January 26, 2025 12:02 am
Two weeks remain in the high school basketball regular season. Sections with eight teams will send five teams to the WPIAL playoffs. All other sections will send the top four teams into the post-season. The League is set to announce the playoff brackets on Monday, Feb. 10. Here’s a detailed look at playoff possibilities for girls teams from Washington/Greene Counties.
6A Canon-McMillan one game back of co-leaders Upper St. Clair and Norwin. Three games ahead of the cutline with four games to play.
5A Peters Township is the top-ranked team and has clinched a playoff spot. Trinity is 1.5 games behind Baldwin for the fourth spot. The teams split their two-game season series.
4A Ringgold is just 1-7 and hasn’t played section leader Elizabeth-Forward yet. The Rams trail Yough by two games for the final spot and have to pass the Cougars to qualify.
3A McGuffey, Wash High and Waynesburg are battling Brownsville for two spots. The Highlanders are 5-3, good for third place behind Seton-La Salle and Keystone Oaks. McGuffey has four games remaining, including one against the other three teams in the battle. The Little Prexies are 4-5 and have games against the top three teams. The Raiders are 3-4 with five games to play. Waynesburg also has to face the top three teams, plus Brownsville and last-place Charleroi. The Cougars (0-8) and can not qualify for the playoffs.
2A Fort Cherry leads Section 2 and has clinched a playoff spot. Burgettstown has rebounded from a 1-3 start to move into third place with four games to play. The Blue Devils are 1.5 games ahead of 5th place Carlynton.
2A Chartiers-Houston leads Section 3 at 5-0, two games up on Beth-Center and California. The Bucs have clinched a playoff spot. Bentworth holds 4th place, two games up on Carmichaels and Jeff-Morgan.
1A West Greene is 3-5, tied with Bishop Canevin for the last two playoff spots. The Pioneers have six games left over the next two weeks. Avella is a half-game back and has games left with four of the top five teams. Mapletown is 1-8, 2.5 games back of the tie for the final spot.
January 26, 2025 12:01 am
Two weeks remain in the high school basketball regular season. Sections with eight teams will send five teams to the WPIAL playoffs. All other sections will send the top four teams into the post-season. The League is set to announce the playoff brackets on Monday, Feb. 10. Here’s a detailed look at playoff possibilities for boys teams from Washington/Greene Counties.
6A Canon-McMillan is in 7th place at 1-9. The Big Macs must win out and get some help to qualify.
5A Peters Township is 5-3, two games behind co-leaders Baldwin and South Fayette. The Indians clinch a playoff spot with one more win. Trinity is 3-6 and in 5th place, with games against Peters, South Fayette and Ringgold. Trinity must sweep to qualify. Ringgold is winless in the section.
3A McGuffey is in 2nd place in Section 2, tied with Keystone Oaks, two games back of Bishop Canevin. Wash High is tied for 4th with Carlynton. The two meet at Carlynton on Feb. 4. The Cougars beat the Little Prexies, 59-52, Jan. 10.
3A Waynesburg is 4-1, one game behind Southmoreland for the Section 4 lead. Charleroi is 2-4 and in 4th place, a half-game ahead of Brownsville. The two meet at Brownsville on Feb. 4.
2A Bentworth is 4-5 in Section 1 and pulled even with Springdale for the final playoff spots with Friday’s 70-58 home win. The Bearcats have games against the top three teams and the bottom two. California is 0-9.
2A Section 3 has Chartiers-Houston (8-1) in 1st place with Jeff-Morgan (8-2) a half-game back. Fort Cherry and West Greene are both 7-3, tied for third, two games up on Beth-Center (5-5). The Bucs, Rockets, Rangers and Pioneers have all clinched. The Bulldogs currently hold the fifth and final playoff spot and clinch that spot with one win or losses by Burgettstown and Carmichaels. Burgettstown and Carmichaels, both 2-8, are three games back with four games to play. Mapletown is 0-10 in section.
1A Avella is 1-4 and trails Beaver County Christian by 1.5 games for the final playoff berth. The Eagles host BCC on the final night of the regular season.
January 26, 2025 8:19 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Vince Dunn scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period, and Eeli Tolvanen and Matty Beniers both scored in the third as the Seattle Kraken beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 on Saturday. Dunn’s goal came on a 5-on-3 power play and broke a 1-1 tie. After a scoreless first, Oliver Bjorkstrand put the Kraken ahead with a goal 2:16 into the second period. Sidney Crosby scored his 14th goal of the season just over two minutes later. Chandler Stephenson and Jared McCann each had two assists for Seattle, and Joey Daccord made 28 saves for Seattle. Kris Letang and Rickard Rakell had one assist each for the Penguins, while goalie Joel Blomqvist had 21 stops. Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin left the game midway through the first period with a lower-body injury.
January 25, 2025 4:15 am
The intensity of playoff races increases as the number of remaining section play dates dwindles for area high school basketball teams. Friday presented a full slate of boys games in addition to a pair of girls games. By the end of the week, most teams in the WPIAL will have just four section games left in their quest to make the playoffs.
Friday, Jan. 24
Girls
6A Canon-McMillan 45, Upper St. Clair 38. Big Macs pull within one game of first place
1A Avella 34, Mapletown 20. Eagles are in 6th place, just a half game back of a tie for the final playoff spots. Maples are 2.5 games off the pace.
Boys
6A Mt. Lebanon 76, Canon-McMillan 45. Big Macs fall 4.5 games out of final playoff spot.
5A Baldwin 88, Trinity 58. Hillers on brink of elimination, need to sweep South Fayette, Peters Township & Ringgold.
5A Bethel Park 55, Ringgold 47. Rams are winless in the section
3A McGuffey 67, Carlynton 39. Highlanders are tied for 2nd with Keystone Oaks, now two games ahead of Wash High & Carlynton.
3A Bishop Canevin 59, Wash High 40. Crusaders have a two-game lead on McGuffey. Little Prexies are tied with Carlynton in 4th place.
3A Southmoreland 61, Charleroi 35. Cougars sit in 4th place, a half-game up on Brownsville for the final playoff berth.
3A Waynesburg 68, Brownsville 59. Raiders are in 2nd place, one game back of Southmoreland.
2A Bentworth 70, Springdale 58. Bearcats pull even with Dynamos for the 5th and final playoff berth.
2A Greensburg Central Catholic 77, California 20. Trojans are winless in the section.
2A Chartiers-Houston 49, West Greene 40. Bucs are in 1st place, One game up on Jeff-Morgan, two better than Fort Cherry & West Greene.
2A Fort Cherry 58, Beth-Center 34. Rangers pull into tie for third with West Greene, one game back of Jeff-Morgan in second. Bulldogs holds the 5th playoff spot.
2A Burgettstown 63, Carmichaels 36. Blue Devils & Mikes are tied for 6th, 3.5 games out of the playoff picture with four games left.
2A Jeff-Morgan 62, Mapletown 13. Rockets are tied with West Greene, one game back of Chartiers-Houston. Maples are 0-16.
1A Nazareth Prep 58, Avella 38. Eagles are currently fifth, 1.5 games behind Beaver County Christian for the final berth.
January 25, 2025 4:11 am
(AP) – The young collector who scored a one-of-a-kind baseball card featuring National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes has turned down a trade offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Topps announced the 11-year-old from the Los Angeles area had declined the deal and instead was going to put the card — which features Skenes’ autograph and a patch from a game-worn jersey, had been found — up for auction. The Pirates had put together a package that included 30 years’ worth of season tickets behind home plate at PNC Park and the chance to play a softball game on the field in exchange for the card.
January 25, 2025 4:13 am
(AP) — The Dallas Cowboys say offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has agreed to become the storied franchise’s next coach. The somewhat surprising choice is a familiar one for Dak Prescott. The star quarterback worked closely with Schottenheimer the past two seasons with former coach Mike McCarthy as the play-caller. Schottenheimer is the ninth coach hired by owner Jerry Jones since he bought the team in 1989 and fired the only coach the Cowboys had for their first 29 seasons, Tom Landry. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders have agreed to hire Pete Carroll as their head coach, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Friday. The team and Carroll agreed in principle on a three-year deal with a one-year team option, the person told the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract hasn’t been finalized. The Raiders fired coach Antonio Pierce this month. Carroll won a Super Bowl as coach of the Seattle Seahawks and won a college football championship with Southern California. And the Jacksonville Jaguars have hired Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen as the eighth head coach in franchise history. It capped a covert operation that included owner Shad Khan moving on from general manager Trent Baalke and Coen reversing course with the Buccaneers. Khan fired Baalke on Wednesday to clear a path for Coen to land in Jacksonville. The 39-year-old Coen was the architect of one of Tampa Bay’s most productive offenses in its history in 2024. The Bucs ranked third in the NFL in yards and fourth in points.
January 23, 2025 12:01 am
Girls basketball has entered the homestretch with just four section play dates left after Thursday’s games. There were several boys games on Thursday’s schedule as well, the result of the winter weather over the past 10 days.
Thursday, Jan. 23
Girls
5A Baldwin 56, Trinity 36
4A Yough 30, Ringgold 26
3A McGuffey 67, Charleroi 21
3A Wash High 50, Waynesburg 46
2A Fort Cherry 67, Carlynton 22
2A Burgettstown 59, Northgate 14
2A Chartiers-Houston 48, Beth-Center 22
2A Bentworth 42, Jeff-Morgan 32
2A California 55, Carmichaels 38
1A Serra Catholic 62, Avella 21
1A Clairton 63, West Greene 52
1A Mapletown 39, Monessen 28
Boys
2A Jeff-Morgan 72, Beth-Center 40
2A West Greene 61, Mapletown 33
2A Chartiers-Houston 55, Carmichaels 21
January 23, 2025 1:01 am
The WPIAL Wrestling Team Tournament brackets were released Thursday morning, including 10 Washington County teams and another from Greene County. Action begins with four preliminary matches in each classification on Monday. Those winners advance to the Sweet 16/Quarterfinals on Wednesday. The semifinals/finals are scheduled for Peters Township, Saturday, Feb. 1. The pairings for teams from the two-county area are listed below. We will have coverage on-air and online through the tournament. Video coverage will be through NFHS Network (subscription required) under agreements with WPIAL/PIAA. Click for WPIAL Brackets
Monday, Jan. 27–Preliminaries
Class 2A at Bentworth
Chartiers-Houston vs. Elizabeth-Forward, 5:50 pm, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here
Avella vs. Bentworth, 7:05 pm, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here
Class 3A at Shaler Area
Peters Township vs. Moon Area, 6 pm
Ringgold vs. Shaler Area, 7:15 pm
Wednesday, Jan. 29–Round of 16, Quarterfinals
Class 2A, 6 pm unless noted, winners meet in quarterfinals at 7:15 pm
At #1 Burrell: Jeff-Morgan vs. Southmoreland, Knoch/Greensburg Salem vs. Burrell
At #2 Derry Area: Burgettstown vs. Highlands, Avella/Bentworth vs. Derry Area
At #3 McGuffey: Beth-Center vs. Laurel, Avonworth/Central Valley vs. McGuffey, 5:50 pm, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here
At #4 Quaker Valley: Chartiers-Houston/Elizabeth-Forward vs. Quaker Valley, Freedom vs. South Park
Class 3A, 6 pm unless noted, winners meet in quarterfinals at 7:15 pm
At #1 Connellsville: Ringgold/Shaler vs. Connellsville, Kiski Area vs. Greater Latrobe
At #2 Franklin Regional Peters Township/Moon vs. Franklin Regional, North Allegheny vs. Fox Chapel
At #3 Thomas Jefferson: Trinity vs. West Allegheny, North Hills/Penn-Trafford vs. Thomas Jefferson, 5:50 pm, WJPA-FM (95.3) Watch/Listen Here
At #4 Bethel Park: Canon-McMillan vs. Norwin, Butler/Belle Vernon vs. Bethel Park
January 24, 2025 4:36 am
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn each scored twice and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. Frank Vatrano also scored and Troy Terry and Jacob Trouba each had a pair of assists as the Ducks snapped a four-game winless streak. John Gibson made 31 saves. Michael Bunting scored on a power play for Pittsburgh. Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves.
January 24, 2025 4:33 am
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — From Buffalo’s Josh Allen facing Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, to Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts going up against Washington’s Jayden Daniels, the NFL conference championship games are abundant with dual-threat quarterbacks. It’s a reflection of the NFL, perhaps, entering a mobile age for quarterbacks who are just as capable of winning games rushing as they are passing. The four players combined for 2,359 yards rushing during the regular season, by far the most of any final foursome of NFL quarterbacks. Former NFL quarterback and current TV analyst Matt Ryan calls it the natural progression of the position.
