Early start for winter sports
Though Fort Cherry is still playing football, the high school winter sports seasons will begin Friday. If that late-November start date seems a bit early, that’s because it is indeed earlier than normal. For several decades the start of the PIAA’s winter sports seasons was the first Friday in December.
Not all winter sports teams will be taking full advantage of the November start date. Many of the area’s wrestling teams will get going in tournaments Dec. 6 and 7. The Chartiers-Houston tournament continues to be a popular starting point for teams.
Basketball teams will be much more active than their wrestling counterparts this weekend. And this promises to be an interesting basketball season, especially on the girls side.
South Fayette will be trying for a fourth consecutive WPIAL championship but the Lions will be put to the test in Class 5A. Peters Township, with Miami (Fla.) commit Natalie Wetzel, drops to Class 5A along with Chartiers Valley. The Colts will play in the same section as South Fayette.
Fort Cherry, which advanced to both the WPIAL and PIAA boys semifinals in Class 2A a year ago, should be strong again. That is, if the Rangers’ football season ever ends.
— Fort Cherry’s football team has a difficult opponent Friday night when the Rangers play in the PIAA Class A semifinals against Port Allegany (13-0) at Penn West Clarion. Port Allegany is out of District 9, which has never been known as a hotbed of football. Only three teams from District 9 have ever advanced to the PIAA finals, including just one since 1992.
Port Allegany has a talented running back in Aiden Bliss, who has set the District 9 single-season rushing record with 2,880 yards.
In addition to Bliss, the Gators have another running back, Tristan Kiser, who has more than 1,000 rushing yards. Kiser missed Port Allegany’s game last week because of an injury.
After facing a speedy and explosive Clairton team in the WPIAL finals, it appears Fort Cherry’s defense will be facing a ground-and-pound style from Port Allegany.
— Pitt senior strong safety Donovan McMillon, a former standout at Peters Township, has a chance to do something that hasn’t been done by a Panthers player in more than 15 years.
McMillon is Pitt’s leading tackler with 97 stops. With three tackles Saturday at Boston College, McMillon will be the first Pitt player since Scott McKillop (2007-08) with at least 100 tackles in consecutive seasons.
— It’s Thanksgiving. Shouldn’t Pitt be playing Penn State or West Virginia instead of Boston College?
They tell us that college sports are better in this modern era. It’s better for everybody except the fans. Pitt not playing Penn State again this year is proof.
— Washington & Jefferson has been selected to host the Great Lakes Invitational men’s basketball event next November at Salvitti Family Gymnasium.
The Great Lakes Invitational is a two-day event that will feature eight teams from Division III. Next year’s field will include W&J, Case Western Reserve, Carthage (Wisc.), Marietta, Mary Washington, Maryville (Tenn.), current defending national champion Trine (Ind.) and Trinity (Texas).
Sports editor Chris Dugan can be reached at dugan@observer-reporter.com