Ray Fisher stories, Page 28
Thomas Jefferson football’s Ryan Lawry makes impact with hard work, dedication
He may be a bit small in stature, but he was a big-time player for the Thomas Jefferson football team. Senior WR/DB Ryan Lawry had 32 receptions for 371 yards and three touchdowns in 2022 to rank as the second-leading receiver on the team. Defensively, he was credited with 21...
Sewickley Academy’s Severin Harmon shines in WPIAL singles tournament
A budding WPIAL tennis rivalry took place April 12 at the Class 2A singles tournament held at Bethel Park. Winchester Thurston’s Austin He, the top-seeded 2A singles player as a freshman, defeated Sewickley Academy sophomore and second seed Severin Harmon in the championship match by scores of 6-2, 6-4. The...
Quaker Valley baseball chasing section championship
Quaker Valley was in a three-way battle for second place in Section 1-3A when the season’s second half commenced. But after winning four consecutive section games, the young, hard-hitting Quakers were aiming for a higher spot than second place; they planned to contend for the section championship. “Our goals start...
Bethel Park sprinter shattering school records in breakout season
Bethel Park coach Mark Jacobs had high hopes for junior Artemis Conaboy in the outdoor track and field season. “I have to say my expectations for this season have been blown out of the water because Artemis sprinted right past them,” Jacobs said. “I knew she had the ability to...
With roster loaded with underclassmen, Bethel Park girls lacrosse looks to learn, grow
It’s been tough sledding for the Bethel Park girls lacrosse team. “We graduated about 75% of our varsity team last year, so this is a major rebuilding year for us,” coach Becky Luzier said. “The good news is we return some great now-upperclassmen and we have an abundance of freshmen...
Despite roster turnover, Bethel Park boys lacrosse remains in contention
Luke Lewis moved from defensive coordinator into the leadership position of head coach this year in the Bethel Park boys lacrosse program. He said the team’s expectations remain the same. “Bethel Park lacrosse has always been a highly competitive top-tier WPIAL team,” Lewis said, “and despite graduating several starters from...
Bethel Park ready to defend back-to-back PIAA baseball championships
The players on the Bethel Park baseball team have had big shoes to fill this season. The Black Hawks are two-time defending state champions and are coming off back-to-back 20-win campaigns. “Our goals are the same as every year,” coach Pat Zehnder said, “to win section, WPIAL and state championships....
With rebuilt roster, Sewickley Academy softball eyes improvement
Small steps. “The program is building up again as our roster has increased from nine to 13 players this year,” said Win Palmer, who is coaching the Sewickley Academy softball team this season. “Bob Sirko, a familiar name to Beaver County softball and who coached at Carlow College, has joined...
4 Quaker Valley volleyball players headed to national tournaments
Quaker Valley’s girls volleyball program is receiving national attention. Four members of the girls varsity team — Annica Kagle, Molly MacDonald, Vanessa Pickett and Nora Hammond — will be competing in the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships this summer. The tournament will take place June 28 to July 6...
Sewickley Valley YMCA swimmers cut times, advance to state meet
Three members of the Sewickley Valley YMCA Sea Dragons swim team advanced to the state meet this season after qualifying at the district championships. All three swimmers — Amelia Suhayda, Logan Monyok and Luke Monyok — are 12 years old. “All three had amazing swims at districts and cut a...
With deep group of returning lettermen, Sewickley Academy baseball poised for success
Sewickley Academy’s baseball home opener could not have gone any smoother. The Panthers socked visiting Bishop Canevin, 10-1, on junior Jordan Smith’s two-hit, complete-game performance. It proved to be a close game until Sewickley erupted for four runs in the fourth and five in the fifth. “The varsity team is...
Quaker Valley girls wrestlers making statewide splash in youth competition
Quaker Valley Wrestling Association was well-represented at the Keystone State youth championships this past season. In fact, three QV girls — Dublin Parnell, Ireland Parnell and Abby Hillman — finished as medalists in the statewide competition. “Dublin, Ireland and Abby’s performances were truly outstanding as all three wrestled the top...
Freshmen provide spark for growth of Quaker Valley softball
Quaker Valley football coach Jason Cappa doubles his duties as coach of the Quakers softball team. “Coaching a softball team compared to coaching a football team is not any different in the way of preparation and coaching,” Cappa said. “We will always work on fundamentals, athletic growth in terms of...
Before buzzer-beating finish, Quaker Valley girls basketball season filled with highlights
A last-second buzzer beater. That’s how the Quaker Valley girls basketball team’s 2022-23 season came to a crashing end. Quaker Valley lost a 40-37 decision to Harbor Creek in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A tournament as Georgia Weber hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Huskies,...
Sewickley Academy grad coming into her own with Swarthmore lacrosse team
The Swarthmore College women’s lacrosse team was on spring break recently in Clearwater, Fla. The Garnet took anything but a break, however, from their hot start to the 2023 season. And one of the team leaders for Swarthmore is Sewickley Academy graduate Elizabeth Zack, a 5-foot-7 sophomore attacker. In the...
Thomas Jefferson junior dives headfirst into 2-sport winter schedule
Addison Arndt literally dives headfirst into her winter athletic schedule at Thomas Jefferson. Arndt, a junior, competes as a diver on the TJ girls swim team and as an advanced gymnast as a member of the gymnastics team. She qualified for the PIAA finals in both sports, placing fourth in...
Quaker Valley hockey players to play in national championships
Many of the skaters in the PIHL maintain their time on the ice as members of local club teams. Five Quaker Valley hockey players — four freshmen and one middle schooler — are on club squads that have advanced to the USA Hockey national championships to be held March 30...
Optimism abounds for Quaker Valley hockey after playoff season
The PIHL regular season is a long grind, beginning in October and running into February. Quaker Valley, competing in the Varsity A Gold division, finished fourth behind North Hills, McDowell and North Catholic with a 14-5-0-1 record. The Quakers started out 2-2 then skated to wins in nine of their...
New-look Quaker Valley lineup aims to bring aggressiveness, hard work to diamond
Quaker Valley’s baseball team suffered massive graduation losses last year. Eight of the nine starters in 2022 were seniors, leaving only shortstop Hunter Doherty as the lone returning starter in 2023. Doherty started at second base last season. “We will be competitive,” said Rich Garbee, QV’s first-year coach. “We will...
Hurdler, distance runner among returning standouts for Gateway track team
One of the leading returning competitors in the Gateway track and field program this season is junior hurdler Kierra Pitts. A two-time WPIAL qualifier, Pitts, who is known as Kiki, placed eighth in 17:18 in the girls 100-meter hurdles at last year’s WPIAL Class 3A finals. She also competed in...
Relay team leads Gateway swimmers at WPIAL, PIAA meets
The Gateway girls 400-yard freestyle relay team was handed the fifth seed at the PIAA Class 2A swim championships at Bucknell. As it turned out, the Gators finished fifth with a time of 3:38.79, beating their prelim time (3:41.65) by more than three seconds. The medal-winning relay team consisted of...
Sports luminaries highlight long-awaited West Jefferson Hills Hall of Fame inductions
West Jefferson Hills announced it was starting the Hall of Fame program during the 2019-20 school year, but the first class never was recognized due to the covid-19 pandemic. The district relaunched its program last fall and re-opened the nomination process. On March 4, WJHSD inducted the members into the...
Baldwin’s Abby Rexrode remains 2nd to none in WPIAL gymnastics
Baldwin’s Abby Rexrode has made an indelible imprint on WPIAL gymnastics. Rexrode won her second consecutive all-around title in the advanced division at the WPIAL championships Feb. 11 at Moon. By doing so, the 16-year-old sophomore held firm as the WPIAL’s top gymnast. “Abby had a strong all-around performance. She...
Bethel Park assistant AD headed to WPIAL Hall of Fame for storied Serra Catholic basketball career
Laura Grimm is a relatively new face in the Bethel Park athletic department. She was hired as assistant athletic director in September 2021 and is serving in that capacity this school year as well. Grimm, however, is a well-known figure on the Serra Catholic campus as well as around the...
Bethel Park swimmers hit lifetime bests, collect medals at WPIAL meet
He’s only a sophomore, but he stood out as a team leader for Bethel Park. Trent Powell was a medalist in two relays and two individual events at the WPIAL Class 3A boys swim championships March 2-3 at North Allegheny. “Trent had a breakthrough year,” said Kathy Strock, who coaches...
