Could highly-successful Clairton football coach Tom Nola be on the sidelines at Gateway next season?
Nola had no comment on the situation but the Post-Gazette has learned he is definitely a candidate for the Gateway job. He has applied. The job became 
open when the school decided to open Donnie Militzer's position after only one season.
Nola (pictured) has been Clairton's coach since 2002. He has won six WPIAL titles and four PIAA championships. He guided the team to a state-record 66-game winning streak, which was snapped last season.
One of the other candidates for the Gateway job is former Plum coach Frank Sacco. He coached Plum from 2009-12 before the school opened his position.
Gateway already has interviewed candidates. No word on when a coach will be hired. Stay tuned.
Duquesne gets top players
It looks like coach Jerry Schmitt is putting together a pretty good recruiting class for Duquesne University. The Post-Gazette has learned of three more WPIAL players who will sign with the Dukes Wednesday:
*** Upper St. Clair lineman Ben Huss. Huss was a Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 selection this past season and last week was selected to the Big 33 Pennsylvania team. Upper St. Clair coach Jim Render has called Huss one of the most athletic linemen he has ever coached.
*** Beaver Falls quarterback-defensive back Danny Stratton. Stratton (pictured) was an all-conference pick and a two-time Post-Gazette West Fabulous 22 selection. He threw for 1,442 yards last season. But Stratton is a good enough athlete that he could also play a different position. He is in his second year as a starter for the Beaver Falls basketball team.
*** New Castle's Stew Allen. Allen is a good-size tight end who also is a starter on the undefeated New Castle basketball team.
On top of those players, Duquesne also landed two transfers from Division I schools. Former Chartiers Valley quarterback-receiver-defensive back Wayne Capers transferred from the University of Arizona.
Former Gateway linebacker Jesse Armstead transferred from Purdue.
State basketball rankings
Here are the latest state boys basketball rankings from pennlive.com and the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
CLASS AAAA
No. School
1. Roman Catholic (12) 16-3 1
2. New Castle (7) 19-0 2
3. Martin Luther King (12) 17-4 4
4. Chester (1) 14-3 5
5. Hampton (7) 18-2 3
6. North Allegheny (7) 16-2 6
7. Great Valley (1) 18-2 7
8 . Obama Academy (8) 15-0 10
9. St. Joseph’s Prep (12) 15-4 NR
10. Lower Merion (1) 13-6 NR
Others to watch: Abington (1) 17-3, Bethel Park (7) 14-4, Carlisle (3) 14-6, Cathedral Prep (10) 10-5, Cedar Crest (3) 16-4, Central (12) 20-2, Central York (3) 18-2, Conestoga (1) 17-3, Cumberland Valley (3) 15-5, East Stroudsburg North (11) 14-4, Emmaus (11) 14-5, Fox Chapel (7) 15-4, Franklin Regional (7) 13-6, Gateway (7) 12-8, Harrisburg (3) 16-5, Haverford (1) 13-7, Hazleton (2) 16-2, Hempfield (3) 15-5, Hempfield (7) 17-2, Hershey (3) 13-7, LaSalle College (12) 16-4, Lower Dauphin (3) 12-7, McCaskey (3) 14-6, McDowell (10) 16-2, Oxford (1) 15-5, Parkland (11) 15-4, Penn Wood (1) 12-6, Penncrest (1) 15-5, Pennsbury (1) 16-3, Plum (7) 16-2, Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1) 18-2, Pocono Mountain West (11) 14-4, Reading (3) 15-6, Red Lion (3) 18-3, Spring-Ford (1) 18-2, Upper Darby (1) 13-6, Upper St. Clair (7) 14-5, Whitehall (11) 12-8, William Allen (11) 12-7, Wilson (3) 19-2, York (3) 15-5.
CLASS AAA
No. School
1. Neumann-Goretti (12) 15-4 2
2. Archbishop Carroll (12) 17-3 1
3. Allentown Central Cath (11) 19-0 3
4. Imhotep Charter (12) 18-4 4
5. Berks Catholic (3) 17-3 5
6. Chartiers Valley (7) 18-1 7
7. Abington Heights (2) 17-1 8
8. Scranton Prep (2) 17-1 9
9. Central Valley (7) 16-2 10
10. Bishop McDevitt (3) 19-1 6
Others to watch: Archbishop Wood (12) 11-9, Blue Mountain (11) 18-2, Boiling Springs (3) 18-2, Boys Latin (12) 19-3, Crestwood (2) 15-3, Elizabeth Forward (7) 15-3, Erie East (10) 14-3, Farrell (10) 16-1, GAR Memorial (2) 14-4, Girard (10) 10-5, Hickory (10) 13-3, Holy Ghost Prep (1) 15-5, Honesdale (2) 16-2, Indiana (7) 17-2, Knoch (7) 14-4, Manheim Central (3) 18-2, Mars (7) 11-6, Montour (7) 12-6, Oil City (10) 13-2, Philly Electrical (12) 13-9, Pottsville (11) 17-3, Salisbury (11) 14-6, Shamokin (4) 17-2, South Fayette (7) 11-5, Steel Valley (7) 13-3, Steelton-Highspire (3) 17-4, Strong Vincent (10) 9-5, Susquehanna Twp (3) 13-5, Thomas Jefferson (7) 17-2, Uniontown (7) 17-1, West York (3) 21-1.
CLASS AA
No. School
1. Constitution (12)
2. Loyalsock (4) 16-1 2
3. Lewisburg (4)
4. Seton-La Salle (7) 19-1 4
5. Greensburg Central Cath (7) 15-2 5
6. Beaver Falls (7) 16-4 8
7. Aliquippa (7) 14-5 9
8. Mid Valley (2) 15-2 7
9. Holy Cross (2) 13-4 NR
10. Fairview (10) 15-2 10
Others to watch: Avonworth (7) 15-3, Bald Eagle Area (6) 15-4, Bishop McCort (6) 12-4, Blairsville (6) 15-1, Calvary Christian (1) 15-2, Camp Hill (3) 14-8, Central Martinsburg (6) 11-6, Chartiers-Houston (7) 13-5, Columbia (3) 13-7, Conemaugh Twp (5) 13-4, Conwell-Egan (12) 14-6, Dunmore (2) 11-8, East Juniata (4) 17-0, Elk Lake (2) 17-0, Hanover (3) 16-5, Jeannette (7) 11-7, Mercyhurst Prep (10) 14-3, Neshannock (7) 15-5, Quaker Valley (7) 17-2, Penns Valley (6) 14-2, Richland (6) 13-3, Riverside (2) 13-5, Shady Side Academy (7) 11-8, South Allegheny (7) 13-7, South Williamsport (4) 13-4, Towanda (4) 16-2, Tyrone (6) 15-3, Washington (7) 14-6, Wellsboro (4) 14-5, West Middlesex (10) 12-5, Windber (5) 13-3.
CLASS A
No. School Rec
1. Lincoln Park (7) 18-1 1
2. Math, Civics & Sciences (12) 8-13 2
3. Bishop Carroll (6) 17-0 3
4. Vincentian (7)
5. St. John Neumann (4) 18-0 5
6. Johnsonburg (9)
7. Elk County Catholic (9) 16-2 7
8. Monessen (7) 14-5 8
9. Bishop Guilfoyle (6) 14-2 9
10. Church Farm (1) 14-4 NR
Others to watch: Berlin Brothersvalley (5) 14-2, Cameron County (9) 17-1, Carmichaels (7) 14-2, Clarion-Limestone (9) 17-1, Cochranton (10) 15-3, DuBois Central Catholic (9) 13-4, Greenwood (3) 14-5, Homer-Center (6) 17-2, Juniata Valley (6) 16-3, Kennedy Catholic (10) 10-7, Lebanon Catholic (3) 12-7, Mahanoy Area (11) 18-2, Mansfield (4) 15-5, Mount Calvary (3) 17-2, Nativity (11) 15-4, New Hope Academy (3) 10-8, North Catholic (7) 9-9, Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (11) 14-5, Our Lady of Sacred Heart (7) 14-5, Phil-Mont Christian (1) 14-3, Pius X (11) 13-3, Portage (6) 14-4, Ridgway (9) 16-4, Sewickley Academy (7) 12-5, Shade (5) 13-4, Shanksville-Stonycreek (5) 14-4, Sullivan County (4) 14-5, Western Beaver (7) 13-4.