Ray Fisher stories, Page 55
Norwin track and field teams expecting another strong season
The Norwin girls have advanced to the WPIAL Class AAA final four in track and field in 13 of the past 14 years. “The expectations for both the girls and boys are always the same,” coach Brian Fleckenstein said. “Win all the section meets, win the Westmoreland County team title,...
Thomas Jefferson athletes sign letters of intent, break records
Notebook items in and around the Thomas Jefferson High School campus: • The senior class has hit double digits. No less than 10 seniors have signed letters of intent for college, where they will continue their academic/athletic careers. They include Darius Barrett (Clarion/football), A.J. Meshanko (California, Pa./soccer), Jenna Clark (Yale/basketball),...
Registration open for new Baldwin Whitehall Youth Flag Football League
Planning began last June for the inaugural Baldwin Whitehall Youth Flag Football League. Now, it’s close to becoming a reality. The flag program is the initiative of Baldwin Whitehall Athletic Association Football and Cheer and is targeted for youngsters ages 5 to 14. Age divisions will be 7U, 9U, 11U...
TJ girls basketball revels in historic season
March Madness for Thomas Jefferson meant a trip to the WPIAL girls basketball finals and historic run to the PIAA semifinals. It was the first time the team went that deep into the state playoffs. The Jaguars finished 22-8 overall, which included 3-1 records in the WPIAL and PIAA tournaments....
Thomas Jefferson baseball starts fresh with new coach
First-year coach Tim Vickers and his staff are looking to turn around the fortunes of the Thomas Jefferson baseball program. TJ finished 6-14 last season, coming in sixth place in Section 3-5A. The Jaguars are hoping to rebound behind four returning starters. “We have been working on every single facet...
Brentwood softball team rebuilding on fly with 10 freshmen
Brentwood will field one of the younger high school softball teams in Western Pennsylvania this season. The Spartans have 10 freshmen and one first-year sophomore looking to fill the gaps made by the graduation of four seniors from last year’s playoff squad. “Our team is very young but very eager,”...
Baldwin inline hockey team wins back-to-back titles
Back-to-back. It has a nice ring. It’s what the Baldwin inline hockey team rung up in 2018-19. Baldwin won its second consecutive Pennsylvania Interscholastic Roller Hockey League HS2 title recently, defeating Pine-Richland, 2-1, in a three-game championship series. The Highlanders won Game 1 6-2, dropped the second game 2-0 and...
Hempfield’s Zoey Wilson fought through injuries to carry on family swimming tradition
One of Zoey Wilson’s goals for this season was to follow in her brother’s footsteps, but her season was plagued by injuries. Zoey Wilson, a senior on the Hempfield girls swimming team, specializes in the 200-yard freestyle. Her brother, Zane, had a decorated swimming career for the Spartans from 2013-17....
Thomas Jefferson softball team aiming high after reaching state semifinals
High expectations. After finishing as the WPIAL Class 5A runner-up and reaching the PIAA final four last season, that’s what the Thomas Jefferson softball team has for 2019. The Jaguars have dropped to 4A this season and lost only one starter to graduation. “Our expectations are always to reach the...
Thomas Jefferson hockey says goodbye to remarkable seniors
The seniors on the Thomas Jefferson hockey team wrung out heralded career numbers in their time. Counting the regular and postseason, the five seniors attained 60 wins in their careers at TJ. “That’s the highest total from any group to graduate from the program in my nine years of coaching,”...
Brentwood girls basketball had history-making season
The reconstruction project continued — and flourished — for the Brentwood girls basketball program. In her first five years at the helm, coach Rachel Thomas guided the Spartans to 15-7, 11-10, 13-9, 17-6 and 18-8 records, advancing to the WPIAL playoffs all five years. This season, Brentwood finished with a...
Baldwin softball ‘bigger and stronger than ever’
Baldwin has won four consecutive section titles in softball. The Highlanders, with new coach Gina Fuchs, expect more of the same in 2019. “Our expectation is to come out and compete every game, and to compete for a section title,” said Fuchs, who has stepped up from her assistant’s role...
Plenty of positives for Baldwin hockey team
Slowly but surely, the Baldwin hockey program is climbing up the ranks in the PIHL. “Last season, when we moved up from A to AA, we missed the playoffs by a point,” coach Justin Glock said. “This year, we made the playoffs and won our first playoff game. “Next season,...
Shaw, Weber cap special careers with Thomas Jefferson wrestling
It sounds like a distinguished law firm: Shaw, Weber & Co. Max Shaw and Alex Weber certainly have enjoyed distinguished seasons and careers with the Thomas Jefferson wrestling program. The two senior matmen advanced to the PIAA Class AAA tournament in Hershey off their performances at the recent WPIAL championships....
Gateway softball looks to maintain momentum after playoff appearance
The Gateway softball team enjoyed a “turnaround season” of sorts in 2018. The Gators finished with a winning record, going 8-7 overall and 8-6 in Section 1-5A, tying for third place with Kiski Area. What can coach Scott Lewis do for an encore in his second year? “There is a...
Trio of senior letterman lead Gateway baseball into ’19 season
The Gateway baseball team is seeking a quadfecta, as the Gators are looking to qualify for the WPIAL playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. Gateway ended up 12-6 overall and finished third in Section 3-5A last year. The 12 victories were the most in a season since the 2009 squad...
Brentwood resident Daly to be part of basketball trip to Spain
With the Carlow women’s basketball season completed, Seton LaSalle graduate Delaney Daly has her sights on her summer schedule. Daly, a 5-foot-7 junior and NAIA All-American guard for the Celtics, averaged 11.5 points, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals this season. Her focus now is on her impending trip to Europe....
Thomas Jefferson boys volleyball hopes to battle for section title
Thomas Jefferson’s senior-laden boys volleyball team ended up 5-5 in section play last season. The Jaguars are aiming to improve on that record in 2019. “Our main goal is to fight for the section championship,” coach Frank Staffen said. “We lost a lot of starters (10) from last year, but...
Brentwood baseball team young but optimistic
Brentwood’s baseball team was hit hard by graduation last spring. Only one senior and two other starters return. “I guess you could say this is a rebuilding year,” coach Greg Perdziola said. “We are very young and inexperienced at the varsity level. With that being said, I still feel we...
Gabe Dominick receives TJ’s Breisinger Award
Gabe Dominick hopes to be a key member of the Thomas Jefferson boys volleyball team this season. A first-year defensive specialist/outside hitter, Dominick also made his mark as a starter on the Jaguars’ football team. The TJ senior recently was presented with the Breisinger Award at the football team’s postseason...
Expectations high for Franklin Regional baseball
Franklin Regional posted a solid 15-5 record last season with a young team. The Panthers lost only two seniors to graduation and have a lot of returning talent this year. Expectations are high. “We have been focusing on pitching and hitting throughout the course of the offseason,” said Bob Saddler,...
Experienced Franklin Regional softball team eyes more success
Franklin Regional has strung together four consecutive winning seasons in softball. Last year, the Panthers tied for first with rival Penn-Trafford in Section 1-5A, landed the No. 4 seed for the WPIAL playoffs and drew a first-round bye. After an 11-day layoff, Franklin Regional lost on a no-hitter to fifth-seeded...
Thomas Jefferson girls made program history by reaching title game
The Thomas Jefferson and Chartiers Valley basketball teams clashed March 2 in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game at Pitt’s Peterson Events Center. It wasn’t the first time TJ senior guard Shaylor Williams stepped onto the court at The Pete. “When I played AAU in sixth grade for the Bruins,...
Rebounding, scoring struggles prove costly for Thomas Jefferson girls in WPIAL final
The bubble finally burst for the surging Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team. The Jaguars lost to Section 1 rival Chartiers Valley, 64-48, in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game March 2 at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center. Thomas Jefferson (19-7) went into the final confidently riding an eight-game winning streak, and...
Senior class lauded for success by Thomas Jefferson football coach Cherpak
The 60th annual Thomas Jefferson football banquet took place Feb. 24 at Georgetown Centre. The Jaguars’ success over the past four years was duly noted, as coach Bill Cherpak started off the post-dinner program by lauding the efforts of the senior class on and off the field. Over the past...
