Ray Fisher stories, Page 2
From penalty box to policy briefs, Sewickley Academy junior has passion for hockey, law
Max Kopf, a 6-foot, 170-pound junior forward on the fledgling Sewickley Academy hockey team, is known for his hard work and dedication both on and off the ice. “When Max plays to his identity, he is a strong positional player who uses his body and stick effectively and is willing...
Sewickley Academy girls ready to bring high-energy style to heart of section schedule
Sewickley Academy won its Section 1-A opener in girls basketball with a 47-39 victory against Eden Christian Academy. Mikaela Mbandi, a 6-foot freshman forward, sparked the Panthers with 17 points in the mid-December game. “I loved our energy,” Sewickley coach Rob Shazer said. “We didn’t shoot the ball great, but...
Sewickley Academy boys roll into new year undefeated
The month of December was a festive one for the Sewickley Academy boys basketball team. Sewickley was one of the most dominant teams in the WPIAL, storming to an 8-0 record, winning by an average score of 70-32 and retaining the No. 1 ranking in Class 2A by Trib HSSN....
Quaker Valley athletes make college choices in wide variety of sports
Quaker Valley’s college signings for 2025-26 hit double figures in December. A total of 10 senior athletes at QV finalized their college commitments last month including Todd Kagle (Frostburg State baseball), Meredith Fallgren (Christopher Newport lacrosse), Bruce Anderchak (Mercyhurst wrestling), River Capek (Haverford cross country and track and field) and...
5 Quaker Valley standouts among players chosen for PIHL all-star games
They are considered among the cream of the crop of high school hockey players in Western Pennsylvania. And the PIHL all-star selection committee confirmed it. Among the league’s all-stars this season are Quaker Valley’s Luke Koehler, Max Modrovich, Jace Vasbinder, Matthias Lezama and Ian Lorang in Class A; Sewickley Academy’s...
Maryland recruit Mimi Thiero resetting Quaker Valley’s record books
Quaker Valley senior Mimi Thiero celebrated twice. Thiero netted 28 points Dec. 15 against Sto-Rox to become the all-time leading scorer in Quaker Valley girls basketball history. QV defeated the Vikings, 65-18, in a Section 1-3A game. “Mimi is undoubtedly a special player,” QV coach Ken Johns said. “Her impact...
Quaker Valley grad thrives in freshman season with Middlebury College volleyball
Quaker Valley extended its proficiency in sports all the way to New England this season to the small town of Middlebury, Vt., site of Middlebury College. Quaker Valley graduate Molly MacDonald finished her freshman season on the Middlebury women’s volleyball team ranked among the team leaders in kills (third) and...
Captains ace leadership test for Quaker Valley tennis
Livia Jobbins, Jane Lenhard and Parker Barnes shared a common bond on the Quaker Valley girls tennis team this season. The three seniors served as the QV team’s tri-captains and did so in exemplary fashion as the Quakers won the WPIAL Class 2A team championship. The QV girls also advanced...
Young Quaker Valley volleyball team showed flashes of brilliance in inconsistent season
Quaker Valley’s girls volleyball team had inconsistent results this season partly because of the Quakers’ all-around inexperience. The 2024 WPIAL Class 2A champion Quakers advanced to the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year in 2025 and finished with a 9-11 overall record. They netters received the No. 15 seed in...
Quaker Valley hockey rides hot start to division lead
Quaker Valley’s hockey team jumped out to a flying start in the PIHL season. QV was 5-1 with four shutouts in the season’s first month, then kicked off November with a 12-2 win over Richland’s varsity team. “Given our injuries and fall sports commitments, we are very pleased that we...
Quaker Valley runner fights through injuries to compete with WPIAL’s, state’s best
This is a story of perseverance and determination. Quaker Valley sophomore Lucy Montagnese, much like her other family members, loves to run. But Montagnese, unfortunately, wasn’t able to do much running during the 2025 cross country season because of a stress fracture in the second metatarsal of her left foot...
Makenna Kamnikar wraps up memorable golf career at Quaker Valley
Makenna Kamnikar was a member of the Quaker Valley boys golf team all four years of high school. “This season is really important to me as it’s my senior season so I’m going into it with a positive mindset,” Kamnikar said prior to the start of QV’s fall golf schedule....
State title for Jonah Montagnese caps season to remember for Quaker Valley cross country
Quaker Valley’s Jonah Montagnese was a virtual one-man wrecking crew in cross country this year. After a sensational regular-season, Montagnese ended his junior year on the off-road trails as a state champion. Montagnese finished the Hershey Park course on Nov. 1 in 16 minutes flat to edge Hughesville senior Tyce...
Quaker Valley girls tennis ‘family’ celebrates championship season
Borrowing a phrase from one of Sly & the Family Stone’s big hits, it appears the 2025 season was a “family affair” for the Quaker Valley girls tennis team. “The season was all we hoped it would be and more,” said Christi Hays, QV’s hall-of-fame coach. “It was a truly...
After wild WPIAL tournament, Quaker Valley boys earn PIAA berth
The Quaker Valley boys soccer team strung together a 17-game unbeaten streak against WPIAL competition this season. QV advanced to the PIAA tournament after finishing 16-1-1 against WPIAL opponents. The Quakers were the Section 2-2A champions thanks to a 14-1-1 record. Avonworth finished as the section runner-up at 13-2-1 and...
Sewickley sports notebook: 1st-year Quaker Valley coach credits staff for improvement
Quaker Valley football finished 4-6 record in coach Tom Eshenbaugh’s first year. The Quakers competed in a meat-grinder of a conference as five Western Hills teams — No. 1 seed Avonworth, No. 3 Central Valley, No. 5 North Catholic, No. 9 Beaver and No. 10 Hopewell — all qualified for...
Sewickley Academy sophomore turns talent into WPIAL cross country title
Sewickley Academy sophomore Zachary Sharara took top honors in Class A at the WPIAL boys cross country championship Oct. 23 at White Oak Park. Sharara breezed to the title, running a time of 15:41.60. “I am so happy for Zak after the consistent daily commitment that he has shown over...
Promising Sewickley Academy freshman makes 1st WPIAL golf headlines
Trey Susa is a 5-foot-9 golfer at Sewickley Academy who has an iron game to more than match his size. A bit of irony was experienced by Susa at the WPIAL boys individual golf championships this season, as the Sewickley freshman tied for third in Class 2A. “I was thrilled...
Star-studded roster helped Sewickley Academy, Bentworth to WPIAL finals
When top-seeded Sewickley Academy and No. 2 Bentworth advanced to the WPIAL Class A girls soccer championship game at Highmark Stadium, it guaranteed the final would be a star-studded affair. The teams’ rosters include seven district all-stars, including four from Sewickley. The Panthers are led by junior midfielder Emilia Carabba,...
Lily Baker, Maddie Gatehouse spark Quaker Valley girls soccer playoff victories
The Quaker Valley girls soccer team did not reach double digits against any regular-season opponent on its way to a 13-2-1 record and section title in 2025. That all changed in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs. The third-seeded Quakers blanked No. 14 Southmoreland, 11-0, to advance to the...
Quaker Valley football ends season on winning note
The Quaker Valley football team walked off the field as a winner in 2025. QV shut out McGuffey, 21-0, in its season finale Oct. 24 on the Highlanders’ home turf. “It was a great way to end the season for us,” said Tom Eshenbaugh, the Quakers’ first-year coach. “Our defense...
Hard work pays off for Jonah Montagnese, Quaker Valley teammates in WPIAL cross country gold
Jonah Montagnese turned on the jets and left the rest of the Class 2A boys field in his wake. The Quaker Valley junior won a WPIAL cross country title Oct. 23 by almost 26 seconds, finishing in a time of 15:08.70 at chilly White Oak Park. “Jonah ran an absolutely...
Thomas Jefferson volleyball shows will to win in another section championship season
There was no second-guessing coach Courtney Frost in her assessment of the Thomas Jefferson girls volleyball team earlier this season. The Jaguars’ second-year coach provided a direct and succinct response. “I expect my team to win our section and make it to the finals of the WPIAL and state playoffs,”...
South Hills Record notebook: Vince Sortino to take over as WPIAL executive director
The WPIAL board accepted executive director Scott Seltzer’s resignation Oct. 21 and voted to promote chief operating officer Vince Sortino to the top spot. Sortino, 62, will become the league’s sixth full-time executive director after Charles “Ace” Heberling (1976-97), Larry Hanley (1997-06), Tim O’Malley (2006-20), Scheuneman (2020-22) and Seltzer. Before...
Sewickley Herald notebook: Sewickley Academy soccer teams fare well in opening round
Senior midfielder Finn Wentz scored a pair of goals as No. 7 Sewickley Academy won a 4-0 decision against No. 10 Trinity Christian (8-10) in the first round of the WPIAL Class A boys soccer playoffs. Senior defender Blake Wilmot and junior midfielder Ben Terrell added a goal apiece for...
