John Grupp stories, Page 5
Young Hampton wrestlers up for the challenge in Class 3A, making strides
Hampton wrestling has no seniors on its 17-man roster, but the Talbots are aging well. During a season in which they moved up to Class 3A and lost nine seniors from a WPIAL playoff team, the youthful Talbots have witnessed a group of wrestlers take big strides this season. “We...
Small Hampton swimming roster out to make big splash in postseason
The Hampton girls swimming team is counting on quality over quantity this season. With a shorthanded but gifted roster of only a dozen swimmers, the Talbots are looking to move up at the WPIAL Class 2A championships after last season’s seventh-place finish. “We are a high-quality team in terms of...
WPIAL champion North Allegheny competitive spirit squad ‘not done yet’
The North Allegheny competitive spirit team has a lot to cheer about. Having already clinched a berth to the national championships, the Tigers won the WPIAL Class 3A Large Squad title for the first time in nine years Jan. 4 at Hempfield. “We’re not done yet,” said senior Aly Corna,...
North Allegheny’s Carter Melzer steps up into go-to scoring role
North Allegheny senior Carter Melzer learned at an early age how to defend himself on the basketball court. The youngest of five brothers, he grew up in an athletic environment in which “nothing came easy.” “Being the youngest one, I always got bullied and picked on,” he said. “In basketball,...
Roster smaller but hopes high for North Allegheny gymnasts
The North Allegheny gymnastics team hopes to prove good things come in small packages. The Tigers’ roster has dropped from 22 gymnasts last season — by far the biggest team in coach Nicole Bova’s 12 years — to just 11 this winter. The departures included a class of 11 seniors...
North Allegheny swimmers in position to extend WPIAL championship streak
The North Allegheny swimming team ordered T-shirts for this season that paraphrase a famous Vince Lombardi quote. “If you chase perfection, you can land among the stars of excellence,” said Tori Tieppo, part of a loaded junior class at NA. “You strive for the most you can, and you will...
Hampton girls basketball enters season of unknowns
The Hampton girls basketball team graduated its all-time leading scorer, but that’s only part of the change. From the roster to the schedule, just about everything is different. The Talbots must replace five starters, including all-state guard and all-time scoring leader Meghan Murray, and have moved from Class 5A into...
Hampton enters post-Lafko era with lineup overhaul from 25-5 WPIAL finalist
Someone forgot the memo for Hampton boys basketball that this is supposed to be a down season. Despite losing a legendary coach, an all-state guard and a 1,000-point scorer from last year’s 25-5 WPIAL finalist and now facing a tougher Class 5A schedule with five new starters, the Talbots are...
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...
North Allegheny girls making job easier for 1st-year coach replacing legend
Replacing a coaching legend is never easy. But the North Allegheny girls basketball team is helping new coach Gabby Baldasare feel right at home. “I can confidently say this is the best group of kids I’ve ever coached and ever been around,” Baldasare said. “The culture that (former coach Spencer)...
North Allegheny boys look to pick up tempo to get back on track
North Allegheny boys basketball coach Dave DeGregorio is turning back the clock this season. Coming off the program’s first back-to-back losing seasons in 25 years, North Allegheny is implementing a more fast-paced attack to take advantage of its new-look starting lineup. “We’re getting back to the way we played when...
North Allegheny girls volleyball nears unprecedented streak after claiming 8th straight PIAA title
The North Allegheny girls volleyball team often uses motivational sayings such as “pressure is a privilege” or “success is never owned, it’s rented, and rent is due every day.” They may need to adopt some more slogans next year. The Tigers next season will try to become the first team...
North Allegheny seniors reflect on career of success
The North Allegheny football seniors walked under the lights at Newman Stadium one last time Nov. 16. The night-time stands were empty and silent, but their achievements were as bright as day. “We have accomplished so much and we’ve done it together over the years,” senior all-conference offensive lineman Jack...
North Allegheny grad Luke Colella a bright spot for Princeton football
The wait was worth it for North Allegheny graduate Luke Colella. After biding his time for two seasons at Princeton behind a group of talented pass-catchers, Colella has become the Tigers’ top wide receiver. Colella, a senior, moved into the starting lineup last season and earned honorable mention all-Ivy League...
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....
After PIAA title streak ends, North Allegheny cross country looks forward to promising future
For the first time since 2017, North Allegheny cross country returned from Hershey without a state championship. But they didn’t come back empty-handed. “If you get as good as you can, and you fight the whole way and never give up, I’m going to be proud of you,” longtime coach...
North Allegheny boys soccer holds head high after semifinal loss
The North Allegheny boys soccer team’s 2024 season started with a loss and ended with heartbreak, but everything in between was exceptional. “The regular season historically was very good,” coach Manuel Montero said. “It was phenomenal.” The season, which opened with a disappointing loss to Wheeling Park (W.Va.) and concluded...
Bittersweet ending for North Allegheny field hockey seniors
When North Allegheny field hockey coach Michelle Kessler asked her seniors in August what they hoped to accomplish this season, their answer was short and sweet. “Have fun.” “They definitely held true to that,” Kessler said. “Even at times when we may not have gotten the outcome that we wanted...
State champion North Allegheny boys golf team reflects on ‘epic’ season
The greatest season in North Allegheny boys golf began three months ago with a practice and a premonition. At the Tigers’ first workout, assistant coach Bill Medwick inhaled the early August breeze and declared, “I smell a state title is in the air.” The nose knew. North Allegheny capped its...
North Allegheny girls volleyball enters postseason more battle-tested than usual
The seven-time PIAA Class 4A champion North Allegheny girls volleyball team actually had to break a sweat this regular season. The Tigers may be less powerful than usual or, if history is an indication, more prepared for adversity than ever. “We haven’t been a dominant team in every match,” coach...
Youthful North Allegheny girls tennis team grows stronger after section title, playoff ouster
The North Allegheny girls tennis team entered this season with little experience, a lot of questions marks and no place to call home. “Going into camp in August,” coach Michelle Weniger said, “we were very aware that we were going to be a young, inexperienced team.” The Tigers overcame their...
Quick start lifts spirits for Hampton hockey
The Hampton hockey team wasted no time showing how a little belief can go a long way. Hampton, coming off a 5-15 season that included a 0-5 start and a midseason coaching change, opened its 2024-25 campaign with a 5-4 overtime victory against Butler and a 12-0 rout over Richland....
Hampton boys soccer works overtime in run to playoffs
When Hampton’s WPIAL Class 3A first-round playoff game at West Allegheny went into overtime on Oct. 19, it felt almost regular for the Talbots. It was the fifth OT game of the season for No. 9-seeded Hampton, which escaped No. 8 West Allegheny, 2-1, on senior midfielder Caden Muchenski’s penalty-kick...
