High School category, Page 320
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Valley’s Tyler Danko, Burrell’s Leah McCandless
Leah McCandless Class: Senior School: Burrell Sport: Bowling Report card: McCandless won the girls singles title at the Western PA Regional bowling tournament Friday at AMF Noble Manor Lanes. She defeated Conneaut’s Lexi Potts in the championship match 211-182. McCandless, who was 11th at regionals and 24th at states in...
St. Joseph earns 1st state playoff win in seniors’ last game on home court
There was history being made by both St. Joseph teams coming into their PIAA Class A first-round game Saturday in Natrona Heights. The St. Joseph Spartans, the senior-laden WPIAL runner-up, had done so much that had never been done before in program history the past several years. But Saturday’s game...
Basketball standout Brice Flenory to take place with uncle, B.B., in A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame
Longtime local basketball fans might remember Brice Flenory for his deadly fade-away jumper. A 1998 Valley graduate, Flenory apparently hasn’t lost his touch over the years. “My fade-away shot still is unstoppable, even at the age of 45,” said Flenory, who is a dean of students for the Pittsburgh Public...
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week: Mt. Pleasant’s Lily King, Franklin Regional’s Shawn Sinclair
Lily King School: Mt. Pleasant Class: Junior Sport: Swimming Claim to fame: King won three gold medals and a bronze at the WPIAL Class 2A swimming championships last weekend at Pitt’s Trees Pool. She was a repeat winner in the 100-yard freestyle, where she broke her own record with a...
Burrell’s breakout season ends with 4th-quarter struggles in PIAA loss to Bishop Guilfoyle
There were bumps along the way, but the Burrell boys basketball team was where it felt it belonged Saturday afternoon. The Bucs earned a spot in the PIAA Class 3A playoffs by making a surprise run through the WPIAL playoffs as a No. 11 seed. An energized Burrell team surged...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports for March 9, 2024: PIAA basketball 1st round continues
Opening weekend of the 2024 PIAA basketball playoffs continues Saturday with first round games in boys 6A, 3A and 2A, along with girls 5A, 4A and A. Once again this year, all first round games are home contests for the higher seeds unless otherwise determined. The WPIAL playoffs lead to...
Plum swimmers earn berth to PIAA championships
The Plum girls swim team fared well in a number of events at the WPIAL Class 3A championships Feb. 29 and March 1 at Pitt’s Trees Pool. The Mustangs clinched three PIAA appearances — the two freestyle relays and junior Giuliana Ricciuti in the 200-yard freestyle — and were close...
Plum hockey hopes to build off turnaround season
It was quite a turnaround this season for the Plum hockey team. The Mustangs were 3-16 a year ago. The organization’s board of directors felt a coaching change was needed, and Plum hockey alumnus Jon Gratton came on board. The returning team members hit the ice together in August and...
Norwin notebook: Girls wrestling team crowns 2 regional champs
The Norwin girls wrestling team had two champions at the PIAA Western Regional championship at Canon-McMillan and advanced four to the PIAA championships set for March 7-9 at Giant Center in Hershey. Sophomore Josephine Dollman won a title at 142 pounds, pinning Grace O’Korn of Peters Township in the finals....
After struggling at end of regular season, Franklin Regional advances in Penguins Cup playoffs
It didn’t matter that the Latrobe hockey team had beaten Franklin Regional in both regular-season meetings this season. That’s because the PIHL Penguins Cup playoffs are a different animal, and the Panthers have experience in the high-stakes environment. They know how to win these type of battles. Shawn Sinclair scored...
Hampton sophomores bring home WPIAL swimming and diving gold
Hampton sophomore Lainey Sheets popped her head out of the water after the 100 backstroke at the WPIAL Class 2A swimming championships at Pitt on March 1 and was a bit bewildered. Sheets, already the fastest girls swimmer in Hampton history, saw the scoreboard was awarding Mt. Pleasant junior Kiersten...
Hampton softball picks up pace under new coach
Hampton all-section senior shortstop Charlotte Lomb said new coach Kate Hedderman’s high-paced workouts were an eye-opener for some of her teammates. “It was a little bit of a culture shock,” Lomb said. “She definitely moves a lot quicker. It’s a lot more serious practices than we are used to. But...
After productive offseason, Hampton baseball eager to get started
Hampton baseball coach Kellen Wheeler had a numbers problem this offseason. But it was a good one. The sixth-year coach had to figure out how to accommodate an overflow group of players in the school’s auxiliary gym and weight room for the team’s four-times-a-week workouts. “I had anywhere from 24...
Sarah Pasquella, Fox Chapel swimmers live up to big expectations at WPIAL meet
Fox Chapel swim coach Matt Mauclair enjoyed watching Sarah Pasquella turn in a big performance during the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool. Pasquella, a Pitt commit, shattered a 29-year-old school record by winning the 200 free in 1 minute, 51.08 seconds. “You can tell she swam...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Stakes high when Norwin, Penn-Trafford hockey teams meet
Norwin and Penn-Trafford are longtime rivals in a number of sports and have stood nose-to-nose on many fields and courts. But the Knights and Warriors will meet on the ice Tuesday night with a spot in the PIHL Penguins Cup finals on the line. They will play at 7 p.m....
Lincoln Park’s Brandin Cummings scores 28, says goodbye to beloved home court in PIAA win
Brandin Cummings kissed his hand before touching the Leopard logo on Lincoln Park’s basketball court, offering a kiss goodbye as his final home game was winding down. “My whole life, I’ve been playing in this gym,” said the Midland native, who grew up near the school. “I’m from here, so...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for March 8, 2024
High schools Basketball Boys Class 6A First round Saturday’s schedule Central Dauphin (18-8) at Upper St. Clair (20-5), 1 p.m.; Mt. Lebanon (20-5) at State College (12-12), 3 p.m.; Emmaus (20-7) at Red Lion (18-8), 5 p.m.; Central York (21-3) at Garnet Valley (19-8), 1 p.m.; McDowell (20-5) at Baldwin...
High school roundup for March 8, 2024: Fox Chapel knocks off District 10 champion Cathedral Prep
Asher White tied a career high with 23 points, sinking five 3-pointers, as Fox Chapel knocked off District 10 champion Erie Cathedral Prep, 57-52, in a PIAA Class 5A first-round boys basketball game Friday night. Jefferson Moorefield-Brown was good for 19 points, and Will Siegel pulled in 13 boards for...
Moon shakes off WPIAL championship malaise to get past Obama Academy
Usually, WPIAL basketball champions have a tough time coming out of the gates in the first PIAA playoff game. Boys Class 5A champion Moon had no issues with a quick start, but hit a malaise in the middle two quarters before pulling away from a game Obama Academy team Friday,...
Frazier’s Rune Lawrence ready for showdown as he tries for 4th state wrestling title
HERSHEY – The PIAA Class 2A showdown between returning state champions is set. Now it’s time to see who is the best 215-pound wrestler in the state. Is it three-time champion Rune Lawrence, a senior from Frazier? Or is it returning 215-pound champion Austin Johnson, a junior from Muncy? Both...
Greensburg Central Catholic girls roll over Bellwood-Antis in PIAA opener
The Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball team did a lot of talking on its home court Friday night, but it had nothing to do with trash. The WPIAL champion Centurions were in sync for a first-round PIAA Class 2A test that resulted in another impressive performance for the state’s second-ranked...
5 WPIAL girls advance to finals of inaugural PIAA wrestling tournament
HERSHEY — Five WPIAL athletes will be part of Saturday afternoon’s finals at the inaugural PIAA girls wrestling championships at Giant Center. Anna Malovich of Butler, Haley Smarsh of Moon, Leyna Rumpler of North Allegheny and Valarie Solorio and Natalie Rush of Canon-McMillan will leave with gold or silver medals...
Kiski Area’s Cooper Roscosky, Burrell’s Cam Baker fall in PIAA semifinals
HERSHEY — All Kiski Area sophomore Cooper Roscosky wanted from the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championship was his best performance. He figures the next two seasons will be his time to shine. Roscosky advanced to the semifinals by pinning Strath Haven sophomore Michael Spielman in 1 minute, 43 seconds to...
Franklin Regional wrestler Ty Kapusta believes it’s his time in state finals
HERSHEY – Franklin Regional senior Ty Kapusta is having the tournament of his life and he’s not surprised. Kapusta reached the 121-pound finals of the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championship at the Giant Center with two impressive wins Friday. He knocked off Quakertown senior Mason Ziegler, 3-2, in the quarterfinals...
WPIAL champion Norwin girls run away from York William Penn in PIAA opener
After getting knocked to the floor early, Lauren Palangio quickly dusted herself off and jumped back into character. With a shrug and a few adjustments, her teammates followed her lead. The Norwin senior forward continued to be a grandiose presence in the paint, helping the WPIAL champion Lady Knights to...
