Josh Rizzo stories, Page 26

Sonny Litwiler doesn’t give himself the excuse of not being able to do his Crossfit training. Since classes run all day, the Northern Regional Police Officer can always find time for a workout. Due to the nature of shift work, Litwiler also usually can count on someone else holding him...

Talia Russell knows when she glances across the net at her opponent on the tennis court, every match will be a challenge. Russell, who is a senior and the Penn Hills girls tennis team’s No. 1 singles player, doesn’t have nearly as much experience as many of her opponents. “It’s...

Inexperience has made the early season difficult for the Penn Hills girls soccer team. The Indians had to drop right into the snakepit that is WPIAL Section 3-3A play without any nonsection games to warm up. The Indians, who lost 7-0 to three-time defending WPIAL runner-up Plum on Wednesday night...

Life isn’t easy for any Penn Hills girls tennis player taking over the No. 1 singles spot. With a team often as inexperienced as the Indians tend to be, there are a lot of potential pitfalls in a section with several deep teams. Talia Russell has stepped into that role...

Entering a season with high expectations has the Penn Hills boys soccer team trying to reign in its emotions in the early going. The Indians were scheduled to enter a Section 3-3A match with Penn-Trafford last Thursday missing two of their top attacking players, neither due to injuries. Penn Hills...

Former Penn Hills wrestler Te’Shan Campbell will once again be involved with collegiate wrestling. Campbell, a 2015 PIAA champion at 170 pounds with the Indians, will join Michigan State’s coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. “Te’Shan brings a lot of experience as a competitor and as a coach,” Michigan State...

Penn Hills kicker Owen Williams did what he had to do when a snap went sailing over his head during the Indians’ season opener Aug. 26 at NexTier Stadium. With less than 10 seconds left before halftime, Williams booted the football off the ground and through the back of the...

The makeup of the Penn Hills girls volleyball team has Jay Mitlo approaching the upcoming season differently than in seasons past. Mitlo, who is in his 25th season as head coach, will be mixing and matching his lineups throughout the season. That versatility will allow him to have girls serve...

Myron Cook is excited about the challenge in front of him. The longtime assistant coach of the Penn Hills girls soccer program is moving into the top job at a time when the program is trending in an upward direction. The challenge for Cook, who was an assistant coach for...

Anthony Becoate thought this was the right time to take his first job as a head coach. The McKeesport and Clarion graduate had previously coached junior varsity football at Summit Academy seven years ago but took time away from coaching after having a child. Stepping back into coaching by taking...

Terry Fetsko Jr. started in Chartiers-Houston’s program as a ballboy. Often Fetsko would travel with the team coached by his dad, who is in his 18th year as coach, to see away games. Playing quarterback for the program, as Fetsko did last season, was a nice honor. “I was always...

Charles Pienaar and his wife Stephanie attended the CrossFit Games together in 2021 just for their enjoyment. The trip turned into a motivational one. After watching a few events, Stephanie turned to Charles and said you should do this. Pienaar, a 2003 Penn-Trafford graduate, was eager to take on the...

Competing in the CrossFit Games doesn’t provide a clearly defined path for athletes. Brett Horchar, who competed in the men’s neuromuscular division, knows that Crossfit is always working to involve what fitness means. Being able to find different ways to work out is a perfect challenge for Horchar, who was...

Austin Stuchul and Sawyer Kinney went east to make improvements for the Penn Hills cross country team this fall. Attending a cross country camp at Shippensburg University provided both runners with a tremendous amount of perspective. When the team practices started for the fall, Indians coach Lee Zelkowitz saw the...

Producing a winning football program at Imani Christian isn’t an impossible dream. Coach LaRoi Johnson knows it because he was there in 2017. The Saints finished a point away from grabbing the WPIAL Class A crown from eventual state champion Jeannette. Things have changed since Johnson, who was the offensive...

Lucy Brayton spent all summer getting ready for another shot at the PIAA Class 3A golf tournament. The Penn Hills senior was fuming after a slow start on the back nine doomed her performance at the WPIAL Class 3A championship at Hannastown Golf Club. Brayton shot a 8-over par 80...

Finishing last season on a strong note has had a lasting impact on the Penn Hills boys soccer team. Energized by their first WPIAL playoff appearance in 17 years, the Indians’ players spent the offseason participating in several tournaments to build up more experience. About a month ago, Penn Hills...

Penn Hills coach Charles Morris isn’t so worried about X’s and O’s for his first season in charge. The foundation for the Indians’ success on the field has been shaped over the previous few years by the players and coaching staff. Morris, a Penn Hills graduate, wants to know that...

There was a real opportunity last season for the Shaler football team to get off to a 3-0 start. But after two double-digit wins to open the season, the Titans were tripped up by Hampton by three points. What followed that loss is something Shaler coach Jim Ryan hopes another...

Penn Hills basketball player Hannah Pugliese was excited to participate in a one-on-one competition that was part of the NEO Summer Showcase last month. To win, all the junior had to do was navigate through a field of 30 players. No problem. “I was trying to be as confident as...

Steve DeCarlo has spent seven years with Penn Hills teams of various age groups in the Eastern Fastpitch Softball League. With half of his roster on the 15U team set to age out following this season, the league is considering adding an 18U division to have a recreational summer league...

Mental toughness isn’t something Gino Texter will have to seek out. Hockey has provided the 15-year-old Shaler native with plenty of challenges. Five times Texter tried out to be a goaltender with the Pens’ Elite program. Every attempt ended without an invitation. Texter instead found a home with the Cleveland...

Mason Wade felt the Penn Hills Pony A team was in the middle of what would be a good run. By the time the championship game rolled around July 18 against Squirrel Hill, Wade was confident. “I got a good feeling in the middle of the season,” said Mason, who...

Penn Hills rugby coach Matthew Rosemeyer doesn’t know where his son, Charlie Joe, gets the motivation to tackle so many different activities. During his time at Penn Hills, the 2022 graduate played on the football, soccer, rugby and golf teams. Of all the sports Charlie Joe played, rugby may be...

Larry Bielawski was happily working for a rug company in the Strip District when he saw a poster advertising CCAC. Seeing a chance to pick up some skills in music production, Bielawski decided to go back to school while working. Despite not playing baseball since 2018 in the OVDL Summer...