High School category, Page 297

ALTOONA — Colin Masten wears jersey No. 1, which was fitting Tuesday night because of how many times he made folks say, “And one!” The senior scored a game-high 21 points including a trio of three-point plays as Franklin Regional defeated District 4 champion Selinsgrove, 56-45, in a PIAA Class...

After a half in which his team made five shots and scored 13 points, Bethel Park coach Dante Calabria said he kept his message brief. He just asked his players to bring more energy and leave it all out there in the final 16 minutes. The Black Hawks responded accordingly....

On a playoff night when Greensburg Central Catholic’s leading scorer was held to two points, coach Chris Skatell turned to Erica Gribble’s teammates for an answer. They came through. Mya Morgan scored 15 points, Jayla Peterson added 14 and Avery Davis finished with 12 as WPIAL champion GCC jumped to...

Trailing by double figures for the first time all season could have sent Norwin into a downward spiral and shut down its hopes of winning a state championship. Instead, it charged up the Lady Knights and made their grand escape that much more impressive. WPIAL champion Norwin rallied from 11...

Holden Thomas made his PIAA debut three years ago at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, 70 miles from Bucknell, the traditional site of the state swimming and diving championships. As a freshman in 2021, Thomas was the lead backstroke leg of Franklin Regional’s boys 200-yard medley relay that finished...

For Abby King, it was like mother, like daughter at the WPIAL Class 2A championships March 1 at Pitt’s Trees Pool. King’s mother, Daina (Cleveland) King, helped the 1991 Apollo-Ridge girls basketball team win the WPIAL Class 2A title and advance to states. Daina was on hand at Trees Pool...

After Jeannette played at Greensburg Central Catholic late in the boys basketball regular season, Jayhawks coach Adrian Batts leaned in to the handshake line for a respectful exchange with GCC senior forward Franco Alvarez. “He said, ‘I’m not going to get to play you anymore,’ ” Batts said. “I told...

Hopewell won its second WPIAL championship in three years last season for the program’s fifth district crown. However, this title run was like no other. Moving up from Class 3A, the Vikings played below .500 baseball and finished the regular season tied for third place in Section 1-4A, five games...

Competition was spirited in Class 4A softball last season, and several contenders again look to have rosters ready to battle for WPIAL and PIAA glory. Parity was on display throughout the postseason a year ago, as Belle Vernon edged Montour for the WPIAL title but lost to WPIAL No. 1...

PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 2A Second round Jeannette (18-9) vs. Greensburg Central Catholic (24-3) 7 p.m. Wednesday at Norwin District seeds: Jeannette 7-6; GCC 7-2 Winner plays: Winner of 7-3 Fort Cherry (21-6)/7-7 Serra Catholic (18-9) Saturday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Jace Powell, Jeannette; Liam...

PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 3A Second round Deer Lakes (22-4) vs. Forest Hills (21-4) 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Armstrong District seeds: Deer Lakes 7-1; Forest Hills 6-2 Winner plays: Winner of 10-2 Franklin (21-5)/5-1 Chestnut Ridge (23-4) Saturday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Wayne Love, Deer...

WPIAL athletic directors received a survey from one of their colleagues Monday, seeking feedback about how the league makes its sections and schedules. The online survey by McGuffey athletic director Ed Dalton, a critic of the WPIAL’s recent fall realignment, asked whether schools favored sections based on geography, competitive balance...

After beating the top-seeded Pine-Richland Rams twice in the regular season, No. 4 seed Peters Township was feeling great after scoring two goals in 19 seconds in the first three minutes of Monday’s Penguins Cup Class 3A semifinal between the teams. However, unlike the first two meetings, Pine-Richland was able...

High schools Basketball Boys Class 6A Second round Wednesday’s schedule Lower Merion (26-1) vs. Archbishop Wood (17-8) at Bensalem, 7:30 p.m.; Springfield Delco (14-14) vs. Spring-Ford (21-6) at Norristown, 7:30 p.m.; Parkland (22-5) vs. Chambersburg (20-6) at Central Dauphin East, 7:30 p.m.; WC Henderson (25-5) vs. Roman Catholic (26-2) at...

The second round on the Road to Hershey tips off Tuesday featuring boys Class 5A, 4A and A games as well as girls Class 6A, 3A and 2A PIAA basketball contests. Two WPIAL boys 5A teams that have seen their fair share of up and downs this season collide for...

Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week: North Catholic Trojans Coach: Molly Rottman (25th season) Record: 12-0 in Section 1-4A, 18-7 overall #Earned: Last week, North Catholic added to its WPIAL record with a 23rd district championship when it stunned top seed Blackhawk in a rematch of the 2023...

Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week: Rachael Manfredo School: McKeesport Class: Senior Height: 6-foot-0 Position: Guard/Forward #Earned: During a regular season in which McKeesport only lost two games, Manfredo led the team in scoring, averaging 15 points per game. She led the way in the district postseason as...

The defending champions will start out on top of the polls when WPIAL boys volleyball season begins Friday. Shaler in Class 3A and North Catholic in Class 2A topped the Western PA Volleyball Coaches Association preseason top 10s released Monday. Shaler defeated North Allegheny and North Catholic beat Ambridge in...

PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 5A Second round Franklin Regional (24-3) vs. Selinsgrove (18-7) 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Altoona High School District seeds: Franklin Regional 7-2; Selinsgrove 4-1 Winner plays: Winner of 3-1 Mechanicsburg (21-5)/7-3 Shaler (24-3) on Friday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Cooper Rankin, Franklin...

PIHL playoffs Class 2A Semifinals 8-Penn-Trafford (8-9-0-2) vs. 4-Norwin (12-7-0-2) 7 p.m. Tuesday, Robert Morris University Island Sports Center, Moon Winner plays: Winner of 6-Franklin Regional (11-7-0-1)/2-Thomas Jefferson (18-2-0-0) in championship 6:15 p.m. Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Cranberry Players to watch: Alex Thomas, Norwin; Marco Ferracio, Penn-Trafford Ice...

When Albie Fletcher got the Deer Lakes boys basketball coaching job two years ago, he asked Todd Rodgers to join his staff. At the time, neither could’ve forecasted they’d watch their sons win back-to-back WPIAL Class 3A championships, but Aiden Fletcher and Collin Rodgers have provided plenty of proud dad...

Brian Brozeski remembers the guidance he received from more established teammates when he made the Penn State football team in the mid-1990s. Former headliners Joe Jurevicius, Brandon Short, Curtis Enis and others, he said, took him under their wing. “I was a scrawny walk-on from tiny Blairsville, but those guys...

PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 5A Second round Fox Chapel (16-11) vs. Bethel Park (14-13) 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at AHN Arena, Peters Township District seeds: Fox Chapel 7-5; Bethel Park 7-6 Winner plays: Winner of 3-3 York Suburban (21-6)/7-1 Moon (24-3) on Friday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to...

There are few better feelings in sports than winning a championship, but being able to win one as a senior is a pretty sweet send-off. That was the case for Norwin’s Ava Kobus, who, along with her teammates, captured the WPIAL Class 6A title March 1 at Petersen Events Center...

The St. Joseph girls basketball team has been blessed with height and length from its four senior starters. Julie Spinelli is a 5-foot-11 guard, Emma Swierczewski is a 5-10 swing forward and Anna Kreinbrook is a 6-2 center who can clog the middle. Throw in junior point guard Gia Richter,...