Antonio RossettI stories, Page 2

Chartiers Valley stunned the WPIAL basketball world Tuesday night, downing top-seeded Montour, 47-44, in the Class 5A semifinals. The Spartans controlled the first half, going into halftime up 30-20. That’s when Jayden Davis and the fourth-seeded Colts turned up the intensity on defense. The Colts held the Spartans to 14...

The Cheswick Christian Academy boys captured their second consecutive Southwestern Christian Athletic Conference basketball title Saturday with a 64-36 victory over Pittsburgh Christian Academy. It was CCA’s third straight trip to the title game and second time in a row playing the River Hawks for the championship. Joseph Rosio and...

Liam Sheely scored 22 points, including 14 points and a key 3-pointer in the second half, to lead Mt. Lebanon to a 64-61 victory over Imani Christian in the WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinals Thursday night. “There’s never a time in the game where I’m thinking, ‘Oh, we’re gonna lose this...

Nancy Caliguri has been training in a dojo for 50 years and racked up a multitude of accomplishments. The Lower Burrell resident is celebrating half a century in martial arts this year. In October 1980, Caliguri became a first-degree black belt and worked her way to becoming a ninth-degree black...

Norwin’s Deacon Shannon walks into Boyce Boxing Gym in Plum and trains day in and day out in preparation for the Pennsylvania Golden Gloves finals. Fighting in the Bantamweight Division, he stands 5-foot-11 and fights at 132 pounds. He has a 76-inch reach and wears a size 12 shoe. Despite...

Montour held off a Moon comeback at home Friday night, closing out its Section 4-5A schedule with a satisfying 60-50 win. “We’re trying to go as far as we can, and we’re trying to win everything this year,” Montour center Ama Sow said. “That’s the goal. That’s the mindset.” The...

Trailing by eight points at halftime, Class 5A No. 1 Montour went on a second-half scoring spree to defeat Mars, 68-55, on Tuesday night. The Spartans used a 45-24 advantage in the second half to turn a 31-23 deficit into a win. The Fightin’ Planets contained the Spartans in the...

Mike Morascyzk walked into Brady’s Run Ice Arena and was suiting up for an important milestone of his career as the Burrell hockey team took on Central Valley. Morascyzk donned the dark blue and powder blue, laced up his skates and got his stick with the P92 curve all while...

The Freeport bowlers walk into Wildlife Lanes with confidence that they will better their craft and prepare for the big-time moments. Every pin is crucial, with games coming down to the wire. Bowlers are surrounded by teammates, coaches and family members with the game on the line. The pressure is...

Shady Side Academy swimming is diving into the season with a veteran boys team and a girls team with a young but promising lineup. Coach Erika Cooper said the preparation for this year has been outstanding. “We have a handful of swimmers that swim with various USA swimming clubs in...

Coach Marty Matvey and the Fox Chapel girls basketball coaching staff were one win away from 100 as a staff. Matvey is in his fifth year coaching the Foxes, who started the season 2-2 heading into last Friday’s meeting with Penn Hills in the Section 1-5A opener. He wouldn’t want...

Shady Side Academy boys basketball started 2-4 last season, but rose up and finished 18-9 with an 11-2 conference record, earning the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. This season, the Bulldogs started 2-2 and want to push their way toward similar success. To get there, they will have to...

Vermont advanced to the first final four in program history and spoiled No. 2 Pitt’s hopes of a national title in the regional final, defeating the Panthers, 2-0, on Saturday at Ambrose Urbanic Field. The Panthers dominated possession in the first half and were on the attack the majority of...

The Fox Chapel gymnasts walk into practice, yearning to beat their personal records. The Foxes flip through the air, showcasing their strength, flexibility and grace. Nonetheless, their performance is just one aspect of what makes gymnastics special. Gymnastics provides camaraderie and bonds that can’t be broken. For Foxes coach Nadine...

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,...

Greensburg Salem made a valiant run through the Penguins Cup playoffs last season. The Golden Lions were a play away from being crowned champions before Chartiers Valley defeated them 2-1 in overtime. It’s a new year as the Golden Lions lost the core from last year’s team to graduation, including...

Tonya Norman is the new sheriff in town as the coach for Valley girls basketball. Although she is in her first year, she is familiar with Valley sports. Norman was a three-sport athlete at Valley and went on to play basketball at Duquesne after graduating in 1989. She said connecting...

Valley is looking to rejuvenate a basketball program that won a WPIAL championship in 1993 and was a force in the ’90s. New coach and A-K Valley Hall of Famer Brice Flenory is taking on the challenge. He graduated from Valley in 1998 after averaging 36 points and showcasing his...

The Leechburg girls basketball team made the playoffs with an 8-11 record last season. This year, the Blue Devils want nothing more than to make it back. The Blue Devils won four out of six games from Jan. 15 to Feb. 1, which helped punch their ticket into the postseason....

Andrew McDermott is heading into his second year coaching a hungry Leechburg boys basketball team. The players, coaches and community are determined to turn the ship around. Last season, the Blue Devils finished 2-20, but with a big turnout, McDermott sees potential out of the program. “My primary goal is...

The Avonworth Antelopes galloped their way to Acrisure Stadium for the third straight year, defeating the Imani Christian Saints, 14-6, in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals Friday night. After a first half dominated by defense, Avonworth broke the scoreless tie late in the third quarter. After forcing Imani Christian to...

Belle Vernon made the WPIAL girls basketball playoffs last season but lost to Knoch in the first round. With a young group of players back, first-year coach Cornelious Nesbit is prepared to see what this year’s team can do. “I’m just getting the girls to understand my culture, my standards...

The Belle Vernon boys basketball team finished second in Section 3-4A last season, posting a 12-9 overall record, along with a 7-3 section mark. Despite the success, the Leopards fell short of their goals, losing to South Allegheny in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs. Coach Joe Salvino and...

After an early scare, top-seeded Fort Cherry advanced to the WPIAL Class A semifinals Friday night with a 27-20 victory over No. 9 Cornell. The Rangers went down 12-0 in the first quarter after Cornell had two straight drives that ended in touchdowns from Khylil Johnson on a 56-yard run...

The Deer Lakes hockey team was one game away from contending for the Penguins Cup, losing last year in the semifinals. This season, the Lancers are determined to make it a step further. Though a large senior class graduated, the returning Lancers (2-2) have high hopes for the 2024-25 season....