November 21, 2021 1:18 am
Alex Tecza ran for nearly 200 yards and scored four times leading Mt. Lebanon to a 47-7 win over Central Catholic in the WPIAL 6A Football Championship game. The senior scored on runs of 2, 59 and 25 yards and caught one of three Joey Daniels scoring passes, a 23 yard toss late in the first half. Brandon Anderson ( 5 yards) and Eli Heidenreich (28 yards) caught the others. Daniels finished the night 11-of-13 for 135 yards. Heidenreich also ran 67 yards for the game’s final score, sending the title tilt into the 35-point mercy rule. Mt. Lebanon will host District 10 champion McDowell Friday in the PIAA 6A quarterfinals. Game time is 7 pm.
With a victory in its first title game appearance since claiming the 2000 title, Mt. Lebanon moved into a tie for sixth place all-time Central Catholic, Rochester and West Allegheny, all with eight titles. Bob Palko was the head coach at WA for all of the Indians’ titles and now joins Thomas Jefferson’s Bill Cherpak as the only WPIAL coaches to win nine.
Semifinal games were played Friday night for the other classifications including the 4A Belle Vernon/Thomas Jefferson game on WJPA. Devin Whitlock scored on back-to-back offensive plays for Belle Vernon, leading the Leopards to the 21-7 win over the defending champion Jaguars. Whitlock scored on runs of 22 and 79 yards late in the first quarter. Belle Vernon will play Aliquippa next Saturday afternoon at Heinz Field and on WJPA-FM (95.3). WPIAL Brackets PIAA Brackets
WPIAL Semifinals
5A Moon Area 14, Penn Hills 9
5A Penn-Trafford 24, Pine-Richland 6
4A Belle Vernon 21, Thomas Jefferson 7
4A Aliquippa 27, McKeesport 21 2OT
3A Central Valley 51, Elizabeth-Forward 0
3A North Catholic 7, Avonworth 0
2A Beaver Falls 21, Steel Valley 8
2A Serra Catholic 13, Sto-Rox 12
1A OLSH 14, Rochester 13
1A Bishop Canevin 24, Cornell 7
November 21, 2021 7:49 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kenny Pickett knew a year ago. Something in the Pittsburgh quarterback’s gut told him coming back for one more season offered the opportunity to do something special. Something that looked and felt an awful lot like Pitt’s 48-38 victory over Virginia on Saturday, when Pickett, rising star wide receiver Jordan Addison and the 20th-ranked Panthers put to bed the idea that this is the “Same Old Pitt” for now, and maybe for good. There will be no chaos in the ACC’s Coastal Division this year. Not with Pickett re-writing the Pitt record book and Addison making a compelling case that the conversation on who the best receiver in the country is starts with the skinny sophomore with video game moves and understated swagger. Pickett and Addison connected for four touchdowns, the last a 62-yard catch-and-run with 2:10 remaining that sealed a second Coastal Division title in four years for the Panthers (9-2, 6-1 ACC), a play symbolic of the inherent trust between the two that’s made them one of the most dynamic combinations in the country.
November 21, 2021 7:48 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Coaches preach about preparing for all contingencies. Rarely has it been more accurate than what Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin and Los Angeles’ Brandon Staley are dealing with going into Sunday night’s pivotal AFC matchup. Both entered the weekend with key players on the COVID-19 list. However, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was cleared Saturday to start after passing the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols. Pittsburgh will still be without star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is out after being put onto the COVID-19 list Monday. Chargers outside linebacker Joey Bosa was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday as a close contact after Jerry Tillery had a positive test. Bosa was removed from the list on Saturday after testing negative for five straight days. Roethlisberger’s uncertain status during the week forced Los Angeles to prepare for both Roethlisberger and backup Mason Rudolph, though Staley doesn’t consider the added prep an issue.
November 21, 2021 7:50 am
TORONTO (AP) — Tristan Jarry made 26 saves for his second straight shutout, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Toronto 2-0 on Saturday night to snap the Maple Leafs’ five-game winning streak. Jake Guentzel and Jeff Carter scored for Pittsburgh. Jarry continued a string of strong performances to extend his shutout streak to 151 minutes and six seconds. Jack Campbell stopped 29 shots for Toronto, which had won 10 of its last 11 entering Saturday. The Penguins, who have dealt with a COVID-19 outbreak and a number of key injuries, won consecutive games for the first time this season; they beat Montreal 6-0 on Thursday.
November 20, 2021 4:17 am
(WPXI) – The sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Fenway Sports Group is one step closer to being official. Various media outlets are reporting that the boards of the FSG and the Penguins have approved the sale of the team. The board of the National Hockey League still have to vote. They are awaiting a final approval from the NHL, per a source close to the Penguins. Under the deal, Mario Lemieux would remain a minority owner.
November 20, 2021 4:15 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph is preparing as if he will start against the Los Angeles Chargers. Starter Ben Roethlisberger remains on the COVID-19 list after testing positive last week, but could play if he is cleared in time for kickoff. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada says he is in contact with Roethlisberger regularly and that Roethlisberger has been in attendance for virtual meetings with the offensive staff. Rudolph says he is hopeful he gets another opportunity, but will work hard to make sure Roethlisberger has what he needs if he returns to action.
November 19, 2021 3:50 am
MONTREAL (AP) – Teddy Blueger scored two goals and the Pittsburgh Penguins snapped a three-game skid, pounding the Montreal Canadiens 6-0. Tristan Jarry stopped all 24 shots for the Penguins. Pittsburgh exploded in the first period with goals from Sidney Crosby, Danton Heinen and Jake Guentzel. Blueger and Brock Gill scored in the second, and Blueger added a late third-period goal. Cayden Primeau allowed five goals on 31 shots in two periods for the Canadiens. Samuel Montembeault replaced Primeau at the start of the third, allowed one goal and made 11 saves.
November 19, 2021 3:53 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Mac Jones threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Nelson Agholor for the game’s only offensive touchdown and the New England defense took care of the rest. The result was a 25-0 shutout of the Atlanta Falcons for the Patriots’ fifth straight victory. New England wasn’t nearly as dominating as four days earlier, when the Patriots blew out the Browns 45-7. But it was good enough against a feeble Falcons offense that hasn’t scored a touchdown in nearly nine quarters. Nick Folk booted four field goals and Kyle Van Noy had two sacks and a late interception return for a touchdown.
November 18, 2021 3:45 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick played in Sunday’s home tie with the Detroit Lions, but he entered the COVID-19 protocol the following day. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that he “doesn’t anticipate” having Fitzpatrick in the lineup for Sunday’s road game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He also said that the Steelers may use multiple players to replicate the talented Fitzpatrick’s multi-faceted role on the defense. Fellow safety Terrell Edmunds expects to step up with Fitzpatrick possibly sidelined.
November 18, 2021 3:45 am
UNDATED (AP) – One of the talented quarterbacks in the Atlantic Coast Conference is going to get snubbed when football awards are announced. Look at this lineup: Virginia has Brennan Armstrong, who is third in the country with 3,557 passing yards. Pittsburgh has Kenny Pickett, who vaulted himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation with 32 touchdown passes this season. Wake Forest has Sam Hartman, who may wind up leading the Demon Deacons into the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. N.C. State has Devin Leary, who has thrown for 29 touchdowns. When the All-ACC team comes out, at least one of those quarterbacks will be missing.
