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Chartiers Valley boys basketball looks forward to promising future
Chartiers Valley head coach Brandon Sensor and the Colts finished 8-15 this season.
In the first three years as head coach of the Chartiers Valley boys basketball program, Brandon Sensor started with a bang with 18 wins and a semifinals berth.
The Colts improved in the next two years, winning 19 games and reaching the semifinals again in 2020 and collecting 22 wins and reaching the WPIAL championship game last season.
Chartiers Valley took a step back this season with a tough start, success in the middle and then a rough finish.
First off, there was the start. The Colts began the season trotting out of the gates, losing their first seven games.
“I think there were many factors,” Sensor said. “First off, I have to do a better job all around. It starts with me. Second, we played some really good teams, most of which made it to the final four in their class in the WPIAL playoffs. A lot of new guys playing big roles, guys who did not have much varsity experience. And we were all still learning a lot. We fought hard and had leads in a lot of those games and kept some close.”
The fight started to pay off when Section 2-5A play began Jan. 7. The Colts won their first three section games and won seven of nine games in the month of January.
“I think by that point we really just started to play together a little bit more on offense and defense,” Sensor said. “To play 5A varsity basketball, it takes an extreme amount of effort for 32 minutes, especially on the defensive side of the ball, if you want to be successful. That’s something we battled off and on all year, but during that stretch, I thought we were showing some of it.”
However, when the calendar flipped from January to February, the struggles returned.
Chartiers Valley (8-15) finished the season losing six of its last seven games, including a 72-57 defeat at the hands of Penn Hills in a WPIAL Class 5A first-round playoff game.
“That was a tough stretch,” Sensor admitted. “We had some injuries to a couple guys who were not playing at 100%. We weren’t generating great shots on offense and that hurt our defense. I really think we lost confidence defensively and really struggled during the end of the season. We still fought and did some good things along the way though.”
While the program is undergoing some growing pains, they have a fabulous freshman to build around.
Jayden Davis started his scholastic career with a bang. He was one of the top scorers in the district, averaging over 26 points per game.
“Jayden did some great things,” Sensor said. “He’s an exciting kid to watch and coach. He showed that he can score with the best of them and also at times on defense, he can take over a game. We relied on him a lot as a freshman. I think he learned a lot throughout the year, started to share the ball and make the right play more as the season went on. I’m excited to see him mature as a leader and basketball player and keep getting better.”
While thrilled with Davis, Sensor pointed out three juniors and a sophomore who helped the Colts finish tied for third place, one game out of second.
“Joey Zajicek did a very good job shooting the ball and on the defensive end,” Sensor said. “He’s a great teammate who truly cares about the team. Brendan Cruz is a guy that really does a lot of the dirty work. He’s going to guard the best player on the other team, box out and dive on the floor. He’s a tough kid willing to do anything for his team. He also began to get more confidence late in the year.
“Drew Sleva had his ups and downs, but gained a ton of experience. He showed flashes of doing some really good things on both ends of the court. He’s another good leader and teammate. Rudy Morris started to get some minutes later in the season, and he did really well with them.”
That youth combined with experience has Senor excited about taking a big step forward next season after a step back in 2022.
“I’m excited to work with this group for the next year,” he said. “We return four guys who started this season, three of which will be seniors who have great leadership qualities. The other who has shown he’s one of the best players in the area, plus another guy who played a lot of minutes as a sophomore and did well. Our JV guys gained a ton of experience and a lot of them will be juniors ready to compete for varsity time, and our incoming freshman class is probably the best we’ve had since I’ve been at Chartiers Valley.” | 2022-03-26T17:32:05Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Chartiers Valley boys basketball looks forward to promising future | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/chartiers-valley-boys-basketball-looks-forward-to-promising-future/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/chartiers-valley-boys-basketball-looks-forward-to-promising-future/ |
Franklin Regional hockey suffers heartbreaking loss in Penguins Cup final
Thomas Jefferson’s Scotty Allan scores on Franklin Regional goalie Alex Rauber in overtime of the PIHL Class 2A final Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
Franklin Regional’s Zach Abdallah celebrates his goal with Chase Williams (62) and Luke Beatty during the PIHL Class 2A final against Thomas Jefferson on March 22 at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
Franklin Regional’s Luke Beatty carries the puck against Thomas Jefferson’s Pavel Sidun during the PIHL Class 2A final Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
“Heartbreaking” is the best word to describe the feelings of the Franklin Regional hockey team.
The Panthers were 17 minutes away from their third Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League Class 2A Penguins Cup title.
They were leading No. 1 seed Thomas Jefferson by four goals after playing two dominating periods. But the third period ended up being a nightmare.
Thomas Jefferson (21-1-3) scored four goals to tie the score, and Scotty Allan picked a great time to score his first goal of the playoffs. The Jaguars rallied for a 6-5 victory March 22 at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Allan scored 46 seconds into overtime to complete the comeback.
The Jaguars rallied from a couple of three-goal deficits to defeat Hempfield in the quarterfinals.
It was the fourth Pens Cup title for Thomas Jefferson, the first since 2000 when coach John Zeiler was a player.
Down 5-1, Thomas Jefferson didn’t go quietly, scoring two power-play goals early in the third period and getting another with 9 minutes, 11 seconds left to trim the lead to 5-4.
Thomas Jefferson’s rally was aided by Franklin Regional’s undisciplined play to start the third period. The Panthers were whistled for four penalties in the first three minutes, and it resulted in two power play goals.
“We tend to play near the edge,” Franklin Regional coach John Winebrenner said. “I told them we needed to stay out of the penalty box, but sometimes we hurt ourselves with penalties.”
The first power-play goal during the comeback was scored by Ty Rayman at 14:50. The next one was by Colby Bilski with 13:58 left. One of the goals came on a two-man advantage. Lance Smith’s even-strength goal trimmed the lead to one. TJ tied the score 5-5 with 4:47 left on a goal by Pavel Sidun.
“They did a good job being physical with us in the first two periods,” Thomas Jefferson coach John Zeiler said. “We did a better job getting to our game in the third period. We were moving our feet, and they were drawing penalties.”
Winebrenner said the penalty by Chase Williams turned the momentum.
“We did everything right for the first two periods and had them where we wanted,” Winebrenner said. “You just can’t take those penalties. Once you lose momentum, it’s tough to get it back.”
Franklin Regional (18-3-1) grabbed a 1-0 lead when Zach Abdallah tipped in a shot past Thomas Jefferson goaltender Billy Siemon on the power play 2:19 into the game. Luke Beatty and Luke Lavrish assisted on the goal.
The Jaguars continued to pressure Rauber and received a penalty shot when Abdallah was called for covering the puck in the crease. But Rauber stopped Bilski on a penalty shot.
“It could have been a different game is Colby would have scored,” Zeiler said. “But they took it to us with their physical play.
“I’ve never been part of a team with such drive and dedication and no give. When we won the state championship back in the day, you weren’t coming back from a 5-1 deficit. This team has so much character and it’s a family. That’s the culture we have created.”
Matty Knizner got things started with a goal 11:16 left, and with 10:15 left in the period, Beatty connected on a slapper from near the blue line to make it 4-1.
The Panthers made it 5-1 with 4:00 left in the period on their second power-play goal scored by Ben Yurko.
“Hopefully, the underclassmen learned from this loss,” Winebrenner said. “I know they are taking it hard in the locker room. We have a nice nucleus back. We’ll be back.”
Franklin Regional dropped a 2-0 decision to Baldwin in the 2021 Penguins Cup final. | 2022-03-26T17:32:17Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Franklin Regional hockey suffers heartbreaking loss in Penguins Cup final | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/franklin-regional-hockey-suffers-heartbreaking-loss-in-penguins-cup-final/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/franklin-regional-hockey-suffers-heartbreaking-loss-in-penguins-cup-final/ |
Fox Chapel’s JP Dockey celebrates with Jake DeMotte after defeating North Hills in the WPIAL Class 6A championship game on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Petersen Events Center.
Fox Chapel’s Eli Yofan (2) and Colin Kwiatkowski celebrate with the student section after defeating North Hills in the WPIAL Class 6A championship game on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Petersen Events Center.
Fox Chapel and Shady Side Academy, schools located just about a mile apart, are celebrating WPIAL boys basketball championships from earlier this month.
Fox Chapel defeated North Hills, 43-36, for Class 6A honors, and Shady Side defeated Avonworth, 66-54, to win the Class 3A title.
Both games were held at Petersen Events Center. Both schools won earlier titles, Fox Chapel in 1977 over Beaver Falls and Shady Side in 1999 over Farrell.
It’s also the first time since 1975 that schools located so close to each other won WPIAL titles. That season, Uniontown Area defeated Valley and Uniontown St. John defeated Edgewood.
The Foxes and Bulldogs both saw their dream seasons end with losses in the PIAA playoffs.
After losing to North Hills by 30 points on the second night of the season, Fox Chapel reeled off 22 consecutive victories to face the Indians for the WPIAL title.
The Foxes led just 25-23 at the end of three quarters until the pace quickened and Fox Chapel finished with a 43-36 win.
“It was tremendous,” Fox Chapel coach Zach Skrinjar said. “It was everything we thought it could be and more.”
Like most great teams, the Foxes came up big in the fourth quarter of their first five playoff games.
“I’ve always said about this group when the lights shine and come on, they shine the brightest. It’s just a compliment to what they’ve done their whole careers. They’re winners. We never think we’re out of a basketball game. They maintained their composure and found a way to get it done in the end.”
J.P. Dockey — on his birthday — led the Foxes in scoring with 10 points against North Hills.
Eli Yofan has been one of the WPIAL’s top players the last two seasons. He continued his stellar play throughout the postseason, even though he was hobbled by an ankle sprain sustained in the PIAA opener against Cumberland Valley.
But it was much more than Yofan. It seemed the Foxes had a different hero every night.
Said Skrinjar: “Eli does get a lot of credit, but he’ll be the first to tell you that it’s been a total team effort from top to bottom. In the playoffs, different guys stepped up at different times. It is Eli, but he had a lot of help along the way. If you had an off night, you knew your teammate was going to be there to pick you up.”
Fox Chapel fell a game short of its first shot at a state championship berth since 1977 by losing a semifinal contest to Archbishop Wood, 56-54.
But it was the first time in school history Fox Chapel won three straight section titles and the team compiled an overall mark of 68-7 during that span.
Skrinjar gave considerable credit to his assistant coaches, long-time aide Joe Farrell, lifelong pal Tom Reighard and his brother, Gabe Skrinjar.
Over the past couple of seasons, the Bulldogs have developed quite a rivalry with South Allegheny. The two schools split the Section 3-3A series, leading up to Shady Side’s section title.
Ultimately, the third time the two teams met was in the second round of the PIAA playoffs is where the season ended for Shady Side, dropping a 68-59 decision in overtime to the Gladiators.
Talk about a difficult schedule, 21 of Shady Side’s 27 games were against playoff teams. The only non-playoff teams on the schedule were two games against Valley, Apollo-Ridge and East Allegheny — the teams from Section 3 that didn’t make the playoffs. That made the Bulldogs playoff ready.
Shady Side was awarded the No. 3 seed in the WPIAL tournament and opened the playoffs with a convincing, 68-28 victory over No. 14 Laurel. Next was a 57-50 win over Washington. Both of those came took place on the Fox Chapel High School floor.
In the semifinals, the Bulldogs prevailed over second-seeded Aliquippa, 56-51, to earn a spot in the title game.
On the other side of the bracket, South Allegheny was nearly upset by Steel Valley, needing overtime to prevail against the Ironmen, 60-58. Had Steel Valley won, South Allegheny would not have made the state playoffs.
In the finals, No. 8 Avonworth, an upset winner over No. 1 Ellwood City in the quarterfinals, led Shady Side, 13-8, at the end of one quarter. But a highlight reel-type of play late in the half, where Eli Teslovich tossed an alley-oop pass to Peter Kramer, put the momentum toward Shady Side.
Teslovich led the way with 20 points and Kramer had 18. Thompson Lau led the Bulldogs with seven rebounds.
“The stage wasn’t too big for them. We hold them to a high standard. We have a lot of faith in them,” coach David Vadnais told the Tribune-Review after the game.
In the past, teams had nearly a week off between the WPIAL title games and the PIAA openers.
But with the revised format this year, Shady Side had little time to celebrate winning the WPIAL title. The Bulldogs had to get ready for the first state game four days later.
Penns Valley High School from Centre County made the 169-mile trek to North Allegheny, only to lose to the Bulldogs, 76-47.
In the second round, Shady Side made its first seven shots of the second half and held a 45-28 lead early in the fourth quarter. But the Bulldogs went ice cold after that, falling behind before forcing overtime.
South Allegheny had a strong overtime session to end the season for the WPIAL champs.
“I told the seniors to hold their heads high, they had a fabulous season,” Vadnais said after the game. “And I told the underclassmen this is something to build on.”
Vadnais was assisted by Kyle Smith, Andy Pakler and Dylan Groff.
Tags: Fox Chapel, Shady Side Academy | 2022-03-26T17:32:29Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Neighboring Fox Chapel, Shady Side Academy celebrate basketball titles | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/neighboring-fox-chapel-shady-side-academy-celebrate-basketball-titles/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/neighboring-fox-chapel-shady-side-academy-celebrate-basketball-titles/ |
Burrell’s Cooper Hornack named 2022 Valley News Dispatch Wrestler of the Year
Burrell’s Cooper Hornack went 42-10 this season at 120 pounds.
There is room for one wrestler to stand atop the podium in Hershey’s Giant Center.
Hundreds of wrestlers in each weight class start the season with hopes of being that person, having their name called on the PA system as their coach drapes a gold medal around their neck at the PIAA championships.
It’s a goal only a select few can achieve but many can strive for.
Burrell’s Cooper Hornack has stood close to that coveted spot on the podium, and he won’t be satisfied until he takes that final step to the top.
“It’s an honor (to be on the podium),” said Hornack, who was a runner-up last season and fourth-place finisher at this year’s state tournament. “I just really want to be on the top of the podium. I have a little disappointment if I’m not there. You just got to be proud of yourself and be thankful to all the people around you that helped you get there.”
The 120-pounder capped his sophomore season with a record of 42-10, including 18 pins. He finished second in the WPIAL and third at the Southwest Regional before placing fourth at the PIAA tournament.
For his accomplishments this season, Hornack has been selected the 2022 Valley News Dispatch Wrestler of the Year.
At the PIAA tournament, Hornack won his first-round bout by fall, then lost to returning state champ Jaden Pepe of Wyoming Area in the quarterfinals, 12-4. He rebounded to win three decisions in the consolation round before falling to Bald Eagle Area’s Coen Bainey, 1-0, in the third-place match.
“Cooper is a very intelligent, hard-nosed, hyper-competitive wrestler,” Burrell coach Josh Shields said. “He wants to win more than his opponent standing across from him. On the biggest stages is when he shines the brightest. These characteristics are what have led him to finish a two-time state medalist in as many tries.”
Hornack followed up this season on a strong freshman campaign where he was 31-3, won section and WPIAL and was a PIAA runner-up at 106 pounds. He was selected to the Valley News Dispatch all-star team.
“I had a really good freshman year and I had really high expectations coming into this year,” Hornack said. “Obviously, it didn’t end how I wanted it to. But I feel like overall, as a wrestler I got better. I just to keep building from where I am now.”
Just a couple of weeks after finishing the high school season, Hornack was back on the mat this weekend, competing at National High School Coaches Association high school nationals in Virginia Beach, Va. It’s one of several events he plans to attend in the offseason to continue working on his craft.
“I want to work on getting a go-to takedown and always being confident on my feet,” he said. “And also just getting off bottom and being explosive.”
Even though Burrell’s run of 15 straight WPIAL team titles came to an end this season after a loss to Quaker Valley in the Class 2A championship match, Hornack values being part of such a successful program and is looking forward to being part of that legacy the next two years.
“It’s an honor,” Hornack said. “For decades we’ve just been a powerhouse in the WPIAL. To be able to be part of that team and to be a leader is just truly an honor. To have the coaches around me and the loyal fans from Burrell is really an honor.”
Hornack hopes to add to his list of honors next season and beyond as strives for that top position on the podium in Hershey.
“There is a lot of luck to it, but you also have to have determination,” said Hornack, who has a two-year record of 73-13. “You have to always be in the room working, have confidence and a good work ethic to be able to elevate yourself to a point where you can go out there and perform.” | 2022-03-27T00:30:39Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Burrell’s Cooper Hornack named 2022 Valley News Dispatch Wrestler of the Year | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/burrells-cooper-hornack-named-2022-valley-news-dispatch-wrestler-of-the-year/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/burrells-cooper-hornack-named-2022-valley-news-dispatch-wrestler-of-the-year/ |
Chris Rotelli has been coaching for 25 years and in previous spots he’s had to build a program from the ground up.
That’s exactly what he intends to do with Pine-Richland boys volleyball.
It’s not going to happen overnight, but with the principles he’s putting in place both on and off the court he’s got his eye on turning around the Rams in the future.
“We’re stripping it down to the studs and going back to learning the basics,” Rotelli said. “We need to build a foundation and understand that it’s a process and that it’s going to take more than one year to see the results of that process.”
Rotelli coached the Pine-Richland middle school boys volleyball team last year and takes over the varsity team from Shawn Grady. He also coaches the Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball Club’s 12U and 14U boys teams.
Prior to Pine-Richland, Rotelli had a lot of different coaching stops.
He got his start in coaching as an assistant for the girls volleyball team at his alma mater Plattsburgh (N.Y.), while he was in college.
He went on to be an assistant on the Carnegie Mellon women’s volleyball team before taking over the Tartans’ men’s program and guiding them to a top five ranking nationally in Division I club volleyball.
He also coached the Vincentian Academy cross country team to five consecutive WPIAL Class A titles from 2015-19.
One piece he took from each stop was having camaraderie within the program. That’s what he’s aiming for at Pine-Richland. Last year, 28 players came out for the middle school team, which he said was the biggest turnout they’ve ever had.
Going forward his goal is to get a youth program going to get more players in the system early prior to middle school and to get everyone in the program to know each other from varsity down.
A way he’s going to do that is to schedule integrated practices, where varsity players will train with youth players.
“We’re really trying to grow the program from a holistic standpoint,” Rotelli said. “We want all the seventh graders to know the seniors and the JV kids and vice versa. We’re not going to exist on an island anymore with the varsity program. We want to build a long-term program. Rather than it being a year-to-year outlook we want to have it set up three years at a time, so we can look at those three years and then the next three rather than having to worry about next year all the time.”
In the present, Pine-Richland returns only two starters — seniors Justin Puthenpurayil (libero) and Colby Patrick (opposite hitter). A pair of freshmen, Matteo Rotelli (setter) and Luke Jancy (outside hitter), will slot into the rotation along with junior outside hitter John Varghese. Two seniors out for the team for the first time, Colin Ohlund and Evan Dougal, will play middle hitter. Rotelli has been impressed with how quickly each newcomer has acclimated to the position.
“I’m excited that we have some new athletic seniors this year that have picked up the game quickly,” Rotelli said. “We do have a good blend of experience. They’re not the biggest players, but they understand how the game works. They know rotations, defenses and basic strategy, which is great. From there we have to keep building on what we started in the eighth grade program.”
Pine-Richland is in a difficult Section 2-3A that features four-time defending WPIAL champion and three-time reigning state champ North Allegheny, as well as last year’s runner-up Seneca Valley, which also made the state semifinals where it lost to North Allegheny.
All four of Seneca Valley’s losses last year came against the Tigers. Other section mates include Shaler and Butler, which both won playoff games last year, and Fox Chapel and North Hills. | 2022-03-27T20:26:42Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Chris Rotelli takes over Pine-Richland boys volleyball program | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/chris-rotelli-takes-over-pine-richland-boys-volleyball-program/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/chris-rotelli-takes-over-pine-richland-boys-volleyball-program/ |
Quaker Valley’s Gardinier garners career-high 36 in PIAA second round
Quaker Valley’s Jack Gardinier drives past Lincoln Park’s Brandin Cummings during their WPIAL Class 4A semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 26 at UMPC Events Center in Moon.
One of the most impressive performances of the year was turned in by Jack Gardinier in the PIAA Class 4A second round.
A 6-foot senior guard and the Quakers’ third-leading scoring threat this season, Gardinier scored a career-high 36 points to spark QV past Belle Vernon, 86-75.
“Everyone on the team and around the program knew I was capable of scoring 36, but I was glad I was able to show everyone else,” said Gardinier, a Susquehanna commit. “In warmups, I was hitting shots, but everyone does. I just felt good coming out of the locker room at halftime, so I kept shooting.
“After the game I was pretty excited at first, but, again, it wasn’t a huge surprise to anyone. After that night, it was time to move on to our next game.”
Gardinier made 7 of 9 3-pointers and scored 27 points in the second half, including 16 in the third quarter.
“Jack’s outstanding performance against Belle Vernon gave us a terrific jump-start in the second half in a highly competitive close game,” QV coach Mike Mastroianni said. “He continued to make big shots the entire second half, and his performance was not surprising to us as we value Jack for all the things he does so well every game. And we realize that his leadership has been key to our highly successful season.”
Gardinier, whose previous career-high was 21 points, and seniors Markus Frank and Adou Thiero combined for all 86 points against Belle Vernon (20-5), which advanced to the final four in the WPIAL playoffs.
Frank, a 6-5 forward, finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Thiero, a 6-5 guard, racked up a triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Frank netted 13 field goals against BVA, and Thiero made 7 of 8 free throws down the stretch in an NBA-like fourth quarter. QV outscored Belle Vernon, 28-25, in the final eight minutes.
Thiero and Frank eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in career scoring this season.
Frank sets season scoring mark
Quaker Valley returned to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2017-18 and saw Frank shatter a season record in his team’s 54-48 win against District 10 champion Fairview.
Frank finished with 29 points, which gave him 701 for the season, breaking Rich Woznicki’s record of 691 set 41 years ago.
“Markus has had one of the best individual seasons in Quaker Valley basketball history,” Mastroianni said, “and not knowing the WPIAL individual records, I would think he would be right up there. Markus is so deserving of the individual scoring record, and I’m sure knowing Markus he is appreciative of his teammates.
“Could not be happier for him, and he has been such a valuable part of our program for the last four years.”
Thiero chipped in with 19 points and sank a pair of crucial free throws in the game’s final seconds.
Frank, Thiero click for 48 in semi
Quaker Valleycame back from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to advance to the state championship game for the second time in school history, winning a 67-60 decision over Archbishop Carroll.
And with the win, QV improved to 27-0 — the longest winning streak in boys basketball in school history.
“I am very proud of our team,” Gardinier said. “We’ve done something that no other Quaker Valley team has done.”
The previous longest winning streak was 23 in a row, accomplished in 2004-05 and 2017-18. Those teams ended up 27-3 and 26-2, respectively.
The Quakers trailed 49-41 after three quarters against Archbishop Carroll but went on a 16-5 run to gain a two-point lead.
Frank, who has had support on the boards this season from Daniel Bartels, a 6-3 junior forward, scored 28 points against AC. Thiero connected for 20, and Gardinier added 10.
“So far, I think we’ve done what we set out to do at the beginning of the year,” Bartels said. “It’s really gratifying to be able to accomplish goals that we set out for ourselves. The seniors have led the way in terms of getting the job done.”
Quakers roll in first round
WPIAL champion Quaker Valley opened the state playoffs at home with a 67-51 triumph against Hickory (16-9), the third-place team from District 10.
Frank made an impressive debut in the state tournament, scoring a game-high 29 points on 12-for-16 shooting.
Senior guard Wil Dunda made three 3s in the first four minutes as QV raced to early leads of 7-0, 15-3 and 25-8. The Quakers led 38-21 at the half.
Joey Coyle, a sophomore guard, went 2 for 4 from beyond the arc, and Dunda finished with 10 points in the game.
“This run in the state playoffs has been nothing short of incredible,” Dunda said. “Everyone has been locked in from top to bottom, day in and day out. But in saying that, I still believe our best performance is still in us. The guys and I are ready to make one last push for the ultimate prize.”
Besides Coyle, other key reserves for the Quakers include juniors Troy Kozar in the backcourt and Noah Jordan in the frontcourt.
Thiero also reached double figures against Hickory with 15 points.
“I am not sure there is a better story around than Adou’s,” Mastroianni said. “In the first half of our first (WPIAL) playoff game, Adou injures his thumb and proceeds to lead us to a WPIAL championship and state championship appearance.
“This says everything about Adou. He is such a high-level player on the court with a high skillset, but what sets him apart and sometimes gets overshadowed are his intangibles. His competitiveness, drive, leadership, fight and knowledge of the game are as good as any player around.”
QV meets Newmann-Goretti in state final
Quaker Valley clashed with District 12 champion Neumann-Goretti on March 24 in the PIAA championship game at Giant Center in Hershey.
The game results were not available prior to press time for the Sewickley Herald.
The Quakers were previously in the state finals in 1999, when they lost to Annville-Cleona, 69-57, in double overtime.
Neumann-Goretti defeated District 2 winner Dallas in this year’s semifinals.
“The state playoffs are demanding as you have to play so many quality teams and you must adapt to different matchups every game,” said Mastroiann. “Our team has managed this very well on both ends of the floor.”
Heading into the PIAA final, Quaker Valley was ranked No. 1 in Class 4A in the Trib HSSN state rankings.
Neumann-Goretti (22-4), Dallas (25-4), Archbishop Carroll (15-11) and West Philadelphia (21-6) rounded out the top five. | 2022-03-27T20:27:37Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Quaker Valley’s Gardinier garners career-high 36 in PIAA second round | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/quaker-valleys-gardinier-garners-career-high-36-in-piaa-second-round/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/quaker-valleys-gardinier-garners-career-high-36-in-piaa-second-round/ |
Thomas Jefferson’s Lekse looks to past for inspiration
Courtesy of Scott Breisinger
Thomas Jefferson’s Joe Lekse is the 2021-22 Breisinger Award winner. He is pictured with TJ coach Bill Cherpak.
Courtesy of Kate Leopold
Thomas Jefferson’s Joe Lekse is the 2021-22 Breisinger Award winner. He is pictured members of the Breisinger family.
Joe Lekse, this year’s Breisinger Award winner, had his eye on the prize throughout his entire varsity career.
He explained.
“In my four years playing football at Thomas Jefferson, I aspired to be like each winner of the Breisinger Award,” said Leske, a senior quarterback/defensive back. “My freshman year, Gabe Dominick (TE/DE) won the award. He may not have been a star player, but he excelled in all the things you can’t see from the outside. He did everything he could to make our team successful by preparing the offense and defense for each game in practice. He gave 100 percent effort in every drill, conditioning exercise, and practice.”
The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Lekse continued.
“My sophomore year, Nate Werderber (FB/LB) won the award,” Lekse said. “He was a kid that thought about quitting after his sophomore year. Instead, he chose to work his tail off and gained a starting spot on offense and defense his junior year.
“He was a fearless fullback and linebacker and helped lead us to a state championship in 2019. He never took any reps off. He now serves in the United States Marine Corps.
“My junior year, Alby Breisinger (OL/DL) won the award. He was an offensive lineman and helped lead our team to another state championship in 2020. He was an excellent leader and a great friend.
“In the summer during covid lockdown, he would host team practices for the lineman to keep them in shape and on track for the upcoming season. He always put the team first and made players around him better.”
The Breisinger Award was established at TJ in 1979 and named after former Pleasant Hills police officer Albert Breisinger. It is presented annually to a senior gridder for his hard work, community involvement and academics.
It is not the team MVP. It goes to the one who best exemplifies the “character, courage, leadership and sacrifice demonstrated in the life and eternal spirit” of Albert Breisinger, whose high school football uniform number — 62 — is the only one retired at Thomas Jefferson.
Logan Burnsworth, in 2017, was the seventh lineman since 2012 to win the award, joining Jimbo Nassida (2016), Jake Maxwell (2015), Zack Reynolds (2014), Anthony Rash (2013), Garrett Pahanish (2013) and Pat Hall (2012).
Lekse is the first quarterback to receive the coveted honor since Dom Presto in 2011.
“Joe is an amazing young man,” TJ coach Bill Cherpak said. “He is everything the Breisinger Award stands for. He is a great leader and role model for all of the younger players in our program. He is a high honor roll student in school with a 4.2 GPA. He plays multiple sports. He is well liked and respected by the faculty and staff of the high school. He is a responsible and accountable young man with his priorities in the proper order.”
Lekse completed 59 of 105 passes for 982 yards and 12 touchdowns and three interceptions in 2021. The Jaguars averaged 33.5 points while allowing 12.5 ppg as Lekse led the team in scoring with 20 touchdowns and 122 points and accounted for 1,644 total offensive yards.
Lekse rushed for 662 yards and 19 TDs on 142 carries with a season-best run of 48 yards in the season opener against Gateway.
“I ran untouched for a touchdown right up the middle,” Lekse said.
Lekse finished with 18 tackles and a team-high four interceptions (118 yards in returns). He scored twice on interception returns, rambling 30 yards on the first defensive play of the game in Week 3 against Trinity and also 85 yards in Week 8 against West Mifflin.
Lekse’s top performance came against Hampton in the WPIAL quarterfinals, when he rushed for 114 yards and scored five times on 22 carries (5.2 ypc) and recorded an interception on defense.
He also had a huge game against Laurel Highlands in Week 5 of the regular season with 307 total offensive yards.
Lekse again accounted for five scores (three rushing, two passing) as he connected on nine of 13 passes for 205 yards and rushed for 102 yards on 12 carries (8.5 ypc).
“On the field, Joe was our rock,” Cherpak said. “He was consistent and reliable. He never missed a game and always seemed to make a play when we needed it most. Joe is in the final stages of being admitted to the Naval Academy. He will find out in early April. Joe is exactly what anyone would want their son to be like.”
The athletic Lekse played no less than three defensive positions in 2021.
“I was very flexible on defense this year,” he said. “I played free safety half the season and would rotate to outside linebacker/strong safety the other half of the time. It really all depended on our defensive gameplan and who we were facing.”
The Breisinger Award at TJ is given to one senior every year and chosen entirely by the players on the team. The coaches are not involved. It is awarded to a significant player who demonstrates leadership on and off the field, exhibits integrity and is mentally tough. This is the player one would choose to represent TJ Football.
“It is an amazing feeling to win this award, knowing my teammates voted for me and looked up to me in some way,” Lekse said. “I would not be where I am today without their constant support. They had my back during the season and always believed in me.”
Lekse started out as a three-sport athlete at TJ but focused on football and basketball (and giving up baseball) after suffering a calf injury in the last week of basketball practice during his sophomore season. He ended up with four varsity letters including three in football.
He is a two-year member of the National Honor Society and Big Jag Little Cub Club. He also is a member of the Outdoors Club at TJ.
But the biggest news for Lekse is that he is in the final stage of his application process for the U.S. Naval Academy.
“I received a nomination from Congressman Mike Doyle in January and am now waiting for an appointment from USNA,” Lekse said. “My goal is to become a Navy Seal.
“In case I do not get accepted into the Naval Academy, I have applied to a list of eight universities where I would choose to study economics.”
During Lekse’s four years, the Jaguars won two WPIAL and two PIAA championships, finished as a WPIAL runner-up once and a WPIAL semifinalist once.
TJ won 45 of 50 games and three conference championships. The Jaguars were 30-3 during the past four regular seasons and 15-2 in the playoffs.
“Coming from a program that expects winning and nothing less, it is easy to look back on our season and call it a failure,” Lekse said. “However, we did a lot of great things. We finished the season 8-3 and 5-0 at home. We started the season strong with big wins against Gateway and South Fayette and ended Hampton’s undefeated season in the playoffs. Our team was so young and certainly lacked experience with only a handful of players having any varsity experience.
“A lot of the sophomores that stepped up have the potential to be something special. I have faith in my teammates that they will bounce back next year and come out even stronger. Although it hurts to go out on a loss, especially after winning states two years in a row, I am happy with the season we had and the way I played in my final year of football.” | 2022-03-27T20:27:43Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Thomas Jefferson’s Lekse looks to past for inspiration | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/thomas-jeffersons-lekse-looks-to-past-for-inspiration/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/thomas-jeffersons-lekse-looks-to-past-for-inspiration/ |
Recruiting hype doesn’t seem to affect Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin
Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin scores against Thomas Jefferson in the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, at West Mifflin.
Even at a young age, Quinton Martin is existing nicely with the recruiting process.
The sophomore standout from Belle Vernon said the big-time college attention hasn’t changed him a bit.
It could have, but it hasn’t. And he doesn’t think it will.
The most sought-after recruit to come out of Westmoreland County since Jeannette’s Terrelle Pryor is low key and likes it that way.
“Some people see me as this high-profile kid,” Martin said. “But I’m still the same Quinton. I just try to go about my business and put in the work.”
Martin (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) is rated by 247Sports.com as a five-star prospect and as the No. 14 prospect in the nation in the Class of 2024 — No. 1 in Pennsylvania.
Rivals.com has him as the 12th overall athlete in the sophomore class.
But, again, Martin is more unassuming than people might think.
“He’s not that big superstar walking the halls where everybody is oohing and aahing over him,” Belle Vernon football coach Matt Humbert said. “He’s a laid-back kid, and none of this seems to be going to his head. It’s kind of nice to have kids like Q and Devin (Whitlock) come through and bring that kind of recognition to our school.”
Dorian Johnson was the last player from Belle Vernon to earn a five-star ranking. The offensive tackle graduated in 2013 and went on to a productive college career at Pitt. He was a first-team All-American center in 2016 and was a fourth-round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals.
Martin’s scholarship offers include Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Texas, Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia. More Power 5 offers are expected as he builds toward his junior season.
Freshman Alonzo Wade, who could see an elevated role on the football field next season for the Leopards, said Martin is a down-to-earth kid who is handling the hype in stride.
“I just know he wants to beat you, whether it’s on the field or in the weight room,” Wade said. “He has changed, but only on the field and when he’s working.”
Martin, who is coming off a basketball season in which he averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds over 25 games, is playing 7 on 7 football with Evolve again this year.
He said he has surrounded himself with a support system, people he will count on to help him make a decision. That decision might not come soon because he has two years of high school football left, but Martin doesn’t plan to go it alone.
“My family has been big through all of this,” Martin said. “My uncle, my aunt, my mom and friends. Coach Humbert and coach (Brett) Berish also. They are all going to help me pick somewhere.”
A running back and defensive back with speed and size, Martin ran for 902 yards and 12 touchdowns as Belle Vernon (10-1) finished second in WPIAL Class 4A to Aliquippa last season. He has unofficial visits planned to Notre Dame on April 2 and Texas over the summer.
He already has made stops to Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia and Maryland.
Martin could see his recruiting ramp up even more in April, which can be a heavy month for offers.
“This will be a big month for me,” he said. “I am excited about what else might come.”
He has committed to play in the 2024 Under Armour All-American Game.
“I don’t know, maybe I will make my decision then, at that game,” Martin said. “Maybe I will have something here at the school yet. It’s hard to say right now when and where (he will commit). We’ll see what happens from here.”
Until decision time, the same old Quinton Martin will go about his business just the same. | 2022-03-28T01:29:50Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Recruiting hype doesn’t seem to affect Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/recruiting-hype-doesnt-seem-to-affect-belle-vernons-quinton-martin/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/recruiting-hype-doesnt-seem-to-affect-belle-vernons-quinton-martin/ |
Mars at Fox Chapel, 4 p.m.
Central Valley at Ambridge, 4 p.m.
New Castle at Beaver, 4 p.m.
Laurel at Aliquippa, 3:30 p.m.
Shenango at Neshannock, 4:30 p.m.
South Side at Summit Academy, 4:30 p.m.
Seton LaSalle at Clairton, 3:30 p.m.
Burrell at Springdale, 4 p.m.
Carmichaels at Mapletown, 4:15 p.m.
Chartiers Valley at Keystone Oaks, 4:30 p.m.
Hopewell at North Catholic, 4 p.m.
Kiski Area at Butler, 4 p.m.
Moon at Bethel Park, 4 p.m.
Mt. Pleasant at Norwin, 4 p.m.
Northgate at Carlynton, 4 p.m.
Riverside at Mohawk, 4:30 p.m.
Seneca Valley at Canon-McMillan, 4 p.m.
Shaler at Peters Township, 4 p.m.
Yough at McKeesport, 3:30 p.m.
Dublin Coffman 4, Avonworth 2
Fairbanks, Ohio 4, Burgettstown 2
South Allegheny 7, West Greene 3
Albert Gallatin at Carmichaels, 4:15 p.m.
Armstrong at Knoch, 4 p.m.
Belle Vernon at Waynesburg, 4 p.m.
Bethel Park at Oakland Catholic, 3:45 p.m.
Cornell at Avella, 4 p.m.
Greensburg Salem at Mt. Pleasant, 4 p.m.
Keystone Oaks at Upper St. Clair, 4 p.m.
McKeesport at Elizabeth Forward, 3:45 p.m.
Mt. Lebanon at Ringgold, 4 p.m.
New Brighton at Union, 4 p.m.
Northgate at Rochester, 4 p.m.
Quaker Valley at Shenango, 4:30 p.m.
South Side at Western Beaver, 4 p.m.
Bishop Canevin at Hopewell, 6 p.m.
Montour at Canon-McMillan, 6 p.m.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Penn Hills, 7:15 p.m.
Penn-Trafford at Shaler, 7:30 p.m.
Trinity at Moon, 7:15 p.m. | 2022-03-28T05:43:39Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | High school scores, schedules for March 27, 2022 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/high-school-scores-schedules-for-march-27-2022/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/high-school-scores-schedules-for-march-27-2022/ |
Public school criticism of state basketball playoffs ‘sour grapes,’ says PIAA director
Monday, March 28, 2022 | 1:30 AM
Traditional public schools won only two of the 12 state basketball titles celebrated this weekend in Hershey, the fewest since the PIAA expanded the sport to six classifications in 2016.
The 10 others were won by private and charter schools, leading some public school coaches to question the fairness of the state tournament — criticism that the PIAA’s top administrator viewed partially as “sour grapes.”
Aliquippa’s Nick Lackovich, New Castle’s Ralph Blundo and Quaker Valley’s Mike Mastroianni were among the WPIAL basketball coaches in Hershey who called for the PIAA to reevaluate its current format that makes traditional public schools compete with so-called nonboundary schools.
“It would help if schools with boundaries don’t have to play ones that don’t have boundaries,” said Lackovich, after Aliquippa lost, 76-58, in the Class 3A boys final to Devon Prep of the Philadelphia Catholic League.
“I’m not crying. They beat us,” Lackovich added. “… But at the end of the day, that’s not fair. You want to complain and fight about Aliquippa playing 2A, 3A, 4A or 5A in football, but you don’t want to address something as simple as this staring you in the face?
“This is not fair.”
PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said he recognized this was a disappointing weekend for most public school finalists, but insisted the year-to-year results are cyclical. Four public schools won PIAA basketball titles in 2021, five in ‘19, six in ‘18, three in ‘17 and two in ‘16. The championship weren’t played in 2020 because of the pandemic.
“You see how things go in athletics — they go in waves or peaks and valleys,” Lombardi said Saturday at Giant Center. “The (private and charter school) teams were better today. That doesn’t mean they’re a better program. Today, they played better. I think some of it, I hate to say, is sour grapes.”
Lombardi also laid partial responsibility on coaches who lost.
“I’ve seen some schools do a little better job coaching in the second half and making adjustments to really change games around,” he said. “I’m not sure other ones did it so well.”
The Neshannock girls and the Plymouth Whitemarsh girls were the only traditional public schools to win titles this year. Philadelphia Catholic League teams alone won six titles with the Neumann-Goretti girls and boys each celebrating championships. Two PCL teams, Roman Catholic and Archbishop Wood, met in the Class 6A boys final.
The Catholic League combined has won 34 PIAA titles since 2009.
“Believe me, it’s not sour grapes,” Lackovich said, “because I’ve been on both ends of this thing. I’ve been on the winning end and I’ve been on the losing end. … It’s staring everyone right in the face. You can’t have guys from different area (on one team). All of my guys are from within a mile of the school.”
Imhotep Charter, a member of the Philadelphia public league, won the Class 5A boys final over New Castle, 54-39. The state title was the eighth for Imhotep, all since 2009.
Afterward, Blundo said there is an “inequity” in the state playoffs that needs fixed.
“NBA teams don’t play (NCAA) Division I basketball teams,” Blundo said. “Division I teams that have scholarships don’t play Division III teams for championships, because circumstances are different. The ability to obtain players is different. It just is. So you have to acknowledge it and handle it, because it hurts kids.”
Mastroianni talked briefly with Lombardi as Quaker Valley walked off the court following the Class 4A boys final Thursday. Previously undefeated Quakers lost to Neumann-Goretti, 93-68.
Mastroianni wasn’t critical of the Neumann-Goretti coach or players, but rather the current PIAA rules. The Saints have now defeated a WPIAL opponent six times in the state finals, including five traditional public schools.
“They’re playing within the rules,” Mastroianni said. “I just think we should reevaluate, and I think a lot of people do.”
Many public school coaches have said they’d like to see public and private schools divided into separate tournaments, a mission some advocates previously lobbied for without success.
“Let them do their own thing,” Lackovich said. “Then you’d see a more balanced, a more fair (playoffs). You’re not going to see domination by the Philly schools.”
But the PIAA has consistently labeled the idea of separate tournaments a nonstarter, saying it’s impossible under current state law that requires all schools to be treated equally as members.
“If the legislature would like to change the law, we’ll be glad to follow whatever they say,” Lombardi said. “But we’re not going to try to separate (schools) and be hit with a discrimination suit — and that’s on the doorstep.”
The PIAA has taken that stance since at least 2018, when a group of public school administrators tried to force the PIAA to make a change. At the time, it was understood Catholic schools would oppose any move.
“We have good information that if there would be any type of separation, that there would be immediate legal action,” Lombardi said.
The PIAA implemented a few rule changes in recent years meant to limit teams from reloading their rosters, including a competitive-balance formula that promotes teams that both experience postseason success and add transfers. The formula, which forced Aliquippa football to 4A, is used to determine classifications in football and basketball.
The PIAA also added a one-year postseason ineligibility for transfers and implemented restrictions on athletes switching schools midseason.
Public school coaches have argued that’s not enough, but Lombardi said he doesn’t agree with them that nonboundary schools have an inherent advantage.
“I do not,” Lombardi said, “and I would like to see their proof.” | 2022-03-28T05:43:45Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Public school criticism of state basketball playoffs ‘sour grapes,’ says PIAA director | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/public-school-criticism-of-state-basketball-playoffs-sour-grapes-says-piaa-director/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/public-school-criticism-of-state-basketball-playoffs-sour-grapes-says-piaa-director/ |
After trip to PIAA playoffs, future remains promising for Highlands boys basketball
Members of the Highlands boys basketball team wanted a second chance.
After having their WPIAL playoff run stalled in the semifinals with a 61-44 loss to Laurel Highlands, the Golden Rams turned their focus to the PIAA tournament.
They rebounded with a PIAA first-round victory over Brashear and earned another matchup with the WPIAL champion Mustangs.
Highlands was up to the challenge the second time around, jumping out to a 13-point lead in the first half. The Golden Rams continued to battle and took Laurel Highlands into overtime. But the Mustangs made a few more plays in the extra frame and secured a 71-66 victory.
Highlands ended its season at 19-8, but there were plenty of positives to take away for coach Corey Dotchin.
“It was a good season. Obviously, there were goals we set at the start to the year that we didn’t accomplish. We have a lot of reasons to hold our head high,” the first-year coach said. “Making it to WPIAL semifinals and coming close to playing in the state quarterfinals, taking the No. 1 team in the state down to the wire. We have a lot to hold our heads high and be proud about. It adds fuel to the fire heading into the offseason.”
Dotchin noted Highlands will be dropping down from Class 5A to 4A next season and will return six of the team’s top eight players.
“We definitely did not reach where we want to be and the potential we saw at the beginning of the year,” he said. “We’re happy but not satisfied.”
Highlands had five scorers in double figures in the second meeting with Laurel Highlands. Jimmy Kunst scored 14 points, Carter Leri and Brayden Foster each had 13, Chander Thimons had 12 and Cameron Reigard added 11.
”We definitely went back and watched film as coaches and were able to make some adjustments at practice,” Dotchin said of the rematch. “The guys knew they didn’t play their best game the first time. We kinda got caught up in the moment. Only Jimmy and Carter had played in a semifinal game at that point. Now we’re playing in front of 2,600 people against the No. 1 team in the state.
“They were hungry to get another opportunity. They laid it all on the line. I couldn’t have been prouder how they bounced back and rebounded. Laurel Highlands just made a couple more plays than we did.”
Kunst, a junior guard, averaged 20.9 points and was named first-team all-section. He improved on his 16 ppg as a sophomore and developed into one of the top scorers in the WPIAL, surpassing 1,000 career points in February.
“He took another step on his game. He was our leading rebounder. He was our leader in assists, steals. He just did everything for us,” Dotchin said. “Aside from what everybody sees him doing on the court, he’s a tremendous leader, a tremendous captain. He puts in the time. He gets the benefits of his hard work. He’s showing the way and leading by example, bringing the young guys along.”
Seniors Leri and Calel Long will be missed, Dotchin said, along with exchange student Francesco Vicariotio. Leri averaged 10.6 points this season and was a dependable leader. He was named second-team all-section.
“Cater Leri has been amazing for us. A tremendous leader,” Dotchin said. “He’s always been a tough-nosed kid for us, continues to do everything the right way. I couldn’t be prouder or have more respect for the kid.
“Calel Long came to us a little bit late as a sophomore. He’s come a long way. He’s very respectful, very hard working, a great kid to coach. They each bring a little bit of a different side of themselves to the team. That’s what made us special.”
Dotchin also is optimistic about the future of the program. Thimons (7.5 ppg), Kunst and Landon Signorella were key contributors as juniors, and Foster (12.1 ppg), Reigard (9.4 ppg) and Jordan Tavarez (3.4 ppg) were sophomore standouts. Foster was a second-team all-section selection, and Thimons and Reigard were honorable mention. | 2022-03-28T17:45:30Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | After trip to PIAA playoffs, future remains promising for Highlands boys basketball | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/after-trip-to-piaa-playoffs-future-remains-promising-for-highlands-boys-basketball/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/after-trip-to-piaa-playoffs-future-remains-promising-for-highlands-boys-basketball/ |
Westmoreland County senior spotlight: Southmoreland’s Kory Ansell
Southmorelan’s Kory Ansell
Last fall, Southmoreland hosted the first football playoff game in school history, and although the Scottie did not win, it was still a great moment for the organization.
That run could not have been made possible without offensive line coach Ron Frederick, who unexpectedly died in February after learning he had received the head coaching job.
“He’s the one that got me thinking about college football,” said senior lineman Kory Ansell. “He really pushed me to be the best that I could be on the field.”
Frederick made memories of a lifetime with this group, including in 2019, when Southmoreland ended a 40-year playoff drought.
“He taught everybody on the football team how to be a family and be a group of one,” Ansell said. “It’s really hard to talk about because he was such an inspiration to everybody.”
After a year in which Ansell had 70 tackles (13 for a loss), seven sacks and three fumble recoveries, he is going to continue his football career at Cal (Pa.), and he plans on playing on the defensive line primarily, but also could find himself on the opposite side of the ball.
He is a multi-sport athlete, competing for the baseball and track and field teams.
He will be studying mechatronics or something in the sports management field.
With the season over, Ansell took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:
How did you get started with football?
I started when I was 4 or 5 years old at the YMCA, and I never stopped. It really took off from there.
How did you feel the team did this past season?
Overall, I think it went really well. Like many other teams, you could have said that we could’ve won this game or that other game. Overall, I think it’s a great step in the right direction for the whole district.
How do you think you did personally?
Personally, I think I did very well. I haven’t really been seen as a defensive guy. I was always on offense. But I’ve always played both ways. I’m happy that I was able to show my defense this year and what I was able to do offensively.
What is your biggest strength?
My footwork, which is mainly because of Coach Fred. He always said that my footwork was one of the best on the team. It just continued to get better as the season went on. Talking to different college coaches and everything, they said the first thing they noticed was my footwork. So my footwork is probably at the top.
Is there an area you could improve?
I’d probably say my hands. I like to be, I wouldn’t say heavy on my hands, but I don’t strike them as well as I would like to. I would probably improve my hands and my overall speed off the line.
How have your other sports helped your football game, and why did you decide to participate in those sports?
I’ve always played baseball, since I was 4 or 5 years old. I still have friends that are on the team. They got me going last year and told me to join the team again. Honestly, it was probably one of the best decisions of my life because I missed those guys. Track, the head coach actually told me to join while we were playing football. He told me that I was doing track for him this year. I said, OK.
How special were those few moments you were a part of the last few years?
It was very special. Southmoreland isn’t known to win very many games or have seasons like that, so to be a part of both of those seasons, it’s unreal. People used to look at the schedule and see Southmoreland and say that it’s a win. Ever since our student class of 2022 came through, it really boosted the morale for everybody, and I think there are good things to come from them.
What was the recruiting process like, and what went into your decision?
It was very fun. Over the summer, my dad and I, my mom and my sister, we all took some trips out to colleges and camps and everything. Overall, I think we visited 20 schools, whether it was camps and everything else in total. It was very fun to be in that process and to be even considered to play at the next level. The (Cal) process was very fun. As soon as they invited me to a game-day visit, I knew I had to invite my sister because she loves that school. I invited her and my dad up to watch the game, and I told everybody if they offered me then I was going there. They gave me the offer, and I chose to go.
What is one thing that people may not know about you?
If I had to say one thing it would be that I like sushi. It’s just a quick grab-and-go. You pick it up from the store or you go to a Chinese restaurant and they have it for you. I like it, fish, and all that. | 2022-03-28T17:45:42Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Westmoreland County senior spotlight: Southmoreland’s Kory Ansell | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-county-senior-spotlight-southmorelands-kory-ansell/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-county-senior-spotlight-southmorelands-kory-ansell/ |
Belle Vernon’s Kreis makes USA junior handball team
Belle Vernon’s Viva Kreis tries to drive past Southmoreland’s Olivia Cernuto on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.
What started as a curious activity in gym class turned into a chance for Viva Kreis to represent her country.
A junior at Belle Vernon, Kreis was recently selected to play for the USA Women’s Junior National Handball Team that will compete next month against Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada in Mexico City.
A basketball player who also runs track and cross country, Kreis has developed skills for a fourth sport.
“My team handball journey actually started in middle school gym class where I first played an adapted version of the sport with Mr. (Ryan) Shetterly, who referees a lot of my basketball games,” Kreis said. “Since then, I have been just trying to find places to play the sport, which isn’t easy because it isn’t played in our area.”
Kreis trained with a men’s club in Pittsburgh, and it was there she heard about the junior national opportunity.
She applied to the USA Team Handball Youth Advisory Council and was accepted, giving her a platform from which to spread the word about the game.
I’m super excited to represent Team USA! ????????????????♀️ https://t.co/ZZLEWtgEvp
— Viva Kreis (@VivaKreis) March 26, 2022
Handball is a 7-on-7 sport where players try to score into a net — think soccer played with hands instead of feet.
Kreis has an administrative role in addition to being a player.
“I got the job,” Kreis said. “Our goal is to educate the younger generation about the sport through social media. I work primarily on developing our TikTok account, and I was even able to create a video with a two-time US Team handball Olympian when I visited the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs.”
The council spot led her to a training camp in Boston with adult players. From there, she moved on to a tryout for the junior team in Chicago shortly after basketball season ended.
Kreis missed a basketball game so she could play in a beach handball camp.
She showed at the Chicago camp that she could play competitively and was selected.
“The coach told me he had minutes for me in Mexico,” Kreis said. “I am beyond excited to play on a team with girls of this caliber. Many of them are dual-citizens living and training in other countries (Sweden, Norway, Germany, Canada and Mexico among them). Others are playing on college club teams. I think there are three of us that are still in high school.”
Kreis will live and work out at the Olympic Training Center in Mexico City.
The North America & Caribbean Handball Federation competition will consist of four games against Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. The top two teams will advance to the World Junior Handball Championships in Slovenia this summer.
“Needless to say, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to represent Team USA,” Kreis said. “It is a middle schooler’s dream come true.” | 2022-03-28T21:58:23Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Belle Vernon’s Kreis makes USA junior handball team | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/belle-vernons-kreis-makes-usa-junior-handball-team/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/belle-vernons-kreis-makes-usa-junior-handball-team/ |
Chartiers Valley football coach Dan Knause resigns after 5 seasons for job elsewhere
Chartiers Valley football coach Dan Knause walks the sideline during a game against Montour on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, at Chartiers Valley.
Chartiers Valley football coach Dan Knause is a candidate for an job elsewhere, so he resigned Monday after five seasons with the Colts.
“I wanted to be fair to the kids,” Knause said. “I didn’t want them to hear from second or third sources. I wanted to do right by them and give CV as much time as possible.”
Knause didn’t reveal his future plans but said he anticipates school board approval for his new job next week.
The Colts went 18-30 in his five seasons but had a breakthrough year in 2020. The team went 6-2 overall, 4-1 in the Parkway Conference and reached the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs.
The playoff appearance was the CV’s first since 2015 and only the second in the past decade. The team went 4-6 overall last fall but missed the playoffs.
“I’m super proud of the kids for buying in and making Chartiers Valley football a competitive product,” Knause said. “I couldn’t be more proud of what we built and that’s a credit to the kids.”
Knause is a 1996 graduate of Chartiers Valley, and said leaving his alma mater was a tough decision. His previous WPIAL experience included four years as Cornell’s coach.
“Today was one of the sadder days in my professional life,” said Knause, who met with his CV players Monday morning. “You become like a family. It’s very emotional. A lot of hugs. A lot of tears. … But I have peace knowing we left this program in a good place for success.”
Chartiers Valley has already advertised the job opening. Knause said a couple of his assistants might apply.
“Selfishly, I hope they get it,” Knause said, “because I’m proud of the culture we built.” | 2022-03-28T21:58:30Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Chartiers Valley football coach Dan Knause resigns after 5 seasons for job elsewhere | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/chartiers-valley-football-coach-dan-knause-resigns-after-5-seasons-for-job-elsewhere/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/chartiers-valley-football-coach-dan-knause-resigns-after-5-seasons-for-job-elsewhere/ |
PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi talks with Michael Hawkins (right) during the state basketball championships Saturday at Giant Center in Hershey.
Philadelphia teams joined the PIAA basketball playoffs less than two decades ago, but District 12’s top administrator says his schools are here to stay, despite any wishful thinking by opponents.
Over the years, some Philadelphia coaches and players have opined that the state tournament didn’t match their excitement for winning a Philadelphia Catholic or Public League title, leading to speculation that the Philly teams might prefer life without the PIAA playoffs.
“No, that’s not true,” District 12 chairman Michael Hawkins said Saturday at Giant Center, while watching Philadelphia teams Roman Catholic and Archbishop Wood compete in the Class 6A boys final.
“We work hard to get where we are,” he said. “The people who say that are not the athletic directors. They’re not the coaches. … We’re in it. We’re in it forever, as far as I’m concerned.”
Philadelphia’s public schools joined the PIAA in 2004, soon after the school district hired a new superintendent. Their Catholic school counterparts joined four years later.
In the years since, Philadelphia schools have dominated the PIAA basketball playoffs. District 12 teams won 52 of the 156 state titles awarded since they joined. This past weekend in Hershey, District 12 schools won 7 of 12.
That overwhelming success and a belief by some that Philadelphia schools don’t enforce PIAA transfer rules has made them a target for criticism. PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said that criticism is misplaced.
“Folks in District 12 work very, very hard,” Lombardi said. “You see some of their programs are really good. But if you saw how they have to travel to practice and some of their facilities compared to some of our other schools, it’s not even close. They work very hard at it, and they should be complimented instead of criticized.”
Suggestions that Philadelphia teams don’t want to compete in the state playoffs are “absolutely erroneous,” said Lombardi, who also defended the district’s current approach to transfers.
The topic arose again Thursday after Neumann-Goretti won the Class 4A boys title for the team’s ninth state championship. Longtime Saints coach Carl Arrigale said in response to critics: “I coached 15 or 18 years without this and we were fine.”
“Our (Catholic League) game at the Palestra, nothing matches that with 9,000 people at a high school game screaming and hollering,” he added. “It’s a great atmosphere, so (getting players focused for the PIAA playoffs) is actually hard. A lot harder than people think.”
This year, the Saints defeated Archbishop Ryan, 61-57, in the Philadelphia Catholic League final. The Philadelphia Public League plays its championship at Temple’s Liacouras Center.
“It’s a lot harder than people think getting these kids to keep practicing,” Arrigale said, “and convincing them that Quaker Valley was a good team and Dallas was a good team, when they’d just been through that (PCL) pressure cooker.”
The most commonly heard criticism of Philadelphia schools is the belief administrators don’t crack down when players switch schools. Neumann-Goretti, for example, has a 6-foot-7 junior from London, England, who played basketball last school year in Saint Louis.
Aliquippa boys coach Nick Lackovich noted after Saturday’s loss to Philadelphia Catholic League team Devon Prep that his players all come from neighborhoods near the school and described Philadelphia as “free agency.”
“A kid is at this school this year, at that one next year and at this one the third year,” Lackovich said. “Let’s clean this up. Sometimes I think the WPIAL holds us back because obviously the eastern half of the state that doesn’t have to deal with the WPIAL seems to work pretty good for them.
“I’m not saying we need to get rid of the WPIAL, but they want to uphold the rules and the other half is not.”
Lombardi said that isn’t true.
“That was a long ago narrative by some people who really didn’t understand the rules,” he said. “They felt that they were doing it right and everybody else is doing is wrong. That’s not true anymore.”
Hawkins pointed to action District 12 took this month against Cardinal O’Hara and Bonner-Prendergast. When the district discovered that the teams used an ineligible player, they were forced to retroactively forfeit games.
The Bonner-Prendie boys missed the PIAA playoffs. The O’Hara girls qualified for states despite the forfeits and won the Class 5A title over Chartiers Valley.
“We dropped the hammer on them right away,” Hawkins said, but understood not everyone in the state would be convinced.
“To some people, it doesn’t make any difference what we say,” he said. “Haters are going to hate. That’s what they do.” | 2022-03-29T01:38:55Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Philadelphia basketball teams are here to stay in PIAA, says District 12 chairman | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/philadelphia-basketball-teams-are-here-to-stay-in-piaa-says-district-12-chairman/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/philadelphia-basketball-teams-are-here-to-stay-in-piaa-says-district-12-chairman/ |
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 | 3:25 AM
A shot clock sits above a basket during an NCAA college basketball game between Maryland and Butler in College Park, Md.
Pennsylvania’s high school basketball teams should have a better idea whether the clock is in their future once the PIAA basketball committee debates the issue this week. The shot clock will be on the agenda when the steering committee meets Wednesday, PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said.
The PIAA earlier this winter asked each of its 12 district basketball committee to start discussing the topic. Lombardi said he’s heard arguments both for and against adding the clock.
The PIAA basketball committee includes one representative from each of the state’s 12 districts. Hampton athletic director Bill Cardone, chairman of the WPIAL basketball committee, has a seat on the PIAA board. So does City League athletic director Karen Arnold.
According to various reports, more than a dozen states have already approved the use of shot clocks including California, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah and Washington. However, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association in January decided to not adopt the shot clock next season after surveying its coaches. | 2022-03-29T07:44:37Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | PIAA basketball committee readies for shot clock discussion this week | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/piaa-basketball-committee-readies-for-shot-clock-discussion-this-week/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/piaa-basketball-committee-readies-for-shot-clock-discussion-this-week/ |
Trib HSSN Final Boys Basketball State Rankings for 2021-22
OLSH’s Jake DiMichele celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game against Constitution on March 25 at Giant Center in Hershey.
The 2022 PIAA boys basketball championships are in the books with five new state champions and one perfect repeat performance.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart defeated Constitution for a second straight year to win back-to-back PIAA Class 2A titles.
The Chargers became only the second school in the 102 years of the PIAA boys basketball playoffs to win two straight state titles with undefeated records. OLSH was 24-0 last season and finished 28-0 this year.
The only other school to double perfection was Darby-Colwyn in 1962-1963. That school merged and is now part of the William Penn school district near Philadelphia.
OLSH also tied the state record for most consecutive wins. The 92-71 victory over the Generals was the Chargers’ 68th straight win, tying the nearly 50-year-old record set by West Philadelphia in the mid-1970s.
Bishop Canevin also won a state title from the WPIAL. The Crusaders’ Class A win over St. John Neumann, 64-47, gave the school its first PIAA boys basketball crown.
The rest of the weekend belonged to District 12.
Roman Catholic (6A), Neumann-Goretti (5A), Imhotep Charter (4A) and Devon Prep (3A) all took home gold to the Philadelphia area after impressive wins at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Here is the final top 5 in each of the six classifications for the 2021-2022 season. Teams are listed with overall record, district and last week’s ranking. | 2022-03-30T05:29:57Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Trib HSSN Final Boys Basketball State Rankings for 2021-22 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/trib-hssn-final-boys-basketball-state-rankings-for-2021-22/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/trib-hssn-final-boys-basketball-state-rankings-for-2021-22/ |
Shenango pitcher Shane Cato celebrates with Santino Campoli after defeating Seton LaSalle, 2-1, in the WPIAL Class 2A championship game on June 2, 2021, at Wild Things Park.
After a frigid start to the 2022 district baseball season, temperatures near 70 degrees with no precipitation will be welcomed before the mercury dips again later in the week.
Teams will be scurrying to find playable fields to either get the first week of section games in or play a nonsection tune-up game before section play begins next week.
Four WPIAL teams will go the Ernie Banks route: “It’s a great day for a ball game. Let’s play two.”
In Section 3-4A, the top two teams from a year ago will square off in a doubleheader on the turf at West Mifflin.
The Titans won the section in 2021, finishing two games ahead of second-place Laurel Highlands.
The Mustangs and Titans’ twinbill begins at 1:30 p.m. and both games can be heard here on Trib HSSN.
In Section 2-2A, defending champion Shenango will battle former champion Neshannock in a section-opening doubleheader at Slippery Rock University.
The Wildcats won the section a year ago, finishing four games ahead of the Lancers. Shenango then went on to win the WPIAL gold and PIAA silver.
The second game of the two game scheduled for 4:30 p.m. can be seen on Trib HSSN.
The future of a 35-second shot clock in PIAA boys and girls basketball is on the agenda Wednesday when the PIAA basketball steering committee meets.
While other items will be discussed, the hot-button subject of bringing a shot clock into the state’s high school basketball game has garnered a lot of interest from school administrators, coaches, players and fans.
The National Federation of State High School Associations opened the door last year for individual states to add the shot clock to the high school game.
This decision will not be finalized Wednesday. The basketball committee will make a recommendation to the PIAA Board of Control, which must pass it before it becomes a reality.
Even then, the rule might not take effect until the 2023-2024 basketball season.
Two Westmoreland County softball rivals that are coming off strong seasons are now scheduled to collide Wednesday after the original game Monday was postponed.
The Knights cruised to their section crown in 2021, beating Hempfield and Pine-Richland by three games. Norwin was the No. 2 seed in the 6A playoffs but was stunned in its playoff opener by Canon-McMillan, 7-4.
The Warriors were the top seed in the 5A tournament last year but was upset in the quarterfinals by No. 8 seed and eventual champion North Hills, 6-1.
This is the season opener for Norwin while Penn-Trafford is off to a great start after beating defending 3A champion Mt. Pleasant, 5-3, last week. | 2022-03-30T05:30:09Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | What to watch for in WPIAL sports on March 30, 2022: With sun shining, let’s play 2 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/what-to-watch-for-in-wpial-sports-on-march-30-2022-with-sun-shining-lets-play-2/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/what-to-watch-for-in-wpial-sports-on-march-30-2022-with-sun-shining-lets-play-2/ |
The PIAA basketball committee met Wednesday and decided to survey schools statewide before potentially adding a shot clock to games, said Hampton athletic director Bill Cardone, who represents the WPIAL on the committee.
The committee did reach a couple of conclusions. If the shot clock is ultimately added, it won’t be before the 2024-25 season and would be used for varsity and junior varsity games but not junior high.
Yet, the big question remains unanswered.
Should Pennsylvania join the growing list of states who have added a shot clock? The PIAA intends to survey member schools in the coming weeks, compile the responses in April and have the basketball committee reconvene May 3.
“(The survey) will have questions to get input from your coach, your principal and superintendent, if needed,” said Cardone, who chairs the WPIAL basketball committee.
The committee saw too many logistical issues that would prevent adding a shot clock before next season. Among them, schools would need to acquire the equipment and train a shot clock operator, and officials also would need to be updated on their new requirements.
But there also are financial concerns.
“People’s budgets for next year are already set or are being set right now,” said Cardone, who estimated that a set of shot clocks costs around $10,000. “If you don’t have that money budgeted, where is that money going to come from?”
Cardone said the committee limited shot clock consideration to varsity and junior varsity games because those teams typically share a gym. If junior high was included, many schools might need to buy multiple sets of clocks.
More than a dozen states have already approved the use of shot clocks, including California, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah and Washington, according to media reports.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association in January decided to not adopt the shot clock next season after surveying its coaches. | 2022-03-30T20:53:47Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | PIAA to survey schools about adding basketball shot clock in 2024 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/piaa-to-survey-schools-about-adding-basketball-shot-clock-in-2024/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/piaa-to-survey-schools-about-adding-basketball-shot-clock-in-2024/ |
Sage’s Army still waging battle against drug abuse; mission continues after 10 years
By: Joe Napsha
Sage’s Army founder Carmen Capozzi said he “never thought it would be 10 years later and the need is still here.”
Troy Jones of Donora talks about his experience with addiction recovery to a crowd gathered Wednesday at Westmoreland County Community College to mark the 10th anniversary of Sage’s Army.
Norwin graduate Troy Jones hit rock bottom four years ago when he “died.” It happened as Jones was driving on Route 30 in North Versailles, as a result of a dose of heroin laced, unknown to him, with fentanyl, a deadly drug that dealers often add to heroin and cocaine.
“I had to be revived a bunch of times with Narcan,” Jones said of that day — April 29, 2018 — which was a fall from his nine-month sobriety.
It was then that Jones, an Army combat veteran who served in Iraq in 2004-05, turned to a different kind of army — Sage’s Army.
Jones, a Donora resident, is now a certified recovery specialist with Hempfield-based Sage’s Army, helping those deal with and recover from the addiction he struggled with.
“Whatever keeps the needle out of your arm and bottle out of your mouth, we support it,” Jones told more than 100 people who had gathered at the Westmoreland County Community College campus near Youngwood to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Sage’s Army.
“We are 110% invested in our peers,” Jones said, referring to those who seek help through a variety of programs.
Sage’s Army, an initiative to raise awareness of drug addiction and help those seeking recovery, was created in the aftermath of the overdose death of 20-year-old Sage Capozzi in a Hempfield motel. From that tragedy, his father, Carmen, founded Sage’s Army to help those in the throes of drug dependency, as well as their families.
As he looked around a room full of more than 100 supporters of Sage’s Army on Wednesday, Capozzi said he “never thought it would be 10 years later and the need is still here.”
“The families are still coming into Sage’s Army, seeking help,” Capozzi said. “Look at the statistics.”
Westmoreland County had a 30% spike in fatal drug overdoses last year, compared with 2020.
The spike may be caused, in part, by the covid-19 pandemic, when people were restricted in what they could do, in addition to the stresses related to covid and possible job loss, said Tim Phillips, executive director of the Westmoreland Drug Overdose Task Force.
Phillips said they are hoping to work with the state Department of Health on an overdose review committee to take a “deeper dive” into some of the overdose cases to try to determine the causes.
Not only were drug overdose deaths on the rise last year, but death from alcohol abuse was up by about 27% last year, Phillips said.
Richard Jones, executive director of Sage’s Army, says they have made progress in battling drug addiction, but “basically, we’re still losing the battle.”
Most of those people who are in the midst of their struggles with addiction are “suffering in silence,” Jones said.
“Sage’s Army can help those folks,” he said.
Jones had an ominous warning for any former addict who thinks they are “cured” of their addiction once they finish a stint in a rehabilitation center. Jones knows, because he went through rehab 17 times before sobriety stuck.
“This is something from which you never graduate. This is for a lifetime,” Jones said. “My obsession to stay clean is greater than to use.”
• Pitt-Greensburg art exhibit showcases Black experiences | 2022-03-31T08:10:07Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Sage’s Army still waging battle against drug abuse; mission continues after 10 years | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/sages-army-still-waging-battle-against-drug-abuse-mission-continues-after-10-years/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/sages-army-still-waging-battle-against-drug-abuse-mission-continues-after-10-years/ |
Highlands searches for new football coach after Girardi steps down
Dom Girardi compiled a 21-26 record as Highlands football coach, guiding the Rams to the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs last season.
Dom Girardi stepped down as Highlands football coach Thursday, ending a five-season tenure with the Golden Rams.
Girardi said he came to the decision over the past week and cited changes at home and at work that would take more of his time away from his coaching responsibilities.
“I kept moving forward under the impression that I could continue to make this work,” said Girardi, who stressed all the changes are positive.
“The more I thought about it, the more I realized I wouldn’t be able to give the full commitment that it takes and that the kids deserve. As much as I didn’t want to step away as I have enjoyed my time here at Highlands and loved the kids, I just knew it was the right decision.”
Girardi was hired in April 2017 to fill the position left open by the departure of Sam Albert to Kiski Area.
He compiled a 21-26 record in his five seasons with the Golden Rams. He helped guide the program through the uncertainties of a 2020 season affected by the covid pandemic and led the team to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2015.
Highlands started the 2021 season 4-0, survived a three-game losing skid and clinched a spot in the WPIAL Class 4A tournament with a three-game win streak to close the regular season.
The Golden Rams lost to New Castle, 31-19, in the first round.
Girardi said he takes a plethora of good memories with him, includings working with the kids.
“They bring you life,” he said. “You get as much from them as you hope to give as a coach. That’s especially true when you bring in a young player, a freshman, into the program and watch them grow not only as a football player but become a better student and a person overall. You watch them repeat positive things you say to them. It’s very rewarding to see that you have that impact on them.”
With several key players back from last year’s youthful group, Girardi said he is confident the team will make another strong run in conference play and challenge for a return to the WPIAL postseason.
“They will be a veteran group,” Girardi said. “Last year, we had a lot of young kids with little playing experience. They caught on quick and grew and learned. I couldn’t have asked more from them when it came to that. When I left the kids, I kind of left them with a challenge to not left this change slow them down. I told them that I believe in their abilities and that they can get the job done, no matter who the coach is.”
Girardi said that down the road when the time is right, he could see himself returning to the coaching ranks.
Athletic director Drew Karpen said an internal and external search has begun to find the next Highlands football coach.
“Don meant a ton to the program,” Karpen said. “We’ve improved every year. For him, it wasn’t just about the wins and losses. While those are meaningful, he also was making sure he was doing what was best for each individual student-athlete.
“He’s definitely going to be missed, but I completely understand his decision and support it all the way. I know it didn’t come easy for him. Right now, we just look to move forward to find the best person to lead the football program.” | 2022-04-01T00:51:34Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Highlands searches for new football coach after Girardi steps down | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/highlands-searches-for-new-football-coach-after-girardi-steps-down/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/highlands-searches-for-new-football-coach-after-girardi-steps-down/ |
Latrobe’s Vinny Kilkeary, wrestling Zachary Jacaruso of Delaware Valley in 2021 semifinals, was one of seven WPIAL wrestlers to win Class 3A state titles this season.
Here’s a lesson everyone’s heard before: Don’t always believe what you read on social media.
After the PIAA Wrestling Steering committee met March 30, reports surfaced that the committee was considering going to four classifications.
According to WPIAL committee member Frank Vulcano Jr., that wasn’t even discussed and a lot of things mentioned on Twitter were inaccurate.
What was discussed was a proposal, made by WPIAL coaches and presented by Vulcano, to divide the state into four regions instead of five by combining the WPIAL (a.k.a. the Southwest Region) with the Northwest Region (Districts 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10) to make a West Region in Class 3A.
The idea for the proposal came after the PIAA’s initial reading for the 2022-2024 seasons saw the WPIAL dropping from four to three individual state qualifiers in Class 3A because there was of a reduction of schools in the class by seven.
The WPIAL is arguably the strongest wrestling district in the state in Class 3A. Over the past two seasons, the WPIAL has claimed 64% percent of the medals in the state tournament in the class. Seven WPIAL wrestlers won PIAA gold this past March.
After a lengthy discussion, a vote was taken and a 6-6 result occurred. District 12 (Philadelphia) and District 5 (Bedford, Fulton and Somerset) were not on the video call and did not vote. The proposal was tabled until Tuesday.
“I’ve been on this committee for 20 years and you never know what vote would be,” Vulcano said. “You would hope the individuals are voting for the best of the sport, just not their district.”
If approved, the West Region districts would have the opportunity to qualify an extra wrestler or two for the state tournament.
Vulcano said the proposal would add an additional tournament for the teams from the WPIAL and give the West Region five berths in the state tournament.
The only regions that didn’t have teams drop to Class 2A were the Southeast (counties surrounding Philadelphia) and South Central (Harrisburg region). The Northeast lost one team and the Northwest, the smallest region, dropped to 25.
If the Northwest and WPIAL would combine, it would be the largest region in the state at 63 schools.
“There is a chance it will be approved,” Vulcano said. “We did receive the backing of PIAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Lombardi. We didn’t even get a chance to talk about Class 2A.”
Nothing approved or discussed by the committee will become official until the PIAA Board of Control meets in May for final approval.
Other issues discussed were:
• Team qualifiers were approved by the committee with WPIAL Class 2A getting four teams qualifying for states and Class 3A getting three.
• The new 13 National Federation of High Schools weight classes were approved starting on July 1, 2022. The lower six weight classes added a pound. The weights will be 107, 114, 121, 127, 133, 139, 145, 152, 160, 172, 189, 215 and 285.
• Discussion of increasing competitions did not get voted on and will remain at 22.
• The committee did pass a seven dual meet minimum for teams to enter the PIAA Team Tournament, which begins with the WPIAL Team Tournament.
• Methods of counting competitions were clarified.
• There was an update on girls wrestling. There are now 35 girls teams across the state. The PIAA will sponsor the growing sport when it reaches 100.
• New coaches Paulone, Madison plan to continue their programs’ traditions of winning
• What to watch for in WPIAL sports on April 1, 2022: Title rematch in boys volleyball | 2022-04-02T01:13:40Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | PIAA wrestling committee considering WPIAL proposal to change state qualifying process | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/piaa-wrestling-committee-considering-wpial-proposal-to-change-state-qualifying-process/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/piaa-wrestling-committee-considering-wpial-proposal-to-change-state-qualifying-process/ |
Hampton’s Matt DeMatteo competes in the triple jump finals at the 2021 WPIAL Class 3A track and field championships at Slippery Rock University.
When Derek Brinkley stepped down as Hampton track and field coach after 18 seasons this offseason, a priority for athletic director Bill Cardone was keeping the staff as intact as possible.
Assistant Heather Dietz, a long-time cross country coach who works with the track distance runners, offered to handle the top spot if necessary.
“We were talking about trying to keep things pretty much the same with the coaching staff, in terms of options,” Dietz said. “I told (Cardone) I would do it, if he needed it.”
Sure enough, she got the call.
Dietz, who has coached the Hampton girls cross country team for the past 19 years, was promoted to replace Brinkley and provide the much-sought-after staff continuity.
She was informed of her new role about three weeks before the start of the season.
“It was a very quick turnover,” said Dietz, a track assistant for the past six seasons. “I just have a bigger whistle. But it’s not that different. It’s just a lot more kids and more paperwork to manage. It’s fine. I’ve learned a lot of names in the past two weeks.”
Brinkley, an assistant football coach at his alma mater, North Allegheny, resigned to spend more time with his family. A former NCAA Division II national champion hurdler and a member of the North Allegheny Hall of Fame, Brinkley helped guide the Hampton boys team last season to its first section title since 1985.
“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Brinkley said. “But the time was right. I always said I’ll be missed for a little while. It will affect me much longer.”
The rest of the staff returns, including assistants Nick Panza (sprinters and relays), Joe Cangilla (horizontal jumpers), Matt Combi (throwers) and Kim Masarik (hurdles and high jump). Even track assistant Steve Sciullo, hired this offseason as the school’s football coach, is returning to help the throwers as time permits.
The top athletes on the boys team are senior Matt DeMatteo, who competed in the PIAA championships in three events last season; junior hurdler Joey Mayer; and a trio of sophomore distance runners — Jacob Bonnar, Nathan Garrett and Dale Hall — who ran last fall for the school’s WPIAL Class 2A championship cross country team.
They will try to help the Talbots overcome the loss of record-breaking runner Gage Galuska, the 2021 WPIAL Class 3A 400-meter champion, and defend their Section 4 title.
“They are definitely hungry to see if they can do it again,” Dietz said.
DeMatteo will compete in the 300-meter hurdles, 100-meter dash, triple jump and long jump. He won’t run any relays as he focuses on individual events to enhance his collegiate choices. A first-team all-conference defensive back for the football team, DeMatteo is considering Duquesne (track), James Madison (football) and Appalachian State (football walk-on).
“For college purposes, I wanted to try to better my times,” he said. “I kind of need to focus on individual events this year for the next level.”
DeMatteo placed fifth in the 300 hurdles at the WPIAL Class 3A championships last season and took ninth at the PIAA finals with a personal-best time of 39.95 seconds. He is shooting for the school record of 39.63 set by Matt Redshaw in 2008. DeMatteo also placed fourth in the WPIAL in the triple jump.
“I really want to hit low 38 seconds, maybe even high 37,” DeMatteo said of his 300 hurdles goal. “I think that will open up a lot of opportunity.”
On the girls side, sophomore Kathleen Milon is looking for improvement after an outstanding debut season. She placed sixth in the WPIAL Class 3A 400 meters with a time of 58.43 and took 18th in the PIAA as the only ninth-grader in the 33-girl field.
“I definitely want to beat that (time) this year,” Milon said. “I want to improve from last year and get under 58. We will see how that works. Improving my time is definitely big for me.”
The girls also return junior distance runner Ava Vitiello, who placed 11th in the WPIAL championships last season with a personal-best time of 5:24.67.
Other top girl runners are seniors Maddy Fitzgerald and Morgan Killian and junior Kendall Solkovy.
Dietz is working with a lot of depth in her first season as head coach. The team attracted 76 athletes on the roster, boys and girls combined.
“We were in high 60s, low 70s last year,” Dietz said. “So we definitely are right where I think we should be.” | 2022-04-02T15:23:30Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Coaching continuity helps Hampton track team enter season with confidence | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/coaching-continuity-helps-hampton-track-team-enter-season-with-confidence/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/coaching-continuity-helps-hampton-track-team-enter-season-with-confidence/ |
Plum swimmers cap special season at PIAA championships
Plum’s Giuliana Ricciuti competes in the girls 100 freestyle during the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships Friday, March 4, 2022, at Pitt’s Trees Pool.
From left, Joseph Gardner (Mt. Pleasant), Henry Miller (Southmoreland) and Sam Schohn (Plum) placed second, third and fourth, respectively, in the 100 breaststoke at the PIAA Class 2A swimming championships March 19, 2022, at Bucknell’s Kinney Natatorium.
Sam Schohn was one of the top performers in the Class 2A boys 100-yard breaststroke all season.
The Plum senior’s talent was on display at the WPIAL championships March 4 with a third-place finish behind Southmoreland’s Henry Miller and Mt. Pleasant’s Joseph Gardner.
Those three kept the pace two weeks later at the PIAA championships at Bucknell and captured three of the top four spots.
Schohn, 11th in 100 breast at last year’s state meet at Cumberland Valley High School, finished fourth (58.27) this time around.
“(The first day) was kind of up and down, but (on Day 2), I felt really good in the water,” said Schohn, who finished 23rd in the 200 individual medley.
“It was a fast pool, obviously, and I had some really good competition. I was seeded fourth, then I moved back to fifth after the prelims and brought it back for fourth, so that felt really good. To see how much I improved from last year to this year, I made a big jump, and I am proud of myself for that.”
Big Spring (District 3) senior Matthew Raudabaugh brought home the PIAA title in a time of 55.77 seconds, but Gardner was right there in second (56.47), followed by Miller in third (56.96).
Schohn dropped nearly three seconds from his 100 breast time at states last year.
“It was so cool to see us go 1-2-3 at WPIALs and only have one guy beat us at states,” Schohn said. “That is so impressive to see how strong our district really is.”
Plum coach Shawn Haupt said Schohn earned every bit of the success he achieved.
“Sam worked hard and always made adjustments,” Haupt said. “This is what he wanted. To see him finally get on that podium, I am so excited for him. I knew he had one last really good swim left in him, and he showed it.”
Schohn was one of three Plum swimmers to compete at states. Senior Elizabeth Glasspool joined Schohn for one last high school hurrah before beginning her collegiate career at Division I Providence.
The 100 butterfly specialist lowered her school-record time at the WPIAL Class 3A championships to 58.69 and hoped to go even lower on Day 1 at Bucknell.
But her time in the preliminaries was slightly elevated to 59.03, and she finished 24th overall.
“The gameplan for me was to just have fun,” said Glasspool, who swam at states for the first time individually after qualifying in a relay as a freshman. “I think it was kind of a shock to be there in the first place. I didn’t think I was going to qualify. I wasn’t expecting to touch my WPIAL cut because we were tapered for WPIALs, and it was hard to keep that taper for states two weeks after. I just wanted to make sure I went under a minute. I was pretty solidly under a minute, so I was happy with it.
“It was a great feeling to go back to Bucknell and experience everything with my teammates and coaches for the last time. I had that early swim on the first day, and then I was able to relax and cheer on my teammates.”
Haupt said he was pleased for Glasspool to get the chance to swim individually at states.
“The time was probably the third or fourth best of her high school career,” he said. “For it to be a solid swim like that, I couldn’t have been happier for her.”
Glasspool was right there cheering on Plum freshman Giuliana Ricciuti in the 100 backstroke on the second day of the Class 3A championships.
Making her PIAA debut, Ricciuti challenged for a spot in the consolation finals but had to settle for 23rd overall with a preliminary time of 59.63.
It was a little slower than her 59.20 she recorded in taking 10th at WPIALs.
“Giuliana was no stranger to high-level competition, and she’s experienced a lot of competitive meets with pretty intense atmospheres,” Haupt said.
“As far as getting up and racing people, she wasn’t intimidated by that at all. I do think she embraced the moment. She knew it was special. She knows that there are so many kids who never get to that level, and it’s tough to get one of those prized spots. I knew she was going to have a great year, but I wasn’t sure if making states as a freshman would be the case. For her to get that taste with three more years, it’s fantastic.”
Plum resident and Oakland Catholic senior Morgan Filar capped her high school career in four events at the Class 3A state meet. She placed 25th in the 200 freestyle (1:57.19) and took 19th with the 200 free relay (1:39.66) on Day 1 and was 24th in the 100 back (59.68) and 27th with the 400 free relay (3:41.69) on Day 2. | 2022-04-02T15:23:48Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Plum swimmers cap special season at PIAA championships | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/plum-swimmers-cap-special-season-at-piaa-championships/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/plum-swimmers-cap-special-season-at-piaa-championships/ |
Shady Side Academy softball program seeks rebound
After a post-pandemic 1-9 season last year, Shady Side Academy is looking for quick improvement.
“I’m hoping to win a few more of our section games this year,” coach Rebecca Uhlean said. “Truth be told, it’s a pretty tough section for the level we’re at right now. We’re still a developing team. Almost all of our players don’t play softball outside of school ball. That’s not the case with most of the other schools we play.”
Preparation was made tougher with the academy’s two-week spring break, when only players from the immediate area were on hand.
Senior captains Ariya Tayal, Sophia White and Marmie McCormick are going to be relied on to start climbing the section ladder.
“They’re really solid, they know the game really well and are comfortable teaching newer players the ropes,” Uhlean said. “That’s really nice because we have 24 players on the roster, and with only three coaches, we really depend on those captains to help us out.”
Expected to start at shortstop this year will be Lexi Hogle, a key returning player.
Sophomore Mya Kearns, new to the school, will do the catching. Kearns also plays ice hockey, so she’ll miss some practices.
“We have some players that are concentrating on ice hockey, but they still love playing softball,” Uhlean said. “We try to work with their schedules as much as possible to make things work.
“Others new to the sport are eager to learn.”
Tayal and White will be the main pitchers. Dani Strauss and Hogle will also see action in the circle.
“I think we can improve,” White said. “We have a lot of talent coming in, which is funny because we have no freshmen, just sophomores, juniors and seniors. We’re looking forward to the season, and we’ll play as hard as we can. The coaches are instilling this grit in us.”
With a major renovation including the addition of artificial turf at the Bulldogs’ on-campus field, Shady Side will be playing its home games this season at Emmerling Park in Indiana Township.
“We have some hockey girls coming in who are very talented and athletic, so we’re excited about that,” said Tayal, who will play the middle infield when she’s not pitching.
Uhlean is in her third season as coach. She was an assistant for two years before being named to head the program, but the team never played because of the pandemic.
Uhlean grew up in the Chicago suburbs and attended Victor J. Andrew High School. She went to Pitt and played club softball there.
“I just stayed in Pittsburgh. I really love it here,” Uhlean said.
Assisting Uhlean will be John Hart, who primarily works with the pitches. Her father, Lou, though still living in the Chicago area, was coaxed by Rebecca to work remotely and move to the Pittsburgh area during the softball season.
“He’s been coaching since I started playing when I was five, so he’s had a lot of experience and I knew he could bring a lot to help us here,” she said.
• Battery powers Hampton softball team | 2022-04-02T15:24:00Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Shady Side Academy softball program seeks rebound | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/shady-side-academy-softball-program-seeks-rebound/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/shady-side-academy-softball-program-seeks-rebound/ |
North Allegheny’s Cole Young celebrates with teammates after scoring against Butler during the 2021 WPIAL Class 6A semifinals.
At least a dozen pro scouts watched North Allegheny’s baseball scrimmage, an early indication the Tigers have an eventful season ahead.
Senior shortstop Cole Young is projected to be a first-round MLB Draft pick this summer, but the team has other goals to accomplish before then, like winning WPIAL and PIAA titles.
A year ago, they got one but not the other.
“Unfinished business,” said NA coach Andrew Heck, summing up his team’s mindset.
Led by Young, North Allegheny brings back a strong core from last season’s team that went 23-4 and won the WPIAL Class 6A title — the team’s first since 2013. It’s was a banner season, but a one-run loss in the state finals left the Tigers wanting more.
“In my first three years, we just couldn’t get over the hump in the WPIAL and we finally did last year,” Heck said. “Now, it’s going after that state championship.”
Heck isn’t afraid to set big goals for his players because he also sets small ones.
“Our mindset as a team is goal-oriented,” he said. “Yeah, we have the long-term goal of a state championship and a mid-term goal of a WPIAL championship. But short-term goals are one game at a time, and if you get focused on that type of stuff, it helps build and achieve the long-term goals.”
The Tigers are again strong up the middle with Young at shortstop, senior Aaron Posey at catcher, junior Spencer Barnett at second base and senior Erik Sundgren in center field.
All four are college recruits and combined for 39 of the team’s 72 extra-base hits.
Young, a Duke commit, batted .437 with six home runs, 23 RBIs and a team-best 33 runs scored. He struck out only five times in 101 plate appearances and had a .952 fielding percentage at short.
His middle infield partner, Barnett, a West Virginia commit, batted .365 with eight home runs, 31 RBIs and 26 runs last season.
Posey, a Kennesaw State recruit, was tied for fourth on the team with 25 hits. Sundgren, a Denison commit, ranked third with a .521 on-base percentage.
“Those four,” Heck said, “are kind of our staples.”
Another senior, Aaron Galaska, batted .345, played third base and pitched last season but will be limited to the designated hitter spot to start this year to rest his arm. Galaska went 3-0 as a pitcher with a 1.88 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 211⁄3 innings.
“He’s getting to the point where he could play some third base,” Heck said. “I want to get him back fully healthy so he can get on the mound for us as well as play the field.”
Pitching is one of the team’s question marks entering the season. The Tigers graduated their top three pitchers from last season, a trio that combined for 134 innings, 177 strikeouts and 20 wins.
They’ll give the ball to junior Cam Ward and senior Conor Smith, who had limited varsity innings last season. Smith is a Cal (Pa.) commit. Both right-handers pitched in the team’s season-opening win over Canon-McMillan.
Senior righty Andrew Hart, a West Point baseball commit, will work as a relief pitcher along with his infield duties.
“It’s about trying to piece things together here and figure out who really can step in and play that role,” Heck said. “We lost some good arms last year. That’s no secret.”
Among the new starters, sophomore David Posey takes over at first base.
Junior left fielder Harron Lee bats leadoff with junior Andrew Dougherty in right.
The Tigers will play under a spotlight this spring because Young is projected to be a top-15 draft pick. Heck estimated between 12 and 15 scouts showed up at both the team’s preseason scrimmage and opener.
“I was a little taken aback that there were that many for a scrimmage game,” Heck said. “I’m sure our kids were as well. We talked about it. We addressed the elephant in the room and put it all out there. I think the kids have bought into the idea that it’s not a distraction as much as an opportunity.
“We know what brought them here. They’re here to see Cole, but you can make a name for yourself here, too.” | 2022-04-02T15:24:12Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | With big-time talent, North Allegheny baseball team sets big goals | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/with-big-time-talent-north-allegheny-baseball-team-sets-big-goals/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/with-big-time-talent-north-allegheny-baseball-team-sets-big-goals/ |
Kiski Area lineman Brandon Lawhorn-Moore will take part in the Big 33 all-star game in May.
Kiski Area offensive lineman Brandon Lawhorn-Moore was named to this year’s Pennsylvania Big 33 team.
The 6-foot-5, 295-pound Lawhorn-Moore, affectionately known as “Beef” to those in the Kiski Area community, was named to the team to replace Drew Shelton of Downingtown West, who had to opt of the game because of “unforeseen circumstances.”
The Big 33 game is slated for Memorial Day, May 30, at 2 p.m. at Bishop McDevitt’s Rocco Ortenzio Stadium in Harrisburg. The game pits the top 33 high school seniors from the 2021 season against a similar team from Maryland.
Lawhorn-Moore will be the first local player named to the Big 33 since Valley’s Toney Clemons, a 2007 team member. The last Cavaliers player to make the Big 33 was Scott McKillop in 2004.
The Big 33 is best known for producing future Super Bowl participants. All 56 Super Bowls have had at least one player who participated in the Big 33 game.
The late Nolan “NoJo” Jones of Ken High was first local player to make the Big 33 roster in 1957, the game’s inaugural year.
Softball rules changes
While there were no real rules changes for high school baseball this season, there were several changes and clarifications in softball, as declared by the National Federation of state High School Associations (NFHS).
One regards unanchored bases. If a batter/runner reaches first, second or third base and the base is dislodged, the runner won’t be called out if a safe call was already made before the base was dislodged.
Another change deals with the interference rule.
A runner now is considered out if either foot touches outside the running lane.
“Based on previous wording, some umpires established their ruling on whether the runner’s foot was on the ground or in the air when the interference took place,” said Sandy Searcy, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the NFHS softball committee. “The new wording more adequately describes the intent of the rule and will provide more consistent enforcement.”
Another piece of advice: don’t try to sneak an already-disqualified bat back into a game.
Now, a batter who uses a bat previously removed from the game will be called out and the offending player and head coach will be restricted to the dugout for the remainder of the game.
Hail to the Victors
Erie’s Villa Maria Academy, a girls school since 1892, will close at the end of the school year and be consolidated with Erie Cathedral Prep, all male for 121 years. The Victors had an incredible run with three PIAA titles from 2009-11, 11 District 10 titles in 30 years and a 220-39 record over the last 10 seasons. | 2022-04-03T01:29:34Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | George Guido: Big 33 game calls on Kiski Area’s ‘Beef’ | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/george-guido-big-33-game-calls-on-kiski-areas-beef/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/george-guido-big-33-game-calls-on-kiski-areas-beef/ |
Submitted by Selena Foster
Highlands graduate Robert Foster won several titles and set numerous records on the track with the Golden Rams and at the University of Houston.
From that first college letter during his freshman year, Foster continued to draw the attention of numerous schools in all different divisions.
Foster made an immediate impact at Houston as he won the 2000 Conference USA indoor title in the 200 meters with a conference-record time of 21.5.
He followed that with the conference outdoor title in the 200 (20.85).
Foster continued to break records and won two more conference indoor 200 titles (2001, 2003) and also captured outdoor titles in the 100 and 200 in 2001.
The 2003 indoor title in the 200 came with a conference-record time of 20.93. He then went to nationals and set a school record of 20.82, placed fifth overall and earned All-American honors. | 2022-04-03T01:29:52Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Highlands’ Foster sprinted to Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/highlands-foster-sprinted-to-alle-kiski-valley-sports-hall-of-fame/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/highlands-foster-sprinted-to-alle-kiski-valley-sports-hall-of-fame/ |
Knoch’s Madilyn Boyer drives to the basket against Highlands on Jan. 10, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Knoch’s Nina Shaw scores over Southmoreland’s Olivia Cernuto during WPIAL semifinal action on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at Gateway High School.
Deer Lakes’ Reese Hasley brings the ball upcourt against Freeport during a Section 1-4A game on Dec. 20, 2022.
Highlands’ Jocelyn Bielak drives past Knoch’s Karlee Buterbaugh during their Section 1-4A game on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Plum’s Megan Marston is pressured by Hampton’s Claire Rodgers during their game on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, at Hampton High School. Hampton won, 63-42.
St. Joseph’s Julie Spinelli brings the ball upcourt against Apollo-Ridge on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, at Apollo-Ridge High School.
Knoch’s Madilyn Boyer scores past St. Mary’s Maura Caskey during 4A PIAA playoff action on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at Knoch High School.
Maddie Boyer
Knoch, 5-10, Sr., Guard
As a freshman, Maddie Boyer helped the Knoch girls basketball team make the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs. The Knights suffered a first-round loss to Elizabeth Forward.
Two years ago, Boyer increased her role at both ends of the court, and Knoch increased its standing in the WPIAL with a 17-7 overall record and a trip to the WPIAL quarterfinals.
Last year, in the midst of uncertainty and upheaval with the pandemic, Boyer helped make sure Knoch would be ready when the time came to make a run in the postseason. The Knights made it all the way to the WPIAL semifinals before Beaver stopped them short of the title game.
This year was one for the program record books as Knoch won its first section title in 50 years, made it to the WPIAL title game and PIAA playoffs for the first time and captured its first state playoff victory.
Boyer was at the center of it all as she averaged 14.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.6 steals for the Knights, who finished 22-4 overall.
She scored a career-high 27 points and added 11 rebounds and three steals in a WPIAL semifinal triumph over Southmoreland.
Boyer drove to the hoop, hit mid-range jumpers, drained 3-pointers and distributed the ball while making life difficult for opposing offenses with her ability to rebound and come up with steals.
For her efforts, Boyer has been selected the Valley News Dispatch Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
“My goal this year was to help us win the section and make it to states and go further than we did last year,” said Boyer, a VND first-team selection each of the past two years.
“Even though we didn’t win WPIALs, just being there at the Petersen Events Center with my teammates in my last year, it was just crazy thinking about all that we were able to accomplish together. I was able to have a good season, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. We all worked so hard together, and that hard work paid off. We made history this year.”
Boyer eclipsed the 1,000-point milestone in Knoch’s PIAA first-round victory at home over St. Mary’s.
She came in needing four points, and the final two came on a runner to beat the first-quarter buzzer.
Boyer finished her varsity career with 1,019 points.
“It wasn’t something I was really thinking about as we were hoping to win WPIALs,” Boyer said.
“In the back of my mind, I knew we had at least one more game to play in the state playoffs. The fact that it ended up being a home game made it that much more special. I knew we would have a huge support system. To have everyone there supporting me and supporting the whole team for our first state playoff game, it was an amazing night.”
Boyer now turns her attention to the collegiate hardwood as she will join the basketball team at Penn State Behrend.
“To be able to continue playing at the next level, it’s something that I wasn’t always sure I wanted to do,” she said. “But now I am glad I am making this choice because I don’t think I would be able to just stop playing basketball.”
Boyer is in the midst of one last high school hurrah. She was slated to take part in the Cager Classic all-star game at Highlands on Saturday evening, and she also will play in the Roundball Classic on May 19-21 at Geneva College.
“I am still holding on to high school basketball for a little bit longer,” Boyer said.
Jocelyn Bielak
Highlands, 5-9, So., Forward
A scorer, rebounder and facilitator, the second-year varsity performer helped the Golden Rams to one of their best seasons in school history with 19 victories and a trip to the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals. Bielak averaged 10.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists a game. She was selected to the Section 1 all-star first team.
Reese Hasley
Hasley capped her four-year varsity career by leading the Lancers in scoring at 15 points a game. The Section 1-4A first-team all-star scored her 1,000th career point Jan. 24 with a game-winning shot with six seconds left to beat rival Freeport. The Grove City commit was selected a VND first-team all-star in 2020 and named to the second team in 2019 and 2021.
Megan Marston
Plum, 5-8, So., F
With an increased role in the offense after the graduation of Plum all-time leading scorer Kennedie Montue, Marston responded by leading the Mustangs in scoring at 15 points a game in and out of a rugged Section 2-5A. The consistent performer for Plum also was recognized for her efforts with selection to the Section 2 all-star first team.
Nina Shaw
Knoch, 5-3, Jr., Guard
The speedy, do-everything point guard was a centerpiece player for the WPIAL Class 4A runner-up Knights. Shaw was second on the team in scoring at 12.9 points a game and dished out 3.1 assists a contest. She scored a career-best 26 in a win at Highlands. A VND second-team pick last year, Shaw also earned Section 1-4A first-team all-star honors.
Julie Spinelli
St. Joseph, 5-11, So., Guard/Forward
The versatile Spartan brought both an effective inside and outside game to the WPIAL Class A semifinalist. A third-team selection last year, Spinelli led St. Joseph in scoring at 15.6 per game and in rebounds at 5.8 a contest. She scored a career-high 33 in a nonsection victory over Class 4A Freeport, 18 in a first-round playoff victory over Mapletown and a team-best 15 in the quarterfinal upset win over No. 1 Rochester.
Melaina DeZort, Freeport, 5-7, Jr., G
Hattie McGraw, Knoch, 5-6, Jr., G
Kate Myers, Highlands, 5-8, So., G
Ava Soilis, Freeport, 5-6, Jr., G
Brinley Toland, Apollo-Ridge, 5-7, Jr., PG
Hope Clark, Burrell, 5-7, Sr., G
Abbie Johns, Kiski Area, 5-9, So., G/F
Kalleigh Nerone, Highlands, 5-6, So., G
Elsie Smith, Fox Chapel, 5-11, Jr., F
Sophia Yard, Apollo-Ridge, 5-5, So., G
Tags: Deer Lakes, Highlands, Knoch, Plum, St. Joseph | 2022-04-03T01:29:59Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Knoch’s Maddie Boyer named Valley News Dispatch Girls Basketball Player of the Year | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/knochs-maddie-boyer-named-valley-news-dispatch-girls-basketball-player-of-the-year/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/knochs-maddie-boyer-named-valley-news-dispatch-girls-basketball-player-of-the-year/ |
Deer Lakes’ Reese Hasley picks off a loose ball from Kiski Area’s Karly Keller during the Cager Classic All-Star game Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Armstrong’s Aubrey Burns drives past Hampton’s Sophie Kelly during the Cager Classic All-Star game Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Plum’s Kai Johnson grabs a rebound over Cheswick Christian Academy’s Olivia Rochkind during the Cager Classic All-Star game Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Cheswick Christian Academy’s Olivia Rochkind and Butler’s Aubrey Tack fight for a loose ball during the Cager Classic All-Star game Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Knoch’s Madilyn Boyer scores past Butler’s Aubrey Tack during the Cager Classic All-Star game Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Highlands High School.
St. Joseph’s Trinity Lockwood-Morris celebrates with Highlands’ Jocelyn Luzier after Luzier’s 3-pointer during the Cager Classic All-Star game Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Mars’ Ava Black blocks the shot of Springdale’s Brianna Thompson during the Cager Classic All-Star game Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Hampton’s Sophie Kelly steals the ball from Mars’ Kaitlyn Pelaia during the Cager Classic All-Star game Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Knoch’s Maddie Boyer blocks the shot of Butler’s Makenna Maier during the Cager Classic All-Star game Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Hampton’s Sophie Kelly puts the ball behind her back then past Mars’ Kaitlyn Pelaia to score during the Cager Classic All-Star game Saturday, April 2, 2022, at Highlands High School.
At the midway point of the first overtime of Saturday’s 25th Cager Classic girls all-star game at Highlands, a loose ball off a missed shot caused a mad scramble involving a couple of players from both the East and West squads.
Bodies collided as they hit the floor.
Instincts took over, and even in the midst of a good-natured all-star game, hustle, competitiveness and the will to win remained.
Over the two 20-minute halves and two four-minute extra sessions, the teams scored the most points combined in Cager girls history — 176 — and the West set a record for the most points by one team in its 91-85 victory.
“This was just an amazing experience,” said Hampton’s Kayla Hoehler, who earned West MVP honors after scoring a game-best 21 points with five 3-pointers to go with seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
“I couldn’t be any more grateful and thankful for the opportunity. Just the effort shown by both teams, it was awesome. To be able to pull out the win for the West for the first time in I don’t know how long, it was a great feeling.”
The previous single-game scoring record by one team came by the East in an 88-77 victory over the West in 2018.
Teams representing the East had a hold on recent victories as they came into Saturday’s matchup with seven wins in a row.
The West had a 10-point lead with 1:45 left in regulation, but the East rallied and scored the final 10 points for a 71-71 tie.
Mars’ Ava Black, the East MVP, scored six of her team-best 20 points during that closing stretch. She tallied 14 points in the second half and finished the game with 12 rebounds and six assists.
“This whole entire thing, meeting new people, becoming teammates with girls I had played against in the section the past four years and being able to play such an exciting game, it was really cool,” Black said.
“I thought that we played really well together, even though we had only been together the past couple of days. My teammates did a great job of getting me the ball, and they were getting their points, too. There was just so much amazing talent on the floor for both teams.”
Each team scored nine points in the first overtime. The West got a layup from Hampton’s Sophie Kelly and a pair of free throws from Knoch’s Maddie Boyer to open an 84-80 lead early in the second overtime.
Trailing 86-82, the East got a pair of foul shots from Butler’s Makenna Maier and another point at the line from Kiski Area’s Karly Keller to close to within one.
But that was as close as the East would get as Deer Lakes senior and Grove City commit Reese Hasley drained one of her three 3-pointers with 47 seconds on the clock to give the West some breathing room.
Boyer, who will play in college at Penn State Behrend, then salted the game away with a pair of free throws with nine seconds left.
“It was just exciting to watch the girls show their skills in this environment,” said West coach Dennis Jones, the coach at St. Joseph. “They went out and played unimpeded. I was fortunate to be able to coach them. It was a lot of fun.”
Hasley finished with 18 points. She scored eight points in the second half and led the West with eight over the two overtimes.
Boyer also finished in doubles figures with 16. Highlands’ Jocelyn Luzier drilled a trio of 3-pointers and ended with nine points.
The East landed four players in double figures. In addition to Black’s big game, her Planets teammate, Kaitlyn Pelaia, finished with 14 points.
Maier and Kiski Area’s Karly Keller added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
The teams combined for 19 3-pointers: 13 for the West and six for the East.
“With the competitive side of me, the coaches and the girls, it’s not fun to lose it, but at the end of the day, it might have been one of the best Cagers ever,” said East coach Nick Dizon, the head coach at Kiski Area.
“That’s just a testament to just how good girls basketball is in the A-K Valley. It showed in a game like this. Both teams showed a lot of fight. Neither team wanted to give up. It provided a whole lot of excitement. It was cool to coach against a lot of these girls throughout the season and then see that competitive edge from them in this game.”
Saturday’s game was extra special for Luzier and fellow Highlands senior Maria Fabregas, who got to play one more game on their home court.
“I just had a great time, and I am glad we got the win,” said Fabregas, who had seven points and four rebounds.
“It was really cool to play with those who have been opponents for so long. We had some great games with Knoch this year, and it was great to be on the same side as (Boyer, Mackenzie McGraw, Lily Hawk). They are now my friends, which is so cool.” | 2022-04-03T05:30:21Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | West girls edge East in double OT in record-setting Cager Classic | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/west-girls-edge-east-in-double-ot-in-record-setting-cager-classic/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/west-girls-edge-east-in-double-ot-in-record-setting-cager-classic/ |
Gateway’s Hunter Raymer, top, and Kiski Area’s Parker Sterlitz, line up against one another in the boys 500 freestyle during the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships Friday, March 4, 2022, at Pitt’s Trees Pool.
The 2021-22 season is the last for Sherry Sonetti as head coach of the Gateway swim teams, and she also is retiring from the Gateway School District at the end of the academic year in June.
She said she was pleased with the ending to her tenure with the Gators.
“With my last hurrah as coach, I couldn’t have asked for anything better than us taking eight kids to states,” Sonetti said. “They represented Gateway and swam very well. We had a good time.”
Those eight swimmers competed in seven events at the PIAA Class 3A championships March 16-17 at Bucknell and qualified for four consolation finals swims.
The girls 200 free relay of junior Morgan Holmes, sophomores McKenna and Mallory Brown, and senior Summer Raymer set a school record with a time of 1 minute, 39.04 seconds in the preliminaries on Day 1.
The quartet then came back for the consolation finals and landed in 12th overall (1:39.38).
“I was very pleased with their swims,” Sonetti said.
“The twins were a little nervous because it was their first time swimming at states. But they were able to handle the pressure and had a great time. They all worked really hard to be ready to swim that relay at states and they gave it their all.”
Holmes just missed a berth in the consolation finals of the 50 free as she tied for 16th (24.25) after the preliminaries.
In a swim-off to determine the final spot in the consolation heat, Lower Merion’s Annika Naveen edged Holmes, 23.78 to 24.16.
“Morgan was a little nervous because it happened so quickly after her (initial) swim, but she really handled it with grace and did her best,” Sonetti said
“Her first 25 was fabulous. I don’t know what happened with her turn, but the other girl came out of her turn faster. It was just tenths of a second difference. She wished for a better outcome, but she was just really happy she was able to swim the 50 at states.”
Raymer, who will swim at Division I Youngstown State next season, capped her high school career in the 500 free and placed 24th overall with a time of 5:12.86.
“Her time was a little elevated from WPIALs (5:07.21), but she swam it well and was OK with her time,” Sonetti said.
“It was one of her better times this year, so she was pleased with that.”
Issues with the timing system plagued the Day 1 Class 3A boys finals, which began close to an hour past the original start time.
Several additional delays stalled the swimming as PIAA officials worked to correct the problem. Officials also spent time working out placement problems in certain events, but ultimately they were able to correct those issues.
The delays pushed the start time for the girls events to 8:05 from an original start time of 6:50.
Issues then resurfaced right before the finals of the girls 100 butterfly.
The Gateway boys 200 medley relay of seniors Andrew Holmes and Gabriel Sha, junior Primo Brodt Jenkins and freshman Hunter Raymer had their sights set on lowering their school-record time of 1:36.57 from WPIALs.
Despite a slightly slower time in the preliminaries — 1:37.14 — they qualified for the consolation final and finished 16th overall (1:37.43).
The same four qualified for the consolation finals of the 200 free relay later in the Day 1 championship session. They would face a roller coaster of emotions in the consolation swim.
The relay went faster than the previous school record of 1:26.29 set in 2011, but it was flagged for a violation and disqualified.
“They really wanted that record and were so happy when they thought they got it but so disappointed when they found out they were DQ’d,” Sonetti said.
“Unfortunately, they don’t get the record.”
Holmes qualified for the consolation finals of the 100 free and placed 10th overall with a time of 45.78, an improvement on his 46.63 from the preliminaries.
The Bloomsburg commit came to the state meet off a runner-up finish at WPIALs (45.39).
His consolation time also was better than two swimmers in the top-eight championship heat, but those who swim the consolation finals are locked into a finish no better than ninth.
“Drew was happy with his consolation swim, and now he has his sights set on the next step where he can prepare well and refresh for his college career,” Sonetti said.
As Holmes finished up his high school career at states, Hunter Raymer made his PIAA debut in individual competition. The WPIAL champion in the 500 free returned for the consolation finals in the event on Day 2 and placed 14th overall (4:36.56).
“He knows he could’ve done better, but now he has that first experience and knows what to expect coming back next year,” Sonetti said.
“He had a great first (varsity) season, and he has a WPIAL title to prove it.” | 2022-04-03T22:19:27Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Gateway swimmers send off coach at PIAA championships | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/gateway-swimmers-send-off-coach-at-piaa-championships/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/gateway-swimmers-send-off-coach-at-piaa-championships/ |
Penn Hills Big Red Rugby’s Damontae Gaither passes the ball from Charlie Joe Rosemeyer and Darren Keyes against Central Catholic last season.
Matt Rosemeyer is excited to see what the Penn Hills Big Red rugby program will be able to able to accomplish in year two.
With the Big Red’s roster composition, Rosemeyer will likely see a big difference between games one and two of their schedule. Many of his players from last season graduated and Rosemeyer is left with a roster of 20 players, 19 of whom have never played the sport before.
Penn Hills, which will open the season with a scrimmage, plans to start the season playing Rugby Sevens. The Big Red is hoping to be able to utilize a full roster and play the 15-a-side game they were hoping to.
Easing into the competition is a good idea for Penn Hills, which spent most of the winter practicing indoors at the Fralic Center.
Learning the game while playing inside meant the Big Red had to practice non-contact, which meant Penn Hills mostly focused on the fundamentals.
“They were working on ball-handing, awareness, learning how to see the field and gaps,” Rosemeyer said. “It’s funny to watch that develop for guys that don’t know to play the game and barely know how to spell the sport. It’s fun to watch them make decisions and rugby moves.”
While the Big Red have gained a lot of knowledge, once matches start, Penn Hills will need to ramp up the physical part of the game.
“We will need to shed some of the habits that got pronounced from playing indoors and non-contact for so long,” Rosemeyer said. “OK, now we’re going to play the real game. Let’s get rid of the, ‘Oh, you are down because I tagged you.’ That’s not going to help you in a match. No one is going to stop because you tagged them.”
Rosemeyer was fortunate the one remaining player he has on the roster was his most active recruiter. His son, Charlie Joe, worked diligently to try and find more players to come out and join the team.
While Penn Hills didn’t get enough to play 15s, the Indians may be equipped to do so by the end of the season thanks to Charlie Joe’s work.
“If he wasn’t involved, I don’t think it would have gotten off the ground,” Matt Rosemeyer said. “I think he bothered everyone in the school ad infinitum to come out for the team. We have an eclectic bunch of guys.”
Penn Hills will take on some of the other Pittsburgh-area teams when they have a bye week or there is a hole in the schedule. PA Rugby has a Division II high school division that features a few local schools. Central Catholic, Indiana, Moon and West Allegheny are all in the Allegheny Conference.
While the Big Red are thin on experience, Rosemeyer enjoys exposing more people to rugby.
“It’s a great time,” Rosemeyer said. “The great part about rugby is it’s another opportunity to succeed. Guys thrive in different environments and this gives them one more opportunity to be out there and find out what they are passionate about.” | 2022-04-03T22:19:33Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Penn Hills rugby team exposing more players to sport in program’s 2nd season | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/penn-hills-rugby-team-exposing-more-players-to-sport-in-programs-2nd-season/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/penn-hills-rugby-team-exposing-more-players-to-sport-in-programs-2nd-season/ |
Pine-Richland notebook: Brandon Saad finding good fit in St. Louis
St. Louis Blues left wing Brandon Saad, left, celebrates a goal with defenseman Torey Krug on March 19 in Columbus, Ohio.
Former Pine-Richland standout Brandon Saad signed a five-year, $22.5 million dollar contract with the St. Louis Blues over the summer and has immediately found his new surroundings to his liking.
Saad had 19 goals and 19 assists in 62 games through the end of March. He had five goals and four assists on the power play.
The Blues are in position to make the playoffs with a month left in the season.
It’s been a good turnaround for Saad, who has already surpassed his goal total of 15 from last season in 44 games with Colorado.
“The style of play here helps me a lot,” Saad said earlier this season. “Having success on the power play has helped out too. For me, it’s about focusing on every game and bringing my best. When pucks are going in, obviously that feels good, but at the same time, I want to be a complete player.”
Saad, 29, has played with a combination of players but recently has found a home playing left wing on the top line with Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron.
He became a Pine-Richland legend when, as a freshman, he recorded a hat trick to lead the Rams to a 5-3 win over Bethel Park in the 2008 PIHL Class 3A Penguins Cup final.
Since then, he has carved out a 12-year pro career and won two Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks in 2013 and ’15.
He’ll look to add a third this season and help the Blues hoist the cup for the second time in the past four years.
Roundball rosters
A trio of Pine-Richland boys basketball players will suit up in the Roundball Classic.
Luke Shanahan and Joey Dudkowski were selected to play on the Class 6A gold team, which will play Class 5A in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. May 21.
Andy Swartout is on Class 6A silver, which plays Class 5A/City League at 8 p.m. May 20.
All Roundball Classic games will be played at Geneva College.
Shanahan and Dudkowski were first team All Section 1-6A, and Swartout was a second teamer.
Wood continues to rake
Pine-Richland grad Matt Wood is crushing the baseball for Penn State.
He has hit a team-best .375 through 21 games with the Nittany Lions with five doubles, two triples and four homers. He leads the team in all three extra base hit categories and has 19 RBIs.
His batting average is solidly in the top 10 in the Big Ten Conference.
In a 3-2 extra innings win over St. Bonaventure on march 30, Wood led off the bottom of the 10th with a single and later scored the winning run on a walk-off hit by Jay Harry.
Wood, a catcher, is MLB draft eligible this summer and is projected to be selected in the first 10 rounds. | 2022-04-03T22:19:39Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Pine-Richland notebook: Brandon Saad finding good fit in St. Louis | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/pine-richland-notebook-brandon-saad-finding-good-fit-in-st-louis/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/pine-richland-notebook-brandon-saad-finding-good-fit-in-st-louis/ |
West Virginia forward Drew Schifino, co-organizer of the Stop the Violence Alumni Shootout, reaches for a loose ball being scooped up by Dusquesne guard Bryant McAllister during a 2003 game at West Virginia.
Submitted by Drew Shifino
Wilkinsburg grad Taz Williams is a co-organizer of the Stop the Violence Alumni Shootout.
Penn Hills grad Drew Schifino is a co-organizer of the Stop the Violence Alumni Shootout.
Two torn Achilles tendons gave Wilkinsburg’s Taz Williams the hint. Williams, who co-organizes the Stop the Violence Alumni Shootout, decided to retire from playing in the 2022 event.
Not that it’s an admission that the 39-year-old still can’t play. It’s a sign the interest revolving around participating has skyrocketed. Many former WPIAL and City League greats have made a pilgrimage of returning to compete every year.
“I still play well, but I retired from playing in the event,” said Williams, who lives in Dallas. “I want to focus on organizing. I don’t want to be selfish. We have a lot of people who want to play.”
The 2022 Stop the Violence Alumni shootout will be the third iteration of the event, which took a one-year pause because of the covid-19 pandemic before returning last year. This year’s event will be April 16 at the Monroeville Pro Sports Center. There will be music by DOFF Da DJ. Tickets will be sold at the door with no online sales. Sales will be cash only.
There will be six games starting at 3 p.m. featuring matchups between Taylor Allderdice and Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg and Peabody, Imani Christian and Westinghouse, Oliver and Sto-Rox, New Castle and Aliquippa and Beaver Falls and Schenley.
“It’s grown a lot,” organizer Drew Schifino said. “After each tournament, a lot of schools want to continue to do this and get into it. We want to add more teams. A lot of people came to it and a lot of people talked about it on social media.”
In addition, the shootout will feature an All-Star game between the best players from the City League vs. the WPIAL for the Class of 2025.
Lincoln Park’s Maleek Thomas, Bishop Canevin’s Amari Evans and R.J. Sledge, Chartiers Valley’s Jayden Davis, Imani Christian’s Alier Maluk and The Neighborhood Academy’s Shamar Simpson have committed to play in the high school game.
“Making this a Stop the Violence event was about bringing people together,” Williams said. “No matter what your race or gender is, sports helps unite people.”
The idea for the event grew from an alumni game between Penn Hills and Wilkinsburg in 2018. In 2019, the event was played as a tournament. However, increased demand to enter a team into the tournament forced Williams and Schifino to alter things into a shootout to help get more people involved.
Despite lingering issues with covid-19 in 2021, last year’s event drew a crowd of 600 throughout the day.
“We try to make the matchups based on rosters,” Williams said. “We want to make this serious. There is a waiting list for teams who want to play. We want teams that will take this seriously.”
Schifino, a Penn Hills graduate who played collegiately at West Virginia, has been impressed with the evolution of the shootout. Initially, it was focused on putting together a strong basketball tournament.
Making it a Stop the Violence event gave it more meaning.
“A lot of guys with names play in these games, and we’re vocal about stopping the violence and advocating to the Black communities to stop the violence,” said Schifino, who will again play on the Penn Hills team. “Having events like this is positive. We want to bring something positive to the community. Every time something bad happens in the community, they report violence. We are trying to bring a positive message for communities.”
Schifino will play for the Penn Hills team. He anticipates a lot of former WPIAL and City League greats will be returning to play in the event against this season.
For everyone returning, this shootout has become an opportunity to get the family back together.
“Oh, absolutely,” Williams said. “I relocated to Dallas and this is an opportunity for me to come back to Pittsburgh.” | 2022-04-03T22:19:58Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Stop the Violence alumni game aims to bring people together | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/stop-the-violence-alumni-game-aims-to-bring-people-together/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/stop-the-violence-alumni-game-aims-to-bring-people-together/ |
Talented young goalie backstops Quaker Valley hockey to memorable season
Landon Buterbaugh stepped in as Quaker Valley’s starting goalkeeper from Day 1 of his freshman year.
It doesn’t happen often in high school hockey.
But QV coach Kevin Quinn didn’t hesitate to station the 5-foot-9, 130-pound Buterbaugh in front of the net this season. He responded with an all-star performance.
“Landon entered his freshman year an accomplished amateur goalie,” Quinn said. “We were excited to add someone of his skillset. He started out confident and poised. He finished confident and poised. He’s a really good kid, too.”
Buterbaugh, 15, helped propel the Quakers to the Varsity A Northwest Division title and a semifinal appearance in the PIHL Penguin Cup playoffs.
He started all 22 games this season and posted a 16-6 record with four shutouts, 2.55 goals-against average and .892 save percentage. Buterbaugh turned back 464 of the 520 shots he faced and saw more than 1,100 minutes of ice time.
“Landon’s the reason we did as well as we did,” Quinn said. “He is very quick and athletic and has been well coached. His future is extremely bright, primarily because of his skill, work ethic, competitiveness and quality of character.”
Buterbaugh, who also competes in lacrosse at Quaker Valley, recorded a 3-0 shutout Oct. 4 against Beaver in his varsity debut. He also blanked Plum, 3-0, Wheeling Park, 8-0, and Freeport, 2-0.
“Once we got our first couple games under our belt, we knew we could probably do something special and be a pretty successful hockey team,” Buterbaugh said. “My freshman year was a really awesome experience. All the boys on the team were really welcoming.
“I personally had a good start to the season with four quick shutouts, so it was really nice for me to start settling into high school hockey.”
The talented netminder plays on multiple teams in the offseason and recently participated with his club team in a tournament in Cleveland.
Buterbaugh has a passion for stopping opponents’ shots.
“I’ve been skating ever since I’ve been able to walk,” he said, “and hockey has always been in my family. Once I was able to sign up, probably around the age of 4 or 5, hockey became a big part of my life.
“I’ve always enjoyed being a goalie, but my parents wanted me to sway more to being a skater. Once I was about 8 or 9, I started playing goalie full time.”
Now with one strong varsity campaign already on his resume, Buterbaugh is looking forward to his sophomore season.
“Our seniors were a huge part of our team and it’s hard to see them go,” he said, “but our upcoming freshman group is really strong, so we are hoping to have a better run next year than we had this year.
“I’m excited for next season to start, and hopefully the team will be able get off to a good start and make it further than we did this year.”
Braeden Steffey, a junior forward, led the Quakers in scoring in 2021-22 with 16 goals and 17 assists. He netted a hat trick Feb. 17 in a 6-1 win against Beaver.
“Braeden’s extremely valuable to our group,” Quinn said. “He led our team in scoring even though he missed time and was moved to defense for extended periods. It was a true all-star season for him.”
Another leading scorer was junior forward Ben Carlson, who finished with a team-high 19 goals and 13 assists. He netted two goals in a game six times and connected for a hat trick Dec. 21 in a 9-4 win against Norwin.
“Ben scored 20 goals for us (including exhibition games) and was a beast,” Quinn said. “He was a 200-foot player all season.”
Two other top juniors that made their presence felt were forward Riley Moore, who chalked up 19 assists to complement his eight goals, and Luke Flowers, who had 12 goals — including two against Moon in the PIHL first round — and five assists.
In the senior class, defenseman Max Quinn and forwards Kyle Rice and Noah Mattie were significant offensive threats and proved to be instrumental in paving the way for QV’s playoff season.
Quinn, no relation to QV’s coach, collected 12 goals and 18 assists and was a mainstay on defense.
“Max was our MVP,” said Quinn, QV’s veteran coach. “He played his heart out all the time and led by example on and off the ice. He will be sorely missed and remembered for how he helped get us back competing for Penguin Cups again.”
Senior Hayden Earlewine and sophomore Will Watson, who scored three goals this year, also anchored the QV defense.
Rice and Mattie clicked for 22 goals and 32 assists between them. Mattie accounted for five points in the two playoff games, including four helpers.
“Kyle scored some spectacular goals for us,” coach Quinn said. “He had a great senior season and will also be missed.
“Noah was another of our seniors who worked hard to score and be a playmaker. He helped us win a lot of games. He and Kyle played well all season together with Ben Carlson.”
Along with Buterbaugh, Carlson, Quinn and Rice were lauded as PIHL Class A all-stars this season.
Quaker Valley skated past Moon, 5-2, in the first round of the playoffs before losing to McDowell, 5-3, in the semifinals.
“We obviously were disappointed in how we finished,” said QV’s coach. “We were right there, tied 2-2 in the third period of the semifinals. I don’t feel we played well at all in the game, and that is on me. But I was happy with the growth and development of our players and team. We had some ups and downs in the second half of the season, but I was pleased we were able to get back to winning divisions and competing for Penguin Cups.”
The Quakers outscored the opposition 99-57 this season, which included an 8-7 edge in the playoffs, and started out with a sparkling 9-0 record. They entered the playoffs with four victories in their last five regular-season games.
A total of 11 players scored for QV this season. Other goal scorers included sophomores Coleman Carey and Noah Kenneweg and junior Carter Siuciak.
Coach Quinn is optimistic the Quakers will contend for a Penguins Cup championship again in 2022-23.
“We have a really good group of returning players and a very nice group of freshmen coming up. It’s one of the deepest groups we have had,” he said. | 2022-04-03T22:20:04Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Talented young goalie backstops Quaker Valley hockey to memorable season | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/talented-young-goalie-backstops-quaker-valley-hockey-to-memorable-season/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/talented-young-goalie-backstops-quaker-valley-hockey-to-memorable-season/ |
High school schedules for April 4, 2022
Allderdice at Butler, 4 p.m.
Central Catholic at Pine-Richland, 4 p.m.
Seneca Valley at North Allegheny, 6 p.m.
Hempfield at Upper St. Clair, 4 p.m.
Norwin at Baldwin, 4 p.m.
Kiski Area at Gateway, 7 p.m.
Latrobe at McKeesport, 4 p.m.
Penn-Trafford at Franklin Regional, 4 p.m.
Mars at Armstrong, 3:45 p.m.
Penn Hills at Hampton, 4 p.m.
Woodland Hills at Fox Chapel, 4 p.m.
North Hills at West Allegheny, 4:30 p.m.
Shaler at Chartiers Valley, 4:15 p.m.
Bethel Park at Trinity, 4 p.m.
Connellsville at Peters Township, 4 p.m.
Indiana at Freeport, 4:15 p.m.
North Catholic at Burrell, 4 p.m.
Central Valley at Montour, 3:45 p.m.
New Castle at Ambridge, 4 p.m.
Ringgold at Laurel Highlands, 4 p.m.
Uniontown at Greensburg Salem, 4 p.m.
Freedom at Beaver Falls, 7 p.m.
New Brighton at Ellwood City, 4:30 p.m.
Avonworth at South Park, 7 p.m.
Ligonier Valley at East Allegheny, 3:45 p.m.
Mt. Pleasant at Deer Lakes, 4 p.m.
Charleroi at McGuffey, 4 p.m.
Southmoreland at Waynesburg, 4 p.m.
Yough at Brownsville, 4:15 p.m.
Frazier at Bentworth, 4:30 p.m.
Laurel at Summit Academy, 4 p.m.
Riverside at Neshannock, 4:30 p.m.
Shenango at Aliquippa, 4 p.m.
Northgate at Serra Catholic, 4:15 p.m.
Sto-Rox at Apollo-Ridge, 3:45 p.m.
Chartiers-Houston at Brentwood, 3:45 p.m.
Fort Cherry at Clairton, 4 p.m.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Cornell, 3:45 p.m.
Rochester at Western Beaver, 4 p.m.
Greensburg Central Catholic at Bishop Canevin, 4 p.m.
Monessen at Jefferson-Morgan, 4 p.m.
Leechburg at Sewickley Academy, 4:45 p.m.
Riverview at St. Joseph, 3:30 p.m.
Springdale at Eden Christian, 4 p.m.
Brashear at Seton LaSalle, 4 p.m.
Elizabeth Forward at Seton LaSalle, 4 p.m.
Baldwin at Peters Township, 4:30 p.m.
Hempfield at Pine-Richland, 4 p.m.
Norwin at Butler, 4 p.m.
Armstrong at Kiski Area, 4 p.m.
Penn Hills at Franklin Regional, 4 p.m.
Latrobe at Thomas Jefferson, 4 p.m.
Penn-Trafford at Albert Gallatin, 4 p.m.
Oakland Catholic at Hampton, 4 p.m.
Shaler at Fox Chapel, 3:45 p.m.
Chartiers Valley at West Allegheny, 4 p.m.
Trinity at Moon, 3:30 p.m.
Greensburg Salem at Knoch, 4 p.m.
Highlands at Freeport, 4:15 p.m.
McKeesport at Burrell, 4:15 p.m.
Belle Vernon at Elizabeth Forward, 4 p.m.
Uniontown at Ringgold, 4 p.m.
Yough at West Mifflin, 4 p.m.
Central Valley at Beaver, 4:15 p.m.
Hopewell at Blackhawk, 4 p.m.
North Catholic at Derry, 4 p.m.
Valley at Deer Lakes, 4 p.m.
Keystone Oaks at Ellwood City, 6 p.m.
South Allegheny at Mt. Pleasant, 4 p.m.
Waynesburg at Brownsville, 4 p.m.
Burgettstown at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.
Ligonier Valley at Seton LaSalle, 4 p.m.
Serra Catholic at Brentwood, 4 p.m.
Steel Valley at Apollo-Ridge, 3:45 p.m.
Beth-Center at Bentworth, 4 p.m.
Frazier at Charleroi, 4 p.m.
Neshannock at New Brighton, 3:45 p.m.
Shenango at Riverside, 4 p.m.
Cornell at Union, 4 p.m.
Sewickley Academy at Bishop Canevin, 4 p.m.
West Greene at Jefferson-Morgan, 4 p.m.
Northgate at Leechburg, 4 p.m.
Riverview at St. Joseph, 4 p.m.
Springdale at Ellis School, 3:45 p.m.
Ambridge at Obama Academy, 3:30 p.m.
Punxsutawney at Indiana, 4 p.m.
South Side at Rochester, 4 p.m.
Beaver County Christian at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 7:15 p.m.
Deer Lakes at North Catholic, 7:15 p.m.
Gateway at Seton LaSalle, 7:15 p.m. | 2022-04-04T05:01:18Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | High school schedules for April 4, 2022 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/high-school-schedules-for-april-4-2022/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/high-school-schedules-for-april-4-2022/ |
A-K Valley senior spotlight: Valley’s Ben Aftanas
Submitted by Ben Aftanas
Valley’s Ben Aftanas is a member of the 2022 baseball team.
A new sports season has begun, which means it’s again time for Ben Aftanas to get to work.
The Valley senior is putting on a third uniform this school year as he takes the field as a captain for the Vikings baseball team.
Also a golfer and basketball player, Aftanas is at his best on the diamond. He hit .463 last year and was a Valley News Dispatch first-team all-star. He helped the Vikings finish 13-8 overall last season and score a win over Mohawk in the WPIAL playoffs before losing to Avonworth in the quarterfinals.
He plans to continue his baseball career at Pitt-Greensburg next fall, but before then the pitcher/infielder has high expectations for the Valley baseball team this spring.
“My expectations every year are to compete for a section title and make a deep playoff run,” he said. “We’re a much younger team than last season and lost many key seniors, but we do return many varsity experienced players who were definite contributors on our 2021 team.”
Aftanas took a few minutes before the season began last week for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:
What are your personal goals for the year?
Personally, I need to improve my overall performance on the mound compared to last year. I’ve worked over the winter on getting better execution of my pitches and keeping myself more composed. Anything I’m asked to do that will help my team win.
How would you describe your role on this team?
Being a senior and a four-year varsity player, I hope my teammates see me as a leader by example. This season, I need to be more vocal. Position-wise, I am a shortstop and a pitcher. I have played various positions over my baseball career at Valley.
What are your strengths on the mound when pitching?
I worked hard over the winter on learning how to better place my breaking ball. It is now my favorite pitch to throw. Over the past five months, I worked really hard with my pitching coach (Kevin Rayburn) to help me spot the breaking ball. I’m hoping that will also help with having a better overall mix of pitches.
My dad, without a doubt. He has a true love for the game like I’ve never seen before. He still works with me on my hitting and fielding whenever we have free time. That love and passion was passed onto me. I’ve been playing since I could walk.
Why did you decide to attend Pitt-Greensburg?
I loved Coach (Scott) Adams and his staff. I also really liked how close the campus was to home so my family could make the trips for our games. They also have the secondary mathematics teaching program that I was seeking for as my major.
What did the UPG coaches like about you?
I believe they liked my ability to possibly play multiple positions and that I could also pitch. I have pretty much played all positions with the exception of first base and catcher.
I golf and play basketball. I am also the student council treasurer, Spanish club treasurer, ski club vice president, National Honors Society, Spanish Honors Society, Science Club, Interact Club, and was a member of the Valley High School STEAM competition team.
How do you want to be remembered at Valley?
I hope to be remembered as a hard-working student-athlete who competed every day on the baseball diamond, golf course and basketball court. More importantly, I hope to be remembered as a quality teammate to everyone I have played with over my four years at Valley. I believe the New Kensington-Arnold School District is moving in the right direction. I have a vested interest in my high school, and now that my senior year will be coming to a close in a few months, I hope to have played an integral part in the return to excellence in Valley High School traditions and changing people’s perspectives of our school district. Our new Superintendent, Dr. (Chris) Sefcheck, is an awesome administrator and person who is without a doubt kid-first. He’s been a huge reason why we are moving in the right direction as an entire school district.
I always like to joke about this, but I’m a huge math nerd. I’ve always loved stats and understanding how numbers are used in calculations. I like to compare math to solving a complex puzzle. Once you learn how to do it, it becomes really fun, just like solving a puzzle. I hope to become a secondary math teacher and eventually be a high school coach in the future. | 2022-04-04T19:32:01Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | A-K Valley senior spotlight: Valley’s Ben Aftanas | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-senior-spotlight-valleys-ben-aftanas/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-senior-spotlight-valleys-ben-aftanas/ |
Westmoreland senior spotlight: Derry’s Ryan Hood
Derry’s Ryan Hood helped the Trojans baseball team win its first section title since 1992 last season.
Derry’s Ryan Hood celebrates after driving in a run with a base hit against Deer Lakes on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, at Deer Lakes High School.
Last season, Derry’s baseball team made some history, winning its first section title since 1992 and winning its first playoff game since 2005.
That moment for the team meant a lot, especially to senior pitcher Ryan Hood.
“It’s pretty hard to put into words,” Hood said. “The chemistry that we had and the way we played together as a team, I don’t know if I’ll ever play on another team like that again.”
Hood, a pitcher, who’s battled arm problems throughout high school, pitched just 15 innings last season.
But, he’s back and ready for his senior season.
“I’ve kind of got a chip on my shoulder,” Hood said. “I’m feeling a lot better now, and I’m ready to show what I can do.”
Derry lost 10 seniors following last season, but the Trojans are ready to win games this year.
“I know Coach (John Flickinger) is ready to go back to the playoffs again and go even farther than we were last year,” Hood said.
Hood committed to play at Gannon next year and is undecided on a major.
Before his senior season begins, Ryan Hood took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:
How did you get started with baseball?
My parents got me into it when I was about 4 or 5. I started playing T-ball at the Little League Field, that’s where I met most of my friends I’m playing with now. It’s definitely where everything got started off. I have really fond memories of those times.
What do you feel you have left to accomplish in your senior season?
Personally, I’d just like to play the best baseball I can play. Team-wise, I’d like to see us get farther than we did last year. I just want to have a good time with all my friends, because this is my last high school year of baseball.
What are some of the things you feel you can bring to this team as far as guiding this young staff?
We’ve got a lot of young guys, a lot of throwers. There’s a difference between throwers and pitchers, we’ve got some things they need to learn that I think I could help them out with. If we get on those things and keep working, that would be a great help to the team.
What is the team’s biggest strength?
Our offense. We were in the gym four days a week the whole offseason. Coach (Brian Thomas), he had us in there lifting all the time. We’re definitely a lot stronger of a team now. Even at practices we can all tell we’re hitting the ball a lot farther, a lot stronger.
Is there an area where you think the team could improve?
I’d say with some of the fundamental defense stuff. There’s a lot of things that we need to continue to work on, that I think if we sort of smooth those out, we’ll be a lot better of a team. Just little things for now, things that we could work on together.
What went into the recruitment process and choice of Gannon?
It was a long process. I talked to a good amount of schools, and I did a couple of visits. I had a lot of help from the guys at All-American. I played with them for a couple years of my career, they helped me a lot. I went out to see Gannon last winter, and from the moment I was up there I knew that’s where I wanted to be.
My favorite music artist is Johnny Cash. We used to listen to that a lot whenever I was younger, my dad would play that a lot. I just like to listen to him, usually a lot before pregame, just getting in the right mood and mindset to go out there and throw. | 2022-04-04T19:32:19Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Westmoreland senior spotlight: Derry’s Ryan Hood | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-senior-spotlight-derrys-ryan-hood/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-senior-spotlight-derrys-ryan-hood/ |
Mt. Lebanon’s Ashleigh Connor named 2022 TribLive HSSN Girls Basketball Player of the Year
Mt. Lebanon’s Ashleigh Connor hoists the WPIAL championship trophy with her teammates after defeating Upper St. Clair in the Class 6A final on Friday, March 4, 2022, at Petersen Events Center.
Mt. Lebanon’s Gina Smith hugs Ashleigh Connor as time winds down against Bethel Park during their WPIAL Class 6A semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at UPMC Events Center in Moon.
Mt. Lebanon’s Ashleigh Connor battles Plymouth-Whitemarsh’s Lainey Allen (left) and Erin Daley for a loose ball during the PIAA Class 6A state championship game on Saturday, March 26, 2022, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Mt. Lebanon’s Ashleigh Connor works against Bethel Park’s Emma Dziezgowski during their WPIAL Class 6A semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at UPMC Events Center in Moon.
Mt. Lebanon’s Ashleigh Connor scores past Bethel Park’s Mary Boff during their WPIAL Class 6A semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at UPMC Events Center in Moon.
Mt. Lebanon’s Ashleigh Connor (15) and Brooke Collins celebrate a 3-pointer during their WPIAL Class 6A semifinal against Bethel Park on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at UPMC Events Center in Moon.
Mt. Lebanon’s Ashleigh Connor (15) celebrates with Brooke Collins after scoring against Upper St. Clair during their Section 2-6A game on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022, at Upper St. Clair High School.
2022 TribLive HSSN Girls Basketball Player of the Year
5-foot-10, Senior, Guard
Ashleigh Connor isn’t loud and fiery, nor is she quiet and reserved.
You could categorize her leadership skills as kind of goofy.
“She knows how to have fun and not take the game too seriously, she’s a total goofball at the right times,” Mt. Lebanon coach Dori Oldaker said. “She trusts her teammates and her teammates trust her.”
That trust led the Mt. Lebanon girls basketball team to a WPIAL Class 6A basketball championship, the fourth in school history and the first in 10 years.
It also allowed Connor to cap off her great season by being name the TribLive HSSN Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Connor was one of the top scorers in the district this season, averaging 21 points for a Blue Devils team that went 27-2. She finished her career with 1,742 points.
Connor shot 42.9% from the field and 34.2% from the 3-point line this season.
“Ashleigh really focused on her outside shooting and her 3-point range over the summer,” Oldaker said. “She wanted to become a more consistent outside shooter, and her hard work paid off during this season. During the playoffs, she really came up big on the boards and became a huge rebounder for us. She practiced just as hard as she played in the games.”
Connor averaged 8.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
Mt. Lebanon lost to Plymouth-Whitemarsh in the PIAA championship game.
The Blue Devils’ only other loss was in the regular season finale to rival Upper St. Clair.
“Ashleigh was always our biggest concern,” Upper St. Clair coach Pete Serio said. “She is a player who can take over a game and put her team on her back and win the game. Her ability to get the rim and finish is what made her so difficult to guard.”
That ability was on display in this year’s WPIAL title game. Connor scored 23 points as Mt. Lebanon defeated Upper St. Clair, 55-44.
“Ashleigh has really continued to improve in all aspects of her game throughout the four years I have watched her,” Serio said. “Her confidence and leadership is what has made her go from a very good high school player into a special high school player.”
Oldaker agrees there is something about the Saint Louis recruit that stands out from other talented players.
“Ashleigh has the ‘it’ factor; she’s a winner,” Oldaker said. “She hates losing and she’s super competitive about everything she does. She is never satisfied with her game and is always trying to improve.”
TribLive HSSN had a chance to find out a little more about the 2022 Girls Basketball Player of the Year with a Q&A session with Ashleigh Connor:
How did it feel when time was winding down in the WPIAL championship game vs USC?
It felt incredible. Multiple WPIAL titles was my goal when I started high school, but then realized how difficult they are to win. Being able to secure the title in my senior year and win for my team and the Mt. Lebanon community was just amazing.
Having lost to the Panthers in your final regular season game, did that make beating them in the finals even sweeter?
Yes definitely. We did not play well against them in the final regular season game, and knew we would be ready for them if we got a chance to play them in the playoffs. USC played well in the final regular season game, but we knew we were working for something bigger, and that loss really helped focus us for the playoff runs.
Did you expect this kind of success with only two losses, a WPIAL title and a PIAA runner-up back in December before the season began?
I would say no, but I definitely expected very high things this year. I’ve played with Brooke (Collins) and Reagan (Murdoch) for nine years and we were constantly improving year over year. We knew we had what it takes to be one of the best teams around this year, and we went out and proved that. We talked about winning regularly, and I was going to do everything I could in my power to try and get us there. This team was something very special and we did great things. I will never forget this season.
You delivered consistent scoring all season, despite opposing defenses focused on you. How tough is that and how rewarding is that as well?
Very tough and rewarding. I knew that many teams would be keying on me and face guarding me, and it just meant I had to play a little harder and ensure I was doing the little things to make sure we won. I tried to focus more on rebounding and making sure I made the right passes. I needed to be at my best every game. I made sure to stay calm and composed and just play my game no matter what they tried to do. We trusted each other to make the right play. It’s easy to try and force the game when the defense is doubling you; patience and allowing the game to come to me was the key.
How would you analyze how you did this season?
It was a great season. The team’s success was so outstanding and focusing on the team and my all-around game allowed me to surpass my individual goals. Many people refer to me as a scorer, and yes, I like to score, but I’m just as excited when making that assist, taking the charge or battling for the rebound. This is such a great game and I just love playing it. Being recognized as the Player of the Year are goals I set for myself, but I could have never gotten there without the Mt. Lebanon team and staff.
You will be attending Saint Louis in the fall. What were some of the reasons behind your choice?
I visited a number of schools and St. Louis just felt right. I really liked the campus, my bond with the players was immediate and the staff’s belief in the impact I could make on the program. The Saint Louis coaches were at the WPIAL championship and our state playoff games. St. Louis is in transition right now, having let go of the coaching staff, and a number of teammates I’ve become friends with are entering the portal. I’m very excited and anxious to meet the new coaching staff and understand their vision for the program.
Coach Oldaker described you as goofy and somebody that likes to have fun until it’s time to get down to business. Is that a fair description?
Somewhat goofy. I like to keep it light before I head to the gym, but once I am in the gym it’s all business. Keeping the mood light was one of the keys to our success, as the team did not stress.
How much did the Mt. Lebanon football team’s success in the fall drive your team this winter?
The football team had an amazing season. We knew that we had the potential to follow in their footsteps, and took it as motivation to succeed in the ways that they did. This absolutely helped drive us. We just came up one game short, but it was a great year to be a part of Lebo athletics. I wish we could play Plymouth-Whitemarsh again.
What was your personal highlight from this past season?
Winning the WPIAL championship game with my team and all the memories we made together. I rebounded well this year. We didn’t have much size this year so I needed to change my game a bit and go down low and battle it out with the bigs.
What do you do for fun away from sports?
I like to go the beach, play with my dog (Coach) and eat out.
Besides food and water, what three things would you need if you were deserted on a beach for a week?
I would need a blanket, a first aid kit, and my dog (Coach).
Three favorite meals?
Steak with mashed potatoes, Hibachi chicken with fried rice, and a Caesar salad.
Favorite movie of all-time?
My favorite movie would have to be “Black Panther” because I loved Chadwick Boseman and loved the movie.
Top three artists or bands you like to listen to?
I’m not a big music person, but Bruno Mars, Kid Cudi and Taylor Swift.
People would be surprised to know … what … about Ashleigh Connor?
People would be surprised to know that I have operated on a cadaver, and I am thinking about going to medical school.
• Quaker Valley’s Adou Thiero named 2022 TribLive HSSN Boys Basketball Player of the Year | 2022-04-05T05:15:25Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Mt. Lebanon’s Ashleigh Connor named 2022 TribLive HSSN Girls Basketball Player of the Year | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/mt-lebanons-ashleigh-connor-named-2022-triblive-hssn-girls-basketball-player-of-the-year/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/mt-lebanons-ashleigh-connor-named-2022-triblive-hssn-girls-basketball-player-of-the-year/ |
Hempfield Area junior Liz Tapper pole vaults at practice Monday.
Hempfield junior Liz Tapper pole vaults at practice Monday.
Hempfield pole vault coach Melissa White and junior Liz Tapper talk during practice Monday.
Hempfield Area junior Liz Tapper prepares to make a jump in the pole vault at practice Monday.
It’s fair to assume most high school athletes don’t always put in a 100% effort at practice.
Most athletes aren’t like Hempfield junior Liz Tapper. There are times her coaches have to tell her to take it easy.
On Monday, Tapper worked first with throwing coach Dave Murray, and after getting a good workout, she walked over to work with pole vault coach Melissa White.
She worked as hard at the pole vault as she did in the shot put and discus circles. There was no fooling around. The intensity on her face showed she was all business.
After setting a school record in the shot put at Hempfield’s second meet of the season, Tapper is looking at breaking more records – 13 feet and a half-inch in the pole vault and 161 feet in the discus.
Her record throw in the shot put was 46 feet, 11 1/2 inches. She also had personal records in the discus (149-6) and pole vault (12-2) in the same meet.
It was quite a start to the season.
“The goal is to own all three records,” Tapper said. “I feel good and I’m where I should be.”
Tapper is ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 3A in both throwing events. She surprised many by placing third in both throwing events at the PIAA Championship last May at Shippensburg University. She also competed in the pole vault.
“She has a good chance at breaking those two, if not this year, her senior season,” Murray said. “Liz is very competitive in everything she does, even at practice. She’s a hard worker. She’s a lot stronger and is always trying to improve her technique.”
White said that’s what she looks for from all of her athletes, just not Tapper.
“We don’t look at numbers,” White said. “We work on perfecting our technique. If we do that, the marks will come.”
Murray said he wouldn’t mind if Tapper would take it easy at certain dual meets, but he knows her competitive nature won’t allow that.
“She’s always looking to get better,” Murray said. “She wants to jump higher and throw further.”
Tapper is a multiple-sport athlete. She was a first-team all-section volleyball player.
During the state indoor meet, Tapper finished eighth in the pole vault (11-6) and second in the shot put (44-7).
• Young Burrell tennis lineup looks to contend in Section 3-2A | 2022-04-05T20:37:19Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Hempfield junior breaks school record in shot put, sets sights on 2 more | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/hempfield-junior-breaks-school-record-in-shot-put-sets-sights-on-2-more/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/hempfield-junior-breaks-school-record-in-shot-put-sets-sights-on-2-more/ |
A simmering discontent by officials about pay and travel forced Trinity to reschedule a boys lacrosse game, but the WPIAL was optimistic the season won’t be disrupted by a widespread work stoppage.
Trinity intended to host Chartiers Valley in a section contest Tuesday night, but the three officials declined in advance to work the game, Trinity athletic director Ricci Rich said, adding that two of the officials declined because “it’s too far to travel for that rate.” The school was notified Monday.
The game was rescheduled to April 29.
“At first I thought this was a Trinity issue, and now I see it’s not,” said Rich, who was part of an email chain among WPIAL athletic directors. “They’re doing this to a ton of schools. Now I’ve got parents who are upset because our kids aren’t playing, and I agree. After the last two springs, there’s no reason these kids should not be playing.”
Coincidentally, the postponement comes during PIAA Officials Appreciation Week for spring sports.
Chartiers Valley athletic director Mike Gavlik said this was the first time he’d had a game in any sport rescheduled because officials declined to work.
“It’s not the normal reason we cancel in the spring,” he said.
Tonight's Boys Lacrosse game against Chartiers Valley has been postponed to Friday, April 29th due to the officials refusing to work games at the agreed pay rate. We are hopeful that they will fulfill Thursday's game.
All PIAA game officials are independent contractors, making them free to accept or decline any game offered to them. The officials for regular season games are not scheduled by the WPIAL but instead by an independent assignor.
“Some of the boys lacrosse officials have said that they believe they need more money,” WPIAL administrator Vince Sortino said. “That (pay rate) doesn’t come from our office. That’s a league-wide decision with each individual school.”
The host school pays officials.
Rich said Trinity pays $80 for lacrosse games, the rate recommended by WPIAL athletic directors. That rate was $78 last season and increases to $84 next year, when a new five-year agreement starts.
“Our (lacrosse) boosters are willing to pay above, but here’s the issue: There’s an agreement in place,” Rich said. “I can’t go above that rate because that agreement is made by all of the schools in the WPIAL.”
Also, a rate increase for one sport would likely lead to an increase for all, he said.
“Our budgets are already done for next year,” Gavlik said. “For someone to come in the spring and say, ‘Hey, I need more money because of gas prices’ or whatever else … that becomes a tough situation.”
WPIAL board member Nick Morea, who represents officials for boys sports, said he was confident all WPIAL lacrosse section games will be played this season, but some may be rescheduled to different dates.
Also, the number of officials working each contest might drop from three to two.
“We’ll get all of the games covered,” Morea said. “It just may take us longer during the regular season to cover them. But there are enough of officials accepting assignments to cover the games.”
Morea said he was optimistic the issue wouldn’t become disruptive for teams.
“We got into officiating for the kids and we can’t lose sight of that,” he said.
Morea attributed the current issue with lacrosse to a culmination of factors, including pay and travel, but he also cited a shortage of officials overall. Lacrosse already had a smaller pool of available officials than most other WPIAL sports, he said.
Some schools do pay officials more than others and those assignments are taken first, Morea said.
And with gas prices high, officials aren’t as willing to drive long distances for assignments. As a result, the approach used by assignor Matt Martin to schedule lacrosse officials this spring may become more regional, with officials given contests closer to home.
“If you live in Washington County, you’re going to be doing more games in the Trinity, Canon-Mac, Peters Township area,” Sortino said.
Pay rates have been a point of contention with lacrosse officials for years.
The WPIAL and City League lacrosse officials attempted to unionize as employees of the PIAA in 2015, but the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled against them four years later, saying the officials are independent contractors, not employees.
“This lacrosse issue has been going on for years, back and forth,” Rich said. “I was still at Moon the last time this happened. We almost weren’t able to play, but we were able to get it worked out. This is the first time in 17 years that I’ve canceled a game because the officials refused to come work for the agreed rate.” | 2022-04-05T20:37:25Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | WPIAL lacrosse match rescheduled after officials decline to accept assignment | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/wpial-lacrosse-match-rescheduled-after-officials-decline-to-accept-assignment/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/wpial-lacrosse-match-rescheduled-after-officials-decline-to-accept-assignment/ |
North Hills’ Royce Parham scores against Fox Chapel’s Russell Fenton during the WPIAL Class 6A championship game on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Petersen Events Center.
New Castle’s Mike Wells leads a fast break against Imhotep Charter during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game Friday, March 25, 2022, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Quaker Valley’s Adou Thiero drives against Neumann-Goretti’s Sultan Adewale (left) and Aamir Hurst during the PIAA Class 4A state championship game on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Steel Valley’s Makhai Valentine grabs a rebound over Seton LaSalle’s Emmett Harris during their WPIAL Class 3A playoff game on Monday, Feb. 21, 2022, at Fox Chapel High School.
OLSH’s Jake DiMichele battles Constitution’s Simere Blagman for a loose ball during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game Friday, March 25, 2022, at Giant Center in Hershey.
While we salute all of those who participated in a memorable 2022 high school boys basketball campaign, we have a special seat in the front of the classroom for those who were a cut above.
Player of the Year: Royce Parham, North Hills
Only a sophomore, the 6-foot-7 Parham was a big part of a dominating season for North Hills. Parham averaged 22 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots for the Indians, who were undefeated until losing to Fox Chapel in the WPIAL 6A championship game. The 26-2 season was one of the best ever for the Indians. Parham has local interest from two colleges in Duquesne and Robert Morris at the midway point of his scholastic career.
Coach of the Year: Zach Skrinjar, Fox Chapel
Finally, Fox Chapel can shake the moniker of being the best regular season team in Class 6A. After years of great regular seasons and high seeds in the postseason, only to come up short in the district playoffs, the Foxes were flying high. Zach Skrinjar led Fox Chapel past the final four and into the WPIAL finals, where the Foxes upset top-seeded North Hills for the school’s first boys basketball crown since 1977. The team lost in the PIAA semifinals and finished 27-2.
Player of the Year: Mike Wells, New Castle
While WPIAL champion Laurel Highlands leaned heavily on the terrific trio of Rodney Gallagher, Keondre DeShields and Brandon Davis, WPIAL and PIAA runner-up New Castle was guilty of going to the Wells a lot this winter. Senior Mike Wells survived a punishing style of basketball with some incredible numbers, including 23.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He was the model of consistency by scoring 25, 22, 23 and 23 points in the four Red Hurricanes district playoff games. He will play football at Youngstown State.
Coach of the Year: Rick Hauger, Laurel Highlands
Two years ago, Laurel Highlands shocked the district hoops world by coming from the No. 8 seed to win the school’s first WPIAL boys basketball championship in more than a half-century. This season, there were no upsets, no sneaking up on anybody as the Mustangs were the preseason No. 1 team in Class 5A. Rick Hauger kept the focus and the hunger, and when Rodney Gallagher nailed two free throws late in double OT of the WPIAL title game against New Castle, the Mustangs were once again galloping around the golden corral.
Player of the Year: Adou Thiero, Quaker Valley
When Adou Thiero was a freshman, he was a 5-11 point guard playing a big role on a veteran team that was about to reach the WPIAL Class 4A championship game for a third straight year. By the time his scholastic career ended, he was a 6-6 guard who was a basketball machine on the court. Whatever the Quakers needed him to do, he did. Thiero averaged 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists a game in leading the Quakers to a near perfect season with WPIAL gold and PIAA silver. Thiero was named the Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Coach of the Year: Mike Mastroianni, Quaker Valley
There was no silver lining in 2022 for this veteran coach. After watching his Quaker Valley teams reach the WPIAL championship game three straight years in 2017, ‘18 and ‘19, only to lose each time to New Castle, Mastroianni and his team would not be denied the gold. Led by Trib HSSN Terrific 10 seniors Adou Thiero and Markus Frank, Quaker Valley beat Montour to win the district 4A title. QV then suffered its only loss in a 27-1 season in the PIAA 4A finals.
Player of the Year: Makhai Valentine, Steel Valley
Some of the top scorers in the WPIAL this past season were in Class 3A with Will Wagner of Charleroi and Mikey Smith of East Allegheny among them. However, the sweetheart of this classification is Makhai Valentine. The 6-2 junior averaged nearly 30 points per game in helping Steel Valley earn a playoff spot. In the postseason, Valentine scored 23 points as the Ironmen upset No. 4-seeded Seton LaSalle in the opening round. Steel Valley’s season ended in the quarterfinals in a two-point loss to South Allegheny after Valentine scored 26 points.
Coach of the Year: David Vadnais, Shady Side Academy
In David Vadnais’ first year as head coach at Shady Side Academy, the Bulldogs lost their first five games. The team turned things around and ended up with a 14-9 record in 2014. SSA has made the playoffs in each of Vadnais’ nine seasons and has won at least one postseason game in eight of the nine years. This year, the Bulldogs were a perfect 4-0, beating Avonworth in the WPIAL 3A finals for the first boys basketball WPIAL championship since 1999.
Players of the Year: Jake DiMichele, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Last year, DiMichele shared this front row seat with then-senior teammate Dante Spadafora. This winter, the honor and chair is all his. DiMichele capped off an amazing career at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart with a fourth straight WPIAL championship and a second straight PIAA title. DiMichele once again was one of the top scorers in the district, averaging over 30 points per game (31.9) for a second straight year. He ended up as the WPIAL’s second all-time scorer with 2,642.
Coach of the Year: Mike Rodriguez, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Las Vegas Raiders founder and late owner Al Davis had a mantra he expected his teams to live up to: “‘Just win baby.” Our Lady of the Sacred Heart coach Mike Rodriguez may or may not have adopted that motto for his Chargers, but he has certainly lived up to it. Rodriguez has just overseen two of the most successful back-to-back seasons in WPIAL basketball history. The count now stands at four straight district titles, two consecutive state crowns and a 68-game winning streak that is tied for the longest in state history and will continue over to the 2022-23 season.
Player of the Year: Matthew Stanley, Union
With his seat at the head of the class, perhaps Matthew Stanley has earned the big chair at the head of the Stanley dinner table. OK, that seat belongs to dad, aka head coach Mark Stanley, who once again enjoyed a successful season with three of his sons on the Scotties roster. Matthew Stanley averaged nearly 19 points a game in the regular season, but excelled in the postseason. The junior scored 24 and 36 points in the WPIAL quarterfinals and semifinals, then added another 68 points in the Scotties’ title game loss to Bishop Canevin and three state playoff games.
Coach of the Year: Gino Palmosina, Bishop Canevin
After hoisting gold again this season, the Bishop Canevin girls basketball program has now won six WPIAL championships in the last 10 years. Boys basketball coach Gino Palmosina seems heck bent on eventually evening the golden score. The Crusaders followed up their first ever district title from last year with double gold this season after repeating in the WPIAL and claiming a first state championship. In his four years at Bishop Canevin, Palmosina has three titles and a 75-24 overall record.
Tags: Bishop Canevin, Fox Chapel, Laurel Highlands, New Castle, North Hills, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Quaker Valley, Shady Side Academy, Steel Valley, Union | 2022-04-06T04:26:24Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | 2022 Trib HSSN Head of the Class: WPIAL boys basketball’s best in each classification | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/2022-trib-hssn-head-of-the-class-wpial-boys-basketballs-best-in-each-classification/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/2022-trib-hssn-head-of-the-class-wpial-boys-basketballs-best-in-each-classification/ |
Chartiers Valley’s Aislin Malcolm is pressured by Cardinal O’Hara’s Maggie Doogan during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game on Friday, March 25, 2022, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Beaver’s Payton List brings the ball upcourt against Montour on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, at Beaver Area High School.
Neshannock’s Mairan Haggerty drives past Southern Columbia’s Ava Novak during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game Friday, March 25, 2022, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Rochester’s Corynne Hauser (11) moves the ball against West Greene’s Jersey Wise (3) during the WPIAL Class A championship at Peters Township High School on Monday, March 15, 2021.
While we salute all of those who participated in a memorable 2022 girls high school basketball campaign, we have a special seat in the front of the classroom for those who were a cut above.
Player of the Year: Ashleigh Connor, Mt. Lebanon
The Saint Louis recruit was also named the Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Player of the Year for this season. Connor averaged 21 points and 8 rebounds despite being the focal point of every defense that played the Blue Devils. In the district playoffs, she scored 18 and 16 points in quarterfinal and semifinal wins over Peters Township and Bethel Park, and then the South Hills journey ended with Connor scoring 22 points in a win over Upper St. Clair to help Mt. Lebanon win its first WPIAL title in 10 years.
Coach of the Year: Dori Oldaker, Mt. Lebanon
Oldaker has established herself as one of the top basketball coaches in the district, and the 2022 season is a golden reminder. After leading the Blue Devils to the WPIAL semifinals a year ago, Mt. Lebanon was nearly perfect in winning the school’s fourth girls basketball title. Let by HSSN POY Ashleigh Connor, Mt. Lebanon lost only two games, including to undefeated Plymouth-Whitemarsh in the PIAA finals. Oldaker has now won six WPIAL championships as a coach after winning two at Blackhawk in 1999 and 2000.
Player of the Year: Aislin Malcolm, Chartiers Valley
The Pitt recruit completed one of the most successful scholastic careers in WPIAL basketball history, along with her fellow senior starters in Perri Page, Hallie and Helene Cowan and Marian Turnbull. Malcolm helped lead the Colts to three WPIAL championships, a district runner-up, a PIAA title and two state runners-up. The 5-foot-11 guard averaged over 16 points per game this winter and finished with 1,671 points in her career.
Coach of the Year: Bryan Bennett, South Fayette
The South Fayette girls basketball team may have been lost in the weeds of the plush greenlands known as Section 1, but in the end, the Lions proved they were the kings of the Class 5A jungle. South Fayette took a back seat to section foes Chartiers Valley and Moon for most of the regular season. Even when the 5A brackets were revealed and the Lions were No. 2 behind three-time champion Chartiers Valley, few gave them a shot. However, Bennett guided the Lions past the Colts in the finals for the school’s second WPIAL crown.
Player of the Year: Payton List, Beaver
Payton List is well known for her dominance on the softball diamond. As a junior last spring, the Virginia Tech recruit was outstanding in the circle and at the plate in helping Beaver win WPIAL and PIAA gold and being named the Trib HSSN Softball Player of the Year. But softball isn’t the only sport where this Bobcats senior is making the list. List averaged over 23 points per game in helping Beaver finish 16-6 and reach the district quarterfinals a year after winning WPIAL gold.
Coach of the Year: Steve Lodovico, Blackhawk
Some felt the Cougars were a year away, coming off a 13-6 season in which the team reached the quarterfinals of the WPIAL playoffs. Steve Lodovico and his young Cougars thought otherwise though as they piled up wins with a young, balanced team. Blackhawk had the top offense in 4A by far and became the only district team to win a WPIAL championship with an undefeated record. The Cougars’ lone loss came in the PIAA quarterfinals against Villa Maria Academy.
Player of the Year: Alayna Rocco, North Catholic
The daughter of North Catholic boys basketball coach Jim Rocco was the model of consistency throughout her sophomore season. She averaged just under 18 points per game as the Trojans won a 21st WPIAL girls basketball crown and finished 22-6. She was the Trojans’ leading scorer in all seven of their postseason games, scoring between 15 and 25 points in the playoffs. The 5-10 guard also averaged over six rebounds and three steals a game.
Coach of the Year: John Kaercher, Freedom
In 2021, Freedom finished 6-7 overall and lost by 21 to North Catholic in the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals. However, this year’s Bulldogs team showed a lot more bite as they finished in second place in tough Section 1 behind North Catholic. Freedom reached the finals, only to lose a tough one to the Trojans, 48-43. John Kaercher’s team showed its resilience with four state playoff wins, including a semifinals victory over North Catholic before losing by five points to Neumann-Goretti in the PIAA finals.
Players of the Year: Mairan Haggerty, Neshannock
As a sophomore last winter, Mairan Haggerty got a taste of victory when Neshannock won the WPIAL championship and finished as the runner-up in the PIAA postseason. Haggerty and her teammates were driven by the broom in 2022 as they swept both district and state gold. The 6-1 Haggerty played a big part in the Lancers’ continued success, averaging over 17 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, setting the stage for a possible three-peat in 2023.
Part of being a good coach is being a good motivator. Not satisfied with a WPIAL title and a PIAA runner-up from the previous season, Neshannock coach Luann Grybowski hung her PIAA silver medal on a chair on the first day of practice to remind her team what it’s going to take to change silver to gold. Not only did Neshannock repeat as WPIAL champs and win the school’s first girls basketball state title, Grybowski became only the fifth coach in WPIAL history to win 700 career games.
Player of the Year: Corynne Hauser, Rochester
This marks the second straight year a member of the Rochester girls basketball team has been named HSSN Class A POY after Alexis Robison was selected in 2021. The Kent State recruit went from one-half of a dynamic duo to playing the lead seamlessly as Hauser averaged 25 points per game and finished her career with 1,718 points. Even though the Rams came up short of a third straight district championship, Hauser helped Rochester finish 16-5.
Coach of the Year: Maddie Bazelak, Bishop Canevin
Bishop Canevin has won six WPIAL girls basketball championships in the last 10 years, but none were as surprising as the Crusaders’ title run in 2022. In her first year as head coach, Maddie Bazelak led Bishop Canevin to a 13-9 regular season record, third place in Section 1-A and the No. 7 seed in the 12-team WPIAL Class A playoffs. The Crusaders ousted Avella before pulling off back-to-back postseason upsets of No. 2 West Greene and No. 3 Union to reach the finals. In the title game, Bishop Canevin won the battle of the Crusaders over Aquinas Academy.
Tags: Beaver, Bishop Canevin, Blackhawk, Chartiers Valley, Freedom, Mt. lebanon, Neshannock, North Catholic, Rochester, South Fayette
• 2022 Trib HSSN Head of the Class: WPIAL boys basketball’s best in each classification | 2022-04-06T04:26:30Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | 2022 Trib HSSN Head of the Class: WPIAL girls basketball’s best in each classification | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/2022-trib-hssn-head-of-the-class-wpial-girls-basketballs-best-in-each-classification/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/2022-trib-hssn-head-of-the-class-wpial-girls-basketballs-best-in-each-classification/ |
Alumnus Hoffer hired as coach to revive Yough football program
Courtesy Ben Hoffer
New Yough football coach Ben Hoffer
It can be done: Yough can win again.
That is the message Ben Hoffer is bringing to his alma mater, and he plans to plaster it all over the football program until it comes to pass — or run. Whatever it takes.
The former Yough standout running back was hired Tuesday as the head coach of the Cougars, replacing Chris Chunko, who resigned after two seasons.
“In my four years here, we won three conference championships,” said Hoffer, 31, who is the second all-time leading rusher at Yough behind Dustin Shoaf with more than 3,000 yards. “People say it can’t be done. I am here to tell them it can be.”
Hoffer, who played at Washington & Jefferson, said he applied as soon as the position opened.
“I always knew it was a job I wanted to pursue,” said Hoffer, who spent one season at Yough as an assistant under Scott Wood. “I wanted to be a head coach since I was little. If I was going to become a head coach, it was going to be with this program. I am a proud alum, and I have been there and done it.”
An assistant for nine years at East Allegheny where he coached special teams and running backs, Hoffer developed a working relationship with Dom Pecora, the head coach of the Wildcats.
Pecora was on staff when Hoffer played at Yough.
A football bond led to the pair becoming business partners. Hoffer and Pecora opened the Lucky Lottery store in Trafford. Pecora runs Dom’s Pizzeria in the same town.
“I want Yough to be my program,” Hoffer said. “I see what Dom has done at EA. He has so much pride. That is what I want to bring here. The kids need to believe we can win again. I am proof we can.”
Hoffer also is an assistant baseball coach at Yough and was an assistant middle school basketball coach at East Allegheny for the last two years.
Yough has not been to the WPIAL playoffs since 2013. The Cougars went 1-9 last season. | 2022-04-06T04:26:36Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Alumnus Hoffer hired as coach to revive Yough football program | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/alumnus-hoffer-hired-as-coach-to-revive-yough-football-program/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/alumnus-hoffer-hired-as-coach-to-revive-yough-football-program/ |
Burrell junior Katie Armstrong gets set to deliver a pitch in practice April 6, 2022.
Katie Armstrong’s freshman softball season was over before it got a chance to get going.
The now-Burrell junior was in the running for varsity starting time in the pitcher’s circle with Kylie Karns, a freshman pitcher this spring at Mt. Aloysius, and things went well in her scrimmage debut against Shaler.
Then, the sports world ground to a halt with the onset of the covid pandemic, and Armstrong was unable to show her stuff over the course of a full season.
“I was really excited to get things going,” Armstrong said. “With me and Kylie, the coaches felt they had a couple of good options. I love this sport and have been playing it for such a long time, so it was pretty tough to hear that things were being put on pause.”
But Armstrong came back last year determined to make her mark, and she shined as one of the top pitchers in the area.
Now, after a fast start to the 2022 season, Armstrong again is energized to help her team reach its full potential in and out of Section 1-4A play. Despite a small roster with just 10 players, Armstrong says the team, with five freshmen in the lineup, can make waves.
“The freshman who came up are really doing well so far, and I am excited to help build and show what this team can do,” said Armstrong, who shares co-captain duties with senior Caroline Dynka and junior Cassidy Novak.
“We have a lot of potential, and I think we can go further in the WPIAL playoffs than last year. I want to help keep pushing for Burrell’s name in softball.”
Burrell was 2-0 overall and 1-0 in section play after Monday’s 4-1 section victory over McKeesport. The Bucs were slated to face Greensburg Salem in section play Wednesday.
Armstrong struck out 17 and joined the Bucs defense in limiting McKeesport to just one hit.
In the season opener, Armstrong held defending WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A champion Mt. Pleasant to five hits while striking out 14 in a 6-1 victory over the Vikings.
“Katie works hard. She puts in the time,” coach Rick Nealer said. “From that hard work, you can see the results. I can’t ask for anything more from a pitcher. Hopefully, she can continue to stay healthy, we can continue to get better offensively and we can cut down on some of the errors defensively. She definitely gives us a chance to win each game, no matter what. I’d put her up there against any pitcher in the WPIAL. That is a good feeling.
“She’s a junior in her second full season, and she’s really taking a step forward into a bigger leadership role, too.”
Burrell was in a battle all of last year for the Section 1 title. The Bucs scored a victory over WPIAL runner-up and state semifinals Highlands late in the regular season and finished tied with Freeport for third in the section at 6-4 behind co-champions Highlands and Knoch (both 7-3).
“It was interesting to see how all the cards would play out,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong went 7-5 overall in her first season as a starter. She crafted a 1.15 ERA with 163 strikeouts against just 21 walks in 85 1/3 innings of work.
“Going into last year, we knew the potential of this team with a good offense and defense,” Armstrong said. “I just wanted to do my part to help the team win. I was excited just to get the chance to play and be with all my friends and make memories together. We were able to play really well as a team.”
Burrell opened last year against eventual Class 6A semifinalist Norwin and Class 5A semifinals Fox Chapel, and Armstrong surrendered just one earned run in 162/3 combined innings in the pair of low-scoring, one-run setbacks.
Against Fox Chapel, Armstrong dueled with Foxes ace McKenzie Borkovich over 10 scoreless innings. Fox Chapel’s winning run came on a throwing error. Armstrong that day threw 147 pitches, gave up just two hits and struck out 21.
“It was a sight to be seen,” Nealer said. “This day in age, you don’t see a lot of pitcher’s duels. Borkovich is such a good pitcher, and they just went toe-to-toe. It went into extra innings, and unfortunately, we came out on the losing end. But it was an awesome game to watch, and an awesome game to coach.”
Armstrong suffered a twisted ankle right before the start of the WPIAL playoffs. But she was able to stay on the field and help the Bucs to a 3-2 first-round victory over Belle Vernon.
West Mifflin got the better of Armstrong and the Bucs in the quarterfinals.
“No one knew that she had hurt her ankle, but she still did very well for us in the playoffs,” Nealer said.
“She gutted it out. She’s a gamer. She wants to be out there helping her team.” | 2022-04-07T02:48:03Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Burrell’s Armstrong guides young, determined squad | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/burrells-armstrong-guides-young-determined-squad/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/burrells-armstrong-guides-young-determined-squad/ |
Armstrong starting pitcher Cameryn Sprankle throws against Lampeter-Strasburg during the PIAA Class 5A softball championship game last season.
Nearly three weeks into a new season and we lift the curtain on the inaugural Trib HSSN state softball rankings.
As a friendly reminder, here were the top-ranked teams in the final top five from 2021 shortly after raising state gold: North Penn in 6A, Lampeter-Strasburg in 5A, Beaver in 4A, Mt. Pleasant in 3A, Line Mountain in 2A and Tri Valley in Class A.
Only North Penn, Beaver and Tri Valley remain at No. 1 in the debut rankings of 2022. In fact, Lampeter-Strasburg, Mt. Pleasant and Line Mountain are not even in the top five.
But as they know better than anybody else, it doesn’t matter who is on top in April, it’s all about the gold in mid-June.
Here is the first edition of the HSSN state softball rankings. Teams are listed with overall record and district. | 2022-04-07T02:48:27Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Trib HSSN State Softball Rankings for April 6, 2022 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/trib-hssn-state-softball-rankings-for-april-6-2022/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/trib-hssn-state-softball-rankings-for-april-6-2022/ |
Ligonier Valley shortstop Cheyenne Piper gets ready to throw out a Hempfield runner on a ground out March 16.
Cheyenne Piper arrived at the ballpark Wednesday ready to play. She didn’t know, however, she would be pitching.
Just perfect, she thought.
The sophomore from Ligonier Valley tossed a perfect game as the Rams blanked visiting Punxsutawney, 7-0, at Donaldson Softball Field.
Not bad for her first start.
Piper struck out 15 and did not issue a walk as she retired all 21 batters she faced.
Cool under pressure, she cruised through the Chucks’ order with precision and poise.
“It was a comfortable position to me and I knew I had a good defense behind me,” said Piper, who threw 74 pitches. “I didn’t know I’d be pitching until I showed up for the game, but I knew I had to be prepared for it beforehand with the circumstances. “It was a rush of, ‘Wow, I’m really getting to do this,’ and focusing on the next pitch.”
Piper, who normally plays shortstop, took the circle when coach Mark Zimmerman decided to rest senior ace Maddie Griffin, who knows a thing — or five — about perfect games.
Griffin threw 11 no-hitters and five perfect games last season when she went 19-3 with a 0.39 ERA and 316 strikeouts.
Piper said she can learn from Griffin, a Youngstown State commit considered to be one of the best arms in the state.
“She usually talks to me before the game and between innings,” Piper said. “She tells me her usual thought process of the situation I’m in at the time and always motivates me to do better and keep putting pressure on them.”
Piper also had a hit and scored twice in the victory for the Rams (3-2), the PIAA Class 2A runner-up last season. | 2022-04-07T22:35:26Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Piper provides perfect pitching performance for Ligonier Valley softball | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/piper-provides-perfect-pitching-performance-for-ligonier-valley-softball/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/piper-provides-perfect-pitching-performance-for-ligonier-valley-softball/ |
Football coach Dan Knause went 18-30 in five seasons at Chartiers Valley.
After working five years to build up his alma mater’s football program, coach Dan Knause will take on a new project elsewhere.
The former Chartiers Valley coach was hired Thursday night as assistant high school principal and football coach at Trinity, a program that seeks its first playoff win since 2007. The career move centered largely on his full-time job, but Knause said he’s excited for a new coaching challenge as well.
“Sometimes people forget that coaching isn’t our main breadwinner and primary job,” said Knause, who works as an assistant middle school principal at Chartiers Valley. “As I got into the process, I got so impressed with Trinity’s leadership and just their desire to improve in every component.”
Those components included academic efforts, Knause said, but also plans for Trinity to build an on-campus indoor practice facility in the next two years.
“I walked away (from the interview) wanting to be a part of the whole package as administrator and coach,” he said.
Give a big welcome to Coach Dan Knause, new Head Football Coach of the Trinity Hillers! pic.twitter.com/Gxu9OdhuVr
Knause replaces Jon Miller, who went 25-38 with one playoff appearance in seven seasons.
Trinity has reached the postseason only five times since 2007, including four playoff losses in a five-year span from 2008-12. The Hillers went 3-7 last season and finished fifth in the Class 4A Big Eight standings.
“Having done this a few times, I love the challenge of building because it truly comes down to getting lost in daily development,” Knause said. “You put your blinders on and ask, ‘How can we make these kids better today?’ Better people, better students, better players. I love that process.”
Chartiers Valley went 18-30 in his five seasons there but had a breakthrough year in 2020. The team went 6-2 overall, 4-1 in the Parkway Conference, and reached the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs.
He intends to gather Trinity’s players for an offseason workout Saturday.
“I respect the coaching profession too much to come in and think what we’re going to do will be magical,” Knause said. “I respect Coach Miller and his staff and the foundation that they’ve left. I know they worked very hard at it. Now, it’s just about moving forward.”
Knause, a 1996 graduate of Chartiers Valley, resigned as the Colts’ coach on March 28. He talked with his former players that day once he became the preferred candidate at Trinity.
Coincidentally, he’ll see his old team again soon.
The WPIAL scheduled Trinity to host Charters Valley in a Week 1 nonconference game Sept. 2. In 2023, the two teams will play again, at Chartiers Valley.
“I had always hoped to play Trinity because of the proximity and it never happened,” Knause said. “But as sure as heck it happened this year. You just embrace it as a high school football game and go have fun.” | 2022-04-08T06:47:18Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Trinity hires former Chartiers Valley football coach Dan Knause | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/trinity-hires-former-chartiers-valley-football-coach-dan-knause/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/trinity-hires-former-chartiers-valley-football-coach-dan-knause/ |
Syl Zembrzuski
Valley High Memorial Stadium, New Kensington
Kim Johnson has spent the past 30 years teaching the students of the New Kensington-Arnold School District.
Whether it was about the intricacies of biology or proper technique in the backstroke, she has made an impact on countless students who have passed through the halls of Valley High School.
For at least the rest of the school year, she will take on a new challenge where she can continue to connect with her students.
On Tuesday night, the New Kensington-Arnold school board members voted to name Johnson as the district’s interim athletic director. She replaces Muzzy Colosimo, who resigned in March.
“Kim was selected for her reputation working with our students and athletes in an exemplary manner as both a teacher and a coach,” superintendent Chris Sefcheck said. “She spent an enormous amount of time preparing a plan that addressed some of the current issues we have been experiencing in our athletic department. Her impartiality and work ethic, coupled with her perfectionism was a logical fit.
“We saw the benefits of having someone that is a strong personality and laser-vision focused.”
Johnson, who teaches ninth-grade honors biology and AP biology and also is Valley’s varsity swim coach, will serve in the position through July 1 at a salary of $7,500.
She said athletics have been part of her life as long as she can remember. Her father was a wrestling coach, and her mother was the head wrestling pairer in three Olympics. She was a swimmer throughout her childhood. She also raised children who played college baseball and softball.
“Family get-togethers mostly involved the mechanics of how sports are administered, advanced and promoted,” she said. “I thought I might be able to convey some of that knowledge (as athletic director).”
Johnson will oversee New Kensington-Arnold’s eight sports teams this spring, including varsity and junior varsity baseball and softball, as well as boys tennis and track and field. The district also sponsors junior high baseball and softball and girls volleyball in the spring season.
“As a teacher, (my goals are) imparting the maximum amount of information to my students in a way that is useful and applicable to them,” she said. “As the athletic director, (it is) to require all of our student-athletes to put their education first, to build integrity and sportsmanship throughout all sports teams, to enhance the relationship between community, sports teams and the school district in general. (And) to improve the communications between the athletic department and the students/parents.”
Johnson plans to continue teaching in addition to her duties as athletic director. She also said she would be interested in continuing in the position past this school year if the opportunity arises.
She said she hopes to use some of her experience as a teacher in her new position.
“As a teacher, we are the administrators of our classroom,” she said. “We determine the atmosphere and expectations of our students every day. We are responsible for the curriculum and student outcomes on a daily basis. Why should athletics be any different?” | 2022-04-08T23:12:15Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Kim Johnson named Valley’s interim athletic director | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/kim-johnson-named-valleys-interim-athletic-director/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/kim-johnson-named-valleys-interim-athletic-director/ |
Kiski Area’s Eliza Miller brings home a second-place finish in the girls 3,200-meter relay during the Wildcat Invitaional Friday, April 8, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Latrobe.
The Kiski Area track and field team didn’t have any first-place finishers Friday at the annual Lady Spartan/Wildcat Invitational, but the Cavaliers did have numerous athletes earn medals.
The Kiski Area girls 3,200-meter relay team of Julia Snider, Lily Murphy, Ellie Hecker and Eliza Miller placed second to Hempfield with a time of 10 minutes, 9.46 seconds at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium on a damp and rainy day. Hempfield’s time was 9:58.98.
Miller later finished fifth in the 400 dash with a time of 1:02.63.
Nyasia Chambers tied for third in the high jump, clearing 4 foot, 8 inches, and Avery Celo earned a bronze medal in the triple jump. Her best jump was 32-9 ½.
Kiski Area’s Campbell Curry placed fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 39 feet, 3 inches and the long jump, 19-8 ¾.
The Cavaliers’ Braden Mika earned a sixth-place medal in the shot put with a toss of 42-7. Bella Devito tied for sixth in the pole vault.
Jack Coleman picked up a sixth-place medal in the 300 hurdles. | 2022-04-09T02:29:03Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Strong showing for Kiski Area at Lady Spartan/Wildcat Invitational | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/strong-showing-for-kiski-area-at-lady-spartan-wildcat-invitational/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/strong-showing-for-kiski-area-at-lady-spartan-wildcat-invitational/ |
Armstrong junior Caden Olsen is the recipient of the second annual Willie Thrower Memorial Award honoring the top quarterback in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The award also honors the legacy and memory of New Kensington native Willie Thrower as the first black quarterback in professional football history. With Olsen is Willie Thrower’s son, Melvin Thrower.
Thrower made a name for himself in high school at New Kensington, leading the Red Raiders to WPIAL titles in both 1946 and ’47.
Olsen said he is humbled to receive an award honoring a man who kept working through all manners of adversity, including racism, and set an example for athletes and others to emulate to this day.
“It’s important to see and understand where (Thrower) came from and the impact he’s had on athletes’ lives throughout the years,” Olsen said. “He had to deal with so many things through segregation and other forms of racism. That was very unfortunate, but he persevered through everything and helped shape sports to where it is today.”
The vote pared down the initial 30-player nomination list – 28 from the WPIAL and two from the City League – to the five finalists.
Daniels and Whitlock were unable to attend Saturday’s banquet ceremony as they were in State College at a practice for the Big 33 Football Classic set for Memorial Day at Bishop McDevitt’s Rocco Ortenzio Stadium in Harrisburg.
But both addressed the award committee and others in attendance with prepared video messages.
Former Schenley and University of Pittsburgh Darnell Dinkins, who played eight years in the NFL, including his final one with the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints in 2009, recognized, as part of words offered to the audience, the untimely death Saturday morning of Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins in a car-pedestrian accident.
A moment of silence was observed for Haskins and also his family and friends.
“My thoughts and prayers and those of my family go out to the Haskins family who lost a great player in the quarterback brotherhood,” Melvin Thrower said.
“He wasn’t only a great player but a great person who had so much of his life left to live. Opportunity was right in front of him (with the Steelers). This is such a tragic loss. We want them to know we are with them.” | 2022-04-09T22:54:55Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Armstrong’s Olsen winner of 2nd Willie Thrower Award as top QB in Southwestern Pennsylvania | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/armstrongs-olsen-winner-of-2nd-willie-thrower-award-as-top-qb-in-southwestern-pennsylvania/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/armstrongs-olsen-winner-of-2nd-willie-thrower-award-as-top-qb-in-southwestern-pennsylvania/ |
Tom Young, the 1951 Har-Brack graduate who coached Rutgers to the NCAA Final Four in 1976, died recently in Virginia Beach, Va., at 89.
His death first was reported by his son, Tom Jr., to Rutgers.
Young played basketball at Maryland, but he interrupted his college career for a 19-month U.S. Army tour of duty in post-war Germany following the 1952-53 basketball season with the Terrapins.
He remained lifelong friends with the late Dr. Rudy Mattioli, a Har-Brack classmate and former Pitt quarterback.
After graduating from Maryland, he became the head coach at Catholic University (1958-67) and was an assistant at Maryland the following two seasons. Young went on to coach American University before landing the job at Rutgers.
In 1975-76, the Scarlet Knights went 31-0 before losing to Michigan in the NCAA semifinals. Had Rutgers won, it would have set up a final with similarly-undefeated Indiana.
But the Hoosiers defeated Michigan in the national title game.
Young’s success at Rutgers spurred the construction of the Rutgers Athletic Center, better known as “The RAC,” long a difficult venue for visiting teams.
Unhappy that Rutgers wouldn’t join the Big East Conference, Young left for Old Dominion in 1985 and coached there until 1991.
Young returned to coaching as an assistant with the NBA’s Washington Wizards from 2003-07.
His career mark as a head coach was 524-328, making the NCAA tournament six times and the NIT four times.
Young was inducted into the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 1978.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Nancy, and children Tom and Tracy, six grandchildren and one great- grandchild.
Penn Hills looking at change
Penn Hills is looking at doing away with its Indians school nickname.
The school district has called a community forum for Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the elementary building’s cafeteria where a possible name change will be discussed.
Superintendent Nancy Himes told the Tribune-Review that interest has increased because of recent moves by Washington’s and Cleveland’s professional teams changing “their mascots and associated imagery.”
The school board will listen to community and alumni members.
Shady Side Academy recently changed its mascot from Indians to Bulldogs. Seneca Valley said it will keep the nickname “Raiders” but will remove the logo related to Native American imagery.
Locally, Riverview is called the “Raiders, “but it has more to do with plunderers on the open seas than Native Americans. New Kensington High School was known as the Red Raiders, but its mascot was a fox.
Avonmore was known as the Redskins until it merged with Bell Township in 1952.
Penn Hills students have suggested the Big Red, the Red Storm and the Red Hawks, among others.
Bart homers in opener
San Francisco Giants catcher Joey Bart homered in the season opener Friday against the Florida Marlins.
He is the son of former Burrell athletic standout Tom Bart, who graduated in 1979.
Young Bart looks to finally be getting a chance behind the plate with the retirement of Buster Posey. Joey was considered a top-10 prospect as recently as two years ago.
Tom Bart was the first Burrell football player to score five touchdowns in a game in 1977.
He was the sixth man on the Bucs’ 1979 WPIAL basketball runner up, and he was drafted as a pitcher by the Pirates later that spring but opted for college ball at Miami-Dade.
The elder Bart owns several Saxby’s restaurants in the Atlanta area. | 2022-04-09T22:55:02Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Guido: Har-Brack grad, former college hoops coach Young dies | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/guido-har-brack-grad-former-college-hoops-coach-young-dies/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/guido-har-brack-grad-former-college-hoops-coach-young-dies/ |
Dianne Haney will be inducted into the A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2022.
When Dianne Haney stepped down as Kiski Area softball coach in 2014, she had completed 22 years at the helm of the Cavaliers and helped the program to 248 victories, 12 section championships, 15 playoff appearances, four undefeated regular seasons and a 1995 WPIAL runner-up finish.
She also garnered Valley News Dispatch Coach of the Year recognition in 2006.
“Being a Kiski Area graduate, it was nice to be able to go back and see the girls get the chance to play,” said Haney, who graduated from Kiski Area in May 1972, just one month before the landmark Title IX ruling opened many doors for female athletes at all levels.
Haney, a retired teacher in the Kiski Area School District, said she enjoyed her time coaching at the high school level and took with her many fond memories.
“It certainly was a tough decision to step away,” said Haney, who served as an assistant at Apollo-Ridge for five years prior to joining her alma mater.
“It was a major portion of my life. I had been coaching as an assistant or a head coach for close to 30 years.”
But Haney didn’t stop being involved with athletic endeavors at Kiski Area and throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley.
She volunteered for three years with the Kiski Area girls golf team from 2015 to 2017 and serves on the Kiski Area Sports Hall of Fame Committee as the recording secretary, a position she’s held since the organization’s inception in 2005.
Haney has been involved in athletics in some fashion for more than 50 years, and her dedication as an athlete, coach and instructor will be recognized May 21 as one of 10 inductees at the 51st Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame banquet at the New Kensington Quality Inn.
“ ‘Pretty cool’ doesn’t do it justice,” Haney said. “I was so honored to receive the call and humbled that I would be considered as an inductee. I was like, ‘Wow.’
“I’ve enjoyed all that I’ve been involved in. It was fun to keep score for the (Kiski Area) girls volleyball team at home games (for 15 years). Volunteering with the golf team after coaching softball was a blast. It was rewarding to watch someone develop as a student and an athlete and see them really come into their own and grow in worthwhile ways.”
The hall-of-fame selection helped Haney do a retrospective of all that she accomplished in athletics.
Haney was active at a young age and engaged in numerous sports and activities with her neighborhood friends.
“I always remember my grandmother telling me, ‘You can’t ever sit still,’ ” she said.
“People tell that to me to this day that I need to be doing something. It was a natural fit for me to be athletic and active.”
Her father, Edward Schwab, was a part of a group that chartered the Little League organization in Washington Township. He coached in the league and served as its president.
Haney remembers how her dad and her mother, Gerry, were involved in community activities and always encouraged her to be active and involved.
“It’s been a lifetime of involvement and service in my community,” she said.
“My parents encouraged that and were great examples with all they were involved in. Our dad had a ball in our hands before we were walking. But it wasn’t just sports. It was all kinds of things. They instilled confidence and taught us to believe in ourselves and our community and to give back.”
Haney played slowpitch softball in the Washington Township Little League from age 9 to 16, and as a sophomore at Kiski Area, she joined the girls club basketball team.
“We didn’t play many games, maybe a half dozen or a little more,” she said. “As athletic director, (Dick Dilts) did everything he could to try to get kids involved in sports and activities.”
Haney cheered for Cavalier team sports her junior and senior year and was captain of the squad as a senior.
She also participated in an AAU track meet her senior year in the high jump and sprints.
Haney continued to cheer in college at Slippery Rock and also took part in club track and field.
During the summers, she worked as a lifeguard and taught swimming with the Kiski Area summer swim program.
At the same time, Title IX was taking hold across the country.
“Of course, at that time, any girl my age who was interested in sports probably said, ‘Oh, we just missed it,’” Haney said. “But at the same time, I was like, ‘Well, finally!’ And my younger sister got to play volleyball and softball. It expanded her opportunities.”
After college, Haney played in an area adult softball league for three years and also transitioned into more coaching and instructor roles including a Special Olympics coach, a YMCA board member and a decade-long director of the Apollo Elks Hoop Shoot.
Haney served as a substitute teacher in the Apollo-Ridge School District starting in 1986.
In 1988, she began her long career in high school softball, mentoring players alongside then-Vikings coach Bob Zoldak.
She remembered fondly the coaches she worked with at Kiski Area including longtime Cavaliers assistant and colleague Bob White.
“Bob was so supportive of me throughout my years at Kiski Area,” Haney said.
“We’ve been friends since high school. He really cared for all of the players. He was such an important person in the program.”
While still early in her tenure at Kiski Area, Haney also coached two years for the Bell-Avon Little League softball program (ages 9-12). She helped guide a team, which included her daughter, Aaron, to a District 26 title.
“That was a real coup because that was only the second year that team was together,” Haney said. “We just had the right mix of kids. It was so important to me because I got to share that with my daughter.”
Aaron Haney went on to play basketball, volleyball and softball at Apollo-Ridge before graduating in 1999. She earned all-section in all three sports.
She didn’t play softball as a senior, opting to coach a Little League softball team in Apollo.
“I was so happy to see her grow and enjoy playing sports,” Haney said. “I am sure I would’ve played every season like my daughter. I’ve always felt there is a gift in athleticism.” | 2022-04-10T03:10:41Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | A-K Valley HOF inductee Haney was coach of year in 2006 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-hof-inductee-haney-was-coach-of-year-in-2006/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-hof-inductee-haney-was-coach-of-year-in-2006/ |
Courtesy of Jenna Bisegna
Deer Lakes’ Jenna Bisegna is a senior on the 2022 softball team.
Deer Lakes’ Jenna Bisegna dives back to first during a Section 1-3A softball game April 23, 2021, at Derry.
Jenna Bisegna
Deer Lakes softball
Deer Lakes’ softball team took a trip south to start the 2022 campaign.
The Lancers came home with a 0-4 record, but they worked out some kinks, gained valuable experience and built relationships and memories that will last much longer than the spring season.
Their efforts from the spring training trip paid off upon their return last week when they shut out Leechburg, 8-0, in a nonsection game.
Senior Jenna Bisegna was a catalyst for the victory, going 3 for 3 with a double to improve her average to .400. She has three doubles and four runs scored for the Lancers.
Bisegna will be counted on in many areas this season. One of the team’s leading hitters (.389) and pitchers last season, she will pitch and play outfield and first base this year, as well as bat leadoff.
“We’re expecting her to be a leader like she was last year, as we do for all the rest of the seniors,” coach Rick Cerra said. “They have a lot of experience.”
Bisegna took a few minutes after practice last week for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:
How’s the season going so far?
It’s going pretty well. The team is still working with some defensive struggles and some errors we’ve been trying to clean up. Offensively, we’ve been seeing the ball and hitting the ball really well. It’s been carrying us in games. So far, we’re pretty strong. I see a pretty good season ahead of us.
How was the trip to Myrtle Beach?
The trip was good. We didn’t get the outcome we wanted, unfortunately, but I think it was a really good learning experience on the field and a good bonding experience off the field. We got to mesh as a team and grow our relationships one on one with each other.
What was the best part?
Just spending quality time off the field with each other. We really got to learn about how our chemistry is off the field that will help us translate to on-the-field chemistry. That will help us have those plays that we’ll be there for each other.
What was the traveling like?
The bus ride was pretty long, like 10-101/2 hours both ways. It wasn’t bad. We got to catch up on some sleep and get some school work done.
Being one of the varsity pitchers since I was a freshman, I had to really adjust to that quickly being that team leader on the spot. I think I’m always looking to stay upbeat and positive during the games. If I’m struggling, I know the girls will be there to pick me up, which is a great feeling. I’m always going to be there for the girls. No matter what happens, no matter what errors or how you do at the plate, I’ll always be there to pick you up.
What kind of goals do you have for yourself and the team?
For myself, just being the best pitcher I can be for my team, knowing my abilities and not overdoing it, knowing I have other girls on the team that can help me. For the team, just playing our best and giving our all. Hopefully, we can take a section title and possibly make a run for WPIALs and states.
I started playing softball around 6 or 7 years old. Originally, I wanted to be a tennis player. I broke my arm and saw the softball signs for rec ball. I tried out and fell in love with the sport. I’ve been playing travel almost all my life. It’s really molded me into who I am today as a person and athlete. I honestly couldn’t see myself without playing softball. It’s been a big part of my life.
Do you have plans for next fall?
I’m going to Purdue University. I’m going to dual major in psychology and kinesiology. I really love how the brain works. I took an intro to psychology class and thought it was really cool. It’s interesting to learn how the brain functions. Also how the body works with kinesiology. Ultimately, I want to be a sports psychologist. I’m going to study and see how it goes from there.
Are you involved in any other activities at Deer Lakes?
I’m a part of the Stand Together club, which is a mental health awareness club and advocacy. I’m also part of the hope squad, which is a suicide prevention and awareness club. I did cheerleading this past fall and winter for the first time, and I’ve also run cross country and played basketball in my high school career.
I am very hard on myself. Even when I do good, I still try to find ways to improve my game. If I’m struggling, what can I do to help my team? I’m always trying to have the producing factor for my team. | 2022-04-11T19:20:23Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | A-K Valley senior spotlight: Deer Lakes’ Jenna Bisegna | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-senior-spotlight-deer-lakes-jenna-bisegna/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-senior-spotlight-deer-lakes-jenna-bisegna/ |
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Laura Kondas
Laura Kondas
Greensburg Central Catholic softball
It’s easy to forget covid knocked out the entirety of 2020 high school spring sports season.
This was especially tough for Greensburg Central Catholic’s softball team, which seemed to have turned a corner in 2019.
Despite the year off, the Centurions finished second in their section in 2021, behind the eventual PIAA runner-up, West Greene.
They also claimed their first WPIAL playoff win since 2015.
“It was really cool to see how far we had come last year because we skipped my sophomore year,” senior outfielder Laura Kondas said.
Kondas has been an outfielder her entire softball career but could be getting some infield work for the first time this spring.
Versatility is something that is important to not only Kondas but the team as a whole.
“Bailey Kuhns and Grace Kindel, they both are great infielders, but then when they need to go to the outfield, they are both (good) center fielders,” Kondas said.
Kondas is also versatile when it comes to playing multiple sports.
In the winter, Kondas is a part of a successful Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball program.
Kondas is going to Drexel University with an intended major of business marketing. She’s also thinking about a minor in psychology.
At the start of her senior softball season, Kondas took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:
I played for a while when I was younger, and then at the beginning of freshman year, my one friend was really big on softball, so I decided to play. I knew the coaches, so I decided to stay with them to see what it was like.
I would like to see the team itself grow in general. There’s a good bit of new girls on the team this year that are going to need to be prepared for next year when the seniors aren’t there. I feel like the seniors on this team are big leaders. I’m excited to see a change in some of the younger girls. All the younger girls on the team are great athletes, they’re great players and I just can’t wait to see how they grow throughout this year and how they gain confidence throughout it. I hope for myself that I can continue to gain confidence for the sport as the season goes on. I get very into the games when I’m there, so I’d just like to be able to contribute in ways, and I don’t feel like I have enough confidence to do that as much as I wish right now. I just want to be able to build that for myself.
Probably hitting. I will admit, though, I definitely freak myself out when I get in the box. But whenever I get a good, solid hit, things happen. I remember when I was a freshman, I didn’t get much time in the field. They put me in one game, and the first time I batted in a game, I hit a triple. Ever since then, they’ve tried to rely on my hitting. I haven’t gotten a chance to do super well in that so far, but I hope that I gain more confidence with it, so I show what I can do in the box this year.
Probably nervousness when I get in the box. Hitting’s my biggest strength, but how scared and freaked out I get in the box is probably my biggest weakness. I have it in my head that I need to hit the ball, and then I freak myself out, because if I swing and miss at one, then I do it for the rest. I need to work on not worrying about the first pitch and moving onto the second one.
How has it been, being on two successful teams in high school?
I feel like, especially in basketball this season, it was really cool to see our team come together. We have a lot of seniors, and all those seniors have been playing since middle school. I feel like having that many seniors, it’s hard as underclassmen to feel like you have a place. That showed to be a bit of an issue throughout the season. I feel like towards the end of the season, they started to mature a little bit. Mya Morgan is a sophomore who is our second-highest scorer and rebounder. From freshman year to now, she has just matured so much. It’s nice to see that, so before we’re leaving, we have mature players on the team that will help it progress in future years.
For softball, I feel like we had this losing (reputation). People would say, “Oh, that’s just a team that Central has.” Then we finally started winning and people weren’t expecting it, and it’s just nice to surprise people. I feel like nobody expected it for the longest time, and now we’re almost beating West Greene, we’re playing teams down in Myrtle that beat West Greene when they were in Myrtle. I feel like we have the ability to go very far, and people expect it from us, but not as much as other teams.
The fact that I’m going to school in the city. I love the city, and I want to live there for the rest of my life.
Tags: Greensburg C.C. | 2022-04-11T19:20:35Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Greensburg Central Catholic’s Laura Kondas | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-county-senior-spotlight-greensburg-central-catholics-laura-kondas/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-county-senior-spotlight-greensburg-central-catholics-laura-kondas/ |
Mars is poised to hire football coach Eric Kasperowicz, bringing the two-time state championship winning coach back to the WPIAL a year after his ouster at Pine-Richland.
He is the recommended candidate to be hired pending Mars school board approval Tuesday night, according to the meeting agenda.
He worked last fall as a volunteer assistant coach at Pitt, his college alma mater.
Mars was long-rumored as a possible landing spot for Kasperowicz if he returned to coaching high school football, in part because he already had roots in the district. It became an option when the Mars school board in January voted to accept applications for its head coaching job, ending Scott Heinauer’s 30-year tenure with the Planets.
Heinauer, who did not reapply, will remain athletic director. He won more than 200 games at Mars since 1992, but the Planets are coming off a down year.
Kasperowicz attempted a return to Pine-Richland this winter when the Rams’ coaching job came open again. He dropped a defamation lawsuit against the school district and reapplied for the job, but Pine-Richland instead hired former Penn Hills coach Jon LeDonne in February.
Kasperowicz’s son, Eric Jr., was a freshman quarterback at Pine-Richland last fall. The family also owns property in the Mars school district and they previously lived there.
Pine-Richland went 11-0 and won WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A titles in 2020, Kasperowicz’s final season with the Rams. However, his coaching tenure there ended in controversy a few months later when the school district conducted an investigation into allegations of hazing and bullying. As a result of the investigation, his contract was not renewed last spring.
Kasperowicz denied the allegations and filed a lawsuit against the Pine-Richland school district and several top officials claiming they damaged his reputation. He dropped that lawsuit in January when he hoped to be rehired at Pine-Richland.
As coach, he led the Rams to WPIAL titles in 2014, ’17, ’18 and ’20, along with two state titles in 2017 and ’20. They were state runners-up in 2014.
As Mars’ coach, Kasperowicz would take over a program searching for its first WPIAL title. The Planets were WPIAL runners-up in 1996 and 2002. The team went 72-35 over the past decade with nine playoff appearances. | 2022-04-12T01:45:18Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Football coach Eric Kasperowicz poised to make WPIAL return at Mars | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/football-coach-eric-kasperowicz-poised-to-make-wpial-return-at-mars/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/football-coach-eric-kasperowicz-poised-to-make-wpial-return-at-mars/ |
Highlands tennis team looks to return to WPIAL playoffs
Tyler Kirin has a coaching philosophy that goes beyond wins and losses. It’s deeper than points on the court, but the principles work hand-in-hand with winning, both in tennis and in life.
“I’m really proud of the young men we have, and I’m proud of the effort they put in,” said Kirin, who early this season earned his 100th win as Highlands’ boys tennis coach. “They just love to play the game. That’s my No. 1 goal of being a coach. I just want them to have an appreciation and desire to play the game when they don’t need to or when they’re not winning.
“They’ve been great sports, respectful to opponents, very competitive. Their skills have developed quite a bit. They’re gentlemen. We want to be a great team, but we want to be good human beings first and foremost.”
With a foundation of life lessons in place, the Golden Rams have started the season 3-3 with wins over Knoch, St. Joseph and Burrell and losses to Valley, Mars and Kiski Area.
Sophomore Sam Norris, senior Richard Ratliff and junior Luke Vunora have made up the singles lineup.
Seniors Ronald Ratliff and Daniel Babinsack have been competing at No. 1 doubles.
Seniors Seth Gorney, Xander Vivirito and Jake Peters, and juniors Garrett Frost, Mike Imler and Logan Lott have been part of the other doubles pairing.
Gorney, a former baseball player, has added athleticism to the team in his first year, Kirin said.
“He’s got that competitive fire in him from Day 1,” Kirin said. “He’s just tried to get better. He’s very coachable.”
In a 3-2 loss to Kiski Area on Monday, Norris won at No. 1 singles, and Ronald Ratliff and Babinsack won at No. 1 doubles.
Richard Ratliff has experience at the section singles tournament and also competed at section doubles a year ago, as did Norris.
The Section 3-2A singles tournament is set for Wednesday and Thursday. Section doubles will be April 19-20.
“It’s important to recognize that our section is loaded,” Kirin said. “We have a very talented group of coaches and a very talented group of individual competitors. My expectation for the singles tournament is its going to be one that could go any number of ways. It depends on who gets what draw and how that plays out through the progression of the tournament.
“I love how my kids match up with the other players in the section. They’ve very athletic. They’ve very intelligent. They think the game through very well, and they have a lot of drive.”
Highlands is joined in Section 3 by Burrell, Indiana, Knoch, North Catholic, St. Joseph, Springdale and Valley. The Vikings won the section title a year ago and are again a favorite with North Catholic. Both reached the WPIAL final four last year. Highlands reached the WPIAL playoffs as the No. 9 seed and defeated Beaver in the first round before falling to eventual champion Quaker Valley in the quarterfinals.
“Our goals in terms of win-loss is always to make the playoffs,” said Kirin, who is assisted by Vaughn Hunkele.
“That’s a bar we’ve been fortunate to hit every year the past couple of years. I want them to develop a respect for the game and love for the game. It’s my feeling that if they know how to play well and play after high school I’ve won.” | 2022-04-12T18:44:31Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Highlands tennis team looks to return to WPIAL playoffs | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/highlands-tennis-team-looks-to-return-to-wpial-playoffs/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/highlands-tennis-team-looks-to-return-to-wpial-playoffs/ |
Latrobe hurdler Campbell has eye on state meet after quick start to season
Latrobe’s Brennan Campbell won the 110-meter hurdles during the Wildcat Invitational on April 8 at Memorial Stadium.
For Latrobe senior Brennan Campbell, it’s time to shine.
That’s what he did April 8 at the annual Lady Spartan/Wildcat Invitational at Latrobe Memorial Stadium.
Campbell breezed to wins in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, a good start to his final season. He repeated his titles at the invitational and bettered his times.
While Campbell is proud of his accomplishment, his motivation is just missing earning a berth in the state meet. He finished fifth in the 110 hurdles and missed by less than a second of reaching the qualifying time.
The top four finishers received automatic berths to the state tournament. Those who finished in the top eight and met a pre-determined qualifying time also made it.
Campbell ran 15.23 seconds in the preliminaries, which made the qualifying standard, but he ran 15.36 seconds in the final, which did not meet qualifying standard.
“I had a pretty good run in the preliminaries,” Campbell said. “But I came out hot in the finals, which is unusual for me, and I ended up hitting four or five hurdles and just missed qualifying. It was definitely frustrating.
“It was one of the things I couldn’t stop thinking about. It keeps me going at practice, and it motivates me.”
At the invitational he ran a 15.52 in the 110 hurdles and 42.0 in the 300. Both times were faster than his runs (16.03 and 42.37) in 2021.
“Winning the invitational again was pretty good,” Campbell said. “It showed improvement. I ran faster at this time that I did last year. I still have work to do.”
Campbell also runs the lead leg of the 1,600-meter relay team along with Noah Pittman, Matt McCreery and Tyler Mondock. He also will run the anchor leg — if needed — on the 400 relay team.
“Running the relay teaches you to be aggressive from the start,” Campbell said. “Because of the staggered start, it forces you to run as fast as you can.
“Running the relays help you prepare for my individual events. The 1,600 relay and running the 400 in the race helps your endurance. The 400 relay helps improve your power.”
Campbell said he isn’t sure if he will catch Jeff Elam, who owns the school record in the hurdles.
“I’m within .7 seconds in the 110 hurdles and a few seconds behind him in the 300,” Campbell said. “When I run, I always feel like I’m chasing Jeff.”
Campbell’s goals are simple: qualify for the WPIALs again and see how high he gets on the podium.
“The main goal is to make to states,” Campbell said.
• Track and field notebook: Riverview athletes excel at Bedford meet | 2022-04-13T00:35:03Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Latrobe hurdler Campbell has eye on state meet after quick start to season | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/latrobe-hurdler-campbell-has-eye-on-state-meet-after-quick-start-to-season/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/latrobe-hurdler-campbell-has-eye-on-state-meet-after-quick-start-to-season/ |
Deer Lakes’ Reese Hasley is a senior member of the Lancers’ softball team.
Tia Germanich is a sophomore on the Deer Lakes softball team.
Early last season, Deer Lakes suffered a 6-3 loss to Valley, and that ended up playing a big part in costing the Lancers a share of the Section 1-3A championship.
North Catholic and Deer Lakes ended up splitting their season series, but the Trojans won the title outright with a 9-1 record to the Lancers’ 8-2 mark.
Deer Lakes has its sights focused on a section title this spring, and making sure it started the section slate off on the right foot against Valley on April 4 was a part of the plan.
The Vikings were no match for the pitching of sophomore Maddie Kee (three hits allowed, seven strikeouts) and an offense that produced nine hits to earn a 7-0 victory.
“I think we are showing now that we are a solid team up and down the lineup,” said junior Shayne Cerra, who went 2 for 3 with a double against Valley and joined senior Reese Hasley at the top with .480 averages through Monday’s 16-1 rout of section foe Derry. “The thing about this team is you can count on every single one of these girls.
“We’re not always looking for home runs. We’ll take singles. We just want to get on base and score runs. That wins us games, and that has really helped us in recent games. Everyone feeds off each other, and that’s what we want.”
Senior Anna Bokulich, who shared a .417 batting average with junior Delanie Kaiser over eight games, doubled in the game with Valley, and sophomore Tia Germanich knocked in a pair of runs.
Deer Lakes started to turn around its 0-4 start to the season, which included a trio of tough losses at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with an 8-0 shutout of perennial Class A power Leechburg on March 30.
The Lancers put up 17 runs through six innings of a section matchup with Shady Side Academy on April 6. The game was suspended because of time constraints with field rental and is scheduled to be completed April 25 before the teams’ section rematch.
Deer Lakes pounded out 12 hits in Monday’s four-inning section victory over Derry.
Hasley was the hitting star with a double, a triple and four RBIs, and Germanich singled twice and collected three RBIs. Bokulich added two hits and two RBIs, and Kee helped herself with a double and two RBIs.
Kee didn’t allow a hit and struck out seven in her four innings.
“Down south in Myrtle Beach, we just weren’t stringing the hits together like I know we can,” Hasley said. “To see that finally coming around, especially with starting section play, that’s a good feeling. In one inning Monday, we batted around, and we scored eight runs. Everyone was getting on base. You don’t see that every day.”
Coach Rick Cerra said Kee has made the most of her opportunity as a starter. In 31 1/3 innings of work heading into Wednesday’s matchup with North Catholic, Kee fashioned a 1.35 ERA (six earned runs) and gave up 21 hits and 15 walks while striking out 42.
“Last season, Maddie was more in a backup role,” coach Cerra said. “I saw what she was capable of, but we felt she just needed to mature a little bit more. I knew coming in this year that she could make an impact in the circle. She also has Jenna Bisegna, as a senior, there as a mentor. It’s just a really good situation.”
Bisegna remains in the pitching mix, and she also has helped with a .325 batting average.
Deer Lakes headed south for the first time since 2019 when the current seniors were freshmen. That year, the Lancers went 0-5 at the Ripken Experience, but they came back north and reeled off seven wins in eight games en route to a 7-3 mark in section play and a trip to the WPIAL playoffs.
“It was a great bonding experience for us,” Shayne Cerra said. “The seniors had done it before, so they were great in helping us come together and making sure everyone took advantage of the opportunity. Also, on the field, it really helped us find out a lot about ourselves. We didn’t get the wins we wanted, but we were able to find out who works well where and how we are able to work together.” | 2022-04-14T01:58:20Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Deer Lakes softball team off to good start in pursuit of section title | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/deer-lakes-softball-team-off-to-good-start-in-pursuit-of-section-title/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/deer-lakes-softball-team-off-to-good-start-in-pursuit-of-section-title/ |
After stints of 28 and eight years as head coach of the Washington boys basketball program, Ron Faust, one of the most successful coaches in WPIAL history, has stepped down again.
Only this time, it’s for good.
“This is definitely a retirement more than a resignation,” Faust said. “As this season progressed, I realized that it was time to devote more time to my seven grandchildren and their activities, which range from various athletic events to piano recitals. For years, they have been fans at my games and it is now time to be their fan.”
Faust walks away as the ninth winningest coach in WPIAL history, finishing with record of 653-241 and 22 section crowns.
“The first WPIAL and PIAA championships in 1984 were special because they were totally unexpected,” Faust said. “We had won section titles, but we came out of nowhere to reach those heights. This also let other athletes in our school know that these things are possible. It wasn’t long before PIAA football and baseball championships followed.”
Washington defeated Wilkinsburg, 57-54, in the district finals, and then edged Delone Catholic, 45-43, in the 2A state title game.
That 1984 season was also the start of the 52-game winning streak that tied the longest mark in WPIAL with the mid-60s Uniontown program. That record stood until this year when Our Lady of the Sacred Heart shattered the record and currently has a state-tying 68 game win streak.
“The teams that compiled the 52-game streak were certainly special,” Faust said. “There were no individual stars, just players who played their roles on a nightly basis. They were all coachable and hungry to get better. It was a pleasure to sit on their bench and watch they perform.”
Faust’s basketball success continued with three more WPIAL championships and a PIAA title run through the 1990 season.
• 1985 WPIAL finals: Washington 69, Springdale 60
• 1986 WPIAL finals: Washington 90, Neshannock 62
• 1986 PIAA finals: Washington 68, Wilkes-Barre GAR 50
• 1990 WPIAL finals: Washington 76, New Brighton 63
“These are certainly all great memories that generated great pride in our school and community,” Faust said. “It also formed life-long friendships in our players. We experienced success that only we shared.”
Faust and his Little Prexies came up big on the grandest stages. His all-time record in district and state championship games was a perfect 6-0.
“To participate in four WPIAL and two PIAA championships and come away with victories in each speaks for itself,” Faust said. “Champions perform when presented with the opportunity.”
Faust began his Wash High head coaching career in 1981. He then retired in 2010. However, four years later, he was back for a second stint as bench boss.
“When I returned to coach in 2014, I had no idea for how long or that I would be (coaching) for another eight years,” Faust said. “But, once a coach, always a coach.”
The Washington School Board accepted Faust’s resignation Monday night. The board will begin a search for his replacement immediately. | 2022-04-14T01:58:30Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Washington’s Ron Faust, one of WPIAL’s most successful basketball coaches, retires | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/washingtons-ron-faust-one-of-wpials-most-successful-basketball-coaches-retires/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/washingtons-ron-faust-one-of-wpials-most-successful-basketball-coaches-retires/ |
WPIAL executive director, Amy Scheuneman, speaks to student athletes on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021 during the WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.
WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman is resigning at the end of this school year, according to an email she sent Thursday morning to athletic directors.
Scheuneman, who became the WPIAL’s top administrator two years ago in the midst of a pandemic, said she’s stepping down June 1 to accept an undisclosed position elsewhere. She said her new position would be announced Monday.
“It would be fair to say that interscholastic athletics in Pennsylvania has been my life for the past 20 years,” Scheuneman said in her email, “but it would be impossible to explain how much the people, the league and the institution of interscholastic athletics as a whole have meant to me. I have garnered friendships that have lasted far past employment locations and relationships that will continue long past this day.
“To each of you with whom I have been in contact with, I hope to have treated you with respect and made you feel heard and known. I hope to have shown others that leading by example with hard work, composure, collaboration, passion and empathy will foster a lifetime of success.”
A Plum native and Robert Morris graduate, Scheuneman is a former athletic director at Avonworth (2003-06), Bethel Park (2006-16) and North Hills (2016-19). She served as a member of the WPIAL board of directors before joining the league’s administration in July 2019 as Tim O’Malley’s eventual successor.
She became the league’s first female executive director and the fourth person to hold the position full-time following Charles “Ace” Heberling (1976-97), Larry Hanley (1997-06) and O’Malley (2006-20).
During her tenure, Scheuneman was the driving force to create the WPIAL Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council, which has guided the board during a time of heightened focus on social justice.
She took over a league that played some championships at marquee venues, but she made it a priority to hold all WPIAL finals at premier facilities, including those for volleyball, tennis and field hockey.
Additionally, she formed a relationship with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to organize a league-wide food drive, and partnered with the Special Olympics in support of the “We Finish Together” initiative.
She also was instrumental in the WPIAL embracing social media with the addition of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.
“I am truly grateful for the trust and confidence the WPIAL board of directors has in me,” she said. “Interscholastic athletics will always be near and dear to my heart, but I have run this race for 20 years, and it is time to begin a new chapter and a new race in my life.” | 2022-04-14T16:38:24Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Amy Scheuneman resigning as WPIAL executive director after spring sports championships | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/amy-scheuneman-resigning-as-wpial-executive-director-after-spring-sports-championships/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/amy-scheuneman-resigning-as-wpial-executive-director-after-spring-sports-championships/ |
His team bouncing into the TribLive HSSN rankings for the first time this season, Derry baseball coach John Flickinger is excited but far from content.
The last thing he wants is for the Trojans to get comfortable at the No. 4 spot in WPIAL Class 4A.
The Trojans moved to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in Section 3 with a two-game split against Mt. Pleasant.
“It’s so early in the season that we don’t relish in anything,” Flickinger said. “I remind them every day how each day, each game is different and that we have so much improving to do. Our section has so much parity that you can be on top and quickly sink if you take anyone for granted.
“When the regular season ends, you can look at the standings and see whether those improvements paid off.”
Last spring, Derry won its first section title since 1992 and won its first playoff game since 2005.
A healthy Ryan Hood has given the team a cornerstone around which to rally. Hood, a senior pitcher, is healthy again after an injury a few years ago.
“His presence on the mound gives the team a sense of confidence knowing their ace is out there,” Flickinger said, “and if we do the little things behind him, we will always be in the game.”
Flickinger said leadership from upperclassmen has been a key.
“We lost a solid group of seniors from last year’s team, but we had some returning lettermen that needed to step up,” he said. “So far, they have. They have taken our younger talented players and are helping them get accustomed to the varsity level. It’s been fun to watch the chemistry build.”
Hood was 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA, 31 strikeouts and three walks, and he also was batting .533 with seven RBIs.
Senior Nick Thomas had a .538 average with three doubles and seven RBIs, junior Antonio Hauser was hitting .500 with six runs and sophomore Roman Fridley had a .462 average and six RBIs.
“This group has fed off of what last year’s group accomplished,” Flickinger said. “That’s program building. This group wants to keep it going and have another chance at a postseason run, but they realize there is a lot of baseball to be played in a short period of time and nothing is handed to you.”
Ranking ’em
Norwin is back in the TribLive HSSN Class 6A rankings.
The Knights went from unranked to occupying the No. 4 spot.
Derry also has vaulted into the top five, taking the No. 4 spot in Class 4A.
Franklin Regional was No. 5 in Class 5A, but the Panthers dropped a pair of Section 1 games this week to Latrobe.
Greensburg Central Catholic fell from No. 2 to 5 in Class A.
Penn-Trafford and Gateway had to suspend play Monday when rain plagued their Section 1-5A game.
The game was scoreless.
When the teams returned Tuesday to drier conditions, the offense came in waves.
Gateway erupted for five runs in the sixth inning on the way to a 6-3 victory.
Jeannette has been feast or famine so far. The Jayhawks lost 16-5 to Yough and 10-0 to Shady Side Academy. But they took care of Sto-Rox, 19-1, as Gavin Holemeyer tossed a three-inning no-hitter.
The Jayhawks followed with a 17-0 win over Sto-Rox as Holemeyer drove in five more and Michael Mason contributed to another no-hit effort from the mound.
Tags: Derry Area, Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, Norwin, Penn-Trafford | 2022-04-15T03:05:13Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Westmoreland H.S. baseball notebook: Derry not getting comfortable | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-h-s-baseball-notebook-derry-not-getting-comfortable/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-h-s-baseball-notebook-derry-not-getting-comfortable/ |
Richard Kirston will be inducted into the A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2022.
Rich Kriston is recognized as one of the best heavyweights in the storied history of the Fox Chapel wrestling program.
Kirston won three consecutive section titles from 1970-72 and was the first of 25 section champions at Fox Chapel in the ’70s.
After two years of covid-related postponements, Kriston, who died in 2013 at age 58, will be honored May 21 as one of 10 inductees at the 51st Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame banquet at the New Kensington Quality Inn.
“Rich was one of the top athletes ever at Fox Chapel and was an even better person,” said Ron Frank, former FC wrestling coach who now acts as a volunteer assistant with his son, Michael. “He was inducted in the Fox Chapel Sports Hall of Fame as one of our first inductees.”
Frank has seen more than his share of great athletes at Fox Chapel. He is a long-time executive committee member of the Fox Chapel Area School District Sports Hall of Fame, and he ranked third in the WPIAL in wins when he retired after 38 years as FC’s wrestling coach.
He has served as president of the WPIAL Wrestling Coaches Association and on the executive committee of the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association.
His wrestlers have competed for Maryland, Pitt, Duquesne, Navy, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pitt-Johnstown, Gannon and Arizona State, and he has coached athletes who have become doctors, Peace Corps volunteers, Army officers, neurosurgeons, and one who became a monk.
As such, Frank understands the place Kriston and his competitive spirit hold in Fox Chapel athletics history.
“Inducting Rich into the A-K Hall of Fame is certainly long overdue,” Frank said. “This tremendous honor recognizes the tremendous impact that Rich had on Fox Chapel athletics in three sports, and his excellence as a multi-year starting linebacker at Penn State.”
Fox Chapel never had a winning season in football until Kriston played for the Foxes from 1969-71. He ended his playing days at Fox Chapel holding career records in rushing at 3,125 yards and touchdowns with 45, along with winning the three section titles on the mat.
Kriston lettered in football, wrestling and baseball each year in high school and led the baseball team to a section championship in 1972.
As a Penn State linebacker, Kriston played in the 1973 Orange, 1974 Cotton and 1975 Sugar bowls.
“Gil Damico, our athletic director for three decades, always said Rich was the best athlete he ever saw at Fox Chapel,” Frank said. “I started at Fox Chapel when Rich was already playing at Penn State. I watched him start at middle linebacker for multiple seasons.
“Rich student-taught at Dorseyville Junior High and helped coach football for multiple years. When I became Central Catholic’s wrestling coach (for one season) in 1979, Rich agreed to join me as an assistant coach.”
Kriston later was hired as athletic director at Pine-Richland.
He was a member of the distinguished Fox Chapel Area School District’s Sports Hall of Fame class of 1977, gaining HOF entrance with Ed Boyle, Frank Christy, Frank Fuhrer III, Gary Nelson, Leo Wisniewski and Michelle Michanowicz-Thompson.
He will be joined in induction to the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame by Chris Como, Jeff Cortileso, Harry “Shorty” Crytzer, Robert Foster, Dianne Haney, Frank Phelps, Terry Preece, Lizzie Suwala Shaeffer and Bobby White.
What: 51st induction banquet
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 21
Where: Quality Inn, New Kensington | 2022-04-16T19:18:42Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame inductee was top Fox Chapel wrestler before PSU football career | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-sports-hall-of-fame-inductee-was-top-fox-chapel-wrestler-before-psu-football-career/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-sports-hall-of-fame-inductee-was-top-fox-chapel-wrestler-before-psu-football-career/ |
Hampton boys tennis coach Grant McKinney peeked outside on a wintry Monday in late March and figured practice was a long shot.
“It was really cold, and it was snowing,” McKinney said. “I texted the guys and said, ‘We may not have a chance to practice.’ Both Ethen and the assistant captain got back to me and said, ‘No. We want to practice.’”
Spurred by senior captain Ethen Oh and sophomore Hayden List, the Talbots braved the elements for that March 28 workout with temperatures in the mid-20s.
“It was so cold and so windy,” McKinney said. “But they started playing this game and Ethen got really into it and started cheering all the guys on. We ended up having a really energetic practice. I don’t know how helpful it was in terms of skill development, but it was one of those neat team moments.”
Oh, the lone senior on the roster, is having a neat final season. The Talbots’ No. 1 singles player, he survived a pair of close matches at the Section 4-AA singles tournament April 6 to advance to the WPIAL championships for the first time.
Seeded No. 4, Oh escape with an 11-9 win over No. 13 seed Brandon Boxendell of McGuffey in the first round and then edged No. 5 Lukas Prepelka of Carlynton, 10-7, in the quarterfinals to clinch a top-four finish in the section and secure a berth to the WPIAL championships.
“That was super fun,” said Oh, who lost to Quaker Valley’s Mike Sirianni, 6-1, 6-1, in the section semifinals. “My first match and my second match were both very close. It was a lot of fun, and it is just super gratifying to at least go (to WPIALs) once during my high school career.”
Oh, seeded No. 13, fell to No. 4 Josh Dunham of Mars, 10-1, in the first round of the 16-man WPIAL Class 2A singles tournament April 12 at North Allegheny.
“I’m just really pleased for him,” McKinney said. “He waited for a couple of years (to reach WPIALs) and really wanted it.”
Oh, a member of Hampton’s two-time WPIAL Class 2A swimming championship team, has helped lead the youthful Talbots to the brink of playoffs. Hampton entered the week of April 11 needing one more section win to clinch a WPIAL postseason berth for the second consecutive year despite fielding a varsity roster comprised of one senior, five sophomores and a freshman.
Sophomore Vitaliy Pikalo, who reached the section singles quarterfinals, is playing No. 2 singles and sophomore Ben LaRusse, who missed last season with a shoulder injury, is at No. 3 singles. List and sophomore Matthew Mason form the No. 1 doubles team, and sophomore Justin Rothenberg and freshman J.J. Edwards hold down No. 2 doubles.
The top alternates are junior Luke Proviano and sophomore Brandon Pascucci.
“I think we are doing well,” said Oh, who will attend Carnegie Mellon. “We are definitely playing well.
“I think all of our players are ready and very determined to go out and win and fight for each point. I feel very confident in our abilities.”
Pikalo has been one of the surprises for the Talbots, who own 5-0 victories over Keystone Oaks, McGuffey and Seton-LaSalle in their new-look section. Pikalo played junior varsity as a freshman before a strong summer catapulted him to the No. 2 singles spot.
“He worked an insane number of hours over the summer and offseason to get better,” said McKinney, in his 13th season. “Pretty much anytime you went out to the courts in the summer, he was there.”
The Talbots, meanwhile, found themselves in a new spot.
Last fall, they were moved from Section 3-2A, consisting of mainly Northern suburb schools, into a geographically spread-out section that includes a 48-mile trip to McGuffey, about 11 miles from the West Virginia border. The WPIAL made the move because the number of teams in the sections was unbalanced and there were questions about whether Washington would be able to field a boys team.
“It is very strange,” McKinney said. “… (The sections) just didn’t line up. I never got an explanation. So I guess the WPIAL made the decision that they needed to move us to help balance out the sections. Next year we will be moving yet again. It’s a bit odd.”
Said Oh, “It’s always challenging to move into a new section. It’s an unknown. It’s kind of weird going into the section just not knowing anything because it is brand new. It is fun though. The only bad part is we’ve got the long bus ride to away matches.”
Aside from some long road trips, the Talbots also are playing a demanding nonsection schedule that includes Class 3A programs Peters Township, Franklin Regional, Upper St. Clair and Chartiers Valley.
“It gives us an idea of what a really good team looks like,” McKinney said. “I think that’s helpful for my team to see, especially these young players.” | 2022-04-16T19:18:48Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | After cold start, Hampton boys tennis team warming up | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/after-cold-start-hampton-boys-tennis-team-warming-up/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/after-cold-start-hampton-boys-tennis-team-warming-up/ |
Franklin Regional junior Sierra Todero is a member of the 2022 track and field team.
There is nothing like following in your sister’s footsteps.
That’s what Franklin Regional junior Sierra Todero is doing.
Todero recently won the triple jump title at the Lady Spartan/Wildcat Invitational on April 8 at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium with a jump of 34 feet, 3 inches.
And if things go as she plans, she’ll try to duplicate what her sister, Rayna, did a year ago at the WPIAL meet.
Last year, she watched her sister win the Class 3A title with a jump of 37-10 1/2. Todero placed eighth in the finals but did not advance to the PIAA championships in Shippensburg.
Her plan is to continue the family tradition.
“That’s the goal,” Sierra Todero said. “Qualify for WPIALs and make it to states. I just missed a year ago.
“I’m looking for a 36-6 this season. My personal record is 35-10. I definitely can jump further.”
Todero also competed in the long jump. She placed eighth at the invitational with a jump of 15-1 on a cold, windy and rainy day.
“If I want to make the WPIALs and qualify for states, I have to continue practicing and working hard,” she said.
Todero said she doesn’t know what got her and her sister into the triple jump.
“Rayna started and I followed,” Todero said. “It’s a sport I enjoy.”
Rayna Todero is now running track at Robert Morris.
Sierra Todero competes in other events for the Panthers. She runs the 100 and runs the anchor leg on the 400-meter relay team.
“She is great,” Franklin Regional coach Bob Ralston said. “She does a lot of things for us. She takes control of the jump pits, and then she gets on the track and steps up.”
She qualified for WPIALs in both jumping events last year. Her best long jump is 16-7 and her best triple jump is 35-10 in a meet against Penn Hills earlier this season.
“She is the main point-getter for the team,” Ralston said. “She helps the team out a lot. I think she’ll jump further than she ever has.
“She earned a medal last year. I know her goal is to get in the top four and get into the state meet. Her and her sister have great speed. They work hard and get it done.” | 2022-04-16T19:19:00Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Franklin Regional’s Sierra Todero looks to follow her sister’s path to state meet | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/franklin-regionals-sierra-todero-looks-to-follow-her-sisters-path-to-state-meet/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/franklin-regionals-sierra-todero-looks-to-follow-her-sisters-path-to-state-meet/ |
George Guido: Shot clock would fix game that isn’t broken
A technician adjusts a shot clock during a college basketball game between Cal and Louisville in 2010.
The PIAA has delayed a final decision on the whether to use a shot clock in high school basketball until at least the 2024-25 season.
That’s when the next two-year enrollment cycle begins.
In the interim, the PIAA plans to survey member schools to see what they think.
The National Federation of State High School Associations voted for the first time to allow shot clocks after saying for years that the game is good, why change it?
An informal survey of Pennsylvania high school coaches taken recently showed support for shot clocks — but it was only a small sample size.
With a shot clock, shooting will be at a premium, especially in situations where the shot clock is set to expire. Implementing a shot clock will favor the private schools. All they need to do is bring in a skilled shooter, where the public schools have to hope to develop a good shooter within their geographic boundaries.
Implementing a shot clock is more involved than just an athletic department snapping its fingers. A clock would have to be purchased. Coaches who favor shot clocks say they cost around $2,000 to $3,000. Coaches dubious about shot clocks say it’s more in the $9,000 to $10,000 range.
I’m still working on buying a new lawn mower for my yard, so I haven’t checked out shot clocks.
Gateway and Shady Side Academy are among schools that have installed shot clocks, perhaps getting ready for the inevitable. The PIAA survey will conclude May 3.
One thing is certain: Schools would have to hire another person to operate the shot clock during games. Schools with small scorers tables like Leechburg, Burrell and Riverview would have to expand their tables.
Those who favor shot clocks are often from teams that are behind at the end of games. A team in the lead will try to hold the ball, but how many players are skilled enough to hold the ball for any length of time? Yes, you get superb ballhandlers like Dickie DeVenzio, B.B. Flenory and Sean Miller every so often. But by and large, the team behind can often regain possession via turnovers or missed foul shots.
High school basketball is a great game. Why mess with it?
Population slide continues
The Arbitron radio ratings regarding population areas are out following the 2020 census, and the news for the Pittsburgh region isn’t good.
Our metropolitan area has dropped from the 23rd largest radio market in the country to 30th.
As if that isn’t bad enough, Pittsburgh is now behind places like Riverside-San Bernadino, Calif. (25th) in market size.
What does all that mean for outlets that carry high school sports? While it doesn’t affect Trib HSSN because it can go around the planet on the internet, over-the-air radio stations that cover games won’t be able to charge advertisers as much because of the population drop.
Here’s something else to think about: In WPIAL softball for the 2023 and ’24 seasons, the largest Class A school, South Side, will have just 95 girls in the top three grades.
Locally, Springdale will have 85 female students, Leechburg 83, Riverview 71 and St. Joseph 56. | 2022-04-16T19:19:06Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | George Guido: Shot clock would fix game that isn’t broken | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/george-guido-shot-clock-would-fix-game-that-isnt-broken/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/george-guido-shot-clock-would-fix-game-that-isnt-broken/ |
Hampton’s Sophia Kelly scores against Plum on Dec. 16, 2021.
Sophia Kelly’s answer was exactly what Mercyhurst women’s basketball coach Brooklyn Kohlheim wanted to hear.
Kelly, a senior three-sport star from Hampton, was on a recruiting call with the Division II school when Kohlheim posed a question.
“I said, ‘You’re really, really good at soccer. You’re really, really good at lacrosse. Why did you pick basketball?’” Kohlheim said. “She said that someone told her that she wouldn’t ever be able to play basketball in college, and she’s like, ‘I wanted to prove them wrong.’ I loved that response. That’s what really sold me on her.”
The 5-foot-9 Kelly has committed to play at Mercyhurst, the only school that offered her a basketball scholarship. She didn’t start playing AAU basketball until her junior season and was late to the recruiting trail.
But a chance sighting by Kohlheim when Kelly was playing for the Western Pa. Bruins Under Armour team in Kentucky in July set in motion the events that led to an offer from the PSAC school.
“It was just an all-around fit for me,” Kelly said of Mercyhurst. “The whole atmosphere along with the coaching staff and the team.”
Kohlheim was in Louisville to recruit Kelly’s AAU teammate and eventual Mercyhurst commit Bailey Kuhns of Greensburg Central Catholic. But the Lakers coach quickly noticed the long, athletic Hampton guard.
“Sophia kind of caught our eye,” Kohlheim said. “I really didn’t know anything about her. … We were surprised that she was still available. She has such a tremendous upside. She just plays a lot of other sports, and she really just started playing basketball competitively in the last few years. She’s kind of fallen under the radar.
“She hasn’t even seen her best basketball yet. She doesn’t even know what she can do.”
Kelly was named first-team all-section as a junior after averaging 12 points and was second-team all-section as a senior after averaging 10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists and leading the 18-5 Talbots in steals. She finished with 796 career points — 14th all-time in Hampton history — and led the team this season with a plus-minus of 390.
Kelly, along with Hampton teammate Biz Watson, was selected for the Roundball Classic basketball game. The Class 5A (Silver) all-stars will face the District 10 all-stars May 19 at Geneva College in Beaver Falls.
Kelly is the second Hampton player from Class of 2022 to commit to play college basketball, joining Pitt Greensburg-bound Kayla Hoehler.
Kelly decided to focus on getting a basketball scholarship a couple of years ago after being told soccer or lacrosse would be her easier ticket to college. Kelly didn’t want to take the easy way.
“That is one of my motivators in why I switched (sports),” Kelly said. “I had played club soccer up until my junior year. Halfway through my junior year, I switched to AAU (basketball). I probably could have gone on and played for a good school for soccer, too. I don’t know. I always wanted to challenge myself, and I thought I could do that in basketball.”
Kelly has also created some friendly collegiate rivalry in her home. Both of her parents played sports at PSAC rival Gannon. Jason played football and Cara (Eisenschmid) played basketball for the Golden Knights.
“It’s kind of funny,” Kelly said. “My mom played at Gannon and now I’m going to her rival school.”
Hampton coach Tony Howard has no doubt Kelly will succeed in college, calling her “probably one of the best pure shooters that I’ve ever coached in 15 years” and terming her athleticism “off the charts.”
“Obviously, I think she has the athleticism and the basketball skills to play at that next level,” Howard said. “Her knowledge of the game is what’s going to make her really excel.”
Kelly will play a guard/forward spot for Kohlheim’s up-tempo attack. The Lakers went 9-19 last season and have only two winning seasons in the past 22 years. Kohlheim, entering her fourth season, said Kelly’s athleticism and prove-you-wrong attitude make her a perfect fit.
“We are pretty young as a program,” Kohlheim said. “We are in the process of turning it around. We need some dogs like that. We need underdogs who want to come in swinging.”
Kelly’s defensive abilities will give her a chance to play immediately. Mercyhurst graduated its top defensive guard, and Kelly at one point defended every position on the floor while at Hampton.
“She’s special,” Kohlheim said. “She’s got such pure athleticism. What I loved about her in the summertime is that she can defend multiple guards.”
For the first time since she started playing three sports, Kelly will focus solely on basketball at Mercyhurst, where she will major in cyber security and computer science. As a Hampton senior, she has sandwiched her basketball season between a first-team all-section soccer season in the fall and lacrosse, where she is one of the team’s top players, this spring.
“I’ve been training my body for all three sports since the beginning my sports career,” she said. “I think that focusing on one and training for one sport will really hone in my athletic ability to play basketball.
“I feel like I’m kind of just getting started.” | 2022-04-16T19:19:12Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Hampton 3-sport standout picks basketball, makes college choice | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/hampton-3-sport-standout-picks-basketball-makes-college-choice/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/hampton-3-sport-standout-picks-basketball-makes-college-choice/ |
Swimmer Jacquelyn Du was announced as a member of this year’s North Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame.
State champion swimmer Jacquelyn Du and record-setting field hockey player Emily Humiston are among 11 individuals chosen for induction into the North Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame this year.
The Class of 2022 includes seven female athletes, a fitting tribute to the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the 1972 law that prohibited sex-based discrimination in schools and opened doors for girls sports.
The class was announced April 13.
“We are very, very proud of our female athletic teams,” athletic director Bob Bozzuto said. “We want to highlight what we’re doing now and what we’ve done for years and years and years.”
Du, a 2015 graduate, won three WPIAL swimming titles and was the state champion in the 100-yard backstroke her senior year, before swimming for Yale. Humiston graduated in 2013 as the all-time leading scorer in North Allegheny field hockey history before playing at Providence.
They’re joined in this year’s class by Karin Hodgdon Girasek (1976, basketball/tennis), Ken Rock (1984, football), Greg Manesiotis Jr. (1990, baseball), Nikki Luisi (2005, soccer), Brittany Kelly (2006, rowing/gymnastics), Brian Austin (2009, track/football), Brooke Mancuso (2013, cross country/track), Danielle Wall (2014, volleyball) and Michael Buchert (football), who recently retired after more than 30 years as the Tigers’ offensive line coach.
The seven female inductees alone represent 10 sports.
Bozzuto said the selection committee was aware of the Title IX anniversary and wanted this class to be a celebration of that milestone for girls sports.
“All of these inductees would have been in between this year and next,” Bozzuto said, so the committee made an effort to include more females this fall.
This is the 25th year for the hall. The 2022 class will be honored with an induction banquet at 6 p.m. Oct. 6 at The Chadwick.
The hall of fame also presents four special recognition awards each year. Among this year’s recipients is Susan Ban, who Bozzuto praised for her work as booster president for the rowing team where she helped the program earn club status. Ban will receive the Bob Miller Award as an Outstanding Supporter of North Allegheny Athletics.
“Susan Ban was one of the very, very best booster presidents and an individual who moved our rowing program to what it is today,” Bozzuto said. “It was amazing because their budget is bigger than football.”
John Conyette, who meticulously has maintained NA’s baseball and softball fields for years, will be honored with the Joseph Drazenovich Award for Legendary Service.
Current hockey coach Mike Bagnato will receive the Distinguished Coaching Award, and land developer Gary Sippel, a supporter of the wrestling program, was chosen for the Dr. Lawrence Bozzomo Award for distinguished career achievement. | 2022-04-16T19:19:30Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | North Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame class offers tribute to 50th anniversary of Title IX | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/north-allegheny-athletic-hall-of-fame-class-offers-tribute-to-50th-anniversary-of-title-ix/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/north-allegheny-athletic-hall-of-fame-class-offers-tribute-to-50th-anniversary-of-title-ix/ |
Norwin receiver Jackson Pons reaches for a tipped pass in front of Franklin Regional defenders during the 2021 WCCA 7-on-7 championship game.
Jackson Pons has two years of high school football left at Norwin, the same number of Division I football scholarship offers he has.
Pons, a sophomore wide receiver and defensive back who transferred back to Norwin from Central Catholic, was offered recently by Mississippi State, a FBS program that plays in the SEC.
Gardner-Webb offered him a year ago.
The latest offer took him aback.
“I was surprised for sure,” Pons said.
He has been busy playing on the 7-on-7 circuit but knows coaches pay attention to the route-running and receptions in shorts and T-shirts.
“I have been out competing at national camps and showcases the past two years, but I was just at a 24/7 showcase and was named a top performer, so things have picked up a lot since then,” he said. “I am really grateful all my hard work is starting to pay off.”
Pons (6-1, 180) led Norwin with 33 receptions for 457 yards and a touchdown last season.
Penn-Trafford lineman Joe Enick continues to draw Division I FCS attention. Enick (6-3, 290), a center and defensive lineman, received an offer from Youngstown State, giving the junior three offers. The others are from The Citadel and St. Francis (Pa.).
Norwin football player Nate Kadosh-Harris will continue his playing career at Grove City of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. Harris, a running back and linebacker, rushed for 316 yards and made 43 tackles, with six sacks, last season.
• Ligonier Valley football player Broderick Schreyer picked up an offer to play at Lebanon Valley College in Annville. A junior, Schreyer (5-10, 170) is a quarterback and defensive back.
• Norwin senior javelin thrower Aaron Schmook received a scholarship offer from Slippery Rock. Schmook owns the Norwin school record with a throw of 189 feet, 3 inches.
Tags: Ligonier Valley, Norwin, Penn-Trafford | 2022-04-16T19:20:01Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Westmoreland County high school notebook: Norwin receiver gets Division I attention | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-county-high-school-notebooknorwin-receiver-gets-division-i-attention/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-county-high-school-notebooknorwin-receiver-gets-division-i-attention/ |
Sewickley Academy’s Adin Zorn throws to first base during a game against Riverview last season.
Heightened optimism reigns in the Sewickley Academy baseball program.
“The team is excited for the 2022 season as we have a strong core of new and returning baseball players,” SA coach Andrew Petruska said. “We are returning a ton of game experience from last year. The team is returning the three main starters on the mound from last year and adding more valuable arms.
“(We) look to replace a big bat in the middle of the order but look for other players to step up and contribute right away at the plate.”
The centerpiece of this year’s club is junior shortstop/pitcher Adin Zorn, SA’s co-captain who has committed to Penn State.
“Adin is a rare find as an athlete, leading both on and off the field,” Petruska said. “His passion, work ethic and leadership mindset are like nothing I have ever seen as a player myself, coach and professionally. He has the unique ability to see the bigger picture and selflessly considering all angles.
“When he steps on the field, you can see his focus and intensity as he competes for his team and school.
“His mindset is one that cannot be found very often. Not only does he strive each day to perfect his skill set, but he’s the most supportive teammate.”
Zorn, who owns a 3.5 GPA, led the Panthers in almost every offensive category last season, including batting average (.571), slugging percentage (1.071), on-base percentage (.617), runs (16), plate appearances (47), at-bats (42), hits (24), RBIs (23), doubles (11) and triples (2). He also was 2-0 on the mound.
“My expectations for this year’s team are to compete for a section championship and make a deep run in the WPIAL playoffs,” Zorn said. “On a personal note, my only goal is to win and just let personal achievements come along with team success. It’s really whatever I can do to help the team win.
“We just want to keep improving as a team and continue to win games.”
Zorn, who started playing baseball at age 7, also is a member the boys soccer team at Sewickley.
Zorn and co-captain Sajen Schuchert, a senior pitcher/third baseman, are expected to provide a solid one-two offensive punch for the Panthers this season.
Schuchert hit .351 last year and compiled a 2-0 pitching record.
“We look for our team leaders, Adin Zorn and Sajen Schuchert, to bolster the offense and get the team going with their power and confidence,” Petruska said. “Sajen is an inspiring leader both on and off the field. We’ve had the privilege of watching Sajen grow since freshman year. His determination and grit make him an integral part of our team. His leadership and team spirit build the team each and every day.”
Zorn, Schuchert, sophomore P/1B Jordan Smith and juniors Nick Straka (P/C), Bennett Spencer (P/INF) and Nick Madison (OF) are returning starters. Smith posted 3-1 record and a 2.26 ERA as the staff workhorse last season.
“Jordan and Nick look to provide innings behind the plate and on the mound,” Petruska said.
Some new faces in the lineup include freshmen Andrew Colletti (INF/OF), Quinton Gibb-Green (OF/Utility) and Will Straka (P/OF) and sophomore Michael Woo (INF/OF).
“They will play many roles during the season,” said Petruska, SA’s veteran field boss who is assisted by Anthony Garofalo.
Hudson Colletti, a junior pitcher/outfielder, freshman P/1B/3B Nolan Donnelly and freshman P/OF Lawrence Topper also are hoping to make an impact on the mound.
“Our defense will also be key to this year’s success as we have Spencer and Madison looking to lead the infield and outfield,” Petruska said. “There is a lot of work to be done to prepare our young defense and pitchers.”
The Panthers finished 6-4 in Section 3-A and 7-6 overall last season, hit .320 as a team and advanced to the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
Tags: Sewickley Academy | 2022-04-17T16:54:00Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Adin Zorn, Sewickley Academy tackle baseball season with confidence | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/adin-zorn-sewickley-academy-tackle-baseball-season-with-confidence/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/adin-zorn-sewickley-academy-tackle-baseball-season-with-confidence/ |
Pine-Richland’s Reid Duncan ready to make jump to high-level ultimate with Pittsburgh Thunderbirds
Submitted by Alison Duncan
Pine-Richland senior Reid Duncan (above and diving at left) has been rostered on the 2022 Pittsburgh Thunderbirds professional ultimate disc team.
Pine-Richland senior Reid Duncan (left) has been rostered on the 2022 Pittsburgh Thunderbirds professional ultimate disc team.
About a month ago Reid Duncan found out that he had made the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds roster, which was a dream come true for the ultimate disc player, but he had to keep it a secret.
“When I made it, I was so excited, but I couldn’t tell anybody and it was pretty hard to hold that back,” Duncan said. “They wanted to make the roster announcement on social media, which they did a few days ago, but I was technically rostered for a month prior to the announcement. I was able to tell a few people, but I pretty much had to keep it quiet.”
Keeping that exciting news close to the vest was an accomplishment in its own right, but what’s more impressive is that Duncan is still in high school.
He’s a senior at Pine-Richland and is one of the youngest players to ever make the Thunderbirds and play in the American Ultimate Disc League.
The AUDL is the nation’s top professional ultimate disc league.
Almost all of the players on the team are adults, who have full time jobs and play with the team on weekends, but Duncan will be right there alongside them.
Duncan first thought about trying out after playing with a couple of current Thunderbirds players on a club team last summer. They encouraged him to give it a shot, which gave him confidence.
“Going into the tryout I was looking at it as a fun weekend thing to do,” Duncan said. “I am always down for anything ultimate related, so I thought regardless of whether I made it or not it would be good practice.”
Duncan said the first tryout went really well, but wasn’t as confident after the second tryout and wasn’t sure if he had done enough to earn a spot. There were approximately 70 players who tried out, and he was one of 25 that made the cut to join the 14 returning players.
Now that he’s officially made it, he’s adjusting to a much faster pace than he’s ever seen.
“It’s definitely more intense and I’m learning a lot from this new style of play, which help further my career,” Duncan said. “I’m getting a ton of reps against a whole new set of players that are much more experienced and better than me. That’s a new experience and I’ve enjoyed it.”
The Thunderbirds open the season with back-to-back road games at Detroit on April 30 and at Chicago on May 1. The home opener is against Indianapolis on May 21. Home games will be played at J.C. Stone Field in North Park, except one at Highmark Stadium on June 3 in conjunction with a partnership with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer team.
Duncan’s journey with the sport started as the team mascot, affectionately known as “Ramburger,” for the Pine-Richland varsity team until he was old enough to play.
He’ll still play for Pine-Richland this year along with the Thunderbirds.
“I’ll be playing or practicing ultimate pretty much every day, which is great,” Duncan said.
He’s hoping to help the Rams win a district and state championship in his final season, while learning from playing with and against the best in the AUDL. He plans to attend Pitt in the fall and play for the Panthers’ ultimate team, which has won two national championships. | 2022-04-17T16:54:36Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Pine-Richland’s Reid Duncan ready to make jump to high-level ultimate with Pittsburgh Thunderbirds | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/pine-richlands-reid-duncan-ready-to-make-jump-to-high-level-ultimate-with-pittsburgh-thunderbirds/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/pine-richlands-reid-duncan-ready-to-make-jump-to-high-level-ultimate-with-pittsburgh-thunderbirds/ |
High school sports schedules for April 18, 2022
Beaver at Ambridge, 4:30 p.m.
Waynesburg Central at South Allegheny, 4 p.m.
West Greene at Greensburg Central Catholic, 4 p.m.
Hempfield at Penn-Trafford, 4 p.m.
Hundred, W.Va. at Mapletown, 5 p.m.
Jeannette at Springdale, 4 p.m.
Mt. Lebanon at Hampton, 3:45 p.m.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Ambridge, 1 p.m.
Peters Township at Butler, 4 p.m.
Ringgold at South Park, 4 p.m.
South Fayette at Bethel Park, 7 p.m.
North Allegheny at Fox Chapel, 7 p.m.
Seton LaSalle at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 7:15 p.m. | 2022-04-18T02:58:21Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | High school sports schedules for April 18, 2022 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/high-school-sports-schedules-for-april-18-2022/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/high-school-sports-schedules-for-april-18-2022/ |
A-K Valley senior spotlight: Deer Lakes’ Justin Brannagan
Deer Lakes junior Justin Brannagan
Deer Lakes junior pitcher Justin Brannagan throws a pitch against East Allegheny on April 20, 2021.
It’s going to be tough for Justin Brannagan to top his game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds that lifted Deer Lakes’ boys basketball team to a 39-37 victory over Blackhawk in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
Being swarmed by teammates and fans on the court is a moment he won’t soon forget, especially with plenty of video of the feat circulating on social media.
“It was amazing,” said Brannagan, who has been selected to play in the Roundball Classic all-star event. “It was definitely an adrenaline rush when I hit it. I had like a moment that I didn’t know what happened. It was so quick. I didn’t have time for it to sink in.
“I’ve watched it like 20 times. It’s one of the best moments I have had.”
Now, the Lancers’ senior has turned his attention to the diamond where he’s making an impact as a pitcher and outfielder for the Deer Lakes baseball team.
On April 4, Brannagan tossed a complete-game shutout with eight strikeouts in leading Deer Lakes to a 4-0 win over Mt. Pleasant in a Section 3-3A game. He came back Tuesday with two hits in an 8-1 victory over the Vikings as Deer Lakes improved to 3-5 overall and 2-0 in section play.
Brannagan took a few minutes last week for an A-K Valley Senior Spotlight Q&A:
How has the start of the baseball season gone?
The start of the season, at least section play is going good. With being 3-5, it’s not where we want to be. But I can’t complain with the group of guys and team we have. We’re getting bonded and back together. We’re going to get better and have a better turnout when section play gets started.
How did the team play in the sweep over Mt. Pleasant?
We played very well. We limited our errors. The team is starting to hit. We’re backup up our pitchers. They’ve been doing great. We’ve all been hitting our spots and doing what needs to be done.
What are some of your strengths on the mound?
Definitely, keeping hitters on their toes. I don’t want them to know what I’m throwing. I want to try and keep them guessing and keep them off-balance. And also getting them to hit into groundouts. I don’t really go for strikeouts. It’s never really a go-to when you have good fielding behind you.
Do you prefer pitching or playing center field?
I prefer the outfield. I get a lot of adrenaline running for balls in the air. Pitching is still a fun aspect of the game. I enjoy it.
What is your mentality at the plate?
My mentality is to stay calm. If there’s any base runners on, try and hit them in. Simple basics, get a hit, stay calm.
I prefer baseball. I’ve loved baseball since I was little.
My father. He showed me and I’ve loved it since. And my grandfather. He played baseball and made me fall in love with the game as well.
How did it feel to be selected to play in the Roundball Classic?
That felt great. I was very surprised I got selected. I appreciate it and am excited to play in it.
Have you made any plans for next fall?
I’m committed to Westminster to play baseball. I’m excited for that. It’s going to be fun, kind of a new beginning for me.
I have a hobby for dee-jaying. I find enjoyment in that. I just do it for fun. I have the speakers, the turnboards. You name it I probably have it.
What’s your prediction for the Pirates record this season?
I’m saying under .500. I’d like to see the Pirates make the playoffs. It would be nice to see the city have some hope for the Pirates. | 2022-04-18T15:49:38Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | A-K Valley senior spotlight: Deer Lakes’ Justin Brannagan | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-senior-spotlight-deer-lakes-justin-brannagan/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-senior-spotlight-deer-lakes-justin-brannagan/ |
Pittsburgh Maulers, released running back in dispute over lunch menu incident
De’Veon Smith runs a drill at the NFL combine in 2017.
Before their first game kicked off, the USFL’s Pittsburgh Maulers found themselves in the headlines – for a truly unusual reason.
In a two-minute clip from United By Football, a Fox documentary about the return of the spring football league, Maulers running back De’Veon Smith is shown being cut by head coach Kirby Wilson, presumably for saying he wouldn’t eat chicken salad and preferred a slice of pizza at a team lunch.
In the clip, Smith recounts a conversation with a cafeteria worker.
“Me saying, ‘Yes, I don’t eat chicken salad.’ I was like, ‘Is there another option?’” Smith said. “He walked in with pizza and I was like, ‘Can I get a slice of pizza?’ He said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Is that going to be a problem?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ That’s all I said. I didn’t say no cuss words. No nothing. That’s all I said. I promise you. No disrespect. On my dad’s life, I promise you I didn’t say nothing disrespectful except, ‘yes.’”
Wilson, evidently, did not accept Smith’s account of the incident.
“I appreciate you sharing that, but the matter, it’s done,” Wilson said before quickly walking out of the room.
On Monday evening, about an hour before the kickoff of their season opener against Tampa Bay, the Maulers released a statement via the team’s Twitter account.
“The show captures hundreds of hours of film with the intent of providing transparency to fans, but unfortunately, much of the context was left out in the this moment,” the statement read. “Smith had violated three team rules in a 24-hour span, and in this particular incient, disrespected a cafeteria worker, which wasn’t captured on camera.
It took Smith less than 10 minutes to respond to the statement via Twitter.
“What rules did I break?” he wrote. “Now (you’re) lying on my name????? Say less.”
Smith, 27, is an Ohio native who rushed for 2,235 yards in four seasons as Michigan from 2013-16. He signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and spent some time on the team’s active roster as well as practice squad. He was also in NFL camp with Washington in 2018. | 2022-04-19T00:20:05Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Pittsburgh Maulers, released running back in dispute over lunch menu incident | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/pittsburgh-maulers-released-running-back-in-dispute-over-lunch-menu-incident/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/pittsburgh-maulers-released-running-back-in-dispute-over-lunch-menu-incident/ |
Yough pitcher Emma Augustine delivers a pitch in a scrimmage against Latrobe on March 22.
Yough entered last week with a 1-1 record in Section 2-4A.
Three section victories later and the Cougars are in a familiar place, 4-1 and with a half-game lead over Elizabeth Forward for first place.
“Our team goals are to win the section, go deep into the playoffs and return to the state playoffs,” Yough coach Art ‘Dutch” Harvey said. “I think we can do this if we keep improving and gaining that valuable playing time to get us there.”
What makes the Yough start even more impressive is the fact the Cougars are young, with a roster full of mostly sophomores and freshmen.
Yough only has one 12th grader on the roster. Of course it helps when that lone senior is one of the top pitchers in the district in Emma Augustine.
“Emma has been a great team leader this year,” Harvey said. “With us playing so many freshman and sophomores, she has been instrumental in our early success this year. She had truly been the leader on the defensive side of the ball, and this week, we moved her to the No. 3 spot in the batting order and she has been great there.
“I always tell her we go as she goes, and she has responded in the best possible way daily. She is a great teammate, a very good-hearted person and could not be a better leader for this year’s young squad.”
Last week, Yough played three games in three days. The Cougars had bookend shutouts of Laurel Highlands (3-0) and Ringgold (6-0) with a big one-run victory over Belle Vernon sandwiched in between.
“(Last) week, she has been spot on with locations, her curveball and the change-up has really been a key,” Harvey said. “She has also been working with our pitching coach, Kierra Waywood, and has developed a true rise ball this spring that we have been working in also. All of the locations, mix of pitches and off-speed have been the key to our team success.”
Augustine has 71 strikeouts on the year with a 2.10 ERA. Against Laurel Highlands, she gave up one hit, walked one and had 13 strikeouts. Against Belle Vernon, Augustine yielded six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. Finally against Ringgold, the senior gave up two hits and walked one with 13 strikeouts.
A Cougars co-captain with the lone junior on the team, McKenzie Pritts, Augustine has enjoyed success at the plate as well as in the circle.
“Emma this week was 3 for 9 with a home run, a double and single,” Harvey said. “Most importantly, she was walked twice in that nine at bats and she has been very good at getting on base.”
Despite having a great GPA and drawing interest from numerous NCAA Division II and III softball programs, future schooling is not in Augustine’s immediate future.
“Emma has decided to go into her mother’s business,” Harvey said. “She will be going into the salon business that her mother has had in West Newton for years.”
For the next month or two, Augustine plans to make things hairy for Yough opponents as the Cougars try to get back to the WPIAL championship for the first time since 2017.
“I feel good about our performance thus far,” Harvey said. “We have had some great games while facing pressure and come from behind chances. If we continue to improve, we will be a tough out in the future.”
2022 Trib HSSN Softball Players of the Week: | 2022-04-19T03:46:54Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Trib HSSN Softball Player of the Week for April 18, 2022 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/trib-hssn-softball-player-of-the-week-for-april-18-2022/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/trib-hssn-softball-player-of-the-week-for-april-18-2022/ |
Tuesday, April 19, 2022 | 1:59 AM
Bethel Park at Peters Township, ppd.
Hempfield at Mt. Lebanon, 4:15 p.m.
McKeesport at Franklin Regional, 4 p.m.
Hampton at Fox Chapel, 4 p.m.
Penn Hills at Armstrong, 3:45 p.m.
North Hills at Moon, 4:15 p.m.
Freeport at Knoch, 5:30 p.m.
Indiana at North Catholic, 4 p.m.
Beaver at Ambridge, 4 p.m.
Avonworth at South Allegheny, 4 p.m.
Southmoreland at McGuffey, 7 p.m.
Shenango at South Side, 4:30 p.m.
Summit Academy at Riverside, 4 p.m.
Sto-Rox at Shady Side Academy, 4 p.m.
Burgettstown at Brentwood, 3:45 p.m.
Carlynton at Clairton, 4 p.m.
Chartiers-Houston at Seton LaSalle, 4 p.m.
Cornell at Avella, 4 p.m.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Western Beaver, 4 p.m.
Mapletown at Bishop Canevin, 4 p.m.
Riverview at Leechburg, 3:45 p.m.
Springdale at Sewickley Academy, 4:45 p.m.
St. Joseph at Eden Christian, 4 p.m.
Canon-McMillan 10, Latrobe 6
Moon 18, Winchester Thurston 6
Hempfield at Penn-Trafford, ppd.
Hundred, W.Va. at Mapletown, ppd.
Jeannette at Springdale, ppd.
Mt. Lebanon at Hampton, ppd.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Ambridge, ppd.
Peters Township at Butler, ppd.
Ringgold at South Park, ppd.
Hempfield at North Allegheny, 6 p.m.
Franklin Regional at Armstrong, 3:45 p.m.
Indiana at Plum, 4 p.m.
Fox Chapel at Oakland Catholic, 3:45 p.m.
South Fayette at Upper St. Clair, 7 p.m.
Western Beaver at West Allegheny, 4 p.m.
Ambridge at Montour, 4 p.m.
Aliquippa at Fort Cherry, 4 p.m.
Burgettstown at Chartiers-Houston, 4:15 p.m.
Apollo-Ridge at Seton LaSalle, 4 p.m.
Jeannette at Steel Valley, 3:45 p.m.
Washington at Charleroi, 4 p.m.
Freedom at Neshannock, 4:15 p.m.
Laurel at Shenango, 4:30 p.m.
Riverside at New Brighton, 3:45 p.m.
Beth-Center at Monessen, 4 p.m.
Deer Lakes at Freeport, 4:15 p.m.
Ellis School at Sewickley Academy, 4 p.m.
Hampton at Knoch, 4 p.m.
Highlands at Karns City, 5 p.m.
Hopewell at Beaver Falls, 4:15 p.m.
Penn Hills at St. Joseph, 4 p.m.
South Side at Mohawk, 4:30 p.m.
Central Valley 5, Ellwood City 0
South Fayette at Bethel Park, ppd.
North Allegheny 3, Fox Chapel 0
Hopewell 3, Beaver County Christian 0
Baldwin at Bethel Park, 7:30 p.m.
Canon-McMillan at Peters Township, 5:45 p.m.
Moon at Upper St. Clair, 7:15 p.m.
Butler at Seneca Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Shaler at North Hills, 7 p.m.
Hempfield at Latrobe, 7:15 p.m.
Penn Hills at Central Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
Penn-Trafford at Norwin, 7 p.m.
Beaver County Christian at Ambridge, 7:30 p.m.
Hopewell at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 6 p.m.
Montour at North Catholic, 6 p.m.
Mars at Deer Lakes, 7:15 p.m.
Plum at Gateway, 7 p.m.
Bishop Canevin at Steel Valley, 3:30 p.m.
Keystone Oaks at Seton LaSalle, 6 p.m.
North Hills at South Fayette, 7:30 p.m.
West Shamokin at Armstrong, 7 p.m. | 2022-04-19T06:53:07Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | High school scores, summaries and schedules for April 18, 2022 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/high-school-scores-summaries-and-schedules-for-april-18-2022/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/high-school-scores-summaries-and-schedules-for-april-18-2022/ |
By: Dave Mackall
Derry’s Matt Rhoades digs a pass during the Trojans’ game against Deer Lakes on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at Derry Area High School.
Derry’s Matt Rhoades celebrates after scoring during the Trojans’ game against Deer Lakes on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at Derry Area High School.
Derry boys volleyball coach Shawn Spencer talks with his team during their match against Deer Lakes on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at Derry Area High School.
For years, Derry has resided among the elite high school boys volleyball teams in the WPIAL, challenging for championships and sending players off to college.
Then, covid-19 hit, and the Trojans, like many other teams, were knocked down.
“Going into the pandemic,” Derry coach Shawn Spencer said, “when everything was shut down, we had a very senior-oriented group of kids that would have been playing (in 2020). It also meant a chance for some of the underclassmen to get some experience.”
The cancellation of the entire season meant the end of the veteran players’ high school careers and a missed opportunity for the underclassmen.
With no funding in the Derry Area School District for volleyball prior to the junior high level, Spencer assembles rosters to include candidates with little or no experience in the sport.
Nonetheless, in his 17 seasons at Derry, Spencer has coaxed the Trojans to five WPIAL Class 2A championships appearances — they fell short of winning on every occasion — three PIAA semifinals and eight quarterfinals.
“We’ve been the bridesmaid every time (in the WPIAL), but I’m proud of every team I’ve coached,” he said. “I feel like no matter how far they’ve gone, they’ve given the effort. It’s just that sometimes you fall short. It’s all part of sports.”
Derry, which counts 6-foot-6 opposite hitter John Kerr, a junior at No. 3 Penn State, as its highest-profile alumnus, is attempting to assemble another foundation for success. After bowing out of the WPIAL playoffs a year ago in the first round, three returning starters lead the Trojans this season.
They were 2-2 after a 3-1 nonsection win over Class 3A Armstrong, but it wasn’t because of a lack of grit.
Derry opened with a 3-0 setback to District 6 West Shamokin, losing the first two games by close margins (25-22 and 26-24) before splitting outcomes with a pair of nemeses, losing to Ambridge, 3-2, and earning its first victory, a 3-1 decision over Deer Lakes in the WPIAL Section 2 opener.
The Bridgers and Lancers each have won a WPIAL championship, and Ambridge (nine) and Deer Lakes (one) have combined for 10 PIAA titles since joining Class 2A at its inception in 2007.
A scheduled section match April 7 at Mars was moved to May 2 after multiple players became ill, and the Trojans were unable to produce a team.
“We were all battling nausea and stomach pains,” Derry setter Matt Rhoades said. “We were OK the next day, but we just couldn’t play that night.”
Rhoades, a 5-11 senior who is attracting college attention mainly from Division III-level schools, is joined by 6-1 senior Nick Allison and 6-2 junior Gabe Carbonara as returning starters from the Trojans’ 2021 team, which was bounced from the WPIAL playoffs by Hopewell.
Rhoades began to lament when reminded of the amount of time he and others have lost during the past two years by shutdowns.
“We had some games last year, but there were so many times we were shut down with covid,” he said. “The year before that, we didn’t even have a season. I really haven’t played much since my freshman year. We’re just trying to get some chemistry. We’ve got some talent. I do believe we have the pieces. It’s just a matter of learning to play together the right way.”
Said Spencer: “We’ve been learning on the fly. We didn’t have tremendous success last year, but we still have some experience. The kids have a pretty good understanding of the tradition that volleyball has had here. They’ve been working pretty hard to invigorate that.”
With just a handful of matches in the books, Spencer appears to have gained some added perspective.
“I don’t know where we’ll end up,” he said, “but I like the tenacity we’ve shown to compete and play.”
Derry’s four seniors — Rhoades, Allison, Morgan Sobota and Connor Johnston — have done well so far to lead the way, Spencer said, adding that there’s no chance of recovering the lost time and experience.
“In years past, you sort of knew what you’d get when the growth would occur,” he said. “Missing time really hurt the development of some of the players and where they would be now. You’re just trying to gain that back with the process. I don’t see anyone in this group that’s just going through the motions.”
• Nick Dizon steps down as Kiski Area’s girls basketball coach to lead Penn State Greater Allegheny program
• What to watch for in WPIAL sports on April 19, 2022: Section contenders collide in boys volleyball | 2022-04-19T19:52:32Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Derry boys volleyball program rebuilding with tenacious team | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/derry-boys-volleyball-program-rebuilding-with-tenacious-team/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/derry-boys-volleyball-program-rebuilding-with-tenacious-team/ |
Montour’s Brock Janeda celebrates after tagging out Quaker Valley’s Nick Allen at second base on April 8.
There were seven teams that were bumped out of this week’s top five, with nearly half of those coming in Class 6A.
While there were many changes in the No. 2 through No. 5 spots, only one move was made from last week in the top-ranked position.
The only change at No. 1 was Halifax losing and falling down to the fifth spot in Class A.
Joining Emmaus (6A), Bethel Park (5A), Wyoming Area (4A), Martinsburg Central (3A) and Serra Catholic (2A) is the new top team in A, Eden Christian Academy. | 2022-04-20T01:03:40Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Trib HSSN State Baseball Rankings for April 19, 2022 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/trib-hssn-state-baseball-rankings-for-april-19-2022/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/trib-hssn-state-baseball-rankings-for-april-19-2022/ |
Back from broken wrist, sophomore Selker fuels strong start for Freeport softball
Freeport’s Sydney Selker works out during practice on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Freeport’s Autumn Powell works out during practice on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Freeport’s Abby DiJidas works out during practice on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Sydney Selker made the most of her first varsity season with the Freeport softball team.
Last year, as a freshman, she batted .483 with seven home runs, 27 RBIs and 28 runs scored. She also finished 8-5 with a 3.70 earned-run average and 114 strikeouts in 89 innings.
Selker is off to another strong start this spring, both at the plate and in the pitching circle, for a Yellowjackets team that is 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Section 1-4A heading into a key rematch at Highlands on Thursday.
“I am always looking to push myself and work harder every day,” Selker said.
Her success this season comes after work put in to get back into top form after an injury ordeal that resulted in time away from season preparation.
Selker suffered a broken left wrist while fielding a grounder last year in a section game against Knoch. She stayed in the game.
“I was in pain, but my adrenaline was so high, and the game was super close,” said Selker, who throws right-handed.
An initial X-ray didn’t reveal the break, so she finished out the softball season, her club softball season with River City Venom and the fall volleyball season with the Yellowjackets.
“I got used to the pain, taking ibuprofen and taping my wrist,” Selker said. “I just sucked it up and played.”
A CT scan, Selker said, revealed the full nature of the injury, and she had surgery in late November.
Pins were inserted to stabilize the bone, and the wrist was immobilized with a cast while it healed. She was in the cast for three months.
“With the pins, I wasn’t allowed to do much for fear of them shifting,” Selker said. “I would pitch a little bit and do some speed walking, things like that, to try and stay in shape. I wasn’t allowed to run. I tried the best I could to stay positive mentally throughout that time off.”
Selker got the cast off Feb. 23 and was immediately given the go-ahead for workout sessions in the short time leading up to the start of official preseason practices.
“When I came back, I was so out of shape,” she said. “But I gradually started to get my conditioning back. I was careful with what I was doing. I just wanted to be back and ready to go for the season, and thankfully I was. I was just so ready to be back.
“I think as a team, we have the goals of being better and going far, and so far, it has taken a total team effort to get to where we are. I think we are starting to hit our stride.”
Through seven games, Selker is batting .478 (11 of 23) with three doubles, one home run and five RBIs.
She recorded a trio of strong pitching performances last week in victories over Greensburg-Salem (4-2), Knoch (3-2) and McKeesport (7-2).
She struck out 12 and surrendered one hit with no walks against Salem, scattered three hits and fanned eight in the key triumph over Knoch and struck out 11 with four hits allowed against McKeesport.
Overall, Selker is 4-1 with a 4.88 ERA, 58 strikeouts and 23 walks in 37.1 innings pitched.
“From her inactivity, Sydney felt she wasn’t up to her normal standards,” Freeport coach Sam Ross said. “It took a while for her to feel like she was doing well. Everyone helped keep her spirits up, making sure she knew that it would come in time.
“You always hear about mind over matter, and we were waiting for that first time she would take a line drive off her glove hand. It happened pretty quick, so that was a big step. She hasn’t had any setbacks, and we’re just pleased with what she has been able to do for us.”
Selker and the Yellowjackets hope to turn around their fortunes Thursday from a tough 12-2 loss to Highlands on April 4.
The three section victories last week put Freeport a half game behind 3-0 Burrell in the standings.
In the win against Knoch, the Yellowjackets rallied from a 2-0 deficit. Abby DeJidas, who is hitting .409 (9 of 22) overall in six games, singled and later scored on a wild pitch for the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth.
“We were all locked in for that game against Knoch,” said senior Autumn Powell, who is batting .400 (8 for 20) with a team-best 12 RBIs from her cleanup spot in the lineup.
The Pitt-Greensburg commit had five RBIs in a 13-3 win over Indiana and was a difference maker with a three-run homer against Salem.
“We all worked together and knew that we needed to do that to get the (Knoch) win,” Powell said. “We know so many of these section games the rest of the way will be close. The section is very competitive.”
Highlands, last year’s Class 4A runner-up and a state semifinalist, has played only two section games with the win over Freeport and a 6-3 loss to Burrell on April 13. The Golden Rams are 1-3 overall.
“Highlands is a really good team,” Selker said. “The first game against them was tough. We beat them last year, and we feel confident we can be them again. It’s exciting in the section. We all just have a fire under us right now.” | 2022-04-21T03:31:20Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Back from broken wrist, sophomore Selker fuels strong start for Freeport softball | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/back-from-broken-wrist-sophomore-selker-fuels-strong-start-for-freeport-softball/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/back-from-broken-wrist-sophomore-selker-fuels-strong-start-for-freeport-softball/ |
Hempfield’s Joe Fiedor bats in the rain against Upper St. Clair on April 5, 2022, at Hempfield Area High School.
Hempfield’s Joe Fiedor smiles after reaching first base against Upper St. Clair on April 5, 2022, at Hempfield Area High School.
Hempfield’s Joe Fiedor scores against Upper St. Clair on April 5, 2022, at Hempfield Area High School.
Hempfield’s Joe Fiedor plays against Upper St. Clair on April 5, 2022, at Hempfield Area High School.
Hempfield’s Joe Fiedor takes a throw at second base during a game against Upper St. Clair on April 5, 2022, at Hempfield Area High School.
Hempfield’s Joe Fiedor looks to the dugout as he runs to first base during a scrimmage at Seneca Valley on March 16, 2021, in Jackson.
Joe Fiedor missed most of the basketball season for Hempfield with a mysterious injury he sustained in a home game against Penn-Trafford.
It was a big hit to the Spartans’ backcourt.
The strange, noncontact injury was later diagnosed: A piece of cartilage broke off under his kneecap and caused discomfort.
With his senior baseball season ahead, Fiedor rested and waited, hoping he’d be cleared for the spring.
The wait was worth it. He’s been a big hit on the diamond, as well.
Fiedor has come back to form and is trying to help Hempfield (3-8, 2-3), the returning WPIAL Class 6A runner-up, make another playoff push.
Fiedor has been sidelined before. Some forget he had Tommy John surgery last year nine games into the season and missed the run to the finals.
“Coming back has been great, both my arm and my knee have felt amazing and it’s felt really good to be back into baseball,” said Fiedor, who will play college baseball at Seton Hill. “I was able to start baseball right at the beginning and I was lucky to not have to miss any of the season.”
Hempfield coach Tim Buzzard wanted to ease Fiedor back into the mix.
“He is really playing well to start the season,” Buzzard said. “His arm is getting stronger each day and he has not had any issue with his knee since tryouts began.”
One of the better defensive players around, Fiedor is playing second base but should also begin to get work at shortstop.
“Joe is a tremendous athlete,” Buzzard said. “He does a great job for us defensively, runs the bases well and can hit to all fields. Joe is extremely competitive and it shows with how he plays.”
Through 10 games, Fiedor was slashing .406 (13 for 32)/.457/.750 with nine runs, two doubles, a triple, a home run and five RBIs. He had six stolen bases.
Buzzard said Fiedor’s presence on the field alone motivates the Spartans, who had tight losses to Penn-Trafford (2-1), Upper St. Clair (8-6), Latrobe (7-6), and Mt. Lebanon (4-3 in nine innings).
Fiedor went 3 for 4 with two triples in a 7-4 win over Baldwin.
“He has a tremendous energy on the field that gets us going,” Buzzard said. “It has been such a boost to get him back. He really had some bad luck with injuries, and I hated that he didn’t have the opportunity to play in the WPIAL title game last year.”
Fiedor hopes the Spartans can make another postseason run, one in which he can play a part.
The missed time motivates him.
“It does, very much,” he said. “I missed being able to play and compete.” | 2022-04-21T14:55:44Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Senior’s return gives energy boost to Hempfield baseball | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/seniors-return-gives-energy-boost-to-hempfield-baseball/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/seniors-return-gives-energy-boost-to-hempfield-baseball/ |
Bethel Park teammates, from left, Caitlyn Schultz (12) and Averie Moul (1) compete against Moon on March 26, 2022, at Bethel Park HS Stadium.
Bethel Park goalie Ashleigh Manns (24) competes against Moon on March 26, 2022, at Bethel Park HS Stadium.
Bethel Park’s Olivia Dzikowski (15) competes against Moon on March 26, 2022, at Bethel Park HS Stadium.
Bethel Park players converge in front of the net against Moon on March 26, 2022, at Bethel Park HS Stadium.
Bethel Park’s girls lacrosse team celebrates a victory against Canon-McMillan on March 29, 2022, at Bethel Park HS Stadium.
Bethel Park’s Carley O’Mara (21) competes against Canon-McMillan on March 29, 2022, at Bethel Park HS Stadium.
Bethel Park’s Tori Krapp (13) competes against Canon-McMillan on March 29, 2022, at Bethel Park HS Stadium.
Bethel Park’s Caitlyn Schultz (12) competes against Canon-McMillan on March 29, 2022, at Bethel Park HS Stadium.
Bethel Park’s girls lacrosse team last year won its first section championship since 2012.
And it was a junior-driven squad.
The Black Hawks, with nine seniors on this year’s team, aim to make another strong push for a section title in 2022, followed by a deep plunge into the postseason playoffs.
“I could give you some standard quote about this senior class is very talented and we have been building to this season for years and expectations are high and all that, but that would only be half the story,” coach Becky Luzier said. “What that quote fails to honor is what a truly special group of young women and leaders this team composed of.
“The tenacity and creativity and humor they bring to each and every practice and game is unparalleled in my 21 years of coaching. I have never run to practice for the sheer joy of coaching like I have over the last few seasons. They’ll make their mark again on program history just like they have every season for the last four years but more importantly, they will leave a legacy in my heart and in the hearts of each other.”
Luzier, who is assisted by Taylor Connors and Jackie Rutkowski, continued.
“With everything we have all lived through and see around us right now, that’s what they’ll remember,” Luzier said, “that a lot of unexpected challenges can come and you can still be true to yourself and make memories with the people you care about and work towards a common goal with both focus and fun.”
The senior class is represented on this year’s team by midfielders Caitlyn Schultz, Tori Krapp and Riley Miller; attacker Maddie Walters; defenders Megan Cunningham, Chloe McDaniel, Kaitlyn Wiard and Lily Marchand; and goalie Sydney Kosko.
“Those nine seniors who have for the most part been starters together since their freshman year means the chemistry in this group runs deep,” Luzier said. “My expectation is to see more of the same from this group. They are committed and hard-working.”
Four of the upperclassmen — Schultz (UVA Wise), Krapp (Seton Hill), Miller (St. Joseph’s) and Kosko (Edinboro) — made college commitments on national signing day.
Also looking to make an impact this year are returning letter winners Carley O’Mara, a junior midfielder/defender; Ashleigh Manns, a junior goalie; Megan Krapp, a junior attacker; and Averie Moul, a sophomore midfielder/defender.
“Sydney Kosko and Ashleigh Manns are splitting time (as goalies) pretty equally,” Luzier said.
O’Mara offered a verbal commitment to continue her career at Seton Hill.
Three newcomers to the Bethel Park lineup are juniors Corrine Hewes (attack/defense), Amanda Lincoln (attack) and Katherine Tena (defense/attack).
Cunningham, Schultz, both Krapp sisters and O’Mara are co-captains.
“I have really high hopes for our team,” Cunningham said. “We have all been playing together since middle school, so our chemistry and communication is unmatched. We have such a great senior class and great underclassmen that are going to do great things in the future. We are working toward back-to-back section titles and hopefully a WPIAL title.”
“I personally want to develop my leadership skills further this season. I am not playing in college, so while I would love to improve in the game. I also want to make sure I get the most out of this season and continue to use what I learned from lacrosse in my future.”
Schultz said the Black Hawks have been showing progress since Day 1 and improving as a team.
“My expectations are higher than the previous years,” Schultz said. “We are in the best shape we have ever been in as a team and our skills just keep on improving. Our season has been really good so far.”
Bethel Park has posted wins against Moon (14-3), Canon-McMillan (13-7), Latrobe (17-4), Allderdice (21-1), Hempfield (20-3), Baldwin (19-0) and Penn Trafford (19-3) and lost to Peters Township (14-9), making the Black Hawks 6-1 in Section 1-3A and 7-1 overall.
“All of our games so far have been close, at least to start,” Luzier said, “and to see the way that players and different units on the field give and receive feedback and suggestions — it’s a point of pride for me as a coach. I want them to have ownership, to have autonomy and feel empowered to make decisions based on what they’re seeing, and it’s great to see that playing out game after game right now.”
Through April 17, the Black Hawks held a two-game lead over Mt. Lebanon in the section with Upper St. Clair and Canon-McMillan tied for third. Norwin was in fifth place.
“I’ve been pleased with the improvements we have shown each game,” Luzier said, “but this group is incredibly skilled, so that’s to be expected.
“It’s the continued improvement in their poise and individual player leadership that has me most excited and just confirms my belief that this really is the season this group has been working towards over the last few years.”
Bethel Park finished in a tie for first in Section 1-3A last season with Mt. Lebanon and USC.
The Black Hawks edged Moon, 13-12 in overtime, in the WPIAL first round before losing a 20-7 decision to Sewickley Academy.
Bethel Park finished 14-3 and outscored the opposition 297-106 in the regular season, averaging 19.8 goals per game.
Schultz (65 goals, 29 assists, 43 draw controls), Miller (53 goals, 30 assists, 98 DCs) and Tori Krapp (30 goals, 13 assists, 48 DCs) were offensive catalysts. | 2022-04-23T17:53:54Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Bethel Park girls lacrosse aims to defend section championship | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/bethel-park-girls-lacrosse-aims-to-defend-section-championship/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/bethel-park-girls-lacrosse-aims-to-defend-section-championship/ |
North Hills’ Maria Chutko drives in two runs against Armstrong in the 2021 WPIAL Class 5A championship game.
North Hills pitcher Sophia Roncone delivers against Penn-Trafford in the 2021 WPIAL Class 5A softball playoffs.
Forty-two years ago, Dolly Parton released the hit song “9 to 5.”
In the song, Parton sings, “Well you got dreams and you know they matter.”
The North Hills softball team, which started its defense of its 2021 Class 5A softball title just minutes from Parton’s hometown, has just that — dreams.
“This was a trip that was planned and paid for in 2020,” said 14th-year coach Libby Gaisor of the time in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. “We kept rolling it over (due to covid restrictions.).
“Some of these trips are kind of life-changing for our kids. Maybe they don’t get to take it if it’s not with this team. We lived in a 50-person cabin for four days. We did some really fun stuff. And we got to play some softball on top of it. It was a win all around.”
A year ago, the Indians made a surprising run to the program’s first championship in 21 years, doing so as the No. 8 seed and upsetting No. 1 Penn-Trafford along the way.
“I have 11 seniors returning, and we made a point, at the end of last year, to have 2021 to be about that 2021 team,” Gaisor said. “Now is our chance to write the 2022 chapter.
“Last year, we said that it’s a long season, a long run, and you have to take it every game at a time. When that proved to be how we won it, with that mentality, this is now a much calmer group. We’re very driven.”
Not only does Gaisor have the luxury of 11 seniors, but she also has seven returning starters and several college-bound players.
“We have almost a 13-14 person rotation,” said Gaisor. “It seems to be really promising.”
At the center of things is starting pitcher Sophia Roncone, a senior committed to Holy Cross.
“If you could make a student athlete, you’d want it to be Sophia Roncone,” Gaisor said. “She’s a leader. She’s solid, she has a great temperament, and she leads by example. She’s been such an important piece to everything we do.”
Maria Chutko, who is committed to Oberlin College, swung a good bat early in the season and filled in early on for Roncone in the circle a couple of times.
“Her bat has been amazing,” Gaisor said of Chutko. “It’s sad that I won’t get to coach another kid quite like Maria (after this season). But I’m glad I got to do it.”
Seton Hill recruit Kassidy Wittig has locked down the center field spot and has excelled at the plate early in the year, as have junior second baseman Brenna Westwood and Akron-bound senior Abigail Scheller, a catcher.
“In a section that’s loaded with really good catchers, she’s right up there,” said Gaisor.
After returning home from Tennessee, the Indians picked up wins over Mars, Shaler and Hampton, scoring 31 runs over those three games. But they did suffer a 7-0 setback at section rival Fox Chapel, and that’s given North Hills motivation to improve, knowing that what happens in April is not always a sign of things to come.
“Situational hitting has been really good for us, and we’re trying to stay hot with the bat,” Gaisor said. ”And defensively, we’re trying to jell. That teamwork is a big focus for us right now.”
North Hills officially closed the book on the 2021 season April 19 with a ring ceremony. The hope is that, a year from now, the 11 seniors who had the majority of their high school years heavily impacted by covid-19, will return to collect more jewelry.
“Not all 11 of them can start, obviously,” Gaisor said. “But that decision of the senior class to stick it out, and be a part of it, speaks a lot to those kids.” | 2022-04-23T17:54:12Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Early season trip gets title defense off to good start for North Hills softball | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/early-season-trip-gets-title-defense-off-to-good-start-for-north-hills-softball/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/early-season-trip-gets-title-defense-off-to-good-start-for-north-hills-softball/ |
John Castine | Hockey Weekly Action Photos
Hampton’s Sean Sullivan competes at the 2022 USA Hockey 16U national championships March 31-April 4, 2022, at Troy, Mich.
Submitted by Dan Sullivan
Hampton sophomore Sean Sullivan felt a range of emotions after the Steel City Ice Renegades won a 2022 USA Hockey 16U national championship earlier this month.
“It was crazy,” he said. “It was awesome.”
Sullivan was part of the Harmarville-based travel team that topped the Chicago Hawks, 2-0, in the national title game April 4 to win the 16-team Tier II 3A division in Troy, Mich.
The Renegades went 5-1 at nationals, defeating teams from Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, New Jersey and Illinois along the way. They stayed alive by erasing a 4-2 third-period deficit in a 6-5 victory over the Montclair (N.J.) Blues in the semifinals.
“I knew we could do it,” Sullivan said. “I think we were the best team there.”
The Penguins honored the Renegades during their playoff-clinching 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders on April 14 at PPG Paints Arena.
Renegades forward George Acklin’s father, Kevin, is the chief operating officer for Penguins and secured the players and their parents a party suite for the NHL game. The Renegades were recognized on the arena video board, and they were visited in the suite by Mario Lemieux, who came in and took photos with the players, and Bryan Trottier, who passed around one of his Stanley Cup rings for the boys to see.
“It was a great celebration,” Renegades coach Pat Martin said.
The festivities capped a remarkable April for the 16-year-old Sullivan, who had 13 goals and four assists for the Hampton high school team (7-13) this past winter. A right wing for the Renegades, Sullivan finished with one goal and one assist at nationals, highlighted by a nifty back-hander in a 4-0 victory over the Littleton (Colo.) Hawks on April 3.
“It was a very exciting goal,” Sullivan said. “It was one of my favorite goals to score because it was a pretty one.”
Martin called the goal “amazing.”
“He’s certainly one kid that’s capable of that,” Martin said. “When he scores, it’s usually pretty spectacular. He walked around two guys and made them look absolutely foolish and then pulled it around the goalie and slipped it in an open net.
“He beats the first guy, and the bench is screaming. Then he beats the second guy, and the bench is screaming even more. Then when he puts it in the net, the bench is going crazy. He really picked the team up.”
Martin has coached Sullivan for the Renegades since the Hampton teen was about 6 years old. He said Sullivan, who played on a line at nationals with center Chase Kushner (Greensburg Salem) and left wing RJ Kelly (Franklin Regional), is “probably our most athletic kid.”
“He’s been with me a long time, and to be honest with you, it was pretty clear at a young age that Sean just had a different level of athletic ability,” Martin said. “He’s a rare combination of speed, power and explosiveness. He really gives you a physical presence out there. … And he’s also probably got the hardest shot on the team. He does a lot.”
The Renegades, who defeated the Allegheny Badgers to win the Mid-Am District in March and qualify for nationals, went 57-8-6 this season. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Sullivan contributed 18 goals and seven assists, according to the team’s video stat service.
The 2022 title came two years after the then-14U team qualified for nationals but didn’t get to play because the pandemic wiped out the event. They failed last season to reach nationals.
“That was very disappointing,” Sullivan said of the 2020 cancellation. “We were really just so pumped up to play, and it got canceled. We were all really mad and upset. That’s why the next two years we tried so hard, and we wanted it so bad.”
• Delayed 2 years by pandemic, PIHL adds girls division for high school hockey | 2022-04-23T17:54:24Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Hampton sophomore skates to national hockey championship | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/hampton-sophomore-skates-to-national-hockey-championship/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/hampton-sophomore-skates-to-national-hockey-championship/ |
Chartiers Valley football coach Aaron Fitzpatrick
Chartiers Valley’s Lamont Payne will be one of the top returning players in WPIAL football.
The move earlier this month was no April Fool’s joke.
After five years as head football coach at Chartiers Valley, Dan Knause resigned to take the job as assistant principal and head football coach at Trinity.
“Dan leaving was unexpected,” Chartiers Valley athletic director Mike Gavlik said. “He was moving the program in the right direction. We wish him the best of luck at Trinity.”
Gavlik said the search for a replacement football coach was thorough and efficient with the hope of filling the position before the end of April.
“We had many strong candidates for the position,” Gavlik said. “We allowed the process to play itself out. I knew we had very strong assistant coaches already on staff.”
One of those assistants is now the sideline boss as the school board approved the hiring of Aaron Fitzpatrick as the Colts’ new head coach.
“When I found out that I had been named head coach, all I could think was that it’s go time,” Fitzpatrick said. “We’ve come a long way, and I want to continue what has been started. It has always been a goal of mine to be head coach for a high school program. Excitement and overjoyed is how I felt the night of the decision.”
The 32-year old Fitzpatrick is an Erie native and McDowell graduate. He matriculated south to Pittsburgh to play college football and run track at Duquesne.
A second grade teacher in the Chartiers Valley school district, Fitzpatrick has been an assistant with the Colts football program since 2013, serving recently as the JV head coach and varsity passing game coordinator who was also in charge of wide receivers and defensive backs.
“I think it is a great advantage to keep it in the family,” Fitzpatrick said. “I know what we have and what we have coming up in the program, and it sure is exciting. Knowing everyone in the program makes it that much easier to transition and build off of. The players know my expectations, and I know that they are determined to meet those expectations.”
Gavlik agrees.
“Aaron brings positive energy and enthusiasm every day,” he said. “He is a great communicator, has a deep understanding of the current team, great football knowledge and knows and is involved in the Chartiers Valley community. I am looking forward to Aaron developing his own staff and placing his own identity on the Chartiers Valley football program for years to come.”
To that point, does the new coach expect to make a lot of changes in the program before the new season kicks off in late August?
“We definitely share the same philosophies,” Fitzpatrick said of Knause. “For example, what I got from Dan, “person-student-player,” is big. The vision is and has always been to prepare our athletes to be contributing citizens in their community. The experiences on the field and adversities encountered are great lessons to teach our athletes as they may face similar adversity in the real world.
“Of course, eventually things will become my own, but for the bigger picture and beyond the game, it’s about molding a better person, forming a better student, which in turn creates a stronger athlete.”
The new coach has hit the ground running, with a lot of things piling up on his early to-do list even though there are four months until Week Zero.
“Start spring conditioning and drills,” Fitzpatrick said. “The transition will be just the same as we have done in years past. This is a good time to review scheme for returning players and introduce schemes for new athletes. Things are already rolling with behind-the-scenes items that are exciting with program as well.”
Chartiers Valley enjoyed a breakout season in 2020, finishing in second place in the Parkway Conference-4A with a final record of 6-2.
Last year, the Colts finished in fifth place and missed the playoffs with a 4-6 mark.
“I want Chartiers Valley to be a well-respected name in that conference,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’m confident that it will happen as I believe we have shown our abilities these last two seasons. Long-term goals are simple: Develop a strong sense of pride and a wave of excitement within the community for our program year in and year out. We are on the way. I want to keep those steps moving forward.” | 2022-04-23T17:54:30Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | It’s ‘go time’ for new Chartiers Valley football coach | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/its-go-time-for-new-chartiers-valley-football-coach/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/its-go-time-for-new-chartiers-valley-football-coach/ |
Former Deer Lakes coach Jon Pedrosky is in his first season at North Hills.
Jon Pedrosky didn’t have to look far for his newest job.
Pedrosky, a psychology teacher at North Hills, is in his first season as head coach of the school’s baseball team.
“I was thinking about taking a couple of years off, and then this job opened up and it was one of those things that was hard to pass up, with the kids we have and the community we have,” said Pedrosky, who coached Deer Lakes for eight years and spent the last six seasons as an assistant at Central Catholic.
“I’ve gotten to know a lot of the kids,” he said. “That’s what attracted me to the job. And I knew we had a good junior class returning.”
The first game North Hills played with Pedrosky in the dugout was far from the snow and freezing rain that had gripped much of Western Pennsylvania since the start of baseball season.
The Indians, who finished 6-11 last year, took a trip to Myrtle Beach, playing three games and racking up three wins. It was a needed trip for a group that was not able to utilize its usual home field, Herb Field in Ross Township, due to poor playing conditions.
“It was awesome,” Pedrosky said of the five-day excursion. “We got our arms warm for the upcoming season, especially our pitchers. And as far as camaraderie, it’s second to none. … And we were fortunate to have some nice weather.”
The bonding off the field paralleled that which occurred on the diamond, especially after being unable to take such trips over the last couple of seasons due to covid-19 restrictions.
“These kids haven’t been on a trip,” Pedrosky said. “This was their first time traveling together. And it’s a nice, tight group. They like each other. And that’s not always the case. It’s nice to bring that closeness a little closer.”
North Hills piled up the runs in South Carolina, topping Burgettstown, New Brighton and Berks Catholic while scoring 27 runs.
But when the team returned to a chillier climate, the bats cooled off, and the results became a bit heartbreaking.
“We’ve lost every game (after returning from the trip) in the seventh inning,” said Pedrosky.
The Indians lost section games by a single run to Chartiers Valley twice and West Allegheny once, as well as a 10-6 loss to West Allegheny.
“We’re there. We’re right where we need to be,” Pedrosky said of the Indians, who claimed a WPIAL Class 5A title in 2018. “But we need to learn how to win. … We just have to be able to take that next step.
“I think we’re pressing a little bit at the plate. We’re getting guys on but just not coming up with that big hit that we need. But our pitching has been phenomenal.”
Leading the way on the mound have been junior CJ Leuch and senior Nick Friday, as well as top relievers Austin Bakowski and Dylan Barnes.
“Game-in and game-out, they just give us an opportunity to win by giving up just two or three runs per game,” Pedrosky said. “That’s all you ask for from a starting pitcher. We just have to help them out a little more offensively.”
Through the first seven games, Barnes was the team’s top hitter, batting over .500, including a 7-for-10 mark in Myrtle Beach. Junior Walt Vitovich hit over .400 in the early going as well.
Pedrosky trusts that, as the weather warms, his group — which couldn’t even take its team photo outside this year — will be able to get the bats going. His foundation of pitching and defense seems to be in a decent place.
And he believes that will help turn the tight losses into victories.
“For how hard these kids worked in the offseason, they deserve better outcomes than we’ve been getting,” he said. “We’re trying to implement a new system, and these kids grasped it right away. They’re buying into it.
“We’re right there with these top teams. I think we’re close, and I think we’ll get there.” | 2022-04-23T17:54:49Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | North Hills baseball hoping bats heat up with weather | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/north-hills-baseball-hoping-bats-heat-up-with-weather/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/north-hills-baseball-hoping-bats-heat-up-with-weather/ |
Hampton’s Kai Herchenroether hits past Freeport’s Autumn English during the 2021 WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball finals.
A banner year for Hampton athletics just got even more special.
Hampton volleyball standout Kai Herchenroether and state champion swimmer Will Retsch were among 20 WPIAL student-athletes to be named James Collins Scholar-Athlete award winners April 13.
The seniors were selected from a pool of 142 nominees from 80 schools, the most nominations for the program since 2017. They will each receive WPIAL gold medals and $1,000 in scholarship money.
“I was just really excited because I looked at the athletes in the past who have won it, and they all seemed super accomplished and really good students,” Herchenroether said. “I was really excited to be nominated at first and then when I heard I won, I was super excited.”
Each WPIAL school is allowed to nominate two student-athletes — one boy and one girl — and the winners are selected based on their excellence in their respective sports and off-the-field activities.
Hampton joined Peters Township as the only WPIAL schools with multiple winners. Hampton has had only one other winner since 2013 (Anastasia Russ in ‘19).
“It felt great,” said Retsch, who has committed to Gannon. “I knew there was a lot of tough competition for it, so I was very surprised when I found out.”
Herchenroether this past fall led the girls volleyball team to the most successful season in program history, with trips to the WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championship games. The 6-foot middle hitter was named all-state, while carrying a 4.61 GPA and participating in a dizzying amount of other activities. She will play volleyball at Carnegie Mellon and major in biomedical engineering.
“Honestly, I’m not really sure how I pulled it off, especially this year,” she said. “It’s been the busiest year of my life so far. I’m not sure how I did it, but I did it.”
Only five other Hampton students won the WPIAL scholar-athlete award since 2006. Among them is Joe Cangilla, who was selected in ‘07. He is an assistant coach in football, basketball and track and field at his alma mater.
“It’s really special, and it’s a credit to those two,” Cangilla said. “Having two (winners) is kind of unreal. … It speaks to the quality of the Hampton student-athlete.”
Retsch won WPIAL Class 2A gold medals in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly while leading the Talbots to their second consecutive team championship. He capped his season with the PIAA 200 IM title — the school’s first state gold in 15 years — and set three school records. All the while, he posted a 4.78 GPA and took part in an impressive list of extracurricular activities.
“It’s a lot of time management,” said Retsch, who picked Gannon over Lehigh and Bucknell. “It’s very tough. It’s a lot of stress, a lot of late nights. But it works out in the end. It’s all worth it.”
Herchenroether also sacrificed a lot for her off-the-court activities. While many of her friends and classmates were at a Hampton football game on a Friday night this past fall, she went food shopping for her H2GO SERVES program. The organization provides 50 home-cooked meals for the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.
Herchenroether said winning the WPIAL scholar-athlete award was a rewarding honor for all of her hard work.
“In the fall, I was just extremely busy with volleyball and school, and sometimes it felt like a bit much,” she said. “But I was able to get everything done and now, looking back, I am so proud of myself and everything I was able to accomplish.”
Here are Hampton winners of the WPIAL/James Collins Scholar-Athlete Award since 2006
Kai Herchenroether, 2022
Will Retsch, 2022
Anastasia Russ, 2019
Noah Shulman, 2013
Haley McDonald, 2011
Mallory Schaffer, 2009
Joseph Cangilla, 2007 | 2022-04-23T17:54:55Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Pair of Hampton standouts win WPIAL scholar-athlete awards | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/pair-of-hampton-standouts-win-wpial-scholar-athlete-awards/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/pair-of-hampton-standouts-win-wpial-scholar-athlete-awards/ |
The beginning of the 2022 baseball season has been more than unkind to Penn Hills.
Offensively, the Indians have stagnated. Through 10 games, Penn Hills hit .217 as a team and suffered nine losses.
While there is plenty of time to get on track, Penn Hills coach Rodney Stubbs knows everyone is frustrated with the team’s performance thus far.
“It’s been a rough start, to say the least,” Stubbs said. “We’re focusing on batting. It’s been a rocky road. It’s been tough and the batting says everything so far.”
Senior Dallen Banks leads the team by hitting .333 and has driven in two runs. Jordan Sullivan, who is hitting .310 and leads the team with five RBIs, and Dom Sullivan (.308) are also over .300.
Penn Hills (1-9, 0-5) opened the season in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where it collected its only victory, a 10-7 slugfest with Deer Lakes on March 26. The Indians’ games in the section have been especially tough, with Penn Hills getting outscored 54-2.
What Stubbs would like to see from his team is a little more selectivity at the plate.
“All this week we’ve worked on being patient,” Stubbs said. “We have guys that are trying too hard to rip the ball over the fence. That’s not what baseball is about. It’s all about contact.”
Penn Hills had 11 extra-base hits this season but no home runs. Sullivan leads the team with three triples, while Philmore Austin has two.
Stubbs has been happy with the development of his pitching staff. Sullivan leads the team with 17 strikeouts in 9.1 innings pitched, while Brandon Tierney is second with 11 in 12.1 innings.
Vito Pizzonia has the staff’s lowest ERA and has pitched 9.1 innings so far this season.
“We have to get these guys focused,” Stubbs said. “We have a lot of sophomores on this team and we have to get all the guys to understand what it takes to play varsity baseball.”
While the Indians are primarily locked into intense section battles down the stretch, Penn Hills will have several opportunities to get looks at nonsection games. Penn Hills will have opportunities to fine-tune their skills with matchups against St. Joseph, Gateway and Knoch ahead. | 2022-04-23T17:55:01Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Penn Hills baseball looking to shake struggles at plate | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/penn-hills-baseball-looking-to-shake-struggles-at-plate/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/penn-hills-baseball-looking-to-shake-struggles-at-plate/ |
Photo submitted by Frank Phelps
Frank Phelps has enjoyed a 42-year coaching career with the Burrell track and field program and has helped numerous individuals and relays achieve WPIAL and PIAA gold.
Ray Sharick was just beginning his Burrell varsity track and field career as a freshman when he met Frank Phelps.
Many hours of training with Phelps in and out of the weight room, Sharick said, was instrumental in helping him earn a trip to the PIAA track and field championships as a sophomore.
Additional work together, Sharick said, led him to capture the WPIAL and PIAA high jump titles as a senior in 1986 and eventually make his way to the men’s team at Penn State.
“Coach Phelps was this combination of extreme competence, commitment and motivation all at the same time,” said Sharick, one of four Burrell individual state champions Phelps has witnessed in his 42 years as a track and field head coach and assistant with the Bucs.
“I learned pretty quickly, especially with his weight training program, how much he knew about getting kids prepared for a season and prepared to compete during a season. He was always studying the sport of track and field, learning new things and techniques. That level of knowledge and commitment was unmatched with the other coaches I’ve had over the years.”
Phelps began his track and field coaching career in the late ‘70s at Valley before making his move to Burrell, where he remains.
It has been a four-decades long career of mentorship to Burrell athletes of all disciplines, especially his sprinting focus, to which he has garnered a great deal of acclaim.
His girls 400-meter relay teams have won 12 WPIAL titles, including five in a row from 2015-19, and two state championships (1998 and 2019). The girls 1,600 relay has captured WPIAL gold seven times.
In all, Phelps has borne witness to 36 WPIAL relay and individual champions, a plethora of other WPIAL medalists, six PIAA champions, four state silver medalists and countless other PIAA medal-winning performances.
For all he has accomplished in coaching the sport of track and field to hundreds of Burrell athletes and others throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley, Phelps will be one of 10 inductees — along with Chris Como, Jeff Cortileso, Harry ‘Shorty’ Crytzer, Robert Foster, Dianne Haney, Rich Kriston, Terry Preece, Lizzie Suwala Shaeffer and Bobby White — celebrated at the 51st A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame banquet May 21 at the New Kensington Quality Inn.
“This is a great honor, and I am humbled by it,” said Phelps, an Illinois native who came to the Pittsburgh area to work and attend graduate school at Carnegie Mellon in the late 1970s.
“You do the work you love, day in and day out, and you don’t think of the long term. When you get to a point, it’s humbling that somebody paid attention to your work. I am so happy to have had such an influence on the athletes’ lives because it is more than just athletic ability in high school. It is how they deal with life and the facts of life.”
Several of Phelps’ former athletes sent letters of support for his HOF election and describing his influence on their Burrell track and field careers and their lives overall.
Under his tutelage, Nikki Shearer, currently at Pitt, captured individual state titles in the 100 in 2015 and 400 in 2017. She added PIAA runner-up finishes in the 200 in 2016 and ‘17.
“He means so much to me, and we’re still so very close,” said Shearer, who is recovering from injury this spring but will be back for her final Pitt track seasons in 2023. “There were times I was stubborn and didn’t always agree with every workout he wanted to do, but I knew he knew what was best.
“Looking back, I realized he had my best interest at heart all the time. What he did for me he has done for so many others at Burrell, and not just Burrell but other surrounding school districts. He’s one of the best coaches and best persons I’m sure I will ever be around in my life.”
Close to two decades earlier, the girls 400 relay of Kara Tate, Ali Woods, Kristen Courtney and Melissa Simons captured the PIAA championship.
“Coach is a genius,” Simons wrote in her letter of support to the HOF selection committee in 2018. “He knows track and field inside and out. Athletes from other schools seek him out to get just an hour of his time in order to learn from him.
“He keeps logs and journals of his athletes and studies film. He can give you the equations and formulas that explain how and when an athlete will have a peak performance. He volunteers time, energy, and money to his athletes and never bats an eye or asks for a thing in return.”
With the girls 400 relay team of Alle Kuhns, Jocelyn Vickers, Madi Walsh and Olivia Kelly winning WPIAL and PIAA gold in 2019 and three of the four coming back for the 2020 season, Phelps felt the relay had a good shot of repeating both titles.
Early in the 2020 preseason, the relay was living up to Phelps’ expectations. But the onset of the covid pandemic in mid March eventually wiped out all high school athletics that spring and spoiled the relay’s repeat hopes.
“I thought the girls (in 2020) would’ve been the fastest I ever had,” Phelps said. “The relay was a lot faster than when they won in 2019. Their times in the 60 meters during indoor, that told me we had a pretty fast group.
“You can imagine how tough it was and how bad everyone felt when it was announced that there wasn’t going to be a season. Everyone was so used to being outside in the spring working in practice and getting ready for meets. It was a weird feeling to not have that.”
51st induction banquet
Sat., May 21 7 p.m.
Quality Inn, New Kensington
• Mark Madden’s Hot Take: In Bishop Canevin-Carlynton dispute, kids are being led astray | 2022-04-23T23:21:08Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | A-K Valley Hall of Fame nominee Phelps continues to have impact, success with Burrell | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-hall-of-fame-nominee-phelps-continues-to-have-impact-success-with-burrell/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-hall-of-fame-nominee-phelps-continues-to-have-impact-success-with-burrell/ |
Springdale is looking to do something Monday afternoon that it hasn’t done much of lately: play a softball game.
The Dynamos are set to play at Leechburg in a game between two WPIAL playoff hopefuls at 4 p.m. at Gilpin-Leechburg Park.
Because of an abundance of rainouts and other postponements, Springdale needs to fit in 8 ½ section games by May 12, the mandated end of the WPIAL section season.
The “half” game is a 4-1 lead over St. Joseph in a suspended contest. Conversing with Dynamos coach Anthony Pototo on Saturday, he added that the game will be completed before the regularly scheduled game May 3.
The only completed section game thus far is a 16-0 victory over The Ellis School on April 4. There is a make-up game with Leechburg set for May 5 and one with Northgate on May 9. Make-up games against Ellis and Riverview are pending.
That’s just an example of the problems facing athletic directors in a season during which the weather was nicer in mid-March for the preseason practices than in much of April.
Butler’s Pullman Park was the site of four games Thursday. The first three involved Allegheny-Clarion Valley, and the nightcap was a good one, with Pine-Richland knocking off Butler, ranked No. 1 with Trib HSSN last week, 2-0.
Butler was 90 feet from sending the game into extra innings. The Golden Tornado had the bases loaded and one out, but Rams freshman Tristan Farrar struck out the final two batters, ending the contest at 11:12 p.m.
Now we’re getting to the point of the season when teams can’t play because of proms, spring choral concerts and National Honor Society inductions (something yours truly never had to worry about).
The WPIAL playoffs are set to begin the week of May 16.
Kevin Colbert to retire
Long-time Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is set to retire after this week’s NFL Draft.
While he’s done a superb job keeping the Steelers in constant postseason contention, all you have to know about Kevin Colbert is this: When his sons were playing basketball for Mars, he took his turn as a parent working the concession stand for the Planets.
I close my eyes and somehow can’t imagine New England’s Bill Belichick or Jerry Jones of the Cowboys working the concession stand at a high school game.
Davis Field lives on
Don’t write the obituary for Vandergrift’s Davis Field just yet.
Even though the Cavaliers now have their own stadium on the Kiski Area campus, the venerable facility is still in use.
Currently, the Kiski Valley Lancers are using the field for youth football, and the Kiski Area Soccer League is seeking playing time there.
The football league is keeping the field maintained and the grass cut.
Now, Vandergrift Borough council needs to accommodate the youth teams and any other user that may emerge.
“We need to iron out a plan and agreements,” said councilman John Uskaritis. “We just can’t let Davis Field sit and rot.”
Davis Field celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. It was built in 1921 on a slag dump owned by Apollo Iron & Steel Company.
Besides high school football, the Vandergrift Pioneers of the Mid-Atlantic League played baseball there from 1947-50. | 2022-04-23T23:21:14Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Guido: Busy days ahead for Springdale softball team | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/guido-busy-days-ahead-for-springdale-softball-team/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/guido-busy-days-ahead-for-springdale-softball-team/ |
Butler’s CJ Singleton crosses the finish line at the 2020 Tri-State Coaches Association cross country championships.
CJ Singleton shattered his own meet record in the 3,200, leading the home team to a resounding victory in the team race at the Butler Invitational on Saturday.
Singleton broke the nine-minute mark with a time of 8:57.60, breaking his own meet record of 9:09.42 set last year by more than 11 seconds.
Guinness Brown won the 400 in 48.61 seconds, Tristan McGarrah cleared 15-1 in the pole vault, and Butler swept the 400, 1,600 and 3,200 relays.
Butler (140.67) won the team title by more than 100 points over Slippery Rock (35.67).
The Golden Tornado also won the girls team title Friday.
North Catholic’s Trevor Paschall also had a big day, winning the 100 in 10.76 seconds and the 200 in 21.87. His time in the 100 broke the meet record set by Brown last year.
Norwin’s Aaron Schmook won the javelin by more than 22 feet with a throw of 198-3, beating teammate Cody Scherle (175-7).
Other WPIAL athletes who took gold Saturday were Moon’s Jacob Puhalla in the 800 (1:54.77), Deer Lakes’ Carson McCoy in the 1,600 (4:13.19), Mohawk’s Nick Farmer in the 110 hurdle (15.45), Hampton’s Matt DeMatteo in the 300 hurdles (39.15), Fox Chapel’s George Tabor in the triple jump (43-3) and Greensburg Salem’s Dwight Sarver in the discus (146-1). | 2022-04-24T08:01:43Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | CJ Singleton shatters meet record in 3,200 as home team dominates Butler Invitational | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/cj-singleton-shatters-meet-record-in-3200-as-home-team-dominates-butler-invitational/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/cj-singleton-shatters-meet-record-in-3200-as-home-team-dominates-butler-invitational/ |
Quaker Valley School District
Quaker Valley football coach Jason Cappa was the first all-state football player at Riverview High School.
It’s time. Actually, it’s his time.
Jason Cappa is ready and focused.
After serving as a Quaker Valley football assistant as the offensive and defensive line coach, Cappa is primed to step up as the Quakers’ new head coach.
And it’s all systems go for the 45-year-old Cappa.
He was hired April 13, replacing Ron Balog who resigned in February after making one postseason appearance in four years on the QV sideline.
“I’m extremely excited and honored to be hired as the head football coach at Quaker Valley,” Cappa said. “Through the leadership of our administration and school board, there is a high standard of excellence at QV academically, athletically and in the arts. I will continue this excellence holding our players and coaches to that same standard.
“Coach Balog did a nice job laying a solid foundation of our players working hard and doing things the right way. My immediate plans are to increase our numbers to be able to play JV games with the intention of developing our players fundamentally and improving their football skills. I plan to meet with coaches and stake holders from all levels of QV football from youth all the way to alumni.”
Cappa, who comes from a family of coaches and educators, also held coaching positions at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Riverview, Shady Side Academy, South Allegheny and Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship.
He attended Riverview in Oakmont, where he was a standout athlete in football, basketball and baseball. He was the first all-state football player in school history as a tight end/linebacker.
Cappa continued his career as four-year inside linebacker at Clarion and was a member of the school’s NCAA Division II Final Four team.
His father, Jake, was a coaching legend in football at Riverview from 1986 to 2001, leading the Raiders to three WPIAL Class A finals in four years.
The elder Cappa, who died in 2014 at age 68 following an eight-month battle against liver cancer, has been honored by several halls of fame. He was inducted into the Alle-Kiski Sports Hall of Fame in 2001, East Boros Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 and Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013.
Three of Cappa’s sons — John, Jason and Jeff — played for their father and currently are involved in education and coaching.
Jeff is Jason’s twin brother. He is a middle school teacher at Wissahickon and now an assistant football coach at Central Bucks West. John, formerly a baseball and football coach at Shady Side Academy, has joined Jason as a QV assistant.
Jason Cappa has groomed two athletes in his family. His son Jake, 23, played football for his father at Riverview. His daughter Alyssa, 19, is a sophomore pitcher on the Alderson Broaddus softball team.
Cappa has been with the QV school district since 2019. He is a paraprofessional in the life skills classroom at the high school and serves as the middle school softball coach.
He has a degree in elementary education with a minor in athletic coaching from Clarion. He also has a master’s degree in educational leadership and is working on a master’s degree in special education.
“I come from a family of teachers and coaches,” Cappa said.
QV’s new head coach inherits a football program that’s gone 9-25 since winning WPIAL and PIAA championships in 2017.
“We are excited to welcome Jason Cappa to our athletic team as our new head football coach,” Mike Mastroianni, QV’s athletic director, said. “We look forward to the development of our program under his leadership.”
One of the QV football team’s strengths in 2022 is anticipated to be the line play. More than half of the 11 returning starters will be linemen (coached by Cappa).
“My early expectations are to develop a winning mentality through small victories this offseason,” Cappa said. “We are working with our players to learn how to compete at a high level. Our player expectations are to improve as a player, person and student.
“Expectations are from a character and attitude standpoint in terms of how you compete. We will focus on three intangibles — effort, mental toughness and accountability — that everyone can show regardless of talent.”
Cappa has been a finalist for the head coaching position at several other schools, including Apollo-Ridge, Deer Lakes, East Allegheny, Gateway, Kittanning and Penn Hills. He served as field boss at his alma mater in 2014-15, posting 4-5 records both seasons with the Raiders.
Cappa’s coaching philosophy is well thought out and ties in education with competing on the gridiron.
“My basic coaching philosophy for running a football program is to create an environment where all members of the program — coaches, players, administrators, faculty and parents — feel as though they are an important part of the system,” Cappa said. “We will teach athletes to practice and compete to their fullest potential, and to put forth their greatest effort at all times in the classroom, on the field and in the community.
“Football is one of the greatest classrooms in the world. Football in the academic environment should not interfere with academic progress.”
A component of the QV football squad that offers hope for 2022 is a strong freshman class.
“In my four years at Quaker Valley, this was my largest freshman class,” Balog said. “There are a lot of good football players in this group (of nine). Jack Diemert and Davin Gartley had terrific seasons and started nine games apiece.
“Dominic Cox-Giles, Thomas Debelak, Sebastian Safran and Marcus Richey all started games and played well. Nico Cardinale, Lance Burns and Ty Kretzler took valuable snaps, as well. The sky’s the limit for this group as a whole.”
QV played in the Class 3A Northwestern Six Conference in recent seasons, along with Central Valley, Avonworth, Keystone Oaks, Ambridge and Hopewell.
The Quakers were 1-4 in the conference and 2-8 overall in 2021 and have missed the playoffs the past three years.
Senior Patrick Cutchember, a four-year starter and the WPIAL wrestling champion at 189 pounds, led QV in rushing and scoring last season.
He ran behind an offensive line that included senior tackle Tommaso Floro, junior tackle Abe Djedid, sophomore guard Ethan Pesce, senior guard Amir McCracken and sophomore center Zach Djedid.
Cutchember was selected to play defensive back for the Small School West team at the East-West all-star football game May 29 at Bishop McDevitt in Harrisburg.
Jakub Pickett, a junior, was Quakers’ leading receiver in 2021.
Defensively, Cutchember, Diemert, Floro, Pesce, Pickett and Djedid and senior Nathan Dicks were team leaders in tackles.
The WPIAL drew up new conferences for the 2022 and ‘23 football seasons.
The Quakers are competing in Class 3A again this fall. Conference opponents are Avonworth, Beaver, Hopewell, Seton LaSalle, South Park and West Mifflin.
“I am very familiar with many of the teams in our conference from coaching against them last season,” Cappa said. “My staff and I are focused on building our program to compete at a high level so we can compete with of all the great teams in our conference. There are great coaches and excellent teams in our conference that I have a lot of respect for.
“We are focused more about how we develop our players and our program.”
The QV football program already has taken two major steps in its development process with the hiring of Cappa and the formation of an assistant coaching staff.
“We do have a staff together,” Cappa said. “Some coaches are from the previous staff along with staff members from within the district, and a couple other coaches are from outside of QV that have many years of coaching at other successful programs.” | 2022-04-24T16:44:49Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Cappa looks to build on ‘solid foundation’ with Quaker Valley football | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/cappa-looks-to-build-on-solid-foundation-with-quaker-valley-football/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/cappa-looks-to-build-on-solid-foundation-with-quaker-valley-football/ |
Gateway’s Chris Livsey wins the boys 100-meter dash during a meet against Franklin Regional and Woodland Hills on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Murrysville.
Gateway’s Amaya Robinson wins the girls 100-meter dash during a meet against Franklin Regional and Woodland Hills on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Murrysville.
Gateway’s Elijah Heller competes in the boys 110-meter high hurdles event during a meet against Franklin Regional and Woodland Hills on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Murrysville.
Gateway’s Kiki Pitts competes in the girls 100-meter hurdles event during a meet against Franklin Regional and Woodland Hills on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Murrysville.
Gateway’s Marina Grado anchors the girls 3,200 relay team to victory during a meet against Franklin Regional and Woodland Hills on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Murrysville.
Gateway’s Kiki Pitts competes in the girls 100-meter dash during a meet against Franklin Regional and Woodland Hills on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Murrysville.
Gateway’s Daniella Garner wins the girls 100-meter hurdles event during a meet against Franklin Regional and Woodland Hills on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Murrysville.
When breaking down early-season progress of his boys and girls track and field teams, veteran Gateway coach Tom LaBuff said that his athletes have worked hard to cut through adversities such as less-than-stellar weather and the fight to stay healthy in the quest to meet their goals and expectations.
“The kids, young and older, have weathered the storms, so to speak, and have worked really hard,” LaBuff said.
“There is very little complaining about anything that happens. I am proud of the way many of them have not let things get to them and have gone about their business. We’ve seen a lot of improvements, especially in the younger kids who are learning to work and put in the time to meet their goals. We’re also seeing really good examples from some of the upperclassmen and veterans. Hopefully, we can get a number of the upper echelon to WPIALs and some of them to states.”
Gateway had a busy two days April 13 and 14 with a section tri-meet with Plum and Penn Hills on the first day followed by the rescheduled Tri-State Track Coaches Association meet at West Mifflin.
The Gators athletes from both the boys and girls teams who competed at Tri-States had built up a measure of momentum with team sweeps of the Mustangs and Indians at Gateway’s Antimarino Stadium.
When the meet was moved to that day from the previous Saturday because of bad weather, the field was reduced with a number of teams being affected by kids being away for the time off before Easter. But Gateway, which also had a few out of action that day, did field an entry list of more than two dozen, and a number of them came home with top-eight medals.
“A number of the kids, especially the distance kids, had a lighter load the next day and were limited,” LaBuff said.
“Some of them had to work pretty hard the day before. Those were two good wins by both teams. The conditions that Thursday were pretty atrocious, so I had already had them plan to warm up extra. That didn’t work out all that well because afterwards, there was an hour delay, and they sat around a bit.
“The meet wasn’t what we had hoped in terms of getting an idea of where some of our better individuals and relays are, but it still was a good experience to go back to back like that. There were a lot of issues for a lot of teams. But there certainly were no questions about moving the meet. Even though it was bad in the morning, the sun came out eventually and it was 50 degrees as opposed to the really bad weather on the original date.”
LaBuff said the meet was of benefit to the team in the fact that a number of younger kids were able to get a chance to compete in a heightened atmosphere that the Tri-State meet brings every year.
LaBuff noted the efforts of junior Chris Livsey, who had a heavy load against Plum and Penn Hills, came back to medal in the long jump (seventh, 20 feet, 8 inches) and just missed medaling in the 100 (11th) and 200 (ninth) dashes.
“He still ran and jumped well (at Tri-States) and was a good example of doing all the things you are supposed to do,” LaBuff said.
Livsey also has earned dual-meet points for Gateway in the pole vault.
LaBuff said he likes the way junior Daniella Garner, also a Gators soccer standout, has performed this season, and she was able to make her mark at Tri-States, finishing seventh in the 300 hurdles (50.17).
“Daniella is still finding out some things about track and field,” LaBuff said. “She hit a personal best. There were some good things, and she knows she can do better.”
Newly minted Slippery Rock commit Amaya Robison medaled in her two main events with a fifth in the 100 (13.30) and an eighth in the 200 (27.52). Both were season bests.
The 3,200 relay of junior Marina Grado and seniors Emma Sandor, Megan McFetridge and Kiyara Sawyers finished seventh (10:55.62).
The same four came together at WPIALs last year and took 15th.
“They weren’t quite where they want or need to be, but they put in a pretty decent medal-winning performance,” LaBuff said. “They have some big drops to go.”
Senior Meredith Geno, LaBuff said, continues to make strides in the pole vault coming off a trip to WPIALs last year. She was sixth at Tri-States (9 feet).
“She is ready to really break out,” LaBuff said. “She has shown a lot of leadership with the way she goes about her business.”
On the boys side, sophomore Kefimba Cisse ran to sixth in the 3,200 with a time of 10:09.11.
“He ran strong in windy conditions,” LaBuff said. “We’ve given him a really heavy load, along with (senior) Brady Sundin. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the back-to-back days, but he had a good day.”
Sundin wasn’t too far behind Cisse in the 3,200 as he took ninth (10:21.08).
Senior Elijah Heller just missed a pair of medals as he took ninth in both the 110 and 300 hurdles.
Junior Matt Brooks tossed the shot put 45-8¼ at Tri-States and took fourth. He added 12th place in both the javelin and discus.
Brooks, LaBuff said, is battling through an injury but hopes to have him back throwing soon.
LaBuff said he also has seen some good things early on from sophomore Nia Brandon in the long and triple jumps and also sophomore hurdler Kierra Pitts, a WPIAL qualifier last year as a freshman.
Pitts missed the tri-meet and Tri-States because of injury.
Senior Cooper Hays, a WPIAL qualifier last year with the boys 400 relay, has been battling through injury as well. But LaBuff said that when he is 100%, he is expected to drop time and contend.
Gateway was to compete at Saturday’s Slippery Rock Invitational.
The younger Gators runners also will be in action Thursday at the Norwin 9th and 10th Invite. The first events begin at 3:45 p.m. | 2022-04-24T16:44:55Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Gateway athletes battle adversity in quest for WPIAL qualifying marks | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/gateway-athletes-battle-adversity-in-quest-for-wpial-qualifying-marks/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/gateway-athletes-battle-adversity-in-quest-for-wpial-qualifying-marks/ |
Quaker Valley’s Mike Sirianni plays in the boys Class 2A WPIAL singles tennis championship match against North Catholic’s Nicolas Scheller on April 13.
Quaker Valley senior standout Mike Sirianni repeated as a silver medalist at the WPIAL Class 2A boys singles tournament held April 12-13.
Similar to last year, Sirianni, a four-year No. 1 singles competitor at QV, lost to North Catholic’s Nicolas Scheller in the WPIAL championship round.
“I was very pleased with Mike’s performance at the singles tournament,” QV coach Christi Hays said. “I thought he had a challenging draw in what was decidedly the toughest 2A draw in years. He ran up against a buzzsaw in Nicolas Scheller, who was the PIAA silver medalist last year. So to finish as a silver medalist is an excellent result.”
Scheller, a senior and No. 1 seed, defeated Sirianni, 6-0, 6-0. In last year’s finals, Scheller won, 6-1, 6-1.
“I felt like I could have performed better against Scheller, who has improved a lot since last year, and I just was not able to adjust in that short amount of time,” Sirianni said. “The draw was much tougher this year, and I have not been playing as much as in recent years, but overall I am pleased with my result.
“My season has been great, and I feel like I have been playing very solid. The team has been a lot of fun, and I think that everyone is very happy with the way things are going.”
Sirianni, seeded No. 2, began his bracket climb with a 10-0 win against Central Valley senior Christian Kosinski, the No. 15 seed.
Sirianni then knocked off Scheller’s teammate and No. 7 seed Brody Golla, 10-1, in the quarterfinals, and defeated Thomas Jefferson senior Drew Dimidjian, the No. 3 seed, in the semifinals in straight sets, 7-5, 6-0.
“Mike has many strengths as a tennis player,” Hays said. “Obviously, his skills, but the other thing I admire about Mike and his brother Will is their work ethic. They push each other and they set a high bar for the rest of the team. When they step out on the court, you know they have put in the work that it takes to perform well.
“And another of Mike’s strengths — but at times it can also be a weakness — is that he is tough on himself. He demands a lot of himself. His demeanor is very calm and composed, but there is definitely a fire inside pushing him to perform well.”
Sirianni’s brother Will, seeded fifth, also participated in the WPIAL singles tournament. He won his first match 10-7 against South Park senior and No. 12 seed Alex Duing, 10-7, before losing to No. seed Josh Dunham of Mars in the quarterfinals. Willl suffered a should injury against Dunham.
“Will will be fine for the rest of the season, and that’s why he dropped out,” Hays said. “He said that team play was more of a priority, which makes a coach very proud.”
Mike and Will Sirianni finished as the gold and silver medalists in Section 4-2A this year.
Both were 7-1 with two regular-season matches still on the docket.
“When talking about what Mike has meant to the Quaker Valley tennis program, I have to include Will in that conversation because they really are a package deal,” Hays said. “When you are looking to build something, you always need a strong foundation.
“When they arrived four years ago, they gave us that foundation and we have built on it successfully these four years with other extremely talented players. We have had a successful four-year run with this senior class — all seven of them. They are all great to work with, they get along, and they are respectful competitors. And they would make any coach look good.”
Scheller, Sirianni and Dunham will compete at the PIAA singles tournament next month in Hershey.
“As the No. 2 seed from District 7, Mike will draw the No. 1 seed from District 12, which is Philadelphia,” Hays said. “That actually is a tougher draw than the No. 3 seed from our district got, but as he always does, Mike will give it his best effort and will represent himself and District 7 well.
“I’m excited to see how this last chapter turns out. We are on track so far. We are undefeated (8-0). We’ve won our section and done well at WPIAL singles. Next is section doubles, WPIAL doubles and then WPIAL team. That is as far as we’ve set our sights for now. We will see where that all takes us.”
Mike Sirianni has been playing tennis most of his life.
“I started playing when I was in second grade,” he said.
He also is an avid skier and is a member of the National Honor Society and student council.
Additionally, he enjoys volunteering with Buddy Up Tennis, which is a part of the USTA Foundation that introduces tennis to children and young adults who have Down syndrome.
“This outstanding program is really a great way to share the fun of this sport,” he said. | 2022-04-24T16:45:01Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Quaker Valley’s Mike Sirianni navigates tough draw to make 2nd straight WPIAL final | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/quaker-valleys-mike-sirianni-navigates-tough-draw-to-make-2nd-straight-wpial-final/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/quaker-valleys-mike-sirianni-navigates-tough-draw-to-make-2nd-straight-wpial-final/ |
Alex Byers | Saint Vincent College
Thomas Jefferson senior Anthony Sparta (left) poses with Heather Kabala, Saint Vincent College Director of Admissions.
Thomas Jefferson senior Anthony Sparta
Thomas Jefferson senior Anthony Sparta doesn’t necessarily cause a racket on the tennis court.
He makes his most noise in the classroom with an impressive 5.0 GPA this year and a cumulative GPA of 4.65.
Sparta was one of five students awarded a scholarship to Saint Vincent in Latrobe as a result of his performance in the college’s 41st annual Wimmer Scholarship Competition.
As the first-place finisher in the contest, which drew almost 100 entrants, Sparta has been awarded a four-year, full-tuition, room and board scholarship valued at more than $200,000. He plans to study chemistry in college.
“I’m incredibly grateful to receive the Wimmer scholarship,” Sparta said. “I really love Saint Vincent College from the times I’ve visited, so I’m thrilled to go there. I had already essentially committed before even learning that I won, and I’d met with faculty and administration a number of times. So it was a great experience to be recognized by some of the same people that I’d previously talked to.
“The competition was actually broken up into three parts. One was open-ended math, one was an essay analyzing an excerpt from Mark Twain, and the final was 100 questions of general knowledge, ranging from history and science to philosophy.”
Sparta learned of his scholarship as he was surprised at his high school by Heather Kabala, Saint Vincent’s director of admissions, his parents (Chris and Donna) and AP Physics classmates.
Sparta is a four-year member of the TJ boys tennis team and volunteers as an instructor for a junior tennis clinic every summer. He competes at the third singles position for the Jaguars.
“Tony is very athletic,” said Chuck Correll, TJ’s veteran coach. “His backhand is very good, and his ground strokes are very consistent. He has been a valuable volunteer for summer tennis the last four years. He was a motivator for the younger middle school players. Tony is also a great role model for the younger players on the team. He has a quiet, show-by-example personality.
“Tony really deserves the award he is receiving. He is a great person. His strong family influence is responsible for Tony’s great moral integrity. I am very impressed with the respect he shows everyone.”
Thomas Jefferson recently defeated rival South Park to remain undefeated in section play.
“Our tennis season is going very well,” Sparta said. “We’re hoping to finish at the top of our section, and we’re looking forward to the playoffs.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with a calf injury. … Overall, it’s been a great season, and we’re hoping to keep the momentum going forward.”
Sparta has been playing tennis since the sixth grade and is the only tennis player in his family. The TJ senior doesn’t plan to continue his career in college.
“I honestly hadn’t been planning on playing in college because most of my time will be probably be focusing on a possible double major in chemistry and physics,” he said.
Sparta enjoys working with younger students in his community, serving as a proctor for the Math 24 Competition for local area middle school students and volunteering at a Future Problem-Solving Program workshop to introduce new students to the problem-solving competition.
Sparta is a National Merit Scholarship finalist. He has been recognized as an AP Scholar with Distinction and is a member of the National Honor Society.
“Regarding being a National Merit finalist, I haven’t heard back yet about the scholarship,” Sparta said. “I’m honestly just grateful to be chosen as a finalist. It’s an opportunity I never really imagined having.”
Sparta also is a member of the AP Humanities and history clubs and is the president of TJ’s STEM club, in addition to being a member of the Varsity Academic League team.
He has been a member of the Pennsylvania Future Problem-Solving Team since middle school and has gone to the state finals with the team multiple times.
Sparta also is active in mock trial and earned recognition as a “top witness” last year.
“I’m fairly sure Saint Vincent has a mock trial team, so I’d love to join that if possible,” he said.
The TJ boys tennis team was 9-0 and atop Section 1-2A with three matches remaining on its schedule. WPIAL team playoffs begin May 2.
“Last year, we were a team made up of mostly juniors,” Correll said. “I expected the experience from last year to help us be much better. We are having a tremendous season.”
The Jaguars’ starting lineup consists of seniors Drew Dimidjian at first singles, Chris Pham at second singles and Sparta at third. Dimidjian won the section singles championship.
“Drew is a dominant player with a complete game,” Correll said. “His strength is his serve and severe topspin ground strokes. He was a state singles qualifier last year.
“Chris has improved his control and has become a very good baseline player. He hustles on every point. And Tony has been a very consistent player for TJ. He is a lefty, which makes him very difficult for his opponents. His backhand is very good and has a lot of pace.”
Senior Luke Georgulis and junior Gavin Sweeney compete at first doubles for the Jaguars and have not lost a set this season.
“They are both strong servers and great net players,” Correll said. “Luke hits very good cross-court returns. Gavin is good from the baseline. They are a very good combination and have dominated their opponents.”
Three players — seniors Nick Muffi and Joe Woderak and junior Kyle Siler — rotate at second doubles.
“Nick is without a doubt the most improved player on the team,” Correll said. “His ground strokes are very good, especially his cross court return of serves. Nick also has a very good serve.
“Joe has been really important to our team. He has managed to improve in spite of other commitments at the beginning of the season. His forehand has been dominant and his serve has been good.
“And Kyle is one of the best athletes on the team. He is a relentless hustler. He is all over the court and keeps the team in the match. His ground strokes are solid and he is very aggressive at the net.”
Correll is retiring from the coaching ranks following the 2022 spring season.
“We will be in the playoffs and should be one of the four top teams,” he said. “This season has been awesome. What a great year for my last season.”
The Wimmer Scholarship program is named for Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, who founded Saint Vincent College in 1846 as the first Benedictine college in the United States.
Tags: Thomas Jefferson | 2022-04-24T16:45:25Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Thomas Jefferson tennis player aces academic competition, wins Saint Vincent scholarship | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/thomas-jefferson-tennis-player-aces-academic-competition-wins-saint-vincent-scholarship/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/thomas-jefferson-tennis-player-aces-academic-competition-wins-saint-vincent-scholarship/ |
High school sports scores, schedules for April 24, 2022
McKeesport 8, Kiski Area 5
Allderdice at Pine-Richland, 3:30 p.m.
Seneca Valley at Central Catholic, 3:45 p.m.
Canon-McMillan at Hempfield, 4:15 p.m.
Mt. Lebanon at Baldwin, 4 p.m.
Norwin at Upper St. Clair, 7 p.m.
Gateway at Franklin Regional, 4 p.m.
Kiski Area at Latrobe, 4 p.m.
Penn-Trafford at McKeesport, 4 p.m.
Hampton at Armstrong, 3:45 p.m.
Woodland Hills at Mars, 5 p.m.
Shaler at West Allegheny, 4 p.m.
Connellsville at Bethel Park, 4 p.m.
Peters Township at Albert Gallatin, 4 p.m.
Freeport at Burrell, 4 p.m.
Indiana at Knoch, 5:30 p.m.
North Catholic at Highlands, 7 p.m.
Blackhawk at Quaker Valley, 4:15 p.m.
New Castle at Central Valley, 4 p.m.
Laurel Highlands at Greensburg Salem, 4 p.m.
Ringgold at Elizabeth Forward, 4 p.m.
Ellwood City at Beaver Falls, 4 p.m.
Freedom at Mohawk, 7 p.m.
South Park at South Allegheny, 4 p.m.
Derry at Deer Lakes, 4 p.m.
Mt. Pleasant at East Allegheny, 4 p.m.
Valley at Ligonier Valley , 4:30 p.m.
Charleroi at Southmoreland, 4 p.m.
McGuffey at Brownsville, 4:15 p.m.
Yough at Waynesburg Central, 3:30 p.m.
Beth-Center at Bentworth, 4:30 p.m.
Washington at California, 4:30 p.m.
Neshannock at Summit Academy, 4 p.m.
Riverside at South Side, 4 p.m.
Shenango at Laurel, 4:15 p.m.
Shady Side Academy at Northgate, 4 p.m.
Sto-Rox at Serra Catholic, 4:15 p.m.
Burgettstown at Clairton, 4 p.m.
Carlynton at Seton LaSalle, 4 p.m.
Rochester at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.
Western Beaver at Avella, 4 p.m.
Greensburg Central Catholic at Mapletown, 4:15 p.m.
Jefferson-Morgan at Bishop Canevin, 4 p.m.
Leechburg at Eden Christian, 4 p.m.
Sewickley Academy at Riverview, 3:45 p.m.
Mt. Lebanon at Peters Township, 4:30 p.m.
Hempfield at Butler, 4 p.m.
Seneca Valley at Pine-Richland, 4 p.m.
Franklin Regional at Penn Hills, 4 p.m.
Kiski Area at Armstrong, 3:45 p.m.
Penn-Trafford at Gateway, 5 p.m.
North Hills at Fox Chapel, 3:45 p.m.
Oakland Catholic at Mars, 3:45 p.m.
Moon at Trinity, 4 p.m.
Western Beaver at Upper St. Clair, 7 p.m.
Greensburg Salem at Burrell, 6:30 p.m.
Elizabeth Forward at Belle Vernon, 4 p.m.
Ringgold at Uniontown, 4 p.m.
West Mifflin at Yough, 4 p.m.
Beaver at Central Valley, 4:15 p.m.
Blackhawk at Hopewell, 4 p.m.
New Castle at Montour, 4 p.m.
North Catholic at East Allegheny, 3:45 p.m.
Shady Side Academy at Deer Lakes, 4 p.m.
Keystone Oaks at Avonworth, 7 p.m.
Quaker Valley at Ellwood City, DH, 4:30 p.m.
South Allegheny at Southmoreland, 4 p.m.
Waynesburg at Mt. Pleasant, 4 p.m.
Burgettstown at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 5:15 p.m.
Fort Cherry at Chartiers-Houston, 4:15 p.m.
Apollo-Ridge at Steel Valley, 3:45 p.m.
Brentwood at Serra Catholic, 4 p.m.
Seton LaSalle at Ligonier Valley, 5:30 p.m.
Freedom at Mohawk, 4:30 p.m.
New Brighton at Neshannock, 4:15 p.m.
Riverside at Shenango, 4:30 p.m.
Cornell at Bishop Canevin, 4 p.m.
Sewickley Academy at Rochester, 3:30 p.m.
South Side at Union, 4 p.m.
Greensburg Central Catholic at Avella, 4 p.m.
Mapletown at Jefferson-Morgan, 4 p.m.
Northgate at St. Joseph, 4 p.m.
Riverview at Ellis School, 3:45 p.m.
Springdale at Leechburg, 4 p.m.
Brashear at South Fayette, 3:45 p.m.
Jeannette at California, 4:30 p.m.
Trinity at Seton LaSalle, 7:15 p.m.
Canon-McMillan at North Hills, 5:30 p.m.
Fox Chapel at Peters Township, 7 p.m.
Mars at North Catholic, 7:15 p.m.
Montour at Moon, 7:15 p.m.
Penn-Trafford at Bethel Park, 7:30 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson at Baldwin, 7:30 p.m.
Norwin at Gateway, ppd. | 2022-04-25T01:04:32Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | High school sports scores, schedules for April 24, 2022 | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/high-school-sports-scores-schedules-for-april-24-2022/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/high-school-sports-scores-schedules-for-april-24-2022/ |
Courtesy of Alexis Hrivnak
Springdale’s Alexis Hrivnak is a senior on the 2022 softball team.
Three weeks into the season, the Springdale softball team had managed to play just two games.
Senior pitcher Alexis Hrivnak made an impact in both of them.
Wet weather and subsequent poor field conditions have kept the Dynamos in the dugout, but when they are on the field, they have followed the example of their senior leader.
Hrivnak threw a one-hitter with nine strikeouts and also was 2 for 3 with a double, home run and two RBIs in a 15-0 win over Ellis School on April 4. She also struck out 13 in a 12-5 loss to GCC on March 31.
“She’s our workhorse,” coach Anthony Pototo said. “She’s out there every day. She plays through everything. She bats cleanup for us. She’s a great leader, a great mentor to some of the younger players on the team.”
The Pitt-Johnstown commit was a second-team Valley News Dispatch All-Star last season and has high expectations for her senior campaign, as long as they can get on the field.
Hrivnak took a few minutes last week for a Valley News Dispatch Senior Spotlight Q&A:
How is the team playing to start the season?
I think we’re doing well. We have seven seniors on our team. One of them is an exchange student; she’s really taking a liking to the game. We have three or four new girls. They’re doing very well for just starting. They’re definitely athletes.
Has it been frustrating to have so many postponements and changes because of the weather?
Definitely. Our weather is very bipolar. I’ve never liked it.
I definitely would say I’m a leader for my team. A lot of our younger girls look to me as a role model. I love it. When I was younger, my parents had created a league, SYSA, so I’ve been helping girls since I was there. I’d love to coach sometime in the future.
What are the team’s goals this season?
Beat Leechburg. That’s the big one. I know our girls are dreaming of going to WPIALs. We definitely want to get back at South Side for that (playoff) game we definitely should have won (last year). We’re really hoping to go deep in the playoffs this season.
How would you describe your pitching style?
I definitely rely on my spin pitches. My curve ball is always my go-to. In the offseason, I started throwing a rise ball. I love it. It’s a wicked pitch. I get a lot of batters to go after it.
When did you get started in softball?
When I was little, I played soccer when I was 4, 5, 6. I got bored of it. My parents had been coaching softball and I figured I would give it a shot. I loved it. I’ve been playing since I was 6 or 7. It’s so hard to believe.
Were you always a pitcher?
I started pitching when I was 8 or 9. When you start out, it’s all about fundamentals, learning how to throw and hit. I just thought I wanted something more challenging. I guess we needed a pitcher.
What do you like more, getting strikeouts or hitting home runs?
That’s very difficult for me to answer. Both sides, defense and offense are about skill and figuring out what your opponent has. As a batter, I feel like I can pick up on pitchers very well because I am a pitcher. At the same time, it’s the same thing with pitching. I have to figure out what the batter doesn’t like and what they struggle with. I don’t know which I like better.
Why did you decide to commit to play at Pitt-Johnstown?
I want to go into the medical field, which is why I chose UPJ, for their medical program. I want to be a pharmacist, and they’re going to help me get there. I would always choose a school first for my academics. You never want to fall back on a sport when you go to college. After my four years are up, I’ll have two to four more years without playing ball. I have to make sure I like my school.
What did the UPJ coaches like about you?
I’ve gotten to talk with coach Niki (Pecora) a couple times. She’s very sweet. She definitely took to my personality. She said she’s seen me play since I was with the Outlaws (when I was 13). She likes my attitude. She likes how I play.
I’m a heavy metal fan. Since I was little, my first memory of music is being with my dad and listening to Metallica after a dentist appointment. My family’s and my relationship with music definitely brings us together.
What does the Springdale softball team listen to?
I consider it mumble rap because I don’t understand what they are saying. I’m more into my oldies (heavy metal).
Tags: Springdale | 2022-04-25T17:49:38Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | A-K Valley senior spotlight: Springdale’s Alexis Hrivnak | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-senior-spotlight-springdales-alexis-hrivnak/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/a-k-valley-senior-spotlight-springdales-alexis-hrivnak/ |
Penn-Trafford senior Alex Rugh
Coming off a covid year, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding Penn Trafford’s boys volleyball team last season.
That uncertainty faded fast, though, as the Warriors wound up finishing in third place in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs while making it to states as well.
The entire team performed well, but outside hitter Alex Rugh played above and beyond, securing himself a spot on the Section 3-3A all-section team.
“We had a really good group of seniors and then I was able to contribute,” Rugh said. “Last year went really great.”
This year, the team is ranked sixth in Class 3A, and Rugh has lofty goals for the team.
“I just want the team to get better throughout the year and make another good run in the playoffs,” Rugh said.
Rugh is picking up right where he left off last year, as he was named a Class 3A player of the week at the beginning of April.
As far as outside hitters go, Rugh is on the lower end of height, standing at 6-foot.
Rugh is going to Pitt and is undecided on his major.
With his senior season in full swing, Rugh took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:
How did you get started with volleyball?
I started in eighth grade. One of my best friends, Patrick Schall, told me to come to an open gym and his dad (Jim Schall) is the coach. I loved it then, and I’ve been playing ever since.
How much pride do you take in the honor of being one of the players of the week?
It’s pretty cool. It’s more of a team thing, I give all the credit to my team and coaches. We all love each other a lot, so it’s pretty cool, but it’s really more of a team thing.
I would say my biggest strength is being able to read the block and figure out what to do from there. I’m pretty good at hitting the ball or tipping it over or something like that.
I really hope that I can get better with my serving as the season goes on.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of your height?
I think my jumping is definitely something that helps with my lack of size. The amount that I play in the offseason really helps with that too.
I’m really involved in Penn-Trafford’s Young Life. One of our assistant coaches, Pete Leonetti, runs it and it’s just been really cool every Wednesday night to go to his house. A couple teammates and other kids from around Penn-Trafford go and read the Bible for a little bit every night and talk about it. It’s been a really cool experience. | 2022-04-25T17:49:50Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Westmoreland County senior spotlight: Penn-Trafford’s Alex Rugh | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-county-senior-spotlight-penn-traffords-alex-rugh/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/westmoreland-county-senior-spotlight-penn-traffords-alex-rugh/ |
WPIAL president Scott Seltzer waits to distribute gold medals to Neshannock head coach Luann Grybowski and her team after the PIAA Class 2A state championship game on March 25, 2022, at Giant Center in Hershey.
WPIAL board president Scott Seltzer will take over as executive director this summer, replacing outgoing director Amy Scheuneman as the league’s top administrator.
The WPIAL board met Monday and voted to hire Seltzer, the assistant superintendent at Chartiers Valley. Seltzer has served as WPIAL president since 2016, but had decided in the fall not to run for re-election to the board this year.
However, with Scheuneman’s leaving for a job elsewhere, Seltzer felt a duty to stay involved.
“I started thinking, honestly, with Amy gone, maybe I needed to step up,” Seltzer said. “I’m just honored to be part of the WPIAL. As executive director, I get to do my best to focus on student athletes and try to improve their well-being.”
Seltzer, 55, will become the league’s fifth full-time executive director after Charles “Ace” Heberling (1976-97), Larry Hanley (1997-06), Tim O’Malley (2006-20) and Scheuneman, who‘ll resign June 1.
Seltzer’s tenure starts July 1. | 2022-04-25T20:57:17Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | WPIAL hires board president Scott Seltzer as executive director | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/wpial-hires-board-president-scott-seltzer-as-executive-director/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/wpial-hires-board-president-scott-seltzer-as-executive-director/ |
Freeport’s Andrew Sullivan makes a pass during the Yellowjackets’ game against Seton-LaSalle on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Freeport’s Kade Kronen drives to the net to score against Seton-LaSalle on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Freeport’s Taylor King plays against Seton-LaSalle on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Freeport’s Nate Covey works past a Seton-LaSalle defender on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Freeport’s Carson Wheeler plays against Seton-LaSalle on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Freeport’s Garrett King scores against Seton-LaSalle on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Freeport’s Garrett King (8) celebrates withAndrew Sullivan after scoring against Seton-LaSalle on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Freeport head coach Jarvis Lindsay watches the Yellowjackets play against Seton-LaSalle on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Freeport’s Marcus Trask plays against Seton-LaSalle on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Freeport’s Kade Kronen plays against Seton-LaSalle on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Freeport Area High School.
Jarvis Lindsay enjoys the physical part of high school boys lacrosse.
There is certainly a great amount of skill involved in passing and scoring and navigating a crowded field, but games can be won with ground-ball pickups and forced turnovers in the course of play.
The Freeport coach is enjoying watching his team battle this season and the way it goes about its business on the field.
“They are good group of boys, extremely feisty. They embody the spirit of their mascot,” Lindsay said of the Yellowjackets. “It’s a good group of kids. They’re very tough, which I like. That’s more my style.”
Coaching that style of player is one of the things that brought Lindsay back to the sidelines. He guided Freeport boys lacrosse for the program’s first five years before stepping away. He returned this season after Dave Riley resigned after three seasons.
The Yellowjackets are 3-3 overall and 2-2 in Section 2-2A so far this season, with wins over Plum, Fairview and Moon and losses to Franklin Regional, North Hills and North Catholic.
“It’s a good team. It’s probably the most talented team I’ve ever coached,” Lindsay said of the program, which began WPIAL play in 2015. “They have a lot of experience which makes things a lot easier. You aren’t starting at square one. They have a great feeder program with the Freeport Youth Lacrosse. By the time they get to high school they’ve been playing five years. I’m happy so far.”
The Yellowjackets are coming off a 14-13 victory over Moon on April 13. Sophomore attackman Kade Kronen scored six goals, senior Andrew Sullivan added three, and sophomore Taylor King had two. Seniors Aidan Lindsay and Garrett King and junior Nathan Covey added one goal apiece.
Kronen has been a key contributor to the score sheet each game this season, including a seven-goal output in a 17-10 win at Fairview.
“He’s our highest scorer. He’s a very well-rounded player,” Coach Lindsay said. “He’s a midfielder but does everything well. He’s very composed on the field. He’s a big contributor.”
Freeport’s attack is led by Sullivan, Aidan Lindsay and Covey.
“We have a very solid attack,” Coach Lindsay said. “I don’t know that we’ve had (that depth). All three of them are good players.”
Joining Kronen in the midfield are brothers Garrett and Taylor King. Taylor handles most of the faceoffs for the Yellowjackets, and Garrett rarely leaves the field as one of the primary transition players.
Senior Marcus Trask starts at long-stick middie and is another player who rarely heads to the sideline. Senior Bode Fair also sees time at LSM.
“Marcus is an absolute beast ground-ball guy,” Coach Lindsay said. “He’s probably led the team in ground balls every year. He’s very aware. He’s good at knocking stuff down. He’s good at finding it. He’s got a very good sense of where the ball is, a definite asset.”
On defense, Freeport relies on three seniors — Carson Wheeler, Paul Zecca and Armando Brunck. Freshman Paul Micelli has taken on a larger role on defense.
“He’s been doing a nice job,” Coach Lindsay said. “He’s getting a lot of time for a freshman. He’s a solid player. He’s doing a fine job.”
Junior Nate Legin has been the team’s goalie the past three seasons.
“He’s had some pretty good games this year,” Coach Lindsay said. “He’s been playing solid, getting better every game.”
Freeport is in the midst of a busy stretch that includes a game against five-time defending WPIAL Class 2A champion Mars on Wednesday, as well as a home match Friday against Sewickley Academy and a road contest against Winchester Thurston at No Offseason on Saturday.
The Yellowjackets are looking to return to the postseason after missing out last year following a 3-6 finish in Section 2-2A. The 2020 season was canceled because of the pandemic, and the team reached the WPIAL semifinals before falling to Mars in 2019, a high point for the young program.
“Playoffs is ultimately the goal every year and see how far you can go,” Coach Lindsay said. “I’ll be happy no matter what. If we don’t make it, I know they tried. They don’t quit. They’re a tough group of kids. They’re hard-nosed. They’re a very spirited bunch.” | 2022-04-26T17:54:35Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | Freeport boys lacrosse leans on toughness to navigate Section 2-2A competition | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/freeport-boys-lacrosse-leans-on-toughness-to-navigate-section-2-2a-competition/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/freeport-boys-lacrosse-leans-on-toughness-to-navigate-section-2-2a-competition/ |
Greensburg Salem baseball player Jake Smith.
When Jake Smith isn’t throwing strikes, he’s rolling them.
When he isn’t scoring runs, he’s going on them through the woods.
It isn’t all that rare that he plays four sports at Greensburg Salem. What is unique is the sports he chose.
“They’re split up nicely,” Smith said. “Fall, winter and spring. So it works out. But I do a lot.”
He is a cross-country runner in the fall, a hockey forward and all-tournament bowler in the winter and a utility man on the baseball diamond in the spring.
It all adds up to 13 varsity letters.
Cross country became his route to college. He initially received a walk-on offer from Fairmont State (W.Va.) but was offered a scholarship after meeting a cross country coach while on a campus visit.
“Jake is a great kid who is extremely busy,” Greensburg Salem baseball coach Bill Wisniewski said. “He is involved with many things and must manage his time. Being a four-sport kid is quite an accomplishment. It also can limit the amount of offseason preparations you can do. So, he must get up to speed quickly once the next season starts.”
Smith, who plays shortstop or an outfield spot, was leading the Golden Lions with a .500 batting average through nine games (15 for 30 and had eight runs, a pair of doubles and four RBIs.
On the mound, he was 2-3 with a 2.41 ERA in six appearances.
He was the winner Wednesday in a 4-2 victory over Laurel Highlands. He struck out nine as the Golden Lions earned a key section split.
“Baseball was the first sport I got into,” Smith said. “I think I was like 3. My father was in charge of the local recreation league. Then I got into hockey. I was at Lynch (Field) all the time.”
His dad, Doug, also was a bowler and, “He won a raffle and won a bowling ball. I started using it. I fell in love with the game.”
Doug Smith also played hockey.
Running long distances with friends when he was a sophomore led to his competitiveness in cross country. Joining the team was an extension of those runs.
“I saw some older guys run and I wanted to be as good as them,” Smith said. “I just want to play every sport the best I can.”
Smith won the 2021 Westmoreland County Coaches Association Cross Country Championship.
The bowling team will compete in a national competition after winning a regional title in March. The Golden Lions edged out rival Hempfield, 2-1. Smith rolled a 670 series.
“We’re pretty good in bowling and our cross country program has a great history. We won a state title when I was a freshman,” Smith said. “It was pretty cool to see the team get a parade.”
Offseason training can get interesting for Smith, especially when it comes to managing his weight.
“You want to be strong for hockey and baseball, but you don’t want a lot of muscle mass for cross country,” he said. “I gained 15 pounds one summer, eating like crazy. You run like, five miles a day in cross country.”
While Smith says hockey is his for-fun sport of the bunch, he bowls sporadically throughout the year — he left a baseball game this week and headed to Main Bowling Center in Greensburg.
“I have won close to $700 in scholarship money (in the WPIBL offseason),” Smith said.
His highlights range from a 290 game in bowling to several hat tricks in hockey — he ranks 12th on the Greensburg Salem scoring list with 62 points.
Last baseball season, he singled and tripled to help the Golden Lions rally against Belle Vernon in the last game of the season.
“I was hitting like .230,” he said. “We were down 6-0 and came back. We didn’t win, but it as a nice rally for us.”
Smith was the winning pitcher earlier this season when the Golden Lions defeated Ringgold, 2-1.
“He has pitched well for us this season, and last,” Wisniewski said. “He is hitting the ball extremely well this season and leads the team in several categories. I am happy for him. He is having a spectacular senior year and he will be successful in the future because of these experiences.”
Family support, Smith said, is a key to making his eventful sports cycle work.
“My parents support me,” he said. “They don’t push me to do one sport. My brother (Nick) didn’t play sports. He goes to Pitt-Johnstown. I like to say he got the academic genes and I got the athletic ones.”
Smith also was a recipient of a WPIAL/James Collins Scholar-Athlete award.
Tags: Greensburg Salem | 2022-04-28T14:19:57Z | tribhssn.triblive.com | It’s a wide world of sports for busy Greensburg Salem senior Jake Smith | Trib HSSN | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/its-a-wide-world-of-sports-for-busy-greensburg-salem-senior-jake-smith/ | https://tribhssn.triblive.com/its-a-wide-world-of-sports-for-busy-greensburg-salem-senior-jake-smith/ |
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