Aliquippa’s Justus Starks named team MVP as Pennsylvania falls to Maryland in 2 OT in Big 33
SILVER SPRING TWP. — Justus Starks had a Pennsylvania helmet on just like his teammates at the 69th Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association Big 33 Classic. But Starks, who will play football at Cal (Pa.), also carried the legacy of representing the Aliquippa football program. While the Pennsylvania team lost...
Fox Chapel Herald notebook: Winter teams learn section assignments
The Fox Chapel and Shady Side Academy winter sports teams got a peak at the sections they will compete in for the next two-year enrollment cycle when the WPIAL announced realignment May 19. The Foxes’ wrestling program will be in Group 2 of Section 2, along with Armstrong, Fox Chapel,...
Fox Chapel lacrosse teams play their way into high-stakes games
Caroline Grimsley wasn’t ready to be done putting on her Fox Chapel lacrosse uniform. Grimsley will attend the University of Tampa next year and won’t be playing lacrosse in college. The Foxes senior, who has 264 points including 142 goals in her career, helped the Foxes reach the WPIAL Class...
Fox Chapel thrower Claire Conti ready for anything as high school career winds down
The items jostling around in Claire Conti’s bag provide her with the badge of a rugged postseason veteran. Was there rain at the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championships at Slippery Rock University? Yes, but it was a minor inconvenience for the Fox Chapel senior. Conti had everything she...
North Allegheny sweeps Butler to win 24th WPIAL boys volleyball title
Brendan Moore extinguished Butler’s momentum early in the third set by firing the ball from above the middle of the net straight into the court. The North Allegheny boys volleyball program takes no prisoners. Moore’s kill evened the third set and quickly snuffed out the Golden Tornado’s only lead of...
Powerhouse Shaler fends off challenge from South Fayette to win 4th straight WPIAL volleyball title
The Shaler boys volleyball program arrived at the top of the WPIAL boys volleyball mountain four years ago. Coach Paul Stadelman set the expectation that the Titans would stay there. It was an emphatic proclamation from a coach demanding high standards. While the faces and names have changed, Stadelman again...
Shaler boys volleyball looking forward to playoff pressure
Paul Stadelman doesn’t need to perform any espionage to scout the best Western Pennsylvania boys volleyball programs. The veteran Shaler boys volleyball boss — and coaches from other top programs — have sought each other out for years. The top-seeded Titans, who are seeking their fourth consecutive WPIAL crown and...
Shaler notebook: Girls lacrosse team gets back in playoff win column
Shaler girls lacrosse coach Katherine Hinsdale took her time talking to her team after a disappointing section home loss to Fox Chapel to wrap up the regular season. The Titans hoped to try to create chaos in the section standings with a win. Instead, the Titans started slow and didn’t...
Fox Chapel softball coming to grips with playoff loss
Larry Troutman enjoyed the boost the Fox Chapel softball program got from an upset win in the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs a year ago. He hopes taking a first-round exit they didn’t expect will provide similar fuel for next season. The Foxes, who were seeded ninth, were bounced in the...
Fox Chapel notebook: Clarion’s Jacob Patterson earns All-PSAC honors
Jacob Patterson missed out on the 2025 Clarion baseball season because of an injury. But the redshirt sophomore and Fox Chapel graduate made the most of his return to the diamond this spring with the Golden Eagles. Patterson hit .324 and drove in 31 runs to earn second-team All-PSAC West...
Fox Chapel boys lacrosse checking boxes during historic season
The Fox Chapel boys lacrosse program picked up the first section title in program history. The Foxes, who earned the second seed in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, made sure to show everyone that they mean business. Fox Chapel — behind four goals from Griffin McCaffrey — knocked down No....
Fox Chapel baseball runs out of margin for error in playoff loss
Not having top pitcher West Virginia commit Blake Krushinski wasn’t ideal for the Fox Chapel baseball program heading into the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. The margin between success and an early exit from the district playoffs is narrow. Fox Chapel, which had to scratch and claw to reach the postseason,...
Despite missing 2 starters, Thomas Jefferson boys volleyball team downs Deer Lakes
The Thomas Jefferson boys volleyball team couldn’t deploy a picture-perfect attack in the WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinals against Deer Lakes. The Jaguars weren’t equipped to do so Thursday night on the road. Missing two starters, Thomas Jefferson instead focused on putting the Lancers out of system. The Jaguars then put...
‘The first one, it means something:’ Allderdice beats Carrick for inaugural City League flag football title
Talia Block’s introduction to flag football came courtesy of a camp seven years ago. The interest Block developed from that experience never waned. The Dragons freshman receiver found other leagues to build her skillset. Block’s versatility shined through during the inaugural City League girls flag football championship game Wednesday night...
Penn Hills notebook: Amon Hawthorne headed to Slippery Rock
Amon Hawthorne became one of the WPIAL’s most dominant scorers as a senior. The Indians senior, who became the first player from the program to top 1,000 points scoring for his career since Daemar Kelly, has committed to play at Slippery Rock. Hawthorne said the school first reached out to...
Undersized but undaunted, Isaiah MacFarland helps Penn Hills end 34-game skid
Isaiah MacFarland isn’t ever going to play the role of a power hitter for the Penn Hills baseball team. But if there is anything else the 4-foot-11 junior utilityman can do, he is happy to contribute. It’s a mature attitude but also one that is necessary for the Indians. Penn...
Fox Chapel grad thrives on familiar streets of Pittsburgh Marathon
Russell Fenton picked up running marathons to satisfy his competitive itch to fill time while he was studying at the Georgia Institute of Technology. It also was a nice opportunity for the Fox Chapel graduate to make a trip home in early May to compete in the Pittsburgh Marathon. With...
Fox Chapel track team gearing up for WPIAL meet
The Fox Chapel track and field team will have plenty of high aspirations for the WPIAL Class 3A championships. The Foxes have several athletes who have been steadily building toward meaningful moments in the postseason. Fox Chapel senior Claire Conti, especially, feels like she has unfinished business. Conti shook off...
Fox Chapel notebook: Tennis team left it all on court
The Fox Chapel boys tennis team had a number of spots to fill in their lineup this season. Foxes coach Alex Slezak didn’t have too wild of a motto to show confidence in the group. “Our motto all year was, ‘Why not us?’” Slezak said. “And that motto allowed us...
Tenacious Fox Chapel girls lacrosse team peaking at right time
Caroline Leland wants to always be in the best position to try to score, and the Fox Chapel girls lacrosse team needed any edge it could find this season. The Section 2-3A race was a tight one and the Foxes’ final section matchup with Shaler was vital for second place....
Shady Side Academy relay team continues run of success
Shady Side Academy girls track coach Jeff Perlis entered his 3,200-meter relay team into the Tri-State Track Coaches Association championship at West Mifflin with the idea that if they broke 9 minutes, 40 seconds, they could qualify to compete at the Penn Relay Carnival at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. The...
Fox Chapel boys volleyball hoping to be ‘ready for prime time’
Phil O’Keeffe planned to be on the quieter side for the Fox Chapel boys volleyball team’s section match with Plum on April 28. The veteran coach wanted to see the Foxes demonstrate their problem-solving skills on the road. Fox Chapel never found its rhythm and suffered a surprising sweep at...
Despite roster turnover, Fox Chapel boys tennis has another successful season
Grant Fenton casually plays tennis. But continuing the tradition of the Fox Chapel boys tennis team is an endeavor the junior takes seriously. Even while pursuing other activities, Fenton always found time growing up to attend tennis clinics with Foxes coach Alex Slezak. “I’ve played since I was 5,” Fenton...
Fox Chapel Herald notebook: Foxes put together win streak on baseball diamond
The Fox Chapel baseball team made the most of a break between Section 3-5A contests. The Foxes won four straight after losing to Mars on April 16. Fox Chapel’s streak started with a 13-3 win over Valley and saw the Foxes pick up a pair of one-run wins over City...
Senior night victory a late-season highlight for Plum boys volleyball
Lucas Mikhnyuk made one request consistently throughout his four years with the Plum boys volleyball program. Before Tuesday night, the answer alway had been no. The 5-foot-6 senior libero always wanted to try his hand at hitting on the outside. “I always just loved hitting the ball,” Mikhnyuk said. “Trying...
