Josh Rizzo stories, Page 2
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....
Upper St. Clair rallies past New Castle in final seconds to secure 3rd straight WPIAL titleVideo
Jake Foster’s ability to have active hands on defense isn’t something that comes naturally. The Upper St. Clair senior guard has it drilled into him by the culture Panthers coach Danny Holzer has instilled. When USC needed help late in the WPIAL Class 6A title game Friday night at Petersen...
Knoch downs Quaker Valley in Class 4A final to win 1st WPIAL championshipVideo
Knoch boys basketball senior guard Teegan Finucan dreamed of winning a championship with his friends long before he ever wore a varsity jersey. Finucan’s conversations in the lunchroom at elementary school were innocent notions of far-off glory. The third-seeded Knights delivered Thursday night at Petersen Events Center, knocking off top-seeded...
WPIAL coaching veterans set to face off as Quaker Valley, Knoch vie for Class 4A title
Armchair high school boys basketball coaches should stay far away from the WPIAL Class 4A championship game at 9 p.m. Thursday at Petersen Events Center. Knoch’s Joe Lafko and Quaker Valley’s Mike Mastroianni will have everything covered on the sidelines. Between them, the two veteran coaches have combined for 1,184...
With chip on shoulder, Oakland Catholic rolls past North Catholic into Class 4A finalsVideo
Josie Fontana knew when she saw the North Catholic girls basketball team’s defensive approach that Oakland Catholic would be in good shape. The Eagles senior forward immediately recognized the full-court defense the Trojanettes had chosen to employ. When the teams met in the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals Tuesday, North Catholic...
Defense wins the day for Upper St. Clair in Class 6A semifinal victory over Seneca Valley
The Upper St. Clair boys basketball team punched its ticket back to the WPIAL Class 6A championship game in a way that properly fits the program’s culture. The Panthers leaned on their defense and held Seneca Valley scoreless for nearly six minutes to open the game during their 42-35 semifinal...
Sophomore’s big night delivers memorable playoff win to Shady Side Academy boys
The pressure was going to follow Shady Side Academy 5-foot-11 sophomore guard Kai Lamberson. No. 4 seed Bishop Canevin was trailing at home in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs and needed to create extra possessions in the worst way. The Crusaders did everything they could to...
Work pays off for Fox Chapel wrestler with 2nd straight trip to WPIAL tournament
Andrew Kratsa has been snakebitten at times during his time with the Fox Chapel wrestling program. The 145-pound senior wrestler didn’t get an opportunity to wrestle in the postseason as a freshman because he suffered a concussion after being slammed in practice. Other injuries popped up along the way, but...
Fox Chapel girls find success by creating chaos
The Fox Chapel girls basketball team is at its most comfortable when it is generating chaos for its opponents. While they have to avoid getting enveloped by the madness themselves, the Foxes have found a way to make their high-pressure defense work. The Foxes won their first WPIAL Class 5A...
Staying cool under pressure leads to playoff win for Fox Chapel boys
It was by no means a perfect performance when the Fox Chapel boys basketball team advanced out of the first round of the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs. What the Foxes were able to do is show their ability to keep a steady heartbeat during the wild swings that can accompany...
Plenty of highlights in Bethel Park girls basketball season
Bethel Park and Baldwin clashed in a girls section basketball game Feb. 3 as the feature attraction of Bethel Park’s Women and Girls in Sports celebration. Although the Black Hawks lost to the visitors, Bethel Park coach Steve Norman was impressed by the “Sports Night” activities and talked about it...
Derry crowns pair of 3-time champs, wins 6 titles at WPIAL Class 2A wrestling tournament
Brady Brown knew how to utilize the intel he had on his opponent for the 189-pound final during the WPIAL Class 2A wrestling championships Saturday at Chartiers Valley. Brown, a junior at Derry, knew he couldn’t take any half measures against Beth-Center’s Malachi Peak. “He’s been at the club recently,...
Burrell’s Bertucci has eye on WPIAL Class 2A title as individual wrestling tournament moves to semis
Julian Bertucci’s black headgear wouldn’t snap into place. The Burrell 145-pound senior looked toward the bleachers and caught the blue-and-white set teammate Jacob Stewart tossed him. Bertucci, who is the top seed, battled through the wardrobe malfunction to pin Beaver County Christian’s Cole Stroupe and then knocked off Ligonier Valley’s...
Fox Chapel does little things right in Class 6A 1st-round win over NorwinVideo
Joe McGivney wants to make impactful moments throughout a basketball game. The Fox Chapel junior guard believes they eventually will add up to something meaningful. McGivney scored 20 points Monday night during Fox Chapel’s 52-49 win over Norwin in the first round of the WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball playoffs....
Obama Academy tops rival Allderdice to claim 2nd City League boys basketball titleVideo
The security guards and administrators made it clear that no one would be storming the court during the City League boys basketball championship game at Brashear High School. After six years of chasing a title, Obama Academy guard Naron Jackson II and his teammates brought the party to their purple-clad...
