High School category, Page 195
Bright future ahead for Jeannette football team
Jeannette’s football season was on life support six weeks ago. The Jayhawks were in the midst of a three-game losing streak following consecutive losses to Leechburg, Clairton and Greensburg Central Catholic, and a berth in the WPIAL playoffs was not a certainty. But a remarkable come-from-behind 42-41 victory Oct. 11...
With young lineup, Freeport girls look to keep things simple
With an influx of freshman talent, Freeport girls basketball coach Jason Kerr believes his program is headed in the right direction. “We have a nice freshman group, so that helps with our numbers,” he said. “That helps with our numbers just to be able to practice better, and this group...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Springdale’s Baileigh Haas, Burrell’s Mike Morazcyzk
Baileigh Haas School: Springdale Class: Senior Sport: Soccer Claim to fame: Haas survived a 3-2 shootout win over Conemaugh Township in the first round of the PIAA playoffs Nov. 5. She allowed one goal in a 2-1 win against Bishop Guilfoyle in the quarterfinals Nov. 9. Haas made 10 saves...
Thomas Jefferson tops McKeesport for WPIAL Class 4A championship, giving Bill Cherpak 10th title
Bill Cherpak has never been one to tout his own stats or accolades and that remained the case after becoming the first WPIAL coach to reach double-digit championships in football on Saturday. His Thomas Jefferson players did the talking for him. “He’s the G.O.A.T. Period,” Jaguars running back Tyler Eber...
Greensburg Central Catholic rallies past Linville Hill to claim 3rd PIAA girls volleyball title
SILVER SPRING TOWNSHIP — Trailing 2-1 in the state championship match, Greensburg Central Catholic found its game and took the final two sets to win its third PIAA girls volleyball title Saturday with a 3-2 victory over Linville Hill Christian School in the Class A final at Cumberland Valley High...
With revamped roster, Freeport boys looking to develop identity
Freeport boys basketball coach Rich Macura is looking to get a boost this season from some of his multi-sport athletes returning to the court. “We’ve been working through summer league, and we’re still kind of developing our identity with the football players coming back this week,” said Macura. “I hope...
Hempfield boys plan to pick up pace, close out more wins
Even though the record might not show it, Hempfield’s boys basketball program found itself leading a majority of its losses at halftime last season. The Spartans just couldn’t put together a full game to pull out wins. This season, coach Bill Swan hopes a change in pace as well as...
With plenty of size in starting lineup, Shady Side Academy boys embrace modern game
This season, the Shady Side Academy boys basketball team will reflect the way the modern game is played. The Bulldogs will have four players over 6-foot-3 in the starting lineup, but the largest players on the court won’t be anchored to the low block. Shady Side Academy’s best passer may...
Fox Chapel notebook: Liam Wiseman hits 100-goal mark
Liam Wiseman hit a significant milestone for the Fox Chapel hockey team. During the Foxes’ 6-5 loss to Canon-McMillan on Nov. 4 at the Alpha Ice Complex, Wiseman scored three goals to reach the 100-goal mark for his career. Fox Chapel’s hockey team is off to a 3-2 start in...
Pine-Richland notebook: Rams start fast, win big in WPIAL quarterfinals
Led by stellar performances from juniors Mac Miller and Lawrence “Jay” Timmons, the Pine-Richland football team secured a 42-0 win over Franklin Regional in the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals Nov. 8. The Rams looked to earn a third consecutive trip to the 5A championship game when they faced Bethel Park...
Riverview runners continue to find success at PIAA championships
The Riverview boys cross country team has been a consistent commodity at the PIAA championships the past several seasons. The Raiders’ runner-up finish in the Class A race Nov. 2 in Hershey was the team’s fifth top-five placement in six years. Riverview hoped to follow up its WPIAL championship performance...
Plum tandem to continue football careers at St. Francis
With the emotions of his final high school football game — a loss to rival Penn Hills on Oct. 25 — still fresh in his mind, Plum senior Darian Slaughter decided to commit to where he will play football for the next four years. “That night, I called (St. Francis,...
Norwin notebook: Soccer standout headlines all-section list
Norwin boys soccer standout Daniel Maddock was named the player of the year in Section 1-4A by the Big 5/6 Conference, an online entity that covers the largest classifications in the WPIAL. A quick, get-ahead-of-the-pack forward, Maddock also was a first-team all-section pick after scoring 22 goals and handing out...
North Hills notebook: Bounce-back season for football team ends in dramatic loss
The North Hills football team experienced a strong, bounce-back season this fall, but unfortunately for the Indians, it was a season that ended a bit sooner than they hoped. The Indians fell in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs Nov. 1, dropping a heartbreaking contest to Franklin Regional,...
After down year, classification change, North Hills hockey ready to win again
Jeremy Swegman admits that his team went through a bit of a culture shock in the 2023-24 season. A year after posting the most regular season points in the PIHL’s Class A with an 18-1 record, North Hills got bumped up to Class 2A. The team went on to, essentially,...
North Allegheny boys water polo wins state title in wild, 4OT classic
The North Allegheny boys water polo team traveled to the sport’s hotbed in Pennsylvania and threw a pool party for the ages. The Tigers defeated three Eastern Pa. powerhouses in three days to bring home the state championship, capped by a 10-9 four-overtime victory against Upper Dublin on Nov. 9...
Hampton runners reflect on WPIAL championship season
The Hampton girls cross country team this season had a ritual of eating at Olive Garden after each big race. One meal was especially tasty. The Talbots put together a historic 2024 season that included the first WPIAL Class 2A cross country championship in program history. “It was just overwhelming,”...
1st-year Hampton tight end Ryan Scully earns all-conference recognition
Whenever Hampton football coach Steve Sciullo saw Ryan Scully in the high school hallways last year, the former NFL lineman tried to convince the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder to play football. Scully finally agreed, and earlier this month Sciullo called the junior tight end into those same hallways to tell him something....
Bethel Park girls tennis, top player Cami Fisher celebrate strong season
It was a whirlwind of a season for Cami Fisher, Bethel Park’s sophomore tennis whiz. “I was really happy with my performance this season,” Fisher said. “I had a few goals that I wanted to accomplish at the beginning of the year, and I was able to achieve those.” Fisher...
Bethel Park boys cement place among WPIAL’s top teams with section title, playoff run
Bethel Park’s boys soccer team almost ran the table in the WPIAL playoffs this season. The section-winning Black Hawks finished as semifinalists in the Class 3A tournament as the final four consisted of No. 1 Moon, No. 5 Bethel Park, No. 6 Mars and No. 7 Franklin Regional. “I was...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Moe Rosensteel Award winner to be revealed Monday
The winner of the sixth Moe Rosensteel Most Outstanding Player of the Year for the top girls soccer player in the WPIAL will be announced at 5 p.m. Monday via social media. The finalists are Morgan Gesinski (Jr., F, Mt. Pleasant), Molly Kubistek (Jr., GK, Peters Township), Emily McKee (So.,...
With new mix of players, Hempfield girls up for challenge in tough 6A section
In the first season under Bob Madison, the Hempfield girls basketball program started 7-2 but only won one game the rest of the season. The Spartans look to improve in Madison’s second season in a tough Section 2-6A. Hempfield (8-14, 1-9) returns five players who started at various points last...
Central Catholic hopes to finally solve North Allegheny as teams clash again in WPIAL 6A final
Xxavier Thomas is about to play in his fourth WPIAL championship game, a rather rare feat accomplished by the Central Catholic senior. But he admits he expects more out of this one after three runner-up finishes. “Hopefully, we can come out victorious,” said Thomas, a Penn State-bound cornerback and wide...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 15, 2024
High school Football WPIAL Class 6A Championship Saturday’s schedule Central Catholic (9-2) vs. North Allegheny (10-1) at Norwin, 6:05 p.m. Class 5A Semifinals Friday’s results Pine-Richland 28, Bethel Park 7 Peters Township 7, Upper St. Clair 3 Championship Nov. 23 schedule Pine-Richland (11-1) vs. Peters Township (11-1) at Acrisure Stadium,...
Top-seeded Seton LaSalle starts fast, handles Steel Valley in Class 2A semifinals
Fresh off the victory, it still hadn’t set in for Seton LaSalle coach Tim Storino. “I haven’t had time to process it yet,” he said as his players celebrated with friends and family. “It’s a beautiful thing,” Storino added. “We’re excited. The whole school is excited. It’s been a great...
