Football
WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz – Week Eight
October 25, 2015
With only two games on the Week 8 Saturday docket, lets give a team of the cap to Western Beaver. Going into Saturdays game, the Golden Beavers were 0-7 and had scored only 29 points in a looooong year. They fell behind playoff bound Union 19-0 after one quarter and could have rolled over and taken it on the chin again. But Matt Gray's team badly outplayed the Scotties the final three quarters and if not for two touchdowns called back and a dropped touchdown late, could have and should have pulled off the stunning upset. A great effort and kudos to Western Beaver. Nasan Tibbens - RiverviewWPIAL Saturday Football Scores – 10/24/2015
October 24, 2015
For the second week in a row, the WPIAL football schedule was loaded for bear on Friday night, thus leaving only a couple of scraps for the Saturday slate. Only two games were on the docket on this eighth Saturday of the season with very little at stake outside of civic pride and a possible home first round playoff game for one visiting squad. Here are both of the final results from Saturday afternoon. WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference: Riverview Raiders 40 - Wilkinsburg Tigers 6 WPIAL CLASS A Big 7 Conference: Union Scotties 25 - Western Beaver Golden Beavers 22 (MSA)WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Week Eight 2015
What a night for high school football in District 7. The skies were clear and the temps above average for late October, some teams clinched conference titles while others earned home field advantage in Round One and others still earned the right to participate in the upcoming postseason. Plus it turned out to be a record setting night for one junior running back. All this and the real fireworks don't begin for another two weeks. Here are some of the top standouts from the eighth Friday of the WPIAL football season. Duane Brown - Apollo-RidgeWPIAL/City League Friday Football Scores – 10/22/2015
October 22, 2015
The busiest Friday of the year (well, tied for busiest with Week 7) had plenty of games that clinched a postseason berth for some while ending the playoff hopes of others. That was part of what made Week Eight so great. First place or a share there of was up for grabs in the Northern Eight, Southeastern, Century and Black Hills Conferences on a cool and crisp Friday night in late October. Here are all of the high school football final results from both the WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Northern Eight Conference: Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 35 - Pine-Richland Rams 28 (F) North Hills Indians 35 - Shaler Titans 7 (F) Butler Golden Tornado 30 - Fox Chapel Foxes 22 (F)Chicks Picks – Week 8
Welcome to Week 8 of the high school football season. This week, we officially made it to the future. Wednesday, October 21, 2015 marked the date when Marty McFly and Doctor Emmett Brown traveled into the future in Back to the Future Part II. After so much talk about which of the movie’s predictions came true, Chick’s Picks took a moment to reflect on what she was doing back in the days of when the movie was set.WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Eight – 10/21/2015
October 21, 2015
Week Eight arrives and we can smell the playoffs now. The post season party is just around the corner at the MSA World Headquarters, in fact pairings shows and medals are already making their appearances. But football is the biggie, the one where everyone shows up and Chix Picks prepares the fresh sushi bar. The Football pairing show is always likely to trigger a Schaasy and Mike Azadian argument about schools from Lawrence County versus schools from Allegheny County. Usually we have two people per classification and there is just enough sushi and just the right amount of seats to avoid problems. Next year though, six classifications for the first time, THAT could be a disaster at headquarters. Just another in the long list of reasons this particular reporter dislikes the move so much.WPIAL Football Playoff Picture 2015
October 19, 2015
Who is in and who is out? Well OK, this is more geared to who is in and who is still alive. We avoid specifics with two weeks left, but we will run down all of the WPIAL playoff scenarios once Week Eight is put to rest this weekend. For now, here are the teams that have clinched, the teams that are still alive and who they play in the final two weeks of the 2015 campaign. Top five teams in each of the three conferences in Quad-A and Triple-A make the playoffs plus one sixth place team in each class clinched the wild card. Top four teams in each of the four conferences in Double-A and Single-A make the playoffs. CLASS AAAA Foothills Conference:MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/19/2015
Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. These are the rankings following Week Seven of the 2015 WPIAL football season. WPIAL CLASS AAAA WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES (7-0) (Last Week #1.....Week Eight host #6 Mount Lebanon on MSA) 2. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (7-0) (Last Week #2.....Week Eight at Plum on MSA) 3. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (7-0) (Last Week #3.....Week Eight host #5 Pittsburgh Central Catholic on MSA)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 10/18/2015
October 18, 2015
We continue the Stretch Run of the 2015 high school football season while starting exclusive coverage of the 2015 WPIAL Soccer Playoffs this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We move on to Week Eight of the high school football season with 27 WPIAL weekend contests starting Friday night with the MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding later that night with the WPIAL Football Scoreboard Show.2015 WPIAL/Pittsburgh City League Standings
Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week Seven of the 2015 high school football season...including the latest WPIAL Playoff clinchings and eliminations. Once again this year, we have added points for, point against and the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 123 teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network. (Top 5 teams from AAAA and AAA conferences qualify for playoffs plus a sixth place wild card team) (Top 4 teams from AA and A conferences qualify for the playoffs)WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz – Week Seven
Lets see, there was definitely a chill in the air on the seventh Saturday of the 2015 high school football season, but there was something else in the air you could detect at the two WPIAL games at historic Graham Field in Wilkinsburg and at Thee Summit Academy in Herman. Playoff tension? Possibly. Civic and school pride? Maybe. Lots and lots of passes? Not really. No, the answer was Mid-October SNOW FLURRIES! What the... Anyway, as we thaw out, lets tip our frozen lid to these two players who were red hot on a downright cold Saturday afternoon. Duane Brown - Apollo-RidgeWPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Week Seven – 2015
October 17, 2015
On the seventh Friday of the high school football season, there was a chill in the air throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Or maybe based on the below performances, there was a thrill in the air. Friday marked the start of the 'Stretch Run' of the 2015 campaign, where the pressure starts to mount over the final three weeks as we inch closer to the on-ramp to the Highway to Heinz...much like real life, where we hope that on-ramp is not closed due to construction. Anyway, here are those players that shined in victory on a mid-October eve. Ronnie Jones - Pittsburgh Central CatholicWPIAL Saturday Football Scores – 10/16/2015
October 16, 2015
They say that one is the loneliest number in whole wide world. Well when it came to high school football in Southwestern Pennsylvania, two is very lonely too. The seventh Saturday of the season had only two WPIAL games on the docket, one Double-A game that featured a desperate team trying to climb back into the playoff chase while the Single-A game showcased a Top 10 team looking to stay in a tie for second place. Here are the results from both games played in the snow flurries on Saturday afternoon. WPIAL CLASS AA Allegheny Conference: Apollo-Ridge Vikings 36 - Summit Academy Knights 24 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference: Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions 41 - Wilkinsburg Tigers 18Scholastic Notebook – 10/16/2015
Aliquippa is the only school in the WPIAL to have four running backs rush for more than 4,000 yards in their careers. There will likely be one for the thumb by the end of the season. Aliquippa senior running back Kaezon Pugh went over 3,000 yards two weeks ago and now has 3,210. Barring injury, Pugh should get 4,000 this season. He has three regular-season games left and Aliquippa should play at least two playoff games. The Quips are undefeated and played in the WPIAL Class AA championship seven years in a row. What’s impressive about Pugh is his yards-per-carry average. It’s almost 10 for his career. Pugh has 3,210 yards on 324 carries (9.9 average).WPIAL/City League Friday Football Scores – 10/16/2015
The WPIAL officially hit Seventh Heaven on Friday night as the 2015 'Stretch Run' began. What is this 'Stretch Run' thing you keep hearing about on MSA Sports? It's the final three weeks of the high school football regular season that will help decided conference champions, home field advantage in the opening round of the postseason and playoff berths with a chance to ride on the Highway to Heinz. Here are ALL of the final scores from around the WPIAL and Pittsburgh City league from Friday night. WPIAL CLASS AAAA Northern Eight Conference: Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 38 - Seneca Valley Raiders 14 (F) North Allegheny Tigers 56 - Fox Chapel Foxes 6 (F) Pine-Richland Rams 67 - Butler Golden Tornado 30 (F)Chicks Picks – Week 7 – 2015
October 15, 2015
Welcome to Week 7 of the high school football season. The 2015 Stretch Run is here – that time of year when the regular season is coming down to the wire with key games and the postseason looming. Chick’s Picks feels that this is a critical time for the MSA Sports Network team to get mentally prepared for the playoffs, just as do the players and coaches around the WPIAL. So, each year, Chick’s Picks takes it upon herself to organize a group exercise activity as a means of building teamwork and mental toughness for this most important time of the season.WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Seven 2015
October 14, 2015
The “Stretch Run” for 2015 is on us, the final third of the regular season will start this weekend with several big games around the WPIAL. Players, whether you are playing for a number one seed, a conference title, a home playoff game, a shot at the playoffs, a winning season, or to get your only win of the season, play hard, keep your head up when you tackle and make the most of this time in your life. If you are going to watch, cheer hard, bellyache less about the refs and the coaches, support your kids and your team without feeling like you need to control or have some input as to how the other team should or should not conduct themselves. It’ll be so much more fun for you and the people around you. Need to know where to go, or which link to click?MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/12/2015
October 12, 2015
Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. These are the rankings following Week Six of the 2015 WPIAL football season. WPIAL CLASS AAAA WPIAL FOOTBALL TOP TEN: 1. WOODLAND HILLS WOLVERINES (6-0) (Last Week #1.....Week Seven host AAA #1 West Allegheny on MSA) 2. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (6-0) (Last Week #2.....Week Seven host Shaler on MSA) 3. PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (6-0) (Last Week #3.....Week Seven at Butler on MSA)
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Dante Nania
Dante Nania enjoyed a prolific high school career as the quarterback for the Hempfield Area Spartans, and he has gone on to enjoy great success collegiately at both Youngstown State University and now Slippery Rock University. This week’s WPIAL Alum Q&A puts the senior signalcaller under the spotlight. While at Hempfield, Nania was a four-year letterwinner and earned first-team all-conference recognition. In his senior campaign in 2010, he threw for more than 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns.2015 WPIAL & Pittsburgh City League Standings – Week 6
October 11, 2015
Here are the latest WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League football standings through Week Six of the 2015 high school football season...including the latest WPIAL Playoff clinchings and eliminations. Once again this year, we have added points for, point against and the updated WPIAL tiebreaker points for all 123 teams. Standings are updated after Friday and Saturday's scholastic gridiron action each week. Standings can be also seen on each teams football webpage here on the MSA Sports Network. (Top 5 teams from AAAA and AAA conferences qualify for playoffs plus a sixth place wild card team) (Top 4 teams from AA and A conferences qualify for the playoffs)
