Chris Harlan stories, Page 10

HERSHEY — Imani Christian won a state title a year ago with a towering center in the middle, but this time, a couple of much smaller guards led the way. They proved to be an even tougher matchup. Imani Christian scored 19 straight points in one stretch Thursday afternoon thanks...

Lincoln Park is making a return trip to Hershey, where the team hopes to celebrate a second straight state title behind the talented tandem of Brandin Cummings and Meleek Thomas. Waiting for the Leopards is an opponent from Philadelphia, but that shouldn’t surprise them. They’ve now drawn a District 12...

Franklin Regional built a big lead Monday night only to see Moon erase it entirely, which was reminiscent of how the Panthers lost in the WPIAL final a few weeks ago. This time, there was at least one difference. “We had two more quarters. That was the big thing,” said...

SHARON — Time was dwindling away and the deficit was large, but Deer Lakes decided to ramp up its pressure one more time in Saturday’s state playoff loss. The Lancers defense forced a half-dozen turnovers in the closing minutes of a PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal, but the climb was too...

Some WPIAL baseball teams scramble to find enough pitching to cover their innings, but North Allegheny coach Andrew Heck has a much different dilemma. He’s hoping to find enough innings for all of his pitchers. The Tigers entered this spring with a pitching staff heavy in talented arms — a...

Yes, these are the state playoffs, but WPIAL champion Moon is back fighting its way through teams from its own league. Aiden Reesman scored 10 of his season-high 26 points in the fourth quarter Friday night to fuel a strong finish as Moon outlasted Bethel Park, 67-51, in a PIAA...

The WPIAL has released its football schedules for the next two seasons and Week 1 should be exciting. Some of the notable nonconference games scheduled for Week 1 include Central Catholic at Pine-Richland, Gateway at North Allegheny and Thomas Jefferson at Central Valley. Woodland Hills and Penn Hills will renew...

JOHNSTOWN — This is the kind of March madness Upper St. Clair coach Danny Holzer likes most, a state basketball tournament where his Panthers are making a deep bracket run. And one where he’s there to watch. Upper St. Clair is headed to the PIAA elite eight after a 63-43...

ALTOONA — Shaler leading scorer Keegan Smetanka was down on the court with a first-quarter ankle injury, so his teammates huddled quickly to discuss what to do next. They agreed to make the best of a bad situation. “I think it brought us together a little bit,” senior Kaden Orga...

ALTOONA — Colin Masten wears jersey No. 1, which was fitting Tuesday night because of how many times he made folks say, “And one!” The senior scored a game-high 21 points including a trio of three-point plays as Franklin Regional defeated District 4 champion Selinsgrove, 56-45, in a PIAA Class...

WPIAL athletic directors received a survey from one of their colleagues Monday, seeking feedback about how the league makes its sections and schedules. The online survey by McGuffey athletic director Ed Dalton, a critic of the WPIAL’s recent fall realignment, asked whether schools favored sections based on geography, competitive balance...

The scoreboard in Baldwin’s gym showed a good news, bad news scenario for the Highlanders as the fourth quarter got underway Saturday. “They only had 41 points through three,” Baldwin coach Jeff Ackermann said of visiting Erie McDowell. “You’d think you could be winning if you hold them to 41....

Brandin Cummings kissed his hand before touching the Leopard logo on Lincoln Park’s basketball court, offering a kiss goodbye as his final home game was winding down. “My whole life, I’ve been playing in this gym,” said the Midland native, who grew up near the school. “I’m from here, so...

“Let’s go dance,” Upper St. Clair coach Danny Holzer told his players, guiding them back to their Petersen Events Center locker room where they bounced and sang along to “Y-M-C-A.” There might be some debate about whether they’re the best dancers in the WPIAL, but the Panthers left Pitt’s arena...

A gymnastics background can certainly help, but North Allegheny diving coach Patti McClure says she’s first looking for a kid with a “kamikaze” attitude. “I look at my divers and say, ‘Find me a friend who doesn’t care how they land in the water,’” McClure said with a laugh. “It’s...

One team got hot in the fourth quarter, and the other was not. Moon’s Michael Santicola broke a fourth-quarter tie with consecutive 3-pointers about a minute apart as the top-seeded Tigers rallied late to defeat No. 2 Franklin Regional, 53-48, in the WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball final Friday night...

WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball championship No. 3 Upper St. Clair vs. No. 4 Baldwin 7 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Audio broadcast: TribLive HSSN; Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Upper St. Clair 3 (1996, 2005, 2021), Baldwin 0 Upper St. Clair (19-5) Coach: Danny...

Butler has reached an agreement with the PIAA that will let the football team play an independent schedule this fall, the school’s athletic director said Friday. “I’m very grateful they listened to us and understood we’re trying to look out for the safety of our players,” Butler athletic director Bill...

WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship No. 1 Lincoln Park vs. No. 2 Hampton 9 p.m. Thursday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Audio broadcast: TribLive HSSN; Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Lincoln Park 6 (2012, ’14, ’18, ’19, ’21, ’23), Hampton 1 (2009) Lincoln Park (22-3) Coach:...

WPIAL Class A boys basketball championship No. 1 Imani Christian vs. No. 2 Neighborhood Academy 5 p.m. Thursday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Audio broadcast: TribLive HSSN; Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Imani Christian 1 (2023), Neighborhood Academy 0 Imani Christian (13-10) Coach: Khayree Wilson Projected starting...

The PIAA in a letter to state legislators stood behind its decision to move the Aliquippa football team into a higher classification and rejected claims that the school district serves a more transient population than others. The letter, sent to members of the Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee, was shared Tuesday...

Tyler Robbins’ first basket came a few minutes after halftime, but Upper St. Clair’s big man had already altered the outcome of Tuesday’s semifinal in other ways. Mainly by altering a bunch of shots. The 6-foot-9 junior had six blocks and grabbed 19 rebounds in a 61-46 win over defending...

The path wasn’t easy, but defending champion Deer Lakes is headed back to the WPIAL boys basketball finals after a second straight overtime win. Nathaniel Moore made a game-tying layup with 2.9 seconds left in regulation, and No. 1 seed Deer Lakes ignored its earlier misses at the foul line...