WJPA Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers plan on having quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back for an 18th season. Team president Art Rooney II says he and Roethlisberger have met to figure out a way to ease the financial pressure caused by Roethlisberger’s contract. Roethlisberger’s current deal carries a $41 million salary cap number for 2021. He is due a $15 million roster bonus on March 20 shortly after the new league year begins. Rooney called the meeting with Roethlisberger “productive,” adding that it allowed the two sides to “discuss a lot of things that relate to where we are and where we want to go.”

Playoff pairings for the WPIAL basketball tournaments were released Tuesday night.  The Trinity Hillers received the top seed in the 5A girls bracket, the only top four seed among Washington County teams. Preliminary games are scheduled for Saturday and Monday with Sweet 16 match-ups beginning next Tuesday. Prior to the release, it was announced that the Canon-McMillan girls had opted out. Click for Girls Brackets, Boys Brackets. Here’s the preliminary schedule for Washington/Greene County teams.

Preliminaries
Saturday, Feb. 27, 12 noon
Girls 3A #18 South Allegheny at #15 Washington
Girls 2A #19 Frazier at #14 Chartiers-Houston
Boys 6A #17 Canon-McMillan at #16 Greensburg Salem
Boys 5A #20 Kiski Area at #13 Trinity WJPA-AM Listen Here
Boys 5A #19 Ringgold at #14 Shaler
Boys 2A #20 Jeff-Morgan vs. #13 Winchester-Thurston at Peters Township
Boys 2A #21 Riverview at #12 Burgettstown
Boys 2A #15 Carmichaels at #18 Serra Catholic
2:00 pm
Boys 2A #17 California at #16 Chartiers-Houston
Boys 2A #11 Fort Cherry vs. #22 Propel Braddock Hills at Peters Township

Monday, Mar. 1, 6:00 pm
Boys 3A #18 Mohawk at #15 McGuffey WJPA-AM Listen Here
Boys 3A #19 Beth-Center vs. #14 Apollo-Ridge at Charleroi WJPA-FM Listen Here
Boys 3A #13 New Brighton at #20 Waynesburg
8:00 pm
Girls 5A #25 Ringgold at #8 Fox Chapel
Boys 3A #23 Steel Valley at #10 Charleroi WJPA-AM Listen Here

First Round
Tuesday, Mar. 2, 6:00 pm
Girls 2A #9 Fort Cherry at #8 California
Girls 2A Greens. Cent. Cath./Northgate winner at #5 Burgettstown
Boys 6A #11 Peters Township at #6 Pine-Richland
Boys 1A #9 Avella at #8 St. Joseph’s
Boys 1A #15 West Greene at #2 Rochester
Boys 1A #11 Mapletown at #6 Leechburg
8:00 pm
Girls 6A #10 Pine-Richland at #7 Peters Township

Wednesday, Mar. 3, 6:00 pm
Girls 3A #10 Charleroi at #7 Keystone Oaks
Girls 3A #11 East Allegheny at #6 Waynesburg
Girls 3A #13 McGuffey at #4 Laurel

Thursday, Mar. 4, 6:00 pm
Girls 5A Mars/Gateway winner at #1 Trinity WJPA-FM Listen Here
Girls 1A #9 St. Joseph’s at #8 Avella
Girls 1A #13 Jeff-Morgan at #4 Aquinas Academy
Girls 1A #12 Mapletown at #5 Clairton
Boys 3A Laurel/East Allegheny winner at #5 Washington WJPA-AM Listen Here
Girls 1A #2 West Greene bye to quarterfinals, Monday, Mar. 8

WASHINGTON (AP) – Kasperi Kapanen scored on a one-timer 1:43 into overtime, lifting the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. The Penguins won for the fourth time in five games against the Capitals this season, including two in overtime and one in a shootout. They also won for the eighth time this season after entering the third period tied or trailing. Kapanen and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh, and Evgeni Malkin scored his fifth goal of the season. Conor Sheary and Richard Panik scored for Washington, which only led for 22 seconds all night. Vitek Vanecek made 34 saves.

UNDATED (AP) – Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes is eager to prove his breakout rookie season was no fluke. Hayes hit .376 with five home runs and 17 doubles in 24 games after arriving in the majors last September. The pop Hayes showed at the plate came as a bit of a surprise to everyone but Hayes, who credits a couple of tweaks to his swing for the power surge. Hayes says he knows teams will adjust this season but he’s confident he can handle the roller coaster that lies ahead.