High School category, Page 351

Springdale continues its search for a new football coach, and the deadline for applications, according to a post on the WPIAL website, is Wednesday. Ryan Tempalski stepped down shortly after the season concluded, ending a two-year tenure with the Dynamos. In explaining his decision, Tempalski said it was best he...

After Northwestern Lehigh rallied to defeat Wyomissing in the PIAA Class 3A semifinals, Tigers coach Josh Snyder told his team “Why not us.” Northwestern Lehigh (15-0) is having a historic season and qualified for the state championship game for the first time in school history. They defeated Wyomissing, 33-24, after...

MECHANICSBURG — Fort Cherry’s record-setting football season reached its final act Thursday, but Steelton-Highspire got to write the final scenes. The Rangers, who won their first WPIAL title two weeks ago, were defeated in their first PIAA Class A championship game 42-8 by the Rollers at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field....

In all of his years in coaching, Doug Kelly was almost certain he had never coached a double-overtime game in a season opener. “Oh, man, I don’t think so,” the Penn-Trafford coach said. He could guarantee he’d never coached two in a row to start a season. Who has? Talk...

Two of the top girls basketball programs in recent years collide in a nonsection battle when Freedom visits Neshannock on Thursday. The host Lancers won WPIAL Class 2A gold in 2021 and again in 2022 and shared the Section 1-3A title with Laurel last season. The Bulldogs were the WPIAL...

High schools Basketball Boys Wednesday’s results Nonsection Allderdice 72, Erie 40 Ambridge 70, Riverside 39 Brentwood 59, South Side 50 Carrick at Avonworth, ppd. Chartiers-Houston 68, Freedom 40 Ellwood City 77, Union 66 Greensburg Central Catholic 70, Bishop Canevin 44 Jeannette 44, East Allegheny 39 McGuffey 60, Carmichaels 17 North...

Max Hurray scored 25 points to lead North Catholic to a 70-58 nonsection boys basketball victory over Seneca Valley on Wednesday night. Jude Rottmann and Jason Fredericks each added 10 for the Trojans (2-1). Tyler Pepin scored 21 points, Owen Congdon had 17, and Kai West added 13 for Seneca...

Another Fayette County school district has decided not to accept a football schedule from the WPIAL. Connellsville Area School District’s board voted 9-0 to withdraw from the WPIAL in football for the next two seasons. Connellsville joins Albert Gallatin, Uniontown and Brownsville in playing an independent schedule. Butler has also...

They needed the rulebook to decide Wednesday’s WPIAL Class 2A Section 6 match between Greensburg Salem and Valley. The match ended deadlocked at 30-30, but after the official looked at the scorebook, Valley was awarded the victory for most matches won, 6-5. Greensburg Salem coach Randy Parsley actually cut Valley...

When Kiski Area senior Isaiah Gonzalez slashed to the basket or pulled up for a mid-range jumper in Tuesday’s 58-45 victory over New Castle, Jason Flemm got excited. When Cavaliers junior Colin Keller drained one from beyond the arc or made a standout defensive play, Flemm felt the energy. When...

The fourth of six PIAA championship games features the first of two battles for state gold this weekend between schools from the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh area as District 12 champion Imhotep Charter battles WPIAL champion Peters Township in another clash of unbeatens. This is the 35th year of the PIAA...

The third of six PIAA championship games features the only rematch from last season as District 4 champion Southern Columbia tries to win a seventh straight state title when it battles City League champion Westinghouse for the second year in a row. This is the 35th year of the PIAA...

For the second time in PIAA football championship history, the WPIAL is sending five teams to the state finals. In 2021, four WPIAL teams won state gold: Mt. Lebanon in 6A, Penn-Trafford in 5A, Aliquippa in 4A and Central Valley in 3A captured PIAA crowns while Serra Catholic was the...

The PIAA will let Woodland Hills and Charleroi fix mistakes the schools made when submitting their enrollments, errors that would’ve forced their teams into higher classifications. The board voted Wednesday to approve the requests from the two WPIAL members along with two schools from other PIAA districts that also made...

Aliquippa has an imperfect history in the state football finals that’s hard to explain. Every time the Quips have gotten to the championship game with an undefeated record, they’ve lost. Every time they’ve gotten there with at least one loss on their record, they’ve won. And, well, this year’s team...

It didn’t take long for new coaches to get their first win. Four local first-year coaches won in their season debut last Friday in Christy Hajjar (Ligonier Valley), Bob Madison (Hempfield), Mackenzie Livingston (Latrobe) and Brian Znavor (Yough). Hempfield, Yough and Latrobe doubled down with wins the following day to...

WPIAL players were well-represented on the all-state girls volleyball teams released Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. North Allegheny placed four on the Class 4A team — senior libero Avery Butcher, senior outside hitter Marin Dunaway, senior right side Jamie Frisco and senior outside hitter Kyra Schmidt. The Tigers...

Belle Vernon packs a lot more than uniforms for football games. As the Leopards load the bus for a trip to Mechanicsburg and the PIAA Class 3A championship game, they will cram in several iPads and charts, along with a big-screen television and a canopy. A high-tech program with its...

Last week: 1-0 (100%) Season: 109-28 (79.6%) The nostalgic Birdie, long off his diet and primed for Christmas cookie season, filled his yellow belly with chocolate after Belle Vernon won last week. He couldn’t help himself. It was habit. Mama Birdie was making peanut butter blossoms — “kiss cookies” as...

High schools Basketball Boys Tuesday’s results Class 4A Section 2 Lincoln Park 97, Beaver 67 Nonsection Aquinas Academy 75, Propel Andrew Street 73 Armstrong 60, Kiski School 54 Avonworth 69, Shady Side Academy 60 Belle Vernon 64, Steel Valley 53 Blackhawk 74, Mohawk 68 Burrell 43, Our Lady of the...

The Canon-McMillan wrestling team captured a WPIAL team championship in 1983. The Big Macs celebrated the 40th anniversary of that title by winning the 2023 Class 3A district crown last season. The Burgettstown wrestling program won its first WPIAL 2A championship in 1974. Nearly 50 years later, they struck gold...

The second of six PIAA championship games features several standout juniors as District 2 champion Dallas, fresh off a double overtime victory over defending champion Bishop McDevitt, battles WPIAL champion Aliquippa, which is in the state title game for a third straight year. This is the 35th year of the...

The first of six PIAA championship games features two brilliant quarterbacks as District 3 and defending PIAA champion Steelton-Highspire takes on WPIAL champion Fort Cherry. This is the 35th year of the PIAA football playoffs, which began in 1988. Since then, the state championship games have been played at one...

The final weekend of the 2023 high school football season is upon us as the six PIAA championship games are set for Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg. Seven of the 12 teams playing for state gold this week also were in the title game a year ago. St. Joseph’s...

Riley Farabaugh scored 32 points to lead Mt. Lebanon to a wild 83-80 victory over North Allegheny in three overtimes in nonsection boys basketball Tuesday night. North Allegheny’s Anthony Sciote hit a shot from half-court to tie the game at the end of regulation and Tigers teammate Ty Iwanonkiw hit...