Josh Rizzo stories, Page 32
Penn Hills senior takes ‘easy to coach’ attitude to college volleyball ranks
Hard-headed wasn’t the word Amiera Smith was searching for. But there was a time the Penn Hills senior felt she could have had a better attitude about playing volleyball. As she prepares to head to Central State in Wilberforce, Ohio, next season, the Indians senior has seen herself morph into...
Penn Hills runner shows progress with showing at WPIAL cross country meet
Lee Zelkowitz could see that Sawyer Kinney’s performance was climbing in the weeks leading up to the WPIAL Class 3A cross country championships. The Penn Hills junior had made major progress this season and seemed to be figuring things out. “He had a lot of good practices and intervals leading...
Penn Hills youth football team comes together, plays for championship
Being a sideline dad didn’t become a reality for Brad Phillips. The 34-year-old North Hills graduate originally wanted his son, Braden, to play for the Penn Hills teams in the Western Pennsylvania Youth Athletic Association. He didn’t want to be anything more than a spectator. Once Brad was convinced to...
Penn Hills boys soccer looking for path back to playoffs
The Penn Hills boys soccer team had the worst kind of luck during the 2022 season. For the most part, the Indians didn’t have any luck at all. Penn Hills, which entered the season seeking a second straight WPIAL Class 3A playoff berth, wasn’t able to replicate its success from...
Moon boys blank Ambridge to end WPIAL title drought, join girls in WPIAL winners’ circle
Moon coach Earl Pannebaker added context to the history his team made Saturday. The Tigers defeating section rival Ambridge, 3-0, in the WPIAL Class 3A championship game at Highmark Stadium ended several streaks. For people scanning the history books, Moon’s victory snapped a 19-year title drought by giving the Tigers...
Moon wins 2nd straight WPIAL girls soccer crown, ends Mars’ 80-game unbeaten streak
When it came to winning a second consecutive WPIAL championship, Moon coach Bill Pfeiffer knew dropping down a classification wouldn’t make anything automatic for the Tigers. But Moon hasn’t made things look too difficult. The Tigers haven’t allowed a goal since a September win over Butler and won their second...
Playoff berth shows significant growth for Penn Hills volleyball
Twelve years without appearing in the postseason didn’t result in a fairy tale ending for the Penn Hills girls volleyball team. The Indians were swept by Knoch in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs by Knoch. What is most important about Penn Hills’ success in getting back...
Penn Hills notebook: New football coaches have playoff tradition
Penn Hills graduate Charles Morris was honored to take over as the head football coach at his alma mater. When the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs start Nov. 4, he will have the challenge of trying to continue the Indians’ proud tradition. Penn Hills, which was in a playoff position heading...
Shaler grad Parker Kilgore sets standard for resurgent Grove City defense
Grove City College football coach Andrew DiDonato’s has a playlist of video clips of senior middle linebacker Parker Kilgore’s greatest hits, and it might start with his first play as a college player. Instincts drew Kilgore, a Shaler graduate, into a passing lane, where he nearly grabbed an interception. As...
With eye on turning pro, Shaler grad grows golf game at University of Findlay
Dominic Guarnieri knows what to expect when he pulls up to the Beall Oilers Golf Center on the University of Findlay’s campus. If the weather is poor, with a 40-degree temperature, winds blowing and the rain pouring down, the Oilers’ men’s golf coach can expect to see Tanner Grzegorczyk working...
Penn Hills notebook: Golfer Lucy Brayton reaches state tournament goal
Lucy Brayton accomplished her goal of being the first Penn Hills golfer in over a decade to compete at the PIAA Class 3A golf championships at Penn State Unviersity’s White Course earlier this month. What Brayton proved at PIAAs that she was able to bounce back. After shooting a first-round...
Penn Hills girls soccer looks to build numbers after taxing season
Caroline McDevitt didn’t find the prospect of ironwoman soccer too taxing. When it comes to playing for the Penn Hills girls soccer program, McDevitt has become accustomed to having to play many minutes. The Indians, who finished the season 4-14 overall and 1-11 in Section 3-3A, couldn’t quite muster up...
Diabetes doesn’t stop Apollo youth Sloan Olbeter in quest for boxing success
Sloan Olbeter climbing between the ropes and squaring up with his opponents in the boxing ring is his choice. At first, the 12-year-old Apollo resident wasn’t sure. Olbeter’s first trip to the Sanctuary Boxing Club in New Kensington was at his mom’s insistence. “Honestly, my mom kind of forced me,”...
Cal (Pa.) coach, receiver have Penn Hills family ties
Sixty-six miles of a roundtrip drive from his home in North Versailles to the Cal (Pa.) campus didn’t deter Brian Tarrant from grabbing an opportunity. After serving as a Penn Hills coach under Jon LeDonne, Tarrant had initially planned to follow LeDonne to Pine-Richland when LeDonne took the job with...
Penn Hills notebook: Girls soccer team finds new section daunting
This season, section realignment wasn’t kind to the Penn Hills girls soccer team. With some of the added powers from the East suburbs coming into the picture, the Indians had difficulty keeping up. However, Penn Hills has found a way to pick up a few wins down the stretch. Goals...
Mt. Lebanon’s Mia Bhuta becomes 1st woman of Indian descent to play in World Cup for U.S. Soccer
Mia Bhuta’s family shut down the stadium at the Women’s U17 World Cup Tuesday in Bhubaneswar, India. Bhuta, a Mt. Lebanon native, made history by becoming the first woman of Indian descent to appear in a World Cup game for U.S. Soccer. Playing in her father’s home country, Bhuta pocketed...
Position changes help Penn Hills volleyball get into WPIAL playoff hunt
The Penn Hills girls volleyball team played most of the season with a lineup coach Jay Mitlo felt was creative. During the past few matches, however, the Indians have shifted their approach. Switching setters from Ava Adamski to Sarah Miller has Penn Hills in more traditional 5-1 formation. “We came...
After cutting it close on the tee, Penn Hills’ Lucy Brayton earns spot in PIAA field
Lucy Brayton received no practice swings, little time to relax on the putting green or time to find her focus. When Brayton’s mom pulled up in front of the first tee at Valley Brook Country Club, Lucy only had time to hop out, grab her clubs and head over to...
Penn Hills notebook: Lucy Brayton plays her way into WPIAL girls golf final round
Penn Hills senior Lucy Brayton earned a spot in the WPIAL Class 3A girls golf championship at Valleybrook Country Club. Brayton shot an 83 in the first round Sept. 26 at Youghigheny County Club to sit in sixth place heading into the final round at Valleybrook Country Club on Monday,...
Junior embraces competition, camaraderie of cross country
Sawyer Kinney can usually see the people he races against are feeling what he is feeling. After crossing the finish line, Kinney sees, and emphasizes with, the suffering. The Penn Hills junior cross country runner feels those moments are what build camaraderie in the sport. “I love cross country and...
After growing up in program, Lola Abraham becomes Riverview’s all-time leading scorer
When Nikki Polens went down for a pushup, Lola Abraham was clinging to her back. When Polens did situps, Abraham would be sitting on her stomach. Lola’s dad Sean Abraham coached Riverview’s junior high team and was an assistant for the Raiders varsity squad when Polens went through the program....
Shaler volleyball looks to continue success against new section opponents
Annie Bozzo was pleased to have a fresh start when taking over the Shaler girls volleyball program. The Titans, who lost six seniors from a team that finished 17-3 and made the PIAA Class 4A semifinals last season, were moved into a new section in realignment. Instead of being in...
With Haley Kostorick back, Shaler girls soccer has new enthusiasm
A year off has served Shaler soccer player Haley Kostorick well. Reinvigorated by time off to focus on basketball, the Clarion commit decided she wanted to give soccer another go during her senior season. “It was a last-minute decision,” Kostorick said. “I went up to Clarion, loved it there and...
Dedication pays off for Penn Hills’ Daemar Kelly with commitment to Quinnipiac
The transformation of Penn Hills senior guard Daemar Kelly wasn’t something that happened overnight. Long days and nights in the gym allowed the 6-foot-5 Indians senior guard to slowly progress into being a strong all-around basketball player. Kelly made his college choice last week, selecting Quinnipiac over Rider, Robert Morris...
Penn Hills heats up behind strong play from offensive, defensive lines
By the second half of a Week Zero loss to Seneca Valley, the Penn Hills football team appeared to be putting everything together. The Indians were running the ball better and thought they would be primed to succeed in short order. The Indians reeled off three straight wins — including...
