Star’s mom blasts Beaver Falls coach
Written: Nov 25, 2008 at 6:24 AM
Beaver Falls football coach Ryan Matsook is used to witnessing battles on the playing field. But this time, he was in the middle of one. Following his team’s 8-6 loss to Aliquippa in Saturday’s WPIAL Class AA title game at Heinz Field, Matsook was accosted on the sideline by Jodie Thomas, the mother of Todd Thomas, a star player for the Tigers and a University of Pittsburgh recruit. “It's unfortunate, but it seems to be the norm here,” Matsook told the Pittburgh Post-Gazette when asked about the fans' behavior. "Every time you lose a big game, you have to get your family out of the stands quickly.” Jodie Thomas was apparently upset at Matsook’s play calling throughout the the game as Beaver Falls lost its first game of the season. Her son caught just one pass for four yards and rushed 12 times for only 31 yards. Jodie Thomas told the Post-Gazette that she didn't bump Matsook, but acknowledged the two may have made contact. "Was I in his face? Yes, I was. I'm a brutally honest person, but I think he got upset that I did it in front of everyone," she said. "I didn't push him. Maybe I could've told him in a little bit of a nicer way. Basically, what I said was on everyone's mind." Ryan Matsook is the son of former Rochester coach and Neshannock assistant superintendent Dan Matsook and the nephew of former Shenango High star and current Rochester coach Gene Matsook. Beaver Falls plays in the Class AA Midwestern Conference along with Mohawk and Ellwood City.
T.J. running back may have set playoff record
Written: Nov 18, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Brian Baldrige rang up nearly 400 yards rushing against New Castle High on Friday night during Thomas Jefferson’s 47-20 victory over the Red Hurricane. But did he ring up a record? The WPIAL doesn't keep statistical records, but according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, only nine players in WPIAL history have rushed for 400 yards in a game, but none of those players did it in a playoff game. Baldrige, a 5-9, 196-pound running back, paced the Jaguars’ ground game heading into the contest by rushing for 1,445 rushing yards on 163 attempts with 23 touchdowns. On Friday against the Red Hurricane, he rushed for 382 yards and three touchdowns ... Thomas Jefferson, No. 1 ranked in Class AAA, now faces New Castle’s fellow Parkway Conference member Blackhawk in the final at Heinz Field. The game is set for 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Blackhawk is led by senior quarterback Zack Hayward. His back-up last year, junior Anthony Omogrosso, transferred to Beaver Falls over the summer and has led the Tigers into the Class AA final at Heinz Field. Omogrosso's father, Tony, played at Beaver Falls High School in the late 1970s and earned a scholarship to play at the University of Cincinnati. He is now a gym teacher in the district.
Broadcaster’s son plays quarterback for T.J.
Written: Nov 14, 2008 at 5:43 AM
New Castle fans might not recognize the name Tyler Wehner when they see him take the snap from center for Thomas Jefferson tonight. But they’ll probably recognize his dad. Wehner is the son of former Pittsburgh Pirates player and current broadcaster John Wehner. The younger Wehner might not have been suiting up against the Red Hurricane tonight if it hadn’t been for a turnaround in his attitude. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, T.J. head coach Bill Cherpak kicked Wehner off the team last season. However, Cherpak said the senior has been displaying maturity and leadership this year and it’s showing in a variety of ways. Wehner has completed 91 of 163 passes for 1,969 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also has rushed for 468 yards on 79 attempts for his 10-1 squad. Wehner also is a catcher in baseball.
New Castle offense second on all-time list
Written: Nov 13, 2008 at 5:26 AM
Although the New Castle High offense has been prolific this season, it still has a ways to go to set a season scoring record. The ’Canes have scored 401 points this year to rank second on the school’s single-season scoring list. The 2008 ’Canes surpassed the 1967 squad for second place in the win over Indiana. The 1967 team posted 376 points in 10 games. Those ’Canes went 10-0 and won a WPIAL title. New Castle’s 1927 team holds the record with 454 points in 11 games. The ’Canes went 10-1 that season. However, New Castle didn’t have a chance to compete for the WPIAL championship because of a weak schedule. That would be adjusted in 1928 when teams were re-assigned into A and B divisions.
'Canes ‘Whiplash Offense’ turning heads
Written: Nov 11, 2008 at 6:05 AM
Call it the “Whiplash Offense.” In the first round of the WPIAL playoffs, the New Castle High football team topped Franklin Regional 53-20, which was the most points ever scored by the Red Hurricane in a playoff game. That record lasted exactly one week. When New Castle beat Indiana last Friday, 55-49, the 104 total points were the second-most ever in a playoff game. “I still have whiplash from my head turning so much,” coach Frank Bongivengo Jr. told a Pittsburgh newspaper following the game. “It was truly a track meet out there. I've been coaching high school for 20 years, and I've never seen a game so up and down, and so fast-paced.” The highest-scoring game in the WPIAL — playoffs and regular season — was last year when Terrelle Pryor and Jeannette defeated Aliquippa, 70-48, in a Class AA semifinal. New Castle’s offense will have to be in high gear on Friday when the ’Canes take on two-time defending WPIAL champion Thomas Jefferson (10-1), which has won 36 consecutive games against WPIAL teams. Their only loss this year was to Ted Ginn Sr.’s Glenville team from Cleveland.
'Canes to meet T.J. at Chartiers Valley
Written: Nov 11, 2008 at 6:04 AM
The New Castle High football team has learned the site of its WPIAL Class AAA semifinal meeting with Thomas Jefferson. The 8-3 Red Hurricane, winners of eight straight, and Thomas Jefferson, 10-1, will meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Chartiers Valley High School, located off the Kirwin Heights exit on Route 79 South. All four of the top seeds are still alive. Thomas Jefferson is the No. 1 Class AAA seed and New Castle is No. 4. No. 2 seed Highlands plays No. 3 Blackhawk in the other semifinal. The winners play for the WPIAL championship at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at Heinz Field.
Local teams compete in best conferences
Written: Nov 06, 2008 at 7:05 AM
Tired of all the talk about the SEC and the Big 12 being the strongest conferences in America? Local high school football fans have some pretty good arguments of their own. New Castle High competes in the Parkway Conference and in the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs last week, all four representatives — the Red Hurricane, Blackhawk, Hopewell and Montour — won their first-round games. Ellwood and Mohawk compete in the Class AA Midwestern Conference and all four teams won their first-round games. In Class A, meanwhile, Union, Neshannock, Laurel and Shenango compete in the Big Seven Conference. You guessed it, all four playoff teams from that conference won their first-round games, too. Don’t be surprised to see at least two teams from each conference advancing this weekend as well.
‘Deuce’ on the big screen
Written: Nov 04, 2008 at 7:12 AM
You’ve heard of the Rob Scnheider film ‘Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo,” right? OK, maybe you were sick the day it opened — and closed — nationwide. Well, there’s another “Deuce” coming to a theater near you — but this one has to do with semi-famous sports statistician Lawrence “Deuce” Skurcenski of Pittsburgh. Seems everyone has a “Deuce” story from a local sporting event and a pair of filmmakers will debut a documentary on his frays and foibles during the Three Rivers Film Festival in November. Skurcenski is known for keeping score at more than 9,000 WPIAL and City League basketball games and over 3,000 football games during the past 50 years. “Deuce” called The News to remind us that his film will premiere at 8 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Regent Square Theater in Pittsburgh. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, two of the notable coaches interviewed in the documentary are West Virginia’s Bob Huggins and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. OK, Deuce, your 15 minutes have started ticking.
New Castle to play Indiana at Butler
Written: Nov 03, 2008 at 4:36 AM
The WPIAL has posted the sites for its football quarterfinal matchups. All 16 games will be played at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
New Castle (7-3), which routed Franklin Regional 53-20 on Friday night, will meet Indiana at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Butler High. Indiana (8-2) defeated Trinity 21-6 on Friday. The Little Indians defeated New Castle in the second week, 27-18.
New Castle has now won seven straight games.
Here are the matchups in each classification:
CLASS AAAA
Gateway vs. Shaler at Norwin.
North Hills vs. Penn Hills at Pine-Richland.
Bethel Park vs. North Allegheny at Baldwin.
McKeesport vs. Central Catholic at West Mifflin.
CLASS AAA
Thomas Jefferson vs. Hopewell at South Fayette.
NEW CASTLE vs. Indiana at Butler.
Highlands vs. Montour at Plum.
Blackhawk vs. Mars at Moon.
CLASS AA
Beaver Falls vs. Ford City at Seneca Valley.
Jeannette vs. Beaver at Fox Chapel.
Greensburg Central Catholic vs. Aliquippa at Peters Township.
Shady Side Academy vs. Center at Deer Lakes.
CLASS A
Clairton vs. Monessen at Elizabeth Forward.
Rochester vs. Western Beaver at Geneva College.
Avonworth vs. North Catholic at Keystone Oaks.
Monaca vs. South Side Beaver at Chartiers Valley.
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