Ray Fisher stories, Page 54
South Hills notebook: Thomas Jefferson baseball excels under 1st-year coach
Notebook items from around the South Hills: • Thomas Jefferson’s baseball team won four consecutive games down the home stretch to finish in a tie for first place with Ringgold in Section 3-4A. Under the guidance of first-year coach Tim Vickers, the Jaguars ended the regular season with an 11-3...
Griener leads Brentwood to 5th straight WPIAL playoff berth
Brandon Griener could be considered the “big man on campus” if he played a different position on the Brentwood baseball team. Instead, Griener, a senior pitcher/catcher, is known more as the “big man behind the plate” for the Spartans. The three-year starter led Brentwood to a fifth consecutive WPIAL playoff...
Sopata a consistent force for Baldwin baseball
Andy Sopata proved to be Mr. Consistent for the Baldwin baseball program. After hitting .393 last season, the senior center fielder posted a .396 batting average this spring. Sopata led the Highlanders in batting average, at-bats (53), runs (17), hits (21), doubles (six), stolen bases (13), on-base percentage (.459) and...
Baldwin softball keeps streak of section titles alive
Their drive for five came to fruition on the final day of the regular season. For the fifth consecutive year, Baldwin’s softball team has won or shared a section championship. This year, it took a tense 1-0 win at Bethel Park for the Highlanders to climb into a tie for...
Gateway track expects strong WPIAL meet
Gateway should be well-represented at the WPIAL Class AAA track and field championships May 16 at Slippery Rock. For the girls, senior Mary Kromka qualified in both hurdles events, and seniors Shelly Jones and Sarah Corrie advanced in the shot put. Jones was hoping to qualify in the discus, and...
Brendan O’Malley earns 4 medals in final Baldwin Invitational
Brendan O’Malley’s focus at the 46th annual Baldwin Invitational on May 3 centered around achieving a memorable performance. Mission accomplished. Not only was it unforgettable for the Baldwin senior, it was spectacular. O’Malley earned four medals, taking first in the 400-meter dash (49.61 seconds) and long jump (23 feet, 6...
Norwin girls cruise to another county track title
The Norwin tracksters — particularly the girls team — shifted into cruise control April 27 at the annual Westmoreland County Coaches Association championships. The Norwin girls dominated at Latrobe Memorial Stadium, more than doubling their closest competitors in team points and repeating as county champions. The Knights racked up 130...
Franklin Regional’s Todero leaps into spotlight at WCCA meet
Franklin Regional’s Rayna Todero leaped into the spotlight at the annual Westmoreland County Coaches Association outdoor championships. The Panthers sophomore took first place in the girls triple jump at the invitational held April 27 at Latrobe Memorial Stadium, hitting a mark of 37 feet, 3 inches. Todero has proven that...
Thomas Jefferson’s Maheshwari looks forward to PIAA singles tournament
Yash Maheshwari, a talented junior athlete at Thomas Jefferson, repeated as a section champion and WPIAL finalist in boys tennis this season. “Yash is one of the top players in WPIAL Class AA and has qualified for state singles for the second time,” said Chuck Correll, TJ’s veteran coach. “Yash...
Brentwood track teams turn focus toward big-meet success
The Brentwood girls track and field team wrapped up its section season with a 6-2 record. “We are in the midst of a really solid season,” said coach Mike Cramer prior to the WPIAL playoffs. Seniors Natalie Murrio, Rebecca Dirling and Quintasia Streeter and junior Mandy Race have led the...
Gateway searches for consistency during WPIAL playoff push
It’s been a case of feast or near-famine for the Gateway softball team. In their six wins, the Gators scored an average of 14 runs per outing. In the five losses, Gateway averaged 2.4 runs per game. “We have been working every day on hitting,” said Scott Lewis, the Gators’...
Thomas Jefferson softball recovers from mini-skid to win 3 straight
Thomas Jefferson’s softball team experienced a blip on their midseason radar, losing two games in section play. But the Jaguars recovered and logged a 9-2 overall record into the second half of their Section 2-4A schedule. A WPIAL finalist and PIAA semifinalist last season, Thomas Jefferson opened the year with...
Thomas Jefferson baseball heads into second half of section play on roll
Thomas Jefferson ended the first half of its section schedule as one of the hottest baseball teams in the WPIAL. The Jaguars won six of seven games in early April, including a 1-0 Section 3-4A victory April 18 at home against rival Belle Vernon. Junior hurler Dylan Mallozzi was masterful...
Columbus’ scoring helps Norwin girls lacrosse to impressive start
Maura Columbus is a steady goal-scorer for the Norwin girls lacrosse team. Through nine games, the senior midfielder had accounted for a team-high 23 goals, which included a seven-goal outburst April 18 in a 14-13 win in overtime against Indiana. Columbus scored five goals against Baldwin and Hempfield and four...
Norwin softball hopes to continue momentum into second half of season
Norwin’s softball team opened the season with a tough 1-0 section loss at Seneca Valley. The Knights shook it off by winning six of their next seven, including a rousing 6-1 victory April 11 against four-time defending WPIAL champion Hempfield, which also has won three state titles in a row....
Victory at Tri-State meet helps Thomas Jefferson’s Wagner build toward WPIALs
Fresh off her banner basketball season at Thomas Jefferson, junior Molly Wagner exploded out of the gate to start the outdoor track and field season. Wagner, one of the top sprinters in the WPIAL, took first place in the girls 200-meter dash at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association outdoor championships...
South Hills notebook: Thomas Jefferson’s Territ named player of the week
Notebook items from around the South Hills: • The Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association released its latest rankings Monday based on a vote of all 39 WPIAL coaches. Thomas Jefferson senior outside hitter Alex Territ recently was named as Class AA Player of the Week. The TJ netters are ranked...
Gateway softball competing for WPIAL playoff spot
Gateway softball was a member of Section 1-5A last year, going 8-7 and qualifying for the WPIAL playoffs. The Gators are still in Class 5A this spring but have moved into Section 2, tackling the likes of Hampton, Mars, Oakland Catholic, Penn Hills, Plum, Shaler and Woodland Hills. On April...
Gateway softball captains passionate about sport, duties
Their passion is softball. They display it regularly at practice and on the field before, during and after games. That’s just one of the reasons seniors Gionna DeLuca, Jordan Henderson and Mykaila Jackson were named captains of the Gateway softball team this season. Another is they are talented athletes. DeLuca,...
Baldwin girls relay team dazzles at South Hills Classic
Lena Barakat, Kaylee Garofalo, Devon Schroeder and Gina Bolla are tireless distance runners on the Baldwin girls track and field team. Schroeder is a senior, Barakat and Bolla are sophomores and Garofalo is a freshman. The four girls banded together to win the 3,200-meter relay at the 15th annual South...
Baldwin’s O’Malley takes 4 golds at South Hills Classic track and field meet
Brendan O’Malley is one of the most talented, dedicated and well-respected track and field athletes in the region. His athleticism was on full display April 6 at the 15th annual South Hills Classic held on a pleasant, sunny day at Baldwin Stadium. O’Malley, a senior, won four events, taking first...
Fundamental approach pays off for Norwin girls lacrosse
Norwin’s girls lacrosse team worked diligently on fundamentals last year. This season, the Knights are more fundamentally sound, splitting their first four decisions to start 2-2. “The other coaches and I are extremely pleased with the team’s performance this season,” coach Drew Polczynski said. “Because we had so many players...
East Region all-star squad wins 2019 Junior Roundball Classic
Offense was the name of the game at the Junior Roundball Classic held recently at Seton LaSalle. The East Region all-star squad won the 2019 championship, defeating the South and North in the two-night event. The two teams clicked for a total of 23 field goals from 3-point range East-North...
Sopata, Dolan return to lead Baldwin baseball team
The Baldwin baseball team is aiming to make a stronger playoff push this season despite losing 10 seniors to graduation from last year’s club. The Highlanders started out 0-4 and 1-8 in 2018, then went 5-3 down the home stretch to end up 6-11 overall. “We expect to be improved...
Yekich takes control of Baldwin boys volleyball program
Milan Yekich is in his first season as head coach of the Baldwin boys volleyball program. But his background in the sport goes back to his grade school days. Yekich started playing volleyball as a fifth-grader at St. Elizabeth. He continued his career through middle school and high school, and...
