Josh Rizzo stories, Page 21
Experience helps Shaler boys navigate WPIAL playoff bracket
Whether teams are playing man defense or zone defense doesn’t matter to Shaler senior forward Brandon London. Nor does it matter if the other team wants to play fast or slow. The Titans, who have their top eight rotation players back from last season, have enough experience that they’ve seen...
Senior shot putter leads Fox Chapel indoor track state qualifiers
Mason Miles wanted more input on how to become a better thrower. The Fox Chapel senior does his best to work with throw coach Jayne Beatty a few times a week. Beatty, who was a three-time All-American at Slippery Rock, was able to help Miles refine his technique and make...
1st-round jitters can’t stop Fox Chapel in wild win over North Hills
Zach Skrinjar has a theory about the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. Despite there being some mismatches on paper in terms of high seeds against lower seeds, the veteran Fox Chapel boys basketball coach believes the first round is the most difficult. “Everyone has nerves. You know...
Allderdice beats Obama Academy to capture 4th City League boys basketball title
Allderdice’s fourth consecutive City League championship didn’t come easy. The Dragons didn’t shoot well, and every possession was hotly contested. But in the final minute, Allderdice guard Logan Golle drew a charge, and the Dragons forced another turnover to escape with a 44-37 win over Obama Academy on Sunday afternoon...
Allderdice girls top Obama Academy to claim City League championship
Allderdice guard Bailey White was worried things may be going south Sunday afternoon. The Dragons’ were ice cold in the first quarter of the City League girls basketball championship game against Obama Academy at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. White missed her first four shots, while Allderdice missed 14 of its first...
Penn Hills senior celebrates 1,000-point milestone, playoff return
Hannah Pugliese didn’t want to think about the chase for 1,000 points. Until about midway through this season, the Penn Hills girls basketball team senior didn’t think it was possible anyway. Pugliese, who has signed to play basketball at Slippery Rock next season, became more aware of the possibility as...
Penn Hills notebook: Fate brings Indians, Gateway together again
The Penn Hills and Gateway boys basketball programs may have been separated when the WPIAL realigned the sections, but the neighbors and rivals still found that fate couldn’t keep the pair apart. The Indians finished the regular season with a 14-7 overall record and were 6-4 in Section 2-5A play....
Fox Chapel notebook: Swim team happy to bring large contingent to WPIAL meet
Expect the Fox Chapel presence at Pitt’s Trees Pool to be a strong contingent. The Foxes have hit a number of WPIAL Class 3A individual qualifying times and will be looking to push a number of athletes through to the state swimming championships. “It’s a super exciting time coming up...
Focus on defense, taking care of basketball propels Fox Chapel boys into playoffs
Will Siegel is proud of the role he plays on defense for the Fox Chapel boys basketball team, and Siegel and his teammates want to make sure they don’t waste their effort on one end with mistakes on the other. Avoiding turning the ball over on offense is paramount for...
Allderdice boys take aim at 4th straight City League crown
Allderdice coach Devin Crummie didn’t care if only five or six players could make it. If there was an opportunity during the summer to get the Dragons some time on the court together, he was willing to enter his squad in any available tournament. Allderdice entered this season with two...
Obama Academy girls chasing 3rd straight championship against Allderdice
Obama Academy girls basketball coach Monique McCoy impresses on her players the importance of playing in the City League championship game. The Eagles shouldn’t take anything for granted. If Obama Academy beats Allderdice at noon Sunday at Duquesne’s UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, the Eagles will have won their seventh City League...
Penn Hills notebook: Wrestlers look to advance to WPIAL tournament
Jeremy Packer is eager to see how the Penn Hills wrestling team will handle the section qualifiers. The Indians didn’t have anyone make the WPIAL Class 3A tournament last season, but have several prospects who could make the leap this year. Penn Hills wrestled at the Pine-Richland duals Feb. 3,...
Penn Hills girls look to fine-tune game heading into playoffs
Making adjustments late in the season has served the Penn Hills girls basketball team well. The Indians won back-to-back games going into their section finale, putting them in the playoffs for the second straight year. Without having to scratch and claw late for a spot like last season, senior guard...
Eli Teslovich, Shady Side Academy teammates do best work at full speed
Eli Teslovich is always thinking on the break. The 6-foot-1 Shady Side Academy senior guard has the clearest mind when he’s on the move. Teslovich has an idea of his best spots to shoot from and what defenders may be collapsing to require him to kick to teammates. Teslovich and...
Fox Chapel wrestlers won’t sit back, relax once postseason starts
Michael Worsen would like to find a way to stay on the front foot. If Worsen is going to find a way out of the 121-pound bracket at the WPIAL North section qualifier, through WPIALs and to the PIAA championships, being passive won’t be the ticket. “I feel like I...
Nothing slows Serra Catholic freshman, even her school’s lack of a swim team
Emily Ruperto enjoys the satisfaction of finding a way to self-motivate while competing for Serra Catholic in swimming. The Eagles don’t have enough kids to field a full team, so Ruperto competes as an independent swimmer. In many competitions, Ruperto’s only opponent is the clock on the scoreboard. “I feel...
Carter Lance, Penn Hills football players make college plans
Carter Lance would like to stand out when he hits the practice field for Duquesne’s football team this summer. The Penn Hills senior defensive lineman’s misfortune gave him ample time to devise a recovery plan. Lance tore his meniscus in the third game of the season and missed the rest...
Fox Chapel notebook: Wrestling team advances to WPIAL quarterfinals
The Fox Chapel wrestling team demonstrated in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Class 3A team tournament what it has shown all season. The Foxes weren’t going to be an easy out for any team. A week after sealing its first section title since the early 1970s, Fox Chapel won its...
Junior guard willing to do whatever it takes to help Fox Chapel girls win
Natalia Schaffer always looks for ways to improve on the basketball court. The Fox Chapel junior guard has been working on playing bigger than she is. With the Foxes being forced to be flexible this season, everyone has found different ways to contribute. After Fox Chapel’s 49-46 win over Hampton...
Times dropping for Penn Hills swimmers as WPIAL meet approaches
Penn Hills swimming coach Morgan Bush doesn’t have to worry about checking if her swimmers have been keeping up with their workout regimens. The Indians’ performance against Woodland Hills shows that they are doing what they need to do. “They are taking the time to improve,” Bush said. “Last (week),...
Penn Hills grad Jaden Dugger embraces challenge of transfer to Louisiana
Jaden Dugger didn’t find the decision to leave Georgetown easy. Knowing the benefits of a degree from the prestigious school, Dugger was hesitant to leave the Hoyas’ football program. But after a strong sophomore season, Dugger felt the pull to push himself athletically as well as in the classroom. Dugger...
Fox Chapel wrestling reaching goals as special season rolls on
Landon Funk was surprised by who he saw when he stepped out on the mat for the final of the Allegheny County Wrestling Championships. Funk’s former youth coach Dustin Widdoss came in from out of town to see him and other wrestlers he coached in the Foxes’ youth program compete....
Fox Chapel indoor track team looks to add state qualifiers
Tom Moul would like to see a contingent of Fox Chapel athletes make it to the PFTSCA championships at the end of the indoor track season. Foxes senior Anna Troutman is the lone returning state qualifier. Troutman qualified in the hurdles and the high jump last season. Troutman, who holds...
With veteran coach leading way, Shaler hockey determined to go on playoff run
The Shaler hockey team started building a solid foundation last season. When the Titans brought in a new coach, they added a name that knows how to win on the PIHL level. Steve Meyers came on board as the Titans’ new coach this season. Meyers previously had a long tenure...
Penn Hills notebook: Daequan Hardy enters NFL Draft, earns spots in East-West Shrine Bowl
Penn Hills graduate Daequan Hardy didn’t have many offers from big-name FBS schools until his virtuoso performance in the 2018 PIAA Class 5A state championship game. Regarding his professional aspirations, Hardy has been trying to best position himself to get to the National Football League. Hardy recently told Penn State...
