Chris Harlan stories, Page 72

South Fayette’s football team will travel two hours for its season opener, but there is an obvious silver lining. By playing a game out of state, the Lions can have a couple of hundred of their fans in the stands. “It worked out perfect,” coach Joe Rossi said. South Fayette...

Before WPIAL football teams kick off next week, state lawmakers may send a bill to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk that would let more spectators attend interscholastic events. “I absolutely think that’s a real possibility,” said state Rep. Mike Reese, R-Westmoreland, the primary sponsor of House Bill 2787. “I think that’s...

The results of the WPIAL survey are clear: Almost everyone is playing fall sports. Only two schools told the WPIAL they are shutting down fall sports entirely: Summit Academy and Neighborhood Academy, according to WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman. Summit Academy sponsors football and boys golf. Neighborhood Academy has only...

High school football season won’t start on a Thursday night. The WPIAL had hoped to let some teams kickoff one day early — on Sept. 10 — but the PIAA denied that request, WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman said Tuesday. The first date football teams can play a regular-season game...

Central Catholic has five guys competing to play quarterback, and whoever wins the job will practice handing the football to Eddy Tillman. The senior is coming off a 2,000-yard, 26-touchdown season. The 5-foot-8 running back has increased his strength since last season and started drawing Division I interest this summer....

Mt. Lebanon coach Bob Palko had 14 sophomores earn a varsity letter in his first season with the Blue Devils. That has him excited because those sophomores are now juniors, so he expects to see a discernible jump in their performances. For football players, that transition from 10th grade to...

North Allegheny coach Art Walker has always had a go-to guy in the backfield, one running back who’d shoulder the bulk of the carries. Not so, this season. “We’re going to be running back by committee until somebody steps up and takes it,” Walker said. “We could’ve done more evaluation...

The possibility he’d infect his granddad or any other family member with covid-19 was too much risk, said Central Catholic football star Elliot Donald, who decided to skip his senior season. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound defensive tackle is a Pitt commit, one of the WPIAL’s elite players and the nephew of...

Shady Side Academy won’t start football season until Week 3, a decision meant to limit potential exposure to coronavirus. The voluntary delay, which involves all contact sports, was revealed Friday by the school’s administration, coach Chuck DiNardo said. The football team will skip its preseason scrimmage and two regular-season weeks....

Football and soccer seasons were reinstated Friday at Uniontown. Three weeks after the school board voted to cancel contact sports, the school’s athletic department announced that all fall sports seasons will take place. The football team hasn’t trained together since mid-June, coach Cedric Lloyd said, but could resume workouts as...

Peters Township came within one point of winning the WPIAL Class 5A title last season, but that rain-soaked loss didn’t close the team’s championship window. “We have some good guys coming back,” coach T.J. Plack said. “If we didn’t have (Donovan) McMillon, (Corban) Hondru and some of these others, we’re...

Bethel Park graduated all 11 starters on offense and 10 on defense, but coach Brian DeLallo won’t call this a “rebuilding” year. “I don’t like using the R-word,” he said. “We’re not building in excuses and saying we’re rebuilding. We’re going to try to reload and get after guys. If...

South Fayette quarterback Naman Alemada was running the New England Patriots offense at times last season, with plays designed for small-but-quick receivers. Charley Rossi, Joey Audia and Ryan McGuire were the WPIAL’s version of Julian Edelman and Co. But this year, offensive coordinator Ben Maracek borrowed ideas from another championship...

Ethan Dahlem and David Pantelis have a quarterback-receiver connection that Upper St. Clair coach Mike Junko describes as nearly clairvoyant. The pair combined for 77 receptions and more than 1,100 receiving yards. “It’s almost intuitive,” Junko said. “They are very much in tune. They just know. They’re developing that rhythm...

West Allegheny not only has a new head coach but also a new offensive coordinator and an entirely new offense. There was a lot to learn during the team’s twice-weekly video conference calls with everyone trapped at home this spring. Looking back, that online work let the Indians enter summer...

There will be City League sports this fall. The school board for Pittsburgh Public Schools voted unanimously Wednesday against a proposal that would’ve postponed sports until the district resumes in-person classes. The school district’s administration recommended the delay earlier this month, but the 9-0 vote reversed that decision, allowing sports...

Concerned that an athlete had direct exposure to covid-19, Seneca Valley shut down football workouts indefinitely Tuesday, meaning it also must cancel its preseason scrimmage and season opener. Teams must have 10 preseason practices before a scrimmage and 15 before a game, thresholds that the Raiders can’t reach, coach Ron...

If a school district lets students play sports and one contracts covid-19 with complications, could the school be held legally responsible? Unlikely, says attorney Larry Kelly, a multi-sport coach in the WPIAL who has practiced personal-injury law for 37 years. Kelly studied the question and points to the governmental immunity...

The WPIAL believes a large majority of member schools will play sports this fall, but it’s hoping to know for sure in the next week. School administrators will receive a survey Tuesday asking them to respond if they intend to opt out of any fall sport, WPIAL executive director Amy...

A positive covid-19 test caused Mt. Lebanon to shut down football activities until next week, a delay that will force the team to cancel its preseason scrimmage and season opener. The PIAA requires 10 practices before a scrimmage and 15 before the first game, thresholds Mt. Lebanon can’t reach in...

City League football coaches are worried about losing their season, but they’re also fearful they could lose the entire league. “If we don’t play football this year, we won’t have City League football in a couple of years,” Allderdice coach Jerry Haslett said. Pittsburgh Public Schools’ administration recommended earlier this...

Hopewell principal Michael Allison is a former high school athlete and coach, the treasurer of the WPIAL and president of the Pennsylvania Principals Association. He’s also one of five PIAA board members Friday who voted against starting fall sports next week. Allison understands his vote won’t be popular with many,...

High school football season starts Monday, along with soccer, cross country, girls volleyball and all other PIAA fall sports. The PIAA board of directors ignored Gov. Tom Wolf’s strong recommendation and voted Friday to let fall sports start as scheduled, but the PIAA left the responsibility with individual school districts...

The PIAA voted to allow high school sports to proceed on schedule. Allegheny County schools got a double dose of good news. Allegheny County schools will be able to play games at home, the WPIAL and Allegheny County Health Department announced Friday in a joint statement. The county’s 50-person limit...