Chris Harlan stories, Page 22

Central Catholic had trailed for almost the entire game, but a layup and foul shot by sophomore Enzo Khalil with seven-tenths of a second left Friday night lifted the Vikings to a dramatic 58-57 victory over North Allegheny to win the section title. The teams entered the section finale tied...

This is awards season for the NFL, and one went to a high school senior from the WPIAL. Central Catholic’s Peter Gonzalez received an inaugural honor that recognized his football talents and his Hispanic heritage. The Penn State-bound wide receiver emerged from a field of 56 nominees to win NFL...

There were two separate stoppages to clean blood off the court at Central Catholic’s Alumni Hall on Tuesday night, showing just how rough a section game between Central and Butler can get. Central Catholic’s Bradley Gompers left for a short while with a bloodied nose, and Butler leading scorer Braylon...

The wait is almost over for WPIAL football teams eager to take a look at the new conferences for the 2024 and ’25 seasons. The WPIAL will release realigned football conferences and updated sections for other fall sports after the board approves them Feb. 19, said WPIAL chief operating officer...

WPIAL boys basketball rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Mt. Lebanon, 16-3, 2 2. Baldwin, 15-4, 3 3. Upper St. Clair, 13-5, 1 4. Central Catholic, 11-8, 4 5. North Allegheny, 9-10, NR Out: Butler (14-4, 5) Class 5A 1. Moon, 16-3, 1 2. Franklin Regional, 17-2, 3...

WPIAL girls basketball rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Peters Township, 19-0, 1 2. Norwin, 16-3, 2 3. North Allegheny, 17-2, 3 4. Upper St. Clair, 11-9, NR 5. Chartiers Valley, 14-4, 4 Out: Seneca Valley (12-7, 5) Class 5A 1. Oakland Catholic, 20-0, 1 2. McKeesport, 16-2,...

The North Allegheny swimming team owns a WPIAL championship streak that’s older than some kids on the roster. The girls have won 15 consecutive WPIAL team titles, a streak that they started in 2009. With seniors Natalie Sens and Greta Mott among the WPIAL’s fastest swimmers again this winter, and...

Packed together tightly in a sold-out gym, the Mt. Lebanon student section chanted, “We run 6A,” in the final minutes of Friday’s win over rival Upper St. Clair. Senior guard Nate Girod wasn’t ready to make that bold of a statement quite yet, but in a classification looking for a...

“Exquisite” was the fancy word Brandon London’s teammates urged him to work into his postgame interview. He’d already scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Tuesday night, but the Shaler senior decided to deliver once more for his guys. London used the eloquent adjective to describe the rare 3-pointer he...

The Bishop Canevin boys basketball team is close to clinching a section title, but the Crusaders will finish their season with a different coaching staff. First-year coach Damien Cornish said he and his assistants were let go Monday after meeting with school administrators who told him “the player and parent...

Can Aliquippa compete in Class 5A football? Yes, says Pine-Richland coach Jon LeDonne, but he also considers the Quips’ concerns about player health to be valid. LeDonne won two state titles as a Class 5A coach and years ago won a WPIAL title as a player for Aliquippa. That football...

WPIAL girls basketball rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Peters Township, 18-0, 1 2. Norwin, 14-3, 2 3. North Allegheny, 14-2, 3 4. Chartiers Valley, 13-3, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 12-5, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Oakland Catholic, 18-0, 1 2. Lincoln Park, 17-0, 2 3. McKeesport,...

WPIAL boys basketball rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Upper St. Clair, 12-4, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 14-3, 2 3. Baldwin, 13-4, 5 4. Central Catholic, 10-6, 3 5. Butler, 14-3, 4 Out: none Class 5A 1. Moon, 13-3, 1 2. Gateway, 12-3, 2 3. Franklin Regional, 14-2,...

The motto on Lincoln Park’s shirts says “one more,” which coach Mike Bariski translates into “one more pass.” That might seem like wishful thinking, since the Leopards have a couple of elite players who can dominate one on one and score without any passes at all. But that’s not so,...

A football team that reaches the state finals or semifinals two years in a row “is the cream of the crop in that class,” said PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi, explaining why health and safety concerns are excluded as grounds for appeal under the competitive-balance rule. “It’s tough to make...

WPIAL champions Nolan DiLucia of Peters Township, Logan Kushner of North Allegheny and Matt Seig of Fort Cherry were three of the six quarterbacks named Thursday as finalists for the Willie Thrower Award. The award is given annually to the top quarterback in the WPIAL or City League. The others...

A week after the WPIAL rejected Farrell’s attempt to join the district, the PIAA also denied the Mercer County school’s request to transfer to the WPIAL. Citing racial issues with schools in District 10, Farrell administrators wanted to rejoin the WPIAL, a district the school used to call home. But...

MECHANICSBURG — If the PIAA believes five transfers gave the Aliquippa football team a competitive advantage, Quips coach Mike Warfield wants to know how. The school blitzed the PIAA with statistics about the five players’ limited contributions, the transient nature of the Aliquippa community and even the mismatch in roster...

The coaching career of Marty Spieler once crossed paths with the Kelce brothers, but, no, Taylor Swift probably won’t show up at South Fayette games this fall. But that experience early in his career shows how Spieler, who was hired Tuesday at South Fayette as a first-time head coach, brings...

Reigning state champion Logan St. John Kletter of Mt. Lebanon was named the Gatorade Pennsylvania girls cross country athlete of the year, extending the WPIAL’s winning streak to four. Brownsville’s Jolena Quarzo won the state award last season, and Moon’s Mia Cochran was a two-time winner for the 2020-21 and...

South Fayette is prepared to make Marty Spieler the school’s next football coach, pending board approval Tuesday night. Spieler is listed as the recommended candidate on the school board agenda. He spent this past season as an assistant under coach Joe Rossi, who resigned in November after 17 seasons with...

The PIAA might decide this week to eliminate overtime from regular-season high school soccer, taking a nod from NCAA rules and international norms. If approved, regular-season games tied after regulation would finish as a draw. Under current PIAA rules, teams play up to two 10-minute overtime periods trying to break...

WPIAL girls basketball rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Peters Township, 16-0, 1 2. Norwin, 13-3, 2 3. North Allegheny, 13-1, 3 4. Chartiers Valley, 12-2, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 11-5, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Oakland Catholic, 16-0, 1 2. Lincoln Park, 14-0, 3 3. McKeesport,...

WPIAL boys basketball rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Upper St. Clair, 10-4, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 12-3, 2 3. Central Catholic, 8-5, 3 4. Butler, 11-2, 4 5. Baldwin, 11-3, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Moon, 12-2, 2 2. Gateway, 11-2, 1 3. Thomas Jefferson, 10-2,...