High School category, Page 145
Excitement builds for Quaker Valley track season
One of the many talented athletes to watch at Quaker Valley during the outdoor track and field season is senior Thomas Debelak. He finished third in the boys triple jump at the PTFCA indoor championships March 2 at Penn State, hitting a mark of 45 feet, 11 inches. Debelak holds...
Stellar season meets abrupt ending with playoff loss for Quaker Valley hockey
High school hockey teams operate on a lengthy schedule that runs for the better part of a half year. Players must skate on high-octane throughout the fall and winter months. The current PIHL season began Sept. 30 for the Quaker Valley hockey team, which won 17 consecutive games through the...
Penn Hills notebook: Swimmers make improvements at WPIAL meet
The Penn Hills swim team recently competed at the WPIAL Class 3A championships at Trees Pool. While the Indians didn’t send anyone to Bucknell for the state championships, there was improvement throughout their lineup. Anthony Sipple placed 21st in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.76 seconds, which was...
Pine-Richland swimmers giving all for coach as he recovers from stroke
“Swimming for Coach Pete.” That’s what was emblazoned on the Pine-Richland swimmers’ shirts for the WPIAL championship meet at the end of February and the PIAA championship meet last week. Pete Barry, the long-time Rams swimming head coach, suffered a stroke in mid-February and has since been recovering in the...
Despite graduation losses, Gateway boys volleyball confident in program’s strength
Roster turnover is expected in sports, especially at the high school levels. What isn’t expected is losing 14 seniors, including three first- and second-team all-star selections. For Gateway boys’ volleyball coach Phillip Randolph, such was the case after last season. Combining the loss of familiar faces with jumping up in...
With talented core returning, Gateway looks like WPIAL boys tennis contender
When Gateway boys tennis coach Matt Stockunas talks about his path to becoming involved with the program, the story is a winding road with unexpected twists and turns. Stockunas enters his 29th year as a teacher at Gateway, his fourth year as member as a boys tennis program, starting off...
Despite experienced lineup, Shaler softball remains work in progress
Even with nine starters returning, Shaler softball coach Tom Sorce was hesitant to describe exactly what this year’s team will be like. The Titans finished 15-4 last season and bowed out in the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals to Penn-Trafford. “We want to play one game at a time and get...
Long-range shooter leads Sewickley Academy to PIAA win
A 1 p.m. starting time apparently suits Sewickley Academy boys basketball player Lucas Grimsley just fine. Eight minutes later, the Panthers’ 6-foot-4 junior forward had 15 points in his team’s March 8 PIAA Class 2A playoff game against visiting Windber. Grimsley sparked Sewickley to an impressive 64-36 victory against the...
Royal family of Quaker Valley wrestling leaves massive mark on program
The Richey brothers — Justin, Logan and Marcus — aren’t the only family members who were able to achieve 100 wins in their wrestling careers. Their father, Jason, 53, reached the century mark while competing at Allegheny College. “They canceled the team after I graduated (in 1993), which is still...
North Allegheny boys take team title, 3 other WPIAL swimmers win gold at PIAA Class 3A meet
LEWISBURG — North Allegheny had already wrapped up the Class 3A boys team title before the Tigers’ 400-yard freestyle relay of Danny Lesinski, Zach Totin, Dylan Seiford, and Grant Regule took to the pool for their finals race Saturday evening at the PIAA swimming championships at Bucknell University. The quartet...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for March 15, 2025
High schools Baseball Saturday’s results Serra Catholic Invitational At Pullman Park Greensburg Central Catholic 11, Bishop Carroll 0 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 5, Greensburg Central Catholic 4 Serra Catholic 10, Bishop Carroll 0 Serra Catholic 9, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 4 Jackie Robinson tournament At Vero...
High school roundup for March 15, 2025: Peters Township controls Cathedral Prep in Class 5A quarters
WPIAL champion Peters Township was held to its lowest point total of the season Saturday in the PIAA Class 5A girls basketball quarterfinals. But that wasn’t because of anything the Indians did wrong. To the contrary, Peters Township was in control of District 10 champion Cathedral Prep throughout, securing a...
Fox Chapel’s Sarah Pasquella keeps perspective after PIAA swim meet
LEWISBURG — Sarah Pasquella entered Saturday evening’s championship heat of the 100-yard breaststroke hoping for PIAA gold to add to the state title she won in the 200 freestyle on Day 1 of the Class 3A swimming and diving championships at Bucknell University. While the end result wasn’t a second...
State meet performance leaves Latrobe swimmer optimistic
LEWISBURG — Latrobe junior Chris Heese hoped for a solid follow up to his WPIAL 100-yard breaststroke championship from two weeks ago at Pitt’s Trees Pool. While he wasn’t able to qualify for the championship heat Saturday on Day 2 of the PIAA Class 3A championships at Bucknell University, Heese...
Greensburg Salem boys, Hempfield girls capture state bowling championships
It was a Westmoreland County sweep at the Pennsylvania high school bowling championships Saturday at Bowlero Pittsburgh, with Hempfield winning the girls team title and Greensburg Salem winning on the boys side. Hempfield’s girls were first in qualifying (3,770) and swept Plum in the best-of-three finals. Greensburg Salem also topped...
South Fayette controls Hollidaysburg in PIAA quarterfinals, earns rematch with Peters Township
South Fayette girls basketball coach Bryan Bennett always has the future in mind. The Lions work on some concepts that may not be employed for months, if ever. South Fayette showcased that Saturday during a 70-52 PIAA Class 5A quarterfinal against District 6 champion Hollidaysburg on Saturday at Armstrong High...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Burrell’s Mike Morascyzk, Knoch’s Giona Lavorini
Giona Lavorini School: Knoch Class: Senior Sport: Swimming Claim to fame: Lavorini earned a silver medal in the 100-yard breaststroke at the PIAA Class 2A championships Thursday at Bucknell. She posted a time of 1 minute, 3.18 seconds. Lavorini won the event at WPIALs in February, swimming a 1:03.03. It...
3 WPIAL Class 3A boys divers earn PIAA medals
LEWISBURG — All four WPIAL divers entered in Saturday afternoon’s PIAA Class 3A boys championship at Bucknell’s Kinney Natatorium were in medal contention with top-eight places heading into the final round of three dives. WPIAL champion Ethan Maravich, a junior from North Allegheny, led the way in fourth after the...
Tyler Robbins, Upper St. Clair fight off McDowell in overtime, move on to PIAA semifinals
Nothing came easy for Upper St. Clair or senior Tyler Robbins, who was roughed up by McDowell’s defense for four quarters and nearly all of overtime. One dunk relieved all their frustration. Tied in the final seconds of overtime, Kaamil Jackson blocked a shot at one end of the court,...
Aliquippa rolls past Forest Hills in PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals
Aliquippa guard Josh Pratt felt comfortable at the start of the PIAA Class 3A boys basketball quarterfinal Saturday against District 6 champion Forest Hills. Collectively, the Quips seemed businesslike in their approach. Aliquippa turned up the heat defensively from the opening whistle and cruised to a 73-34 win at Armstrong...
Greensburg Central Catholic boys defeat Jeannette for 3rd time in physical PIAA quarterfinal
With blood dripping from his elbow, Samir Crosby had to come out of the game and have a teammate shoot the second of his two free throws late in his team’s most important basketball game of the season. “It’s always physical when we play Jeannette. Honestly, I didn’t think I...
Mt. Lebanon, Central Catholic, Mars swimmers earn top seeds for Day 2 of PIAA Class 3A championships
LEWISBURG — The WPIAL again will be well-represented in the gold-medal heats Saturday evening at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell. North Allegheny junior Claire Bacu will swim as the No. 2 seed (4:54.85) for the finals of the girls 500-yard freestyle. Bacu’s Tigers teammate, sophomore Julia Tengowski,...
Norwin notebook: Knights alum recognized for defense
A Norwin graduate claimed a major award in Presidents Athletic Conference basketball. Grove City senior guard Mara Polczynski was named the conference defensive player of the year. Polczynski, known for her ability to force turnovers in the backcourt, had 80 steals and led the Wolverines with 6.5 per game. She...
Franklin Regional baseball hopes to make title run
Franklin Regional has won three WPIAL baseball titles, the last coming in 2021 when it defeated Bethel Park, 2-1, in the championship game. Is this the year the Panthers add a fourth title? Veteran coach Bob Saddler said he’s excited about this year’s squad, which returns five starters from a...
‘It’s something they just expect’: Hampton softball vies to return to WPIAL title game
Hampton softball coach Kate Hedderman made a promise after last season’s loss in the WPIAL Class 4A finals. The then-first-year coach pledged, “It won’t be the last time you see us here.” One year after reaching the WPIAL championship game for the first time in program history, the Talbots look...
