Ray Fisher stories, Page 56
Team chemistry key for TJ girls basketball
Does winning spark good team chemistry, or does good team chemistry enhance winning? While talent is an integral part of any winning program, team chemistry certainly can be important. Take, for example, the Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team. The Jaguars reached the WPIAL finals this season for the first time...
Chartiers Valley girls celebrate WPIAL championship
The Chartiers Valley girls basketball team held a lovefest March 2 at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center. Actually, it took place spontaneously in front of the CV bench area following the WPIAL Class 5A championship game. The CV girls swarmed to coach Tim McConnell’s side when his name was announced at...
Silver lining for Brentwood girls basketball team
Playing for a WPIAL championship at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center was a dream-come-true for the Brentwood girls basketball team. “It has been my dream forever,” said senior guard Anna Betz, the Spartans’ leading scorer with a 14.8 ppg average. “We talked about playing at the Peterson Events Center since the...
Gateway girls pleased with season despite falling short in title defense
Goal No. 1 was achieved by the Gateway girls basketball team. The Gators won the Section 2-5A championship, squeaking past Franklin Regional atop the standings. “We had good year thus far,” said Curtis Williams, who is in his fourth season as Gateway’s coach. “We did a lot of good things...
Spotlight Q&A with Fox Chapel boys basketball coach Zach Skrinjar
Zach Skrinjar has been coaching at Fox Chapel for a decade. The Foxes have qualified for the WPIAL playoffs seven times in the past 10 seasons, including six of the past seven years. This year’s team is 16-8 and advanced to the Class 6A quarterfinal round. The Foxes are led...
Brentwood girls defeat Laurel, earn long-awaited trip to WPIAL finals
Laurel went into the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals Monday night riding a school-record 14-game winning streak. Brentwood had won 12 games in a row, and 14 of its past 15. Something had to give. Brentwood defeated Laurel, 50-37, at Moon to advance to the Thursday’s WPIAL finals at Petersen Events...
Thomas Jefferson, Galioto celebrate WPIAL gymnastics titles
All they do is win. You name it. They’ve won it. In just three years, Thomas Jefferson has emerged as a powerhouse in girls gymnastics. TJ captured its third consecutive section title this season, and the Jaguars were undefeated all three years. And as a prelude to the WPIAL championships,...
Thomas Jefferson’s Serapiglia looks forward to career at Tulsa
Dom Serapiglia will continue his football career 1,000 miles away from home. Serapiglia, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound senior and four-year varsity lineman for the Jaguars, has committed to play at Tulsa. Tulsa competes in the American Athletic Conference. “I really just fell in love with the campus,” Serapiglia said, “and it’s...
Senior leaders pace Thomas Jefferson swimming & diving team
Strong senior leadership is a trait of the Thomas Jefferson swimming and diving team. On the girls’ side, seniors Elena Savikas, Grace Pletz and Maura Gdovic were WPIAL Class AA qualifiers a year ago as were junior Breanna Smith and sophomore Hallie Findlan. “The six (senior) girls and two (senior)...
Baldwin cheerleaders finish 3rd at national competition
Baldwin’s Alaina Wodarek said it’s every cheerleader’s dream to finish among the top three teams nationally. “And it doesn’t happen often,” she said. Baldwin’s competitive cheerleading mat squad did just that, placing third in the Large Varsity Division 2 at the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship held Feb. 8-10...
Baldwin swimmers find success during season of rebuilding
Kim Klinger jumped back into the pool and immediately was faced with a somewhat daunting task. Klinger has been involved in Baldwin swimming in various capacities since 1989. She coached the varsity swimmers until 2004, retired briefly, became an assistant in 2014, and took over as head coach again this...
Dedication, positivity keys to success for TJ competitive spirit cheerleading squad
Thomas Jefferson’s competitive spirit cheerleading squad experienced several “firsts” this season. The girls recently returned from their first trip and first appearance in the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Fla. The Jaguars competed in the large varsity division and super game day division at Walt Disney World,...
Brentwood girls youth basketball program keeps growing
The Brentwood girls youth basketball program has experienced steady growth. Started in 2013-14 by varsity coach Rachel Thomas, the youth program consists of 35 players in grades 3 through eight and 10 volunteer coaches this year. “I restarted this program — we call it the Brentwood Girls Winter League —...
Thomas Jefferson grad Schmidt caps Edinboro career, will play in Dream Bowl
It was Josh Schmidt’s dream to play football at the same college where his father played. Mission accomplished. A 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior on the Edinboro football team, Schmidt, a Thomas Jefferson graduate, played in 44 consecutive games as a long snapping specialist, and was honored as the Fighting Scots’ special...
Brentwood grad Mulholland caps successful career at Marietta
Brendan Mulholland took a revisionist attitude to the Marietta College football program. Mulholland, a 6-foot, 290-pound senior offensive lineman, graduated from Brentwood in 2015 as a three-sport athlete. He joined the Marietta College football program in Ohio that fall. “When I arrived at Marietta, I wanted to be a part...
