Josh Rizzo stories, Page 17

The nerves of playing in the WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer championship game Saturday at Highmark Stadium didn’t rattle Mia Deramo. The South Fayette sophomore forward has played plenty of high-level games at the venue as part of the Riverhounds’ developmental program. Before Deramo scored the game-winning goal with 1...

Gianna Babusci knew her teammate Minah Syam had likely scored 15 minutes into the WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer championship Saturday at Highmark Stadium. The fact the goal wasn’t given was immaterial. The Avonworth senior forward believed the Antelopes’ attack was too efficient not to produce more scoring opportunities. “We...

Alain Tamo-Noche immensely enjoyed his experience in Cape Town, South Africa. The Central State University student and Penn Hills graduate taught young people how to play volleyball. One little boy, Mokhtar, left a lasting impression on Tamo-Noche. “He stood out because he was eager to keep learning,” Tamo-Noche said. “He...

Don’t expect to find many holes in the Penn Hills football team’s defense. Indians defensive end Kelsey Hundley believes the team’s discipline makes it difficult for other teams to move the ball effectively. “We’re a physical team,” Hundley said. “We fly around and get to the ball. We tackle well.”...

There is nothing about making the WPIAL Class 2A field hockey championship game that feels routine to Ava Hershberger. Avoiding complacency through Penn-Trafford’s dominant stretch has a personal motivation. The Warriors qualified for the championship game for the eighth consecutive season by beating Latrobe, 2-0, in a semifinal playoff game...

Fox Chapel hockey coach Cam Raidna knows the pain from the last two seasons has been part of the building process for the team. Two seasons ago, Fox Chapel bowed out of the PIHL Penguins Cup playoffs in the semifinals. Last season, the Foxes coasted through the regular season in...

Fox Chapel offensive tackle Kristofer Bandurski had a few options after having his ankle rolled up during a mid-September game against Upper St. Clair. He could either have gotten surgery, which would have likely ended his season, or done physical therapy. With how many of Bandurski’s teammates were already out...

Stephanie Strauss never planned on returning to the bench to coach girls volleyball this season, and the Penn Hills athletic director never imagined it would happen this season. The Indians had their share of struggles during Strauss’ return to coaching but were able to pick up a pair of section...

Interrupting the Northeast Conference schedule to play Central Catholic was a tough spot for the Penn Hills football team. The Indians were facing the juggernaut Vikings a week after they were upset by Pine-Richland. Central Catholic pounced on Penn Hills at West Mifflin High School, scoring a 45-12 win. But,...

If Shaler boys soccer coach Tyler Schultz had it his way, the Titans’ outburst against Hempfield on Oct. 10 would have happened much sooner. But as it was, Shaler’s 5-1 win over Hempfield was a nice reward for a group of seniors who had difficulty navigating through a brutal Section...

Chris Catanese chuckled when he got the notification on his phone from Jacob Crissman’s parents. The Shaler junior golfer hadn’t stopped working after he finished playing the Penn State Blue Course at the PIAA Class 3A championships. After Crissman’s final round, he stuck around and drove some balls. Then, when...

David Fuhrer felt fulfilled after competing at the Penn State Blue Golf Course last week as part of the PIAA Class 3A championship. The Fox Chapel senior had wrapped up his first appearance on the state’s biggest stage. While Fuhrer felt he had missed opportunities to score better, he was...

Heading into the WPIAL Class 4A soccer playoffs won’t provide a major intimidation factor for the Fox Chapel boys soccer team. After surviving Section 1-4A play and grabbing the fourth playoff spot, Foxes coach Erik Ingram is relieved to have a full lineup available. Through the season, Fox Chapel spent...

The Penn Hills cross country program has seen its numbers steadily climb since having a tough start to the season. The boys program had five runners compete at the Section 4 championship meet. Veteran Penn Hills cross country coach Lee Zelkowitz hopes their accumulating experience will help once the WPIAL...

Ryan Hankey hopes the last few weeks of the Penn Hills boys soccer season can feature more milestones. Over the past few weeks, the Indians have started to play at a higher level. While it won’t be enough to lift Penn Hills into the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, the Indians...

Fox Chapel cross country coach Thomas Moul knew what the top goal on the mind of the girls team was. After a few years without a title, the Foxes wanted to get back on top of the section. All five of the Foxes’ top runners placed at the top 10...

Penn Hills defensive back Cam Thomas has two legacies he is trying to live up to. He wants to be another one of the next great defensive backs in school history. Thomas also wants to maintain the family tradition of excelling on defense as well. When it comes to playing...

When Lucy Brayton is out on the golf course, there aren’t too many other things that bother the Saint Vincent freshman. With all of the things that can make the transition from high school to college difficult, handling all of the school-life balance hasn’t troubled Brayton much. “I’ve always been...

Colin Martin has all the gizmos and gadgets to properly track his pace, but the Fox Chapel graduate also utilized his intelligence to know if he was on the right track to qualify for the U.S. Olympic marathon trials. Running in Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn., Martin had an idea...

Ryenn Micaletti left a lasting impression with Penn Hills senior Hannah Pugliese. While on a trip to Slippery Rock University, Pugliese had an opportunity to watch Micaletti, who is in her first year as coach of The Rock, run practice. “I think she is going to turn things around,” Pugliese...

Penn Hills football coach Charles Morris prepared the team to face major adversity from the first day of training camp. Morris got an idea of how the Indians would handle it when things didn’t go right after Penn Hills lost Sept. 15 to Moon. The Indians, who were ranked No....

Jesse Foglia was named the head coach at the USRowing Training Center at Princeton at the right time to help American athletes pursue a chance to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The 2000 Fox Chapel graduate was hired to coach the team in January after a long career...

Emily McKee has spent her freshman season keeping her eyes out for her teammates. When the Fox Chapel girls soccer team goes on the attack, players are always looking to find different ways to create strong scoring opportunities. “We have been working on playing as a team, not being selfish...

Ryan Barnhart wasn’t sure if he wanted to play guard. The Shaler senior had spent most of his career as a middle linebacker. But coming into the season, he knew the Titans also needed help up front. “At the beginning, I wasn’t sure I wanted to play on the offensive...

Penn Hills graduate Raion Strader helped Miami (Ohio) end a long-time losing streak to Cincinnati. Just a week after the Bearcats beat Pitt at Acrisure Stadium, Cincinnati got tripped up 31-24 by the Redhawks in overtime Sept. 16. Strader, a freshman, finished with a career-high six tackles and three pass...