Chris Harlan stories, Page 95

When the NFL playoffs arrive this weekend, three WPIAL defensive stars from the past decade will be in uniform, a testament to the football talent Western Pennsylvania produces. But that’s not what earned them their recognition here. As high school players, Thomas Jefferson’s Chase Winovich, Woodland Hills’ Quinton Jefferson and...

Worried that years of losing will force its program to someday fold, Butler decided it won’t play WPIAL football next season and instead will put together an independent schedule. The school notified the WPIAL on Friday, Butler athletic director Bill Mylan said. The team endured its second consecutive 0-10 season...

The 2010s were a record-setting decade for WPIAL football teams, with career, single-season and single-game record books rewritten more than once. When the decade dawned, no WPIAL passer had broken the career 7,000-yard barrier. None had thrown for 3,000 yards in a season. Nobody had touched 500 yards in a...

WPIAL rankings Girls basketball Class 6A 1. Bethel Park, 7-0, 1 2. North Allegheny, 6-0, 2 3. Norwin, 5-2, 3 4. Upper St. Clair, 4-2, 4 5. Mt. Lebanon, 6-2, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Chartiers Valley, 7-0, 1 2. Trinity, 7-1, 2 3. Thomas Jefferson, 6-1, 3 4....

WPIAL rankings Boys basketball Class 6A 1. Fox Chapel, 8-0, 3 2. Butler, 5-3, 1 3. Mt. Lebanon, 6-2, 2 4. Pine-Richland, 6-2, 4 5. Upper St. Clair, 8-1, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Penn Hills, 5-2, 1 2. Trinity, 6-2, 2 3. Shaler, 5-3, 3 4. Mars, 6-2,...

Fresh off their team’s first PIAA championship appearance, two Avonworth players earned all-state honors Saturday and Duke Johncour was named Pennsylvania’s Coach of the Year in Class 2A. Antelopes running back Jax Miller and lineman Josh Elm were among six WPIAL players named all-state in a vote of Pennsylvania football...

Thomas Jefferson’s quarterback, top running back, wide receiver and lineman all earned all-state honors Saturday, statewide recognition for winning WPIAL and PIAA titles with an undefeated 16-0 record. Additionally, Jaguars coach Bill Cherpak was chosen as the Class 4A Coach of the Year in the vote of Pennsylvania football writers....

Central Catholic senior Jonathan Opalko twice made game-winning field goals in the playoffs and had a school-record 54-yarder in the regular season, kicks that earned him all-state honors Saturday. Opalko was one of four Central Catholic players named all-state in a vote of Pennsylvania football writers. The Albany recruit was...

West Greene’s Ben Jackson became the first player in WPIAL history to rush for 3,000 yards in a single season, an achievement that earned him accolades this fall. On Friday, Jackson added another when he was named as the state’s Class A player of the year in a vote of...

WPIAL finalists Gateway and Peters Township combined Friday to fill five spots on the Class 5A all-state team led by Gators junior Derrick Davis, who was picked for the second consecutive year. Peters Township had three players earn all-state honors in a vote of Pennsylvania football writers: senior Josh Casilli...

WPIAL rankings Boys basketball Class 6A 1. Butler, 5-1, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 5-1, 2 3. Fox Chapel, 6-0, 3 4. Pine-Richland, 4-2, 4 5. Upper St. Clair, 6-1, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Penn Hills, 5-1, 2 2. Trinity, 5-1, 4 3. Shaler, 5-2, 3 4. Mars, 5-2,...

WPIAL rankings Girls basketball Class 6A 1. Bethel Park, 6-0, 1 2. North Allegheny, 5-0, 2 3. Norwin, 4-2, 4 4. Upper St. Clair, 3-2, NR 5. Mt. Lebanon, 4-2, 5 Out: Peters Township (3-3, 3) Class 5A 1. Chartiers Valley, 5-0, 1 2. Trinity, 6-1, 2 3. Thomas Jefferson,...

The early signing period for Division I football recruits arrived Wednesday and high school seniors across Western Pennsylvania took to social media to reveal their official commitments. FBS and FCS recruits can sign a National Letter of Intent through Friday or wait until the traditional signing period Feb. 5. The...

Aliquippa ranks among the smallest football schools in the WPIAL, with only four more boys than Jeannette and nine fewer than Shenango. But while those two schools will play in Class A next fall, the PIAA on Monday informed Aliquippa that it must compete in Class 4A against the likes...

Mired in a 20-game losing streak, Butler’s football team asked to leave the WPIAL and join District 10, but that request was denied by the WPIAL board Monday. Letting a school move just one sport to a different PIAA district would set a bad precedent, WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley...

Waynesburg transfer Wyatt Henson, a Missouri state wrestling champion, was ruled eligible Monday for the WPIAL and PIAA tournaments this winter. The WPIAL initially ruled Henson ineligible for the postseason under a PIAA rule that targets all transfers. But the WPIAL decided Monday that the junior qualified for a postseason...

The WPIAL will have a change in leadership this summer. WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley is retiring June 30 after 14 years as the district’s top administrator and will be replaced by Amy Scheuneman, the associate executive director. The WPIAL board accepted O’Malley’s resignation letter Monday and voted to promote...

North Allegheny’s Sam Sheridan, an all-conference defensive end, has committed to Lehigh. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior also listed FCS offers from Duquesne and Rhode Island. He announced his decision last week on Twitter. North Allegheny (10-2) tied for the conference title in WPIAL Class 6A behind a defense that allowed...

With nearly 30 college scholarship offers, Gateway’s Derrick Davis admits he’s had to look back through his Twitter timeline just to remember them all. This fall, Davis showed why he’s in such high demand. The do-it-all running back and safety had more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage and scored 28...

The WPIAL crowned six more champions this season, each with a unique story to tell. There was an undefeated state champion who celebrated win No. 16 in Hershey and a running back from Greene County who became the first to 3,000 yards. They’re all represented here along with many other...

Boys Class 6A 1. Butler, 3-0, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 4-0, 2 3. Fox Chapel, 5-0, 3 4. Pine-Richland, 1-2, 4 5. Upper St. Clair, 3-1, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Mars, 3-0, 1 2. Penn Hills, 2-1, 2 3. Shaler, 3-1, 4 4. Trinity, 3-1, NR 5. Laurel...

Class 6A 1. Bethel Park, 4-0, 1 2. North Allegheny, 3-0, 2 3. Peters Township, 2-2, 3 4. Norwin, 1-1, 4 5. Mt. Lebanon, 3-1, NR Out: Fox Chapel (2-2, 5) Class 5A 1. Chartiers Valley, 2-0, 1 2. Trinity, 3-1, 4 3. Thomas Jefferson, 4-1, 3 4. Mars, 4-0,...

The images are among the most iconic in PIAA football championship history. Hersheypark Stadium was blanketed in white and snowflakes fell from the sky as Pine-Richland and Manheim Central battled through two overtimes in the 2003 Class 3A state final. The Pennsylvania Cable Network will rebroadcast the game statewide at...