High School category, Page 184
Bethel Park notebook: Coach enjoying middle school experience
Did you know that Bethel Park girls middle school volleyball coach Adam Foote is a social studies teacher at Baldwin High School? “I’ve been coaching girls middle school volleyball at Bethel Park the past three seasons and last year coached the boys JV team,” said Foote, who formerly coached volleyball...
With 11 returning starters, Bethel Park wrestling has high expectations
Bethel Park’s wrestling team advanced to the WPIAL semifinals last year and finished with an impressive 19-3 record. The Black Hawks placed fourth in Class 3A in the Trib HSSN final rankings after defeating North Hills, 39-15, and North Allegheny, 26-19, in the first two rounds of the WPIAL tournament....
Sadie Orie, Ella Sabatos return to lead Bethel Park girls basketball
The players on the Bethel Park girls basketball team are legitimate gym rats. That’s a positive thing. Bethel Park second-year coach Steve Norman has enjoyed watching the dedication displayed by the girls on the 2024-25 team. “We’re going to be much younger than last year,” Norman said, “but we’ve had...
QB Tanner Pfeuffer wraps up Bethel Park career with super senior season
Tanner Pfeuffer eclipsed 6,000 yards passing in a distinguished three-year career as Bethel Park’s starting quarterback. The 6-foot-6, 195-pound senior completed 156 of 260 tosses for 2,656 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2024, giving him 6,044 yards and 66 TDs in his career. “I am super happy what our team...
Under new coach, Bethel Park boys hope to build on playoff momentum
Dante Calabria coached the Bethel Park boys basketball team for two years. In July, Calabria informed his players and the Bethel Park School District that he was resigning to take a position as head coach of Pistoia Basket 2000 of the Lega Basket Serie A in Europe. Calabria is a...
Shady Side Academy’s Karis Thomas reflects on scoring milestone
Shady Side Academy junior Karis Thomas prepared for what she thought was just another game. Little did she know she was on the brink of scoring 1,000 points. Thomas was leading the Bulldogs girls basketball team against Berlin Brothersvalley in a close, hotly contested game. She then made program history,...
Herald notebook: Zoe Skirboll chasing NCAA cut times at Virginia
Zoe Skirboll competed in the U.S. time trials to try to earn a spot on the Olympic team last summer. The Fox Chapel graduate would like to utilize that experience to help her junior year at Virginia be a big success. While the season is still young, Skirboll already has...
Led by Division I trio, Fox Chapel swimmers poised for memorable season
Coach Matt Mauclair is excited about what the Fox Chapel swimming program is bringing back up and down the lineup. At the top, the Foxes have four captains with plenty of experience swimming at a high level. Three of those athletes — Sarah Pasquella, Owen Howe and Christian Dantey —...
Penn Hills freshman heavyweight showing vast potential
Denairo Price hardly had to break a sweat during his first varsity wrestling match. Thankfully, the Penn Hills freshman heavyweight doubled up on his matches during a triangular with Woodland Hills and Riverview on Dec. 4. Price, who transferred to Penn Hills from Kiski Area, claimed two pins to open...
Penn Hills notebook: Junior high girls wrestler makes history; Strader named All-American
There was plenty to celebrate for the Penn Hills wrestling program as the season opened with a triangular against Riverview and Woodland Hills on Dec. 4. While the Indians varsity boys program picked up wins against the Raiders and the Wolverines, the girls program also got an opportunity to get...
Plum wrestling ready for next wave of WPIAL qualifiers to emerge
Last year, the Plum wrestling program had a handful of wrestlers qualify for the WPIAL tournament. Even though most of those were seniors, the Mustangs are hopeful to have another handful reach the tournament this season. Plum will look to replace Antonino Walker (152) and Rylen Campbell (127) who each...
New coach expects Plum swimmers to maintain level of success
The Plum swimming program is aiming for more consistency as Shane Ging takes over as head coach. Ging, who replaces Shawn Haupt, is familiar with the Plum swim program since he has been an assistant coach with the team the past four years. “I’ve been here a while with these...
New coach takes reins after breakthrough season for North Hills girls
Jason Pirring decided to stop coaching basketball in order to spend more time with his growing family. He never imagined that, years later, it would be his family that brought him back to the bench. Pirring was hired earlier this year as the new head coach of the North Hills...
Despite key departure, North Hills boys ready for move to Class 6A
For the second straight year, the North Hills boys basketball team is forced to move on following an early departure of the team’s top scorer. A year ago, the Indians were able to reach the WPIAL Class 5A basketball playoffs following the offseason loss of center Royce Parham, who transferred...
With 8 returning WPIAL qualifiers, North Allegheny wrestlers set sights high
In the bowels of North Allegheny High School a few days before Thanksgiving, the NA wrestlers ran end-of-practice wind sprints to the loud encouragement of coaches and classic rock. The Tigers plan to make even more noise this season. “I don’t see any issues with their work ethic, and that’s...
High school sports scores, schedules for Dec. 6, 2024
High schools Basketball Boys Friday’s results Aquinas Academy tournament Aquinas Academy 84, Cheswick Christian 53 South Park 80, Propel Montour 50 Baldwin/Peters Township tournament Baldwin 74, Shaler 50 Peters Township 69, Altoona 42 Brentwood tournament Brentwood 57, Freedom 45 Carrick 81, Geibel Catholic 59 Brownsville tournament Our Lady of the...
Bethel Park tops Seton LaSalle in back-and-forth contest
Early December high school basketball doesn’t usually offer many intriguing storylines as teams search for an identity while trying to put one in the win column. However, a good storyline wasn’t difficult to find Friday in the first game of the Upper St. Clair boys basketball tip-off tournament. Two playoff...
Central Catholic ready for championship-caliber challenge vs. St. Joseph’s Prep
On this side of the state, St. Joseph’s Prep probably finds few fans. The Philadelphia Catholic League power is a lightning rod for critics who say the eight-time PIAA champion has won titles with players who crossed state lines to get there. But don’t expect to hear any such gripes...
High school roundup for Dec. 6, 2024: Peters Township wins girls basketball showdown with Upper St. Clair
Natalie Wetzel scored 20 points to lead Peters Township to a 63-44 victory over Upper St. Clair in a battle of WPIAL girls basketball powers at the Baldwin/Peters Township tournament on Friday. Bri Morreale added 18 points and Taylor McCullough had 14 for Peters Township (2-0), the preseason No. 1...
Greensburg Central Catholic holds on to beat Franklin Regional
One coach was concerned with how his team started. The other, with how his finished. It’s very early, but critiques now are going to be harsher than they might be later in the season. Greensburg Central Catholic built double-digit leads at halftime and at the start of the fourth quarter...
Fox Chapel boys team picks up steam in win vs. Plum
After a shaky first half, Fox Chapel immediately came out of the halftime locker room and set the tone for the second half as the Foxes defeated Plum, 52-37, in the Chartiers Valley Tournament on Friday night. The Foxes (2-0) were led by senior Caden Kaiser, who scored the first...
PIAA Class 6A football championship preview: Central Catholic vs. St. Joseph’s Prep
On a weekend that featured six schools making their PIAA championship game debut, the final contest of the weekend includes two schools that have been there, done it several times over. In fact, St. Joseph’s Prep out of the Philadelphia Catholic League in Philadelphia and Central Catholic out of the...
PIAA Class 3A football championship preview: Avonworth vs. Northwestern Lehigh
The PIAA Class 3A championship game features two schools making their second appearance in the football state championship game and still in search of their first PIAA gold. Five years ago, WPIAL champion Avonworth suffered one of the biggest losses in PIAA football playoff history, falling to state power Southern...
Avonworth sees similarities in PIAA finals opponent Northwestern Lehigh
As Avonworth makes its second trip to the state finals in five years, the Antelopes feel differently about this one. “We’re not playing the Green Bay Packers,” coach Duke Johncour said with a laugh. That’s no knock on their opponent. Undefeated District 11 champion Northwestern Lehigh (15-0) awaits in the...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 5, 2024
High schools Basketball Boys Thursday’s results Nonsection Bentworth 52, Charleroi 50 Bishop Canevin 48, Lincoln Park 38 Wilmington 47, Environmental Charter 43 New Brighton 72, South Side 60 West Allegheny 62, Steel Valley 36 Friday’s schedule Aquinas Academy tournament Propel Montour at South Park, 7 p.m. Cheswick Christian at Aquinas...
