High School category, Page 439

Six hundred miles separate the University of Wisconsin from Western Pennsylvania, but the Badgers’ football coaches keep attracting WPIAL recruits to Madison. The latest was Pine-Richland’s Ryan Cory, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive lineman who’ll be a senior in the fall. Cory on Tuesday announced his Wisconsin commitment on Twitter. He’ll...

Mallory Heinle Ketterer knows the Freeport girls basketball program inside and out. She spent the past four years as an eighth-grade coach and varsity assistant to Fred Soilis. That experience, she hopes, will serve her well as she continues to transition in her new role as Freeport’s new girls head...

When Tina Madison talked about her team’s prospects and potential strengths at the start of the season, she couldn’t help but mention the emerging talent coming down the pipeline. The Hempfield softball coach didn’t try to hide anyone, either. The future is now for a budding group of newcomers. “There...

The three biggest classifications produced perfection for WPIAL teams in the opening round of the 2023 PIAA softball playoffs. The three lower classes, not so much. WPIAL softball teams in Class 6A, 5A and 4A were a combined 7-0 on Monday in the first round of the state playoffs. It...

The first round of the 2023 PIAA baseball playoffs produced a mixed bag for WPIAL teams. The big bags were dominant as Class 6A and 5A teams from District 7 were a combined 5-0. Teams in the other four classifications were a combined 4-10. Four WPIAL champions — Mt. Lebanon...

Baseball and softball aren’t the only spring sports winding down with the start of the PIAA postseason. Boys volleyball and boys and girls lacrosse begin their state playoffs Tuesday. In Class 3A boys volleyball, North Allegheny has won four straight state championships. The last time the Tigers did not win...

High schools Baseball PIAA championships Class 6A First round Monday’s results Central Bucks West 3, Wilson 0 Father Judge 6, Plymouth-Whitemarsh 2 North Penn 10, Hazleton 0 Liberty 6, Avon Grove 5 Cedar Cliff 9, Abington 0 North Allegheny 11, McDowell 5 Spring-Ford 3, Central 1 Mt. Lebanon 4, Manheim...

For having just made history, it seemed like business as usual for the Neshannock softball team after a 9-0 shutout of visiting Penns Valley on Monday in a PIAA Class 2A first-round playoff game. That’s probably because the Lancers have been in the business of nothing but winning these last...

Ian Temple hit an RBI single during a three-run first inning and belted a solo home run in the fifth, leading Penn-Trafford to an 8-5 upset win over Central Mountain, the top-ranked team in the state, in the first round of the PIAA Class 5A baseball playoffs Monday. Temple, Brody...

BELLEFONTE — Oh so close. The Latrobe baseball team came a few feet short of pulling off a dramatic comeback in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs Monday at Governor’s Park. The Wildcats’ rally came up one run short as they lost to District 6 champion Bellefonte,...

FISHERTOWN, Pa. — Southmoreland’s bats remained virtually silent in the postseason for a second time in a row Monday, and the Scotties’ softball season ended with a 4-1 loss to Chestnut Ridge in a PIAA Class 3A first-round game. Chestnut Ridge (17-3), champion of District 5, moves on to play...

Eight miles was how far Mt. Lebanon traveled to reach Boyce Mayview Park, the site of Monday’s state playoff game. That’s the perk for winning a WPIAL title. In comparison, Mt. Lebanon’s opponent rode a bus more than four hours from Lancaster County, and that long journey surely played a...

MIFFLINTOWN — With Fordham-bound junior Liz Gaisior in the circle for Juniata and senior Katie Armstrong, a Gannon commit, throwing for Burrell, an old-fashioned pitchers’ duel was expected Monday in a PIAA Class 3A first-round game at Juniata High School in Mifflintown. That is what came about over the seven...

Less than a week after winning the fifth WPIAL title in program history, the Belle Vernon softball team survived and advanced in its PIAA tournament opener Monday afternoon. The Leopards scored four pivotal insurance runs and managed to fend off a late rally by District 3’s Trinity to come away...

Sisters Maggie and Lauren Howard are a couple of years apart in age and class, but they look alike, talk alike and, to Hempfield’s delight, play alike. The Hempfield siblings had a key impact on Monday morning’s PIAA Class 6A playoff opener against visiting Mifflin County, combining to go 4...

Every year, dozens of high school athletes in Western Pennsylvania continue their careers in sports like football, basketball, soccer or baseball at the college level. But for one senior in Westmoreland County, her sport of choice is far from traditional. Greensburg Salem’s Aubrie Loughner spends her time out of school...

Even though only one baseball team in each classification gets to celebrate a title at the end of the year, members of the Freeport baseball program can’t be too upset with how their season turned out. After winning only five games in each of the last two seasons, the Yellowjackets...

For as long as he can remember, Plum senior Carson Svidron has been a catcher. “Honestly, I liked having as much gear as possible when I was younger because I thought it was fun to wear,” Svidron said. “Growing up, I kept getting better and better at it, and no...

The WPIAL and the other 11 district baseball and softball playoffs are in the books. All of the winners, along with some of the runners-up and consolation survivors will now turn their full attention to the PIAA diamond postseason over the next two weeks, starting Monday. Baseball Two WPIAL baseball...

Greensburg Central Catholic softball coach Mike Gaffney has been coaching the Centurions for 12 seasons. He doesn’t allow things to bother him that he can’t control. His focus is on his team and how it is performing. So, after the Centurions (14-3) were beaten by No. 1 Neshannock, 15-0, in...

Talk about one and done. WPIAL Class 6A softball coaches think something needs to change. Only the champion, Hempfield (18-3), moved on to the PIAA playoffs, meaning the semifinal and title-game losers were done for the year. In other classifications, the top three or four finishers advanced to the state...