Chris Harlan stories, Page 12

The Pine-Richland roster lists Jalen Neals as a wide receiver, but the versatile junior had a hint that his coaches were planning a position change. At least for one game. “I was at the JV game and coach was like, ‘Jalen, make sure you know the running back plays for...

Fiona Mahan continues to guide Avonworth on its quest for a fourth straight WPIAL girls soccer title, but the senior has taken on a new role after a season-ending knee injury. Mahan, an Alabama recruit and one of the WPIAL’s top talents, will have surgery in a couple of weeks...

North Hills is off to its first 3-0 start in five years, early-season success that coach Pat Carey credits to the snaps his seniors logged over a couple of tough seasons. The team went 4-6 last year and 3-8 in 2022, but Carey had today’s seniors on the field for...

WPIAL schedule-makers gave everyone at least a couple of warm-ups to start the schedule. Now, the majority of WPIAL teams will jump into conference play. Seventy-eight of the WPIAL’s 116 teams play a conference opener here in Week 3. That accounts for teams in 12 of the 17 conferences, including...

The PIAA has until Friday to decide whether it wants to resolve its legal battle with Aliquippa School District through mediation. Aliquippa attorney Tina Miller on Tuesday asked a Beaver County judge to appoint a mediator to settle its lawsuit. However, PIAA attorney Rochelle Koerbel said the state association was...

Ringgold was ready to snap the longest active losing streak in the WPIAL when the Rams went for two in overtime a week ago. But the gamble failed in a heartbreaking 14-13 loss. The streak grew to 27 games. “I was down in the dumps,” first-year coach Robert Heller said....

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

A WPIAL title slipped away on penalty kicks and a trip to the state finals fell two rounds short. It’s easy to understand why “unfinished business” was the motto North Allegheny’s boys soccer team adopted this year. In this, coach Manuel Montero’s third season, the Tigers want to accomplish more....

The PA announcer at the Wolvarena encouraged fans to travel home safely and never talk about this game again. Central Catholic left the stadium pleased to have quieted talk about its winless start. Vikings quarterback Jy’Aire Walls passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more, the defense was dominant...

The storied tradition of Friday night football adds another chapter this week with high school games all across Pennsylvania. But might a game played in South America keep some fans home, especially on the other side of the state? That’s in question because the NFL has scheduled a rare Friday...

If Penn Hills makes the football playoffs as the Indians hope, quarterback Devin Harris is eligible to lead them. The WPIAL has granted postseason eligibility to Harris, a junior who transferred from Shady Side Academy, said WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer. The WPIAL held postseason eligibility hearings Tuesday for Harris,...

Wrestling standout Dylan Pitzer, a WPIAL runner-up last winter, could miss his junior season after transferring from Mt. Pleasant to Derry. The WPIAL on Tuesday tentatively denied him eligibility in wrestling for one year based on transfer paperwork submitted by the schools, WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer said. Mt. Pleasant...

Thunderstorms barreled into Allegheny and Beaver counties Friday night causing lengthy lightning delays at games from Aliquippa to Avonworth. Nearly a dozen games were suspended, and many never finished. “About five minutes into halftime, it just opened up and people were running everywhere to get to some cover,” said West...

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

Here is an easy way to put a state championship streak in perspective. Molly Robertson and Alicia Mokube, who started for North Allegheny in the PIAA finals last fall, were in elementary school when the girls volleyball team’s streak started. That was seven years ago, meaning the two current sophomores...

Peters Township knows a little about running the football, too. Hosting a McKeesport team that usually thrives on the ground, Peters Township ran the ball close to 50 times and mixed in some quarterback draws Friday night in a 42-7 nonconference win that ended with a running clock. The Indians,...

McKeesport runs an offense that’s rather unique in the WPIAL, leading opponents to scheme up new ways to defend against the triple-option. That uniqueness would seem to benefit the Tigers most weeks, but it also can put them at a scouting disadvantage when breaking down video of opponents. Many teams...

A year after Aliquippa announced a partnership with Kraft Heinz, the two will break ground Friday on a new athletic and academic center near the school’s football stadium. The center will include offices, an indoor training facility, a locker room, weight room and a collaborative workspace for students, athletes and...

Some coaching jobs come with more pressure than others. Consider that Aliquippa’s Vashawn Patrick is the new head coach of a team coming off a state championship season, and his first game is against another defending state champion. There is no easing into his job. Aliquippa hosts Belle Vernon at...

Ed Helbig didn’t need to yell or get loud to motivate his athletes, yet the longtime Baldwin coach’s voice was certainly the biggest in WPIAL track and field. A Baldwin track coach for 49 years and chairman of the WPIAL committee overseeing the sport, Helbig died Tuesday. His calming demeanor...

Once Rob Carmody decided now was the time to resign as Mars’ boys basketball coach, his son Robby had a request. “He said, ‘Dad, I want to get in the gym with you one more time before this all happens,’” said Carmody, who fulfilled that wish over the weekend. “We...

There was no surprise about the talent Central Catholic’s opponent brought to town. Ranked 13th nationally by USA Today, St. Frances Academy lived up to the program’s lofty reputation with a 44-16 victory over the Vikings in a Week Zero showcase Saturday at the Wolvarena. South Florida-bound senior Jeremiah Koger...

The spread offense. The no-huddle. The Gatorade shower. High school football has borrowed plenty of trends from the college and pro ranks, but the NFL’s new kickoff format is one that traditionalists hope never makes its way to Friday nights. They say a long kickoff return nowadays is a rare...

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

Breaking long runs can be a big part of Central Valley’s offense, especially with a 200-pound running back that has a hard-to-tackle reputation. Yet the biggest plays on this night belonged to a Montour defense that schemed for this matchup for a while. Central Valley running back Jance Henry Jr....