High School category, Page 473

Antonio Cordiero and Gavin Kelly homered to lead Central Catholic to an 8-6 victory over Hempfield in Section 2-6A baseball Monday. Cade Clister doubled twice for the Vikings (3-2, 1-0). Colin Polechko had a double for Hempfield (2-3, 0-1). Avonworth 15, Sto-Rox 0 – Jacob Hanney homered and drove in...

Whether Freeport’s Michael Hanz will keep making a jump or eventually flame out is a common question for potential phenom baseball pitchers. After all, Hanz is one of those rare young fellows whose fastball touches the upper-80s and who is capable of consistently throwing the rest of his arsenal for...

Franklin Regional pitcher Carli Ramchandran didn’t give up any hits through five innings of Monday’s Section 2-5A opener at Kiski Area. The Panthers senior surrendered a first-inning walk, but the runner was eliminated attempting to steal second. Cavaliers catcher Isabella Delia led off the bottom of the sixth with a...

Greensburg Central Catholic soccer standout Kyler Miller accepted a preferred walk-on offer from Robert Morris, extending his playing career to the Division I level. The senior forward will have a roster spot and can earn scholarship money later. “It means everything to me,” he said about fulfilling his dream of...

Greensburg Central Catholic’s baseball team went 7-3 in section play last season, losing in the second round of the WPIAL playoffs to Leechburg. This year, the competition has gotten even steeper, as the Centurions have moved up from Class A to join Jeannette, Ligonier Valley, Serra Catholic, Brentwood, Riverview and...

This week marked an important time in the spring sports calendar: the start of section play for baseball. And in Leechburg, the Blue Devils are looking to build on the success they had last season to become one of the teams to beat this year. Among the players on the...

Shaler and Latrobe maintained their spots at the top of the Class 3A and 2A boys volleyball rankings, respectively, as the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association released its Week 3 polls Monday. There wasn’t a great deal of movement in either poll. But the biggest jump this week came from...

Eighteen years ago, Steve Lodovico applied to be Blackhawk’s boys basketball coach, hoping to replace his legendary mentor John Miller, who was retiring. Instead, the school offered Lodovico the girls program. “I really wanted the boys job at that point, so I turned it down,” he said. “I didn’t want...

High schools WPIAL Baseball Monday’s schedule WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Allderdice at Seneca Valley, 4 p.m. Butler at Pine-Richland, 4 p.m. Section 2 Hempfield at Central Catholic, 4 p.m. Mt. Lebanon at Canon-McMillan, 4 p.m. Norwin at Baldwin, 4 p.m. Class 5A Section 1 Armstrong at Penn-Trafford, 4 p.m....

Brian Junker knows what a championship baseball team looks like after leading Shaler to WPIAL Class 5A gold in 2019. It’s early in the season, but this Titans team looks special as the calendar turns from March to April. “I love this team. I love these kids,” Junker said. “Everyone’s...

While many teams in the lower classifications began section play last week, most WPIAL baseball teams will start their section schedule Monday. The three defending district champions are slated to begin section action. In Class 6A, 2022 champion Mt. Lebanon might be thrilled to start in Section 2-6A after going...

Some young district pitchers don’t mind pitching in the early season chill known as March baseball. They feel it gives them an edge over the hitters. Don’t count Chartiers-Houston senior Ryan Opfer among them. “I prefer it hot actually,” Opfer said. “I prefer 90 degrees over 50 degrees to be...

Like most exceptional athletes, Erin Exler Bish seemed to be at her best at the most crucial moments. “You would want me at the plate when the game was on the line,” the Harmar native said. Whether it was in the batter’s box or pitcher’s circle, Bish’s penchant for performing...

Before we turn the house and or yard over looking for Easter eggs, we have a couple more days of spring scholastic sports to take us to the holiday this week here on the TribLive High School Sports Network. Trib HSSN continues our coverage of WPIAL softball and baseball with...

The Gateway boys volleyball team accomplished big things last spring with the program’s first section title since 1986 and also getting to within an eyelash of making the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals. The Gators led 10-time WPIAL champion Ambridge 2-1 in their quarterfinal contest at North Allegheny. But the Bridgers...

Gateway ruled the bracket for the WPIAL Section 1-3A singles tournament last week at Franklin Regional High School. Sophomores Adam Memije and Zidaan Hassan are no strangers to tennis tournament competition, having grown up in the sport for the better part of the past decade. But both are new to...

Quaker Valley football coach Jason Cappa doubles his duties as coach of the Quakers softball team. “Coaching a softball team compared to coaching a football team is not any different in the way of preparation and coaching,” Cappa said. “We will always work on fundamentals, athletic growth in terms of...

A last-second buzzer beater. That’s how the Quaker Valley girls basketball team’s 2022-23 season came to a crashing end. Quaker Valley lost a 40-37 decision to Harbor Creek in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A tournament as Georgia Weber hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Huskies,...

Achan Green doesn’t think about the timing anymore. The Penn Hills junior hurdler knows when he’s on the track, he is able to tackle each step with the right approach. Before last season, Green didn’t do the hurdles much. However, whenever Green gave the event a go, he qualified for...

The Penn Hills fitness team has continued to pile up an unprecedented number of accolades over the past few months. In March, Jaydn Wright became the first male athlete in program history to finish in first place in back-to-back events. Wright finished with 470 points out of a possible 500...

Youth will be serving for the Pine-Richland boys volleyball team this spring. It’ll also be hitting, digging, setting and doing pretty much everything on the court. The Rams will have a lineup made up entirely of freshmen and sophomores who have shown potential as they are adjusting to the speed...

It took a bit for the Pine-Richland boys lacrosse team to achieve results last year, but once the Rams got going, they went on a heater before ultimately falling in the first round of the playoffs to Penn-Trafford. Second-year coach Dave Offner believes the Rams can take another step forward...

The Plum volleyball team’s final Class 2A match last year was a close five-set contest against Thomas Jefferson in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs. The No. 8 Jaguars edged the No. 9 Mustangs, 3-2, to advance to the quarterfinals. Suddenly, Plum’s season was over. The Mustangs left Class...

Shaler bested North Allegheny in the Derry boys volleyball tournament championship match in a battle of two of the top contenders in Class 3A on Saturday. The Titans took down Penn-Trafford in the semifinals and Meadville in the quarterfinals. The Tigers beat Latrobe in the semis and Altoona in the...

High schools WPIAL Softball Saturday’s results Nonsection Burrell 2, Moore Catholic (NY) 0 Oak Harbor (OH) 8, Burgettstown 4 West Allegheny 21, Fulton (KY) 1 West Allegheny 7, Miami East (OH) 6 Track and field Saturday’s results South Hills Classic At Baldwin Boys 100: 1. Will Coleman, Allderdice, 11.27; 2....