High School category, Page 238
3-sport standout to join Quaker Valley Sports Hall of Fame
Rick Ruperto was a three-sport standout at Quaker Valley, excelling in football, basketball and track and field. He graduated in 1992 and has been chosen this year as an inductee into the QV Sports Hall of Fame. “Being selected for the QV Sports Hall of Fame is an incredible honor...
Eden Christian girls soccer hopes to turn making playoffs into a habit
Eden Christian Academy was a WPIAL playoff qualifier in girls soccer last season. The Warriors are determined to repeat their postseason posture again in 2024. “Last season, we were able to make it to the playoffs, something that hadn’t happened for a few years,” coach Alex Davis said. “We are...
Coach with hall of fame credentials recruiting runners for Penn Hills cross country team
Mike Diano is happy to be back coaching at his alma mater. The 2000 Penn Hills graduate hopes a few more athletes will choose to join the cross country team. Right now, the Indians have only four athletes to open the season. Penn Hills has four boys and one girl...
In early season, Penn Hills working to fit pieces together
Charles Morris recognizes the early-season struggles the Penn Hills football team has been forced to battle through. The Indians coach knows the program has new faces, and everyone is still figuring out how to work together. Penn Hills was too generous to its opponents during its first two games of...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Warriors passing game connects against Mt. Lebanon
Penn-Trafford picked up its first victory of the football season by rolling over Mt. Lebanon, 28-7, on Aug. 30. Quarterback Jonny Lovre completed 17 of 26 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown, and Jack Weishaar was his main target with 10 catches for 130 yards. Dom Smith caught a...
Young Penn-Trafford field hockey team eyes 9th straight WPIAL championship
Penn-Trafford field hockey has dominated Class 2A for the past eight years. And despite returning only three starters, the young, inexperienced Warriors are off to a 2-0 start following 1-0 victories over Shady Side Academy and Latrobe. Penn-Trafford, which captured its eighth straight WPIAL championship last fall, was hit hard...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Sept. 7, 2024
High schools Football Saturday’s results WPIAL Nonconference Cornell 52, Riverview 9 Freeport 44, Quaker Valley 12 North Catholic 33, Blackhawk 32 Northgate 39, New Brighton 7 Riverside 9, Laurel 7 Shaler 33, Hampton 13 South Side 35, Beaver Falls 14 Western Beaver 38, Rochester 0 Saturday’s summaries Cornell 52, Riverview...
High school roundup for Sept. 7, 2024: North Catholic rallies past Blackhawk
Jack White hauled in a 47-yard pass from Joey Felitsky with just over two minutes remaining to lead North Catholic to a 33-32 comeback victory over Blackhawk in nonconference football Saturday. Christian Naylor also scored a fourth-quarter touchdown on a 16-yard run for the Trojans (1-2). Felitsky threw for 235...
5 things we learned in Week 2 of WPIAL football: Ringgold finally gets back in win column
Ringgold was ready to snap the longest active losing streak in the WPIAL when the Rams went for two in overtime a week ago. But the gamble failed in a heartbreaking 14-13 loss. The streak grew to 27 games. “I was down in the dumps,” first-year coach Robert Heller said....
Trib HSSN WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Sept. 8, 2024
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 3-0, 1 2. Central Catholic, 1-2, 2 3. Norwin, 2-1, 3 4. Hempfield, 1-2, NR 5. Seneca Valley, 0-2, 5 Out: Canon-McMillan (0-3, 4) Class 5A 1. Peters Township, 3-0, 1 2. Pine-Richland, 2-0, 2 3. Upper St. Clair, 3-0, 3...
Westmoreland high school football notebook: Tatsch a force in Latrobe’s ground game
Alex Tatsch might be heading to Penn State to play linebacker, but the Latrobe senior made it clear this summer he had plenty to give the Wildcats as a running back. Remember, Tatsch was limited last season with a labrum tear that required offseason surgery. Now that he is at...
Westmoreland County athletes of the week: Hempfield’s Milana Yannascoli, Sawyer Leuthold
The Westmoreland County Athletes of the Week is presented by Smail Kia. Look for the tags and look for the savings at Smail Kia in Greensburg. Milana Yannascoli School: Hempfield Class: Senior Sport: Golf Claim to Fame: Yannascoli captured her first Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association title by shooting a 4-over-par...
Freeport takes control early, tops Quaker Valley in continued game
It took an extra day, but Freeport was able to take care of its business against Quaker Valley at Freeport Area Athletic Stadium. The teams returned to the field Saturday morning after lightning forced officials to postpone the game after only six minutes Friday evening. The Yellowjackets rolled from the...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Kiski Area’s Ellie Arnold, Freeport’s Angelo Porco
Ellie Arnold School: Kiski Area Class: Freshman Sport: Soccer Claim to fame: Arnold scored both of Kiski Area’s goals in a 2-0 win over Elizabeth Forward in a Section 4-3A showdown Wednesday. After an 0-2 start, the Cavaliers are 2-1 since section play began. How long have you been playing...
Pine-Richland girls volleyball ready to walk tough road to playoffs
The road to the playoffs in Section 1-4A girls volleyball has always been tough, but the addition of North Catholic for 2024 has made the group even stronger. Add in the fact that only three teams from the section will qualify for a postseason berth instead of four, like in...
Hampton senior Ray Kirsopp dedicates football season to late father
When Hampton hosts Upper St. Clair on Sept. 13, the highlights will include much more than a typical WPIAL nonconference football game. “It’s going to be a special night for me, for sure,” Hampton senior wide receiver/linebacker Ray Kirsopp said. “It’s a lot for me to process.” Hampton will hold...
Aquinas Academy girls volleyball joins big leagues
The Aquinas Academy girls volleyball team is a first-year WPIAL program, but the Crusaders plan to grow up quickly. After two seasons as a club sport, the players at the tiny Hampton Catholic school have their sights on a WPIAL Class A playoff berth. “We just put up some new...
Young linemen, skill players vault Pine-Richland to strong start
The pair of victories the Pine-Richland football team earned to start the season were welcomed results, but it’s the development that has occurred during them that has Jon LeDonne and his coaching staff excited. The Rams have a young offense that is coming together fairly quickly, scoring 57 points in...
Norwin girls volleyball working to make strides
Norwin girls volleyball finished 3-11 overall and 1-7 in Section 3-4A, which put the Knights in last place. That means there is room for improvement for veteran coach Mary Ellen Ferragonio and her players. Seven returning starters give the team a reason for optimism. Ferragonio said it is too early...
North Allegheny notebook: Tigers cross country teams off to strong start
North Allegheny’s boys and girls cross country teams opened the 2024 season with nonsection victories Sept. 3 against Peters Township. The boys won 15-50, and the NA girls won 15-48. For the girls, Elizabeth Pizon, Kendall Lucas, Camille Swirsding, Lydia Stuart and Tess Pagnotto were the top five finishers. Gabby...
North Allegheny boys soccer focused on unfinished business
A WPIAL title slipped away on penalty kicks and a trip to the state finals fell two rounds short. It’s easy to understand why “unfinished business” was the motto North Allegheny’s boys soccer team adopted this year. In this, coach Manuel Montero’s third season, the Tigers want to accomplish more....
Franklin Regional notebook: Boys soccer team opens section schedule with win
A matchup of first-year coaches in Section 3-3A boys soccer went to Franklin Regional’s Nick White, whose Panthers rang up three second-half goals to pull past Ryan Hankey’s Penn-Trafford team, 3-1, in the section opener Aug. 29. “P-T came out strong, and they were really strong in the back,” said...
Fox Chapel cross country boosts confidence with strong showing at Gateway Invitational
Tom Moul likes setting up the Fox Chapel boys and girls cross country teams with a confidence builder to start the season. Competing at the Gateway Invitational before the Red, White & Blue Invitational the following weekend has been a staple of the Foxes schedule for years. Fox Chapel opened...
Fox Chapel rewarded with streak-snapping win
Suffering through consecutive 0-10 seasons left Victor Nernberg with plenty to think about in the offseason. The Fox Chapel senior running back/linebacker focused all of his energy on becoming the fittest he has ever been. Nernberg was focused on working back from a torn MCL and partially torn PCL he...
Central Catholic forgets about 0-2 start with mercy rule win over Woodland Hills
The PA announcer at the Wolvarena encouraged fans to travel home safely and never talk about this game again. Central Catholic left the stadium pleased to have quieted talk about its winless start. Vikings quarterback Jy’Aire Walls passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more, the defense was dominant...
