Ray Fisher stories, Page 31
Quaker Valley boys flying under radar after massive graduation losses
The Quaker Valley boys basketball team faces a tall order in 2022-23. The Quakers are the defending WPIAL Class 4A and Section 2-4A champions. They posted a 14-0 section record and 27-1 overall mark last season after advancing to the PIAA championship game. It was a banner season to say...
Expectations high for ‘underestimated’ Bethel Park girls
Optimism is abundant in the Bethel Park girls basketball program. “The team is very excited for the season to start,” coach Samantha Loadman said. “We’ve been putting in the work for months and can’t wait to start playing some games. “We expect to show up for every game prepared and...
New coach Dante Calabria working with youthful roster at Bethel Park
Seven seniors. Count ‘em, seven. That’s half a roster, and that’s how many players the Bethel Park boys basketball team lost to graduation. It’s the team that Bethel Park floor boss Dante Calabria inherited from former coach Josh Bears this season. Bears resigned after seven years with the Black Hawks....
New coach expects Sewickley Academy girls to adopt defensive identity
The Sewickley Academy girls basketball team has a new head coach. She is not new to the program, however. Jill Capozzi has taken over as head coach after serving as an assistant to Mark Gaither last season. “I left teaching and coaching to raise my children and last year got...
Returning contributors have Quaker Valley girls in position to make noise
Last season was a learning experience for the coaches and players on the Quaker Valley girls basketball team. The Quakers advanced to both the WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A playoffs in Ken Johns’ first year as floor boss. This season, QV is looking to make more noise in the section,...
New coach aims to make game fun again for Plum boys basketball
Justin Walther, a familiar face around WPIAL circles, is the new coach of the Plum boys basketball team. Walther was hired at the end of June and replaces Mark Marino, who went 23-25 in three seasons as the Mustangs coach. Walther graduated from Central Catholic in 1995 as the second-leading...
Expectations rising for Plum girls basketball
Expectations have been raised for the second year of the Rich Mull coaching tenure at Plum. “I was hired at the end of last summer, so we really didn’t have an offseason to put things in place,” Mull said. “We should be more prepared with everyone knowing their roles. “We...
Thomas Jefferson girls volleyball caps season in PIAA semifinals
Thomas Jefferson’s girls volleyball team placed third in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, earning a berth in the PIAA tournament. The TJ netters, seeded No. 4 in the WPIAL, defeated No. 13 Indiana and No. 5 Montour by 3-1 scores before losing to top-seeded North Catholic, 3-0, in the semifinal...
Thomas Jefferson peaks in time for playoffs, gives coach Bill Cherpak his 300th win
The list of awards and honors bestowed upon Thomas Jefferson football coach Bill Cherpak over the years is a long one. Cherpak has won five state championships, nine WPIAL titles and 22 conference crowns. He has been named conference coach of the year eight times, AP Pennsylvania Class AAA Coach...
Sewickley Academy tennis players wrap up strong season by placing at states
Sewickley Academy tennis standout Ashley Close closed out her junior season Nov. 5 in Hershey as the PIAA Class 2A runner-up. Wyoming Seminary’s Ilana Rosenthal won the Class 2A state championship, with South Park senior Nicole Kempton placing third and Knoch junior Emily Greb taking fourth. Kempton captured the WPIAL...
Quaker Valley football out to raise program’s expectations after trying season
The exit interviews have been taking place within the Quaker Valley football program. Recordwise, it proved to be a disappointing 2022 season for the Quakers. After starting out 2-1 under first-year coach Jason Cappa, QV lost its last six games all by wide margins. “The team’s first order of business...
Senior duo sparks Bethel Park volleyball team to successful season
Best friends Grace Lejeck and Sophie Puzausky proved to be a dynamic force for the Bethel Park girls volleyball team. Lejeck, a 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter, and Puzausky, a 5-11 senior right-side hitter, were chosen second-team all-WPIAL and first-team all-section. “Sophie and Grace both started since their freshman year. They...
Stung by injuries, Bethel Park ends remarkable season with WPIAL semifinal loss
Bethel Park’s banner football season came to an end in the rain Nov. 11 at Canon-McMillan in the semifinal round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. The Allegheny Six Conference champion Black Hawks lost to rival Upper St. Clair, 17-7, on a dreary night to finish 10-2 overall. “Although the...
State playoff berth caps solid season for Quaker Valley girls volleyball
To the surprise of virtually no one associated with the program, the Quaker Valley girls volleyball team landed a spot in the PIAA Class 2A playoffs. The Quakers finished in the top four in the WPIAL and took a 17-4 record into the state tournament Freeport, Shenango, Avonworth and QV...
Quaker Valley notebook: Junior midfielder develops knack for clutch goals
Game-winning goal scoring is becoming part of Nick Allan’s soccer repertoire. A junior midfielder at Quaker Valley, Allan netted the game’s only goal Oct. 27 in a 1-0 playoff win against Avonworth. Allan’s game-winning heroics began in a big way last year in the state finals when he scored the...
Sewickley Academy baseball standout Adin Zorn takes team-first approach to Penn State
The long-awaited day for the Zorn family finally arrived. Sewickley Academy senior Adin Zorn officially signed his national letter of intent to attend and play baseball at Penn State. Zorn, a talented shortstop/outfielder, was recruited by the Nittany Lions early in his high school career and made a verbal commitment...
Back-to-back WPIAL cross country titles put Hampton in elite company
Hampton’s boys cross country team is working on mini-dynasty status. The Talbots won the 2022 WPIAL Class 2A boys cross country championship Oct. 27 to become the first team to repeat in its division since Knoch in 2014-15. “It was definitely a team goal,” Hampton coach Dean Longwell said. “The...
Deer Lakes hockey team off to strong start in return to PIHL
Varsity hockey has returned to Deer Lakes High School this season. The Lancers won their first three games against the likes of Wilmington, 8-1, Central Valley, 8-1, and Carrick, 5-2. “I am extremely proud of the boys thus far, especially since this is our first varsity team in years to...
Sewickley Herald notebook: DiSantis hits milestone for Sewickley Academy soccer
Sewickley Academy senior forward Michael DiSantis eclipsed the 50-goal mark in career scoring earlier this season and was pushing 60 career goals prior to the start of the playoffs. The third-seeded Panthers advanced to the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals with a 4-2 win over No. 14 Our Lady of the...
Senior midfielder brings flair to Sewickley Academy boys soccer team
Sewickley Academy’s Lucas Mendonca knocked in the game-winning goal to lift the Panthers past Springdale in this year’s WPIAL Class A quarterfinals. Sewickley edged Springdale, 4-3, Oct. 29 as Mendonca scored with about 15 minutes remaining in the game. “It was an amazing feeling,” Mendonca said. “I have to credit...
Kiski Area tennis players relish trip to WPIAL playoffs
Kiski Area girls tennis made some waves this season as the Cavaliers qualified for the WPIAL Class 3A team playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. “Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better season,” coach Trent Goerk said. “These were some of the best girls to...
Quaker Valley girls volleyball parlays talent, hard work into playoff berth
Quaker Valley veteran girls volleyball coach Mike Vavrek knew his team was talented this season. The QV netters finished third in Section 4-2A with an 11-3 record behind only Avonworth (13-1) and Central Valley (12-2). “At the start of the season, I expected this team to work hard and improve...
Sewickley Academy punctuates golf season with top 3 finish at states
Sewickley Academy was a PIAA finalist in boys golf for the seventh time in nine years. The Panthers took third place in Class 2A with a 322 team score, finishing behind Lake-Lehman (296) and Devon Prep (308). West Shamokin (327) and Delone Catholic (333) rounded out the top five teams...
Freeport hockey to lean on large group of underclassmen
The Freeport hockey program knows success. Although Freeport finished with an 8-10-0-1 record last season, the Yellowjackets racked up a 16-4 mark in 2020-21. Both teams corralled second place in the Varsity A Blue division, and the 2020-21 squad advanced to the semifinal round of the PIHL playoffs. Freeport was...
Thomas Jefferson cross country teams run to breakout season
The Thomas Jefferson girls cross country team claimed the Big South Conference championship this season in a close race with Ringgold. Sparked by senior Kiley Dorrian’s overall winning time of 21:29.9, the Jaguars captured the title with a clutch 40-42 decision. “Our girls team put in the work to be...
