A-K Valley baseball preview: Leechburg baseball armed with strong nucleus
Leechburg senior catcher Rocco Vigna attended the Blue Devils’ school of baseball. When Vigna was in eighth grade, he was chosen by Leechburg coach Heath Shimer to be the team manager for the varsity team. Vigna was there to count pitches, be on every foul ball and show energy in...
In 4th battle between fierce rivals this season, North Catholic guts out 3OT win over KnochVideo
Four minutes of misery became eight minutes of suffering. That feeling eventually transformed into 12 minutes of pain. The North Catholic boys basketball team was left red-faced but absorbed the shock that came with three overtimes to vanquish Knoch, 77-69, during the second round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs...
Penn Hills sports notebook: Carter Bonner transfers to prep powerhouse
Carter Bonner had a difficult junior season where he was limited to four appearances for the Penn Hills football team. The Indians, who narrowly missed out on the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs last season, won’t get one more season with the four-star recruit. Bonner announced on social media that he...
Penn Hills’ Amon Hawthorne emerges as dominant force at end of senior season
Penn Hills boys basketball coach Chris Giles recently looked at a picture of 6-foot-2 senior guard Amon Hawthorne when he entered as a late substitute during the Indians’ win over DuBois in the first round of the PIAA Class 5A playoffs in 2023. The difference between now and then, as...
Shady Side Academy girls stand tall in final, win program’s 2nd WPIAL title
Jonna Burke looked back at the bench and asked her assistant coach how long the WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball championship game had been going on. The Shady Side Academy coach felt like they had been there for four hours. But the truth was the Bulldogs only needed 82 minutes...
Shady Side Academy happy to extend season into PIAA playoffs
The Shady Side Academy boys basketball team was happy to reap the rewards that come with advancing to the PIAA Class 3A playoffs. The Bulldogs wish they had a little bit more luck with having players available to participate in everything that comes along with it. Shady Side Academy, which...
Fox Chapel coach tries hand at broadcasting for WPIAL basketball championships
Spending 17 years on the bench has provided Zach Skrinjar with a wealth of knowledge about the WPIAL basketball scene. When the Fox Chapel boys basketball coach had an opportunity to put on the headset and do color commentary on Trib HSSN for two championship games at Petersen Events Center,...
Penn-Trafford girls soar to PIAA 1st-round victory
Torrie DeStefano was fortunate. The No. 15 backup jersey that the Penn-Trafford girls basketball team had on hand to replace her usual No. 24 fit her comfortably. The cleaning kit to get the blood that blotted the 5-foot-8 senior guard’s jersey was in the trainer’s office. DeStefano swapped shirts to...
Knoch sends large crowd home happy with victory in 1st round of PIAA boys basketball playoffs
Teegan Finucan and his teammates were eager to soak in the adulation Friday night. Beating Girard, 46-30, to open the PIAA Class 4A playoffs at home provided a crowded stage on which the Knoch boys basketball team seldom had an opportunity to perform. Thanks to the quirks of high school...
Deer Lakes boys ready to make most of this PIAA trip
Collin Rodgers has a more clear perspective on how difficult it is to win. The Deer Lakes senior will play in the PIAA boys basketball playoffs for the third time in four seasons when the Lancers take on District 6 championship Huntingdon at 7 p.m. on Friday on the road...
After WPIAL championship victory, Knoch turns attention to state playoffs
The Knoch boys basketball team has an idea of what will be ahead in the PIAA Class 4A boys basketball playoffs. With the Knights roster being so physically imposing, they expect everyone to try and rough them up a little bit. “I think that’s a lot of teams’ game plans...
Chartiers Valley adds 8th WPIAL title to trophy case with victory over Thomas Jefferson
Luca Federico doesn’t seek to avoid the pressure that comes with continuing to add chapters to the already storied history of the Chartiers Valley boys basketball program. The sophomore guard only knows winning. Following the Colts’ second consecutive WPIAL Class 5A championship victory, a 63-37 win over Thomas Jefferson Saturday...
Fox Chapel grad finds success as freshman on Washington & Jefferson mats
Sonnie Blanco likes to watch Jack Viti employ his unorthodox wrestling style. What the Washington & Jefferson coach would like to see Viti do more of is lead the dance. When Viti is in situations he feels comfortable, he employs a funky style that befuddles his opponents. Viti, a 2025...
Fox Chapel Herald notebook: Shady Side Academy boys headed to state tournament
The Shady Side Academy boys basketball team didn’t quite finish its Cinderella run through the WPIAL Class 3A boys playoffs. But the Bulldogs springing two upsets and reaching the semifinals means Shady Side Academy will be returning to the PIAA playoffs. No. 13 Shady Side Academy pushed defending champion South...
Fox Chapel wrestler fights through adversity to earn 100th win
Reaching 100 wins meant that Fox Chapel senior wrestler Joey Geller had to find a way to get through the North section qualifier to reach the WPIAL Class 3A championships. But nothing would be easy for Geller during the 215-pound bracket at Butler High School. He battled strep throat all...
After late-season surge, Fox Chapel boys ready to tackle future challenges
The Fox Chapel boys basketball team typically sits on the line between Class 5A and 6A. The Foxes know that next season, they will have to navigate the WPIAL’s largest classification. When Fox Chapel coach Zach Skrinjar had his end-of-season meetings with his players, the message was a simple one....
