Chris Harlan stories, Page 37
PIAA changes how it counts students, likely increasing public school enrollment numbers
Public schools will see their enrollments increase in the next few months, at least according to PIAA statistics. The PIAA is changing the formula used to count students, which might cause some sports teams to unexpectedly move into a different classification for the 2024-25 school year. Currently, school districts count...
NIL violations will leave high school athletes ineligible under new PIAA policy
Pennsylvania high school athletes who repeatedly violate name, image and likeness rules would lose their eligibility entirely under penalties adopted Wednesday by the PIAA. The PIAA board approved a three strikes approach for violations of the NIL rules enacted last winter. A student’s period of ineligibility increases with each violation,...
5 things we learned in Week 2: Rough night for defending WPIAL champions
Week 2 was a rough night for defending WPIAL champions. Three of the six teams that celebrated district titles last season were defeated Friday, with Pine-Richland, Steel Valley and Union all taking losses. But Pine-Richland knows better than anyone that it’s a long football season and one game doesn’t define...
Trib HSSN WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Sept. 10, 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 3-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 3-0, 2 3. Mt. Lebanon, 3-0, 4 4. Canon-McMillan, 2-1, 3 5. Seneca Valley, 0-3, 5 Class 5A 1. Penn Hills, 3-0, 1 2. Peters Township, 3-0, 3 3. Upper St. Clair, 3-0,...
Injured Laurel Highlands football player Antwan Black, flown by medical helicopter, ‘in good spirits’
As injured teammate Antwan Black Jr. was on his way to the hospital, first by ambulance and then by helicopter, Laurel Highlands players had a tough decision to make. Should they play the final 34 seconds or cancel the rest of the game? “We just kind of said, ‘This is...
North Allegheny reloads lineup in quest for 7th straight PIAA volleyball title
First-time starters on the North Allegheny girls volleyball team surely have more seasoning than most since they’ve practiced for years against a state championship lineup. The six-time defending champions sure hope so, because they’re relying on new faces in their quest for seven. “We’re lucky because our second side is...
Quarterback Julian Dugger shows his versatility as No. 1 Penn Hills holds off No. 2 Pine-Richland
It’s no exaggeration when Penn Hills quarterback Julian Dugger says he did everything he could to win this one. After Dugger passed for two touchdowns, rushed for two more and served as the team’s punter, he joined the defense in the final seconds when the Indians were shorthanded in the...
5 things to watch in Week 2: WPIAL teams are winning with multiple QBs
There’s an old saying about football teams with two starting quarterbacks actually having none, but Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak clearly disagrees. This year, the Jaguars have two QBs and they’re finding success with both. Senior quarterback Brody Evans and junior Luke Kosko have rotated every two possessions this season,...
‘Champs until proven otherwise:’ Penn Hills challenges Pine-Richland in No. 1 vs. 2 clash
Penn Hills is ranked No. 1 in WPIAL football, but Pine-Richland is the reigning conference, WPIAL and PIAA champion until someone takes those titles away. That’s how Penn Hills coach Charles Morris sees the situation. “They’re the state champs. They’re the WPIAL champs. I’ve got the old school mentality: In...
Aliquippa running back Tiqwai Hayes narrows college options to Top 8
College football teams from the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 are among the eight favorites to land Aliquippa running back Tiqwai Hayes. The junior on Tuesday announced a top eight recruiting list that included Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia, along with Cincinnati, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio...
5 things we learned in high school football Week 1: Longtime Bethel Park coach returns but on opposite sideline
Seeing Jeff Metheny at Bethel Park’s football stadium isn’t unusual, but seeing the longtime Black Hawks coach wearing Mt. Lebanon colors certainly is. Metheny won more than 200 games as a head coach himself and returned to WPIAL sidelines this fall as an assistant for new Mt. Lebanon coach Mike...
Trib HSSN WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Sept. 3, 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 2-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 2-0, 2 3. Mt. Lebanon, 2-0, 4 4. Canon-McMillan, 1-1, 3 5. Seneca Valley, 0-2, 5 Class 5A 1. Penn Hills, 2-0, 1 2. Pine-Richland, 1-1, 3 3. Peters Township, 2-0, 5 4....
Mt. Lebanon tops rival Bethel Park in overtime, avenging last year’s OT loss
Mt. Lebanon thought they’d won and then were sure they’d lost, so the surprised smile junior Noah Schaerli showed afterward summed up Friday’s win perfectly. “It was unbelievable,” said Schaerli, who caught an 8-yard touchdown pass in overtime to secure Mt. Lebanon’s 19-16 win over host Bethel Park in a...
Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon ignore talk of ‘down year’ after coaching change, graduations
New head coaches. Rosters hurt by graduation. Bethel Park and Mt. Lebanon came into this football season with similar situations. “I think there’s a lot of people who thought we maybe would be a little bit down this year from where we were last year because of graduation,” said first-year...
5 things to watch in Week 1: A red-letter day in Aliquippa as the new Heinz Field opens
Not only is Aliquippa’s new football stadium named Heinz Field, but like its North Shore namesake, the Red Zone should be popular. When the Quips cross the 20-yard line, the stadium’s new LED lights will flash red, Aliquippa athletic director Jennifer Damico said. The first game at the new stadium...
5 things we learned in Week Zero: New coaches find success quickly
Central Catholic players were kneeling around new coach Ryan Lehmeier in a postgame circle when longtime Vikings assistant Ron Fuchs spoke up. “A head coach only gets one first victory,” Fuchs announced, while praising Lehmeier’s leadership skills and “infectious” excitement since becoming the team’s coach. “In 25 years, I’ve seen...
Trib HSSN WPIAL high school football rankings: Week ending Aug. 27, 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 1-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 1-0, 2 3. Canon-McMillan, 1-0, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 1-0, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 0-1, 5 Class 5A 1. Penn Hills, 1-0, 2 2. Gateway, 0-1, 1 3. Pine-Richland, 0-1, 3 4. Bethel...
Central Catholic routs Woodland Hills in Ryan Lehmeier’s debut as Vikings coach
There’s no question Ryan Lehmeier’s reputation as a motivator and sharp offensive mind enticed Central Catholic to hire him as a first-time head coach. One game into his Vikings tenure, that reputation remains solidly intact. Wide receiver Peter Gonzalez caught a touchdown on Central Catholic’s opening drive, the first of...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the new coaches
TribLive HSSN broke down the top players at one position per day leading up to Week Zero. Now, here’s a look at the top coaching changes for the 2023 season. 1. Ryan Lehmeier Central Catholic Lehmeier, a former offensive coordinator at Seneca Valley and Pine-Richland, is a first-time head coach....
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the specialists
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top specialists for the 2023 season. 1. Bennett Henderson Upper St. Clair Senior, 5-11, 170 Henderson kicked a WPIAL-best 10 field goals last season, following up a sophomore season...
High school teams go high tech: Local football programs invest in innovative tools
North Allegheny’s Art Walker has coached long enough to remember when filming practice required a bulky camcorder and tapes. “When I started, it was VHS and then the smaller tapes and then DVDs,” said Walker, who is entering his 26th season as a head football coach. “Now the video is...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the safeties
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top safeties for the 2023 season. 1. Jason Cross Bishop Canevin Senior, 6-1, 170 The West Virginia recruit reached the WPIAL finals as a sophomore and junior, and will...
Bishop Canevin gets back to basics in quest to return to top of WPIAL Class A heap
Bishop Canevin coach Rich Johnson believes his team will be boring at times this season, and he’s excited to see it. The duller the better. “We need to get better at boring football,” said Johnson, entering his fourth season. “We come out here (on the practice field) and we’re exciting....
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the cornerbacks
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top cornerbacks for the 2023 season. 1. Kyshawn Robinson Westinghouse Sophomore, 5-10, 165 As a freshman, Robinson was somewhat overshadowed when Westinghouse reached the state finals with a senior-heavy...
PIAA upholds 1-year suspension for Shady Side Academy girls basketball coach Jonna Burke
The PIAA sided with the WPIAL on Tuesday and upheld the one-year suspension of Shady Side Academy girls basketball coach Jonna Burke. The decision came after a 90-minute appeal hearing in which Burke’s attorney argued that the longtime coach did not violate PIAA recruiting rules when she sent a direct...
