January 19, 2024 4:38 am
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Mike McCarthy is selling his belief that the Dallas Cowboys can make an elusive playoff breakthrough with him as coach. McCarthy is returning for a fifth season despite a stunning 48-32 wild-card loss to Green Bay. Dallas was the first team not to reach a conference title game in three consecutive 12-win playoff seasons. McCarthy said the club has developed a “championship program” with two NFC East titles in three seasons. He says it just hasn’t reached a “world championship yet.”
January 19, 2024 4:39 am
Ohio State is hiring former Houston Texans and Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the hire still needed university approval, but an announcement was expected as soon as Friday. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day has been Ohio State’s primary play-caller since being promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach in 2019 to replace Urban Meyer. Bringing in an experienced play-caller at both the college and NFL level could allow Day to hand off those responsibilities.
January 17, 2024 12:01 am
Trinity doubled up a short-handed West Allegheny wrestling lineup, clinching the 3A Section 5 championship in the process. Canon-McMillan lost for the second straight week, the Big Macs now teetering on elimination with one match left in the season. Peters Township kept post-season hopes alive while keeping Mt. Lebanon winless. Waynesburg’s win over Chartiers Valley is the Raiders first of the year. In Class 2A, Burgettstown stayed perfect, eliminating Beth-Center in the process. McGuffey and Bentworth clinched team tournament spots with wins.
On the hardwood, Trinity boys snapped a three-game losing skid, winning at Ringgold. Beth-Center pulled into a tie for the last playoff spot with Chartiers-Houston and Frazier.
Wednesday
Wrestling (Class-Section)
3A-5 Trinity 45, West Allegheny 20 Watch Here
3A-5 Waynesburg 48, Chartiers Valley 27
3A-3 Ringgold at Thomas Jefferson
3A-6 Bethel Park 34, Canon-McMillan 26
3A-6 Peters Township 41, Mt. Lebanon 27
2A-1 Burgettstown 45, Beth-Center 19
2A-1 McGuffey 49, Jeff-Morgan 21
2A-1 Bentworth 54, Fort Cherry 23
2A-1 West Greene 48, Wash High 12
Boys Basketball (Class-Section)
5A-1 Trinity 70, Ringgold 49
2A-4 Beth-Center 63, Frazier 61
2A-4 Chartiers-Houston 57, Carmichaels 46
1A-2 Monessen 76, California 34
1A-2 West Greene 54, Mapletown 39
Girls Basketball (Class-Section)
4A-3 Elizabeth-Forward 65, Ringgold 9
1A-2 Monessen 58, Avella 14
1A-2 West Greene 50, Mapletown 23
January 18, 2024 1:18 am
Coach Ron Faust, referee Jim Chacko, 1989 Peters Township Boys Soccer and 2011-2012 Canon-McMillan Wrestling were announced among the WPIAL Hall of Fame Class of 2024. The honorees will be officially inducted on Friday, May 31 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Green Tree.
Ron Faust led Wash High boys basketball to 653 wins, 22 section titles, four WPIAL championships and a pair of state crowns over his two stints as head coach. Jim Chacko followed his 1,000-point high school basketball career at Charleroi with a long run as a WPIAL/PIAA official in football, basketball and baseball.
The 1989 Peters Township boys soccer team went 23-2-2, allowing just 19 goals in the season on the way to WPIAL & PIAA championship repeats. The Indians did not allow a post-season goal, blanking opponents 23-0 over the WPIAL/PIAA tournament run.
Canon-McMillan’s 2011-2012 team went unbeaten (26-0) to win WPIAL and PIAA Team titles, lead by state champion Kody Wiercioch and seven other PIAA place-winners, three of them joining Wiercioch as WPIAL individual champions. The Big Macs downed North Allegheny to win the WPIAL Team Tournament, then topped McDowell a week later in the PIAA Finals.
January 18, 2024 4:49 am
Mike McCarthy will get another chance to end a nearly three-decade stretch without a deep playoff run for the Dallas Cowboys. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones says McCarthy will be back for a fifth season as coach after a stunning 48-32 wild-card loss to Green Bay. The Cowboys were the first No. 2 seed to lose to the last team to get in since the 14-team format was adopted in 2020. They haven’t been past the divisional round since the 1995 season. That was when Dallas won the last of the storied franchise’s five Super Bowl titles. Jones says there is “great benefit” to the continuity of bringing McCarthy back.
January 16, 2024 12:01 am
Weather forced the re-scheduling of many games in the two-county area, including our feature girls game between Trinity and Lincoln Park, co-leaders in 5A Section 4. Re-schedule day/dates are listed for those that have been determined.
Peters Township girls downed Canon-McMillan, protecting their #1 ranking and extending a 15-0 start. Boys action included Fort Cherry’s home win over Burgettstown. The Rangers took the lead with about two minutes to play in the opening quarter, then rolled to an 11-point lead at the half on the way to handing the Blue Devils their first section loss. Canon-McMillan’s loss at Mt. Lebanon drops the Big Macs two games back of the Blue Devils. Peters Township ran its current win streak to four straight, staying a game back of first place Thomas Jefferson.
Peters Township has won three straight heading to Bethel Park.
Tuesday Girls Basketball
6A-2 Peters Township 52, Canon-McMillan 42
5A-4 Lincoln Park at Trinity PPD to Tuesday, Jan. 23
Tuesday Boys Basketball
6A-2 Mt. Lebanon 64, Canon-McMillan 36
5A-1 Peters Township 74, Bethel Park 47
3A-4 Yough 56, Charleroi 34
2A-4 Fort Cherry 66, Burgettstown 41
5A-1 Trinity at Ringgold PPD to Wednesday
3A-4 Mount Pleasant at Wash High PPD to Saturday
3A-4 McGuffey at Waynesburg PPD to Wednesday, Jan. 24
2A-4 Carmichaels at Chartiers-Houston PPD to Wednesday
2A-4 Beth-Center at Frazier PPD to Wednesday
1A-1 Avella at Union PPD to Thursday
1A-2 California at Monessen PPD to Wednesday
1A-2 Jeff-Morgan at Geibel PPD to Monday
1A-2 Mapletown at West Greene PPD to Wednesday
January 17, 2024 4:43 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — JJ Starling scored 17 points, Judah Mintz had 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists and Syracuse beat Pittsburgh 69-58 for its second series victory in 17 days. It was Syracuse’s first win in Pittsburgh since a 72-49 victory on Feb. 26, 2020 — snapping a three-game losing streak. The Orange won the first meeting this season — at home — on Dec. 30. Syracuse had its 11-point halftime lead trimmed to 44-36 before scoring the next seven points to rebuild a double-digit advantage. Pitt missed seven straight shots during the Orange’s run. Starling sealed it for Syracuse on a wide open 3-pointer from the corner with 1:31 left for a 16-point lead.
January 17, 2024 4:44 am
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Kanye Clary scored 27 points, Ace Baldwin Jr. added 20 and Penn State beat No. 11 Wisconsin 87-83 for its first win over an AP Top 25 team under coach Mike Rhoades. AJ Storr scored 23 points and Steven Crowl added 17 for the Badgers, who had their six-game winning streak snapped after a sloppy start. Led by Baldwin, who drained a 3-pointer on his first shot, Penn State jumped out to a 12-2 lead to the delight of a loud crowd made up of mostly Penn State students. They had a reprieve from classes after a snowstorm hit Happy Valley early in the day. The fans got louder as the game progressed, and Penn State held its advantage for all but 3:24.
January 17, 2024 4:46 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons for their head coaching vacancy, his second interview in two days. The Falcons announced the interview with Harbaugh, who has interest in a return to the NFL after leading Michigan to the national championship. The Los Angeles Chargers announced Monday that Harbaugh had interviewed for their head coaching vacancy. Harbaugh was the San Francisco 49ers’ coach from 2011-14 before nine seasons at Michigan. The Falcons offered no details about the interview with Harbaugh. Harbaugh is the second high-profile candidate to talk with the Falcons this week, following the team’s interview with Bill Belichick on Monday.
January 16, 2024 1:57 pm
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers’ latest one-and-done playoff appearance is raising questions about Mike Tomlin’s future. The NFL’s longest tenured coach was in no mood to talk about it Monday night. Tomlin walked off the podium at his post-game news conference following a 31-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills when a reporter began with, “Mike, you have a year left on your contract.” The abrupt exit only heightened speculation about what’s next for Tomlin and the Steelers. He’s been in charge there for 17 seasons, making him the NFL’s longest tenured head coach after Bill Belichick parted with New England last week. He’s never had a losing season — an NFL record run — but this year was close.
