Chris Harlan stories, Page 28
After injury to leading scorer, Shaler pulls together for PIAA win over Mechanicsburg
ALTOONA — Shaler leading scorer Keegan Smetanka was down on the court with a first-quarter ankle injury, so his teammates huddled quickly to discuss what to do next. They agreed to make the best of a bad situation. “I think it brought us together a little bit,” senior Kaden Orga...
Colin Masten gets to rim, helps Franklin Regional to PIAA 5A quarterfinals
ALTOONA — Colin Masten wears jersey No. 1, which was fitting Tuesday night because of how many times he made folks say, “And one!” The senior scored a game-high 21 points including a trio of three-point plays as Franklin Regional defeated District 4 champion Selinsgrove, 56-45, in a PIAA Class...
When WPIAL makes realignment decisions aiming for competitive balance, critics emerge
WPIAL athletic directors received a survey from one of their colleagues Monday, seeking feedback about how the league makes its sections and schedules. The online survey by McGuffey athletic director Ed Dalton, a critic of the WPIAL’s recent fall realignment, asked whether schools favored sections based on geography, competitive balance...
Butler senior Drew Griffith breaks national indoor high school track record in 2-mileVideo
This time it counts. Butler senior Drew Griffith broke a national indoor track record in the 2-mile run Sunday at the New Balance Nationals Indoor in Boston, earning an honor that eluded him last month on a technicality. Griffith beat the previous mark, which was set in 2013, by more...
Untimely scoring slumps end Baldwin’s historic season with PIAA loss to McDowell
The scoreboard in Baldwin’s gym showed a good news, bad news scenario for the Highlanders as the fourth quarter got underway Saturday. “They only had 41 points through three,” Baldwin coach Jeff Ackermann said of visiting Erie McDowell. “You’d think you could be winning if you hold them to 41....
Lincoln Park’s Brandin Cummings scores 28, says goodbye to beloved home court in PIAA win
Brandin Cummings kissed his hand before touching the Leopard logo on Lincoln Park’s basketball court, offering a kiss goodbye as his final home game was winding down. “My whole life, I’ve been playing in this gym,” said the Midland native, who grew up near the school. “I’m from here, so...
Upper St. Clair ends Baldwin’s WPIAL run with resounding victory in Class 6A final
“Let’s go dance,” Upper St. Clair coach Danny Holzer told his players, guiding them back to their Petersen Events Center locker room where they bounced and sang along to “Y-M-C-A.” There might be some debate about whether they’re the best dancers in the WPIAL, but the Panthers left Pitt’s arena...
North Allegheny divers follow different routes to WPIAL success
A gymnastics background can certainly help, but North Allegheny diving coach Patti McClure says she’s first looking for a kid with a “kamikaze” attitude. “I look at my divers and say, ‘Find me a friend who doesn’t care how they land in the water,’” McClure said with a laugh. “It’s...
Moon rallies past Franklin Regional to secure 5th WPIAL boys basketball title
One team got hot in the fourth quarter, and the other was not. Moon’s Michael Santicola broke a fourth-quarter tie with consecutive 3-pointers about a minute apart as the top-seeded Tigers rallied late to defeat No. 2 Franklin Regional, 53-48, in the WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball final Friday night...
2024 WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball championship breakdown: Upper St. Clair vs. Baldwin
WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball championship No. 3 Upper St. Clair vs. No. 4 Baldwin 7 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Audio broadcast: TribLive HSSN; Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Upper St. Clair 3 (1996, 2005, 2021), Baldwin 0 Upper St. Clair (19-5) Coach: Danny...
Butler AD: Agreement with PIAA will let football team play independent schedule
Butler has reached an agreement with the PIAA that will let the football team play an independent schedule this fall, the school’s athletic director said Friday. “I’m very grateful they listened to us and understood we’re trying to look out for the safety of our players,” Butler athletic director Bill...
Defensive-focused Lincoln Park beats Hampton to repeat as WPIAL champsVideo
The WPIAL knows Meleek Thomas best as an elite scorer for the league’s highest-scoring team, a combination that brought Lincoln Park to Petersen Events Center on Thursday night. But his offensive-minded Leopards reached the finals ready to play defense, with Thomas leading that effort, too. A 6-foot-4 guard considered one...
2024 WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship breakdown: Lincoln Park vs. Hampton
WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship No. 1 Lincoln Park vs. No. 2 Hampton 9 p.m. Thursday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Audio broadcast: TribLive HSSN; Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Lincoln Park 6 (2012, ’14, ’18, ’19, ’21, ’23), Hampton 1 (2009) Lincoln Park (22-3) Coach:...
2024 WPIAL Class A boys basketball championship breakdown: Imani Christian vs. Neighborhood Academy
WPIAL Class A boys basketball championship No. 1 Imani Christian vs. No. 2 Neighborhood Academy 5 p.m. Thursday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Audio broadcast: TribLive HSSN; Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Imani Christian 1 (2023), Neighborhood Academy 0 Imani Christian (13-10) Coach: Khayree Wilson Projected starting...
PIAA defends Aliquippa decision in letter to legislators; state Rep. Matzie sees ‘hit job’
The PIAA in a letter to state legislators stood behind its decision to move the Aliquippa football team into a higher classification and rejected claims that the school district serves a more transient population than others. The letter, sent to members of the Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee, was shared Tuesday...
Big man’s big game boosts Upper St. Clair past Central Catholic into WPIAL finals
Tyler Robbins’ first basket came a few minutes after halftime, but Upper St. Clair’s big man had already altered the outcome of Tuesday’s semifinal in other ways. Mainly by altering a bunch of shots. The 6-foot-9 junior had six blocks and grabbed 19 rebounds in a 61-46 win over defending...
Deer Lakes boys defeat Neshannock in OT, advance to WPIAL Class 3A title game
The path wasn’t easy, but defending champion Deer Lakes is headed back to the WPIAL boys basketball finals after a second straight overtime win. Nathaniel Moore made a game-tying layup with 2.9 seconds left in regulation, and No. 1 seed Deer Lakes ignored its earlier misses at the foul line...
WPIAL sets schedule for basketball finals at Petersen Events Center
The WPIAL has finalized the championship schedule for the boys and girls basketball playoffs with dates and times for each of the 12 finals. There are three games Thursday, four on Friday and five on Saturday at Petersen Events Center. The first day’s schedule is set with Imani Christian and...
Hampton cools off Avonworth’s red-hot scorer for spot in WPIAL 4A final
Hampton’s Peter Kramer has faced his share of unorthodox defenses over the years, schemes designed specifically to shut him down as a scorer. Some work, some don’t. That makes Kramer the perfect person to critique the efforts of teammate A.J. Prodente, whose job Saturday was to shadow Avonworth scorer Rowan...
Defending champion Lincoln Park holds off Uniontown for return trip to WPIAL finals
Uniontown had a couple of good looks at a go-ahead 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter and had possession of the ball down three with only a minute left. The Red Raiders certainly had chances to maybe knock off the reigning champion in a WPIAL semifinal Saturday, but against a...
Nearly a national record holder, Butler’s Drew Griffith running the best he ever has
Drew Griffith ran two miles in a historic time, faster than the all-time indoor best for high school boys, but the Butler senior’s name won’t appear in any national record book. While running last weekend at an invitational meet hosted by Notre Dame, Griffith won the 2-mile race in 8...
Baldwin celebrates 1st WPIAL playoff win in 21 years with victory over North Allegheny
Baldwin boys basketball coach Jeff Ackermann took his team to look at the school’s trophy case before Friday night’s playoff game. There wasn’t much to see, which was why he wanted them to look. “It’s barren,” Ackermann said. “There was James Wesling’s ball for 1,000 points and nothing much else....
PSFCA announces rosters for 2024 East-West all-star football games
Forty WPIAL and City League football players were selected Friday to take part in a pair of East-West all-star games organized by the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association. The two games — one for small-school athletes and one for large schools — are May 19 at Cumberland Valley High School...
WPIAL sets playoff sites, times for Monday’s basketball semifinals
The WPIAL has scheduled four semifinal doubleheaders in the basketball playoffs on Monday. The games are for Class 6A girls, 5A boys, 3A boys and A girls. The schedule includes a rematch between Franklin Regional and Shaler in the Class 5A boys bracket. The teams met in January for a...
Shaler pulls out low-scoring win over Bethel Park with 1 basket in 4th quarter
The numbers on the scoreboard sure seemed to be stuck. A few days after scoring more than 70 in its playoff opener, Shaler finished the third quarter Thursday tied at 24 in a grinding game that was playing right into its opponent’s plans. The Titans then made only one basket...
