High School category, Page 166

As Washington & Jefferson football players filed into the locker room at halftime, Justin Johns knew he had broken the other team’s spirit, but was unaware he’d broken a team record. Johns, a frightening fifth-year linebacker out of Franklin Regional, had heard he was close to breaking the Presidents’ all-time...

Franklin Regional boys basketball coach Jesse Reed’s heart may not take many more games like the two in the Rettger Memorial basketball tournament. His Panthers rallied in the fourth quarter to claim the tournament title with wins against Seneca Valley, 43-37, and Quaker Valley, 49-48 overtime, last week. The lone...

The Hampton girls basketball team graduated its all-time leading scorer, but that’s only part of the change. From the roster to the schedule, just about everything is different. The Talbots must replace five starters, including all-state guard and all-time scoring leader Meghan Murray, and have moved from Class 5A into...

Someone forgot the memo for Hampton boys basketball that this is supposed to be a down season. Despite losing a legendary coach, an all-state guard and a 1,000-point scorer from last year’s 25-5 WPIAL finalist and now facing a tougher Class 5A schedule with five new starters, the Talbots are...

The Fox Chapel gymnasts walk into practice, yearning to beat their personal records. The Foxes flip through the air, showcasing their strength, flexibility and grace. Nonetheless, their performance is just one aspect of what makes gymnastics special. Gymnastics provides camaraderie and bonds that can’t be broken. For Foxes coach Nadine...

Did you know that Bethel Park girls middle school volleyball coach Adam Foote is a social studies teacher at Baldwin High School? “I’ve been coaching girls middle school volleyball at Bethel Park the past three seasons and last year coached the boys JV team,” said Foote, who formerly coached volleyball...

Bethel Park’s wrestling team advanced to the WPIAL semifinals last year and finished with an impressive 19-3 record. The Black Hawks placed fourth in Class 3A in the Trib HSSN final rankings after defeating North Hills, 39-15, and North Allegheny, 26-19, in the first two rounds of the WPIAL tournament....

The players on the Bethel Park girls basketball team are legitimate gym rats. That’s a positive thing. Bethel Park second-year coach Steve Norman has enjoyed watching the dedication displayed by the girls on the 2024-25 team. “We’re going to be much younger than last year,” Norman said, “but we’ve had...

Tanner Pfeuffer eclipsed 6,000 yards passing in a distinguished three-year career as Bethel Park’s starting quarterback. The 6-foot-6, 195-pound senior completed 156 of 260 tosses for 2,656 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2024, giving him 6,044 yards and 66 TDs in his career. “I am super happy what our team...

Dante Calabria coached the Bethel Park boys basketball team for two years. In July, Calabria informed his players and the Bethel Park School District that he was resigning to take a position as head coach of Pistoia Basket 2000 of the Lega Basket Serie A in Europe. Calabria is a...

Shady Side Academy junior Karis Thomas prepared for what she thought was just another game. Little did she know she was on the brink of scoring 1,000 points. Thomas was leading the Bulldogs girls basketball team against Berlin Brothersvalley in a close, hotly contested game. She then made program history,...

Zoe Skirboll competed in the U.S. time trials to try to earn a spot on the Olympic team last summer. The Fox Chapel graduate would like to utilize that experience to help her junior year at Virginia be a big success. While the season is still young, Skirboll already has...

Coach Matt Mauclair is excited about what the Fox Chapel swimming program is bringing back up and down the lineup. At the top, the Foxes have four captains with plenty of experience swimming at a high level. Three of those athletes — Sarah Pasquella, Owen Howe and Christian Dantey —...

Denairo Price hardly had to break a sweat during his first varsity wrestling match. Thankfully, the Penn Hills freshman heavyweight doubled up on his matches during a triangular with Woodland Hills and Riverview on Dec. 4. Price, who transferred to Penn Hills from Kiski Area, claimed two pins to open...

There was plenty to celebrate for the Penn Hills wrestling program as the season opened with a triangular against Riverview and Woodland Hills on Dec. 4. While the Indians varsity boys program picked up wins against the Raiders and the Wolverines, the girls program also got an opportunity to get...

Last year, the Plum wrestling program had a handful of wrestlers qualify for the WPIAL tournament. Even though most of those were seniors, the Mustangs are hopeful to have another handful reach the tournament this season. Plum will look to replace Antonino Walker (152) and Rylen Campbell (127) who each...

The Plum swimming program is aiming for more consistency as Shane Ging takes over as head coach. Ging, who replaces Shawn Haupt, is familiar with the Plum swim program since he has been an assistant coach with the team the past four years. “I’ve been here a while with these...

Jason Pirring decided to stop coaching basketball in order to spend more time with his growing family. He never imagined that, years later, it would be his family that brought him back to the bench. Pirring was hired earlier this year as the new head coach of the North Hills...

For the second straight year, the North Hills boys basketball team is forced to move on following an early departure of the team’s top scorer. A year ago, the Indians were able to reach the WPIAL Class 5A basketball playoffs following the offseason loss of center Royce Parham, who transferred...

In the bowels of North Allegheny High School a few days before Thanksgiving, the NA wrestlers ran end-of-practice wind sprints to the loud encouragement of coaches and classic rock. The Tigers plan to make even more noise this season. “I don’t see any issues with their work ethic, and that’s...

High schools Basketball Boys Friday’s results Aquinas Academy tournament Aquinas Academy 84, Cheswick Christian 53 South Park 80, Propel Montour 50 Baldwin/Peters Township tournament Baldwin 74, Shaler 50 Peters Township 69, Altoona 42 Brentwood tournament Brentwood 57, Freedom 45 Carrick 81, Geibel Catholic 59 Brownsville tournament Our Lady of the...

Early December high school basketball doesn’t usually offer many intriguing storylines as teams search for an identity while trying to put one in the win column. However, a good storyline wasn’t difficult to find Friday in the first game of the Upper St. Clair boys basketball tip-off tournament. Two playoff...

On this side of the state, St. Joseph’s Prep probably finds few fans. The Philadelphia Catholic League power is a lightning rod for critics who say the eight-time PIAA champion has won titles with players who crossed state lines to get there. But don’t expect to hear any such gripes...

Natalie Wetzel scored 20 points to lead Peters Township to a 63-44 victory over Upper St. Clair in a battle of WPIAL girls basketball powers at the Baldwin/Peters Township tournament on Friday. Bri Morreale added 18 points and Taylor McCullough had 14 for Peters Township (2-0), the preseason No. 1...

One coach was concerned with how his team started. The other, with how his finished. It’s very early, but critiques now are going to be harsher than they might be later in the season. Greensburg Central Catholic built double-digit leads at halftime and at the start of the fourth quarter...