Ray Fisher stories, Page 20
Veteran lineup looks to lead Quaker Valley baseball back to playoffs
The Quaker Valley baseball team is looking for a return to the postseason. The Quakers have qualified for the WPIAL playoffs eight times in the past 10 seasons that have been played and were section champs from 2013-16. QV finished fifth in Section 1-3A last year behind Riverside (12-0), Neshannock...
Vinnie Heller earns Thomas Jefferson’s prestigious Breisinger Award
His statistics are not gaudy. Thomas Jefferson’s Vinnie Heller caught five passes for 79 yards in 2023, averaging 15.8 yards per reception. But it’s approach to the game and dedication to the TJ football program that caught the attention of players and coaches. A senior wide receiver/hybrid linebacker, Heller was...
Thomas Jefferson boys reflect on special season
It ranks as one of the best basketball seasons in school history. Thomas Jefferson’s boys basketball team rolled to a 21-3 record before having the wind knocked out of its sails in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals. “Our kids did everything I asked,” coach Dom DeCicco said. “We came up...
Sewickley Academy baseball expects excitement on diamond
It appears the Sewickley Academy baseball team will have a nice mix of experience and talented underclassmen this spring. “Overall, with the combination of experienced leadership, new talent and improved facilities, the team has the potential to have a memorable and successful season in 2024,” coach Andrew Petruska said. “We’re...
Quaker Valley swimmers find success in postseason pools
Two Quaker Valley girls, senior Emily Connors and junior Margaret Getty, qualified for the PIAA Class 2A championships in four events. Connors, a UNC Wilmington recruit, advanced in the 50-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly off her third-place showing in both at the WPIAL finals. She also competed on the Quakers’...
Maddox Shaw’s PIAA title highlights decorated season for Jaguars
A two-time WPIAL champion, Thomas Jefferson’s Maddox Shaw advanced to the PIAA Class 3A tournament in Hershey again this year where he took first place in the 139-pound weight division. Shaw became TJ’s second state champion in the past three years and second under coach Michael Ladick. “For 730 days...
Mason Kernan caps Bethel Park career as WPIAL champion, PIAA bronze-medalist
Mason Kernan ended his four-year reign on the mats at Bethel Park with a 124-18 record. A 133-pound senior and West Virginia recruit, Kernan captured a WPIAL Class 3A championship and placed third in the state this season. “Mason competed hard this season and gave everything he had,” Bethel Park...
Decorated senior class moves on, but Bethel Park baseball expects to contend again
Bethel Park has won two PIAA baseball championships and two WPIAL runner-up trophies over the last three years. The Black Hawks were WPIAL finalists in 2023 but saw their two-year run as PIAA 5A champions end with a 2-1 playoff loss to Bonner-Pendergast out of District 12. “We graduated 14...
Pair of Quaker Valley wrestlers hit 40-win mark, make states
One is a senior and the all-time leader in wins at Quaker Valley; the other is a sophomore star who displayed his mettle all season. Jack Kazalas and Bruce Anderchak both advanced to the PIAA Class 2A wrestling tournament at Giant Center in Hershey and both finished the year reaching...
New coach eager to help Quaker Valley softball keep moving in right direction
Quaker Valley softball coach Kaci Hott has a new title but is not new to the program. A middle school math teacher in the school district, Hott was an assistant for the Quakers last year and previously coached at Trinity Middle School. She officially was named QV’s head coach at...
Playoff loss stings Quaker Valley hockey after brilliant regular season
Quaker Valley captured first place in the PIHL Class A Gold Division during the regular season. The Quakers skated to a 16-3-1 record, good for 33 points, and outscored the opposition 94-37. QV led all Class A teams in goals allowed, giving up less than two per game, and limited...
Mike Scerbo named new athletic director at Sewickley Academy
Mike Scerbo knows he has big shoes to fill. But he is undaunted with the task of stepping in for Win Palmer, who died last year after a lengthy career as Sewickley Academy’s director of athletics. In the interim, Heather Border and Kelly Carioto have been serving as assistant athletic...
Sewickley Academy boys proud of accomplishments during difficult season
A winning season. Two victories in the Holiday Bash tournament at North Allegheny. A fourth-place finish and a WPIAL playoff berth out of Section 1-2A. All solid reasons why the Sewickley boys basketball team enjoyed a successful 2023-24 season. “When reflecting on the season based on the initial circumstances and...
Quaker Valley track team takes pride in showing at prestigious indoor state meet
Five of the top athletes in the Quaker Valley track and field program displayed their resolve during the 2023-24 indoor season. Senior Ellie Cain and juniors Jay Olawaiye, Davin “Macky” Gartley, Clark LaLomia and Thomas Debelak all advanced to the Tri-State Track Coaches Association indoor state championships Feb. 25 at...
Adlan Hifri making a splash with Quaker Valley swimming in 1st year in United States
It’s been a succession of firsts for Quaker Valley swimmer Adlan Hifri. “This school year is my first year living in the United States, my first time to attend a public school, and my first experience on a U.S. swim team,” said Hifri, a junior. “I started my journey of...
Quaker Valley divers fill podium at WPIAL meet
Two, three and five. The Quaker Valley diving team ended up with three girls among the top five at the WPIAL 2A finals Feb. 23 at North Allegheny. QV junior Ruby Olliffe placed second for the third year in a row with a 405.55 final score, ahead of third-place finisher...
Quaker Valley wrestlers show postseason mettle in section tournament
Quaker Valley coach Austin Heinl was thrilled if not ecstatic with his team’s performance at the WPIAL Class 2A Northern Sectional wrestling tournament. Five QV grapplers advanced to the championship round of the tournament held Feb. 17 at Keystone Oaks. “I am happy with how we did. We had four...
After 5 brushes with perfection, Thomas Jefferson bowler bags elusive 300 game
Thomas Jefferson bowler Joey Nix tied the school record five times in practice. Nix eclipsed it during a WPIBL match Jan. 17 against Norwin. The sophomore bowling star rolled the first 300 game in school history at Spins Bowl in West Mifflin, his home alley. “I have worked very hard...
Hockey, volleyball teams headline Baldwin sports hall of fame Class of 2024
The Baldwin Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024 consisted of one athlete, four coaches and three teams. All distinguished in their own right, the inductees included Maddison Sgattoni, coaches Bob Gneus, Ed Helbig, Bunny Schmidt and Rich Wright, the 1987-88 ice hockey team and the 2014 and 2015 girls...
Baldwin gymnast Abby Rexrode savors 3rd WPIAL gymnastics title, eyes unprecedented 4th
Much like the luminosity displayed by a three-carat diamond, Baldwin junior Abby Rexrode has had a brilliant three-year gymnastics career. And she’s not finished just yet. Rexrode won her third consecutive WPIAL all-around advanced division title in gymnastics Feb. 10 at Moon, taking first place in three of four events....
Sewickley Herald notebook: Quaker Valley swimmers show grit
Quaker Valley’s boys swim team competed with just seven athletes on its roster in 2023-24. “Give some high accolades to these boys. There’s not a lot of them, but they have a lot of grit,” QV coach Mercedes McCarthy said earlier this season. “They are tiny but mighty. Sometimes we...
Bethel Park junior swimmer sweeps her way into WPIAL meet
Bethel Park junior Cally Edner made a big splash in the pool again this year. Edner qualified for the WPIAL Class 3A swim finals Feb. 29-March 1 at Pitt’s Trees pool in every individual event. “We call that the WPIAL sweep,” said Kathy Strock, Bethel Park’s girls coach. “Cally is...
Bethel Park hockey battling hard at end of regular season
The Bethel Park hockey team found itself in a battle for a PIHL Class 3A playoff spot coming down the stretch in the regular season. The senior-laden Black Hawks were tied with Central Catholic in seventh place with a 9-7-0-1 record and 19 points, trailing Seneca Valley (30 points), Pine-Richland...
Late-season surge has Bethel Park girls excited about program’s future
Bethel Park’s girls basketball team ended its season in a most positive way — with six consecutive victories. The Black Hawks fell a game short, however, of qualifying for the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs. “We played a really competitive schedule (against) some of the 5A teams,” coach Steve Norman said....
Inspirational Quaker Valley swimmer motivates teammates
The Quaker Valley swim program honored its seniors Feb. 8 at the Sewickley Valley YMCA. One girl, Mia Hrabovsky, received notable recognition for her contributions to the program over the past four years. Hrabovsky, 18, has Down syndrome. But it hasn’t stopped her from developing into an integral member of...
