Category: Saturday Sports Slam

Late QB Sneak Sinks Rochester’s Homecoming Match Against Union

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio.) Featured photo – Antonio Laure carries the ball for Rochester during the first half of Friday night’s game. Photo credit – Mark Peterson.

“You might call it bend, but certainly not break.”

Bob Barrickman uttered those words as the Rochester defense held fast and denied the Union Scotties a chance at points for a third time in the red zone. However, the dam finally broke in the final minute of play, as Union quarterback Braylon Thomas ran from 11 yards out to give the Scotties the first score of the game, and–as it would turn out–the only score of the game. Bob and John Perrotto had the game from Rochester Stadium on WBVP/99.3 FM and Facebook Live, as Rochester loses a tough one to Union in Class 1A action by a final score of 6-0.

Rochester’s defense kept Union out of the end zone the entire game until the final minute of play Friday Night. Photo – Mark Peterson

The loss puts the Rams at 2-2 in the Big Seven Conference and 3-3 overall, while Union improves to 2-1 in the Big Seven and 5-2 overall. Rochester travels to Clairton (3-4) for a non-conference Week 7 affair, while Union hosts Northgate (3-4) at Socs Russos Stadium.

Union Quarterback, Braylon Thomas, drops back to pass during the Scotties’ 6-0 victory on the road at Rochester. Photo – Mark Peterson

To watch the game in full, check out the YouTube stream of Union’s 6-0 win over Rochester:

Week Six Of High School Football Means Less Than A Month Until Playoffs Begin

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Playoff spots, playoff seeding, and conference championships are made official after Week 9, but they are established throughout the season with games such as those taking place in Week 6.

In the Big Seven Conference in Class 1A, Rochester (3-2) will host Union (4-2) on WBVP, 99.3 FM, Facebook Live and Trib Live. Both teams have suffered only one conference loss thus far, with both teams falling to Laurel–Union fell 28-22 in Week 4, and the Rams enter tonight’s contest after their 30-21 loss to Laurel last week. The Scotties are looking to maintain momentum following their 48-13 non-conference win over Springdale in Week 5. Bob Barrickman and John Perrotto have the call from Rochester Stadium beginning with pregame at 6:30 PM and kickoff slated for 7:00 PM.

On WMBA, 95.7 FM and Trib Live tonight, the Aliquippa Quips (5-0) look to stay unbeaten as they travel to Blackhawk (3-3) in a Parkway Conference showdown in Class 4A. The Cougars look to rebound from last week’s 42-0 loss at the hands of Central Valley, while Aliquippa looks to push their overall streak to 18 wins in a row having come off a 55-20 win over Ambridge in Week 5. Mike Azadian and Bruce Frey have the call from Blackhawk Stadium with pregame at 6:30 PM and kickoff slated for 7:00 PM.

Here’s a full list of tonight’s Week 4 matchups featuring local teams:

7:00 PM
Union at Rochester (WBVP/99.3 FM)
Aliquippa at Blackhawk (WMBA/95.7 FM)
Ellwood City at New Brighton
Western Beaver at Riverside
Mohawk at Beaver Falls
West Allegheny at Ambridge
Shenango at South Side Beaver
Beaver Area at Avonworth
Central Valley at Montour
Keystone Oaks at Hopewell
South Park at Quaker Valley
Peters Township at Moon

7:30 PM
Neshannock at Freedom

After all the games are over, make sure to tune in to the Falconi’s Moon Township Ford Wrap-Up Show up until 11:00 PM, followed by the Trib Live HSSN Scoreboard show from 11 until Midnight.

Beaver Falls Keeps Jug With Emphatic 48-0 Victory Over New Brighton

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
(Still Taken from BCR Live Broadcast)

The Beaver Falls Tigers took the advice of their most famous son–“Beat New Brighton”–to full heart at Reeves Stadium.

The Tigers kept the “Little Brown Jug” with a dominant 48-0 victory against the Lions on WBVP, 99.3 FM, and BCR video streams. New Brighton, in search of their first win of the season, held the Tigers to just 8 points in the first quarter. But touchdown runs from Jaren Brickner and Isaiah Aeschbacher in the second quarter slowly iced the game away for Beaver Falls, who now have retained the Jug for three consecutive games since the rivalry was renewed during the 2020 season.

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Beaver Falls improves to 1-0 in Midwestern Athletic Conference play and 3-1 overall; they travel to Neshannock next Friday at 7:00 PM. New Brighton falls to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in MAC action; the Lions host Mohawk for Week 4 at Oak Hill Field (also a 7:00 start).

To relive all the action, check out the YouTube feed of tonight’s broadcast!

WPIAL Baseball & Softball Playoffs Go Into Full Swing

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The path to WPIAL gold begins for several local teams today on the baseball and softball diamonds.

BASEBALL
Class 5A
4:30 pm Fox Chapel vs. West Allegheny at Burkett Complex (Robinson Twp.)
Class 3A
2:00 pm South Allegheny vs. Hopewell at Washington & Jefferson College
2:00 pm Ellwood City vs. East Allegheny at Highlands High School
4:30 pm Derry Area vs. New Brighton at Highlands High School
Class 2A
6:30 pm Chartiers-Houston vs. Riverside at Plum
Class 1A
2:00 pm Jefferson-Morgan vs. Our Lady of Sacred Heart at Peterswood Park (Peters Township)
4:00 pm Avella vs. Sewickley Academy at Beaver Area
7:00 pm Western Beaver vs. West Greene at Peterswood Park

SOFTBALL
Class 5A
6:00 pm Latrobe vs. West Allegheny at North Allegheny HS
Class 3A
4:00 pm Beaver Falls vs. Ellwood City at Seneca Valley
Class 1A
3:00 pm Northgate vs. South Side Beaver at Sewickley Academy
5:00 pm Rochester vs. Leechburg at Mars

Bob Barrickman Makes His Pick For Who The Steelers Should Take In Round 1 Of The 2022 NFL Draft

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

“If I had a dollar for every mock draft I’ve seen…unfortunately, I don’t.”

Those words came from Beaver County Radio sports director Bob Barrickman, who joined Matt Drzik on the April 28 edition of A.M. Beaver County to talk about the 2022 NFL Draft. The hometown Pittsburgh Steelers select their first pick tonight at 20th overall, and much speculation has been presented on whether the Steelers will focus on finding a quarterback to compete for the starting job or if outgoing GM Kevin Colbert will shift his priorities elsewhere on the roster.

“I’m not real high on drafting a quarterback,” Barrickman said. “Malik Willis might be the sexier pick; seems like he has a lot of Lamar Jackson in him and has a rifle of an arm.” But Barrickman noted that he feels that Willis’ numbers might be the result of playing at a smaller school like Liberty, while another top quarterback–Pitt’s Kenny Pickett–played well against ACC competition. “Obviously with the tragic death of Dwayne Haskins, there will be a need to draft a quarterback,” he added, “I just don’t think there’s a need to draft one that early.”

Rather than focus on a QB, Barrickman feels that the Steelers should focus on the defensive side of the ball: “I think the player that they would really like to get would the nose tackle from Georgia, Jordan Davis. But I have a feeling that he won’t be on the board.” Barrickman acknowledged that the Steelers might have a shot if they move up, but thinks that he may drop to the Baltimore Ravens at 14th overall: “Jordan Davis would be a Raven-type of player. If he would slip by the Ravens, I could see the Steelers grabbing Jordan Davis in the first round.”

To hear the full analysis from Bob Barrickman, click on the player below!

John Perrotto Breaks Down Current MLB Lockout

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio, photo by Matt Drzik)

Usually around this time of year, with the Super Bowl over and winter winding down, many sports fans welcome the arrival of pitchers and catchers to their respective squads in Florida or Arizona.

Instead they are being welcomed with labor standoffs and budget negotiations, and the 2022 Major League Baseball season is in jeopardy of starting later than usual…if it starts at all.

Freelance sportswriter John Perrotto joined Matt Drzik to talk about the current lockout situation on the February 15 edition of A.M. Beaver County, and Perrotto feels that the pride involved with both the players and the owners in this situation could keep baseball from happening for some time.

“I don’t see baseball losing a full season like hockey did a few years back,” Perrotto said, “but I could see this stretching to where the season doesn’t start until Memorial Day weekend. I hope I’m wrong.”

Perrotto did have some hope in the regard that the framework of this year’s negotiations have the sides considerably closer to a deal than during the 1994 lockout; an event that cancelled the 1994 World Series and delayed the start of the 1995 season. He also spoke about how a lockout could effect a team like the Pirates.

“I think the Pirates should be okay…I don’t see them going bankrupt or anything like that,” Perrotto added. “Quite frankly, they weren’t expected to have a very big attendance this year, so they won’t be looking at losing out on as much ticket revenue as some of the better-drawing teams in the major leagues.”

For the FULL interview with John Perrotto, click on the player below.

21 Local Teams Ready For WPIAL Basketball Playoffs Starting Friday

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The WPIAL released its pairings for the 2022 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs on Monday night, and all the local teams–11 boys’ teams and 10 girls’ teams–found out where, when, and against whom their journeys will begin. Some start play as soon as Friday, where others will wait over a week until their first playoff game.

All first-round games listed below are at 7:00pm unless noted otherwise; local teams are marked in bold.

Friday, February 18

BOYS

Class 1A
#9 Aquinas Academy at #8 Rochester

Class 4A
#1 Quaker Valley [BYE]
#13 Central Valley at #4 North Catholic
#12 Yough at #5 Lincoln Park
#9 Blackhawk at #8 Deer Lakes

GIRLS

Class 2A (Preliminary Round)
South Side Beaver at Aliquippa

Class 3A
#3 Freedom [BYE]

Monday, February 21

BOYS

Class 3A
#16 Summit Academy at #1 Ellwood City
#15 Waynesburg at #2 Aliquippa
#11 Beaver Falls at #6 Washington

Class 5A
#11 West Allegheny at #6 Gateway (8:00 PM)

GIRLS

Class 1A
#1 Rochester [BYE]

Class 2A
#14 South Side Beaver/Aliquippa at #3 Serra Catholic
#16 Frazier/Carmichaels at #1 Our Lady of Sacred Heart

Tuesday, February 22

BOYS

Class 2A
#13 South Side Beaver at #4 Greensburg Central Catholic
#16 Chartiers-Houston at #1 Our Lady of Sacred Heart

Class 5A
#11 West Allegheny at #6 Gateway (8:00 PM)

GIRLS

Class 4A
#1 Blackhawk [BYE]
#13 Freeport at #4 Beaver
#12 Central Valley at #5 Elizabeth Forward
#9 Belle Vernon at #8 Quaker Valley

Class 5A
#13 Woodland Hills at #4 Moon

 

Geneva Falls To Washington & Jefferson In Afternoon Barnburner

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

When the ball tipped off at Metheny Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon, it featured the two hottest teams in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference…and the two rivals showcased why.

Despite drilling 16 three-pointers and eclipsing over 100 points for the first time this season, the Geneva College Golden Tornadoes fell to Washington & Jefferson by a score of 111-103 on Senior Day. Senior Matt Veynovich had six of the three-pointers for Geneva, and he finished with 20 points on the afternoon. The Tipton brothers–junior Lyle and freshman Trevor–each led Geneva with 23 points a piece. Amos Luptak, another senior, and junior Ryan Rachic each had 15 points for Geneva.

W&J–now winners of six straight–were led by sophomore Michael Bigley who had 26. He was joined in double figures by Nick Gearhart (23), Kyran Mitchell (20), Isaiah Langston (16), and Okikiola Agbale (14). The Presidents outscored Geneva 80-24 in the paint, and stay atop first place in the PAC (with Chatham) at 13-2 to go with their 18-4 overall record. Geneva’s loss drops them to 10-5 in the PAC–tied with Westminster for third–and their overall record stands at 12-9.

Steve Higgins Talks About The Impact Of Alvin Gibson & Dwight Collins For BF Basketball

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio, photo by Mark Peterson)

Beaver Falls has had a long tradition of success on the high school hardwood, winning four state championships in boys’ basketball (1970, 1994, 2005, 2013) and a fifth in girls’ basketball (1985). But the tradition can be traced back to the late 1970s, where a pair of men who will be honored this weekend made Tiger Basketball a formidable program.

Those two men were Alvin Gibson from the Class of 1977, and Dwight Collins from the Class of 1979; both of whom will be inducted into the Pittsburgh Basketball Club in 2022. Steve Higgins from the Larry Bruno Foundation joined Matt Drzik to talk about the induction of Gibson and Collins on the February 4 edition of A.M. Beaver County, citing these men as anchors for solidifying the Beaver Falls name in the WPIAL.

Higgins pinpointed a game in the 1977 season where Gibson scored 33 points against Brashear, and the Tigers would continue on to a 26-3 season and a silver medal in the WPIAL (losing the championship to Fox Chapel). Collins, in his senior year of 1979, would lead the Tigers to the Class AAA basketball title. Beaver Falls would be champions again in 1980; their third under legendary coach Frank Chan, whom Gibson and Collins will join in the PBC.

To hear the full interview with Steve Higgins, click on the player below!

WPIAL Executive Director Amy Scheuneman Talks About Aliquippa Situation & Hershey Success

(Published by Matt Drzik; cover photo courtesy Sly Washington)

The WPIAL had a record-setting weekend in Hershey between December 9 and December 11, with five teams in six games representing District 7, and four out of the five winning state gold. Two of those teams–Central Valley and Aliquippa–hailed from Beaver County, marking the first time that two teams from the county have claimed gridiron gold.

WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman talked with Matt Drzik on the December 14 edition of A.M. Beaver County to talk about the successes, which she felt was a great showcase by the local teams. “It’s just been a great experience these last couple of weeks,” Scheuneman said, “to see our district come and be successful.”

Scheuneman also addressed the ongoing situation with Aliquippa, who–despite winning their fourth title in school history and first in Class 4A–is dealing with a less-than-desired situation in which they are slated by PIAA rules to now play up in Class 5A; a designation that would put the Quips four classes above their enrollment status.

“They have chosen to play up for good reason, and now looking at it…are they being punished for doing so?”, she stated. “I think that’s where the emphasis needs to lie at the state level, and what that school district has done previously to try to align themselves in the right group. Unfortunately, they’ve been successful in whatever classification they’ve chosen to play.”

To hear the full interview with Matt and Amy, click on the player below.