Chris Harlan stories, Page 85

The PIAA won’t cancel or delay fall sports, for now. The board of directors met online Wednesday and agreed to keep the start dates as scheduled, including Aug. 10 for football’s heat acclimatization period. Some neighboring states already delayed their fall seasons, but the PIAA won’t follow their lead, PIAA...

Perry football coach Rod Rutherford has resigned, leaving his alma mater searching for a replacement just weeks before the season starts. A former Pitt quarterback and City League star, Rutherford resigned earlier this month for personal reasons, said Karen Arnold, athletic director of Pittsburgh Public Schools. Rutherford couldn’t be reached...

Pitt and Penn State both made the cut Sunday as Gateway football star Derrick Davis narrowed his college recruiting options. The rising senior announced a Top 7 on Twitter. Joining the Panthers and Nittany Lions on his list were Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and Southern Cal. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound...

When Sto-Rox hired LaRoi Johnson as athletic director this summer, he used social media to thank those who had opened doors for him in his career. His list included friends, colleagues and mentors. “I’m happy for all of the people who helped me so much,” said Johnson, a first-time school...

Another of Pennsylvania’s neighbors is delaying the start of high school football season. The director of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission — that state’s version of the PIAA — announced Friday that the first day of football practice there is postponed from Aug. 3 to Aug. 17. As...

Coronavirus testing is being used by professional and college teams to restart their seasons, so why not high school sports? Clairton football coach Wayne Wade is asking that question. The Bears have shut down their summer workouts after an asymptomatic player tested positive last week for coronavirus, Wade said. If...

The WPIAL doesn’t have enough football officials, and the coronavirus pandemic could make the shortage worse this fall. At his final WPIAL meeting before retirement, longtime officials representative Bill Sinning warned the board last month there aren’t enough officials for every football team to play Friday nights. At least one...

Pennsylvania’s athletes are not required to wear a face mask during workouts or competition, according to guidance provided Friday by Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration. However, those athletes must wear a mask when not engaged in activity, according to state Heath Secretary Rachel Levine. The PIAA shared information from Levine to...

Must high school athletes wear face masks during workouts? Masks weren’t required earlier in the week, but some coaches and school administrators aren’t so sure after Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration made wearing them mandatory “when outdoors and unable to consistently maintain a distance of six feet from individuals who are...

The coronavirus pandemic forced Adam Kaufman to slow down, stay home and spend more time with his family. In his 14 years as a boys basketball coach at Bishop Canevin, Montour and Moon, Kaufman was always on the go, winning three WPIAL titles and a state championship. But while spending...

High school football season won’t start on time in neighboring New Jersey, but Pennsylvania has no plans to delay kickoff. “We’re not discussing pushing it back,” PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said Wednesday. “We’re still cautiously optimistic about starting practice on time. We’re just going to take it day by...

Woodland Hills was the first WPIAL school to resume summer workouts, but the Wolverines halted those sessions this week to re-evaluate their covid-19 guidelines. The shutdown is temporary, said athletic director Ron Coursey, who expected teams to resume workouts within a week or two. He wanted to dispel rumors that...

Choosing to take a cautious approach, Shaler coach Jim Ryan sent his football team home early from workouts Tuesday after learning a family friend of a player could have contracted covid-19. The unidentified player wasn’t believed to have had any direct contact with the person, Ryan and athletic director Clint...

When Chris Giles found out he would be Penn Hills’ new boys basketball coach, he immediately shared the news with the coach he was hired to replace. “Out of respect,” Giles said. “It was his program. Coach DeRose was a mentor of mine. I’m a big ‘respect’ guy.” Penn Hills...

It’s not uncommon for Pine-Richland’s Cole Spencer to be heavier in the fall than in the winter, a transformation that takes him from standout quarterback to champion wrestler. His accomplishments, however, loom large year round. As a junior, Spencer ranked third among all WPIAL passers last fall with 2,994 yards....

11.1.19 West Greene running back Ben Jackson became the first WPIAL football player to rush for 3,000 yards in a season. The senior finished with 3,076 yards on 203 carries and also scored 50 touchdowns. 11.4.19 Mt. Lebanon senior Patrick Anderson defended his PIAA Class AAA cross country title, becoming...

Former West Allegheny star Austin Hendrick signed with the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. Hendrick, picked in the first round of the MLB Draft this month, signed for $4 million, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis. The slot value for the 12th overall pick was $4,366,400. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound outfielder is the...

Canon-McMillan girls soccer coach David Derrico, who won a state title with the Big Macs, resigned this week after two decades with the team. Athletic director Frank Vulcano announced Derrico’s departure Friday. The school board officially accepted his resignation Thursday night. “Dave was a state champion coach that will be...