Josh Rizzo stories, Page 44
Shaler competitive spirit teams earns return trip to PIAA championships
Carrying on the legacy set in years past doesn’t burden the Shaler Area competitive spirit team. The Titans welcome the expectations set by previous classes. After placing fourth in the small division at WPIALs, Shaler went into the state championships with high expectations. “Our hopes are high,” Titans coach Phyllis...
After signing with Chicago Bears, Pitt product J.P. Holtz looks ahead to NFL future
When the call came, J.P. Holtz didn’t hesitate to get his things packed. The Shaler Area and Pitt graduate was released by the Washington Redskins in early September and was scrambling to try to catch on with the Chicago Bears a few days later. “It was pretty crazy,” Holtz said....
Shaler Area wrestling coach Swope hopes Yeager’s tournament medal is building blockVideo
Brad Yeager demonstrated what Shaler Area wrestling coach Ethan Swope hopes to see more of moving forward. By placing sixth at 106 pounds, the Titans freshman wrestler earned a medal in his first varsity tournament. Shaler, which has only five wrestlers on the roster, placed 28th as a team at...
Shaler focuses on fine-tuning in pursuit of WPIAL qualifying
Shaler Area sophomore Jake Bacasa wants everything to come together so he can qualify for the WPIAL Class AAA swimming championships. Right now, Bacasa is within several seconds of qualifying in the 100 breast and 500 free. “I want to better my technique,” Bacasa said. “A lot of the techniques...
Shaler hockey trying to find right formula for stretch run
Playoff prospects for the Shaler Area hockey team are bleak but still a possibility. Finding a way to join the PIHL Class AA postseason will rely on figuring out a difficult problem. Coach Steve Stayduhar said he believes Titans have hung tough for two periods for most of their games....
Despite short bench, Shaler boys off to strong start to season
Playing eight or nine deep is the goal for Shaler Area boys basketball coach Rob Niederberger. For much of this season, the Titans’ health woes made that seem like an off-in-the-distance dream. In Shaler’s Section 3-5A opener against Kiski Area, Niederberger played Darin Mizgorski and Logan Bernesser, who both had...
Shaler notebook: Titans bowlers showing potential
The Shaler Area bowling team hoped to be one of the major players in the WPIBL entering the season. Thus far, the Titans’ girls squad already has shown it will be a tough out in its section. Shaler is off to a 2-1 start, and its bowlers have been leaving...
New wrestlers finding their way for North Allegheny
North Allegheny wrestling had a schedule set up to ease in a roster with four freshmen in the starting lineup. The Tigers were provided with an opportunity to get their feet wet. But it didn’t provide the best barometer for where North Allegheny is a group. First, the Tigers downed...
Shaler Area grad Mike Heinl hits wrestling milestone at W&J
Reaching the 100-win milestone wasn’t out of the question for Washington & Jefferson senior Mike Heinl. But the Shaler Area graduate knew the math wasn’t in his favor after his freshman season. Heinl’s first go-round as a collegiate wrestler ended up with a 14-14 record in his ledger. But after...
Focus on defensive effort lifts Shaler Area girls to fast start
Senior guard Meghan Lacey wants this season to be a revenge tour for the Shaler Area girls basketball. The Titans made quite a statement to open the season at the Ambridge tournament. Opening against two teams that beat Shaler by double digits last season, the Titans showed they’ve learned from...
Pitt volleyball suffers stunning loss in 2nd round of NCAA Tournament
Watching the Cincinnati Bearcats mascot wave the school’s red flag near the script Pitt logo at the end of the court was tough for the Panthers’ women’s volleyball program. For the second season, what appeared to be an ideal scenario for marching through the NCAA Tournament evaporated in front of...
Shaler Area sports notebook: Swim team must overcome small roster
Keith Simmons knows winning dual meets will be a tough task for the Shaler Area swim program this season. The Titans don’t have a deep roster. “Success will have to come from a collective group because the size of our team has gone from 35 swimmers to 22,” Simmons said....
Shaler girls basketball will lean on trio of seniors
Shaler Area girls basketball coach Cornelious Nesbit doesn’t mince words with seniors Emily Cavacini, Meghan Lacey and Claire Grunden. If the Titans are going to navigate through Section 1-6A and return to the WPIAL playoffs, those three can’t have nights off. None of them will shy away from her responsibility....
North Allegheny girls finding their way with revamped roster
Every year is a new situation and new challenge for North Allegheny girls basketball coach Spencer Stefko. For the Tigers to adjust this year, they’ll need to bring along many new faces. North Allegheny lost seven seniors from a team that reached the WPIAL finals and PIAA quarterfinals before finishing...
Duquesne overcomes shaky spell against VMI, stays unbeaten
Duquesne men’s basketball coach Keith Dambrot could see it in practice. The Dukes didn’t have the energy they needed to play against VMI on Wednesday night at La Roche. Sleepwalking was not the best option in getting to the program’s best start since the 1979-80 season. When the Dukes started...
Shaler boys ready to take next logical step
Once all the pieces are in place, Shaler Area boys basketball coach Rob Niederberger has set clear goals for his team. He believes the Titans are good enough to win the section and Class 5A WPIAL titles. For a team that made a return to the state playoffs for the...
Shaler Area bowling teams enjoy encouraging growth
Shawn Pilyih is brimming with optimism about the Shaler Area bowling program. Not only does Pilyih think the Titans have potential for the upcoming WPIBL season, Shaler has its highest numbers in several years. The Titans have 14 boys and eight girls. Shaler also added another coach to the program,...
North Allegheny boys ready to dig in on defense
Keith Noftz knows this version of the North Allegheny boys basketball program may take time to grow up. The Tigers don’t return a roster long on varsity experience, but Noftz believes North Allegheny can compete. Starting at the Hempfield Tournament on Dec. 6 against Penn-Trafford, the Tigers will compensate for...
New Shaler wrestling coach ready to take on challenge
Ethan Swope knows his first head coaching opportunity will be more about development than team success. Swope, Shaler Area’s first-year wrestling coach, will take over a Titans roster with 10 wrestlers. Having low numbers will make it difficult to compete in dual meets, which feature matches in 14 weight classes....
Talented veteran Shaler indoor track team sets sights high
Shawn Ryan wants everything to be on the right course for the Shaler Area indoor track team. The Titans have a number of returning state qualifiers pursuing school records and state medals. Shaler will have about 30 athletes competing during the winter season, including a travel roster of about 20....
Shaler notes: Duquesne-bound Cam Mbalo among Shaler athletes making college choices
Four Shaler Area athletes signed national letters of intent last Wednesday. Cam Mbalo, who set the Titans’ record in the triple jump and won the WPIAL Class AAA title last season, signed with Duquesne University. Mbalo, who also qualified for the indoor state championship last season, competed in the New...
Oakland Catholic’s Taylor Cigna commits to Colgate volleyball
Taylor Cigna didn’t expect to hear everything she wanted when she visited Colgate. The 5-foot-9 Oakland Catholic senior didn’t want the coaches there to tell her how great she was. Cigna, a Shaler Township resident, wanted a school and athletic program which would challenge her. When Colgate’s volleyball coaches were...
Pitt men’s basketball brought back to earth with loss to Nicholls State
Jeff Capel doesn’t expect anyone to be lauding the Pitt men’s basketball program. The second-year Panthers coach knows adjustments will be necessary after losing to Nicholls State on Saturday at Petersen Events Center. Pitt looked uneasy on offense and played with a general malaise during a 75-70 loss. Any goodwill...
Shaler runners savor PIAA cross country experience
Shaler Area sophomore runner Tyler Paszkowski was happy to have an opportunity to run in the PIAA Class AAA cross country championships earlier this month in Hershey. For the first-time state qualifier, it was an opportunity for him to take everything in. One thing that stood out was the speed....
Late-season success boosts confidence for Shaler football
Once the Class 5A football playoffs started, things got ugly for the WPIAL’s Northern Conference. While the conference had the most playoff participants, as Fox Chapel snagged the wild card, only Penn Hills remained after the smoke cleared. The other five teams lost by a combined margin of 28.6 points...
