ranks and instead will prove his value with his play. What Brooks,...
Mt. Lebanon’s Ashleigh Connor commits to St. Louis
Mt. Lebanon’s Ashleigh Connor, one of the top scorers in WPIAL girls basketball, announced a commitment to St. Louis on Monday. The senior guard averaged 21 points and guided Mt. Lebanon to the WPIAL Class 6A semifinals last season. Connor, a 5-foot-10 guard, also had offers from Xavier, Cleveland State,...
Serra Catholic’s Pharoh Fisher commits to Navy
One of the WPIAL’s most experienced varsity football players made his college decision over the weekend. Serra Catholic senior defensive back Pharoh Fisher made a verbal commitment to Navy via his Twitter account. COMMITTED⚓️???? #beatarmy @wpialsportsnews @SerraCatholicFB @Cover3_ATH @SportsByBLinder @210ths @recruitgfx pic.twitter.com/rYL6Fyzjpf— Pharoh Fisher (@fisher_pharoh) August 22, 2021 He thanked...
Led by line, Montour out to finish strong
Following an opening night loss to Chartiers Valley, the 2020 Montour football team ripped off four straight wins and looked to be in good shape for a playoff spot with two Parkway Conference games remaining. However, the Spartans hit a wall and lost back-to-back games to conference champion Aliquippa and...
Aliquippa keeps punching above its weight … and winning
Because Aliquippa reached the WPIAL Class 4A finals last fall, coach Mike Warfield worries that achievement will overshadow one harsh reality. “We’re a school that graduated 39 kids — boys and girls — and we had to play 4A,” said Warfield, who’s entering his fourth season as coach. The Quips...
Chartiers Valley looks to keep ball rolling
It seems like every fall, there are those high school football programs around the WPIAL that are a gridiron force. No matter how many players they lose to graduation, they always find a way to be in the championship mix. However, there are also teams each season that burst on...
Experience, new addition to bolster Blackhawk
The 2020 season was a humbling reminder of how important health and preparation are for high school football teams. There is likely no one who understands that more than Blackhawk coach Zack Hayward. The Cougars, decimated by injuries and early shutdowns due to covid-19, limped to the finish line last...
New coach wants to change direction at Beaver
Cort Rowse is certainly no stranger to the tradition of the Beaver football program. Rowse, a Beaver grad and long-time assistant who had two sons play for the Bobcats program, was named head coach in February. He became just the third coach at Beaver in the last 55 years, following...
New Castle ready for playoff return after year to forget
After a rare down year in which New Castle saw its seven-year playoff streak snapped, Red Hurricanes coach Joe Cowart said his players better have a chip on their shoulder and a desire to get back on the right track. New Castle went 1-5 last year in a season shortened...
2021 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the defensive line
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top defensive linemen for the 2021 season. 1. Sean FitzSimmons Central Valley Senior, 6-3, 275 FitzSimmons’ coach may praise the two-way lineman’s underrated blocking skills, but almost everyone else...
Mt. Pleasant’s Aaron Alakson hopes special bond with teammates translates to wins
It was an easy choice when Mt. Pleasant football coach Jason Fazekas was asked to name a player who was having a good camp. Aaron Alakson. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior will be counted on to be a leader for the Vikings. Alakson led the team in rushing with 630 yards...
Leechburg football to lean on talented tandem of Eli Rich, Braylan Lovelace
Every program looking toward advancing into WPIAL playoff contention needs star power. And Leechburg has it in senior Eli Rich and junior Braylan Lovelace. The Blue Devils’ quest to end its long drought of playoff appearances and winning seasons will center around that duo. Lovelace was a first-team Valley News...
Young Gateway golfers look to make impact this season
Paul Doonan sees a youth movement with his Gateway boys golf team. There is just one senior, with two juniors, eight sophomores and five freshmen on the Gators roster. “We’re very young,” Doonan said. “We graduated four or five kids from last year’s team who really carried the load. I...
