Ray Fisher stories, Page 34
Quaker Valley’s Bulger set to begin quest for 4th WPIAL golf title
High school golf starts in a month. That’s when Quaker Valley senior Eva Bulger officially will begin her quest to win a fourth consecutive WPIAL Class 2A championship. Although if you ask Bulger, it’s more about team goals than personal aspirations. Quaker Valley does not have a girls golf program,...
Quaker Valley athletics celebrates banner year of championship success
Quaker Valley athletics is synonymous with success. Over the years, the Quakers have established a championship caliber reputation around the WPIAL with many elite performances. But there hasn’t been a better school year for title-winning teams and individuals, perhaps, than 2021-22. “QV athletics over the last 10 years has won...
Competitive fire burns bright for Quaker Valley 3-sport star Nora Johns
Nora Johns is a natural. Name the sport and she’s a natural fit. It didn’t surprise Quaker Valley coach Jared Jones that the rising senior won WPIAL and PIAA titles during the 2022 track and field season. “Nora is a great athlete but an even better competitor,” Jones said. “I...
Penn State recruit Adin Zorn sets standard for Sewickley Academy baseball program
Adin Zorn’s baseball acumen runs the gamut, from A to Z. A senior-to-be at Sewickley Academy, Zorn has been a two-year starter and team leader on the Panthers baseball team. His freshman season was wiped out because of the covid-19 pandemic. “Adin is an exceptional talent,” SA coach Anthony Garofalo...
Sirianni twins make unforgettable impact on Quaker Valley tennis program
They formed a firm foundation for the Quaker Valley boys tennis program the past four years. Twin brothers Mike and Will Sirianni were top-flight singles players at QV since their freshman season. “As a coach, if someone came to you and said you will ‘inherit’ twin brothers who will define...
1st state playoff victory headlines Quaker Valley boys lacrosse season
Quaker Valley’s boys lacrosse season started early and ran late. “This was a historic and fun season,” coach Chip Hansen said. “This started with the senior dinner in February when the seniors set their goals to win the section, finish in the top three of the WPIAL and win a...
Decorated senior class leads Bethel Park girls lacrosse to memorable season
Four seniors on the Bethel Park girls lacrosse team were honored as all-section selections this season. Caitlyn Schultz and Riley Miller, both midfielders, were named to the first team while midfielder Tori Krapp and defender Chloe McDaniel were chosen to the second team. Miller also was voted All-WPIAL. Schultz was...
Bethel Park turns PIAA double play with back-to-back championships
The similarities are uncanny. Bethel Park advanced to the PIAA Class 5A championship game in 2022 for the second consecutive season. And for the second straight time, the Black Hawks played for the title June 17 at Penn State’s Medlar Field. The opening pitch both years was scheduled for 4:30...
Bethel Park boys lacrosse team found plenty of bright spots despite roster challenges
Bethel Park’s boys lacrosse team had big designs for the 2022 season. “Our ultimate goals (were) to bring a section championship back to Bethel and win our first WPIAL championship,” said senior midfielder Max Radcliffe in discussing the team earlier in the season. The Black Hawks did qualify for the...
Impact players made season successful for PIHL girls league runners-up
The inaugural season of the highly anticipated PIHL girls division has been completed. One of the top squads in the league was Team Central, which finished as PIHL runner-up with an 8-4 record. Coached by RMU youth hockey coordinator Joe Cummings, the Central girls won six of seven regular-season games...
Baldwin’s Cherico gains perspective, makes plans in 1st year as AD
Anthony Cherico was appointed this spring as athletic director in the Baldwin-Whitehall school district. The board of directors voted to appoint Cherico to the fulltime position in late March. He previously served as Baldwin’s interim AD throughout the 2021-22 school year. Cherico, 46, was a coach and teacher in the...
Quaker Valley boys tennis team takes pride in state semifinal berth
Quaker Valley’s boys tennis team ended its banner 2022 season on a high note coated with a bit of disappointment. QV finished 16-1 overall, winning section and WPIAL Class 2A titles and advancing to the PIAA semifinal round. The Quakers were the only WPIAL team in either Class 2A or...
Quaker Valley tennis seniors leave lasting legacy
There wasn’t a single “unsung hero” on the 2022 Quaker Valley boys championship tennis team. Instead, it was a group of players that carried the Quakers to their second consecutive WPIAL Class 2A title and an appearance in the PIAA semifinal round. “In my mind, this year’s whole senior varsity...
Sally Ackerman returns to St. Joseph, this time in a new role
Sally Ackerman coached the girls basketball team at St. Joseph for five years from 2013-14 to 2017-18. The Spartans advanced to the WPIAL postseason four times, the PIAA playoffs once and compiled a 71-48 record during that span. Ackerman, also the girls JV coach at St. Joseph from 2010-13, has...
Sewickley Academy baseball collected wins, valuable experience during strong season
Sewickley Academy approached the WPIAL baseball playoffs with a “one game at a time” attitude. The Panthers ended up playing two games, defeating Avella, 7-4, in the Class A first round before losing to Rochester, 2-0, in the quarterfinals. SA finished in second place in Section 3-A and ended the...
Coach steps down after another playoff appearance for Quaker Valley baseball
The big news circulating out of the Quaker Valley baseball program is that veteran coach Dean Owrey has resigned. Owrey was hired in 2018 and served as the Quakers’ field boss for four seasons, including the pandemic-marred 2020 campaign. He led QV to three WPIAL playoff appearances and posted a...
Quaker Valley hurdler Nora Johns 2nd to none for 2nd straight season
Quaker Valley’s celebrated three-sport athlete Nora Johns didn’t just repeat as the PIAA Class 2A girls 300-meter hurdles champion. Johns broke the school record in accomplishing the feat May 28 at Shippensburg University. The talented QV junior won the event with a time of 44.78 seconds, lowering her personal-best time...
Mental performance coach helps Sewickley Academy athletes train their brains
Donato Fanelle’s goal as mental performance coach at Sewickley Academy essentially is to work himself out of a job. “I want you to hone your mental skills to the point to where you no longer need the help,” Fanelle said. “The good thing about working at a high school is...
Sewickley’s Joseph Maroon takes 2nd in triathlon at National Senior Games
Dr. Joseph Maroon doesn’t just walk the walk and talk the talk. The UMPC neurosurgeon, who recently celebrated his 82nd birthday, has been a triathlete for most of his life and a proponent of a healthy lifestyle. He’s a staunch advocate of the “sound body, sound mind” way of life...
Quaker Valley athletes shine at WPIAL team, individual track championships
Quaker Valley’s girls track and field team offered cogent proof as to why it was able to claim its first WPIAL title since 2007. The QV girls reeled in medals in 10 events at the WPIAL Class 2A individual championships May 18 at rain-soaked Slippery Rock University. “I am very...
Baldwin, TJ players among trailblazers in PIHL girls hockey league
Team Central of the PIHL is playing not only for today but for the future as well. Coached by Joe Cummings, Central is one of six teams participating in the inaugural PIHL girls division this year. The history-making season was supposed to start in 2020; however, those plans were put...
Quaker Valley boys tennis, girls track teams celebrate WPIAL daily double
It’s being acclaimed as “Championship Wednesday” at Quaker Valley. Two teams at QV reeled in WPIAL championships on Wednesday, May 11, and did so in impressive fashion. The girls track and field squad won its first WPIAL title since 2007, defeating Greensburg Central Catholic, 83-67, Riverside, 85-65, and Shenango, 89-61,...
PIHL girls league’s West team coming together, racking up wins
One social aspect of the newly established PIHL girls division is the camaraderie among the teams. “Girls hockey is the largest growing sport right now. The timing could not have been better,” West coach Jeff Tindall said. “I think it is an amazing opportunity for these girls and girls hockey...
Baldwin baseball team showed potent offense
The Baldwin baseball team was an offensive juggernaut this spring. Baldwin hit .305 for the season with 16 home runs and 25 doubles. The Highlanders finished 10-10 overall. “The calling card for this team was its offense,” coach Steve Bucci said. “We had a really solid season. We didn’t qualify...
Bethel Park senior makes impact during inaugural Western Pa. girls high school hockey season
Bethel Park’s Cameran Evans is making the most of her chances in the inaugural season of the PIHL girls division. Evans, a senior forward, was the leading scorer for the Southwest team in games played through mid-May with seven goals and three assists. “Cam is a very skilled hockey player,”...
