Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

Don Rebel’s voice has become synonymous with high school sports in Western Pennsylvania, and now his name garners the same remembrance with his induction into the WPIAL Hall of Fame. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in broadcasting and communication from Point Park University, Rebel began his career at WIXZ in McKeesport in 1988. WIXZ allowed him to launch pregame and postgame shows for WPIAL athletics, which became popular Friday night staples he took with him to Nauticom Sports, where he began as a program director. Rebel then continued his coverage and promotion of Western Pennsylvania high school sports by launching the MSA Sports Network in 1998, and in 2017 Nauticom was purchased by Trib Total Media to create the TribLIVE High School Sports Network. At TribHSSN, he broadcasts games, reveals WPIAL playoff brackets, serves as a staff writer, and hosts The Rebel Yell podcast, where he interviews student-athletes and coaches, and previews and recaps postseason tournaments. Now in his 35th year as a broadcaster, Rebel couldn’t give an exact number to how many high school games he had been on the call for, or the first game he covered. He does, however, have a pair of games he considers highlights. The first is the 1990 WPIAL 2A Football Championship Game at Three Rivers Stadium, where Canevin Catholic defeated Washington, 21-20. The second is the 2005 WPIAL 2A Boys’ Basketball Championship Game at the A.J. Palumbo Center – otherwise known as the “Lance Jeter Game” – when Beaver Falls defeated Aliquippa, 79-78, in triple overtime.