Items that fell from my laptop
The WPIAL board of directors has to step in and investigate another fight between football teams.
The WPIAL has decided to have a hearing Monday with representatives from New Castle and Central Valley after their teams were involved in a fight before their game this past Friday.
On Monday, WPIAL executive director Tim O'Malley reviewed reports and video from the incident and decided to bring both coaches and school officials in for a hearing in front of the WPIAL board of directors. Game officials will also attend.
Before the contest, game officials ejected seven New Castle players and also New Castle head coach Joe Cowart. Under PIAA rules, an ejected player or coach is ineligible for the next game. So, those players, including five starters, can not play this week against Ambridge, and Cowart can not coach.
The fight started at midfield shortly before the game when some Central Valley players were jumping up and down on the New Castle logo. Some New Castle players then rushed the field. Game officials did not eject any Central Valley players.
Only a week ago, the WPIAL ordered the suspension of a few Wilkinsburg and Monessen players who were involved in a fight during their game, which was stopped in the third quarter. The New Castle-Central Valley game is different, though. The fight occurred before the game and game officials took action. In the Monessen-Wilkinsburg game, game officials did not eject anyone and agreed to stop the game in the third quarter.
Root to televise battle of No. 1s
The big game this Friday is a non-conference game - between two No. 1s. And you can watch it on television.
Woodland Hills, the Post-Gazette's No. 1 WPIAL Class AAAA team, plays host to West Allegheny, the No. 1 team in Class AAA. Root Sports television will air the game live.
Root started televising games live last Friday. The station is going with a "flex schedule," meaning it will pick the best game on a weekly basis.
Shenango going for title
The Shenango Wildcats are undefeated after six games. A few people have asked the last time Shenango was undefeated. Answer: Twelve years ago. In 2003, Shenango finished 9-0 in the regular season and won the Class AA Tri-County North Conference title for the second year in a row.