Chris Harlan stories, Page 31

A one-year suspension is the punishment for any PIAA coach caught recruiting, but is that rule taken seriously in every case and in all corners of the state? Cardinal O’Hara, a member of the Philadelphia Catholic League, recently hired a new boys basketball coach, and some of his candid comments...

When the parents of a basketball player from another school followed her on Twitter, Shady Side Academy coach Jonna Burke checked their profiles and sent them a direct message. “I am really impressed with (your daughter),” Burke wrote. “I’ve seen the highlights she posted and love her athleticism! If you...

Watching game film of last season was Mike Collodi’s way to learn quickly about the Blue Devils roster he inherited after Mt. Lebanon hired him as football coach. No. 55 caught his eye. At 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, lineman Connor Young certainly looks the part of a future Division I...

The one-and-one free throw has effectively fouled out of Pennsylvania high school basketball. The PIAA board on Wednesday approved an updated rulebook that changes the way fouls are counted and the number of bonus shots a player receives. Starting next season, players who traditionally would receive a one-and-one bonus will...

The PIAA competitive-balance rule that now targets only football and basketball is expanding to include more team sports and some individual ones. Under the rule, teams that have postseason success and add too many transfers are forced into a higher classification to compete against opponents with larger enrollments. The PIAA...

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of 25 profiles of the members of the Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team. Jason Cross arrived at Bishop Canevin as an undersized freshman and then missed much of his ninth-grade football season with a broken collarbone from a trampoline mishap....

Brownsville maybe isn’t a familiar stop for some MLB scouts, but the Oakland A’s visited multiple times this spring to see senior outfielder Derrick Tarpley. Other clubs checked on him too, but the A’s sent multiple layers of scouts his way. “They would call me and tell me they were...

Who was the best high school quarterback in history? It’s a debate that’ll never be resolved, but three all-time great WPIAL passers made the list when USA Today tried recently to answer that question. In fact, one of them, Beaver Falls legend Joe Namath, was named the all-time best high...

Kellie McConnell’s family is already linked with Duquesne basketball’s past and present, so she decided to help shape the program’s future as well. The rising senior point guard at North Allegheny has committed to the Dukes, which is somewhat of a family tradition. Her mother Sherri (Hannan) McConnell played basketball...

Avonworth’s Alivia Lantzy, Seneca Valley’s Lexie Hames and Serra Catholic’s Caroline Malandra earned individual honors Thursday when the all-state softball team was announced. Lantzy was named Pitcher of the Year in PIAA Class 3A, and Hames earned top pitcher honors in 6A. Malandra, a third baseman, was named Player of...

In an era where specialization is trendy in high school sports, Freedom’s Shaye Bailey doesn’t like that idea. “I’ve always played more than one sport,” said Bailey, who’ll be a senior in the fall. “I did gymnastics and softball, and I switched to basketball when I quit gymnastics. Then I...

The Strath Haven students behind the third base dugout decided to taunt Miguel Hugas with chants of “overrated.” The Shaler senior responded with two blasts over the fence at Penn State’s ballpark, home runs that helped the Titans ultimately win the PIAA Class 5A championship game in extra innings. On...

Nov. 11, 2022 Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak became the fourth coach in WPIAL history with 300 career wins, joining an exclusive list with Jim Render (406 wins), Joe Hamilton (342) and George Novak (306). Cherpak has coached the Jaguars for 28 seasons. Nov. 19, 2022 Two remarkable state title...

As one of the WPIAL’s hottest football recruits, Jason Cross spent months touring far-flung college campuses, with visits to Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Kentucky, Syracuse and Cincinnati on his calendar. Yet the rising senior at Bishop Canevin says a trip to Morgantown, W.Va., bested them all. “West Virginia definitely takes...

Neshannock’s Addyson Frye and Union’s Mia Preuhs were only sophomores this spring, yet the standout pitchers are already two-time WPIAL champions each. They’re proof that you don’t need to be a senior to make a big impact. In fact, this year’s TribLive HSSN Terrific 10 has more sophomores (four) than...

This was a historic spring for WPIAL baseball teams, starting with Riverside’s undefeated run to a state championship, something no other WPIAL team had ever accomplished. But the Panthers weren’t the only ones celebrating a milestone win. Among the others, Mt. Lebanon won consecutive WPIAL titles for the first time...

KDKA will televise regular season high school football games this fall on sister station Pittsburgh’s CW starting with an Aug. 25 contest between Blackhawk and Beaver Falls. The station announced a 10-game schedule Monday that also included North Hills at Upper St. Clair on Sept. 1, South Fayette at Montour...

This was another banner year for North Allegheny athletics with teams winning WPIAL titles, PIAA championships, and even a Gatorade Player of the Year award for the school’s top girls volleyball player. Here’s a look back at the top North Allegheny sports stories from the 2022-23 school year: Volleyball dynasty...

Central Catholic wide receiver Peter Gonzalez, one of the state’s top college recruits, committed Friday to Penn State. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound rising senior had narrowed his college options to Penn State, Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech. Recruiting website Rivals.com rated Gonzalez as a three-star prospect and ranked him 29th overall...

UNIVERSITY PARK – The Mt. Lebanon baseball players left the state championship game with silver medals, but the Blue Devils’ coach insisted he’d always remembered this team as golden. When they started the year with eight consecutive losses, nobody could’ve predicted then they’d reach the state finals. Yet their dream...

Keystone Oaks defensive back Clinton Robinson, who’ll be a senior in the fall, has committed to Syracuse. He announced his decision on Twitter. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound safety chose the Orange over offers from West Virginia, Bowling Green, Howard, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Monmouth, Ohio, Temple and Western Michigan. The recruiting...

UNIVERSITY PARK — Starting pitcher Derek Leas lasted only nine batters before his coach pulled him from the mound, but this state championship will be remembered for its improbable comebacks. In fact, this one was so unpredictable that Leas was the game’s starter, closer and winning pitcher. And that wasn’t...

UNIVERSITY PARK — In his 55 years as baseball coach at Riverside, Dan Oliastro has seen quite a bit, but he’d never seen this. Nobody else in the WPIAL had either. Riverside finished off an undefeated season with a state championship win over Camp Hill, 4-0, Thursday in the PIAA...

High school sports fans likely will have to pay to watch WPIAL football and basketball championships after the league awarded video streaming rights for its playoffs to the NFHS Network. The WPIAL informed Trib Total Media of the decision Wednesday. The network is associated with the National Federation of State...