Not having offseason workouts as a team is a struggle for all high school football coaches. For first-year coaches, it's an added challenge to what should be a busy offseason.
For today’s “When Sports Were Played,” we go back to Nov. 17, 1972 and a WPIAL football playoff game between Monessen and Jeannette that was like no other, and the O-R was there. Because there was no overtime in high school football at that time, the winner was determined by a statistic.
McMURRAY – Monessen’s first playoff game in six years started with such promise but came to an abrupt halt Tuesday night after its 34-30 loss to Aquinas Academy.
PITTSBURGH – Two key factors in playoff basketball games are turnovers and free-throw shooting. If you limit the turnovers and make your free throws, then you can often win the close ones. If you do neither, then winning becomes much more difficult.
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After years of losing, the Monessen High School girls basketball team is regaining what the program used to be under second-year coach Janine Vertacnik.
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McGuffey not only is tied for first place in its section. The Highlanders lead the entire WPIAL in a statistical category. That and West Greene's tough upcoming schedule and what local basketball teams would be playoff bound if the season ended today.
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Monessen football coach Mike Blainefield submitted his letter of resignation Friday. That could only be the start of hard decisions for the Greyhounds' football program.
MONESSEN — Jalen Brice and Antwon Tucker each scored twice in Monessen's 48-14 victory over Avella in a Class A Tri-County South Conference game on Friday night.
Teams
AvellaBelle VernonBentworthBeth-CenterBethel ParkBishop CanevinBurgettstownCaliforniaCanon-McMillanCarmichaelsCharleroiChartiers-HoustonChartiers ValleyFort CherryJefferson-MorganKeystone OaksMapletownMcGuffeyMonessenMt LebanonPeters TownshipRinggoldSeton-LaSalleSouth FayetteTrinityUpper St ClairWash HighWaynesburgWest Greene
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Monessen native and Penn State Fayette softball player Destiny Habeck was back on the field this fall after undergoing open-heart surgery in June that repaired a rare defect.
YORK – Three local golfers had top 10-finishes Tuesday at the PIAA Championships held at Heritage Hills Golf Resort.
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Monessen striker Cam Frolo is this week's Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week
MONESSEN — Isaiah Beltram threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as Monessen stopped Mapletown, 24-8, in a Class A Tri-County South Conference game Friday night.
HOUSTON — Anthony Lento threw two touchdown passes to Tyler Blumen and Chartiers-Houston held off Monessen, 21-19, in a Class A Tri-County South Conference game Friday night.
MONESSEN — Ben Jackson rushed for 324 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries, and West Greene battled back from a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat Monessen 49-24 in a Class A Tri-County South Conference game Friday night.
Sometimes, it’s hard to understand school boards. They do things behind closed doors in a process called executive session and sometimes never re-emerge. Who knows how many school board members have entered those doors, never to be seen again.
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Winning means running the football for area teams
JEFFERSON — Antwon Tucker caught a 38-yard pass from DaWayne Howell with 1:18 to play to give Monessen a 28-21 win over Jefferson-Morgan in a Class A Tri-County South Conference game Friday.
SPRINGDALE — Undefeated Springdale scored in every quarter and defeated Monessen 28-7 in a nonconference game Friday night.
MONESSEN – Cochise Ryan ran for three touchdowns and threw for another Friday night as he led the California Trojans to a 42-7 win at Monessen.
GREENSBURG — David Altimore threw three touchdown passes, including two to Brandon Brown, powering Greensburg Central Catholic to a 21-18 victory over Monessen in a nonconference game.
MONESSEN – Head coach Mike Blainefield does not mind sharing.
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Fifteen local softball players were named to Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association all-state teams.
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Devin Whitlock’s freshman year at Monessen High School was quite a success.
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In his second season competing in track, Waynesburg's Scott Benco reaches medal stand with another strong performance.
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There were multiple gold medals won by local boys at the WPIAL Track & Field Championships Thursday at Slippery Rock University.
Devin Whitlock electrified crowds on the football field and the basketball court during a stellar freshman season at Monessen, but the two-sport star has enrolled at fellow Mon-Valley school Belle Vernon.
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After impressive regular seasons, Chartiers-Houston and West Greene earn the top seeds for the WPIAL playoffs in their respective classifications. They join 10 other local teams in the playoffs that begin next week.
Softball and baseball coaches were big hits in 2017-18 season. Three of each will be honored at the annual Tri-County Athletic Directors Coach of the Year Banquet on April 28.
Jefferson-Morgan uses 11 hits to defeat Monessen.
MT. LEBANON – Monessen was hoping to exact some revenge on Vincentian Academy in Monday night’s PIAA Class A boys’ basketball semifinal game at Mount Lebanon High School.
Monessen will get the second opportunity it wanted tonight.
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The PIAA announced the sites and times for the only two local high school basketball teams remaining, the Peters Township girls and Monessen boys. Both will play in the state semifinals Monday night.
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DORMONT – Defense ruled when Monessen and Nazareth Prep clashed in the PIAA Class A boys basketball quarterfinals on Friday night.
There are only two local basketball teams – the Peters Township girls and Monessen boys – remaining in the PIAA playoffs and you can watch both of them in a doubleheader Friday night.
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Monessen freshman Devin Whitlock keeps the Greyhounds' season alive with a last second shot to down Bishop Carroll.
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Monessen striving for continued success in the state tournament after missing out on WPIAL title.
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Monessen battled top-seed Vincentian Academy from start to finish, but coach Dan Bosnic's Greyhounds ran out of gas after playing a frenetic pace from the opening tip-off in the Royals' 61-49 victory in the semifinals of the WPIAL Class A boys basketball playoffs on Monday at Peters Twp. High School.
IMPERIAL – Monessen’s Devin Whitlock is a freshman … who doesn’t play like a freshman.
The outcry from public school coaches and administrators has reached a fervor in Pennsylvania in the last decade as non-boundary schools have won what public schools say is a disproportionate number of district and state championships.
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After last year's game was cancelled following an alleged threat, the "Battle for the Bridge" won't be played in 2019.
MONESSEN – Monessen jumped out early on Washington and held off a rally to pick up a 56-48 win Wednesday night in a non-section boys basketball contest that saw both teams play without some of its regular starters.
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Former Monessen coach Joe Salvino earned a victory over his former team when Belle Vernon rallied in the fourth quarter.
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Monessen wins its 54th consecutive section game, using its press defense to overwhelm visiting Bishop Canevin.
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After 14 years as the Monessen High School's boys soccer coach Sam Perry has resigned, citing a lack of communication and support from school officials.
Players from all 22 area high school football teams make the Observer-Reporter All-District Football Team.
GREENSBURG — Marcus Barnes and Emilio Huerta combined to put 10 points on the scoreboard in the third quarter and Jeannette's defense made a late stop to stave off an upset bid by Monessen in an 18-14 victory in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs Friday night.
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Seeds, opponents, times and locations were determined for the 12 area high school football teams for the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
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