Football
Big Game Hunting for Week One 2016
August 31, 2016
Big Game Hunting gets bigger! Nothing wrong with that, right? 2016 and our weekly four-pack gets rounded out to an actual 6-pack. While I am not a fan yet of six classifications; I am willing to give it a try and I am a huge fan of six-packs. When someone shows up at your door and they have a six-pack, they are automatically your friend. Well in 2016 I will be showing up at your door with a six-pack every week, so that will make us friends. That’s a good thing and so is more football talk, and so is researching and writing about 150% of the games for the same amount of money right? Er…. Without further ado, let’s for the first time in 2016, go Big Game Hunting!
CTK ’16: MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten – 1-A
Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each of the six classifications. With days to go before the 2016 WPIAL football season kicks off for all with Week One, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams...with the Top Ten in Class 1-A. Final 2015 record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS 1-A PRE-SEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. CLAIRTON BEARS (13-1) (Week One - host #4 Bishop Canevin on MSA) 2. JEANNETTE JAYHAWKS (11-2) (Week One - at Chartiers-Houston)
CTK ’16: Pittsburgh City League Preview
The hottest topic in high school football in the WPIAL and around the state this season has been the six classifications. The addition of two classes has moved many teams to new classifications in the WPIAL. Everyone has to get used to how many A’s are next to teams. The same goes with the City League. City League teams have different classifications now also. Although all six are in one league, they can go to the postseason in different classifications. The largest school in the City is Allderdice and it is a Class 6A team. Brashear is in 5A. Carrick and University Prep are both Class 4A while Perry is 3A. Obama and Westinghouse are 2A. So, there are six teams in five different classes. Here is a look at the City teams:
CTK ’16: MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten – 2-A
August 30, 2016
Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each of the six classifications. With days to go before the 2016 WPIAL football season kicks off for all with Week One, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams...with the Top Ten in Class 2-A. Final 2015 record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS 2-A PRE-SEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. STEEL VALLEY IRONMEN (10-2) (Week One - at Riverside) 2. WASHINGTON LITTLE PREXIES (10-1) (Week One - at Charleroi on MSA)
CTK ’16: 1-A Big 7 Conference Preview
Many things have changed in the WPIAL football world but one thing that hasn’t is the Big Seven Conference. All but one of the current teams has been a conference member at some point and the addition of Northgate will only add to the offensive firepower that teams have shown over the years. With the change of classifications also comes a change in the playoff format. The top 5 teams will make the post-season along with a wild card. Should a Big Seven team be successful on the playoff road, Heinz Field will not be at the off ramp. The AA and A championship games will be played at Robert Morris’ Joe Walton Stadium, which also serves as the home of the OLSH Chargers. Below is a preview of every team and the predicted order of finish for the season ahead.
CTK ’16: MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten – 3-A
August 29, 2016
Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each of the six classifications. With days to go before the 2016 WPIAL football season kicks off for all with Week One, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams...with the Top Ten in Class 3-A. Final 2015 record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS 3-A PRE-SEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. BEAVER FALLS TIGERS (9-2) (Week One - vs #2 Aliquippa on MSA) 2. ALIQUIPPA QUIPS (15-1) (Week One - at #1 Beaver Falls on MSA)
CTK ’16: 1-A Tri-County South Conference Preview
Frazier gave the much-maligned Tri-County South Conference some respect last season. The Commodores were undefeated until losing in the WPIAL semifinals to Clairton. A new year brings new classifications in the WPIAL and a slightly altered Tri-County South Conference. Frazier is gone. So is Beth-Center. So is Bentworth. All three of them are now in Class 2A under the state’s new six-class sytem. Six members of the Tri-County South last year stayed in the conference. Monessen and Fort Cherry are new this year. There doesn’t seem to be a prohibitive favorite to win the conference. Some expect Monessen to be the frontrunner, but the Greyhounds lost a Week 0 game to Charleroi last Friday. Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan and Avella have experienced teams returning.
CTK ’16: 1-A Eastern Conference Preview
August 28, 2016
Most of the time, the Clairton Bears have a perfect view from the top of the Eastern Conference. Will anyone get in the way of that view this year? Clairton has won the Eastern Conference championship outright nine of the past 10 years. Every time, the Bears finished with a perfect record. Over the past decade, the only time Clairton didn’t finish perfect in conference play was 2013, when the Bears tied for first with Monessen and Fort Cherry. Just about everybody picks Clairton as the No. 1 team in WPIAL Class 1A this season. But Jeannette seems primed to give the Bears a challenge.2016 WPIAL Football Standings – 08/28
Here are the latest WPIAL football standings through Week Zero of the 2016 high school football season. Once again this year, we have added points for and points against as well as the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 122 WPIAL teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. (Top 4 teams from both conferences in 6-A, 5-A and 4-A qualify for the playoffs) (Top 2 teams from the three conferences in 3-A along with two third place wild cards qualify for the playoffs) (Top 5 teams from the three conference in 2-A and 1-A along with one sixth place wild card qualify for the playoffs) # = Clinched Section Title * = Clinched Playoff Berth x = Eliminated From Playoff ChaseMSA Sports Saturdays Scholastic Starz
It was a tough Day Two of Week Zero for the WPIAL in matchups against teams from out of the district. District 7 teams were 1-3 in those matchups and winless in three games against teams from outside of Pennsylvania. Win or lose, here are the top five performances from WPIAL teams on what will be the busiest high school football Saturday of the entire 2016 campaign. Phil Jurkovec - Pine-Richland
CTK ’16: 2-A Century Conference Preview
August 27, 2016
The Century Conference has been dominated lately by South Fayette, which won four consecutive conference championships from 2012-15. But there will no longer be a roar of the Lions in the Century. With the new six-classification system, there is still a Century Conference. But South Fayette no longer is part of it. South Fayette is now part of Class 4A. So there will be a new champion this year. Almost everyone points toward Washington as the team that will win it. But will there still be a “game of the Century?” Here is a look at the Century Conference: BENTWORTH BEARCATSMSA Sports Friday Night HighLights for Week Zero
I was never a math wizard, but I was always told that zero = nothing. Well these athletes have spit in the faces of mathematicians everywhere by proving that Zero actually can equate into a whole lot. Once again this season, MSA Sports looks back at some of the top performances from Friday nights around the WPIAL as we tip our first caps to those who proved that they did not need a second scrimmage to be ready for primetime. Jordan Castelli - Canon-McMillanWPIAL Football Scores for Sat 8/27
No surprise that the play on the field from the first Friday of the season could be described as a bit sloppy...and a bit on the warm side. If you thought last night was hot, games played Saturday afternoon were scorchers. Six more games were played on this opening weekend to conclude the first ever Week Zero, including four games that matched WPIAL teams against opponents out of the district. Also, five of the six contests were heard right here on the MSA Sports Network, including bookend games involving 2015 WPIAL champions Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Aliquippa. Here the the final results from the first Saturday of the season. CLASS 6-A Non-Conference: St. John College Cadets 35 - Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 14
CTK ’16: 2-A Midwestern Athletic Conference Preview
August 26, 2016
The Midwestern Athletic Conference has had a rich history. In the 60’s and 70’s it was New Castle, showing why the Red Hurricanes are among Pennsylvania’s most historic programs. The late 80’s brought the addition of Aliquippa, setting up historic meetings with Riverside. Since the mid 90’s, the conference hadn’t changed much as the Quips, along with Beaver Falls, New Brighton and Beaver have been at the top of the standings. With the move to 6 classes, some new teams take up residence in the MAC. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Neshannock, Riverside and South Side move up to AA, while Freedom, Laurel, Mohawk and New Brighton look to add to the history of the MAC.WPIAL and City League Football Scores for Fri 8/26
For the first time ever, the high school football season opens up not in Week One, but in the newly created Week Zero. When the PIAA gave members schools across the 12 districts the choice between playing a second scrimmage and a Week Zero non-conference game, it was a split decision in the WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League, with half the schools staying old school with a second scrimmage on Friday and the other half going Primetime with actual games. Here are the First Friday night high school football district results 'officially' kicking off the new six classification era. WPIAL CLASS 6-A Non-Conference: Olentangy Liberty Patriots (Oh) 30 North Allegheny Tigers 29 (F)
CTK ’16: 2-A Three Rivers Conference Preview
The Three Rivers Conference was demolished after 1999, just two years before Three Rivers Stadium was demolished. But the Three Rivers Conference has come back to life. With six classifications in Pennsylvania football this year, new conferences were formed in the WPIAL. The eight teams in this Class 2A section decided to call themselves the Three Rivers Conference. The funny thing is, only one team (Carlynton) that is a member of the Three Rivers this season also was in the last Three Rivers Conference in 1999. Here is a look at the new Three Rivers Conference: AVONWORTH ANTELOPES The Antelopes will look a lot different this year. Why? Because they don’t have a quarterback who set a WPIAL record last season.
CTK ’16: MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten – 4-A
August 24, 2016
Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each of the six classifications. With days to go before the 2016 WPIAL football season kicks off with Week Zero, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams...with the Top Ten in Class 4-A. Final 2015 record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS 4-A PRE-SEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. SOUTH FAYETTE LIONS (12-1) (Week Zero - vs Central Valley on MSA) 2. THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS (11-3) (Week Zero - scrimmage vs Baldwin)
CTK ’16: 3-A Interstate Conference Preview
You could say the road to the top of the Interstate has gone through Washington in recent years. Washington won the Class 2A Interstate Conference three of the past four years. But a journey through the Interstate this year will not include a stop at Washington. Under the new classification system, Washington is longer in the Interstate. The Little Prexies are a Class 2A team. The departure of Washington isn’t the only change in the Interstate. Charleroi, Burgettstown and Brownsville also have dropped to Class 2A. Meanwhile, the Interstate adds Elizabeth Forward and Yough, which played in 3A last season. Also, South Park moves over from the old 2A Century Conference. Here is a look at this year’s Interstate: DERRY TROJANS
CTK ’16: MSA Sports Preseason Top Ten – 5-A
August 23, 2016
Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each of the six classifications. With days to go before the 2016 WPIAL football season kicks off with Week Zero, we present our Preseason Top Ten teams...with the Top Ten in Class 5-A. Final 2015 record is in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS 5-A PRE-SEASON WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS (8-3) (Week Zero - scrimmage vs Trinity) 2. UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (5-5) (Week Zero - scrimmage vs Franklin Regional)
CTK ’16: 3-A Allegheny Conference Preview
The Allegheny Conference in the new six classification format looks a lot like the old Allegheny Conference – with a little southern flavor to it. Six of the teams in the 2016 Allegheny are longtime members Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Shady Side Academy and Valley. Those who departed are Highlands, West Shamokin and Summit Academy. Highlands will play in 4A, Summit Academy in 1A while West Shamokin dropped out of the WPIAL.
