Ray Fisher stories, Page 47

Thomas Jefferson is ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 4A with a glittering 14-0 record. The Jaguars cleared a formidable hurdle last week in a thrilling 28-13 quarterfinal win against Cathedral Prep. Lampeter-Strasburg (11-3) climbed from No. 8 to No. 4 in this week’s PIAA rankings after socking...

Sarah Nguyen, Megan Giesey and Emma Rain are familiar faces in the Penn-Trafford girls soccer program. The seniors were four-year starters for the Warriors, who took second place in Section 3-AAAA, advanced to the WPIAL playoffs and finished with a 12-7 record. “Having three girls that have started since they...

The Thomas Jefferson football team won its fourth WPIAL title in five years with a 41-7 victory over Belle Vernon in the Class 4A championship game Nov. 16 at Heinz Field. Here’s a chronological look from the sidelines at the game’s most memorable moments. FIRST QUARTER • The game’s opening...

Heinz Field has become a second home for the Thomas Jefferson football program. The Jaguars have advanced to the WPIAL finals five years in a row and 11 times in Bill Cherpak’s legendary 25-year coaching career. The top-seeded TJ gridders, who own a remarkable 85-1 record with 34 shutouts since...

Round 4. Thomas Jefferson has won WPIAL Class 4A titles at Heinz Field in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. Each postseason, the Jaguars were knocked out of the PIAA playoffs by Cathedral Prep in the first round. TJ (13-0) and the District 10 champion Ramblers (11-2) again will clash in...

There usually is at least one of these athletes on every team. These are the players who quietly and efficiently go about their business to help their team achieve its goals. They are unsung heroes. “Ours is (senior) Ray Thomas,” Baldwin boys soccer coach Dave Zinski said. “He’s a team...

Brentwood junior Aiden Wardzinski was a one-man wrecking crew in his first taste of the WPIAL playoffs. Wardzinski scored all four Brentwood touchdowns — two rushing, one receiving and another on an interception return — to lead the fifth-seeded Spartans to a 28-19 win Nov. 1 against No. 12 East...

The groundwork for the conference championship was laid at preseason camp at Slippery Rock. The Baldwin football team stormed out of the gate in 1999, rolling to a 5-0 record then finishing with an 8-2 regular-season mark. The Fighting Highlanders, a nickname established by then-football coach/athletic director Don Yannessa, captured...

Washington, a regular fixture in the WPIAL playoffs for the past nine years, has been on a mission in 2019. The Little Prexies are determined to reclaim the WPIAL Class 2A championship after taking the title two years ago. No senior class at Washington has won two WPIAL football crowns,...

Three top runners in the Baldwin cross country program — senior Teddy Boehm, junior Gina Bolla and sophomore Dominick Ditoro — qualified for the PIAA finals held Nov. 2 in Hershey. “All three are great athletes but better young adults,” coach Rich Wright said. “All three are well liked by...

Several players on the Baldwin football team enjoyed outstanding statistical seasons. Many have been three-year starters for the Highlanders, who advanced to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs with a 5-5 record this season. A four-game winning streak against Woodland Hills (30-27), Chartiers Valley (42-35), West Allegheny (23-0) and Bethel Park...

Penn-Trafford’s field hockey team has been a dominant force in the WPIAL Class AA ranks. The Warriors won their fourth consecutive WPIAL title this season, shutting out Latrobe, 4-0, on Oct. 29 in the championship game. “This season was one of great growth,” coach Cindy Dutt said. “We had 36...

Norwin’s highly touted senior quarterback Jack Salopek ended his high school career as the all-time leading passer in Westmoreland County history. A Western Michigan recruit, Salopek finished with 6,150 career passing yards and 40 career touchdowns. He now is ranked among the top 15 passers in WPIAL history in 14th...

Penn-Trafford’s field hockey team saved its best for last. The Warriors blanked rival Latrobe, 4-0, in the WPIAL championship Oct. 29, earning their fourth consecutive Class AA title. Next up is a PIAA first-round playoff game against District 3’s Twin Valley (20-5) at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Hempfield. “The WPIAL...

The beat goes on. Thomas Jefferson has won 21 conference championships since coach Bill Cherpak’s first season in 1995. The Jaguars rolled past West Mifflin, 53-0, on Oct. 25 to end the regular season with a 7-0 record in the Big 8 Conference, 10-0 overall and 5-0 at home. “I...

Now that he’s a senior, Thomas Jefferson quarterback Shane Stump understands the method behind veteran coach Bill Cherpak’s madness. The TJ signal caller said Cherpak has been instrumental in his development on the gridiron. “Cherp has been the biggest influence because of how hard he’s pushed me to become a...

He’s No. 1, and by a wide margin Brentwood senior Shashak Gurung, a senior striker and four-year varsity player, ended the 2019 season with 39 goals and 28 assists, boosting his career totals to 84 goals and 76 assists for 160 points. All are team records. “My performance this season...

The Penn-Trafford girls soccer team is an annual WPIAL playoff qualifier. It’s been a regular feature for the program since the start of the new millennium. And the 2019 season was no different. Penn-Trafford secured second place in Section 3-AAAA with a 10-2 record, lost a WPIAL first-round game to...

Penn-Trafford is looking to maintain its dynasty status. Latrobe is hoping to claim its first WPIAL title in field hockey. The friendly rivals will clash at 7:30 p.m on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Fox Chapel in a repeat of last year’s championship game matchup. P-T edged Latrobe, 1-0, last year...

Gateway’s girls soccer team almost pulled off a stunner. The No. 15 seed in the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs, Gateawy lost to second-seeded Plum by the narrowest of margins, losing 2-1 in a shootout Oct. 21 in a first-round playoff match at Plum. Plum outscored Gateway, 6-5, in penalty kicks...

The 2019 season wasn’t what the Gateway boys soccer team expected. With 10 returning starters, the Gators hoped the balance of power in Section 4-AAA would begin to shift in their favor. But Gateway ended up with a 4-13 record and sixth-place finish. “Obviously, we wanted to go farther than...

It proved to be a goal-achieving season for the Thomas Jefferson girls tennis team. “We achieved our preseason goal to make the WPIAL Class AAA team playoffs,” coach Chuck Correll said. “The team really improved from last year. The girls worked hard during the offseason. “This team ranks as one...

The month of October wasn’t kind to the Baldwin girls soccer team. The Highlanders wrapped up September with a 3-6-1 record but didn’t win a game down the season’s home stretch, finishing 3-12-1 overall and 3-11 in Section 2-AAAA. “If you look at the wins and losses, you could be...

The postseason drought is over for the Baldwin boys soccer program. It had been eight years since the Highlanders qualified for the WPIAL playoffs. They clinched a postseason berth Oct. 10 with a clutch 3-1 section win at home against rival Bethel Park. “It was an up-and down-season with a...

The directional arrow for the Mt. Lebanon field hockey team pointed skyward this season. A top-four finish in Division I is the goal the team has been poised to reach for its program. The Blue Devils finally broke down that barrier thanks to a 15-2-1 regular-season record and 8-1 section...