High School category, Page 439
Allderdice eyes return to top of City League
In the last decade, the Allderdice football program has made eight appearances in the City League championship game. The Dragons hope to return again to avenge their loss to the state runner-up Westinghouse. They have navigated the offseason without coach Jerry Haslett at the helm for all workouts. Haslett suffered...
Butler looking for District 10 gold this fall before returning to WPIAL in ’24
After enjoying its best football season in 24 years in 2021, Butler was looking to build on that success last fall with several key players returning. After a hot start, the season got away with six consecutive losses, including a 55-point setback against McDowell in the District 10 Class 6A...
Brownsville seeks end to long losing streak
Baby steps. For Brownsville, taking a patient approach appears likely to be the best method for attempting to halt a long losing streak and reverse the negative trend plaguing the school’s once-proud football program. So says second-year coach Scott “Skooter” Roebuck, whose first season resulted in an 0-8 record that...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the new coaches
TribLive HSSN broke down the top players at one position per day leading up to Week Zero. Now, here’s a look at the top coaching changes for the 2023 season. 1. Ryan Lehmeier Central Catholic Lehmeier, a former offensive coordinator at Seneca Valley and Pine-Richland, is a first-time head coach....
Albert Gallatin looking to find success as an independent
In 2021, the independent Albert Gallatin football program enjoyed one of its best seasons in decades, finishing 6-2. It was a solid turnaround for a group of seniors who began their scholastic career on a team that went 0-10 and was outscored 479-46. With a lot of new faces in...
Connellsville’s 1st season with 3 coaches lays foundation for future success
The 2022 season brought a lot of change to the Connellsville football team. Instead of going with one coach, Connellsville employed three head coaches to help facilitate the overall improvement of the program. Under the direction of coaches Chad Lembo, Jace McClean and Mick Lilley, the Falcons were able to...
Frazier hoping to take next step in rebuilding process
For the Frazier football team, a few years of struggles have certainly taken their toll on a proud program. However, coach Mike Shannon doesn’t believe the Commodores have to stay down for long. After a winless season in 2021, they took a step forward by earning a win in 2022....
Laurel Highlands begins post-Rodney Gallagher era with confidence
In 2019, two eras of Laurel Highlands football began simultaneously. That was the season that Rich Kolesar began his tenure as head coach of the Mustangs, while talented freshman Rodney Gallagher arrived on the scene. A 2006 Laurel Highlands graduate, Kolesar enters his fifth season of leading the Mustangs while...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 24, 2023
High schools Football Nonconference Friday’s schedule Albert Gallatin at Connellsville, 7 p.m. Allderdice at North Allegheny, 7:30 p.m. Apollo-Ridge at Leechburg, 7 p.m. Avonworth at Grove City, 7 p.m. Bethel Park at North Hills, 7 p.m. Blackhawk at Beaver Falls, 7 p.m. Brashear at Baldwin, 7 p.m. Brentwood at Ellwood...
2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the specialists
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top specialists for the 2023 season. 1. Bennett Henderson Upper St. Clair Senior, 5-11, 170 Henderson kicked a WPIAL-best 10 field goals last season, following up a sophomore season...
Move to independent schedule paying off for Uniontown
In 2021, the Uniontown football team swapped WPIAL competition for an independent schedule that school administrators hoped would spark the struggling Red Raiders to success. So far, it seems to be working. “It’s been a good situation for us,” coach Keith Jeffries said. “One, we’re getting the numbers; our numbers...
A-K Valley girls soccer preview: Springdale returns strong core in bid for repeat
Springdale coach Marc Bentley can’t help but smile when thinking back to last fall and his team’s run to the WPIAL Class A championship game at Highmark Stadium and its trip to the PIAA quarterfinals. “It was such a great experience for the girls, especially knowing how hard they worked...
Westmoreland high school football notebook: Craggette gets comfortable at Southmoreland
Da’sjon Craggette looked comfortable during a few training camp drills, making plays and laughing with his new teammates at Southmoreland. “It’s gone better than I could have imagined,” said Craggette, a senior running back and safety who transferred from Greensburg Central Catholic — by way of Geibel, which does not...
Trib HSSN don’t-miss high school football matchups for 2023 Week Zero
As Billy Preston sang in his 1974 hit song Nothing from Nothing, “Nothin’ from nothin’ leaves nothin’.” That still holds true today, unless we’re talking about zero. In the case of a high school football schedule, zero means a whole lot. This is the eighth season that the PIAA has...
High school teams go high tech: Local football programs invest in innovative tools
North Allegheny’s Art Walker has coached long enough to remember when filming practice required a bulky camcorder and tapes. “When I started, it was VHS and then the smaller tapes and then DVDs,” said Walker, who is entering his 26th season as a head football coach. “Now the video is...
Westmoreland County girls soccer preview: Mt. Pleasant primed for more playoff success
After a WPIAL runner-up season that included a trip to the PIAA Class 2A girls soccer semifinals, Mt. Pleasant is primed for another postseason push. The Vikings, who went 21-3, could have the best lineup their soccer program has seen, and with it, speed, technique and a sense of belonging...
A-K Valley boys soccer preview: Deer Lakes planning encore after ‘special year’
The most successful boys sports year in Deer Lakes history began with the boys soccer team’s run to its second WPIAL title in three years last fall. A pair of freshmen combined for the winning goal as Peyton Kushon passed to Jacob Orseno, who scored in overtime to lift the...
Westmoreland County boys soccer preview: Trevor Kovatch back to lead young Belle Vernon
Fifteen players accounted for points, and 11 scored goals last season for Belle Vernon’s boys soccer team. The balanced production led the Leopards to a section title and a WPIAL Class 3A playoff spot. While they will be young this season, the Leopards still could bounce the ball around and...
Antonio Marra looking for injury-free season at Yough
Antonio Marra’s high school football career at Yough has not gone as planned. Injuries have sidelined the talented senior wide receiver. He played in only four games during the 2022 season before a broken ankle ended his season. Before the injury, he caught two passes for 113 yards and a...
Valley playmaker Darnell Coaston grows into leadership role
Darnell Coaston proudly wears blue and white Penn State receiver gloves during Valley football practices. It isn’t a secret that the Nittany Lions are his favorite college football team, and it would be a dream come true to play in Happy Valley. But if another school were to offer him...
Through the years: Kiski Area opened Richard J. Dilts Stadium with victory
Each week throughout the high school football season, the Valley News Dispatch will take a look back at the games, players and events that have shaped local scholastic history. Kiski Area christened Richard J. Dilts Stadium on the school’s campus with a 24-9 victory over defending City League champion Allderdice...
With less star power, more balance, Serra Catholic in position to contend again
Two seasons removed from winning a WPIAL championship, Serra Catholic will be leaning on its returning experience and strong line play to once again soar to those heights. There are obvious concerns because dynamic skill players like quarterback Elijah Ward and wide receiver Amire Spencer graduated, but coach Jose Regus...
Ringgold hoping to kick-start rebuilding process
Sometimes when a team falls on hard times and is at the bottom of the standings, the only way to look is up. Second-year Ringgold coach Marcus McCullough is hoping to rebound from a winless campaign in 2022 and start an upward climb in Class 4A. “No doubt, it was...
Next generation of playmakers ready to take over at McKeesport
Every year, McKeesport heads into a new campaign with the goal of winning a conference title and having success in the WPIAL playoffs. The Tigers have to replace key contributors on both sides of the ball, but that doesn’t lessen the expectations surrounding the group of players returning for the...
Elizabeth Forward out to maintain high standards after coaching change
While there’s a new leader at the helm of the Elizabeth Forward football program, expectations aren’t going to change for the Warriors. “They’ve been on a roll, and they’ve had a lot of success, so I don’t see that stopping now,” said John DeMarco, who enters his first season as...
