NewsRadio KDKA, Pittsburgh’s broadcast leader in live, local, community-oriented original programming, is pleased to announce a further commitment to its high school sports programming schedule for the 2021-22 scholastic sports season.
“High school sports is deeply woven into the fabric of our community, much like KDKA Radio has been for 100 years,” said KDKA Radio Senior Vice President and Market Manager Michael Spacciapolli. “KDKA Radio and high school football are a perfect match for the community, and the type of live and local programming that KDKA is built on.”
For the third consecutive year, KDKA Radio will broadcast the marquee high school football game of the week in the WPIAL with coverage beginning August 27 and lasting through the PIAA State Championships in mid-December. The veteran announcing crew of Dan Zangrilli (play-by-play), ‘Coach’ Johnny Lee (color analysis) and Robert Mangino (sideline reporter) return. Joining the lineup in 2021 is WPIAL Hall of Famer and former Pitt Panthers All-American Dorin Dickerson, who will host a new pre-game show every week. Each Friday evening at 6:00 p.m., Dickerson will take the air as host of the “KDKA Kickoff” preparing listeners for the night’s action. Also joining the Friday night coverage is Cale Berger as a social media correspondent. Berger will provide unique, exclusive, behind-the-scenes digital content for high school football fans throughout the week and on game nights, providnig Western, Pa high school football fans with an unprecedented Friday night lights experience.
The 2021 KDKA Radio High School Football broadcast schedule:
Week 0 - August 27 - Mt. Lebanon at Bethel Park
Week 1 - September 3 - Thomas Jefferson at Gateway
Week 2 - September 10 - Central Catholic at Pine-Richland
Week 3 - September 17 - Peters Township at Penn-Trafford
Week 4 September 24 Central Catholic at North Allegheny
Week 5 - October 1 - Laurel Highlands at Belle Vernon
KDKA Radio will exercise a twelve-day flex scheduling window to ensure fans hear the best matchups during the second half of the regular season.
KDKA will continue to provide content leading up to its game coverage each Thursday during the season with “Quest for the Best,” an hour-long show, airing at 6 p.m. The first show of the 2021 season is August 26. Zangrilli anchors the fast-moving program with longtime high school sportswriter Mike White and highly successful coach Eric Kasperowicz.
Additionally, KDKA Radio’s high school football coverage will be accentuated with the prestigious post-season Super 7 Awards, recognizing the top player in each classification in the WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League. The KDKA Radio Super 7 Player of the Year is selected by a panel of high school football experts in concert with online fan voting. This year’s winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony in January 2022.
High School football fans can also enjoy in-depth storytelling with Spotlight WPIAL throughout the year, a highly produced magazine-style vlog tells the stories of local athletes and their triumphs inside and outside the arena of competition.
“The KDKA Radio high school sports platform continues to grow,” concludes Spacciapolli. “It’s our honor to share the stories and moments of these high school athletes.”