Chris Harlan stories, Page 16
2024 WPIAL All-Conference Football: Class 6A
2024 WPIAL Class 6A All-Conference Offense Name, School, Pos., Ht., Wt., Year Matt McMahon, Canon-McMillan, C, 6-2, 270, sr. Roman Kane, Central Catholic, G, 6-3, 270, sr. Ryan Logan, North Allegheny, G, 6-2, 245, jr. Jimmy Kalis, Central Catholic, OT, 6-6, 280, so. Jack Yatchenko, North Allegheny, OT, 6-3, 295,...
St. Joseph’s Prep overpowers Central Catholic to win 3rd straight state title
MECHANICSBURG — Khyan Billups isn’t the St. Joseph’s Prep running back bound for Ohio State, but the junior might’ve fooled anyone watching him Saturday night. With help from a talented offensive line, Billups took the first snap 80 yards to the end zone for one of his three touchdowns, and...
Gut-wrenching overtime loss dashes Avonworth’s state title hopes in PIAA 3A final
MECHANICSBURG — Avonworth trailed by two touchdowns in the second half of a state championship game and rallied to force overtime. It was a gutsy comeback, but one met with tears when Northwestern Lehigh scored a touchdown in overtime to defeat Avonworth, 36-33, in the PIAA Class 3A final Saturday...
Central Catholic ready for championship-caliber challenge vs. St. Joseph’s Prep
On this side of the state, St. Joseph’s Prep probably finds few fans. The Philadelphia Catholic League power is a lightning rod for critics who say the eight-time PIAA champion has won titles with players who crossed state lines to get there. But don’t expect to hear any such gripes...
Avonworth sees similarities in PIAA finals opponent Northwestern Lehigh
As Avonworth makes its second trip to the state finals in five years, the Antelopes feel differently about this one. “We’re not playing the Green Bay Packers,” coach Duke Johncour said with a laugh. That’s no knock on their opponent. Undefeated District 11 champion Northwestern Lehigh (15-0) awaits in the...
Mike Warfield returns as Aliquippa football coach after 1-year leave of absence
Former Aliquippa coach Mike Warfield said he found himself missing the players and coaches even more than he’d expected when he took this past football season off. So, he’s coming back. The three-time state champion was reinstated as Aliquippa’s head coach on Wednesday, ending a leave of absence he took...
PIAA tweaks competitive balance rule to make bumps in class slightly less likely
Only teams that reach the state finals will be affected by the PIAA competitive-balance rule following a change approved Wednesday. The revision comes a year late for the Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball team, which was forced to move up to Class 3A this winter without reaching the state finals....
Early signing day for 2025: WPIAL, City League football players finalize Division I plans
The early signing period arrived earlier than usual. Typically scheduled in late-December since its adoption in 2017, high school football recruits were able to sign with Division I programs this year starting Wednesday. Here’s a look at senior football players from the WPIAL and City League who chose to sign...
Interception in end zone clinches high-scoring PIAA semifinal win for Central Catholic
ALTOONA — Chrys Black Jr. hoped to take a game ball home with him Saturday, surely a rare treat for a Central Catholic freshman in the state playoffs. If so, he surely earned it. A 5-foot-8 defensive back who wears No. 1, Black made a game-saving interception in the end...
Bishop McDevitt gets physical, runs past Pine-Richland in PIAA Class 5A semifinals
ALTOONA — Bishop McDevitt is headed to the state finals, thanks to a decades-old commitment by the Crusaders to embrace WPIAL football. The District 3 champion got three more touchdowns from its record-setting quarterback, but Bishop McDevitt relied most on the physical running of Nazir Jones-Davis. The junior rushed 29...
Thomas Jefferson stumbles in 2nd half, falls to Lampeter-Strasburg in state semifinals
ALTOONA — A dominant second quarter by Thomas Jefferson meant a trip to the state finals was just 24 minutes away. That made Friday’s loss tougher to take. Two failed fourth-down tries, a near-miss on a sure touchdown pass, a couple of lapses on defense, penalties and some other forgettable...
Pine-Richland faces SEC-bound quarterback with PIAA touchdown record in state semifinals
An SEC-bound quarterback with a record-setting arm and rock-solid game awaits Pine-Richland in the state semifinals. Bishop McDevitt senior Stone Saunders is a Kentucky recruit with a state-record 199 career touchdown passes. While preparing for Friday’s matchup with the District 3 champion, Pine-Richland coach Jon LeDonne talked with some coaches...
Thanksgiving football practice a tradition reserved for champions
Whenever Thomas Jefferson holds a Thanksgiving Day practice, coach Bill Cherpak never knows who might show up. One year it was Barry Sanders. OK, so it wasn’t really the NFL legend. But instead, the Jaguars players have a favorite holiday tradition of wearing a jersey representing a favorite college team...
Serra Catholic hires former assistant Akeeme Robinson as football coach
Former Serra Catholic assistant coach Akeeme Robinson was hired as head coach, the school announced Wednesday. Robinson replaces Jose Regus, who resigned after eight seasons and won a WPIAL title in 2021. Robinson, a Serra Catholic assistant from 2017-22, was defensive coordinator when the Eagles won the Class 2A title....
Chartiers Valley poised to open football coaching jobs
Chartiers Valley may start looking for a new football coach. The district’s school board was poised to open the jobs of coach Aaron Fitzpatrick and his assistants, according to the agenda for Tuesday night’s meeting. Chartiers Valley went 8-22 in three seasons under Fitzpatrick. The Colts finished 3-6 this fall...
Pine-Richland defense shines en route to 9th WPIAL championship
Jay Timmons pointed to a corner of Acrisure Stadium where he watched games as a kid, remembering back to when his father played linebacker for the Steelers. So, yes, he knows a little about defense. “I’ve been dreaming of playing on this field for so long,” said Timmons, a Pine-Richland...
5 things to watch in H.S. football: WPIAL finals at Acrisure Stadium bring added excitement and sometimes new shoes
Pine-Richland coach Jon LeDonne wonders what the grass at Acrisure Stadium might look like when the WPIAL 5A final kicks off Saturday night. He’s not necessarily worried, just curious. The three WPIAL championship games LeDonne coached in previously were all played elsewhere on artificial turf. Peters Township’s T.J. Plack shares...
Fierce defenses square off when Pine-Richland, Peters Township meet in WPIAL title rematch
There are plenty of old football coach sayings that link defense and championships. Pine-Richland coach Jon LeDonne offered this one ahead of the WPIAL finals: “If they don’t score, they can’t win.” Simple enough. No. 1 Pine-Richland (10-1) plays No. 3 Peters Township (11-1) in a WPIAL Class 5A final...
Kiski Area football coach Sam Albert hangs up head coach’s whistle after 3 decades
Thirty-four years after landing his first head coaching job, Kiski Area football coach Sam Albert has decided those days are over. But he’s not ready to retire. Albert resigned Wednesday at Kiski Area after eight seasons as coach with plans to serve elsewhere next fall as an assistant. A former...
PIAA bumps Thomas Jefferson to Saturday, changes sites for Westinghouse, Central Catholic games
The PIAA has pushed Thomas Jefferson’s state playoff game back a day and changed the location of games involving Westinghouse and Central Catholic. Citing impending weather, the PIAA moved Thomas Jefferson’s Class 4A quarterfinal against District 9 champ Clearfield to 1 p.m. Saturday at Mansion Park in Altoona. It was...
PIAA rules Imani Christian basketball player Kieshaun Demus eligible, reverses WPIAL decision
The PIAA reversed an earlier WPIAL decision and ruled Imani Christian basketball player Kieshaun Demus eligible after an appeal hearing Tuesday. The 6-foot-3 sophomore guard transferred from North Hills. “He is super excited to know he’s back with the team and gets to compete and not lose his sophomore season,”...
Central Catholic avenges WPIAL title game losses with rout of North Allegheny
After three straight losses here in the WPIAL finals, three words summed up Central Catholic’s mood this week: “Enough is enough.” This time, the Vikings were too much. Top-seeded Central Catholic scored on its first five possessions, played stifling defense and enacted the mercy rule early in the third quarter...
Central Catholic hopes to finally solve North Allegheny as teams clash again in WPIAL 6A final
Xxavier Thomas is about to play in his fourth WPIAL championship game, a rather rare feat accomplished by the Central Catholic senior. But he admits he expects more out of this one after three runner-up finishes. “Hopefully, we can come out victorious,” said Thomas, a Penn State-bound cornerback and wide...
Pine-Richland bulldozes Bethel Park to earn return trip to Class 5A finals
Josh Nindl celebrated Friday night with a WWE-style championship belt slung over his shoulder. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder and his big-bodied cohorts on the line proved they were ready for a heavyweight rumble. Top-seeded Pine-Richland used their combined muscle to win at the line of scrimmage and defeat No. 5 Bethel...
Quarterback’s quick return boosts No. 1 Pine-Richland for WPIAL semifinal vs. high-scoring Bethel Park
There were concerns Aaron “Oobi” Strader had broken his collarbone late in the regular season, an injury that would’ve cost top-seeded Pine-Richland its quarterback. The injury was painful but proved less severe than first feared, letting the dual-threat sophomore return for a limited role in last week’s quarterfinal win. Strader...
