January 28, 2024 12:01 am
With two weeks left in the regular season, the WPIAL playoff picture is coming into focus for area boys teams. The top FOUR teams in each section qualify for the playoffs. Ties for qualifying positions are broken by head-to-head results. If the teams split there season series, both qualify. Here’s a rundown for all 19 Washington/Greene County boys teams (section records in parentheses):
6A Section 2
Canon-McMillan (3-3) sits in 4th place, the final qualifying spot, two games out of first and virtually 3 games ahead of Norwin and Hempfield with four games to play.
5A Section 1
Peters Township (4-2) lost its shot at the section title with Friday’s loss to Thomas Jefferson. Indians are three games up on 5th place Connellsville with four games left, all against teams below them in the standings. Trinity (3-3) has a solid hold on 4th place, having swept Connellsville. The Hillers clinch with two wins or with a win and a Connellsville loss. Ringgold (0-6) must win out and get help to qualify.
3A Section 4
Wash High (8-0) has clinched a playoff spot and can all but wrap up the section title at Yough Tuesday night. Due to weather cancellations, the Little Prexies have yet to face Mt. Pleasant but will play the Vikings twice down the stretch. McGuffey (3-5) have been up and down but is solidly in the playoff field at the moment. The Highlanders took Wash High to overtime, split a pair of blowouts with Mt. Pleasant, then lost to last-place Waynesburg. Three of McGuffey’s final four games are against teams trying to catch them in the race for the final playoff spot. Charleroi (2-7) has three games left and must sweep to qualify. Waynesburg (2-7) also must sweep but has that win over McGuffey as an aide in the tie-breakers down the stretch.
2A Section 4
Fort Cherry (8-0) has clinched a berth and sits two games up on second-place Burgettstown and can wrap up the section title with a win Friday at Chartiers-Houston. Burgettstown (6-2) is in second place with four games left. The Blue Devils clinch a playoff spot with any win or Beth-Center loss. Chartiers-Houston (6-3) clinches with a win in any of its three remaining games, or with a Beth-Center loss. Beth-Center (3-5) is currently on the outside of the picture, one game back of 4th place Frazier. The Bulldogs beat the Commodores but have lost three of their last four games since. B-C hosts Frazier to close the regular season, hoping to have stayed alive to that point. Bentworth (2-7) has to win out, plus get lots of help from Frazier and Beth-Center opponents. Carmichaels (0-8) is in the same situation as Bentworth.
1A Section 1
Avella (4-2) sits comfortably in third place, just a game back of the Rochester/Union tie atop the standings. The Eagles can clinch a playoff spot with a win at Cornell Friday night.
1A Section 2
West Greene (5-1) is tied with Monessen atop the standings with the Pioneers having won their first meeting. The teams play again Friday night in Rogersville. West Greene clinches a playoff spot with any win or Mapletown loss. Jeff-Morgan (4-2) sits in third place, one game back of the tie at the top and three games up on Mapletown. The Rockets clinch a berth with any win or Mapletown loss. California (3-3) holds the final playoff spot for the moment with four games to play. The Trojans host Mapletown on Tuesday with a chance to clinch. Mapletown (1-5) must win out and get lots of help.
January 28, 2024 12:01 am
With two weeks left in the regular season, the WPIAL playoff picture is coming into focus for area girls teams. The top FOUR teams in each section qualify for the playoffs. Ties for qualifying positions are broken by head-to-head results. If the teams split there season series, both qualify. Here’s a rundown for all 19 Washington/Greene County boys teams (section records in parentheses):
6A Section 2
Peters Township (9-0) is unbeaten overall, winning 18 straight to start the season. The Indians have clinch a playoff spot and lock up at least a share of the section title with any win. Canon-McMillan (3-5) is tied for 4th with Upper St. Clair, each with four games to play, including one against each other (Feb. 5).
5A Section 4
Trinity (4-2) is tied with South Fayette, two games behind section leader Lincoln Park, two games ahead of Moon & Montour with four games to play.
3A Section 4
Waynesburg (6-0) leads the section and has a playoff berth in hand. The Raiders host South Park Feb. 5, likely with the section title on the line. McGuffey (3-3) holds third place 1.5 games up on Yough with four games left. Charleroi (0-6) must win out and get some help.
2A Section 2
Burgettstown (6-0) has clinched a playoff spot and can win the section title with a pair of wins. Fort Cherry (5-1) has also clinched a berth and can pull even with Burgettstown with a home win against the Blue Devils on Thursday.
2A Section 4
Chartiers-Houston (9-0) has clinched a post-season berth and can claim a share of the section title with a win at Wash High (7-1) on Monday. The Little Prexies, California (5-3) and Beth-Center (5-4) have also clinched. Carmichaels (1-7) and Bentworth (1-8) have been eliminated.
1A Section 2
West Greene (4-2) is tied for second with Geibel, two games game of Monessen. The Pioneers have a three game lead on Avella (1-5) and Jeff-Morgan (1-5) with four games left. Mapletown (2-4) is one game up on the Eagles and Rockets but still has games left with the three teams ahead of them plus Avella. Mapletown split with J-M and topped Avella in the first meeting. Avella beat J-M in their first game and will play at Jefferson on Thursday.
January 28, 2024 7:08 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Marcus Pettersson scored in overtime and the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied to beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Saturday night. Lars Eller scored his ninth goal of the season for Pittsburgh in his 1,000th NHL game. Jake Guentzel scored his 22nd goal and Sidney Crosby continued a seven-game point streak with an assist. Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for the Penguins, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle scored for the Canadiens, who played their 7,000th game in franchise history. Jake Allen stopped 30 shots for the Canadiens, who have lost four of their last five.
January 28, 2024 7:06 am
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Norchad Omier scored 18 points and recorded a block with 1.8-seconds left and Miami withstood hard-charging Pittsburg at the end to secure a key 72-68 win. Out of a timeout and down 70-68 with 10.3 seconds left, Pitt’s Jaland Lowe fielded the ball in the backcourt off the inbound and drove left. Omier picked him up off a screen and deflected his flailing shot attempt as he tried to to draw the foul against Omier who has a four-inch height advantage over the 6-foot-3 Lowe. Kyshawn George made two foul shots for Miami with 1.8 seconds left for the game’s final margin. Blake Hinson led Pitt with 21 points.
January 27, 2024 12:01 am
Thomas Jefferson took the lead late in the opening quarter and never gave it back, taking a two-game lead in 5A Section 1 over Peters Township. Canon-McMillan and Trinity boys each have virtual three-game leads in races for their sections final playoff spots with four games to play. Wash High’s 11th straight win clinched a 3A playoff berth. Chartiers-Houston swept a boys/girls home doubleheader.
Saturday–Boys Basketball
N/C Shady Side Academy 46, Wash High 40
Saturday–Girls Basketball
N/C Trinity 44, Hempfield 21
1A-2 Monessen 40, West Greene 25
Friday–Boys Basketball
6A-2 Canon-McMillan 51, Norwin 47
5A-1 Thomas Jefferson 70, Peters Township 58 Watch Here
5A-1 Trinity 85, Connellsville 51
5A-1 Bethel Park 90, Ringgold 49
3A-4 Wash High 64, Brownsville 39
3A-4 Mt. Pleasant 48, Charleroi 40
3A-4 Yough 58, Waynesburg 50
2A-4 Fort Cherry 71, Frazier 43
2A-4 Chartiers-Houston 54, Bentworth 47
2A-4 Beth-Center 40, Carmichaels 34
1A-1 Avella 61, Western Beaver 49
1A-2 West Greene 61, California 49
1A-2 Jeff-Morgan 66, Mapletown 58
Friday–Girls Basketball
6A-2 Peters Township 44, Upper St. Clair 36
2A-4 Chartiers-Houston 52, Bentworth 28
January 27, 2024 4:31 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sam Reinhart scored the winner in the shootout to help the Florida Panthers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Jake Guentzel followed Florida’s Aleksander Barkov with a goal in the shootout for Pittsburgh but Reinhart won it when he slipped a hard wrist shot behind Alex Nedeljkovic. Evgeni Malkin forced overtime with his 16th goal of the season that came with 41.5 seconds left in regulation. Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues scored in regulation for Florida. Sergei Bobrovsky made 35 saves for the Panthers, who won their third straight game. Guentzel also scored in regulation for the Penguins.
January 27, 2024 4:28 am
STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — Wrestling icon Vince McMahon has resigned from WWE’s parent company. Friday’s resignation occurred the day after a former employee filed a federal lawsuit accusing him and another former executive of serious sexual misconduct, including offering her to a star wrestler for sex. McMahon stepped down from his position as the executive chairman of the board of directors at WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings. That’s according to a statement released late Friday. He continued to deny wrongdoing. The plaintiff’s attorney declined to comment on McMahon’s resignation, and TKO Group referred media inquiries to McMahon’s statement.
January 25, 2024 1:01 am
Two weeks ago, the Trinity girls were 11-1 heading toward a first-place showdown with Lincoln Park. Thursday night, the Hillers lost in overtime for the fourth straight game and dropped into a tie for second, two games back of the Leopards. Burgettstown remained perfect in section, clinching a playoff berth in the process. Wash High won on the road, clinching a post-season spot and setting the stage for a match-up with Chartiers-Houston Monday night with a share of the section lead going to the winner. Beth-Center clinched a playoff spot with the Bulldogs’ win at Carmichaels. Charleroi (0-6) and Ringgold (0-9) remain winless in section play.
Thursday–Girls Basketball
5A-4 Montour 59, Trinity 56 OT
4A-3 West Mifflin 57, Ringgold 7
3A-4 South Park 48, McGuffey 32
3A-4 Waynesburg 62, Charleroi 41
2A-2 Burgettstown 54, Northgate 26
2A-2 Fort Cherry 60, Carlynton 16
2A-4 Wash High 59, Frazier 40
2A-4 Beth-Center 42, Carmichaels 22
1A-2 West Greene 49, Avella 27
1A-2 Jeff-Morgan 48, Mapletown 31
The WPIAL Wrestling Team Tournament brackets were released Thursday with 3A Trinity and 2A Burgettstown receiving the top seeds. Trinity will host Norwin, Plum and the Kiski / Moon winner. Peters Township and Ringgold will wrestle in separate matches at #3 Connellsville, Ringgold against the hosts, Peters against Fox Chapel. Burgettstown will face the Laurel / Central Valley winner and also host Frazier and Montour. McGuffey will travel to wrestle Freedom at #3 Quaker Valley. Bentworth will wrestle Highlands at #2 Burrell. First Round and Quarterfinals will happen at home sites Wednesday with the WPIAL semifinal, third-place and championship matches scheduled for Peters Township on Saturday, Feb. 3. Click Here for WPIAL Team Wrestling Brackets.
January 26, 2024 4:33 am
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have hired Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as their new head coach after an exhaustive search that included six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick. Morris is a familiar name in Atlanta, having served as the Falcons’ interim head coach for the final 11 games of the 2020 season after the firing of Dan Quinn. He previously coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for three seasons. The Falcons interviewed 14 candidates to replace Arthur Smith, who was fired after three straight 7-10 seasons. They settled on Morris, who has a record of 21-38 as a head coach.
January 26, 2024 4:34 am
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms with Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales to become their new head coach Thursday in hopes that he can end a six-year playoff drought. The Panthers are 31-68 since 2018, tied with the New York Jets for the worst record in the league during that span. Canales becomes the seventh head coach to lead the Panthers since owner David Tepper took over in 2018. He inherits a team that went 2-15 last season and does not have a first-round draft pick in 2024. The 42-year-old Canales has spent only one season as an NFL coordinator.
