Don Rebel stories, Page 84
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on March 15, 2023: Central Catholic to face stern test from State College
The Road to Hershey continues Wednesday with more PIAA second-round basketball action. Class 6A district champions collide at Central Cambria as WPIAL winner Central Catholic (17-9) goes up against District 6 champ State College (24-2) at 6 p.m. The Little Lions have won 10 consecutive games since losing to District...
2023 WPIAL Class 5A baseball preseason breakdown
It’s a realignment year in WPIAL baseball and, once again, the higher classifications have taken a hit. While Class 6A is down one team from the last two-year cycle, Class 5A is down one whole section after shrinking from 25 teams to 19 teams for the 2023 and 2024 seasons....
What to watch for in high school sports for March 14, 2023: PIAA basketball second round tips off
The second round on the Road to Hershey tips off Tuesday. The first round of the PIAA basketball postseason was a clean sweep for the four Class 6A girls basketball teams from the WPIAL. North Allegheny, Upper St. Clair, Norwin and Mt. Lebanon were all victorious by an average margin...
Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week for March 13, 2023
Northgate senior Stephen Goetz stayed home from school Monday with a little stomach virus. Ironic, because he made McConnellsburg feel queasy in the first round of the PIAA boys basketball Class 2A playoffs. Goetz had a monster performance Saturday in leading the Flames past the Spartans. “We told him to...
Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week for March 13, 2023
Standing at 5-foot-4, senior Knoch girls basketball player Nina Shaw may be easy to overlook off the basketball court. But on the hardwood, Shaw has a giant presence and has been a big part of the Knights success the last couple of years. “Her confidence level is very high right...
2023 WPIAL Class 6A baseball preseason breakdown
It’s a realignment year in WPIAL baseball and, once again, the higher classifications have taken a hit. While Class 6A is down one team from the last two-year cycle, Class 5A is down one whole section after shrinking from 25 teams to 19 teams for the 2023 and 2024 seasons....
Defending champions to be challenged in PIHL Penguins Cup semifinals
A year ago, the PIHL Penguins Cup was raised by Peters Township in 3A, Thomas Jefferson in 2A, Norwin in A and Neshannock won the Division II championship. Three of those four are still alive as the league heads into its weeklong Frozen Four. The PIHL will have four days...
What to watch for in high school sports for March 13, 2023: Dominant PIHL teams to battle
A week of PIHL Penguins Cup Frozen Four high school hockey games begins Monday with the Class 3A semifinals. Over the last 10 years, the most dominant PIHL Class 3A programs have been North Allegheny and Peters Township. North Allegheny won Penguins Cup titles in 2013, 2019 and 2021 while...
Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week for March 12, 2023
Nine days earlier, the Penn-Trafford girls basketball team had to win to keep their season alive, and they did, beating Hampton in the WPIAL seventh-place consolation game. On Saturday in the opening round of the PIAA basketball playoffs, again the Warriors had to win to survive and advance, and they...
Trib HSSN boys basketball team of the week for March 12, 2023
Falling behind early on the road in a PIAA basketball playoff game is not a good recipe for success. Trailing by double-digit points heading into the fourth quarter of a state playoff game is usually a countdown to your season being over. The Neshannock boys experienced both of those not-so-enjoyable...
Trib HSSN broadcast listings: Week of March 13, 2023
With spring sports season beginning this weekend, our focus remains on the winter sports postseason this week on the TribLive High School Sports Network. Trib HSSN continues our coverage of the Penguins Cup high school hockey playoffs with video streams off all eight PIHL semifinals contests. We will also continue...
PIAA boys basketball playoffs continue in 2nd round for 23 WPIAL teams
There were 36 WPIAL boys basketball teams taking part in the 2023 PIAA playoffs, and after the first round on opening weekend, the field of District 7 representatives has been cut to 23 teams. Here are the sites and times for the second-round games on Tuesday and Wednesday on The...
21 WPIAL teams learn sites, times for 2nd round of PIAA girls basketball playoffs
The WPIAL started with 37 girls basketball teams participating in the PIAA playoffs and after first-round play on opening weekend, the field of District 7 representatives has been sliced to 21 teams. Here are the sites and times for second-round games Tuesday and Wednesday on The Road to Hershey. Girls...
Gritty New Castle stops Erie in PIAA 1st-round battle
New Castle leaned on past state playoff successes and a tough defense to eliminate District 10 champion Erie, 60-50, in a PIAA Class 6A first-round battle Saturday afternoon at the Ne-Ca High Fieldhouse. One year after reaching the Class 5A state championship game, the Red Hurricane and their four starting...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on March 11, 2023: Heavyweights collide when New Castle meets Erie
Opening weekend on the Road to Hershey continues Saturday. Last year, New Castle lost in the WPIAL finals to Laurel Highlands and then ripped off four wins in the state playoffs to reach the PIAA Class 5A championship game, where the Red Hurricane lost to Imhotep Charter. The last time...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on March 10, 2023: Lincoln Park, other WPIAL champs set for PIAA openers
Welcome to the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Road to Hershey. The 2023 PIAA boys and girls basketball playoffs tip off Friday with first-round games for 5A boys, 4A boys, A boys, 6A girls, 3A girls and 2A girls. One big change in the PIAA brackets these next two years is...
PIAA playoff factoids: WPIAL basketball teams embark on Road to Hershey
The 2023 PIAA boys and girls basketball playoffs tip off with first-round games Friday and Saturday. Since the PIAA expanded to six classifications for the 2017 season, there have been five completed postseasons in the books. The 2020 state playoffs were stopped in the quarterfinals and never finished due to...
What to watch for in Western Pa. high school sports on March 9, 2023: PIHL seeds look to avoid upset bug
The third and final day of the high school hockey quarterfinals is Thursday with Class A and Division 2 playoffs taking center stage. This has already been a tough postseason for some of the higher seeds in the Penguins Cup playoffs. In Class A, two higher seeds lost earlier in...
Trib HSSN Girls Basketball State Rankings for March 8, 2023
Two classes were unchanged and a total of six new teams replaced schools that fell in their district title game as we prepare to cut the ribbon on the Road to Hershey. While Class 5A and A remain the same, Upper St. Clair (6A), Delone Catholic and Blackhawk (4A), Westmont-Hilltop...
Trib HSSN Boys Basketball State Rankings for March 8, 2023
There were eight changes in the Trib HSSN boys basketball state rankings following the 2023 district playoffs and right before the start of the PIAA hoops postseason. Dropping out due to semifinal or championship losses are New Castle in 6A, Archbishop Ryan in 5A, Fleetwood and Valley View in 4A,...
Trib 10: WPIAL champs occupy top spots in power rankings headed into states
There has been a bit of a shuffling of the deck following the WPIAL district postseason on the brink of the PIAA state playoffs. The 2023 WPIAL basketball champions hold the top six spots in the weekly Trib 10 as they feel the power of winning district gold. Only one...
Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week for March 7, 2023
Yes, North Catholic won a WPIAL girls basketball for a record 22nd time Saturday and indeed, the Trojanettes repeated as district champions; however, you’ll excuse junior Ava Walker for feeling like a champion for the first time. Walker and North Catholic lost in the finals to Mohawk her freshman season,...
Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week for March 6, 2023
Central Catholic beating New Castle to win the WPIAL 6A boys basketball championship last week may have raised an eyebrow or two, but not to one of the Vikings. Senior Dante DePante felt this title was a long time coming for No. 3-seeded Central Catholic. “It was amazing,” DePante said....
What to watch for in high school sports for March 7, 2023: Norwin hockey set for rematch with McDowell
Last year, Norwin hoisted its first PIHL Penguins Cup title after shutting out McDowell, 5-0, in the Class A final. Then-sophomore Mario Cavallaro had two goals and an assist and fellow 10th grader Owen Burmeister stopped all 22 shots he faced in the championship victory. The Knights and Trojans will...
Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week for March 5, 2023
In the four years before Rob Nogay was hired as girls basketball coach at his alma mater, the Union program won a total of 8 games. Four years after Nogay took over as sideline boss, the Scotties are district champions. Top-seeded Union captured its first WPIAL Class A girls basketball...
