Football
Big Game Hunting for Week Thirteen
November 23, 2016
The six-pack becomes a five-pack this week, not at all unlike when Steve Nagler is coming over to your house for the back-yard barbecue, one just seems to disappear before he gets to the picnic. It’s a pair of District Seven Championships at stake Saturday and the three largest classifications go to work in the PIAA Tournament “proper” this weekend as well. You can stuff yourself with turkey and the fixins, we will stuff you full of the best WPIAL football coverage in the land, let’s go Big Game Hunting!Friday HighLights AND Saturdays Scholastic Starz – 11/20/2016
November 20, 2016
There were eight WPIAL football games this past weekend. Half on Friday produced four district champions and the other half on Saturday produced four teams that are now one win away from bringing gridiron gold to their schools trophy case. here are the eight players who made it happen from both the sunny and warm North Shore of Pittsburgh on Friday, or the frozen tundra of four high school sites in Western Pa on Saturday. J.J. Younger - Pittsburgh Central CatholicThis Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/20/2016
Despite the fact that the football fans holiday of high school football at Heinz Field is in the books, there is still plenty of postseason football to feast on this week on the MSA Sports Network. The Road to RMU conclude with both the Class 2-A and Class 1-A WPIAL championship football games as well as the District 6 Class 1-A title game and five PIAA Quarterfinals state playoff football broadcasts, plus a pair of PIHL high school hockey games, this months edition of Carlow Sports Talk and a pre-holiday edition of This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 21st:WPIAL Football Semifinals Recaps 2016
November 19, 2016
The new high school football postseason format has some strange twists that will take some time getting used to. Usually after the four games in one day marathon at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, district high school football fans usually can unwind for another week prior to the WPIAL winners entering the PIAA playoffs. However less than 24 hours after the 6-A, 5-A, 4-A and 3-A champions were crowned at the big house on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, the 2-A and 1-A playoffs continued with the Semifinals, setting the stage for next Saturdays completion of The Road to RMU. Here are the summaries of those four high school football Semifinals games. A special thanks to Bob Gregg, Steve Nagler, Bob Barrickman and Jimmy Lee Santorella for their help on these recaps.Scholastic Notebook – 11/19/2016
When a roughing-the-kicker penalty gave D.J. Opsatnik another chance at a game-tying field goal in Friday’s WPIAL Class 5 championship at Heinz Field, Opsatnik took advantage, making a 34-yarder that sent the game into overtime. West Allegheny eventually defeated McKeesport, 38-37, to win the title. But not only did that penalty give Opsatnik another chance to tie the game, it ended up giving him a future chance at the state record for career field goals.
Central Catholic’s 6th WPIAL Title Comes in First 6-A Finals
Pittsburgh Central Catholic used its tried and true formula – a power running attack and suffocating defense – along with crucial special teams plays to secure the first 6A football title in WPIAL history, defeating Seneca Valley 42-7 at Heinz Field. In the process, the top-seeded Vikings (12-1) claimed their second-straight championship, and sixth in team history. All of the previous titles for Central Catholic came in Class Quad-A.
West Allegheny Wins First WPIAL 5-A Title in OT Thriller
November 18, 2016
The West Allegheny Indians made sure there was no miracle for McKeesport on Friday at Heinz Field, but the Indians may be the team believing in magic after defeating the Tigers 38-37 in dramatic fashion in overtime at Heinz Field in a thrilling game to become the first 5A WPIAL Champion. Any championship win is special for any team, but the special teams play for both McKeesport and West Allegheny played a huge part in shaping this title game.Chicks Picks for Week Twelve
November 17, 2016
Welcome to Week 12 of the high school football season. After an incredible performance predicting last week’s winners, Chick’s Picks decided that she could take the rest of the season off and leave it in the hands of her trusty crystal ball. So, she packed up her golf clubs and boarded a plane headed for her favorite southern destination. The sun was shining beautifully on a warm fall morning. Chick’s Picks took a moment to enjoy the view on the first hole. Just as she was about to tee off, she heard a man yell, “Hey!”Big Game Hunting for Week Twelve
Big Game Hunting salutes one of the all-time greats of the game. In addition to being one of the greatest football coaches southwestern Pennsylvania has ever known, George Novak was always more than helpful, more than kind and more than welcoming to me personally. He was all those things, win or lose, and he was all those things, first game of the year or championship game. That’s class, there is a striking lack of it in today’s society. He takes a big chunk into retirement with him. I wish him all the best and congratulate him on a fantastic career. Have fun coach! This weekend we get the odd situation of Championship Games on Friday followed by semi-finals on Saturday.
Woodland Hills’ Only Football Coach and AD George Novak Retires
November 16, 2016
The only football coach and athletic director that Woodland Hills High School has ever known submitted his resignation papers Wednesday. George Novak, Pennsylvania’s 14th all-time winningest high school football coach, is stepping down after an illustrious 30-year career. Novak, 66, has won six WPIAL Championships while guiding the Wolverines to 306 wins along the way, the third best mark in WPIAL history. Only former Blackhawk coach Joe Hamilton and current Upper St. Clair coach Jim Render have won more games. “I’ve been blessed,” Novak told MSA Sports on This Week in the WPIAL after his 300th win in September. “I’ve had some great people to work with at Steel Valley and Woodland Hills.”
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Jesse Zubik
November 14, 2016
While the Avonworth football team has been on the WPIAL radar courtesy of some impressive playoff runs in recent years, the play of a former Antelope is also making headlines. Former Avonworth standout Jesse Zubik has produced a monster season as Washington and Jefferson College, putting up some of the best receiving numbers in all of DIII football. Consequently, the latest installment of WPIAL Alum Q&A will take a closer look at Zubik. As a member of the Antelopes in 2012, Zubik notched 330 yards receiving and three touchdowns as a junior. That season, Avonworth concluded its campaign with a record of 5-5, including a first-round playoff loss to Rochester.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/13/2016
November 13, 2016
The Highway to Heinz comes to an end while the Road to RMU keeps truckin' into the Final Four this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The 2016 WPIAL football postseason continue with complete coverage of ALL four WPIAL championship games at Heinz Field with full day action from the 3-A, 5-Am 4-A and 6-A Finals along with all four WPIAL 2-A and 1-A Semifinals and concluding with a special edition of the WPIAL Scoreboard Show Saturday at 9:30pm. We also have PIAA and District 6 high school football playoff games on Friday and Saturday, plus PIAA boys soccer state playoff action and title game previews during This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 14th: No BroadcastsMSA Sports Friday Night HighLights for Week Eleven
November 12, 2016
On Friday, we appropriately tipped our caps to all the veterans past and present who have served this great country of ours. So now, we look back to Friday and tip our cap one final time for the standouts of the various postseason gridiron contests from around the district. There were 16 WPIAL playoff games in all, eight of which determined the lineup for the four finals at Heinz Field and eight that decided the Final Four teams in the two smallest classifications. Whatever the case, here are the ten players who shined bright in leading their teams to the big house on the North Shore or into Semifinals Saturday. Jack Cook - Seneca ValleyWPIAL Football Friday Playoff Summaries – 11/12/2016
The first district postseason on different paths continued on Friday with the final stop on the Highway to Heinz for 6-A, 5-A, 4-A and 3-A playing its Semifinals games while the Road to RMU hit the midway point as Quarterfinals Friday set the stage for the Final Four next Saturday. 13 of the 16 games were decided by double digits points with plenty of them ending in mercy rule fashion, however the three nail-biters that literally came down to the final play drummed up enough excitement to carry the night and make this a memorable round. Here are recaps form all 16 games played around the WPIAL on the second Friday of the district postseason.Scholastic Notebook – 11/11/2016
November 11, 2016
The latest national high school rankings were released earlier this week and there is a WPIAL team at No. 3 in the country. You might be thinking that Pittsburgh Central Catholic is gaining more national acclaim. But this has nothing to do with Central Catholic, or any other WPIAL team. In fact, this has nothing to do with football. We’re talking girls soccer. The Norwin girls are the No. 3 team in the country in the weekly National Soccer Coaches Association of America rankings. Norwin’s impressive season has jumped the Knights up the rankings. They were No. 10 two weeks ago, and No. 4 last week. The only teams ranked ahead of Norwin are Davis High School (Utah) and Glastonbury (Conn.).WPIAL Football Playoff Scores for Friday 11/11
November 10, 2016
First and foremost on this second Friday of district postseason play, WE SALUTE ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE STEPPED UP AND SERVED THIS GREAT COUNTRY OF OURS!!!! Secondly, the 16 games played Friday around the WPIAL set the final menu for the four title games in 6-A, 5-A, 4-A and 3-A at Heinz Field next Friday as well as filled the Final Four slate in 2-A and 1-A next Saturday. Here are ALL the results of the 16 games, ALL of which can be heard again ONLY here on the MSA Sports Network. ALL games can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS 6-A Semifinals: Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 63 - Pine-Richland Rams 34 (F)Western Pa High School Football District Playoff Results
While the Highway to Heinz and the Road to RMU continued on Friday in the WPIAL football playoffs, high school postseason gridiron action continued elsewhere in other districts this weekend. Here is a rundown of ALL the final high school football playoff scores from District 8, District 5, District 6, District 9 and District 10 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday that will set the stage for Round One of the PIAA Playoffs next weekend. DISTRICT 5: CLASS 2-A Championship: Chestnut Ridge Lions 41 - Berlin-Brothersvalley Mountaineers 7 DISTRICT 5: CLASS 1-A Championship:Chicks Picks for Week Eleven
Welcome to Week 11 of the high school football season. Despite being 11 weeks into the season, Chick’s Picks is still having difficult time adjusting to the six classification system. At this critical point in the season, Chick’s Picks knew she needed a meeting with the Boss. After a hard day at work, Chick’s Picks stopped by MSA Sports World Headquarters to voice her concerns to the man in charge. “Boss, I hate to admit it, but I’m lost. Between the Highway to Heinz and the Road to RMU, I don’t know which way to go,” the prognosticator confessed.Big Game Hunting for Week Eleven
November 9, 2016
Call it what you like, redemption Friday, redo Friday, rematch Friday, every single game in the three largest classifications this Friday night is a game that was already played at some point during the regular season. We prefer to call it the semi-finals, and there is no better time to go Big Game Hunting! The suddenness with which the semi-finals jump up on us in 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A is a little unnerving. But hey, we got a new President recently, let’s find out if we are going to get some new champions as well.
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Shavonta Craft
Jeannette's football tradition is nearly unparalleled in the district, and the Jayhawks have produced a bevy of college and even professional players in recent years. While some of those athletes have played football throughout the country, Shavonta Craft continued his career just a few miles from his high school. Craft, a running back, is about to conclude his tenure at St. Vincent College. He's the featured athlete in this week's edition of the WPIAL Alum Q&A.
