Sports
This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 02/02/2014
February 2, 2014
The 'Stretch Run' of the 2013-2014 high school basketball season wraps up with the final week of section play this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have all of the big games from around the WPIAL in both boys and girls basketball as well as plenty of District 6 and District 9 boys and girls hoops along with men's and women's college basketball, PIHL high school hockey and action from the PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report hits the road to Coach's Bottleshop and Grille ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, February 3rd: TALK SHOW - Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle powered by Synerfac at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net
Franklin Regional Wins First Ever WPIAL Team Wrestling Gold
February 1, 2014
Last year Franklin Regional came one match away from winning WPIAL gold as a team. This year, they didn’t let it go down to the last match, dominating action while beating Greater Latrobe 42-19 for their first ever WPIAL team championship. The match started at 138 pounds, where Franklin Regional bumped their lineup up one weight class each from 138 to 170 pounds. The Panthers would jump out to an early 19-0 lead thanks to a fall, technical fall, and two major decisions. Greater Latrobe would fight back, registering a pair of victories, one by technical fall, to cut the lead to 19-8. But Franklin Regional would regain control, winning four of the next five matches en route to a 42-19 victory.
Burrell Remains Great After Title Win Number Eight
Some things never seem to change. This is especially true when it comes to high school wrestling in Western Pennsylvania. For the eighth straight season, Burrell (12-3) won the WPIAL Class AA team championship with a 34-28 thriller Saturday afternoon over previously undefeated South Fayette (20-1) at Chartiers Valley High School.Scholastic Notebook – 02/01/2014
The son is shining all over area basketball this season. It is quite common to see a coach’s son do well in WPIAL basketball. But it just seems there are more than usual father-son combos doing well this year. Four sons whose father is the head coach are averaging between 17 and 22 points a game for teams that all have at least clinched a WPIAL playoff berth, or are in good shape to make it to the postseason. * Julian Batts, a junior guard at Jeannette, averages 22 a game for the Jayhawks. His father is Adrian Batts. Jeannette is tied for second place in Class AA Section 3. * Matty McConnell averages 19 a game for Chartiers Valley, which has clinched at least a tie for the Class AA Section 5 title. His father is Tim McConnell.2014 WPIAL TEAM WRESTLING PLAYOFFS RECAP
In the end, the two top seeds in each classification came away with the gold. The Burrell Buccaneers domination of Class AA continued with a record 8th consecutive WPIAL Team Wrestling championship after beating the South Fayette Lions for a second straight year in the Finals on Saturday at Chartiers Valley High School. The title is the 10th overall in school history. Meanwhile in Class AAA, Franklin Regional knocked off rival Latrobe in the championship match to claim the Panthers first district team wrestling title. North Allegheny and Jefferson-Morgan won their consolation matches on Saturday to earn a berth in the 2014 PIAA Team Wrestling Playoffs next week. Here are ALL of the final results from the 2014 WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoffs.MSA Sports Top Ten – PIHL Hockey – 01/29/2014
January 29, 2014
Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the four classifications. Don't miss the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (12-2-0) (Last Week #1) 2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (13-2-0) (Last Week #2) 3) PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS (9-4-0) (Last Week #4) 4) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (8-4-1) (Last Week #3)WPIAL to GCC: Suspend Boys Basketball Coach or Else
January 28, 2014
The WPIAL has no authority over personnel at district schools, but they do have the power to keep a school out of their postseason tournament. On Tuesday, the WPIAL ruled that Greensburg Central Catholic High School would have to suspend boys basketball coach Greg Bisignani at least three games or else they would not be allowed to participate in the upcoming WPIAL boys basketball playoffs. The ruling came following a hearing on Monday after Coach Bisignani was accused of making contact with a game official following the Centurions 66-63 loss to McKeesport on January 18th. Bisignani denied he made contact with the official. The Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball program has also been put on probation for the rest of the season.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 01/28/2014
Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2013-2014 season...including a NEW #1 team in Class AA. Each Tuesday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten boys hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA: 1. New Castle Red Hurricane (17-0) (Last Week #1) 2. Hampton Talbots (17-1) (Last Week #3) 3. North Allegheny Tigers (14-2) (Last Week #4)MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Basketball – 01/27/2014
January 27, 2014
Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Girls Basketball rankings for the 2013-2014 season...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA. Each Monday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten girls hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA: 1. North Allegheny Tigers (14-1) (Last Week #1) 2. Mount Lebanon Blue Devils (12-3) (Last Week #2) 3. Bethel Park Black Hawks (13-1) (Last Week #3)PIHL Notebook – 01/27/2014
Welcome to another edition of “PIHL Notebook,” your weekly companion to “The PIHL Power Play” on the MSA Sports Network. First up, “Melting the Ice” provides your weekly thermometer of streaking teams around the league. Meanwhile, this week’s “Scoreboard Watch” includes an eyebrow-raising upset in Class AAA, an up-and-down week for Mars and a chance to shine the spotlight on two struggling Open Class teams. Last but not least, we round things out with a broadcast preview of a Section 3-A showdown. So, let’s light the lamp on this edition of “PIHL Notebook.” MELTING THE ICE (Records listed indicate current unbeaten streak): Class AAA: Bethel Park (11-0-0) Class AA: Bishop Canevin (3-0-0); Erie Cathedral Prep (3-0-0)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 01/26/2014
January 26, 2014
The first team champions of the 2013-2014 WPIAL winter sports season will be crowned on the mat this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have exclusive postseason action from the Triple-A and Double-A WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoffs along with scholastic wrestling from District 6. We also have the start of the 'Stretch Run' boys and girls section basketball from the WPIAL, District 6 and District 9 along with men's and women's college basketball, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report hits the road to Coach's Bottleshop and Grille ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, January 27th:Scholastic Notebook – 01/24/2014
January 24, 2014
All of a sudden, the menu of top boys basketball teams in WPIAL Class AAAA Section 4 has Big Macs on it. The Canon-McMillan Big Macs have pushed their way into a tie for the Section 4 lead with Upper St. Clair. The two teams meet tonight in a big game. Although Section 4 isn’t strong this year, nothing should take away from the Big Macs’ surge. They were 3-4 at one point this season and have since won seven of eight. Of the last five wins, Canon-McMillan has give up 46 points or less in four of those games. Canon-McMillan has a legitimate shot at a section title. Section title and Canon-McMillan usually aren’t mentioned in the same sentence.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Wrestling Playoff Teams – 01/23/2014
January 23, 2014
For the final Top 10 rankings of the WPIAL Team Wrestling season, we rank all of the 2014 playoff qualifiers. Don't miss the WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoff Pairings Show on Thursday, January 23rd at 7:00pm plus EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2014 WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoffs next week only here on the MSA Sports Network. Section records in parenthesis. WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1. Franklin Regional Panthers (7-0) (Last Week #1) 2. Latrobe Wildcats (6-1) (Last Week #2) 3. Canon-McMillan Big Macs (7-0) (Last Week #3) 4. North Allegheny Tigers (7-0) (Last Week #4)FINAL 2013-2014 WPIAL Team Wrestling Standings
Here are the FINAL WPIAL team wrestling standings for the 2013-2014 season. The top three teams from each sub-section qualified for the Section Championship Tournament scheduled for Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014. The top team in each sub-section will face the runner-up in the opposing sub-section with the two winner then doing battle for the section championship. the two third place finishers face off to determine the fifth qualifier from that section that will move on to the WPIAL Team Wrestling Playoffs. Don't miss the Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle Show, every Monday night at 7:00pm live and archived only here on the MSA Sports Network.2014 WPIAL Team Wrestling Sectional Results
The 2014 WPIAL Team Wrestling Sectionals are nearly complete with one more fifth place consolation match postponed from Wednesday to take place on Thursday. 20 Class AAA and 15 Class AA teams will battle in the upcoming WPIAL team wrestling playoffs. Seven teams enter the playoffs as section champs: Franklin Regional, Belle Vernon, North Allegheny, Canon-McMillan, South Fayette, Jefferson-Morgan and Burrell were all crowned section winners from the team sectionals. Here are all of Wednesday's results.MSA Sports Top Ten – PIHL Hockey – 01/22/2014
January 22, 2014
Here are the latest MSA Sports Sports Frozen Fab Five rankings of PIHL hockey teams in each of the four classifications...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA. Don't miss the PIHL Notebook every Monday on our website and the weekly PIHL Power Play Show every Wednesday night at 8:00pm here on the home of the best high school hockey coverage, the MSA Sports Network at www.MSAsports.net PIHL CLASS AAA: 1) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (10-2-0) (Last Week #2) 2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (11-2-0) (Last Week #3) 3) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (8-3-1) (Last Week #1)MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Basketball – 01/22/2014
Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL Boys Basketball rankings for the 2013-2014 season. Each Tuesday during the regular season, MSA Sports will release a new Top Ten boys hoops rankings plus daily updated standings with various daily broadcasts and the WPIAL Roundball Report on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm ALL here at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA: 1. New Castle Red Hurricane (15-0) (Last Week #1) 2. Hempfield Spartans (13-1) (Last Week #3) 3. Hampton Talbots (15-1) (Last Week #2) 4. North Allegheny Tigers (13-2) (Last Week #4)WPIAL FOOTBALL ALIGNMENT FOR 2014
January 21, 2014
Two years ago, there were major changes in the WPIAL football conference alignment. The biggest change came in Class AAAA and Class AAA where both classifications shrunk from the standard four conferences to three conferences and the wild card came into play. This time around, there were hardly any changes to the top two classifications while the biggest moves were made as expected in Class A.WPIAL Boys and Girls Soccer Realignment for 2014
The WPIAL Board of Control officially passed the new alignment for WPIAL boys and girls soccer on Tuesday afternoon. Here is the new make-up of the sections in each of the three classifications for the 2014 soccer season. BOYS SOCCER: WPIAL CLASS AAA SECTION 1: Albert Gallatin Colonials (over from AAA-4) Connellsville Falcons Hempfield Spartans Latrobe Wildcats Norwin Knights Penn-Trafford WarriorsWPIAL Fall Sports Realignment for 2014
The WPIAL Board of Control officially passed the new alignments for the WPIAL fall sports on Tuesday afternoon, including girls volleyball, boys and girls golf, boys and girls cross-country, girls tennis and girls field hockey. A couple of big changes occur in Girls Tennis where there are more teams in fewer sections and in Boys and Girls Cross-Country where there are only two duel-class divisions, but there will be three classifications for the championships. Here is the new make-up of the sections in all of those sports for the 2014 high school fall sports seasons. GIRLS VOLLEYBALL: WPIAL CLASS AAA SECTION 1:
