Josh Rizzo stories, Page 9

Beating Deer Lakes on the road to wrap up sole possession of the Section 1-4A boys basketball title came from a foundation North Catholic built in early December. The Trojans lost their first three games, two by 15 or more points. But the lessons North Catholic learned from losing to...

Fox Chapel coach Zach Skrinjar isn’t worried about the classification the Foxes fall under when the PIAA realigns their boys basketball divisions every two years. The Foxes plan to adjust and contend. When Fox Chapel returned to Class 6A this season, the Foxes stuck to the plan. Fox Chapel has...

Ben Catullo didn’t look like someone who had wrestled for 61⁄2 minutes when he leaped to his feet and flexed toward the Burrell wrestling team’s bench. After Catullo’s overtime win at 160 pounds, his teammates were happy to celebrate with him Tuesday night at Burrell High School. Buccaneers heavyweight Ayden...

Applying consistent pressure and constantly sprinting left Nia DiSanti, a 5-foot-7 guard for the Freeport girls basketball team, a little tired Monday night. But after losing seven of eight games to start the season, the Yellowjackets became accustomed to having to turn up the energy to dig out of their...

Donovan Burnett wanted his college football experience to be similar to his experience at Penn Hills. When Burnett visited the Virginia Military Institute, he felt he was where he wanted to be. “Well, the brotherhood there and the football stood out to me,” Burnett said. “It’s comparable to the brotherhood...

Landon Funk had the idea planted in his head of reaching 100 wins as a varsity wrestler in 2017. Funk admired Foxes wrestler Mike Mahon and was in the crowd when he hit the century mark. During the Frank Ferguson Brooke Classic at Brooke High School in West Virginia, Funk...

Kristofer Bandurski found what he was looking for on his visit to Cal (Pa.). The Fox Chapel senior wanted to find a place that could mold him on the football field throughout his career. “The hospitality of the coaches was unbelievable,” Bandurski said. “They develop players into who they need...

The Penn Hills girls basketball team found its way back to the fringe of the playoff race. While the Indians would need several things to break their way down the stretch to sneak in, coach Robert Cash feels like the Indians have figured out the formula to be more comfortable....

Knoch boys basketball coach Alan Bauman was thrilled watching his team mature Friday night during a Section 1-4A contest with Deer Lakes at home. Twice, the Lancers made extended runs in the third and fourth quarters to move within two points. Both times, Knoch dug deep and never returned the...

Calio Zanella was sporting a nose plug to stymie the bleeding, highlighting one of the major challenges facing Burrell’s wrestling team this week. The top-seeded Buccaneers are battling illness as they attempt to defend their WPIAL Class 2A crown. Burrell was missing two starters, but the Buccaneers didn’t allow that...

Nothing came easy for the Riverview and Springdale boys basketball teams Wednesday night at Don McGhee Fieldhouse. The Dynamos had to fight for every point during a 41-32 Section 1-2A win. Springdale coach Scott Ruppert sacrificed the vest he was wearing to help clean the floor late in the fourth...

Penn Hills wrestling coach Jeremy Packer has gradually worked on building the depth of the program over the last few seasons. The Indians returned to team competition this season after opting out of the WPIAL schedule the past few seasons. Penn Hills saw its next marker for improvement with how...

Kevin Truman wanted to maintain the traditions of the Penn Hills boys soccer program, much like his predecessor Ryan Hankey did. For the past 31 years, the Indians have hosted an indoor soccer tournament in the winter to raise money for the program. This year, Penn Hills had a minor...

Fox Chapel wrestling coach Michael Frank was proud of how balanced the Foxes’ lineup proved to be at the Allegheny County Championships. The Foxes finished third in the team standings despite not having a wrestler reach the finals. “It shows how well they wrestled as a group,” Frank said. “They...

Fox Chapel girls basketball coach Marty Matvey went to great lengths to make sure he didn’t miss out on any potential post players for his roster. For one year, Matvey coached seventh grade girls volleyball in the district. The Foxes coach came away with two conclusions: First, he accumulated a...

Jacob Taylor’s attitude before his 189-pound match Wednesday night highlighted what has allowed the Burrell wrestling program to maintain its section dominance over the past 25 years. The sophomore was making his first start in a dual against Highlands that would determine the Section 9-2A title. But Taylor already had...

Shaler co-indoor track and field coach Shawn Ryan knows track during the winter can get monotonous. With a lot of snow in the forecast, it’s had to get much practice time in. Despite the lack of track-related activities, the Titans made a big splash during their first meet of the...

Bayleigh Perez is confident about what happens when the basketball leaves her hands. Shaler’s 5-foot-2 senior point guard enjoys pushing the pace. The Titans prefer to be on the move this season and have seen a spark from their offense. They are 11-2 overall and 5-1 in Section 5A. Shaler...

Penn Hills indoor track coach Lee Zelkowitz believes junior Tymere Alston is ready to take a step forward. During the offseason, Alston dedicated a lot of his time to becoming one of the best 400-meter runners in the WPIAL. “He trained hard during the preseason and during the fall months,”...

Joe Capobianco Jr. kept tabs on the Penn Hills baseball program long after he graduated. Seeing the program slowly decline wasn’t something he ever wanted to see. Capobianco didn’t want to be one of the people standing by and complaining about the program’s current status. This offseason, Capobianco, who is...

The Fox Chapel swim team is full of athletes who are seeking an opportunity to put themselves in the best position to do well at the WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championships. To that end, the Foxes have seen a number of pool records fall this season. Sarah Pasquella, Josie...

Fox Chapel senior Alyssa Quackenbush knows what happens when a relay team isn’t in sync. She was a member of a Foxes relay team that was disqualified from a race because of issues handing off the baton. During the Tri-State Track Coaches Association No. 2 meet at Edinboro, Quackenbush was...

Troy Bielak remembers being in the stands and being impressed with all of the creative tricks the great Highlands boys basketball teams used to get easy shots. The Golden Rams’ 6-foot-4 junior forward had that in mind when he called a play on the fly Friday night during a road...

Forward Jules Fisher knew what the blueprint needed to be for the Burrell girls basketball team to beat Highlands on Thursday night in a Section 1-4A battle at home. The Buccaneers planned to make life difficult for the Golden Rams offense. Burrell blanked Highlands in the first quarter, building a...

There is still much work ahead for the Shady Side Academy girls basketball program. But the Bulldogs have laid a solid foundation that should provide many opportunities as the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs approach. The Bulldogs are off to a 12-0 start and have shown plenty of punch on offense....