Chris Harlan stories, Page 10

Which WPIAL football team has the longest conference winning streak now that Aliquippa’s has ended? That would be Avonworth, which hasn’t lost to a conference foe since 2021. The Antelopes have quietly won 18 in a row. “I joke around that we don’t get any love … but we’re doing...

The 2024 WPIAL football playoff field is taking shape with 35 teams having already clinched a spot entering Week 9. But this year’s qualifying process is a little different. There are more wild card teams than ever: 16. And the WPIAL will no longer use tiebreaking formulas such as Gardner...

State legislators have voted to launch a comprehensive review of the PIAA. The “current status, management, structure, policies and finances” of the high school athletic association will be studied by the state Legislative Budget and Finance Committee under a House resolution passed Tuesday. The legislation instructed the committee to issue...

Carlynton football hasn’t had many chances to celebrate in recent years, a harsh reality that coach John Tortorea doesn’t hide from his players. In fact, the second-year coach often reminds them how the Cougars own the WPIAL’s longest active playoff drought. The team last reached the postseason in 2001, years...

Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 7-2, 1 2. North Allegheny, 8-1, 2 3. Seneca Valley, 3-5, 3 4. Canon-McMillan, 3-6, 5 5. Mt. Lebanon, 2-7, NR Out: Hempfield (3-6, 4) Class 5A 1. Upper St. Clair, 9-0, 2 2. Pine-Richland, 7-1, 1 3. Peters Township, 8-1,...

Montour wasn’t playing for overtime. When running back Caden Halajcio scored with 31 seconds left Friday night to put the Spartans within one point of Aliquippa, there was no debate about what to do next. “Coach Lou huddled us up and said, ‘I put all of my trust in you,’”...

The Parkway has a reputation as one of the WPIAL’s tougher conferences, but Aliquippa seems to have tamed it. Since joining Class 4A in 2020, the Quips have won 27 consecutive conference games and four straight Parkway titles. They’ll try for their fifth in a row Friday when No. 1...

There are two weeks left in the regular season, but Mt. Lebanon coach Greg Perry told his team that their playoffs start Friday. Many other WPIAL teams can surely relate. The Blue Devils see a narrow path to the playoffs despite a 1-7 record, but they’re among a group of...

A “unique quirk” in the enrollment process for Imani Christian students may have led to a violation of PIAA transfer rules, said the school, which is the subject of a WPIAL investigation. The WPIAL board on Monday voted to launch an investigation into “possible recruiting violations and administrative and institutional...

The Westinghouse and USO football teams must play shorthanded in the City League semifinals because of their game-ending altercation last Friday. At least half of Westinghouse’s roster is likely ineligible and USO could be missing around 10 players, a Pittsburgh Public School spokesperson said Tuesday. Their regular season finale was...

An investigation into alleged misconduct by Ringgold football players was completed and the team can resume its season, the school district announced Monday. In a letter addressed to the Ringgold community, superintendent Randall Skrinjorich said Ringgold School District Police and the Washington County District Attorney’s Office “conducted a thorough investigation...

The WPIAL has launched separate investigations into the Baldwin and Imani Christian athletic departments over potential recruiting violations. The board voted Monday to empower WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer to conduct the investigations. He said the allegations stemmed from information gained in previous eligibility hearings involving Baldwin football and Imani...

WPIAL wrestlers can compete in more matches than usual starting this winter, and teams in other sports might see their regular season schedules increase as well. The WPIAL board on Monday voted to make some in-season “conference championships” exempt from the contest limits set by the PIAA for regular season...

Wrestling standout Dylan Pitzer, a WPIAL runner-up last winter, remains ineligible for his junior season after a hearing Monday at the league office in Scott. The WPIAL board found that Pitzer’s transfer from Mt. Pleasant to Derry was athletically motivated, said WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer. As a result, Pitzer...

In some WPIAL football classifications, the names near the top of the conference standings don’t change too much from year to year. But take a look at Class 2A. With two weeks left in the regular season, the three conference leaders are Ellwood City (7-0), Seton LaSalle (7-0) and South...

Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 6-2, 1 2. North Allegheny, 7-1, 2 3. Seneca Valley, 3-4, 4 4. Hempfield, 3-5, 3 5. Canon-McMillan, 2-6, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Pine-Richland, 7-0, 1 2. Upper St. Clair, 8-0, 2 3. Peters Township, 7-1, 4 4. Bethel...

The goldfish maybe isn’t the most intimidating of animals, but that’s the one Upper St. Clair’s Charlie Bywalski was thinking about Friday night. Not a shark. Not a whale. A goldfish. “It’s always about ‘Be a goldfish,’ ” said Bywalski, a senior wide receiver and defensive back. “Coach Junko says,...

Call them the “Super 7” of Week 7. The WPIAL schedule includes seven matchups Friday night between teams with undefeated conference records. With only three weeks left in the regular season, these are games that can catapult or crush a team’s conference title hopes. The list includes: • Upper St....

The WPIAL’s highest-scoring offense has gone all season without arguably its best player, but that’ll change Friday. Bethel Park wide receiver Ryan Petras has recovered from shoulder surgery and is expected to make his season debut against rival Upper St. Clair, yet the Black Hawks seem like they’ve hardly missed...

Ringgold has called off Friday’s football game while investigating unspecified allegations “that involve members of the football team.” The Rams were scheduled to host Thomas Jefferson in a Big Six Conference game. Ringgold superintendent Randall Skrinjorich confirmed the district’s decision, saying in an email: “Currently the game is postponed.” In...

Six WPIAL coaches earned statewide recognition Wednesday when the PIAA announced its coaches of the year for the 2023-24 school year. The list included two Peters Township golf coaches — David Kuhn (boys) and Michael Lacey (girls) — along with North Allegheny’s Russ Hoburg (girls volleyball), Shaler’s Paul Stadelman (boys...

Terri Mason was home watching a livestream of the Rochester football game when she realized something was wrong. “No. 8 didn’t come back on that field,” said Mason, who was looking for her son, Carter, a senior running back. “Next thing you know, they said a Rochester player went down....

Art Walker as a kid witnessed plenty of wins at Mt. Lebanon’s stadium, a place where his father coached for years. On Friday, Walker celebrated a milestone of his own there. North Allegheny’s victory over Mt. Lebanon was win No. 250 for Walker, who is approaching the top 10 on...

There wasn’t much mystery around Upper St. Clair’s offense Friday night. The Panthers ran the football 43 times, which is pretty much what they did last week, too. And, again, it worked. Upper St. Clair rushed for 342 yards and senior Julian Dahlem scored twice as the second-ranked Panthers defeated...

Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 5-2, 1 2. North Allegheny, 6-1, 2 3. Hempfield, 3-4, 3 4. Seneca Valley, 2-4, NR 5. Canon-McMillan, 2-5, 4 Out: Mt. Lebanon (1-6, 5) Class 5A 1. Pine-Richland, 6-0, 1 2. Upper St. Clair, 7-0, 2 3. Bethel Park, 7-0,...