Josh Rizzo stories, Page 23
Penn Hills runner sticks with sport, emerges as captain, key relay contributor
Maliah Powell agreed to go out for the Penn Hills track team as a freshman via peer pressure. Powell’s decision to stay when her two friends abandoned ship was voluntary. Now a senior captain for the indoor track team, Powell decided to stick around after flourishing on the Indians’ 1,600...
Steady approach helps Penn Hills boys, girls basketball coaches hit 100-win mark
Robert Cash always wants his team to approach every task with the same intensity, and the Penn Hills girls varsity girls basketball coach attempts to hold himself to the same standard. In his eighth season leading the varsity program, Cash hit the 100-win total. Cash was the second Indians coach...
Fox Chapel notebook: Former Foxes soccer star makes all-decade team
Fox Chapel graduate Jessie Thiessen was picked for the North Coast Athletic Conference women’s soccer 40th anniversary all-decade team. Players had to compete in the NCAC between 2013-23 to be eligible. Thiessen, a 2017 Allegheny college graduate, helped the Gators reach the NCAA Division III tournament in 2013 and 14....
Fox Chapel starting to see light at end of injury-filled tunnel
Marty Matvey doesn’t need to give pep talks on weathering adversity. The crushing presence of reality has allowed the Fox Chapel girls basketball coach to allow the Foxes to learn that skill on the job. For the past month, Fox Chapel has been without three starters and has been forced...
St. Joseph girls roll past Freeport despite early foul trouble for standout Spinelli
Waiting 11 days to play in a basketball game was hard enough for St. Joseph senior guard Julie Spinelli. Finding herself on the bench with foul trouble 108 seconds into the game wasn’t the ideal return. But as the Spartans discovered many times during their St. Joseph Holiday Tournament game,...
Penn Hills grad Raion Strader makes immediate impact for Miami (Ohio) defense
Raion Strader felt more than prepared once the time rolled around to balance time in the classroom with time on the field with the Miami (Ohio) football program. Enrolling in college early allowed the Penn Hills graduate to understand what he was in for. “I wanted to stay consistent,” Strader...
Older, wiser Penn Hills grad Corey Thomas Jr. transfers to Virginia for final college season
Football didn’t always go the way Penn Hills graduate Corey Thomas Jr. hoped it would during his time at Akron. The Zips didn’t win a lot of games. Thomas was also asked to cycle between defensive line, linebacker and safety. But when Thomas hit the transfer portal in the offseason,...
New Western Pa. lacrosse league showcases fast-paced, high-scoring version of sport
Alexander Young wanted to do whatever it took to get the Sixes Prize League off the ground. The Shady Side Academy graduate has a small team, himself included, that wears many hats. On Dec. 11, the league hosted its first night of lacrosse matches at the All-American Field House Monroeville....
In early season, Fox Chapel swimmers work to put successful process in place
Fox Chapel swimming coach Matthew Mauclair wanted to embrace setting up a success process for all athletes in the program to follow. What is most important to Mauclair is what the Foxes can accomplish when no one is watching. “That’s what breeds results and champions,” Mauclair said. “If you want...
Penn Hills wrestlers build confidence with success at early season tournament
Penn Hills wrestling coach Jeremy Packer set up the team’s schedule so things would get progressively tougher. Competing at the Southwest Kickoff Classic at Valley High School was the right way to build confidence. Penn Hills had three wrestlers — Daemon Phipps (121 pounds), Julian Lavender (127) and Jacen Wright...
Penn Hills notebook: Charles Morris picks up coach of the year award
The Penn Hills football team collected plenty of accolades from the Big 56 Conference. Indians coach Charles Morris was selected as the Northeast Conference’s coach of the Year. Penn Hills had eight players selected to the first team for all-conference. Julian Dugger and Amir Key were selected to on the...
Shady Side Academy boys look to overcome injuries to key players
The Shady Side Academy boys basketball program will do a lot of on-the-job training this season. Two setbacks to the Bulldogs’ lineup have Shady Side Academy running low on big men. Senior Nate Mallory had knee surgery and will be out for the year. Junior Ben Michaels has a hip...
Pitt volleyball coach Dan Fisher enjoying the ride during latest trip to Sweet 16
Pitt women’s volleyball coach Dan Fisher has spent the past 11 years transforming the Panthers into a national power. With Pitt preparing to play in the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight year, the Panthers coach is working to appreciate every step of the journey. “I think I’ve gotten better...
With improved arsenal, bigger roster around him, Shaler wrestler excited for senior season
Michael Ulery used to enter matches hoping his opponent didn’t know his trick. The plan for the 172-pound Shaler senior wrestler was to slap on a front headlock followed by a cement mixer for a quick pin. But Ulery knew that wouldn’t be a recipe for success against more experienced...
With school record in his sights, Shaler swimmer puts in work
Waking up at 4:20 a.m. to start the day makes sense for Shaler junior Noah Lang when he arrives at swim practice. When Lang gets on the pool deck before he starts his practice, he’s in his element. Starting the day with a 5 a.m. practice features a group of...
Pitt volleyball onto Sweet 16 for 4th consecutive season after defeating USC
Stifling the attack of USC outside hitter Skylar Fields was likely never an option for the Pitt women’s volleyball team. But putting up an aggressive and consistent block helped make Fields, a first-team All-American hitter, work for opportunities to score. Fields finished with 10 attack errors for the first time...
Penn Hills wrestlers set sights on longer postseason runs
The Penn Hills wrestling program will be in a year of transition. The Indians bring back four wrestlers — Cameron Patterson (139 pounds), Julian Lavender (133), Daemon Phipps (114) and Levi Smith (127) — who saw significant time last season. All four finished with double-digit wins, but none escaped the...
With coach Jonna Burke on sidelines thanks to judge’s ruling, Shady Side Academy girls in position to contend
Jonna Burke feels fortunate to have the assistant coaching staff she does with the Shady Side Academy girls basketball program. It’s made it easier for the Bulldogs to deal with the fallout from a one-year suspension levied on the coach in July. A federal judge has granted Burke an injunction...
Fox Chapel notebook: Step up in competition doesn’t faze hockey team
Bumping up to Class 2A hasn’t been too harsh on the Fox Chapel hockey team. While the Foxes aren’t as dominant as their team that made a run to the Penguins Cup final, Fox Chapel is in a good position for another playoff run. The Foxes are off to a...
Penn Hills swimmers optimistic about season despite pool repairs
Things will be decidedly different for the Penn Hills swimming team this season. When the Indians start the season, Penn Hills will have its home meets at the Olympic Swim & Health Club instead of the school’s pool at Linton Middle School. The pool has had maintenance issues since last...
Pitt volleyball recovers from slow start, advances past Coppin State in NCAA Tournament
Rachel Fairbanks doesn’t know what changed. Or even when the momentum shifted. But Fairbanks, the junior setter for the Pitt women’s volleyball team, doesn’t want to see the Panthers start another match slowly. Pitt fell behind first-time NCAA Tournament participant Coppin State by four points in the first set before...
Fox Chapel graduate Katie Livingstone makes college conference’s all-decade team
Gail Murphy watched Katie Livingston battle through a back injury during her senior season to play for the Denison women’s soccer program. When Livingston, a Fox Chapel graduate, was named to the North Coast Athletic Conference All-Decade team, it was a fact that made Murphy proud. “Those coaches for her...
Deep, balanced lineup gives Fox Chapel confidence heading into season
There will be plenty of decisions for Michael Frank and the Fox Chapel wrestling program to make this season. Frank has a wrestling room with plenty of available bodies to help the Foxes’ program continue to show improvement. Fox Chapel has 45 boys out for the team this year from...
Penn Hills girls look to keep the ball rolling after playoff season
Robert Cash doesn’t want the Penn Hills girls basketball team to take its foot off the gas. Last season, the Indians found a way to turn around their fortunes. Penn Hills returned to the postseason after batting through a ferocious race in Section 1-5A. The Indians lost in the first...
Penn Hills boys focus on fundamentals while reloading after WPIAL championship run
Chris Giles doesn’t need to look at the returning players or incoming freshmen to know what the plan is. The veteran Penn Hills boys basketball coach is going to focus on the fundamentals. While this year’s version of the Indians will be missing key pieces from their WPIAL Class 5A...
