Chris Harlan stories, Page 12
Tyler Robbins, Upper St. Clair fight off McDowell in overtime, move on to PIAA semifinals
Nothing came easy for Upper St. Clair or senior Tyler Robbins, who was roughed up by McDowell’s defense for four quarters and nearly all of overtime. One dunk relieved all their frustration. Tied in the final seconds of overtime, Kaamil Jackson blocked a shot at one end of the court,...
Chartiers Valley exploits Johnstown’s ‘rough’ shooting night, charges into PIAA semifinals
Chartiers Valley likes to counterpunch whenever an opponent’s shot misses, and Johnstown gave the Colts plenty of chances Friday night. The District 6 champion struggled from 3-point range and missed 24 of its first 25 attempts from beyond the arc, empty possessions that propelled Chartiers Valley to a 58-38 victory...
McKeesport hires WPIAL champion Dan DeRose as boys basketball coach
The McKeesport boys basketball team hasn’t won a WPIAL title in a few decades, but the Tigers hired a new coach with one already on his resume. Dan DeRose, who led Penn Hills to a WPIAL title, was hired Thursday night by the McKeesport School Board. DeRose also had WPIAL...
South Allegheny works game plan to perfection in 2nd-round win over Bishop Guilfoyle
South Allegheny’s Josh Jackowski circled into the lane, caught an inbounds pass and scored on a nifty play the team debuted Wednesday night. The Gladiators run lots of sets, and those designed plays led to some well-timed baskets in a 55-47 victory over Bishop Guilfoyle in the PIAA Class 3A...
Chartiers Valley celebrates another postseason win over section rival Montour in PIAA playoffs
In celebration, Chartiers Valley’s Jayden Davis let go of a half-court shot at the buzzer and it went in. That 3-pointer was one more than his opponent Montour made the entire night. The Spartans went 0 for 17 from beyond the arc as Chartiers Valley built an early lead and...
PIAA declares Uniontown vs. Meadville fight-marred playoff game a double forfeit
Neither Uniontown nor Meadville will advance in the PIAA boys basketball playoffs. The PIAA declared their fight-marred game a double forfeit and wants involved spectators suspended from attending any school-sponsored sporting events for more than a year, the association announced Monday. The game Friday night at Meadville was halted with...
Driven by WPIAL finals loss, Aliquippa dominates in PIAA 1st-round win
Aliquippa had an entire week to fix what went wrong in the WPIAL finals, which was bad news for Westmont Hilltop. The same mistakes weren’t made twice. “We came out today and did all the little things that we didn’t do that made us lose,” said junior Josh Pratt after...
Fight halts Uniontown vs. Meadville boys basketball game in PIAA playoffsVideo
Officials cut short a state playoff game between the Uniontown and Meadville boys basketball teams Friday night after a fight in the stands spread onto the court. Host Meadville led 63-55 with 3:12 left in the fourth quarter when the Class 5A first-round game was halted. Uniontown athletic director Harry...
Montour takes care of business in PIAA 1st round, sets up rematch with Chartiers Valley
The only trap Friday night was the defense Montour sprung on its opponent. Montour’s Kaleb Platz scored 28 points, and three teammates scored in double figures as the Spartans opened the state playoffs with a 68-49 victory over visiting Milton Hershey in PIAA Class 5A. Clearly, this was no trap...
Nationally ranked West Mifflin running back Armand Hill commits to West Virginia
West Mifflin’s Armand Hill, a nationally ranked running back recruit, committed Friday to West Virginia. The 5-foot-10, 178-pounder rushed for 1,693 yards on 188 carries and scored 23 touchdowns as a sophomore last fall. Hill listed a dozen college offers, including Pitt, Penn State and Michigan. He announced his decision...
PIAA faces criticism from all sides after changing transgender athlete policy
The PIAA is drawing criticism from all sides for changes made to its transgender athlete policy. The changes didn’t go far enough, says one Western Pennsylvania superintendent, who wanted to see the state high school athletic association adopt the NCAA’s stricter policy. Yet LGBTQ+ advocacy groups say the PIAA and...
Chartiers Valley beats Peters Township to cap breakthrough season with WPIAL title
Chartiers Valley went from being a basketball program in turmoil to a WPIAL champion in a little over a year. Led by first-year coach Corey Dotchin and prolific senior scorer Jayden Davis, fourth-seeded Chartiers Valley finished off its turnaround Saturday night by defeating No. 6 Peters Township, 73-66, in the...
2025 WPIAL Class 3A boys basketball championship: Aliquippa vs. South Allegheny
WPIAL Class 3A boys basketball championship No. 1 Aliquippa vs. No. 2 South Allegheny 1 p.m. Saturday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network; Audio: Trib HSSN WPIAL titles: Aliquippa 14 (2024, ‘23, ‘16, ‘15, ‘07, ‘06, ‘04, ‘03, ‘00, 1998, ‘94, ‘88, ‘87, ’49), South Allegheny...
2025 WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball championship breakdown: Chartiers Valley vs. Peters Township
WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball championship No. 4 Chartiers Valley vs. No. 6 Peters Township 7 p.m. Saturday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network; Audio: Trib HSSN WPIAL titles: Chartiers Valley 6 ( 2015, ‘10, ‘04, ‘01, 1998, ’97), Peters Township 1 (2009) Chartiers Valley (22-3)...
Belle Vernon rewards retiring coach with school’s 1st WPIAL title since 1978
A retirement party at Petersen Events Center for one of the WPIAL’s winningest boys basketball coaches might seem a bit outlandish. Yet three weeks after Joe Salvino shared his retirement plans, he and his Belle Vernon players were there to celebrate. North Catholic tried to crash the party, but the...
2025 WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball championship breakdown: Upper St. Clair vs. New Castle
WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball final No. 1 Upper St. Clair vs. No. 2 New Castle 9 p.m. Friday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Upper St. Clair 4 (2024, ‘21, ‘05, 1996), New Castle 14 (2021, ’19-17, ’14-12, 1999-97, ‘93, ‘82, ‘36, ‘27)...
2025 WPIAL Class A boys basketball championship breakdown: Neighborhood Academy vs. Serra Catholic
WPIAL Class A boys basketball championship No. 1 Neighborhood Academy vs. No. 2 Serra Catholic 5 p.m. Thursday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Neighborhood Academy 0, Serra Catholic 1 (2008) Neighborhood Academy (23-1) Coach: Jordan Marks Projected starting lineup No., Name, Ht., Cl.,...
Resurgent New Castle drops Mt. Lebanon to return to Class 6A title game
While celebrating a WPIAL semifinal win Monday night, New Castle’s Ralphie Blundo thought back to this time last year, when he and his teammates were already done for the winter. They’d missed the playoffs entirely. “It was almost embarrassing,” said Blundo, a senior who’d reached the WPIAL finals as both...
North Catholic turns in masterful performance in Class 4A semifinal win over Beaver
In a nearly 30-point win, North Catholic’s Jason Fredericks heard his coach keep urging him and his teammates to master the moment. It’s a phrase North Catholic coach Jim Rocco uses to sum up his team’s basketball philosophy. Nobody ever masters the game, Rocco admits, but he says their drive...
Offensively gifted Chartiers Valley leans on defense in WPIAL 5A quarterfinal victory over Moon
Chartiers Valley has a talented 2,000-point scorer in Jayden Davis, and the Colts have often shown a knack for beating teams on the offensive end of the floor. This time, they won at the other end. Chartiers Valley allowed only 24 points through three quarters Friday night, a determined defensive...
WPIAL sets semifinal sites, times for 2025 basketball playoffs
The WPIAL has set semifinal sites and times for all 24 basketball semifinals. The round starts Saturday with games in Class A and 4A boys and Class 3A and 5A girls. The semifinals continue Monday and Tuesday. Boys basketball Class 6A Monday’s games 1-Upper St. Clair (21-2) vs. 5-Central Catholic...
23 WPIAL, City League football players picked for 2025 Big School East-West Game
Five offensive and five defensive linemen were among the 23 WPIAL and City League football players selected for the 2025 PSFCA Big School East-West Game this spring. The roster was announced Friday. The Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association organizes two East-West all-star games each year, one for small schools (Class...
Central Catholic finds spark in 4th quarter to win defensive struggle with Fox Chapel
Central Catholic and Fox Chapel combined for five points in the first 5 minutes Thursday night, hinting at the struggle between two of the WPIAL best big-school defenses. They were tied midway through the fourth. A tie-breaking 3-pointer by Central Catholic’s Christian Williams sparked a late run for the Vikings,...
PIAA eliminates transgender athlete policy, changes language to comply with Trump’s executive order
The PIAA eliminated its one-sentence transgender athlete policy and changed language in its handbook to no longer ask member schools to determine those students’ “gender” but rather their “sex.” The changes were approved Wednesday by the PIAA board to comply with an executive order signed Feb. 5 by President Donald...
West Mifflin poised to hire former assistant B.J. Pugh as football coach
B.J. Pugh, a former West Mifflin quarterback and current teacher in the district, is expected to be hired Thursday as football coach at his alma mater. The school board agenda lists Pugh as the recommended candidate. A 1995 graduate, Pugh teaches elementary school and has coached a variety of West...
