Sports
Chicks Picks – Week Seven – 2013
October 10, 2013
Welcome to Week 7. The 2013 edition of the Stretch Run is here…that time of year when the regular season is winding down, but postseason implications are heating up. Since this is a critical time of year, we at the MSA Sports Network always get together for a team-building workout to ensure our physical and mental clarity for the remainder of the season.This year, we decided to go with our old faithful—yoga—which had proven results for Team MSA time and time again. The Boss talked up the event all week, hinting to his team that this year’s session would offer some added flair. He certainly did not disappoint.District College Football Preview for Saturday, October 11
October 9, 2013
Even if it doesn't feel like it, the second week of October brings huge matchups this week on the local college football scene.Slippery Rock looks to challenge for the PSAC West title but defending champion and #7 IUP is in the way, a battle at the Rock takes place Saturday afternoon.One week after handing Geneva it's worst loss in years, Thomas More will look to stake a huge claim towards another PAC title in Washington County. W & J looks to bounce back after their first loss to Bethany in 30 years.After two September byes, Duquesne will finally open Northeast Conference play at Rooney Field.Here are previews of ALL the games, including two that can be heard here on the Network.MSA Sports Big Game Hunting – Week Seven
What a neat year it has already been. The Pirates reached the playoffs and it appears so will the Avella Eagles and the West Shamokin Wolves! All three are tremendous stories this fall. The stretch run is here and all of those teams control their own destinies. That is all their fans have been hoping and praying for. Some teams don’t control their own fate. Some need help, and some need a lot of help. The time has come for scoreboard watching and more importantly listening to the MSA Sports Scoreboard show every Friday night with Don Rebel. But you should have been doing that all along. Let’s go Big Game Hunting. AAAA Southeastern Conference:MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Boys Soccer – 10/09/2013
Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL boys soccer rankings for the week of October 7th. You can check out the new rankings every Wednesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including exclusive coverage of the 2013 WPIAL Boys Soccer Playoffs here on the MSA Sports Network.WPIAL CLASS AAA:1) UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (13-0-1) (Last Week #1)2) PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (13-1-1) (Last Week #2)3) FOX CHAPEL FOXES (12-1-0) (Last Week #3)4) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (11-2-1) (Last Week #5)5) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (12-1-1) (Last Week #7)Hometown Volleyball Match Recap: Beaver Bobcats 3 – BLACKHAWK COUGARS 1
In Hometown Volleyball action between the Blackhawk Cougars and the Beaver Bobcats at Blackhawk high school, Beaver wins the match 3-1. Game scores were, 25-18, 19-25, 25-22, 25-14.Both teams came into this pivotal section 1 AA match tied with identical 7-1 records and tied for first place with section rival Hopewell. All three teams have clinched a playoff berth, but we're tied as Beaver had a win over Blackhawk, and Hopewell over Beaver, and Blackhawk over Hopewell. This match tonite went a long way to determine the section champion and playoff position.The Cougars play Hopewell next week, while Beaver will take on the Vikings this Thursday night.Hometown Volleyball Match Recap: CHARTIERS-HOUSTON BUCCANEERS 3- Avella Eagles 0
The Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers (3-7 in section play) hosted the Avella Eagles (2-8) in a late season section matchup on a cool Tuesday night in October. The Bucs came out with a solid 3-0 victory to add another win to their section resume.The first game stayed close the entire time with each team trading barbs back and forth for a quite a while. At one point in the game, both teams were tied 11-11. This proved to be an important part in this game and each one after. All 3 games saw this 11-11 similarity and that was the point where the Bucs took over. Sophomore right side hitter and co-captain Kylee Levers led the way with a team high 6 kills in game one. She also added an ace in service to catapult the Bucs to an early 1-0 lead.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Soccer – 10/08/2013
October 8, 2013
Here are the MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls soccer rankings for the week of October 7th. You can check out the new rankings every Tuesday through the regular season with weekly matches heard live and archived, including exclusive coverage of the 2013 WPIAL Girls Soccer Playoffs here on the MSA Sports Network.WPIAL CLASS AAA:1) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (11-1-1) (Last Week #1)2) NORWIN KNIGHTS (12-1-2) (Last Week #4)3) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (14-2-0) (Last Week #6)4) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (13-1-1) (Last Week #2)5) FOX CHAPEL FOXES (13-1-1) (Last Week #3)WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Six 2013
With nine WPIAL games decided by four points or less this week, there was definitely no shortage of big plays. Next week, we move to the "Stretch Run" of the 2013 season. But first, let's reminisce on a fantastic sixth week of high school football. #1 Bethel Park 21, Penn Hills 19 So often does a missed extra point come back to haunt a team. Penn Hills found that out the hard way on Friday night. After a Marshall Thompson miss on a PAT and a blocked field goal, Penn Hills would find themselves down 21-19 following a Ja’Mar Gee touchdown reception with 10 seconds left. But the Blackhawks’ defense would come up big on the two-point conversion, coming away with a massive AAAA Southeasten Conference victory.Hometown Volleyball Match Recap: SOUTH SIDE BEAVER RAMS 3 – Beaver County Christian Eagles 1
The South Side Rams had little trouble with the Beaver County Christian Eagles Monday night in Hookstown coming away with a solid, if not inspiring 3-1 on their home floor, in a non-section match.The Rams rolled in game one behind the setting of senior Samantha Gibson and the kills of Cheyenne Seik and sophomore Toni Yacoviello rattling off nine straight at one point to build the lead to 20-8 before finishing 25-18.The Eagles responded in game two with a pretty convincing 25-12 win behind some great play from Emily Havrankek, Mia Padgett, and Dalashay Whitehead, never allowing South Side to string together more than two points in a row in the game.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Football – 10/07/2013
October 7, 2013
Each and every Monday during the regular season, the MSA Sports Network will rank the Top Ten football teams in each classification. Here are the latest WPIAL football rankings following Week SIX.WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN:1. PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS (6-0) (Last Week #1) (This Week: host #8 North Allegheny on MSA)2. UPPER ST. CLAIR PANTHERS (6-0) (Last Week #2) (This Week: host Bethel Park on MSA)3. GATEWAY GATORS (6-0) (Last Week #3) (This Week: at Norwin)4. McKEESPORT TIGERS (6-0) (Last Week #4) (This Week: at Connellsville on MSA)PIHL Notebook: 2013-2014 Class AAA Preview
Welcome to “PIHL Notebook” and our annual season preview. Over the next four Monday’s, we will provide thumbnail sketches of all 60 PIHL teams to make sure local high school hockey fans are ready when the puck drops on October 28.
MSA Sports Hometown Girls Volleyball Salute – WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS
Now in their second year in Class AAA, the West Allegheny Indians look forward to competing for a playoff spot in this 2013 season.The Indians returned 4 starters, led by all WPIAL junior setter Tara Savisky. "Tara is in my opinion the best setter in the WPIAL and a fantastic competitor", said head coach Brian Begor.Also leading the charge Is senior Alexi Hamm who has worked very hard to develop into a quality player. Also playing key roles are seniors Jenna Reilly, Lizzie Murn, and juniors Rachel Buck and Nicole Ostrander. Sophomore Alyssa Placha continues to improve every day in the libero position and sisters Sam and Lauren Schaupp have provided some good play in serving and defensive roles.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 10/06/2013
October 6, 2013
The 'Stretch Run' of the 2013 high school football regular season begins with a bang this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have a busy seventh week of the high school football season with FORTY WPIAL, District 6 and District 9 football games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with Friday night kicking off with the expanded MSA Sports Pregame Show and concluding with the one and only WPIAL High School Football Scoreboard Show.WPIAL Saturday’s Scholastic Starz for Week Six
One game each in Class AAA, Class AA and Class A owned the Week Six Saturday spotlight in WPIAL football. Beaver and West Shamokin took a big step toward a possible postseason berth while Ambridge got a chance to celebrate its first victory of the 2013 campaign. Here are the players that helped make it happen.Stephon McGinnis - AmbridgeWPIAL/City League Football Scores for Saturday, October 5th
October 5, 2013
If not for a couple of old school Homecoming Games, it would have been a lonely Saturday of high school football in Southwestern Pennsylvania. There were no games in the Pittsburgh City League and even with a pair of 'Saturday specials', there were only three games on the docket in the WPIAL. All three games Saturday are now in the books and can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network.WPIAL CLASS AAA Parkway Conference:Ambridge Bridgers 45 - Hopewell Vikings 13 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS AA Midwestern Conference:Beaver Bobcats 62 - Riverside Panthers 29 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS A Eastern Conference:West Shamokin Wolves 27 - Wilkinsburg Tigers 8 (MSA)WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for Week Six
Some of these names we have seen before this year while some of them are newcomers to our kudos spotlight. These are the WPIAL football players that stood out...sometimes even in the thick fog...with victory leading performances as the second half of the regular season kicked into full gear with a taste of October Friday night football.Miles Sanders - Woodland HillsWPIAL/City League Football Scores for Friday, October 4th
October 4, 2013
The second half of the 2013 high school football season and the first Friday in October kicked off with weather conditions closely associated with the first Friday of September. The care free days from the ninth month of the year are a distant memory as we bear down for the second month of the season. Separation Friday preped us for the final three week Stretch Run…so with that in mind, here are all of the results for Friday, October 4th in both the WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League.WPIAL CLASS AAAA Foothills Conference:Altoona Mountain Lions 14 - Hempfield Spartans 37McKeesport Tigers 25 - Latrobe Wildcats 0Connellsville Falcons 15 - Penn-Trafford Warriors 21MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Girls Volleyball – 10/04/2013
Here are the latest MSA Sports Top Ten WPIAL girls volleyball rankings for the week ending October 4th...including a NEW #1 team in Class AA. You can check out the new rankings every Friday through the regular season with daily updated girls volleyball standings and weekly matches as well all here on the home for the Hometown Volleyball Program, the MSA Sports Network.Section record in parenthesis.WPIAL CLASS AAA: 1) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (8-0) (Last Week #1)2) SHALER TITANS (9-0) (Last Week #2)3) PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (7-1) (Last Week #3)4) OAKLAND CATHOLIC EAGLES (7-1) (Last Week #4)Scholastic Notebook – 10/04/2013
In a year when the Pirates ended a long playoff drought, a long WPIAL football playoff drought could end for one school.Avella in the WPIAL playoffs. It’s likely to happen.Avella takes a 4-0 record (5-0 overall) into Friday night’s game against Frazier. No matter what happens Friday night and in the final three games, Avella stands an excellent chance to make the playoffs. The last time the Eagles were in the playoffs was 1976.Avella’s playoff drought is the current longest in the WPIAL. The next-longest playoff drought belongs to Southmoreland, which hasn’t been to the playoffs since 1979.Fox Chapel and Sewickley Academy Duo Win WPIAL Girls Doubles Tennis Gold
For the first time in ten years, there was a repeat WPIAL champion in girls doubles tennis. Amy Cheng and Jappman Monga of Sewickley Academy captured district gold for the second consecutive season, marking the first repeat duo winners since Patty Kaczmarek and Meghan Stubblebine of Bishop Canevin in 2003. A pair of sophomores may have the chance to match consecutive crowns next fall after sophomores Laurel Shymansky and Lacey Cohen of Fox Chapel upset top-seed Maddy Adams and Anna Li of North Allegheny in the Class AAA Girls Doubles Finals Thursday afternoon.WPIAL CLASS AAA GIRLS DOUBLES TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP:Laurel Shymansky and Lacey Cohen (Fox Chapel) over Maddy Adams and Anna Li (North Allegheny) 7-5, 6-4
