High School category, Page 403
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week: Hempfield’s Sarah Podkul and Latrobe’s Brock Pflugh
Sarah Podkul School: Hempfield Class: Senior Sport: Volleyball Claim to fame: Podkul has helped lead the Spartans on a four-game winning streak and to a WPIAL Class 4A playoff appearance. Podkul, a third-year libero, had 30 digs in a 3-1 victory against Shaler. She added 18 digs in a 3-0...
Westmoreland high school football notes: 3 more teams clinch playoff berths
Three more Westmoreland County teams clinched spots in the WPIAL football playoffs with wins Friday night. One is another resurgent program that has taken its lumps in recent years. With a 29-22 victory over Burrell — and Ligonier Valley’s 31-0 loss to Imani Christian — Derry secured its first postseason...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Freeport’s Angelo Porco, Deer Lakes’ Claire Cacurak
Claire Cacurak Class: Sophomore School: Deer Lakes Sports: Soccer, cross country Report card: Cacurak scored a pair of goals in leading Deer Lakes (9-6-3, 6-4) to a key Section 2-2A victory in girls soccer Monday. The Lancers, who closed the season with a 5-1-1 run, drew the No. 10 seed...
Doubles team’s WPIAL championship highlights special season for Bethel Park tennis
Both are talented tennis players. One is a freshman at Bethel Park. The other’s a senior. Together, they’ve developed into quite the dynamic duo on the tennis courts. Bethel Park’s Cami Fisher and Lily Sierka this season became the first WPIAL doubles champions in girls tennis in school history. “Lily...
Norwin notebook: Cross country teams sweep at county meet
While it is the time of year to rake leaves, the Norwin cross country teams brought brooms to the county race. Norwin’s girls and boys teams swept the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Championship earlier this month at Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood. The girls placed seven runners in the...
After winning Section 3 title, Bethel Park boys look forward to postseason run
Bethel Park didn’t lose a section game in boys soccer this season. The Black Hawks rang up a 13-0-1 mark in Section 3-3A to narrowly finish first ahead of runner-up Thomas Jefferson (12-1-1). And perhaps most impressive, Bethel Park allowed just seven goals in 14 section games with seven shutouts...
After 2 special seasons, Norwin hockey ready to tackle step up in class
As Norwin discovered, there is a menu of factors for hockey teams to move up in classification in the PIHL. To mention some main ones: The league takes into account previous years’ winning percentages, the number of hockey players in the school’s district and hockey talent in that district, as...
Aquinas Academy boys double win total but playoff spot remains elusive
Aquinas Academy missed the WPIAL Class A boys soccer playoffs this season, but the Crusaders kept opposing goalies busy. Aquinas scored 47 goals, the most in coach Mat Anselmino’s five-year tenure, capped with a 5-0 victory over California on Oct. 16 in the season finale. “There was definitely more emphasis...
Hampton boys eye WPIAL cross country 3-peat
Since last season’s fourth-place finish at states, the Hampton boys cross country team has been focused on a return trip to Hershey. But one small hurdle remains — The WPIAL Class 2A championships. The loaded Talbots are overwhelming favorites to claim their third consecutive district title Thursday (Oct. 26) at...
School-record rushing effort part of special season for Riverview’s Carlo Buzzatto
It was a bittersweet feeling for senior tailback Carlo Buzzatto on Oct. 14 after Riverview football’s heartbreaking 29-28 loss to Leechburg in a rivalry game at Riverside Park that had huge playoff ramifications. The Raiders rallied from a 29-14 deficit in the fourth quarter and had a two-point conversion play...
After series of tough losses, Plum football aims to finish strong
The Plum football team, for the second year in a row, will cap its season Friday with a nonconference matchup against Indiana. The Mustangs last year went out with a bang in a 46-27 victory over Indiana which saw the now-graduated Eryck Moore set the career-yards record for a Plum...
Senior captain wraps up North Hills career having made mark on volleyball program
Giana Cutenese is putting the final touches on her high school volleyball career. And while it’s one that may not finish with championships or deep playoff runs, it is one to be proud of for the North Hills senior. A defensive specialist/libero, Cutenese has started all four of her high...
North Hills sophomore making music on, off tennis court
The first word that North Hills tennis coach Amy Myers uses to describe Ellie Kim is “composed.” And that certainly is an important attribute for the various activities that Kim has going on in her life, and will have going on in the future. The Indians’ sophomore is a standout...
North Allegheny notebook: Soccer teams among top seeds in WPIAL playoffs
North Allegheny’s unbeaten girls soccer was awarded the No. 1 seed for the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs on Oct. 18. The Tigers (18-0) will host Mt. Lebanon (10-5-2) in the opening round Thursday (Oct. 26) at Newman Stadium. The Tigers capped the regular season with a 6-0 win over Norwin...
‘Young and hungry’ North Allegheny takes ice with new-look roster
Only a sophomore, Luke Walkauskas skates on one of North Allegheny’s top lines, where he’s joined by two more 10th graders in Brendan White and Eddie Scherer. Yes, they’re young, but they’ll fit right in with this year’s youthful lineup. The NA hockey team has only seven seniors, but they’ll...
Franklin Regional’s Tyler Kapusta looking to be a King of the Mat
Franklin Regional senior Tyler Kapusta missed the Super 32 Wrestling Tournament on Oct. 21 because he was in the school’s homecoming court hoping to be crowned King. He’s already the wrestling team’s King of the Mat. Kapusta, who committed to wrestle at Bucknell last November, is also hoping to be...
Fox Chapel golfer David Fuhrer happy to end high school golf career with state medal
David Fuhrer felt fulfilled after competing at the Penn State Blue Golf Course last week as part of the PIAA Class 3A championship. The Fox Chapel senior had wrapped up his first appearance on the state’s biggest stage. While Fuhrer felt he had missed opportunities to score better, he was...
With healthy lineup, Fox Chapel boys eager to open WPIAL playoffs
Heading into the WPIAL Class 4A soccer playoffs won’t provide a major intimidation factor for the Fox Chapel boys soccer team. After surviving Section 1-4A play and grabbing the fourth playoff spot, Foxes coach Erik Ingram is relieved to have a full lineup available. Through the season, Fox Chapel spent...
City League football roundup: Westinghouse heads back to championship game
Lloyd Penn caught a pair of touchdown passes from Khalil Green to lead defending champion Westinghouse to a 42-18 victory over No. 4 Allderdice (1-8) in the City League semifinals Friday night at Cupples Stadium. The top-ranked Bulldogs (8-0) led 7-6 at halftime before pulling away in the second half....
WPIAL Class A football roundup: Kole Olszewski tosses 4 TDs as No. 3 Bishop Canevin clinches playoff berth
Kole Olszewski threw for 325 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 3 Bishop Canevin to a 41-7 Class A Black Hills Conference win at OLSH (4-5, 3-3) on Friday night. Jayden Lindsey caught four passes for 154 yards for the Crusaders (7-1, 5-1), who clinched a playoff spot with...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Oct. 20, 2023
High schools Football Friday’s results WPIAL Class 6A Central Catholic 42, Seneca Valley 7 Class 5A Allegheny Six Bethel Park 49, South Fayette 29 Upper St. Clair 43, Moon 42 (2OT) Big East Gateway 48, Norwin 20 Plum 38, Hempfield 20 Northeast Penn Hills 14, Shaler 0 Pine-Richland 28, Woodland...
WPIAL Class 2A football roundup: Keystone Oaks upsets No. 1 Washington
Dimajio Locante scored his second touchdown of the game on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter to lift Keystone Oaks to a 21-14 upset win over top-ranked Washington (8-1, 4-1) in the Class 2A Century Conference on Friday night. The Golden Eagles (5-4, 3-2), who clinched a playoff spot...
WPIAL Class 3A football roundup: West Mifflin freshman Armand Hill runs for 495 yards, 5 TDs
Freshman Armand Hill ran for 495 yards and five touchdowns to lead playoff-bound West Mifflin to a 42-7 victory over Hopewell (1-8, 0-5) in Class 3A Western Hills Conference play Friday night. Hill’s total is the second-highest single-game rushing total in WPIAL history behind Mapletown’s Dylan Rush, who ran for...
Pine-Richland’s punishing ground game too much for Woodland Hills
There is nothing fancy about Pine-Richland’s wildcat offense and by now, it could hardly catch anyone by surprise. These Rams won a state title a year ago by having their running back take direct snaps and barreling ahead. Yet, it keeps working. “What is comes down to, really, is who’s...
WPIAL Class 4A football roundup: Jack Fennell scores 6 times in North Catholic victory
Jack Fennell ran for 252 yards and five touchdowns and returned a kickoff 82 yards for another TD to lead North Catholic to a 42-6 Class 4A Greater Allegheny Conference win against Indiana (2-7, 0-6) on Friday night. The Trojans (5-4, 4-1) clinched a playoff berth with the win. Fennell...
