High School category, Page 518
North Hills girls take significant step forward
The 2022-2023 North Hills girls basketball season was one built around learning. That includes the team’s players, as well as its new coach. But those lessons — even the tough ones — paid off late in the year and could have the Indians’ program bound for something much bigger in...
North Allegheny notebook: Tigers runners shine at indoor meet
North Allegheny’s girls mile relay team re-set their school record Feb. 12, at a Tri-State Track Coaches Association indoor track and field meet at Edinboro. Members of the 1,600-meter relay — Isabella Costa, Chloe Reed, Ginger Tegtmeier and Mackenzie Winning — won the event in 4 minutes, 9.51 seconds. Maya...
North Allegheny girls regroup during long layoff before WPIAL Class 6A playoffs commence
WPIAL schedule-makers gave the North Allegheny girls almost two weeks off before the basketball playoffs, but the Tigers didn’t take a vacation. There were 11 days between the team’s regular-season finale and its playoff opener Feb. 23. Whether that downtime was good or bad for a team depends on what...
Franklin Regional boys swimmers win 27th section title, turn focus to WPIALs
The Franklin Regional boys swimming team captured its 27th section title with a victory against Latrobe on Feb. 9. Now the boys turn their focus to the WPIAL individual swimming and diving championships. The diving portion is Feb. 25 at North Allegheny. The swimming side is March 2-3 at Pitt’s...
Family motivates Fox Chapel junior in quest for postseason wrestling success
Josh Alexander had one of his brothers work on lighting a fire underneath him. With the Alexander family, there is a lot of successful family history on the wrestling mat. Both of Alexander’s brothers wrestled at Maryland, and his father competed at Clarion. The 139-pound Fox Chapel junior who is...
Fox Chapel swimmers stay motivated to collect more medals
Fox Chapel swimming coach Dan Taylor wants to make sure every year that the swimming team finds different ways to challenge its athletes. Fox Chapel has a high percentage of kids who seldom leave the pool, taking part in club competition as well as high school events, so it is...
WPIAL Hall of Fame induction a bittersweet moment for Bethel Park’s Emily Carter
Emily Carter seems like a humble person. In the pool, she became resolute. Thanks in large part to her talent and tenacity as a Bethel Park swimmer, Carter will be inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame this spring as part of the 2023 class. She competed for four years...
Bethel Park sophomore earns high marks at WPIAL rifle championships
Bethel Park’s Freddy Mach proved to be a top marksman at the WPIAL rifle championship Feb. 9 at the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen’s Club in Canonsburg. Mach, a sophomore who was born in Japan, finished as the WPIAL runner-up with a score of 200-18x and five center targets in the co-ed...
Allderdice, Obama Academy gear up for City League title game at Duquesne’s Cooper Fieldhouse
Ethan Anish always enjoyed the thought of being able to play a game at Duquesne University’s gymnasium. When Anish takes the court for Allderdice at 2 p.m Sunday UPMC’s Cooper Fieldhouse for the City League boys basketball championship game against Obama Academy, he will add more roots to his deep...
Norwin notebook: Alex Thomas sparks streaking hockey team
The playoff-bound Norwin hockey team made it four wins in a row as the Knights batted away Indiana. Alex Thomas had three goals and an assist, and Dom Cerilli scored twice in a 5-2 victory for the Knights (14-4-1) on Feb. 9. Burmeister made 24 saves for Norwin, which welcomed...
Norwin pole vaulter lands with Division I track program at Northeastern
Pole vaulting was, in the beginning, nothing more than a harmless suggestion to Hannah Shaw. Now, it’s her passion. And it has landed her a spot with a Division I college program. Shaw, a senior at Norwin, will continue her track and field career at Northeastern, a Colonial Athletic Association...
Aquinas Academy fencing seeks dual success with boys, girls teams
Aquinas Academy fencing coach John Carroll got right to the point when asked about his expectations this season. “I’m pretty confident,” he said, “that we are going to do well.” The Aquinas Academy boys team returns one starter from the 2022 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Fencing Association runner-up, while the school’s girls...
Hampton infielder Addy Maguire inks with Edinboro
When Addy Maguire showed up for Hampton softball tryouts as a freshman three years ago, coach Ron Fedell was baffled. “I had no idea that she was even out there,” Fedell said. “The first time I saw her in the gym, I saw her move and I saw her hit,...
Small School East-West all-star game roster includes 16 from WPIAL, City League
Pitt recruit Braylan Lovelace of Leechburg and future Miami (Ohio) lineman Greg Smith of Steel Valley were among 16 WPIAL and City League players selected for the Small School East-West all-star game this year. The roster was announced Saturday. The East-West event consists of two games May 21 at Bishop...
Experienced backcourt leads No. 4 Gateway past Woodland Hills in WPIAL playoff opener
A backcourt led by experienced guards is a time-tested formula that works in March Madness, but it also wins games here in the WPIAL playoffs. Gateway coach Alvis Rogers can attest to both. Gators senior Jaydon Carr scored 20 points, senior Kaleb Pryor had 11 and fourth-seeded Gateway leaned on...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Feb. 18, 2023: Class 3A girls get Saturday spotlight
It used to be the busiest day in the WPIAL basketball postseason. The first Saturday of the district hoops playoffs had afternoon doubleheaders, and in some cases, tripleheaders of preliminary or first-round contests. However, lately, the district has tried to avoid Saturday games as many of the top officials also...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 17, 2023
High schools WPIAL championships Boys Class 6A Quarterfinals Feb. 24 schedule Norwin (14-8) at New Castle (20-2), 7 p.m.; Butler (14-7) at Mt. Lebanon (15-7), 7 p.m.; Seneca Valley (9-12) at Upper St. Clair (14-8), 7 p.m.; Baldwin (12-10) vs. Central Catholic (13-9) at Gateway, 7 p.m. Class 5A First...
No. 11 Fox Chapel knocks off Thomas Jefferson, sets up rematch with North Hills
Despite Thomas Jefferson earning the sixth seed in the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs and the right to host No. 11 Fox Chapel in first-round action Friday night, it was all Foxes as they dominated in a 62-45 upset victory. Fox Chapel (14-9) took full advantage of the cold-shooting Jaguars (15-8)...
High school roundup for Feb. 17, 2023: Mars makes statement with first-round victory
Tasso Sfanos scored 26 points and Ryan Ceh added 18 to lead seventh-seeded Mars to a decisive 76-40 victory over No. 10 Bethel Park in a WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball first-round game Friday night. Mars (15-8) jumped out to a 23-9 lead after one quarter. The Fightin’ Planets will...
Elijah Hill, South Fayette score hard-earned Class 5A win over Shaler
South Fayette forward Elijah Hill was held in check for most of the night by the Shaler defense, but when push came to shove, the senior proved who the king of the hill was. Hill hit a short shot with eight seconds left that turned out to be the game...
Peters Township survives scare from Penn-Trafford in Class 5A first round
Those who thought No. 1 Peters Township would have an easy first-round game in the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs forgot to tell No. 16 Penn-Trafford. Peters Township (20-3) used a big first half and then held on to defeat a gritty Penn-Trafford squad, 66-55, on Friday at home. The Indians...
Monessen’s Gardner hits 1,000 points in playoff win vs. Western Beaver
When he was younger, Monessen’s Lorenzo Gardner would look at the 1,000-point banner in the high school gym and dream of adding his name to that milestone list. The junior forward did just that Friday night at home and in the playoffs. Gardner made the milestone hoop late in the...
North Hills fends off first-round challenge from Kiski Area
Kiski Area’s valiant effort to pull a major upset ultimately fell short Friday night at North Hills. The No. 14-seeded Cavaliers led after three quarters, but No. 3 North Hills got key baskets from Royce Parham and Eric James down the stretch to escape with a 76-71 win in the...
Erica Gribble leads Greensburg CC to dominant win over California in WPIAL 2A 1st round
“Just go play.” That was the advice Erica Gribble gave herself as she prepared for the first high school basketball playoff game of her blossoming career. The Greensburg Central Catholic freshman guard didn’t flinch — nor did several of her teammates who tasted the WPIAL playoffs for the first time...
A-K Valley basketball playoff preview capsules for games of Feb. 18, 2023
WPIAL basketball playoffs Girls Class 3A First round 11-Mohawk (14-8) at 6-Apollo-Ridge (19-3) Noon Saturday at Apollo-Ridge High School, Spring Church Winner plays: Winner of 14-Charleroi (11-9) at 3-Neshannock (16-6) in quarterfinals Wednesday (site and time TBD) Players to watch: Erynne Capalbo, Mohawk; Brinley Toland, Apollo-Ridge Layup lines: Mohawk is...
