Josh Rizzo stories, Page 29
Tough section could make for unpredictable season for Fox Chapel softball
Fox Chapel softball coach Chris Olbrich thought his team’s results in the first week of April reflected how things would be in Section 1-5A play all spring. Coming off a double-digit loss to first-place Shaler, the Foxes turned things around totally to hand a hot Penn Hills team its first...
Fox Chapel lefty works to keep hitters guessing
Jeremy Haigh is consistently working on his sleight of hand, but the sophomore pitcher for the Fox Chapel baseball team isn’t practicing a magic act. What he is trying to cobble together is a repertoire of pitches that will keep batters bamboozled in the box. Haigh doesn’t want to let...
With breakout hurdler, good roster numbers, Penn Hills track ready for successful season
Achan Green doesn’t think about the timing anymore. The Penn Hills junior hurdler knows when he’s on the track, he is able to tackle each step with the right approach. Before last season, Green didn’t do the hurdles much. However, whenever Green gave the event a go, he qualified for...
In peak form, Penn Hills fitness team qualifies for national championships
The Penn Hills fitness team has continued to pile up an unprecedented number of accolades over the past few months. In March, Jaydn Wright became the first male athlete in program history to finish in first place in back-to-back events. Wright finished with 470 points out of a possible 500...
Plenty of potential on Fox Chapel track teams
The Fox Chapel track and field programs hope to find a way to bring put the puzzle pieces together at some point. The Foxes have plenty of potential on both the boys and girls side but will need things to fall right in order to find success. For the boys...
Fox Chapel notebook: Jake Pilarski finds success in spring training with Dodgers
Fox Chapel graduate Jake Pilarski got the most out of his spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pilarski, 24, signed with the Dodgers in December after spending two seasons with the Washington Wild Things in the Frontier League. Pilarski was able to add some zip on his fastball, allowing...
With sustained success, Shaler boys volleyball sheds underdog label
Zac Wurzer isn’t disappointed that the Shaler boys volleyball team can’t hide behind its previous identity as scrappy underdogs. The Titans have become a perennial contender for WPIAL and state success. What will be different this season is the Titans will carry the expectations that come with sustained success. Shaler...
Shaler softball expects tough early schedule to pay dividends
Tom Sorce didn’t want to see the Shaler softball team have a schedule full of guaranteed wins. The Titans softball coach asked the athletic director to give the team a nonsection slate full of games that would provide a test. What Shaler got was a schedule full of opponents from...
Fox Chapel notebook: Hot goalie ends hockey team’s season
The Fox Chapel hockey team saw a surprising end to its season in the PIHL Class A Penguins Cup championship game March 20. The Foxes lost to Kiski, 4-1, at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Fox Chapel, which finished the season 20-3, defeated the Cavaliers by a combined score of...
Penn Hills softball looking forward to enjoying home-field advantage
Penn Hills softball coach Ashley Banner and the Indians softball team are grateful for the school district’s maintenance staff. Thanks to the staff putting plenty of long hours between the end of softball season last year and this March, Penn Hills was able to prepare a softball field for the...
Playoff run, WPIAL championship build legacy for Penn Hills players
Penn Hills boys basketball coach Chris Giles and the players on the team had an opportunity to create permanent memories. Winning the Class 5A WPIAL championship gave everyone something to hold on to. The Indians’ season came to an end March 17 in Sharon with a 68-54 loss to Cathedral...
Young Fox Chapel softball team works to build confidence
Alina Stiger may feel anxiety about other things, but the Fox Chapel senior welcomes the anxious feeling softball can provide. The Foxes shortstop/center fielder is one of two seniors on the team this season. With a roster breakdown that features 15 freshmen and sophomores and seven upperclassmen, Fox Chapel will...
Mars’ Olivia Donnelly beats rival in hot shot competition at Cager Classic skills event
Olivia Donnelly and Hattie McGraw had an opportunity to settle an old Butler County rivalry Friday night at Highlands. Donnelly, a Mars senior, and McGraw, a Knoch senior, were paired against each other in the finals of the girls hot-shot competition at the Cager Classic, with Donnelly prevailing. Both programs...
Former Penn Hills player set to lead Indians boys volleyball team
Will Piccolino doesn’t have to worry about relating to coaching high school athletes. The first-year Penn Hills boys volleyball coach still plays competitively and must relate to his younger teammates. Piccolino, who graduated from Penn Hills in 2008, is a student at Carlow University and plays for its men’s volleyball...
Penn Hills dictates style of play during PIAA playoff run
The Penn Hills boys basketball team doesn’t have to worry about scoring style points. The Indians brand of basketball, whether playing fast or slow, is most concerned with the end result. In the second round of the PIAA Class 5A basketball tournament, Penn Hills had to scratch and claw to...
Revenge sweet for Fox Chapel hockey team in Penguins Cup playoffs
Fox Chapel’s hockey team knew the setting was the same, but the Foxes found the magic to produce a different result March 15 at RMU Island Sports Complex. Fox Chapel, which lost to Norwin in the PIHL Class A Penguins Cup semifinals last season, avenged that loss and advanced to...
Fox Chapel baseball hopes offseason adjustments lead to section success
Dom Cassol enjoyed that the Fox Chapel baseball team took a different approach to training for the 2023 season. With an inexperienced group of pitchers returning, the Foxes wanted to make sure that they were able to help everyone grow together. “We switched things up,” said Cassol, who is a...
Imani Christian slams Farrell, setting up anticipated rematch with Union
Imani Christian boys basketball coach Omar Foster valued seeing his program take the next step. The Saints fought through early foul trouble and poor shooting Friday night, but they ultimately overwhelmed District 10 champion Farrell, 80-50, in the PIAA Class A quarterfinals. “Last year, we lost in the quarterfinals to...
Penn Hills boys learn from past losses to climb all the way to top of WPIAL mountain
Make no mistake, Penn Hills senior guard Noah Barren appreciated the pomp and circumstance. The Indians boys basketball team was treated to the full cycle of congratulations after winning its sixth WPIAL title. Penn Hills, which beat Peters Township, 70-65, on March 2 at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center to win...
Penn Hills baseball sets simple goal: Playoffs
Rodney Stubbs made the goal for the Penn Hills baseball team a succinct one. “I better get in the playoffs this year,” Stubbs said. Stubbs, who stated the goal with a laugh, believes some of the upgrades the program was able to make will help the Indians out. Penn Hills,...
Fox Chapel swimmer leaves seed time in dust in dominant performance at WPIAL meet
Fox Chapel swimming coach Dan Taylor was more than pleased with how sophomore Christian Dantey attacked the 200 freestyle at the WPIAL Class 3A championships at Trees Pool. Coming in seeded fifth with a qualifying time of 1 minute, 44.54 seconds, Dantey blew away the field and won his first...
Fox Chapel boys battle their way into PIAA tournament field
Asher White knew that Fox Chapel basketball wasn’t going to be the same before this season started. The 6-foot-3 sophomore forward would need to be one of many players who needed to step into roles to make sure the Foxes were on the right track. “Last year, I played very...
Penn Hills enjoys home-court advantage, routs DuBois in state playoff opener
Noah Barren was happy to be comfortable on a snowy night in Penn Hills. During the Indians’ run through the state playoffs last season, Penn Hills scored a first-round upset on the other side of the state, then got stranded on the side of the road on their way home...
Developmental season for Penn Hills wrestling ends with near-misses for WPIAL hopefuls
Penn Hills wrestling spent the season in a developmental phase, trying to build self-confidence on the roster and give kids a chance to qualify for the WPIAL Class 3A championship tournament. The Indians, though, faced a daunting task by seeing its inexperienced roster having to navigate through a sectional field...
New aggressive style leads to success on mat for Fox Chapel junior
Alexander Kaufmann started having fun with wrestling again when he decided to change things up. The 152-pound Fox Chapel junior spent this season trying to press the pace and make opponents match his tempo. Kaufmann, who says he spends a lot of time reflecting on matches, was the lone Foxes...
