Sewickley sports notebook: Co-op helps build depth for Quaker Valley swimming
Seven of the 27 athletes in the Quaker Valley swim program attend Sewickley Academy as part of the WPIAL’s cooperative sponsorship program. They are senior Marcus Zhan, sophomores Augustin Zhan and Zak Sharara and freshman Kilian Rodemeyer on the boys team; along with juniors Lydia Kilpela and Anna Fiedler and...
Sewickley Academy boys dominating WPIAL competition
The boys basketball team at Sewickley Academy is like a finely tuned machine. After 15 games, the Panthers had racked up both the best offensive (72.8 ppg) and defensive (29 ppg) averages in the WPIAL in boys basketball. And Sewickley’s hoopsters were even more impressive in Section 2-2A play with...
Quaker Valley wrestler Matt Danna joins 100-win club
Call it a moon landing. This year’s Moon Duals were unforgettable for Quaker Valley wrestler Matt Danna. The 160-pound senior registered his 100th career victory Dec. 13 at Moon by pinning Liam Hulton of Laurel Highlands in 14 seconds. “I was happy to reach 100 career wins,” Danna said. “By...
Alexa Westwood, Quaker Valley swimming teammates working toward goals
It isn’t a rebuilding season for the Quaker Valley girls swim team. It’s more like the Quakers have embarked on a retooling process. “The team has been doing very well and working hard to fill the spots of the many talented swimmers and diver who graduated last year,” Alexa Westwood...
Contributions from Keira Watson, teammates lead Quaker Valley girls to key section win
Keira Watson’s clutch free throw late in the game proved to be the difference for the Quaker Valley girls basketball team. The Quakers held on to edge Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 37-36, on the road Jan. 22 in a key Section 1-3A contest. “Keira was 2 of 3...
Brentwood swimmer keeps lowering school record, striving to reach more goals
It didn’t take long for Brentwood’s Fawn Brendel to break her own school record. Last year, at a home meet against Thomas Jefferson in February, Brendel eclipsed Anna Watterson’s school record in the girls 100-yard butterfly event set in 2010. Brendel swam a 1:07.55 and narrowly missed the WPIAL qualifying...
Nailed it: Baldwin wins school’s 1st PIAA competitive spirit championship
They are known as the Dream Team around the Baldwin-Whitehall area. For the first time in the history its competitive spirit cheer program, Baldwin won the PIAA championship this year in the 3A Large Varsity division. The PIAA finals took place Jan. 9-10 in Johnstown. “Going into awards we had...
‘Really special’: 3 Bernotas sisters team up for Baldwin girls basketball
Not one, not two, but three. It doesn’t happen too often that three siblings play for the same girls basketball team. It is even more rare for all three sisters to be in a game at the same time. The Bernotas sisters — Laci, Lynsey and Alia — are basketball...
Pair of champion lead Thomas Jefferson wrestlers at Allegheny County tournament
The Thomas Jefferson wrestling program introduced its “Zach Attack” at this year’s county championships. TJ’s Zach Rehak and Zachary LaBryer began their run to the postseason as both won individual titles at the 2026 Allegheny County wrestling tournament held Jan. 16-17 at Fox Chapel. Rehak, a junior, defeated Baldwin freshman...
Thomas Jefferson sophomore takes game worldwide at softball tournament in Netherlands
Thomas Jefferson sophomore Madden Stanek has taken her softball skills to the international level. A shortstop and outfielder, Stanek was selected to compete in the 30th annual international fastpitch event known as The Cup 2026 held in the Netherlands in the town of Schiedam (located near Rotterdam). Stanek was joined...
Captains hit right notes for Baldwin’s championship competitive spirit team
The 2025-26 season has been historic for the Baldwin competitive spirit program. For the first time in program history, Baldwin’s competitive spirit team won the PIAA championship in the 3A Large Varsity division Jan. 9-10 in Johnstown. “Before the girls took the floor, I told them when they come through...
Big season brewing for Thomas Jefferson boys, girls basketball
Thomas Jefferson junior Noah Sear has no fear on the basketball court. The 6-foot-2 guard hit the biggest shot of his high school career Dec. 12 in his team’s section opener at Peters Township. “It was 100% the biggest shot of my career at TJ,” Sear said, “because this is...
South Hills Record notebook: Thomas Jefferson workhorse back recognized
Catching up on the South Hills sports scene: Thomas Jefferson junior Tyler Eber, a terrific 5-foot-10, 185-pound running back/defensive back, was cited as a TribLive High School Sports Network’s Terrific 25 football all-star for the 2025 season. “Tyler had another amazing year,” said TJ coach Bill Cherpak, “especially given the...
Bethel Park notebook: Wrestler captures county championship
Bethel Park’s Ian Bucheli turned in a championship performance Jan. 17 at the Allegheny County wrestling tournament at Fox Chapel. Bucheli, a junior, captured first place in the 145-pound weight class by securing a 9-0 major decision against Fox Chapel senior Adam Haines in the championship round. Bucheli improved to...
Bethel Park’s Xavier Jackson relishes chance to cap high school career at all-star game
Bethel Park senior Xavier Jackson fulfilled another goal. A four-year starter for the Black Hawks, Jackson ended high school career on the pitch with an appearance in the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association all-star games Dec. 6 at Pine-Richland. “I’m very thankful to have been chosen,” Jackson said. “I’ve always...
Bethel Park’s Charlie Simmons honored for work on, off the field
Bethel Park senior Charlie Simmons joined 10 other area football players as a Jerome Bettis Leadership Award recipient. Designated for athletes “who go above and beyond to provide mentor-like support for their teammates,” this year’s award winners are Simmons, South Fayette’s Connor Hiser, Greensburg Salem’s Max Topper, Aliquippa’s Marques Council...
Sewickley sports notebook: Quaker Valley hockey secures back-to-back shutouts
Quaker Valley’s hockey team outscored the opposition by a 17-0 overall difference in recent back-to-back PIHL Class A games. QV blanked Richland, 9-0, on Jan. 8 as sophomore forward Matthias Lezama had three goals and an assist, Jace Vasbinder added two goals and an assist and Ben McHenry scored twice....
Quaker Valley swimmers ramp up for postseason meets
Three up and three down. The Quaker Valley girls swim team splashed its way to an undefeated 3-0 record in Section 2-2A. The Quakers are propelled by senior captains Alexa Westwood and Kendra Hines, along with two other senior swimmers in Margaret Burns and Makenna Kamnikar. “Alexa has a growing...
Quaker Valley boys in driver’s seat as stretch run draws near
The Quaker Valley boys basketball team ended the first half of section play in a great position. The Quakers were 5-0 and in first place in Section 4-2A, two games ahead of Central Valley (3-2) and Avonworth (3-2). QV secured its fourth consecutive win Jan. 13 with a 75-50 decision...
Quaker Valley met challenges during memorable girls soccer season
Quaker Valley finished with a 16-4-1 record in girls soccer during the fall season, advancing to the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals and PIAA first round. It wasn’t the exact results the defending WPIAL champions anticipated. The Quakers had hoped to repeat as district titlists and go one step further than...
Quaker Valley basketball teams make memories on holiday trip to Florida
Quaker Valley basketball took a break from Western Pennsylvania’s wintry weather during December’s holiday season. The Quakers enjoyed a sunny disposition both individually and as teammates, traveling to Florida for a brief trip that had a universal appeal for all involved. The two QV teams flew to Orlando to participate...
Fisher’s Files: Sewickley Academy earns elite status in WPIAL boys basketball
Sewickley Academy’s boys basketball team is, simply stated, one of the best. Thanks to a roster inundated with talent and with former NBA player Mike Iuzzolino as head coach, the Panthers wrapped up the first month of the season with an 8-0 record. Sewickley also was 3-0 in Section 2-2A....
At 600-win milestone, Quaker Valley coach Mike Mastroianni proud of program’s impact
Quaker Valley’s Mike Mastroianni racked up the 600th win of his high school basketball coaching career Dec. 19 in a 63-21 section victory at Ambridge. Mastroianni began the season with a 595-244 career mark and needed five wins to achieve his latest milestone. The Quakers wasted little time, defeating Windber,...
Sewickley Academy boys basketball coach Mike Iuzzolino to be honored at Saint Francis
Go back 35 years. Mike Iuzzolino and Joe Anderson led the Saint Francis University men’s basketball team to the first NEC championship in school history. Now, return to 2026. In conjunction with that 35th anniversary, Iuzzolino and Anderson will join three “Golden Era” of Red Flash men’s basketball players —...
Sewickley Herald notebook: Quaker Valley boys notch quality wins
Catching up with area highlights from the past month: The game was billed as the “Showdown at North Allegheny” and Quaker Valley’s Nick Cohen definitely showed up. Cohen, a 5-11, 155-pound sophomore guard, scored 26 points in leading the Quakers to a 64-27 nonsection win Dec. 13 against Brentwood. Cohen...
