High School category, Page 1148
Aliquippa quarterback plays in WPIAL championship hours after mother’s deathVideo
On the eve of the WPIAL championships, Aliquippa football coach Mike Warfield received a desperate text message from his quarterback. Coach Mike. Please call. It’s an emergency. “I called him and he told me he thought his mom had passed,” Warfield said Saturday, speaking quietly as he fought back tears...
Westmoreland H.S. notebook: Honors roll in for Franklin Regional boys soccer
Franklin Regional was lauded for its unbeaten regular season and its second straight WPIAL boys soccer championship. Sophomore forward Anthony DiFalco was awarded WPIAL Class 3A Player of the Year, and the Panthers’ Rand Hudson is coach of the year in the classification. Additionally, senior Connor Hudson and junior Cole...
WPIAL Class 3A final notebook: Overtime rare in WPIAL championship gamesVideo
Saturday’s Class 3A final was the fifth championship game decided in overtime in WPIAL history. In 1995, Burrell defeated Washington, 14-13. In 2007, Central Catholic defeated Gateway, 35-34. In 2011, North Allegheny defeated Upper St. Clair, 28-21. In 2016, West Allegheny defeated McKeesport, 38-37. A decade’s impact In just 10...
North Catholic rallies to capture 1st PIAA Class 2A volleyball crown
SILVER SPRING TOWNSHIP — North Catholic overcame a slow start and rallied from two sets down to defeat North Penn Liberty and capture the program’s first PIAA Class 2A girls volleyball championship Saturday afternoon at the Eagle Dome at Cumberland Valley High School. Game scores were 17-25, 23-25, 25-16, 25-14...
Mars captures 2nd PIAA title with win over Villa Joseph MarieVideo
HERSHEY — During a preseason workout, Mars girls soccer coach Blair Gerlach told his players they would need to get a little bit stronger because Hershey’s chocolate is pretty heavy. On Saturday, at Hersheypark Stadium, the Fightin’ Planets got to put those muscles to use as they lifted the PIAA...
Central Valley stops Aliquippa in overtime in tense WPIAL title gameVideo
On the first play of overtime, Michael Barbuto was pushing toward the goal line when he felt something strange happen. “I got to the 3-yard line and from there I slowly felt myself rising off the ground,” Barbuto said. No, Barbuto didn’t suddenly learn the art of levitation. The feeling...
Penn-Trafford QB Gabe Dunlap stands tall after playoff loss to Peters Township
Penn-Trafford football players filed out of the locker room at West Mifflin on Friday night, their collective demeanor one of sadness and frustration. There were tears and dejected spirits after the top-seeded Warriors lost to Peters Township, 28-10, in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals. Suddenly, a promising season was halted...
WPIAL Class 6A football finals primer: Central Catholic vs. Pine-Richland
WPIAL Class 6A championship No. 1 Central Catholic (10-1) vs. No. 2 Pine-Richland (10-1) 8 p.m. Saturday, Heinz Field On the air: TribHSSN.triblive.com; 1020 AM, 107.1 FM Coaches: Terry Totten, Central Catholic; Eric Kasperowicz, Pine-Richland Winner plays: District 6 champion State College (11-1) in PIAA quarterfinals Nov. 22-23 WPIAL titles:...
Moravian Academy tops Winchester Thurston in PIAA Class A boys soccer final
HERSHEY — At the beginning of the season, the Winchester Thurston boys soccer team set out on a journey to make an appearance in the state championship game and bring home the title. They accomplished half of that goal Saturday, but District 11 champion Moravian Academy denied the second as...
WPIAL Class A final notebook: Brendan Parsons, Kenlein Ogletree play starring roles for Clairton
It was another spectacular day for Clairton quarterback Brendan Parsons, who passed for 201 yards and ran for 94 yards. On the season, he has thrown for 1,885 yards and 23 touchdown passes and has run for 999 yards and 11 TDs. Ogletree now has 19 touchdowns and 52 extra...
Clairton conquers Sto-Rox to win 14th WPIAL championshipVideo
It’s a good bet, in recent years, that if Clairton reaches the WPIAL championship game, it’s going to win. The Bears won their 10th consecutive championship game by rolling over Sto-Rox, 41-19, on Saturday in the Class A game at Heinz Field. It’s the 14th WPIAL championship for Clairton, second-most...
District 3 champ Camp Hill blanks Shady Side Academy to capture first PIAA title
HERSHEY — The Shady Side Academy girls soccer team was on a mission to capture a second PIAA title in school history, but when the Indians stepped onto the field at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday, they were met by a team equally as motivated. In search of the perfect season...
Gateway’s defense uses 4th-down stands to edge McKeesport in WPIAL semifinalsVideo
McKeesport’s Devari Robinson sprinted forward on fourth-and-4, colliding with Gateway linebacker Jay Johnson, who dragged him to the Offutt Field turf. First down? Over on downs? “I was unsure,” Johnson said, “but I knew I had him when I looked to the left and he was short of the sticks.”...
WPIAL Playoffs 3rd round results — Nov. 15 and 16, 2019
TribLIVE’s sports reporters have you covered from Friday’s WPIAL high school football playoff action. GAMES OF THE WEEK • RICHLAND 34, LIGONIER VALLEY 6 @ Mansion Park Senior Trevor Tustin caught two touchdown passes, and senior Caleb Burke scored twice and threw a pair of touchdown passes as Richland posted...
Washington leans on Zahmere Robinson to stop upset-minded Brentwood
After Washington’s Zahmere Robinson fumbled for the first time this year in a third quarter that saw Brentwood surging, he went to the sidelines and told his teammates he’d make up for it. “I told them that (fumble) was my fault, but I had their back,” he said. Robinson was...
Avonworth stops Riverside’s run, reaches WPIAL Class 2A finalVideo
While Avonworth has relied on a powerful offense that averages 37 points per game, two key stops by the Antelopes defense were crucial in Friday’s first half. Stopping Riverside on downs twice inside the 10-yard line paved the way for a 41-14 victory in a WPIAL Class 2A semifinal at...
Peters Township’s dynamic defense downs top-seeded Penn-Trafford in Class 5A semis
It wasn’t the offensive explosion last year’s quarterfinal was, but defense stole the show this time for Peters Township in a playoff rematch with Penn-Trafford. And the result was the same. The fifth-seeded Indians forced five turnovers and used that momentum to do all of their scoring in the second...
Top performers in passing, rushing, receiving in WPIAL Class 5A, 2A semifinals
Top performers for Week 12 high school football in Western Pennsylvania. Passing 175 - John Milcic, Brentwood (12 of 26) 173 - Ben Hughes, Riverside (9 of 21) 161 - Gabe Dunlap, Penn-Trafford (11 of 25) 141 - Bryson Venanzio, Gateway (9 of 14) 118 - Zack Swartz, Washington (8...
High school scores, summaries, schedules for Nov. 15, 2019
High schools Football WPIAL playoffs Championship Saturday’s schedule Central Catholic (10-1) vs. Pine-Richland (10-1) at Heinz Field, 8 p.m. Class 5A Semifinals Friday’s results Gateway 14, McKeesport 7 Peters Township 28, Penn-Trafford 10 Championship Nov. 23 schedule Peters Township (12-1) vs. Gateway (11-2) at Norwin, 6 p.m. Class 4A Championship...
Richland again takes down Ligonier Valley in District 6 title game
ALTOONA — This is not how the Ligonier Valley football team wanted its final game in District 6 to end. A quick start by No. 1 Richland and untimely mistakes were too much for No. 2 Ligonier Valley to overcome in a 34-6 loss in the District 6 Class 2A...
Belle Vernon ‘a different team’ since lopsided loss to Thomas Jefferson in September
For Belle Vernon’s football team, it doesn’t matter what you call them heading into Saturday’s WPIAL Class 4A championship game against conference rival Thomas Jefferson. You can call them underdogs, you can call them Cinderella. Either way, they’re ready for the ball. The Leopards (10-1) and Jaguars (12-0) meet for...
5 things to watch in Week 12 of high school football: TJ’s Cherpak draws Belichick comparisons
Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak chuckles at the comparison, but maybe it’s too not farfetched? Could Cherpak be the Bill Belichick of the WPIAL? While visiting home last weekend, New England Patriots rookie Chase Winovich made that comparison, likening his high school coach with his current NFL coach. “He said...
WPIAL Class A football finals primer: Clairton vs. Sto-Rox
WPIAL Class A championship No. 1 Clairton (10-2) vs. No. 3 Sto-Rox (11-1) 11 a.m. Saturday, Heinz Field On the air: TribHSSN.triblive.com Coaches: Wayne Wade, Clairton; LaRoi Johnson, Sto-Rox Winner plays: No one. The winner gets a bye in the PIAA quarterfinals Nov. 22-23. They will play the winner of...
PIAA Class AAA girls soccer finals primer: Mars vs. Villa Joseph Marie
Villa Joseph Marie (21-2-1) vs. Mars (21-0-1) 4 p.m. Saturday, Hersheypark Stadium Coaches: Rich Finneyfrock, Villa Joseph Marie; Blair Gerlach, Mars Players to watch: Katie Sullivan, Villa Joseph Marie; Ellie Coffield, Mars How they got here: WPIAL champion Mars defeated District 10 champion Warren, 6-1; WPIAL third-place finisher West Allegheny,...
WPIAL Class 3A football finals primer: Central Valley vs. Aliquippa
WPIAL Class 3A championship No. 1 Central Valley (11-1) vs. No. 2 Aliquippa (11-1) 2 p.m. Saturday, Heinz Field On the air: TribHSSN.triblive.com; 1230 AM, 1460 AM, 99.3 FM, 92.1 FM Coaches: Mark Lyons, Central Valley; Mike Warfield, Aliquippa Winner plays: No one. The winner gets a bye in the...
