High School category, Page 169

No fewer than 14 players on the Sewickley Academy girls basketball team this season are underclassmen. Sewickley’s third-year coach Jill Capozzi is unfazed. “After only six practices, I can see the effort of this very young squad,” Capozzi said. “We will take it one game at a time and give...

Mike Iuzzolino is head coach of the Sewickley Academy boys basketball team. To basketball fans, his name rings a bell. Iuzzolino played college basketball at Penn State and St. Francis (Pa.). He competed scholastically at Altoona and was a high school teammate of Doug West, who went on to have...

The Quaker Valley wrestling program keeps winning — and growing. “This is the biggest roster we’ve had in program history with 24 wrestlers,” QV coach Austin Heinl said. The leaders of the pack are the returning starters, which consist of seniors Jack Diemert (160 pounds), Marcus Richey (172) and Sebastian...

A soccer legacy has been initiated in the Quaker Valley girls soccer program. It was actually kicked off four years ago when Rachel Loudermilk and Maggie Behun took over as co-head coaches, but the legacy took a giant leap in 2024. “We are so proud of the girls and what...

She’s an attention-getter, for sure. Mimi Thiero is a 6-foot-4 junior guard/forward and third-year starter on the Quaker Valley girls basketball team. “When you have a dynamic player like Mimi, you know that she will get a lot of attention every night,” QV coach Ken Johns said. “I really like...

The recipe for success for the Quaker Valley boys basketball team in 2024-25 appears to be a substantial blend of youth and experience. The Quakers’ master chef is veteran floor boss Mike Mastroianni. “We have a unique mix as we are still a very young team but have a good...

Boys Player of the Year: Milo Chiu, Fox Chapel, Sr., midfielder Milo Chiu remembered an early 2-1 loss to Deer Lakes as a spark for the Fox Chapel boys soccer team. “We didn’t expect to lose that game, and it showed us just how much we had to prepare for...

Girls Soccer Player of the Year: Briana Ross, Sr., F, Springdale Briana Ross blended speed, technique and skill into another standout season for the Springdale girls soccer team. The senior striker was dangerous from anywhere on the field as she scored 42 goals and added 30 assists for a Dynamos...

2024 Girls Soccer All-Stars Player of the year Alexis Brown, Sr., MF, Penn-Trafford Unsure of how she would return from a fractured kneecap that tore down her junior year, Alexis Brown set out to reset her career and have a memorable bounce-back season. The Penn-Trafford senior wanted to stay healthy...

2024 Boys Soccer All-Stars • Player of the year • Roman Agostoni, Sr., MF, Latrobe The time will come when Roman Agostoni pauses to reflect on the incredible senior soccer season he had for Latrobe and the frontman role that he embraced to help the Wildcats make history. Perhaps the...

High schools Basketball Boys Saturday’s results Armstrong tournament River Valley 48, Highlands 44. Deer Lakes 48, Armstrong 32 Ellwood City tournament Ellwood City 66, Rochester 39 Union 91, Blackhawk 86 (OT) Geneva College/Lincoln Park tournament At Geneva College Central Valley 49, West Allegheny 45 Butler 71, Obama Academy 52 Beaver...

The day after Thanksgiving really did turn out to big Black Friday for the WPIAL football champions. Five took the field and only one survived the state semifinals. Golden seasons ended for Pine-Richland, Thomas Jefferson, South Park and Fort Cherry with losses in the PIAA final four. However, District 7...

Erica Gribble scored 27 points to lead Class 3A preseason No. 2 Greensburg Central Catholic to a 64-44 victory over Class 4A No. 1 North Catholic on Saturday at the North Allegheny tournament. Jayla Peterson added 25 points for the Centurions (1-0), who outscored the Trojanettes 19-6 in the third...

ALTOONA — Chrys Black Jr. hoped to take a game ball home with him Saturday, surely a rare treat for a Central Catholic freshman in the state playoffs. If so, he surely earned it. A 5-foot-8 defensive back who wears No. 1, Black made a game-saving interception in the end...

Hollis Mathis’ career at William & Mary has seen various iterations. Initially, the Penn Hills graduate was slotted in as quarterback for the Tribe. However, things changed over the time Mathis spent in the program. During a season-ending loss to Richmond last week, Hollis ended his career by hitting an...

Penn Hills boys basketball coach Chris Giles has plenty of upperclassmen ready to lead the program this season. The Indians’ ability to win basketball games will be dependent on how quickly they can handle the challenges that come with being varsity athletes. “This team has to be experienced. They have...

Lucky bounces can help a football team go a long way. Coaches even say they are necessary to winning in the postseason. Unlucky ones, on the other hand, can spell doom. Norwin started 2-0 for the first time since 2014, but a rash of injuries sent the Knights spiraling to...

Replacing a coaching legend is never easy. But the North Allegheny girls basketball team is helping new coach Gabby Baldasare feel right at home. “I can confidently say this is the best group of kids I’ve ever coached and ever been around,” Baldasare said. “The culture that (former coach Spencer)...

North Allegheny boys basketball coach Dave DeGregorio is turning back the clock this season. Coming off the program’s first back-to-back losing seasons in 25 years, North Allegheny is implementing a more fast-paced attack to take advantage of its new-look starting lineup. “We’re getting back to the way we played when...

Franklin Regional made the WPIAL Class 5A football quarterfinals without one of its top defensive players. Senior linebacker Austin Kerns was on his way to a monster year when he was injured in a Week 7 loss at Penn-Trafford. He already was recovering from a high ankle sprain when he...

Jonna Burke is much more focused on the beginning of the season than the end. The Shady Side Academy girls’ basketball coach said it is nice to have benchmarks from last season to shoot for. The Bulldogs won the WPIAL Class 3A championship and made a run to the PIAA...

Atia DiGioia fought the battle with uncertainty and nerves before she ever stepped on the wrestling mat. The Fox Chapel junior wasn’t entirely sure how wrestling would go for her. But having a close friend, Emma Srodes, to train with at practice made things easier. “The first week or so,...

There were plenty of moments during the fall sports season to give people in the Fox Chapel school district a reason to follow the action closely. First, Foxes sophomore Carson Kittsley stole the show with a cool performance at the Penn State White Course. By shooting 5-under par on the...

High schools Basketball Boys Friday’s results Armstrong tournament Deer Lakes 61, River Valley 27 Highlands 55, Armstrong 49 Ellwood City tournament Blackhawk 67, Rochester 34 Union 64, Ellwood City 58 Geneva College/Lincoln Park tournament At Geneva College Ambridge 45, Beaver Falls 40 East Liverpool (Ohio) 51, Lincoln Park 47 Imani...

Kaylee DeAngelo scored 14 points to lead Thomas Jefferson to a 66-23 victory over Quaker Valley at Montour tournament as WPIAL girls basketball season opened Friday. Riley McCabe followed with 13 points and Maggie Spell added 12 for the Jaguars (1-0). Mimi Thiero scored 14 points for Quaker Valley (0-1)....