Decision coming on Wilkinsburg, Monessen fight
WPIAL officials will make a decision today regarding the fight that shortened Saturday’s football game between Monessen and Wilkinsburg at Graham Field.
Representatives from both schools have submitted contradicting reports to the WPIAL and will present their cases at 4:30 p.m. The officials, who decided to call the game after the fight in the third quarter, will attend the hearing and have already submitted reports.
Monessen (4-1, 4-1) technically earned the win, leading 18-0 when the fight broke out with 6:59 remaining in the third quarter and the Greyhounds on offense. Monessen head coach Joe Salvino declined comment.
According to WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley, there is no video of the incident.
“We’ll make a decision tomorrow after we hear from both sides and the game officials,” O’Malley said.
The Greyhounds’ football program was placed on probation last March, when school officials told the WPIAL that the team used two ineligible players who played beyond their four years of eligibility last season, which ended with a 4-5 record. The WPIAL board of directors ordered Monessen to forfeit all four wins and placed the program on probation for the 2015 season.
O’Malley said Monessen’s probation will not play a factor into the WPIAL’s decision.
“We have to establish what actually happened and see if there was any type of connection that (WPIAL officials) might find in regard to the probation,” O’Malley said. “We’re just going to reserve judgement on that until we actually establish what occurred.”
The Greyhounds are scheduled to face Springdale in an Eastern Conference game at Memorial Stadium Friday night and homecoming is scheduled for halftime. Wilkinsburg (0-5) will travel to Avella for a non-conference game.
Two-time defending PIAA and WPIAL Class AA football champion South Fayette extended its winning streak to 37 games with a 62-14 victory over Carlynton Friday.
According to MaxPreps.com, the Lions are tied for the sixth-longest active streak in the country. Pahranagat Valley of Alama, Nev., has the longest with 86 consecutive wins dating back to Aug. 29, 2008. The Lions’ last loss came Nov. 16, 2012, when they were defeated by Washington, 26-14, in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals at Chartiers Valley High School.
De La Salle of Concord, Calif., has the longest streak at 151, which lasted from 1992 to 2003. Clairton holds the WPIAL record with 66 consecutive wins from Sept. 11, 2009 to Sept. 20, 2013, when it was defeated by Monessen.
The WPIAL Class AAA & AA Girls Golf Individual Championships are today at Rolling Hills Country Club in McMurray.
Local golfers competing include Mia Kness of Peters Township, who finished 13th at the PIAA championships last fall; Synclaire Kuhn of Peters Township; Taylor Waller of Canon-McMillan; and Booke Hilden of Peters Township.
The Class AAA championship for boys is Thursday at Southpointe Golf Club. Six local golfers will compete, including five from Peters Township: Connor Schmidt, Hunter Bruce, Tanner Johnson, Jake Sollon and Alec Stopperich. The other is Trinity senior Nathan Bazant.
Canon-McMillan’s ice hockey team, which won the PIHL Class AAA Penguins Cup last winter, will begin its title defense tonight when it faces Shaler at the Alpha Ice Complex.
The Big Macs lost to Holy Ghost Prep in the Pennsylvania Cup at Penn State University’s Pegula Ice Arena.
As part of the PIHL’s realignment, Ringgold and Trinity moved from the Varsity C division to Division 2.
Monessen girls soccer snapped a 67-match losing streak last Wednesday when it defeated Geibel Catholic, 2-0, in a Section 2-A match.
The Greyhounds’ last victory came Sept. 28, 2011, when they beat Chartiers-Houston, 1-0.