Chris Harlan stories, Page 3
McKeesport ‘getting healthy’ just in time for Greater Allegheny battle with No. 1 Mars
Status updates from the training staff became all too common for McKeesport coach Matt Miller, whose football team suffered a rash of injuries this season. Eventually, it wasn’t just the trainers. “Unfortunately, it actually got worse,” said Miller, who didn’t want anyone to rush back too soon. “We were checking...
PIAA endorses basketball shot clock for 2nd time with final vote ahead
The PIAA is one step away from adding a shot clock to high school basketball games statewide. A much-debated proposal to start using the clocks in the 2028-29 season earned a second vote of approval Wednesday when the PIAA board met in Mechanicsburg. The tentative plan must pass a third...
Former WPIAL record holder heard footsteps before Fox Chapel kicker booted 57-yarder
East Allegheny teacher Josh Miller woke up early Saturday morning to a half-dozen text messages, each sharing a video of Fox Chapel’s Harran Zureikat kicking a field goal the night before. Miller knew what that meant. “When (Rocco Marcantonio) from Hopewell hit a 55-yarder last year, everyone texted me. And...
2nd-half rallies spark Friday night comebacks — 5 Things We Learned in Week 6
There was no fiery halftime speech in Trinity’s locker room when the Hillers found themselves down by 15 points on Friday night. Coach Dan Knause said he didn’t see a need for one. “Honestly, the longer you coach, you learn the less you say the better it is sometimes,” Knause...
Trib HSSN WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Oct. 5, 2025
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 6-1, 1 2. North Allegheny, 6-1, 2 3. Norwin, 5-2, 3 4. Hempfield, 4-3, 4 5. Canon-McMillan 4-3, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Pine-Richland, 6-1, 1 2. Peters Township, 7-0, 2 3. Woodland Hills, 5-2, 3 4. Upper St. Clair,...
Freshman Marino Graham powers Parkway-leading New Castle past No. 4 Montour
If last week’s win wasn’t already enough, then quarterback Marino Graham says this one surely proves New Castle is for real. The star freshman rushed for four touchdowns and passed for another as host New Castle defeated No. 4 Montour, 34-14, on Friday night at Taggart Stadium. The resurgent Red...
Former college coach has Chartiers Valley football winning again — 5 things to watch in Week 6
Chartiers Valley’s Steve Spence jokingly says there’s at least one difference between coaching football in college or high school. “In college, when things are going badly at practice, you can threaten them with, ‘Hey, we’re going to be here all night,’” Spence said with a laugh. “In high school, if...
Sparks will fly when resurgent New Castle hosts Montour in Parkway battle
Fireworks punctuate every New Castle touchdown at Taggart Stadium, a home-field tradition that the Red Hurricanes have enjoyed even more lately. Might the budget need an increase? “We always have a plethora of fireworks here,” New Castle coach Fred Mozzocio said. “It’s the fireworks capital of the world.” But the...
Quick study Alyssa Zhang of Shady Side Academy repeats as WPIAL 2A golf champ
Alyssa Zhang needed to learn more about Sewickley Heights Golf Club with each shot she took Wednesday, and the Shady Side Academy sophomore was a quick study. She’d passed up a practice round a couple of days earlier yet defended her WPIAL Class 2A title with a six-shot victory on...
Fueled by runner-up finish, Elizabeth Forward’s Mya Morgan wins 2nd WPIAL 3A golf title
Elizabeth Forward’s Mya Morgan was playing in a foursome with the golfer who beat her in last year’s WPIAL championship, but don’t call this a grudge match. “I don’t hold grudges,” said the senior. “I think everyone deserves what they get.” But Morgan, the 2023 WPIAL champion, freely admits she...
Fox Chapel proposes WPIAL football alignment based on roster size, win-loss records
Rather than separate football teams by school enrollment, should roster size and win-loss records be considered when the WPIAL creates new conferences? A proposal recently sent to the WPIAL office would do just that. In a plan spearheaded by Fox Chapel athletic director Mike O’Brien that was made public Tuesday,...
Western Beaver starts 6-0 for 1st time in 20 years — 5 things we learned in Week 5
Western Beaver football is shining brightly nowadays and it’s not just the new lights above Rich Niedbala Field. The team is 6-0 for the first time in 20 years. That’s thanks in part to a running back with the perfect first name for starring in a “Western.” Instead of a...
WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Sept. 28, 2025
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 5-1, 1 2. North Allegheny, 5-1, 2 3. Norwin, 4-2, 3 4. Hempfield, 4-2, 5 5. Canon-McMillan 3-3, 4 Out: none Class 5A 1. Pine-Richland, 5-1, 1 2. Peters Township, 6-0, 2 3. Woodland Hills, 4-2, 4 4. Upper St. Clair,...
No. 2 Peters Township’s last-minute defensive stand seals victory over No. 3 Upper St. Clair
The offenses gained momentum after halftime with three lead changes, but nobody was too surprised that Peters Township vs. Upper St. Clair eventually came down to the defenses. Each side delivered a late defensive stop. Ultimately, a last-minute stand 12 yards from its own end zone let Peters Township escape...
2 schools request opponents show mercy with shorter quarters — 5 things to watch in Week 5
Forty-eight minutes is the length of a typical WPIAL football game, but at least one contest this week will be notably shorter. Fox Chapel and Baldwin each asked their opponents this week to show mercy and reduce the length of their conference games Friday night, though Baldwin later rescinded its...
Allegheny Six rivals Peters Township, Upper St. Clair won’t ease into conference slate
The biggest games usually arrive a little later in the season, but Peters Township and Upper St. Clair won’t be easing into their conference schedules this year. The South Hills rivals meet in an Allegheny Six opener Friday night. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Week 7 or Week 8 or...
Baldwin coach says he will work with player fighting in viral video, not ‘throw him away’
Baldwin football coach Dana Brown Jr. saw the social media comments saying he should immediately kick a player off the team for unsportsmanlike actions captured Friday in a viral video. Brown strongly disagrees. The third-year coach condemned the player’s actions — twisting the helmet off an opponent and taking a...
5 things we learned in high school football Week 4: Fort Cherry star, Hopewell kicker make history
Fort Cherry’s offense was gathered for a timeout when the Rangers’ coach shared some news: Quarterback Matt Sieg was about to break a record. Tanner Garry says he typically wouldn’t worry about that kind of accomplishment in the middle of a drive, but there were only seconds left until halftime,...
WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Sept. 21, 2025
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 4-1, 1 2. North Allegheny, 5-0, 2 3. Norwin, 3-2, 3 4. Canon-McMillan 3-2, 5 5. Hempfield, 3-2, 4 Out: none Class 5A 1. Pine-Richland, 4-1, 1 2. Peters Township, 5-0, 2 3. Upper St. Clair, 5-0, 3...
Top-ranked Avonworth exploits ‘any little mistake’ in lopsided win over Hopewell
Hopewell has a young quarterback who’s full of promise, but Avonworth’s Luca Neal pounced when he spotted a risky throw by the sophomore. No do-overs here. “If you give us any little mistake, we jump on it,” said Neal, who returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown Friday night...
5 things to watch in Week 4 of high school football
The website MaxPreps.com predicted McKeesport would not only win a WPIAL title this year but also add a state championship. That prognostication came early last month, and the Tigers may very well celebrate their first PIAA title in 20 years come December. But an ankle injury to McKeesport junior Kemon...
Red-hot Avonworth brings diversified offense into matchup with high-scoring Hopewell
Avonworth’s offense relies on a group effort in more ways than one. Five different players have scored a touchdown this season, balancing out an attack that can both run and pass. But four different coaches could’ve called those scoring plays, adding another wrinkle to one of the WPIAL’s top offenses....
Quaker Valley basketball star Mimi Thiero commits to Maryland
Two weeks after cutting her college basketball choices to a dozen schools, Quaker Valley’s Mimi Thiero whittled her list all the way to one. The 6-foot-4 senior committed to Maryland on Wednesday, choosing a Big Ten program that just made a trip to the NCAA’s Sweet 16. Thiero announced her...
Penn State-bound wideout Khalil Taylor eligible for playoffs at Pine-Richland
Pine-Richland’s Khalil Taylor had a busy day. A junior wide receiver and Penn State commit, Taylor received a recruiting visit from Nittany Lions coach James Franklin on Monday. A short time later, his school learned Taylor would be eligible to play in this year’s football playoffs. Taylor’s postseason eligibility was...
5 things we learned in H.S. football Week 3: Plenty to chew on after Hopewell-Beaver clash
When Matt Mottes went out for breakfast Saturday morning, the Hopewell coach sat and listened to a recap of one of the wildest games of the year. Hopewell and Beaver combined for more than 1,300 yards and 101 points Friday in a high-scoring affair that stuffed the stat sheet. Each...
