High School category, Page 450
2023 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Laurel Highlands’ Antwan Black Jr.
Editor’s note: This is the ninth in a series of 25 profiles of the members of the Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team. With elite players Rodney Gallagher and Keondre DeShields as teammates, it’s easy to be overlooked on a football field. Laurel Highlands’ Antwan Black Jr. wasn’t bothered by...
Rule change would allow high school catchers to receive signs from bench via device
Fox Chapel catcher Mitchell Epstein hopes to hear voices during his senior season on the diamond. The National Federation of State High School Associations approved a rule revision during its June 4-6 meeting in Indianapolis that would allow for the use of a one-way communication device between a coach in...
Yough’s Kendalyn Umbel commits to play soccer at YSU, won’t play high school season
Like a penalty kick in a shootout, Kendalyn Umbel has lined up her Division I college soccer future — with two years left in her high school career. Umbel, a rising junior at Yough who does not plan to play for the high school team this season, announced a verbal...
Faith Remich hits ground running as Burrell’s new cross country coach
Faith Remich has come full circle. The running standout got her start as a freshman at Burrell and was member of the Bucs cross country team when the program was started in the fall of 2015. Remich, who enjoyed a stellar career in both cross country and track and field...
2023 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Aliquippa’s Tiqwai Hayes
Aliquippa four-star running back Tiqwai “Tikey” Hayes is no longer an underclassman to watch whose commitment day is years down the road. Hayes will soon get to choose from a slew of Division I offers, including Ohio State, Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Louisville, Michigan, Maryland, Syracuse,...
North Allegheny again dominates competition in winning Class 6A Trib Cup
Last year, North Allegheny won another HSSN Trib Cup, but the 500-point margin of victory was closer than most years for the black and gold. The dynasty continued in the district’s highest classification as NA once again crushed the competition in Class 6A to win the 2022-2023 Trib Cup by...
Longtime Southmoreland coach, teacher Brian Pritts takes on athletic director role
It was a promotion Brian Pritts was proud to accept. A true “Southmoreland guy” would be. Pritts is set to take over as athletic director at Southmoreland, his alma mater and a place where he has taught and coached since 1995. The former Southmoreland girls basketball coach had been the...
2023 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Mt. Lebanon’s Connor Young
Watching game film of last season was Mike Collodi’s way to learn quickly about the Blue Devils roster he inherited after Mt. Lebanon hired him as football coach. No. 55 caught his eye. At 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, lineman Connor Young certainly looks the part of a future Division I...
Westmoreland Saints youth football program folds as Greensburg Central Catholic starts flag, middle school programs
An ordinary Friday turned into All Saints Day. When news began to travel last week that the Westmoreland Saints youth football program out of Greensburg was folding, former players took to social media to pay their respects to the middle school-level team. The Saints are stepping aside now that Greensburg...
New Hampton athletic director Mike Gavlik brings vast experience to position
Mike Gavlik has formed a straightforward philosophy during his two decades as a high school athletic director. It’s all about the kids. “At the end of the day, the decisions that are made should be about the student-athletes,” Hampton’s new AD said. “I think that applies across the board. As...
Inaugural WCCA baseball showcase draws larger turnout than expected
When the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association approached Mike Draghi about hosting a baseball showcase, he didn’t hesitate in saying yes. The veteran Westmoreland County Community College coach told them that if they could get 25 players to attend — being this was the first year — he would consider that...
2023 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: North Allegheny’s Tyree Alualu
A popular trend in football is an effort to de-emphasis the physical aspect of the game, such as NFL Pro Bowl flag football and 7-on-7 summer leagues. That might be OK for some, but not for North Allegheny senior Tyree Alualu. He is an old-school throwback who thrives on the...
3rd annual ‘Pack the Park’ game to open volleyball season with celebration of the sport
Dakoda Fickes knows all about the feel of playing an outdoor volleyball match on a grass court. The new head coach of the Kiski Area girls volleyball team also is involved with a sports recreation business that puts together and runs outdoor grass tournaments. So there is no doubt he...
2023 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin
Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of 25 profiles of the members of the Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team. When it came time to make his college decision, Quinton Martin operated on his own terms. No news conference. No three hats lined up on a table....
Sewickley Academy lacrosse defender delivers important message about mental health
Lauren Retzlaff, a sophomore defender on the 2023 Sewickley Academy girls lacrosse team, will be campaigning for a serious cause during the upcoming school year. The 17-year-old Retzlaff will serve as an ambassador for Morgan’s Message and plans to start a chapter at Sewickley in the fall. Morgan’s Message is...
Sewickley Academy 3-sport athlete eager to fill expanded role on diamond next season
Jordan Smith is filled with inspiration for his 2023-24 senior year at Sewickley Academy. Smith is a three-sport athlete, participating in baseball, basketball and golf. He will be a fourth-year starter in baseball as a pitcher/infielder. “Jordan has grown as a young man and player here at Sewickley Academy and...
Penn Hills club team to get up-close look at professional rugby
The Penn Hills club rugby team has been steadily building its reputation since the program’s inaugural season following the pandemic. Coach Matt Rosemeyer has been looking to help grow the program by encouraging his players to keep involved in the sport. Many members of the Big Red team will be...
WPIAL champion Richland QB earns posthumous Hall of Fame induction
Keith Buterbaugh can still remember running routes in the backyard while his brother Mike threw him the ball. Younger brother Joe Buterbaugh took it all in and was happy to catch some passes when called upon. Both got an up-close look at their brother’s work ethic and passion for sports....
Franklin Regional soccer players join select team for national tournament in Florida
A handful of Franklin Regional boys soccer players were set to compete on a national stage. The 05 BVB International Academy Premier team, coached by former Franklin Regional coach Thomas Louisy, traveled Florida to play in the United States Youth Soccer National Championship Series. The Franklin Regional players on the...
Hampton runner sparkles with Firecracker 5K win
Hampton’s Chris Belch put on a display on the Fourth of July. The 17-year-old won the 18th Hampton Rotary Firecracker 5K, holding off his older brother, Michael, in the 3.1-mile, 126-runner race. “That’s probably the biggest race that I’ve ever won,” the younger Belch said. “I had a lot of...
2023 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Gateway’s Brad Birch
The Gateway football team’s 2022 season ended sooner than expected with a close WPIAL Class 5A first-round home loss to Upper St. Clair at Antimarino Stadium. While the returning Gators players, including senior quarterback Brad Birch, said they learned a lot from that game and from the season overall, they...
Montour edges Belle Vernon for Class 4A Trib Cup in tight race
For years, Montour has come close but could not seal the deal on raising a Trib Cup championship. The chase is now over as we salute and toast the new Class 4A winners from the West Hills. The HSSN Trib Cup is a yearlong competition in 25 varsity sports to...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Latrobe out to defend 7-on-7 title
Route-runners and defensive backs will exchange moves, and quarterbacks will sharpen their downfield throws Thursday when the 12th Westmoreland County Coaches Association Larry Sellitto Memorial 7-on-7 Passing Tournament returns to Greater Latrobe High School. Sixteen teams will compete for the title beginning at 9 a.m. on four turf fields. Rossi...
Ozanam Summer League celebrates 55 years of big-time basketball, important life lessons
Karen Hall, a former basketball player at UNLV, is the assistant executive director and notable graduate of the Ozanam summer basketball league in the Hill District. She has also coached at Northeastern Illinois and North Carolina A&T. Hall made it known that the Ozanam league would not be around today...
Kiski Area’s Fickes eager to open his 1st season as varsity volleyball coach
Dakoda Fickes is in his first season as the girls volleyball coach at Kiski Area, but not that long ago, he ran some memorable practices at the school’s gym. After the 2022 season, Fickes helped make the inaugural We Serve First All-Star Classic a success. Along with Kiski Area assistant...
