Sports
This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/25/2013
November 25, 2013
We have no turkey programming for you this holiday week as the weather turns frosty and the calendar turns from November to December this week here on the MSA Sports Network. All four WPIAL football champions are in action this weekend as the Road to Hershey continues with PIAA state football playoff action along with the Class A District 6 champs, plus we have men's and women's college basketball featuring Slippery Rock, Geneva and Penn State-Fayette all here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 25th: No Broadcasts Tuesday, November 26th: No Broadcasts Wednesday, November 27th:District College Football Recap for Saturday, November 23
November 24, 2013
Eyes turn to the hardwood as the district college football season came to an end on a windy and snowy Saturday afternoon. Slippery Rock fell in the D-II playoffs, while W & J saw their season come to an end in the Northeast Ohio snow belt. Waynesburg lost in the ECAC Northeast Bowl, while Duquense and Saint Francis posted wins in their respective regular season finales. The district also says goodbye to a coaching great, Joe Walton coached his final game at Robert Morris, ending a 20 yard career in Moon Township.West Allegheny Remains Perfect in WPIAL Championship Title Games
November 23, 2013
It is official. West Allegheny just doesn’t lose when it plays for a WPIAL championship. The Indians (13-0) made it seven for seven with a 16-6 victory over Central Valley (11-2) to clinch the Class AAA title on a wintry autumn evening at Heinz Field. In the process, West Allegheny coach Bob Palko became the first WPIAL grid boss to win seven outright WPIAL crowns. The other Indians titles came in 1997, 1999-2001, 2009 and 2012. West Allegheny won the game with its usual method of success. That would involve controlling the ball and taking large chunks of time off the clock on long, methodical drives. The Indians controlled the ball for 29:12, while Central Valley had the ball for just 18:48.Lions Quell the Quips to Capture WPIAL AA Gold
For the second time in three years, the Aliquippa Quips and the South Fayette Lions met at Heinz Field to battle for the WPIAL AA Championship. And for the second time since 2010, the Lions ended the Quips season, as South Fayette captured its fourth WPIAL title defeating Aliquippa 34-28. This battle of (12-0) teams was a tremendous back-and-forth contest between top seeded Aliquippa and the second-seeded Lions.
Pittsburgh Central Catholic Finds Gold In The Snow at Heinz Field
In a dominant performance in the opening half, the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings defeated the Woodland Hills Wolverines to claim their 4th WPIAL championship. The Vikings piled up 188 yards of offense in the first half, all on the ground and used a turnover and a bizarre play to lead 20-0 at the half. Luigi Lista-Brinza started after being injured in the semifinal win over Penn Trafford, the senior was questionable coming into the game. He scored twice on runs of 13 and 4 yards, the second sealed the win with just under 9 minutes to play in the final quarter, finishing with 27 carries for 136 yards.
Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Claims First Football Crown
The third time was not a charm for Sto-Rox. Playing in their very first WPIAL football title game, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic used a stifling defense to blank the high powered Vikings 14-0 to win a first ever WPIAL football championship for the Trojans. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic rushed for 159 yards on the ground, including a team high 83 yards by Trojans quarterback P.J. Fumore, who ended the first possession of the game for North Catholic with a 2-yard run on fourth and goal. Mike Tarsovich added the extra point and the Trojans led 7-0, an advantage they would take into halftime.Fundraising Info for Injured Area Hockey Player
November 22, 2013
Family and friends are coming to aid of a young Pittsburgh hockey player who suffered a severe spinal cord injury during a recent game. Kevin Kenny, 20, a forward for the Pittsburgh Vengeance of the North American 3HL League, crashed into the boards in the first period of a game with the Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks on November 16. Kenny reportedly could not feel anything below his waist following the crash. The 5’10,” 160 lb. former Quaker Valley High School standout underwent emergency surgery on Saturday and had a follow-up procedure as well. He remains in UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. As a result of the injury, the teams postponed the November 17 “home and home” game in Cleveland.Scholastic Notebook – 11/22/2013
The weather for the WPIAL football championships Saturday is not good. The forecast is for cold, possible snow showers and winds gusting to 20 m.p.h. But for half of the four title games, the outlook looks absolutely perfect. Never mind the weather, two of the games match perfect teams – and that is a pretty unusual occurrence. Sto-Rox meets North Catholic for the WPIAL Class A title at 11 and Aliquippa takes on South Fayette for the AA championship at 5. All four teams in those games have perfect 12-0 records.Chicks Picks – Championship Saturday – 11/21/2013
November 21, 2013
Welcome to Championship Week. Chick’s Picks received a delightful phone call over the weekend. The recording on the other end of the line delivered the best news—Chick’s Picks was the lucky winner of an all-expenses paid, undoubtedly legit, dream vacation to Aruba next week. Having never been the recipient of such a lavish price, Chick’s Picks was thrilled.District College Football Preview for Saturday, November 23
The regular season is over for the D-II and D-III teams with SRU and W & J qualifying for post-season play. Waynesburg was also honored by the ECAC with a trip to the Northeast Bowl. The NEC finishes up the regular season with two games, including a battle of local teams in Loretto. Here are previews of ALL the games, including two that will be heard right here on the Network: NCAA DIVISION II PLAYOFFS/SUPER REGION ONE Slippery Rock (9-2) at Winston Salem State (9-1) 1pm on WLER 97.7-FM and msasports.net The winner plays number one seed Shepherd (10-0), who receives a bye. Bloomsburg received the number two seed and the other bye. West Chester also qualified, they host American International.Big Game Hunting – The Football Fourpack for Championship Saturday
November 20, 2013
So Saturday is your chance to come to Heinz Field and meet the MSA Sports crew. Find the guy who mispronounced your son or daughter’s name and let him have it. Find the guy or girl who left your club out of Big Game Hunting or Chix Picks and let them have it. Find the guy who completely credited someone else with your kid’s touchdown run, or tackle, and let them have it. Find the person who completely messed up the stats and flip-flopped the years when they were talking about your team in the playoff pairings show or on the round table and let them have it! Find the guy who clearly missed the fact that the ball had touched the ground and you saw it with your own eyes and let him have it.WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Twelve 2013
November 19, 2013
Before we reach the final destination on the Highway to Heinz, we had one final stop to make. And boy, was it fun. In Class A and AAAA, we will definitely have new Champions, as North Allegheny lost in the Quarterfinals and the WPIAL's biggest powerhouse of all-time, Clairton, fell late in the Semifinals. In AA and AAA, South Fayette and Central Valley will look to dethrone Aliquippa and West Allegheny on Saturday. Don't forget, we will have EXCLUSIVE audio broadcasts of Saturday's Championships. But before we get there, let's look back in the rear view mirror one last time at the Semifinals.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/18/2013
November 18, 2013
The Highway to Heinz comes to a conclusion with four district title contests on the North Shore this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The ONLY place where Championships are heard is here on MSA Sports as we have all four WPIAL football finals along with the District 6 Class A championship game, plus college football postseason action, men's and women's college basketball, PIHL high school hockey and our Championship Saturday preview with This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.netMonday, November 18th:No BroadcastsTuesday, November 19th:PIHL High School Hockey - Bethel Park vs North Allegheny at 6:10pm on the North Allegheny Sports Network at MSAsports.netDistrict College Football Recap for Saturday, November 16
November 17, 2013
It was a day of bad news, good news and then bad news for three area teams with title hopes on the line. Slippery Rock lost in the final minute in the PSAC and now will wait to see if an NCAA bid is availilble.W & J claimed the 23rd PAC title in school history and a NCAA D-III bid with a win in the PAC Backyard Brawl over Waynesburg while both Robert Morris and Duquense saw their FCS playoff hopes fall with Sacred Heart's victory over the Colonials in Moon Township.Here are recaps of ALL the games including three here on the Network:Panthers Pride as USC & Sewickley Win State Soccer Gold While West A Settles for Silver
November 16, 2013
There were mixed results Saturday for the two WPIAL boys soccer teams playing for state gold. Upper St. Clair captured a second consecutive PIAA Class AAA crown with a four goal victory over Conestoga Valley while West Allegheny fell 1-0 to Holy Ghost Prep in the Double-A state soccer title match Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium. On friday, Anthony Stinson scored two goals and added an assist, all in the second half as Sewickley Academy wiped out a 1-0 halftime deficit to beat Mountain View 4-2 Friday evening at Hersheypark Stadium. Connor Zieden and Matt Teitelbaum also scored for the Panthers who captured their third boys state soccer crown and first since 2007. Here are ALL of the results from the 2013 PIAA Boys Soccer Playoffs.Central Valley Joins Greensburg Central Catholic as PIAA Girls Soccer Champions
Central Valley has added a state title to a district championship Saturday afternoon as they edge Camp Hill Trinity in the PIAA Class AA Finals at Hersheypark Stadium. The win gives the Warriors their first ever state soccer crown. Meanwhile on Friday, the queen of WPIAL girls soccer scoring is now on top of the state scoring list as well while receiving a second gold jewel in her crown. Frannie Crouse became the PIAA's all-time leading scorer with two second half goals to lead Greensburg Central Catholic to a 2-1 victory over Southern Columbia in the PIAA Class A championship match. Here are ALL of the results from the 2013 PIAA Girls Soccer Playoffs.2013 PIAA GIRLS SOCCER CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:2013 PIAA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS
While the WPIAL had zero presence at Central York High School Saturday in the girls volleyball state championships, District 10 had two teams from the western half of the state qualify for the finals. However both are coming home with silver as Fort LeBoeuf fell in five games to Delone Catholic in AA while Cochranton got swept in three games by Marian Catholic in the Single-A finals. Here are ALL the results from the 2013 PIAA Girls Volleyball Playoffs.2013 PIAA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:Landisville Hempfield Black Knights 3 - Cumberland Valley Eagles 2 (25-15, 23-25, 25-21, 25-27, 15-12)PIAA CLASS AAA Semifinals:WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for Week Twelve
Many times, there is a fine line between advancing to the next round and hanging up the gear for good when you get deep into the postseason, and make no doubt about it, Final Four Friday in the WPIAL Football Playoffs is deep into the postseason. A turnover here, a costly penalty there, or a big block that leads to a big play, it all adds up in November football. Here are the Primetime Performers who have helped their team get their ticket punched to Heinz Field and the 2013 WPIAL Football Championships next Saturday here on MSA Sports. Trevon Mathis - Woodland HillsBlackhawk Cougars Hockey Game Recap for 11/14/13
At the Beaver County Ice Arena in a Hometown Sports Broadcast the Morgantown Mohawks defeat the home standing Blackhawk Cougars by a 6-3 score. Both teams came into the contest undefeated, Morgantown at 3-0, and the Cougars at 2-0. Both teams were scoring goals at a record pace. The Mohawks had 23 in 3 games or 7.6 per game, and Blackhawk had 20 in just their two games and had a 10 goals per game average. This game saw 9 goals, some great goaltending, a lot of great offense and pressure but not a lot of defense.WPIAL Football Semifinals Recaps 2013
For the eight teams that were winners on Friday night in the WPIAL Semifinals, they keep alive the dream of winning a district and state football championship. Some of those dreams will be fulfilled on Saturday, November 23rd at Heinz Field, while others will be devastated by coming so close to reaching that golden goal, but having to settle for silver. But at least the four runners-up next week will have had the chance to play at Heinz Field and come away with some silver lining in a dark title game cloud. But it is those eight teams that lost on Final Four Friday that have to deal with the deepest wounds of a successful season washed away one win from the Big House on the North Shore.
