Josh Rizzo stories, Page 9
Fox Chapel boys volleyball determined to make run at playoff spot
Fox Chapel boys volleyball coach Phil O’Keeffe was on board with the WPIAL volleyball steering committee’s decision to make it more challenging to qualify for the postseason. That’s all well and good when the lineup is relatively healthy. But the Foxes had more than a dozen players out with the...
Penn Hills flag football picking up wins, ‘proving people wrong’
Ani’yah Hickman knows that being a three-year veteran of the Penn Hills girls flag football team will require taking on different roles at a moment’s notice. Hickman was one of three players called on to play quarterback because of various injuries afflicting Penn Hills on April 13 at Woodland Hills...
Penn Hills boys volleyball looks to build momentum after streak-snapping win
There’s no slowing down when finding success while playing Class 3A boys volleyball in the WPIAL. Penn Hills halted a long losing streak in section play when the Indians tripped up Plum in four sets April 8. The Indians (3-4, 1-2) fell back to earth during their next match when...
Data-driven approach helps Shaler track and field athletes improve
Shaler boys track coach Shawn Ryan likes numbers. Becoming a track and field coach necessitates an interest in data to help track progress and guide improvement. But Ryan said he became interested in recording, ranking and publishing times for sprinters when he saw Tony Holler speak. Holler is a member...
With new cast of characters, Shaler boys volleyball in title contention again
Aiden Smith doesn’t feel like the job is any different. The Shaler senior setter knows that the stage he is set to perform on provides a higher level of difficulty. The Titans graduated their entire lineup from a team that won the program’s first PIAA Class 3A title last season....
Fox Chapel senior bids farewell to high school hoops with all-star showing
Bella Urso enjoyed her final trip around the high school basketball circuit. The Fox Chapel senior scored nine points, including seven in the second half, to help the West team beat the East team 66-60 in the 28th annual Alle-Kiski Cager Classic on April 5 at Highlands High School. Urso...
Fox Chapel track team gears up for invitational season
Fox Chapel track and field coach Tom Moul is happy he doesn’t have to feed his young runners to the wolves once invitational season starts. In addition to entering athletes into the Butler Invitational, which is the kickoff to the big invitationals and an event a lot of schools use...
Herald notebook: Fox Chapel grad pitching out of Slippery Rock bullpen
It’s been a big season for the Slippery Rock softball team, and Fox Chapel graduate Mackenzie Borkovich is in the middle of it. Slippery Rock, which had major renovations done to its home stadium, is 16-14 overall with a 10-2 mark in conference play. Borkovich has a 3.77 ERA in...
Focus on offense in practice, win over Pine-Richland boost Fox Chapel’s confidence
Fox Chapel shortstop Antonio LeDonne knew after the team’s opening series with Shaler the Foxes needed to zero in on hitting. They weren’t far behind where they wanted to be, but if Fox Chapel wanted to make noise in the Class 5A playoffs, the bats would have to be better....
Valley’s Allen wins MVP, East boys win Cager Classic in overtime
Mikael Allen hammered in the slam dunk he was in search of with 48 seconds remaining in the 28th annual Alle-Kiski Cager Classic Saturday at Highlands High School. But the East team’s night was far from over. Allen’s dunk had stretched the East’s lead to three points, but it disappeared...
West girls team rallies after slow start to win Cager Classic
Gia Richter hit the floor several times wrestling for loose balls during the 28th annual Alle-Kiski Cager Classic Saturday at Highlands High School. The St. Joseph’s senior guard wanted badly to lead the West team to a win. The muggy conditions also necessitated effort for anyone who desired to hold...
In season’s early days, Shady Side Academy girls lacrosse already making strides
The Shady Side Academy girls lacrosse team hasn’t played as many games as most of the other WPIAL teams. But when the Bulldogs kicked off the season with two section matches, they showed off their potential. The Bulldogs opened with wins over Shaler and Seneca Valley and scored a combined...
Fox Chapel alumni notebook: Wrestling ref Patrick Frank works national title match
Patrick Frank, who graduated from Fox Chapel in 1998, refereed the 141-pound title match during the NCAA Division I championships in March in Phialdelphia. Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez, who was the No. 3 seed, upset top-seeded Brock Hardy of Nebraska by winning a 12-9 decision. Frank, who was inducted into...
Penn Hills grad hopes to add to list of successful transfers
Defensive back Dontae Pollard wants to be a part of the group of Penn Hills alumni that found success at a higher level in college football. Corey Thomas Jr. found success at the University of Virginia after starting in Akron. Raion Strader landed with Auburn after excelling at Miami (Ohio)...
Early season meet builds confidence for Penn Hills track team
Penn Hills track coach Lee Zelkowitz knows the Indians won’t be able to win many dual meets. The Indians don’t have the numbers to fill out all of the events. However, Penn Hills was able to use its only home meet of the season to build some confidence for the...
Young Penn Hills softball roster adjusting to intensity of varsity action
The Penn Hills softball team has many new faces looking to fill key roles. The Indians know that, with such a significant personnel transition, some growing pains should be expected. First-year Penn Hills coach Michelle Stiller would like to see their long-term plan pay dividends by the end of the...
What rust? Deer Lakes’ Olivia Ryan wins hot shots event at Cager Classic skills competition
Deer Lakes senior Olivia Ryan wouldn’t have ever willingly signed herself up to do a basketball hot shots competition. Not just because the 5-foot-8 post player primarily played on the inside during her high school career. But Ryan expected a bit of rust when she competed during the event during...
Latrobe’s Luke Willochell, Kiski Area’s Mark Gray help WPIAL to victory at Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic
Mark Gray didn’t want to be conquered by fatigue. But after a lifetime of bumps and bruises wrestling, competing for the WPIAL team at the Pennsylvania Wrestling Classic didn’t sound too enticing for the Kiski Area 189-pound senior. “I was just beat up, man,” Gray said. “My body wasn’t feeling...
Penn Hills notebook: Boys volleyball team shows competitiveness
The Penn Hills boys volleyball team has a team loaded with juniors and seniors. The Indians also have the benefit of having coach Will Piccolino back for his third season. Penn Hills is more capable of playing his system now. While the Indians dropped their first two matches of the...
Fox Chapel youth wrestler on championship track
Fox Chapel eighth grader Olympic Serrao has already shown the ability to learn from his mistakes. Serrao was disappointed with his results against Manheim Township’s Frank Leanza at the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling middle school championships. Serrao lost by technical fall, 20-5, to finish second at 132 pounds. When the two...
Veteran lineup has Fox Chapel boys tennis in section title race
The Fox Chapel boys tennis team has the luxury of having a roster filled with depth and experience. Other than Frank Siegel, the No. 3 singles player, everyone else on the varsity roster is a senior. That may make a big difference for the Foxes as they battle for first...
Penn Hills baseball looks for patience, confidence as program rebuilds
Joe Capobianco has never torn a baseball program down and built one back up before. The 1996 Penn Hills graduate is learning on the job with his alma mater. The Indians coach also admits that he may be learning things about himself. Penn Hills is off to an 0-4 start...
Saint Francis athletes, recruits left to ponder futures after school says it’s dropping to D-III
Montrell Johnson decided it was time to raise his grade point average. The Highlands senior spent a lot of time working to bring his average up to close to 3.0. When he verbally committed to play football at Saint Francis University last week, Johnson believed he had everything in place...
Penn Hills resident Emily Ruperto sets personal best at state swim meet
Emily Ruperto qualified for many events at the WPIAL Class 2A swimming championships. The Serra Catholic sophomore and Penn Hills resident chose the ones she felt most comfortable in. After qualifying for the PIAA meet in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke, Ruperto also figured out what she wanted to...
Penn Hills’ Mike Ulyas helps Burrell hockey team reach PIHL Division 2 championship game
Mike Ulyas never felt like an outsider on the Burrell hockey team. The Penn Hills senior hopped onboard to play with a group that returned a lot of skaters who played for the PIHL’s Division 2 championship. “It feels like I was here last year even though I wasn’t,” Ulyas...
