High School category, Page 1038
PIHL plans to delay varsity season unless indoor restrictions are changed
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League on Wednesday sent information to officials from each league member detailing the status of its varsity, junior varsity and middle school seasons based on the state-government mandate of a 25-person limit for indoor gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic. Varsity games will not start unless there...
After thriving in 2A, Burgettstown looks like big fish in Class A pond
For nine weeks in the 2019 football season, Burgettstown was the class of 2A. The Blue Devils ended the regular season with a perfect 9-0 record and a Three Rivers Conference championship after a Week 8 showdown victory over Brentwood. However, the Burgettstown dream season ended with a nightmare on...
Cornell restocks shelves after breakout season
Cornell took a break from competing in football in the WPIAL in 2012. The program returned to action in 2016 and promptly went winless. But that was the start of something special. The Raiders steadily improved and in 2019, reached the WPIAL Class A semifinals and earned the school’s first...
Tanner Garry looks to restore tradition at alma mater Fort Cherry
Tanner Garry remembers fondly his playing days at Fort Cherry. It was just nine years ago when he threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 35 touchdowns to lead the Rangers to a 7-4 record and a trip to the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals. Fans lined the fences at Jim Garry...
Northgate aims to end lengthy losing streak
Northgate had a young roster last year when it struggled and finished winless. The Flames’ losing streak, which dates to 2017, reached 24 games. But hope flickers on the eve of a new season. “We’ve been young the last couple years,” third-year coach Mike Fulmore said. “We have had some...
OLSH players have championship aspirations
Two years ago, members of the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart football team hoisted the WPIAL Class A championship trophy for the first time in school history. Now, as the Chargers enter the 2020 season, they have championship aspirations back on their mind after going 7-4 a season ago...
Late-season surge breeds optimism at Rochester
Small school football programs go through ups and downs. They make championship runs and then reload and develop with a new set of players. The Rochester Rams are a perfect example of that, and last year was one of those seasons where the Rams had to reset. “I’ve been here...
Shenango to lean on versatile Reis Watkins in move to Big Seven
The plan was always to get the ball in Reis Watkins’ hands. He’ll just get it a little sooner than expected now. The Shenango senior ran for 1,269 yards and 13 touchdowns as the team’s feature running back a year ago. He will start this season taking snaps at quarterback...
Union building around dominant lineman Aaron Gunn
They have one of the top players in the WPIAL, but will one dominant performer be enough to help Union turn around and enjoy success in the always competitive Big Seven Conference in Class A? The Scotties finished in fifth place in the eight-team conference a year ago with an...
Covid-19 forces Seneca Valley to cancel football scrimmage, season opener
Concerned that an athlete had direct exposure to covid-19, Seneca Valley shut down football workouts indefinitely Tuesday, meaning it also must cancel its preseason scrimmage and season opener. Teams must have 10 preseason practices before a scrimmage and 15 before a game, thresholds that the Raiders can’t reach, coach Ron...
Would school districts be legally liable for athletes contracting covid-19?
If a school district lets students play sports and one contracts covid-19 with complications, could the school be held legally responsible? Unlikely, says attorney Larry Kelly, a multi-sport coach in the WPIAL who has practiced personal-injury law for 37 years. Kelly studied the question and points to the governmental immunity...
Quaker Valley’s young, battle-tested roster ready to rebound
There are just three seniors on the Quaker Valley football roster this fall. Typically, that would be cause for concern. But the Quakers’ underclassmen are more experienced than most their age and have been game tested against some of the best teams WPIAL Class 3A has to offer. “The junior...
Dual-threat QB Logan Shrubb leads Keystone Oaks into new-look conference
Since expansion to six classifications four years ago, Keystone Oaks has had four winning seasons playing against elite teams from Beaver County in Class 3A. The Golden Eagles have a combined record of 26-14 since 2016 but have only one playoff trip to show for it. The combination of Gardner...
Even with star-studded senior class gone, Washington still in contention in Class 2A
One of the things Washington coach Mike Bosnic has been repeatedly drilling into his team in the run-up to the season is the importance of hand washing. It wasn’t a trick designed to get players to focus on the fundamentals, like how UCLA coaching legend John Wooden used to show...
Beth-Center looks to bounce back after rare down season
Last season wasn’t typical for the Beth-Center Bulldogs. The Bulldogs had made 16 straight playoff appearances, but after being devastated by graduation, that streak came to an abrupt end. They went 1-9 and mustered just 17 points per game while allowing 35.8. “All I know is that what went on...
Young Chartiers-Houston roster hopes to gain experience in a hurry
Chartiers-Houston is looking forward to getting back on the football field because after losing a large senior class, the Buccaneers need to gain as much experience as they can get. The Buccaneers went 7-3 last season, losing to West Greene, Sto-Rox and California, while scoring 25.8 points per game. It...
Charleroi seeks to maintain winning ways under new leadership
Charleroi has a new coach for the second time in three years, and the Cougars didn’t have to go far to find him. Charleroi athletic director and former California head coach Brady Barbero was hired as the Cougars’ new head football coach in April, and he is excited to return...
More experienced Frazier roster in hunt for playoff spot
The main color in Frazier High School’s color scheme is red. The football team in 2019 was green, meaning first-year coach Greg Boggs had to rely on juniors and sophomores for the tough grind in the WPIAL Class 2A Century Conference. But Boggs said 2019’s weakness is turning into 2020’s...
Loaded McGuffey welcomes favorite label in Class 2A
Most coaches want to run away and hide from preseason expectations. McGuffey’s Ed Dalton is not like most coaches. “We are the best team with a big roster and 17 starters back,” he said. “This is the best overall team I’ve had at McGuffey. We think we are Final Four...
Waynesburg feels at home in Class 2A Century Conference
Looking for the biggest winner in the WPIAL’s biennial realignment? How about Waynesburg? For the past two seasons, the Raiders have been through the meat grinder in the Class 3A Tri-County West, butting heads with powers such as Aliquippa, Central Valley and Beaver Falls on an annual basis. They went...
WPIAL sets Sept. 1 deadline for schools to opt out of fall sports
The WPIAL believes a large majority of member schools will play sports this fall, but it’s hoping to know for sure in the next week. School administrators will receive a survey Tuesday asking them to respond if they intend to opt out of any fall sport, WPIAL executive director Amy...
Norwin track coach Harry ‘Bucky’ Hickle included family in passion
A championship family man and a championship coach, Harry Hickle was loyal to his loved ones and his student-athletes. If Norwin’s track and field teams were winning — and they won a lot — he was happy. Victories by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates and Notre Dame didn’t hurt, either. Watching...
Mt. Lebanon shuts down football workouts, must cancel season opener
A positive covid-19 test caused Mt. Lebanon to shut down football activities until next week, a delay that will force the team to cancel its preseason scrimmage and season opener. The PIAA requires 10 practices before a scrimmage and 15 before the first game, thresholds Mt. Lebanon can’t reach in...
Football coaches fear postponement, transfers could doom City League
City League football coaches are worried about losing their season, but they’re also fearful they could lose the entire league. “If we don’t play football this year, we won’t have City League football in a couple of years,” Allderdice coach Jerry Haslett said. Pittsburgh Public Schools’ administration recommended earlier this...
Despite graduation losses, Thomas Jefferson retains title aspirations
Editor’s note: This is the first installment of Trib HSSN’s high school football preview series. One WPIAL conference will be previewed each day through Wednesday, Sept. 9. Thomas Jefferson returned to the top of the WPIAL mountain last season, and the Jaguars hope to stay there this fall. The Jaguars...
