...tune in to your favorite games at www.msasports.net SEPTEMBER 2009 E-NEWS | |||||
|
MSA Sports Network
If someone sent you this and you too would like to receive it,
please sign up for our FREE E-News here!
Our E-News and Sports Blasts are distributed to a huge email list of Sports fans interested in Western PA High School Sports and everyone they pass it on to!
We can customize our E-News or Sports Blast to fit your needs. Call 412-362-8929 x1167 or email dbaxter@msa.com
to get your business on the Sports Blast!
DISCLOSURE/PRIVACY ISSUES
MSA Sports Network holds high standards for the protection of our clients' privacy. Click here to read our policy Click here to Subscribe or Unsubscribe Copyright 2008 Management Science Associates, Inc. |
33 YEAR OLD GOES BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL by Josh Rowntree | ||||
|
For those of you who have been out of High School for quite some time, would you like to go back and do it all over again? For those of you now in High School, what would you think about a 33 year-old guy being your chemistry lab partner?
Well, for one man, and one local school, these thoughts are becoming reality, as Todd Gallagher is going back to school.
Mr. Gallagher (kneeling in the picture above), a native of
But, being a high school senior at
MSA Sports got the chance to sit down with Mr. Gallagher for a Q&A about his experience so far.
Todd: Trinity Christian just made sense. In some bigger schools it can feel more like a work environment, you just get lost in the crowd, and you are just a number at times. Also, Trinity is a great place to learn, it’s really challenging.
Todd: Soccer is really fun and going well… just not for me. I can’t exactly keep up with the rest of these guys. When I was in High School I was the best runner, I even set school records, but now I’m the slowest. I’m not much physically different than I was in High School, but my legs just don’t work as well anymore. I thought my age could be used as an advantage, but with the way kids play now, year round, it’s been a challenge.
Todd: Actually, yes. I played 7 different varsity sports, including basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, cross country and track.
Todd: Well, I actually have a lot of allergies, so it’s tough. But they have a great salad bar here, which I’ve had a lot. The food here is a lot better than the other High Schools I went to when I was a kid.
Todd: Wow, that’s a great question. It’s hard to answer that because they are all so hard. I thought since I was older I’d have advantages coming into the classes, but that’s not the case at all. We took a grammar test the other day and after I asked another student if he noticed that the first 5 answers were “A.” He just looked at me and said “No.”
Todd: I think I could come in for a burst, and not hurt the team too much, but I don’t think I would be any better than the other guys on the team. That’s kind of like a clash of my ego and reality right there.
Mr. Gallagher will attend Trinity Christian for the rest of the semester and plans to participate in some way with the basketball team in the winter. He will write a book when the semester is over.
You can learn more about Mr. Gallagher’s experience at his website: www.toddversushighschool.com Send your comments/questions regarding this article to jrowntree@msa.com | |||||
|
BROADCASTERS PROFILE Mark Schaas | |||||
|
Mark is a graduate of Neshannock High School and still lives in New Castle. Mark, a graduate of Slippery Rock University, came to work for the network earlier this decade through one of MSA Sports affiliate stations, WKST-AM 1200 in New Castle, where he worked for over a decade broadcasting high school sports games and talk shows. Mark is one of the most flexible broadcasters on the network. He can do both play-by-play and color commentating equally well, plus he covers just about every high school sport which the network broadcasts. Besides his Northern Lights article he writes most months for the MSA Sports Network newsletter, Mark does an excellent job previewing and recapping district college football each week during the fall sports season. | |||||
|
ON THE BROADCAST TICKET Broadcast Highlights for the Month of September | |||||
|
See the broadcasters that you’ve come to know and love over the years by accessing the following link on Football Friday nights: | |||||
|
FROM WPIAL TO NCAA | |||||
|
With a new season coming up, many senior high schools players have already graduated, leaving younger players to take charge. However, many of the same senior players have moved onto college football. In this article, I would like to talk about some of these players. Send your comments/questions regarding this article to rpasa@msa.com | |||||
|
FEATURED COMMUNITY EVENTS | |||||
|
The night will include dinner, a silent and live auction, and mingling with your favorite professional and college sports celebrities, including Jordan Staal, Freddy Sanchez, Zach Duke and many of your other favorite Pirates, Penguins and Pitt athletes. Players 4 Kids is a project of The Pittsburgh Kids Foundation, which connects players with kids through relationships that change lives. Please call Beth Henderson for tickets or more information at (724)766-9416. | |||||
|
| |||||
|
Fall Sports Seasons Take Off
As we wrap up the final days of summer, the fall scholastic sports season gets underway. By the first week of September, seven sports will begin.
Boys and girls golfers teed off on August 24. Girls tennis got into full swing August 31. Football, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls cross country, girls volleyball, and field hockey all kick off September 4.
Log onto www.msasports.net to follow your favorite team this season.
What’s New at the MSA Sports Network This Fall
The hit show This Week in the WPIAL returns for yet another football season. The show made its debut on Wednesday, September 2.
You can log onto www.msasports.net and listen as host Don Rebel and various MSA Sports personalities preview the upcoming week in WPIAL football, and speak with guest coaches from across the WPIAL. This Week in the WPIAL airs live from the Foodland Studios at MSA Sports World Headquarters from 6:30-7:45 every Wednesday night.
MSA Sports World Headquarters will be abuzz on Friday nights, once again, to bring you every high school football score from across the WPIAL, immediately after those final whistles blow. Don Rebel hits the airwaves from 9:30 pm – 11:00 pm with live post-game reports and scores. Log onto www.msasports.net or listen on the radio at ESPN 1250, WJAS-AM 1320, KQV-AM 1410, WPIT-AM 730, WBGG-AM/FOX 970, WJPA-AM 1450, WBUT-AM 1050, WISR-AM 680, WKST-AM 1200, WCNS-AM1480, WLSW-FM 103.9, WQTW-AM 1570, WDAD-AM 1450, WGSM-FM 107.1, WMBS-AM 590, WANB-FM 103.1, and WANB-AM 1580.
From 11:00 pm – 12:00 am, you can catch the Scoreboard Show on www.msasports.net and KQV-AM 1410, WBGG-AM/FOX 970, WJPA-AM 1450, WKST-AM 1200, WBVP-AM 1230, WMBA-AM 1450, AND WMBS-AM 590. Your host Don Rebel is joined by an array of MSA Sports announcers to run down all the scores from the night and discuss highlights from across the WPIAL.
The fun doesn’t end there, however. MSA Sports is proud to announce that this year’s postgame festivities can now be seen, as well as heard, with our new live streaming video. You will now have a chance to check out all of the faces behind the famed voices by logging onto www.msasports.net, clicking on the Broadcasts link, and then the video link.
Who’s New at the MSA Sports Network This Fall
MSA Sports would like to officially welcome a few new faces to the network this fall: Greg Warnock, Greg Smith, Jessica Levo, and Greg Kuntz.
Greg Warnock joins MSA Sports as a Play by Play and Color Analyst. Greg is a graduate of Avella High School and Point Park University. He is currently a Producer at 1250 ESPN Radio in Pittsburgh. Through his work at ESPN Radio, Greg met ESPN on-air personality Ken Laird, who also works with MSA Sports, and recommended Warnock to MSA Sports.
Greg made his debut with the network this spring, calling baseball and softball games with some of the veteran MSA Sports Announcers. Greg is most looking forward to the challenge of play by play and color analysis for high school sports. “To me, high school sports are the toughest games to call. I feel if I can do that, the possibilities for the things I can do in the future are endless,” Warnock said. Greg is also looking forward to getting to know everyone at MSA Sports, and hopes to be an added asset to the great work of the veteran announcers.
Greg Smith also joins MSA Sports as a Play by Play and Color Analyst. Smith spent his high school days at South Park, before completing his undergraduate degree at Ashland University. Currently pursuing his masters degree in Sports Science at IUP, Greg has worked with the Butler Blue Sox and the Washington Wild Things.
Smith made his way to MSA Sports by working alongside veteran announcer Lee Mohn covering the Butler Blue Sox this summer. Greg gained previous radio experience in college, and has always been interested in broadcasting. A former WPIAL athlete, Greg is excited to be able to come back and watch such a competitive league that brought him so many fond memories in high school. “I always knew about MSA and listened to them; now I have the opportunity to work with them and do something I truly love,” Smith said.
Jessica Levo comes to the network as a Color Analyst, and will also be providing support at the MSA Sports World Headquarters on Friday nights occasionally. Jessica is a graduate of Carmichaels High School and Point Park University. She currently works as a Producer for Clear Channel, as well as an Assistant Manager of the Waynesburg University Bookstore.
Greg Kuntz brings his extensive Play by Play experience to the team at MSA Sports. Kuntz is a graduate of North Hills high school and Edinboro University. His broadcasting background includes roles as a Producer, Programming Assistant, Production Assistant, and Staff Announcer with WSHH, WJAS, and WMNY.
Greg actually began working with MSA Sports from the other side of the fence—producing high school football broadcasts for WJAS and the former WPTT. In his work with Renda Broadcasting, Kuntz had the opportunity to work closely with MSA Sports head honcho Don Rebel to improve the sound quality of the MSA broadcasts on both stations. “To me, it seemed like a natural progression that someday I would eventually do play-by-play broadcasting for the network,” Kuntz said of this next step in his career. Greg is looking forward to jumping into the play-by-play action, after spending several years behind the scenes learning the ropes of production. “I now look forward to sharing my passion of sports, especially football and hockey, with an even broader audience. I thank the MSA Sports Network and Don Rebel, in particular, for the opportunity to do just that,” Greg said.
Welcome Greg, Greg, Greg, and Jessica!
MSA Sports Terrific 21 Girls Volleyball
The MSA Sports Terrific 21 Girls Volleyball program is kicking off its second season this fall. The program has made great strides since its inaugural season last year, growing from the Elite 8 to the Terrific 21.
Program founder Jonathan Whaley attributes much of this success to the “First Serve” meeting that he conducted at Moon High School in late July. Whaley welcomed athletic directors, student-athletes, parents, coaches, and booster club sponsors to educate them on the then MSA Sports Elite 8 Girls Volleyball program. The response was an apparent success, which led to the growth of the program from eight to 21 teams in just one year.
The member schools of the Terrific 21 include: Avonworth, Baldwin, Bentworth, Canon-McMillan, Frazier, Latrobe, Seton-LaSalle, Moon, Upper St. Clair, Geibel, Plum, Trinity, Fox Chapel, Beaver, Elizabeth Forward, West Allegheny, Bishop Canevin, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jefferson-Morgan, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and South Side Beaver.
The primary goal of the Terrific 21 Girls Volleyball program is to provide media coverage to the member schools for their efforts on and off the court. By logging onto www.msasports.net and clicking on the MSA Sports Terrific 21 logo, you will find plenty of information on the member schools, including schedules, team photos, Player of the Match winners, Player of the Week winners, 2008 final standings, rosters, and special recognition for student-athletes who achieve a 3.0 or greater GPA. New additions to the program this year include an All-Star Team for each section, elected by coaches, and a Player of the Year from each classification.
Here are some fun facts about this year’s 21 member schools. Twenty teams had a section record over .500 last season. Four teams were co-section champs last year, and six teams won their sections outright. Nineteen member schools qualified for the playoffs last season. Four teams posted undefeated records in section play last season, and one team claimed the WPIAL Championship.
Check back regularly to keep up to date on all the action in WPIAL Girls Volleyball with the MSA Sports Terrific 21. | |||||
|
GOT NEWS? | |||||
|
How would you like to have your school spotlighted Has your school been victorious this year in sports? Or is there an upcoming college athlete at your school? If so, tell us about it! There is no better place to discuss your school’s athletics than the Official Network of the WPIAL, MSA Sports Network. One lucky student could even be the subject of MSA’s Monthly Student Athlete Spotlight! If you can provide us with any of the information above, then your school could be MSA’s next Spotlight School! Please send your news to dbaxter@msa.com | |||||
A veteran high school sports broadcaster for the MSA Sports Network, Mark Schaas has covered schools throughout Western Pennsylvania, but he has a special place in his heart for Lawrence County.
The Scoreboard Show is Back and better than ever! A live video broadcast of this show is now available every Friday night during football season from 9:30pm – 11pm. 
CHICKS PICKS CHEX MIX
