Chris Harlan stories, Page 63

Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 1-1, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 2-0, 2 3. North Allegheny, 1-1, 3 4. Seneca Valley, 1-1, 4 5. Canon-McMillan, 1-1, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Penn-Trafford, 2-0, 2 2. Gateway, 1-1, 1 3. Peters Township, 2-0, 5 4. Moon, 2-0,...

More than two dozen WPIAL football teams are off to 2-0 starts, but the most exciting could belong to Shaler Area. The Titans hadn’t started 2-0 since 2009, when coach Neil Gordon still was walking the team’s sideline. In the 11 years since, the program has had one winning season...

With few returning starters and a roster heavy in sophomores, North Allegheny coach Bobby Vosmaer told his boys soccer team to be ready. Other teams will test their toughness. “I think they’re going throw some guys at us just to kick the crapper out of us, so to speak,” Vosmaer...

If high school football teams were hoping covid shutdowns were left behind in 2020, this week shows they’re not gone yet. In all, four Week 1 matchups were canceled. Scheduled games between Riverview and Chartiers-Houston, Beaver and Central Valley, Hopewell and Blackhawk, Butler and Erie High, and Westinghouse and Kirtland...

Friday’s scheduled football game between Westinghouse and Kirtland (Ohio) will not be played because of a covid case within the City League school’s program. According to a Pittsburgh Public Schools press release, a player who was with the team during its game against Seton LaSalle last Saturday tested positive. The...

In a dilemma reminiscent of last fall, Central Valley has started searching for a new opponent for Friday night’s football game. Central Valley was expecting to host Beaver, but the Bobcats canceled their Week 1 game because of covid-19 cases. In an email Wednesday, Beaver athletic director Alan Alcalde said...

Sto-Rox and Bishop Sycamore both wore black uniforms for their football game Friday at the Wolvarena, but the matching outfits weren’t the most unusual part of the weekend for the online school from Columbus, Ohio. Less than 48 hours after losing to Sto-Rox in the Western Pa. vs. Everyone Showcase,...

Class 6A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 0-1, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 1-0, 2 3. North Allegheny, 1-0, 3 4. Canon-McMillan, 1-0, 5 5. Seneca Valley, 0-1, 4 Out: none Class 5A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Gateway, 1-0, 1 2. Penn-Trafford, 1-0, 2 3. Pine-Richland, 0-1, 3...

Rather than a double-double, two-sport star Rodney Gallagher recorded a double-triple. As in, the Laurel Highlands junior rushed for more than 100 yards and passed for more than 100 on Friday as the Mustangs defeated Connellsville, 44-14. He also tossed two touchdowns, ran for two more and intercepted two passes...

Sto-Rox’s high-scoring offense will have big nights this season, there’s little doubt about that. But this season-opening win belonged to the defense. Tre’shaun Barron returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown and the Vikings kept forcing turnovers in a 19-7 victory Friday night over Bishop Sycamore of Columbus, Ohio....

Two tight ends, a huge offensive line and a gritty running back gaining chucks of yardage at a time. This certainly was the style of offense Central Catholic usually would relish. Yet, this was the rare occasion when someone was doing that to the Vikings. Philadelphia powerhouse Imhotep Charter ran...

Finding a willing Week Zero opponent nearby isn’t always easy for Central Catholic, the two-time defending WPIAL Class 6A champion. “I’ll be honest, there are calls I avoid, too,” said coach Terry Totten, listing nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. “But for the most part, yeah, teams...

TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the biggest coaching moves for the 2021 season. 1. Steve Campos Pine-Richland Campos’ hire certainly drew the most attention this summer. That’s largely because of the controversy that arose when...

TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top kickers and punters for the 2021 season. 1. Andrew Massucci Peters Township Senior, 5-9, 160 Massucci is one of the WPIAL’s top soccer players but also doubles as...

“Week Zero” is back. The optional week on the football calendar was eliminated from last year’s pandemic-shortened schedule but returns this fall in full force. In so-called “Week Zero,” teams can replace their second preseason scrimmage with a regular-season contest. A five-game showcase at the Wolvarena highlights this weekend’s slate,...

In any other year, there might have been huge crowds at Sarge Alberts Stadium to witness one of the most dominant seasons in WPIAL football history. Instead, like so many other parts of life in a pandemic, the Warriors’ fans celebrated remotely last fall. “They shared in it,” coach Mark...

TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top safeties for the 2021 season. 1. Ta’Mere Robinson Brashear Junior, 6-3, 220 Robinson may project as an edge rusher in college, but his athleticism makes him a difference-maker...

TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top cornerbacks for the 2021 season. 1. Rodney Gallagher Laurel Highlands Junior, 6-0, 170 Football or basketball? The two-sport athlete will have to make that decision sometime in the...

TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top linebackers for the 2021 season. 1. Anthony Speca Central Catholic Sophomore, 6-3, 220 As a freshman, Speca was a starting linebacker and leading tackler in the middle of...

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...

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...

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...

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...

TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top offensive linemen for the 2021 season. 1. Nick Bryan Thomas Jefferson Senior, 6-3, 255 The Kent State recruit was a two-way starter when the Jaguars won WPIAL and...