Chris Harlan stories, Page 86

The Sto-Rox school board hired football coach LaRoi Johnson as athletic director Thursday night and voted to hand him a clean slate of coaches. The board voted to open the coaching positions for all sports except football, board member Ken Hohman said. However, opening the positions to applicants doesn’t mean...

While searching for a boys basketball job, coach Justin Walther wanted a high school that would treat him like family, but just as importantly, a place he could share with his family. That became imperative after his mother’s death in early June. “My parents have been a great part of...

The Aliquippa school board is accepting applications for a new boys basketball coach, a decision that stunned coach Dwight Hines, whose tenure appears to be over. Hines said he can’t understand the move. “That’s one thing you’ve got to ask the board members,” he said. “They didn’t call me in....

Serra Catholic hired A.J. Corso to take over the boys basketball team, the school announced Thursday. Corso replaces coach Justin Walther, who resigned in May after four seasons. Corso worked two seasons as a ninth grade coach under Walther and also coached middle school basketball at Upper St. Clair. Walther...

Jamal Woodson isn’t wrong when he says he’s got an energetic personality. How else could he create an AAU basketball program, work as general manager of a radio station, operate a food truck, manage an up-and-coming singing star and run the Abby Lee Dance Company studio? Now, add head coach...

Defending WPIAL champion Central Catholic was one of two Pennsylvania football teams ranked in the MaxPreps preseason Top 100. The Vikings were ranked 92nd nationally. The other Pennsylvania team to make the rankings was defending PIAA Class 6A champion St. Joseph’s Prep, which defeated Central Catholic in last year’s state...

Pine-Richland stayed in-house Monday night and hired assistant Bob Petcash as its new boys basketball coach. A longtime assistant for the Rams, Petcash replaces Jeff Ackermann, who resigned in May to become Baldwin’s coach. Petcash spent six seasons as a top assistant on Ackermann’s varsity staff after more than a...

Pine-Richland defensive lineman Miguel Jackson set out to pick eight finalists from his list of 30 college offers, but that task proved harder than expected. “It was difficult to choose,” he said. “I was planning on doing a Top 8, but another school came in.” So, Jackson created a Top...

The WPIAL soon could have a Diversity Advisory Council, created to give a louder voice to the challenges faced by minority communities. Associate executive director Amy Scheuneman shared her idea Thursday with the WPIAL board of directors, who supported the plan and voted unanimously to develop the council at a...

The longstanding WPIAL playoff tradition that drew football and basketball coaches to a crowded hotel conference room is ending. The WPIAL board voted Thursday to eliminate pairings meetings in a money-saving move meant to reduce the league’s 2020-21 budget. Concerned covid-19 could cause the WPIAL financial pain, the board unanimously...

The PIAA could rewrite its co-op rule this summer, making it easier for two schools to form a combined sports team. Currently, to cooperatively sponsor a sport, school districts must be contiguous, meaning they share a border. But at times, neighboring districts aren’t willing or able to co-op, so schools...

Woodland Hills football coach Tim Bostard checked every player’s temperature and nobody was allowed to shake hands. Otherwise, this was just another Monday in June. “Once the kids got there, it felt as normal as any other day that we would have during the summer,” said Bostard, whose football team...

The PIAA approved state tournament brackets for all sports except basketball Monday, meaning the WPIAL soon can finalize plans for its football playoffs and championship games. The PIAA football brackets have the Class 6A champion entering the state playoffs in Week 13 (quarterfinals) on Nov. 27-28. The five other WPIAL...

The PIAA strengthened its stance against “ethnic and racially insensitive comments” by making those and other unsportsmanlike actions punishable with a two-game suspension. The board on Monday unanimously approved added discipline for coaches and athletes ejected for the most egregious infractions. That list also includes foul or vulgar language and...

Serra Catholic baseball star Mark Black had his future mapped out way in advance, committing to St. John’s before his sophomore year, until the coronavirus pandemic turned the world upside down. So, the recent graduate decided to reconsider. A power-hitting catcher with MLB aspirations, Black announced plans Sunday to de-commit...

The PIAA could give final approval Monday to a rule change that lets game officials issue a two-game suspensions to coaches and players who cross the line with foul language or make physical contact. The proposal, ready for a third and final vote, is included in the agenda for the...

The covid-19 pandemic forced organizers to cancel the Big 33 Football Classic, but this year’s players will be honored online. The Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association has planned a video “watch party” for 8 p.m. Thursday to celebrate this year’s players and highlight alumni from the all-star game that started...

The WPIAL will send only four Class 6A boys basketball teams to the state playoffs next season, according to preliminary brackets revealed by the PIAA. That’s down from five qualifiers in the past two seasons and six in the 2017 and 2018 postseasons. The WPIAL also would have one fewer...

With a quick left-handed swing that packs plenty of pop, West Allegheny’s Austin Hendrick was naturally a Ken Griffey Jr. fan as a kid. They’ve now got another connection. Hendrick, one of the top high school hitters in the country, was selected 12th overall Wednesday in the MLB Draft by...