Josh Rizzo stories, Page 2
Fox Chapel, Shady Side Academy runners find stride at WPIAL cross country meet
Fox Chapel girls cross country coach Tom Moul hoped the Foxes would make steady improvement throughout the season. Had you asked him if the team would reach the PIAA Class 3A championships as a team, Moul wouldn’t have necessarily anticipated that. During the WPIAL Class 3A championships at White Oak...
Neshannock uses fast start, tough defense to bounce Leechburg in WPIAL 1st round
Neshannock quarterback Jino Mozzocio felt the Lancers’ football season hasn’t been quite to his liking so far. He wanted to start writing a different story against Leechburg during a WPIAL Class A semifinal Friday at Veterans Memorial Field. No. 9 Neshannock took that first step by blasting the Blue Devils,...
In WPIAL final, Fox Chapel seeks 3rd win of season vs. Seneca Valley
Fox Chapel boys soccer coach Erik Ingram doesn’t always get bogged down by tactics when the Foxes play section rival Seneca Valley. Many times, Ingram gets caught up in being a spectator. Ingram appreciates competing against the Raiders because he admires the program they’ve built. Seneca Valley will be the...
Deer Lakes battles past Beaver to win 3rd WPIAL boys soccer championship
Zane Spence cradled the WPIAL Class 2A boys soccer championship trophy Wednesday night at Highmark Stadium, ignoring the steady rain that was streaming down. The Deer Lakes senior defender was too proud continuing a family and program tradition to be brought down by the weather. Spence headed in a shot...
Fox Chapel ousts Plum to keep WPIAL repeat bid alive
The Fox Chapel boys soccer team prides itself on having variety in its attack. The Foxes leaned on that versatility to put themselves in position to win a seventh WPIAL title. The Foxes produced goals two minutes apart in the first half during a 2-0 win over Plum in a...
Deer Lakes boys carry confidence into WPIAL Class 2A final against Beaver
Deer Lakes boys soccer team forward Collin Rodgers has a good feeling about the team going into the WPIAL Class 2A final. The Lancers have demonstrated in the playoffs that they are comfortable when things aren’t going their way. Sixth-seeded Deer Lakes trailed No. 2 Quaker Valley at halftime in...
Deer Lakes uses quick-strike offense to down Quaker Valley in clash of elite 2A programs
The Deer Lakes boys soccer program already has built the foundation of its burgeoning blue blood reputation. The Lancers added another story on top of it during a 2-1 WPIAL Class 2A semifinal win over Quaker Valley on Monday at Fridley Field. Collin Rodgers scored twice in the first 10...
Penn Hills middle school swim team reaching new heights
Mark Spinola was happy to say every swimmer who competed at the middle school championships saw a significant drop in their times. The Penn Hills middle school swim coach is pleased the program is trending in the right direction. “The team has come a long way,” said Spinola, who has...
Fall ball program the latest signpost in Penn Hills baseball’s rebuilding efforts
Joe Capobianco didn’t have to buy a large amount of refreshments for the Penn Hills baseball boosters meetings during his first season with the program. The Indians only had one booster last season. This year, the number has swelled to about eight parents. As Penn Hills attempts to climb the...
Shady Side Academy savors upset win in WPIAL girls soccer playoffs
Being familiar with playing Deer Lakes in the past was a major benefit for Virginia Powers. The Shady Side Academy forward didn’t feel she and her teammates were unprepared to take on the fifth-seeded Lancers. Powers scored midway through the second half to help the No. 12 Bulldogs advance to...
Fox Chapel’s Carson Kittsley joins elite company with 2nd state golf title
Fox Chapel junior Carson Kittsley felt more comfortable on the golf course this season. Results didn’t necessarily come easier, but Kittsley felt better equipped to put himself in the best position to win. Kittsley’s precision proved to be necessary during the second and final round of the PIAA Class 3A...
Herald notebook: Fox Chapel field hockey returns to WPIAL final
The Fox Chapel field hockey program has been knocking on the door of winning its sixth field hockey championship. The Foxes beat Latrobe, 2-0, in the semifinals to reach the WPIAL Class 2A final. The Foxes had have another opportunity to do so against Peters Township. The championship match, on...
Antonio Perkins sets school record, Burrell wins barnburner against Deer Lakes in pursuit of playoffs
Burrell sophomore quarterback Antonio Perkins chose to put a lot of pressure on the WPIAL Class 3A wild-card committee. After Perkins piled up a school-record 360 rushing yards, ran a punt and kick back for a score, intercepted a pass and scored five rushing touchdowns, who wants to be the...
USO looks to dethrone 3-time defending City League champion Westinghouse
USO football coach Lou Berry knows his team is capable of toppling three-time defending City League champion Westinghouse. USO proved it on the field two weeks ago when USO beat the Bulldogs, 20-14. But Berry knows doing it at 3 p.m. Saturday at Cupples Stadium in the City League championship...
Plum girls finally notch playoff win over Mars
Allison Porter was happy to get one in the win column against Mars. The Plum senior defender had felt enough heartbreak against the Planets in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. Porter made the winning penalty kick after the teams played through 110 scoreless minutes Thursday night at Plum High School....
Defending champ Springdale uses late goal to best Chartiers-Houston in WPIAL playoffs
Springdale forward Hailey Marchlewski played a long ball from near midfield she hoped would put teammate Lacey Shondeck in a spot to score. Chartiers-Houston keeper Adrianna Rozzo came forward to attempt to play it forward. Rozzo didn’t hit it clean, and it rolled by her. She charged desperately after it,...
Deer Lakes boys embrace pressure, roll past Central Valley in WPIAL 1st round
Deer Lakes senior forward Peyton Kushon doesn’t shy away from the environment created by the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. The pressure in do-or-die moments doesn’t feel suffocating. For Kushon, it’s more comforting. Sixth-seeded Deer Lakes, behind two goals from Kushon, marched on with a 5-1 win over No. 11 Central...
Franklin Regional grad Nico Megaludis returning to mat in Real American Freestyle league
Nico Megaludis was comfortable being done with wrestling. But the Franklin Regional graduate wasn’t anticipating the Real American Freestyle league gaining steam since he retired this past May. After a few weeks off the mat, Megaludis was back to training. He was excited with what they had to offer and...
Shaler moves in right direction with win over nemesis North Hills
The North Hills game has never been an easy night for the Shaler football team. The Indians inflicted plenty of pain on the Titans over the past 13 seasons. Shaler senior wide receiver Jonathan Saban insisted that meant they had a different approach at practice leading up to their Northeast...
Shaler barges back into boys soccer playoffs with breakthrough season
The Shaler boys soccer program just didn’t sneak back into the WPIAL playoffs after an extended absence. The Titans were in a tight race for the Section 1-3A crown going into their final two section matches of the season. While Shaler wasn’t able to secure a late-season win over Hampton...
Clairton football team continues its impressive march by shutting out Riverview
The WPIAL’s Class A Eastern Conference is as competitive from top to bottom as any in the district. But at the top of the mountain, there is no debate. There is the Clairton football team, and there is everyone else. The Bears continued to flex their muscles by recording their...
Fox Chapel hockey adjusting on the fly after jump up in competition
Ryan Loebig knows the Fox Chapel hockey program will have a learning curve when it comes to playing in Class 3A in the PIHL. The Foxes will have to do everything a step faster than they did last season if they want to return to the Penguins Cup playoffs. “I...
Shady Side Academy golfers savor long-awaited WPIAL team title
Alex Avi knew four holes into the WPIAL Class 2A team golf championships at Cedarbrook Golf Course that he wasn’t hitting the ball right. The Shady Side Academy junior golfer knew what needed to happen next. It was time to press pause. “I like to hit a fade, but I...
Fox Chapel Herald notebook: Fox Chapel golfers claim WPIAL silver
The Fox Chapel girls golf team fell one shot short of its first WPIAL Class 3A team title since 2021. The Foxes shot a 345 on Oct. 9 at Cedarbrook Golf Course, finishing one shot behind Peters Township. Clara Koteski led Fox Chapel by shooting an 11-over par 82. Ava...
Timmy Andrasy runs for 335 yards as Leechburg guts out win over Brentwood
The paint didn’t have to dry perfectly on the easel for Leechburg football coach Randy Walters. While the brush went sideways plenty of times for the Blue Devils on Friday at Veterans Memorial Field, Leechburg made the plays when it had to in order to beat Brentwood, 48-41, in an...
