Chris Harlan stories, Page 44
Deer Lakes hits 3-pointer in closing seconds, upsets No. 1 seed Steel Valley
The Deer Lakes boys are headed to the WPIAL finals for the first time in school history, and they’ll do so with a first-year coach leading the celebration. But before they could scream and shout Monday night, everyone in green and gold held their breath. Lancers senior Michael Butler made...
Longtime Beaver football coach, WPIAL Hall of Famer Pat Tarquinio dies
Longtime Beaver football coach Pat Tarquinio, who was one of the winningest coaches in WPIAL history, has died. Beaver athletic director Alan Alcalde announced his death Monday. Tarquinio won 241 games and three WPIAL titles at Beaver, where he coached from 1966-99. The Bobcats won WPIAL titles in 1972, ’81...
Penn Hills baffles North Hills with 3-pointers, alley-oops in WPIAL semifinal win
Penn Hills teammates Daemar Kelly and Julian Dugger have perfected their high-flying alley-oop this winter, mastering a play that shows their rare athleticism. Five times they connected Saturday. But it was a 6-foot junior who stayed far away from the rim who left North Hills coaches shaking their heads. Lamire...
Behind veteran standouts, talented freshmen, North Allegheny girls eye another WPIAL swimming title
North Allegheny’s Corky Semler has coached high school swimming for almost 40 years, so when he says this year’s freshman class is among his best, that’s worth noting. The Tigers had a dozen ninth graders qualify for the WPIAL championships March 2-3 at Pitt’s Trees Pool. Seven were seeded among...
Football coach Mike Collodi leaves Elizabeth Forward for Mt. Lebanon
A football player’s body language and how he carries himself are important to Mike Collodi, who was thrilled with the reception he received Thursday as Mt. Lebanon’s new coach. The former Elizabeth Forward coach met at the school with his new Blue Devils players and came away impressed. “I’m really...
Mt. Lebanon holds off Butler, reaches WPIAL semifinals for 5th time in 6 years
Three times in the fourth quarter, Mt. Lebanon’s Riley Farabaugh was sent to the foul line for a crucial one-and-one. In his mind, he was the right guy for the job. “I call myself a good free throw shooter, but you’ve got to have that confidence in yourself no matter...
No. 1 Lincoln Park survives WPIAL quarterfinal test from South Allegheny
Lincoln Park was held 25 points below its season average and didn’t make a 3-pointer all game, yet the WPIAL favorite in Class 4A is still alive. Sophomore star Meleek Thomas scored a game-high 23 points and top-seeded Lincoln Park played strong defense down the stretch to hold off No....
PIAA cracks down on ‘redshirt’ years taken by junior high athletes
The PIAA is cracking down on junior high athletes who take unofficial redshirt years. Under a new rule interpretation approved Wednesday, students who pass eighth grade and voluntarily repeat that grade will start using up their eight semesters of high school eligibility. The rule change impacts students currently in sixth...
WPIAL reveals new consolation brackets for basketball, includes 3rd-place games
The last time WPIAL basketball had a consolation bracket, the league used a combination of play-in games and follow-the-winner tiebreakers to qualify teams for the 2016 state tournament. This winter, the consolation brackets are back and more elaborate than last time. Now, all state playoff seeds will be decided on...
Amid coaching controversy, Steel Valley opens playoffs with win over McGuffey
Whenever Steel Valley’s Makhai Valentine glanced into the stands Monday night, he wasn’t looking for friends or family. That’s where his suspended head coach was sitting, five rows behind the team’s bench. Dale Chapman can’t coach the Ironmen in the playoffs, but he can attend their games and offer encouragement....
South Park football coach Marty Rieck resigns after 8 seasons
South Park football coach Marty Rieck, who won state titles with the Eagles as both a player and assistant coach, has resigned after eight seasons leading the program. His teams went 33-44 overall, qualified for the playoffs five times and once reached the WPIAL semifinals. South Park went 5-6 last...
Nationally ranked wrestlers among winners at Western Pa. Girls Championship
Three nationally ranked wrestlers were among the 13 champions crowned Sunday at the Western Pa. Girls Championship, an event that more than doubled in size since last winter. This was the second year for the tournament, which drew 81 athletes from WPIAL and City League schools to compete at North...
22 WPIAL football players picked for Big School East-West all-star game
Pine-Richland teammates Ryan Palmieri, Jake Beam, John Rottinghaus and Matt Nicely, who won a state title together in December, were among 22 WPIAL football players chosen for the Big School East-West all-star game. The East-West event consists of two games May 21 at Bishop McDevitt in Harrisburg. The big school...
North Allegheny girls regroup during long layoff before WPIAL Class 6A playoffs commence
WPIAL schedule-makers gave the North Allegheny girls almost two weeks off before the basketball playoffs, but the Tigers didn’t take a vacation. There were 11 days between the team’s regular-season finale and its playoff opener Feb. 23. Whether that downtime was good or bad for a team depends on what...
Small School East-West all-star game roster includes 16 from WPIAL, City League
Pitt recruit Braylan Lovelace of Leechburg and future Miami (Ohio) lineman Greg Smith of Steel Valley were among 16 WPIAL and City League players selected for the Small School East-West all-star game this year. The roster was announced Saturday. The East-West event consists of two games May 21 at Bishop...
Experienced backcourt leads No. 4 Gateway past Woodland Hills in WPIAL playoff opener
A backcourt led by experienced guards is a time-tested formula that works in March Madness, but it also wins games here in the WPIAL playoffs. Gateway coach Alvis Rogers can attest to both. Gators senior Jaydon Carr scored 20 points, senior Kaleb Pryor had 11 and fourth-seeded Gateway leaned on...
13 WPIAL, City League players chosen for 2023 Big 33 Football Classic
Thirteen players from the WPIAL and City League were selected to compete in this year’s Big 33 Football Classic. The Pennsylvania roster was announced Friday. The high school football all-star game is 7 p.m. May 28 at Bishop McDevitt in Harrisburg. The roster includes Aliquippa’s Neco Eberhardt, Armstrong’s Cadin Olsen,...
WPIAL brings back play-in games to determine state basketball playoff qualifiers
No more sitting and waiting. Many WPIAL basketball teams will have their state-playoff hopes in their own hands this winter with the return of a consolation bracket. Rather than the traditional follow-the-winner tiebreaker system used for years, the WPIAL will hold play-in games to decide some PIAA tournament qualifiers. The...
Choosing Hampton’s seed becomes tricky decision with leading scorer ineligible
The chairman of the WPIAL basketball committee largely avoided one of Monday’s most-interesting debates, since it was a topic close to his heart. Where to seed the Hampton boys? As a section champion with a 20-2 record, Hampton has a resume worthy of a top two seed. But the Talbots...
Breaking down the 2023 WPIAL boys basketball playoff brackets
A closer look at the WPIAL boys basketball playoffs, which begin Thursday night: Class 6A Favorite: New Castle was bumped up to the WPIAL’s largest classification this winter, but that move hasn’t slowed the Red Hurricanes. They’re led by a pair of 17-point scorers in seniors Jonathan Anderson and Isaiah...
WPIAL reveals basketball playoff brackets asking: ‘What have you done lately?’
If the season ended three days ago, the Penn Hills boys probably would’ve earned a No. 1 seed in the WPIAL basketball playoffs. So, too, might’ve Mohawk. Instead, losses in their section finales Friday night opened the door for Peters Township in Class 5A and Steel Valley in 3A to...
2023 WPIAL bracketology: HSSN forecasts the boys basketball playoff pairings
The Path to the Pete will be revealed Monday when the WPIAL basketball playoff pairings are announced at 3 p.m. on TribLive HSSN. While we wait to see what the WPIAL basketball committee decides, here’s a look at how HSSN’s Chris Harlan would seed the boys basketball brackets. Check out...
WPIAL girls basketball rankings: Week ending Feb. 12, 2023
Class 6A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Upper St. Clair, 19-2, 1 2. North Allegheny, 16-4, 2 3. Norwin, 19-3, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 15-6, 4 5. Chartiers Valley, 10-9, 5 Out: none Class 5A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. South Fayette, 19-2, 1 2. Oakland Catholic, 19-2, 2 3....
WPIAL boys basketball rankings: Week ending Feb. 12, 2023
Class 6A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. New Castle, 19-2, 1 2. Central Catholic, 13-8, 2 3. Upper St. Clair, 14-8, 4 4. Mt. Lebanon, 14-7, 5 5. Butler, 14-7, 3 Out: none Class 5A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Peters Township, 18-3, 2 2. Penn Hills, 16-3, 1 3....
North Allegheny set to host 2nd annual Western Pa. girls wrestling championship
About 35 athletes visited North Allegheny last winter for the first Western Pa. girls wrestling championship, a number that should more than double this time around. That’s how quickly the sport has grown. “I would imagine we’re probably going to be close to 80 to 100 girls,” said North Allegheny...
