Ray Fisher stories, Page 15
Freshman Keira Watson makes immediate impact for Quaker Valley girls
Keira Watson loves to play basketball. And it shows. The 5-foot-7 freshman guard stepped into Quaker Valley’s starting lineup at the season’s onset and has displayed steady improvement since then for the Quakers. “Without that love, it’s hard to really improve consistently,” QV coach Ken Johns said. “Keira’s one of...
Quaker Valley boys find stride in early season tournaments
It was tournament time for the Quaker Valley’s boys basketball team in the first week of the season. The Quakers swept through the Lake Ethel Classic held Dec. 6-7 at Derry, rolling past Class 5A Laurel Highlands, 65-29, and Class 4A Derry, 58-27, in the two-day event. “We had good...
Sewickley Herald notebook: College offers piling up for Quaker Valley’s Mimi Thiero
The number of college offers received by Quaker Valley basketball standout Mimi Thiero seemingly increases from week to week. “My recruiting process has been going really well,” Thiero said. “I enjoy talking to all of the college coaches and hearing about their programs.” An updated list of offers the 6-foot-5...
Sewickley Academy boys deliver 1st win to coach Mike Iuzzolino
The game of basketball has taken Mike Iuzzolino, Sewickley Academy’s first-year boys hoops coach, to Europe and back. Iuzzolino’s focus Dec. 7, nonetheless, was at 315 Academy Ave. in Sewickley for a nonsection game against Riverview. The Panthers steamrolled past the Raiders, 56-28, to give the retired professional basketball player...
Quaker Valley wrestlers show potential, win 2 titles at Chartiers-Houston tournament
Quaker Valley secured fifth place at the season-opening Chartiers-Houston wrestling tournament held on the weekend of Dec. 6-7. QV coach Austin Heinl believes it was a good learning experience for his team, but he has loftier expectations for the Quakers in 2024-25. “I think the Chartiers-Houston tournament was a great...
Quaker Valley hockey passes tough early season test
The Quaker Valley hockey team passed its first major test of the season with flying colors. The Quakers defeated Chartiers Valley, 6-2, on Dec. 2 at Mt. Lebanon Ice Center in a battle of two of the top teams in the PIHL Class A Gold Division. QV remained undefeated at...
Baldwin’s Jeff Ackermann celebrates 400th victory
It was a day of celebration for the Baldwin boys basketball team. The Highlanders (2-0) defeated Altoona, 73-49, on Saturday to give coach Jeff Ackermann his 400th career victory. Ackermann posted a 224-116 record in 13 seasons at Moon, was 126-35 in six years at Pine-Richland and improved to 50-43...
South Hills Record notebook: Baldwin volleyball coach honored
A tip of the cap to Jason Jonas, Baldwin’s first-year girls volleyball coach who was named the Big 56 Coach of the Year in Section 1-4A. “I think Baldwin’s volleyball program is getting back to its winning ways,” Jonas said. “We had a super young team in a highly competitive...
Baldwin spotlights wide array of alumni working in sports media
Baldwin is becoming known as a school that produces a mass influx of professionals in the sports media industry. The long list of Baldwin alumni in the business includes Austin Bechtold (93.7 The Fan), Cory Berger (JRM Sports), Nathan Breisinger (Pittsburgh Sports Now), Marc Cardillo (Pittsburgh Penguins, JRM), Kevin Gorman...
Brentwood girls eye return trip to WPIAL postseason
The Brentwood girls basketball team is looking to build on last year’s WPIAL playoff season. Brentwood finished third in Section 2-2A with a 6-4 record a year ago behind co-champions Fort Cherry (9-1) and Burgettstown (9-1). “I’m very excited for this season,” coach Rachel Thomas said. “We have a solid...
With deepest lineup in years, Brentwood boys excited about season’s possibilities
The Brentwood boys basketball team had a great deal of anticipation for the tipoff of the 2024-25 season. And it started with their veteran coach, Dan Thayer. “Our expectations for this year’s team are high,” Thayer said. “We return eight players from last year’s team and have added three new...
Baldwin girls seek improvement behind experienced roster
Baldwin’s girls basketball team finished 9-13 overall in 2023-24. The Highlanders are looking for a vast improvement on that record in 2024-25. “We have very high expectations this year,” Baldwin coach Jamal Woodson said. “We have been in the gym non-stop, and we have been working on developing a different...
Even after WPIAL finals appearance, Baldwin boys still seek breakout year
Jeff Ackermann is in his fifth season as head coach of the Baldwin boys basketball team. The Highlanders have shown improvement each year capped by a memorable appearance in the WPIAL Class 6A championship game last winter. Baldwin lost to Upper St. Clair, 64-41, at Petersen Events Center after defeating...
Sewickley Herald notebook: Junior helps Quaker Valley hockey to quick start
Junior forward Max Modrovich led the Quaker Valley hockey team to a first-place regular-season finish in 2023-24 in the PIHL Varsity A Gold Division. Modrovich, also known as “Double M,” accounted for 19 goals and 21 assists to pace the Quakers offensively. QV racked up a 16-3-0-1 regular-season record, good...
With colleges in hot pursuit, 6-5 guard Mimi Thiero leads Quaker Valley girls into season
Mimi Thiero’s basketball credentials are well grounded. Thiero is an awe-inspiring 6-foot-5 junior guard/forward on the Quaker Valley girls basketball team and a third-year starter. As a freshman, the athletic hoopster was QV’s leading scorer (13.2 points per game) and rebounder (10.4 per game). She also led the team in...
Quaker Valley swimmers look to build on successful season
The Quaker Valley swimming and diving program racked up a banner season in 2023-24. The Quakers are looking for similar results in 2024-25. But before diving too deep into this year, a review of last season as it pertains to the team’s returning athletes seems to be in order. Margaret...
New era begins for Eden Christian girls basketball
Not only is it a new season for the Eden Christian Academy girls basketball team, the Warriors started the season with almost a whole new team. A pair of sophomore guards, Emmie Smith and Hannah Wallace, are the only girls back from last year’s 10-player squad. “We are experiencing a...
Baldwin athletes take lessons from annual WPIAL sportsmanship summit
The 15th annual WPIAL Summit on Sportsmanship took place Nov. 13 at the Senator John Heinz History Center and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. Student-athletes from the schools in attendance listened to keystone speakers discuss topics related to the importance of sportsmanship in athletics, and the league recognized Cornell and Moon,...
Thomas Jefferson girls soccer season marked by improvement, 1-goal losses
First place in Section 3-3A was at stake Oct. 7 for the Thomas Jefferson and South Fayette girls soccer teams. A TJ win would result in the two teams sharing the section championship. A victory by South Fayette would give the Lions sole possession of the top spot. South Fayette...
Thomas Jefferson girls look to set new standard with revamped lineup
Thomas Jefferson’s girls basketball team has won nine games in each of the past two seasons. The Jaguars intend to reach double figures in 2024-25. “I expect everyone to work extremely hard and compete. We’re hoping to make the playoffs,” said TJ’s third-year coach Matt Gould, a Penn State graduate...
Thomas Jefferson players reflect on school’s 11th WPIAL football championship
One for the other thumb? Definitely. Distinguished coach Bill Cherpak led the Thomas Jefferson football team to the apex of the WPIAL Class 4A mountaintop this season. The No. 1-seeded Jaguars defeated newly anointed rival and No. 3 seed McKeesport, 28-7, on Nov. 16 at Norwin to give Cherpak his...
Despite abrupt end, Thomas Jefferson piled up highlights during boys soccer season
The Thomas Jefferson boys soccer team lost its first game of the 2024 season in double overtime. The Jaguars did not lose another one in the regular season in ringing up a 10-1-3 record in Section 2-3A. TJ earned the section championship — its third in four years — ahead...
Thomas Jefferson boys planning encore after successful season
The Thomas Jefferson boys basketball team has a tough act to follow in 2024-25. Last year’s team enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history as the Jaguars advanced to the WPIAL Class 5A semifinal round and racked up a 21-6 record. “Our kids did everything I asked,” coach...
Bethel Park notebook: Coach enjoying middle school experience
Did you know that Bethel Park girls middle school volleyball coach Adam Foote is a social studies teacher at Baldwin High School? “I’ve been coaching girls middle school volleyball at Bethel Park the past three seasons and last year coached the boys JV team,” said Foote, who formerly coached volleyball...
With 11 returning starters, Bethel Park wrestling has high expectations
Bethel Park’s wrestling team advanced to the WPIAL semifinals last year and finished with an impressive 19-3 record. The Black Hawks placed fourth in Class 3A in the Trib HSSN final rankings after defeating North Hills, 39-15, and North Allegheny, 26-19, in the first two rounds of the WPIAL tournament....
