Chris Harlan stories, Page 29

WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 4-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 4-0, 2 3. Canon-McMillan, 3-1, 4 4. Mt. Lebanon, 3-1, 3 5. Seneca Valley, 0-4, 5 Class 5A 1. Peters Township, 4-0, 2 2. Upper St. Clair, 4-0, 3 3. Penn Hills, 3-1,...

Amari Jackson was upset for about 15 seconds and Beaver teammate Qualan Cain felt down for no more than 20. That’s how long it took them to sprint more than 80 yards on a pair of kick return touchdowns Friday night as No. 4 Beaver defeated No. 5 South Park,...

West Mifflin started the season ranked second in WPIAL Class 3A, but the Titans are still winless after three weeks. So, now what? That 0-3 record might cause panic inside some locker rooms, but coach Rod Steele said he hasn’t seen any from his players. In fact, they’ve held onto...

Westinghouse sophomore Kyshawn Robinson scored twice and senior Sincere Shannon forced a fumble with a strip sack, but neither was all too happy. Their team won Thursday night at Cupples Stadium, defeating City League foe University Prep, 34-18, but the Bulldogs were mostly concerned with the mistakes they’d made. Specifically,...

Public schools will see their enrollments increase in the next few months, at least according to PIAA statistics. The PIAA is changing the formula used to count students, which might cause some sports teams to unexpectedly move into a different classification for the 2024-25 school year. Currently, school districts count...

Pennsylvania high school athletes who repeatedly violate name, image and likeness rules would lose their eligibility entirely under penalties adopted Wednesday by the PIAA. The PIAA board approved a three strikes approach for violations of the NIL rules enacted last winter. A student’s period of ineligibility increases with each violation,...

Week 2 was a rough night for defending WPIAL champions. Three of the six teams that celebrated district titles last season were defeated Friday, with Pine-Richland, Steel Valley and Union all taking losses. But Pine-Richland knows better than anyone that it’s a long football season and one game doesn’t define...

WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 3-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 3-0, 2 3. Mt. Lebanon, 3-0, 4 4. Canon-McMillan, 2-1, 3 5. Seneca Valley, 0-3, 5 Class 5A 1. Penn Hills, 3-0, 1 2. Peters Township, 3-0, 3 3. Upper St. Clair, 3-0,...

As injured teammate Antwan Black Jr. was on his way to the hospital, first by ambulance and then by helicopter, Laurel Highlands players had a tough decision to make. Should they play the final 34 seconds or cancel the rest of the game? “We just kind of said, ‘This is...

First-time starters on the North Allegheny girls volleyball team surely have more seasoning than most since they’ve practiced for years against a state championship lineup. The six-time defending champions sure hope so, because they’re relying on new faces in their quest for seven. “We’re lucky because our second side is...

It’s no exaggeration when Penn Hills quarterback Julian Dugger says he did everything he could to win this one. After Dugger passed for two touchdowns, rushed for two more and served as the team’s punter, he joined the defense in the final seconds when the Indians were shorthanded in the...

There’s an old saying about football teams with two starting quarterbacks actually having none, but Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak clearly disagrees. This year, the Jaguars have two QBs and they’re finding success with both. Senior quarterback Brody Evans and junior Luke Kosko have rotated every two possessions this season,...

Penn Hills is ranked No. 1 in WPIAL football, but Pine-Richland is the reigning conference, WPIAL and PIAA champion until someone takes those titles away. That’s how Penn Hills coach Charles Morris sees the situation. “They’re the state champs. They’re the WPIAL champs. I’ve got the old school mentality: In...

College football teams from the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 are among the eight favorites to land Aliquippa running back Tiqwai Hayes. The junior on Tuesday announced a top eight recruiting list that included Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia, along with Cincinnati, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio...

Seeing Jeff Metheny at Bethel Park’s football stadium isn’t unusual, but seeing the longtime Black Hawks coach wearing Mt. Lebanon colors certainly is. Metheny won more than 200 games as a head coach himself and returned to WPIAL sidelines this fall as an assistant for new Mt. Lebanon coach Mike...

WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 2-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 2-0, 2 3. Mt. Lebanon, 2-0, 4 4. Canon-McMillan, 1-1, 3 5. Seneca Valley, 0-2, 5 Class 5A 1. Penn Hills, 2-0, 1 2. Pine-Richland, 1-1, 3 3. Peters Township, 2-0, 5 4....

Mt. Lebanon thought they’d won and then were sure they’d lost, so the surprised smile junior Noah Schaerli showed afterward summed up Friday’s win perfectly. “It was unbelievable,” said Schaerli, who caught an 8-yard touchdown pass in overtime to secure Mt. Lebanon’s 19-16 win over host Bethel Park in a...

New head coaches. Rosters hurt by graduation. Bethel Park and Mt. Lebanon came into this football season with similar situations. “I think there’s a lot of people who thought we maybe would be a little bit down this year from where we were last year because of graduation,” said first-year...

Not only is Aliquippa’s new football stadium named Heinz Field, but like its North Shore namesake, the Red Zone should be popular. When the Quips cross the 20-yard line, the stadium’s new LED lights will flash red, Aliquippa athletic director Jennifer Damico said. The first game at the new stadium...

Central Catholic players were kneeling around new coach Ryan Lehmeier in a postgame circle when longtime Vikings assistant Ron Fuchs spoke up. “A head coach only gets one first victory,” Fuchs announced, while praising Lehmeier’s leadership skills and “infectious” excitement since becoming the team’s coach. “In 25 years, I’ve seen...

WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 1-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 1-0, 2 3. Canon-McMillan, 1-0, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 1-0, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 0-1, 5 Class 5A 1. Penn Hills, 1-0, 2 2. Gateway, 0-1, 1 3. Pine-Richland, 0-1, 3 4. Bethel...

There’s no question Ryan Lehmeier’s reputation as a motivator and sharp offensive mind enticed Central Catholic to hire him as a first-time head coach. One game into his Vikings tenure, that reputation remains solidly intact. Wide receiver Peter Gonzalez caught a touchdown on Central Catholic’s opening drive, the first of...

TribLive HSSN broke down the top players at one position per day leading up to Week Zero. Now, here’s a look at the top coaching changes for the 2023 season. 1. Ryan Lehmeier Central Catholic Lehmeier, a former offensive coordinator at Seneca Valley and Pine-Richland, is a first-time head coach....

TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top specialists for the 2023 season. 1. Bennett Henderson Upper St. Clair Senior, 5-11, 170 Henderson kicked a WPIAL-best 10 field goals last season, following up a sophomore season...

North Allegheny’s Art Walker has coached long enough to remember when filming practice required a bulky camcorder and tapes. “When I started, it was VHS and then the smaller tapes and then DVDs,” said Walker, who is entering his 26th season as a head football coach. “Now the video is...