High School category, Page 35

From the opening kickoff, Quaker Valley’s nonconference game against Freeport on Friday night at Chuck Knox Stadium shaped up a lot differently than the Quakers’ first two games, both victories. The Yellowjackets (3-0) returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown and avoided disaster after two early turnovers in...

When Norwin and Latrobe faced each other in 2024, the Wildcats rushed for 451 yards in a 42-28 victory. Norwin (2-1) was not about to let that happen Friday when they met again. The Knights defense limited the Wildcats (1-2) to 92 yards rushing, 151 total, and they rolled to...

Mike Rairigh earned nine varsity letters in football, basketball and track and field as a Kiski Area athlete. He finished his high school football career as the Cavaliers’ all-time leader in receptions, picked up all-conference recognition football and basketball and earned a silver medal in the javelin at the WPIAL...

After seven seasons as head coach of the Gateway boys basketball team, Alvis Rogers felt it was time to step down from the post, citing family and personal issues for his decision. “There was a lot of things that were weighing on me mentally, and I felt I needed to...

High schools Field hockey Thursday’s results Class 3A North Allegheny 10, Hempfield 1 Class 2A Fox Chapel 1, Penn-Trafford 0 Nonsection Ellis School 7, Allderdice 0 Football Thursday’s results City League Westinghouse 50, Brashear 6 Friday’s schedule WPIAL Nonconference Apollo-Ridge at Greensburg Central Catholic, 7 p.m. Armstrong at Bethel Park,...

Two WPIAL football teams got a call from the hall. Central Catholic and Woodland Hills each has a former player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a distinction that earned them an invite to play one another Saturday in Canton, Ohio. They’ll meet at 3:30 p.m. as part...

Anthony Maiello scored the overtime winner to lift Peters Township to a 2-1 victory over Mt. Lebanon in Section 2-4A boys soccer Thursday night. Cole Celedonia also had a goal for Peters (3-0-2, 2-0). Ignatios Darakos scored for the Blue Devils (4-2, 1-1). Avonworth 16, Mohawk 0 – Jimmy Quinn...

Rich Kolesar was the coach at Laurel Highlands for six seasons, his last coming in 2024. On Friday night, he will go against his former Mustangs. Kolesar is now a first-year defensive coordinator at Southmoreland, where Dustin Shoaf is a rookie head coach. Kolesar has fond memories of coaching the...

Alayna Stawovy had not played well at Champion Lakes Golf Course in Boliver before Thursday’s Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association girls championship. But with a different mindset, the Greensburg Central Catholic senior played a relaxed round and ended up winning the annual event. Stawovy shot a 1-under-par 38 to edge teammate...

Week 2 of the 2025 WPIAL season is the final tuneup for some District 7 teams before conference play begins next week. Already the third weekend of the new season is minus one game after Shady Side Academy pulled out of its nonconference game at Clairton. For now, the game...

Accountability, attitude and hustle — those are the three guiding principles for Bentworth football under third-year coach Dave Pordash. In 2025, the Bearcats hope they can continue to climb the ranks of Class A and the Tri-County South Conference with those three principles on their side. “This is Year 3...

At this point in the season, teams around the WPIAL are still developing their “brand,” or the style of soccer that allows them to play at their highest level when the games matter most. That often involves moving players around, trying new things, focusing on fundamentals and getting comfortable with...

Shady Side Academy is standing behind its decision to call off a football game this week despite possible WPIAL repercussions. A day after announcing that the team was short on players and would forfeit its Week 2 nonconference game at Clairton, the school reaffirmed its stance Thursday, citing an “unwavering...

Each week throughout the high school football season, the Valley News Dispatch will take a look at the players, coaches and events that shaped our scholastic legacy. Finally some football. After a two-week delay to the start of the season because of the covid-19 pandemic, Burrell’s Caden DiCaprio ran 30...

Kemon Spell’s coach describes him as a finely tuned Ferrari, a fitting analogy since the McKeesport running back goes faster than most. But when there’s an issue with your Ferrari, you don’t dare drive it until it’s fixed. “You’re not dealing with a Jeep Wrangler,” McKeesport coach Matt Miller said....

High schools Field hockey Thursday’s results Class 3A Pine-Richland 12, Norwin 0 Class A Aquinas Academy 2, Oakland Catholic 0 Winchester Thurston 3, Ellis School 2 Football Thursday’s schedule City League Westinghouse at Brashear, 7 p.m. Friday’s schedule WPIAL Nonconference Apollo-Ridge at Greensburg Central Catholic, 7 p.m. Armstrong at Bethel...

Kieran Shannon scored a pair of goals and Jordan Beemer was in net for the shutout, leading North Allegheny to a 4-0 victory over North Hills (2-1, 0-1) in Section 3-4A girls soccer Wednesday night. Luciana Zagacki and Bella Montgomery also scored for the Tigers (4-1-1, 1-0). Beaver 2, Central...

Conference play in WPIAL football kicks off next weekend, but league play gets an early start in District 8 with two games here in Week 2. City League play starts Thursday and features a former power against the current king of the district. Brashear (0-2) will challenge three-time defending City...

Player of the week Tim Andrasy Leechburg, Sr., RB/LB Andrasy is a threat to break a big run with power in the Blue Devils offense, and he had a memorable impact in Friday’s 58-6 victory at Beth-Center. He had a career night with six rushing touchdowns, scoring on runs of...

Here’s a look at the don’t-miss matchups for Week 2 in the A-K Valley: Nonconference Apollo-Ridge (1-1) at Greensburg Central Catholic (1-1) 7 p.m. Friday, Centurion Stadium, Carbon Last week: Jeannette 35, Apollo-Ridge 22; Greensburg Central Catholic 40, Mt. Pleasant 7 Last year’s meeting: No contest (weather) • The teams...

Last week: 10-2 Season: 20-2 (90.9%) In recognition of all the hard work (ahem) he does all year, The Birdie decided to take Labor Day off from analyzing football games. (Aside from watching the Fightin’ Belichicks get tarred and feathered by TCU, of course. “That wasn’t work. It was a...

Thursday City League Westinghouse at Brashear, 7 p.m. Friday WPIAL Nonconference Apollo-Ridge at Greensburg Central Catholic, 7 p.m. Armstrong at Bethel Park, 7 p.m. Avella at Springdale, 7 p.m. Avonworth at Aliquippa, 7 p.m. Beaver Falls at South Side, 7 p.m. Belle Vernon at Central Valley, 7 p.m. Bentworth at...

Player of the Week Samir Crosby Greensburg Central Catholic, Sr., WR/QB/DB Crosby put on quite a show against Mt. Pleasant. The senior rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns, caught eight passes for 122 yards and a score and had a 50-yard punt return to set up the game’s first...

Here’s a look at the high school football matchups for Week 2 in Westmoreland County: Nonconference Apollo-Ridge (1-1) at Greensburg Central Catholic (1-1) 7 p.m. Friday, Centurion Stadium, Carbon Last week: Jeannette 35, Apollo-Ridge 22; Greensburg Central Catholic 40, Mt. Pleasant 7 Last year’s meeting: No contest (weather) • The...

Last week: 9-3 Season: 15-8 (65%) People love rankings. Especially football rankings. The Birdie hasn’t done a rankings column in a while, so this week, he would like to offer his top 10 local stadiums. Pull up a seat. “You know, the places that have it all,” said the county’s...