High School category, Page 330
Mason Kernan caps Bethel Park career as WPIAL champion, PIAA bronze-medalist
Mason Kernan ended his four-year reign on the mats at Bethel Park with a 124-18 record. A 133-pound senior and West Virginia recruit, Kernan captured a WPIAL Class 3A championship and placed third in the state this season. “Mason competed hard this season and gave everything he had,” Bethel Park...
Decorated senior class moves on, but Bethel Park baseball expects to contend again
Bethel Park has won two PIAA baseball championships and two WPIAL runner-up trophies over the last three years. The Black Hawks were WPIAL finalists in 2023 but saw their two-year run as PIAA 5A champions end with a 2-1 playoff loss to Bonner-Pendergast out of District 12. “We graduated 14...
Trib Westmoreland 2024 wrestling all-stars: Norwin freshman Landon Sidun as good as advertised
Wrestler of the Year Landon Sidun Norwin, fr., 114 pounds 2023-24 record: 42-2; Overall record: 42-2 Landon Sidun was well known even before he wrestled his first high school match. He was being touted as the next superstar. The freshman didn’t disappoint. Sidun bounced back from a loss in the...
Valley News Dispatch 2024 wrestling all-stars: Burrell’s Cooper Hornack fights through injury to win WPIAL gold
Wrestler of the Year Cooper Hornack Burrell, sr., 139 pounds 2023-24 record: 40-8; Overall record: 156-27. Cooper Hornack knows his senior season could have and should have ended better. Hornack did reach an elite milestone by becoming the WPIAL’s 88th three-time champion, but he came up short of his goal...
State medals cap off successful season for Plum girls wrestlers
The Plum girls wrestling team met a lot of the expectations coach Dave Miller had for the 2024 season. No matter how high those expectations may have seemed. “I expected two girls to at least make it to states and I was hoping for three to get there,” said Miller....
Led by senior shortstop, scrappy Norwin softball team ready for season
When she is finished dealing assists and taking charges on the basketball court — fully healed nose or not — Bailey Snowberger will rejoin the Norwin softball team. That is where you’ll see the senior shortstop in her true element. “Bailey is a very key player for us in so...
Norwin baseball in good position despite having ‘big shoes to fill’
Second-year Norwin baseball coach Craig Spisak admits there are still new things that he is learning while coaching a much larger program at the Class 6A level. But overall, he feels his “system” is taking root and the players are collectively on board. Norwin finished 8-12 last season and tied...
North Hills softball dealing with key injury, young roster
North Hills’ softball team entered the 2023 WPIAL playoffs with a veteran group that appeared to be on the verge of a deep run. But reality, as they say, comes at you quickly. And now Indians coach Libby Gasior is using the lessons of last year to fuel a much...
North Hills baseball driven to take next step
Before Jon Pedrosky truly dove into preparations for the 2024 WPIAL baseball season, he first made a trip to his printer. Once there, the third-year North Hills baseball coach printed off photos of the scoreboard from the Indians’ final game of the 2023 season. That scoreboard read: Upper St. Clair...
Franklin Regional softball sluggers back for more in ’24
Get your warning tracks ready. Franklin Regional is back for more. The Panthers softball team blasted 32 home runs last season and there is no reason to believe the can’t hit that many — or more — in 2024. Franklin Regional could be one of the top offensive teams in...
Ellwood City multi-sport star Joseph Roth makes college choice
Joesph Roth, one of the most unique multi-sport athletes in WPIAL history, has made his college choice. Roth, an Ellwood City senior, announced Friday that he will continue his swimming career at Ohio State. Announcement Time!Joseph Roth officially announces where he will be attending for college!Congrats to the Roth family...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for March 22, 2024
High schools Baseball Friday’s results Nonsection Armstrong 9, Freeport 8 Avella 3, Western Beaver 0 Belle Vernon 10, Connellsville 3 Burgettstown 1, North Hills 1 Burrell 20, Penn Hills 19 Chartiers Valley 8, Keystone Oaks 0 Deer Lakes 9, Highlands 6 East Allegheny 13, Greensburg Central Catholic 4 Elizabeth Forward...
High school roundup for March 22, 2024: North Allegheny gets past Upper St. Clair
J.D. Costanzo struck out eight and did not allow a run in four innings to lead North Allegheny to a 3-2 victory over Upper St. Clair in nonsection abseball Friday. Owen Schall had a two-run double for the Tigers (1-0). Eli Rankin hit an RBI triple for the Panthers (1-2)....
Imhotep Charter finally puts away pesky Franklin Regional to win 10th PIAA basketball title
HERSHEY — Franklin Regional and Imhotep Charter are 300 miles apart, on opposite ends of the state. They are also distant in PIAA championship history and when it comes to producing high-end college talent. But the teams were a lot closer on the scoreboard than many expected Friday night at...
Springdale hires Chad Walsh as football coach hoping he can change team’s fortunes
Chad Walsh has experience turning around struggling football programs. He did so at Valley a dozen years ago, and now he will look to do the same at Springdale. Walsh officially was hired as coach of the Dynamos on Tuesday at the Allegheny Valley School Board meeting. “I live in...
After winning state football title last fall, Aliquippa adds PIAA boys basketball championship
HERSHEY – Aliquippa finished off a rare PIAA double-double Friday by winning state football and basketball titles in the same school year. But on a roster full of two-sport athletes, this latest celebration was thanks in large part to a sophomore who has focused on only one. Josh Pratt scored...
PIAA Class 4A girls basketball championship preview: Blackhawk vs. Scranton Prep
PIAA Class 4A girls basketball championship Blackhawk vs. Scranton Prep Noon Saturday at Giant Center, Hershey PIAA titles: Blackhawk 4 (1999, 2000, ’14, ’15), Scranton Prep 0 Blackhawk (26-3) Coach: Greg Huston Probable starting lineup No., Player, Ht., Yr., Pos. 5, Andrea Kinger, 5-6, jr., G 11, Alena Fusetti, 5-10,...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for March 21, 2024
High schools Baseball Thursday’s results Nonsection Beth-Center 11, Mapletown 1 Brentwood 6, Clairton 4 Central Catholic 11, Germantown Friends 1 Jones College Prep 10, Chartiers-Houston 1 Leechburg 12, Apollo-Ridge 2 Thomas Jefferson 8, Peters Township 3 Putnam Science 10, South Park 0 Quaker Valley 10, Our Lady of the Sacred...
High school roundup for March 21, 2024: Deer Lakes pitcher throws no-hitter
Maddie Kee threw a five-inning no-hitter, striking out 10, to lead Deer Lakes to a 13-0 victory over Highlands (0-1) in nonsection softball Thursday. Kee also singled, doubled and drove in a run. Avery Rethage homered and drove in a pair, and Tia Germanich had a double, triple and three...
Behind Brandin Cummings’ ‘storybook ending,’ Lincoln Park repeats as PIAA Class 4A champ
HERSHEY — Brandin Cummings patiently held for the last shot of the first half, but the Lincoln Park senior didn’t wait around to see if his 3-pointer was good. He’d already turned his back on the shot and was headed toward the Giant Center locker room. It went in, of...
PIAA Class 2A boys basketball championship preview: Aliquippa vs. Holy Cross
PIAA Class 2A boys basketball championship Aliquippa vs. Holy Cross 2 p.m. Friday at Giant Center, Hershey PIAA titles: Aliquippa 5 (1949, ’98, ’94, ’97, 2016), Holy Cross 0 Aliquippa (25-5) Coach: Nick Lackovich Probable starting lineup No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos. 0, Qalil Goode, 6-1, so., G 1, Brandon...
PIAA reveals brackets for 2024-25 football playoffs, likely altering WPIAL schedule at Acrisure Stadium
The four WPIAL football finals played at Acrisure Stadium likely will change this fall. Class 5A could be in, while 4A is out. Updated PIAA brackets released Thursday have the WPIAL champions in Class 5A, 3A, 2A and A joining the state playoffs in the semifinal round. That makes it...
Imani Christian says goodbye to Class A with rout of Berlin Brothersvalley, 2nd straight PIAA title
HERSHEY — Imani Christian won a state title a year ago with a towering center in the middle, but this time, a couple of much smaller guards led the way. They proved to be an even tougher matchup. Imani Christian scored 19 straight points in one stretch Thursday afternoon thanks...
PIAA Class 5A boys basketball championship preview: Franklin Regional vs. Imhotep Charter
PIAA Class 5A boys basketball championship Franklin Regional (27-3) vs. Imhotep Charter (28-3) 8 p.m. Friday at Giant Center, Hershey District seeds: Franklin Regional 7-2; Imhotep Charter 12-1 Coaches: Jesse Reed, Franklin Regional; Andre Noble, Imhotep Charter State titles: Franklin Regional 0; Imhotep Charter 9 Players to watch: Cam Rowell,...
Westmoreland County high school basketball notebook: Former coach says don’t count out Franklin Regional
Steve Scorpion probably would not advise anybody to bet against Franklin Regional in Friday night’s PIAA Class 5A championship game. The safe bet, he thinks, is Franklin Regional (27-3) giving Philadelphia powerhouse Imhotep Charter (28-3) a game. Scorpion’s last run with the Panthers was three seasons ago when the current...
