High School category, Page 534
After battling multiple injuries, Pine-Richland wrestler ready to ‘break some brackets’
Vaughn Spencer soaked in the moment after recording a pin in his first varsity match last week. It’ll likely be the first of many pins in his Pine-Richland career, but it will always have a special place for the sophomore after what he’s gone through to get back on the...
Plum swimmers seeing results after ‘intense holiday training’
Plum swim coach Shawn Haupt chuckled when he talked recently about the vibe among the boys and girls team members as some “moaning and groaning” with a lot of tiredness from some heavy-duty practice sessions. “But that happens every year around this time,” he said. “And every year, when I...
Plum gymnast Sarah Kvortek ups degree of difficulty in quest for more success
Sarah Kvortek smiles when she thinks back to last year’s PA Classic state title in the all-around at Moon High School. “It was just a really great moment, almost surreal for me because I never thought I would be a state all-around champion,” said Kvortek, a Plum senior whose 2021-22...
North Hills swim team welcomes students from across globe
North Hills swimming coach Nicole Loutsenhizer leads student-athletes in the pool. But she also feels as if she could take charge of a Model UN class nowadays. Her team is nothing if not diverse. “We have six swimmers who were born in or are from a different country,” said Loutsenhizer,...
North Hills hockey looking to build toward Penguins Cup championship
North Hills began the 2022-23 PIHL hockey season with a trio of overtime games. The Indians won the first two, then suffered a disappointing setback in a 5-4 loss to Avonworth on Oct. 24. But since then, no one in Class A has been better than North Hills, which has...
North Allegheny notebook: Tigers upset top-ranked Central Catholic
The Central Catholic boys basketball team had moved to the top spot in the Trib HSSN rankings following wins over New Castle, Butler and Lincoln Park. On Jan. 17, North Allegheny crashed the Vikings’ party, upsetting Central Catholic, 62-46, at UPMC Court. Joey Dopirak scored 15 points, Ty Iwanonkiw hit...
North Allegheny wrestling great Ray Brinzer to join WPIAL Hall of Fame
Ray Brinzer writes software and manages databases as a computer programmer, which seems a world away from a wrestling mat for one of the WPIAL’s all-time greats, but the former North Allegheny star can see similarities. “The common thing for me is complexity,” said Brinzer, a 1990 graduate who’ll be...
Franklin Regional junior enjoying breakthrough season
Point guard Cooper Rankin saw limited varsity time last season as he played primarily on the junior varsity team at Franklin Regional. What a difference a year can make. All of a sudden, he is one of the go-to scorers for the varsity Panthers. The breakthrough player of the year...
Franklin Regional notebook: Pair of Panthers win county wrestling titles
Two Franklin Regional wrestlers captured championships at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Championships earlier this month at Greensburg Salem. Gavyn Beck and Juliano Marion walked off the mat with titles at 160 and 189 pounds. Beck scored a 7-1 decision over Wyatt Schmucker of Latrobe in the finals, while Marion...
Hampton coach encouraged by team’s effort despite early struggles
Hampton first-year hockey coach Buck McKee is short on wins and players, but he has an abundance of one thing — optimism. “I’m really excited about Hampton hockey moving forward,” he said. “We’re doing with what we have. They are making leaps and bounds, and I couldn’t be prouder of...
Hampton girls bowling team provides low-pressure fun
It was supposed to be all fun and games. Two-time all-state volleyball player Emmy Schrom joined Hampton’s bowling team as a freshman because she knew it would be enjoyable. Junior Charlotte Lomb, the school’s starting softball pitcher, joined this season as a welcomed distraction from the pressures of travel ball...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 21, 2023: Basketball teams ready for a challenge
Mostly everybody loves a challenge. That will be the case for nearly two dozen area boys and girls basketball teams Saturday as they participate in The Challenge at three different sites. Here is the schedule for The Challenge at Allderdice: • Girls: Oakland Catholic (13-2) at Allderdice (7-9) at 12:30...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Jan. 20, 2023
High schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Friday’s results Class 4A Section 1 Knoch 58, Greensburg Salem 31 Section 2 Blackhawk 72, Hopewell 27 Lincoln Park 76, Beaver 59 North Catholic 80, Ambridge 51 Class 3A Section 1 Neshannock 93, Freedom 37 Ellwood City 63, New Brighton 51 Riverside at Beaver Falls,...
High school roundup for Jan. 20, 2023: Cruce Brookins powers Steel Valley to key section win
Cruce Brookins scored 40 points to lead Steel Valley to a 73-65 victory over Seton LaSalle in a matchup of Section 2-3A boys basketball contenders Friday night. Makhai Valentine added 25 for the Ironmen (7-9, 5-2). Connor Spratt led the Rebels (4-9, 3-4) with 37 points. Allderdice 68, Obama Academy...
Serra Catholic boys stage yet another rally, get past Jeannette
Apparently, all Serra Catholic needs is a double-digit deficit to stir things up and inspire the team. It’s becoming second nature for the Eagles to rumble to life in the second half. The Eagles trailed Riverview by 14 at halftime. They won. They were down 16 at the break against...
Greensburg CC boys avenge loss to Riverview with big 2nd half
It was a date circled on the calendar at Greensburg Central Catholic, a chance to avenge its only section loss in boys basketball. On Friday night at GCC, the first-place Centurions evened the score with Riverview, erupting in the second half to erase a six-point deficit and beat the Raiders,...
Shady Side boys rally past Burrell in matchup of Section 3-3A leaders
At halftime, Shady Side Academy coach David Vadnais told his team it was a gift that they were still within striking distance after only scoring 12 points in the first half. He challenged his group to shoot the ball with confidence. Standout junior guard Eli Teslovich stepped up, and the...
Thomas Jefferson sophomore making noise at Allegheny County wrestling tournament
When the topic is Thomas Jefferson competitors at the Allegheny County Wrestling Championship, the name everyone brings up is sophomore Maddox Shaw. But opponents are quickly finding out that there is more to TJ than Shaw. Fellow sophomore Bode Marlow is quietly making a name for himself. Marlow (26-5) opened...
Kiski School to host weekend prep basketball showcase
The Kiski School will host an impressive lineup of teams and players for a boys prep basketball showcase this weekend. The Great Atlantic Conference Showcase will be Saturday and Sunday in Saltsburg. Admission is free. The schedule is as follows: Saturday — Westtown (14-8) vs. Scotland Campus (10-6), 1:15 p.m.;...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Jan. 19, 2023
High schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Thursday’s results Nonsection Brownsville 42, Jefferson-Morgan 26 Carlynton 52, Central Valley 41 Monessen 57, East Allegheny 41 McKeesport 64, Steel Valley 57 Summit Academy 75, Apollo-Ridge 23 Friday’s schedule Class 4A Section 1 Knoch at Greensburg Salem, 7:30 p.m. Section 2 Blackhawk at Hopewell, 7:30...
High school roundup for Jan. 19, 2023: Jasmine Timmerson scores 1,000th point in North Allegheny win
Pitt recruit Jasmine Timmerson scored 14 points to reach the 1,000-point mark for her career as North Allegheny defeated Hempfield, 59-44, in Section 1-6A girls basketball Thursday night. Caroline Henderson scored 15 points for the Tigers (9-4, 4-1). Sarah Podkol led the Spartans (7-9, 1-4) with 17 points. Albert Gallatin...
Woodland Hills takes care of Franklin Regional in section showdown
Woodland Hills flinched, but only slightly, when Franklin Regional cut a 16-point Wolverines advantage to five early in the third quarter. No worries here, the visitors thought. The Wolverines didn’t give away the lead. They cauterized it. Hope Hawkins had a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Carmen...
North Catholic girls rally to sink Highlands in key section matchup
North Catholic girls basketball coach Molly Rottman knew Thursday’s rematch between her Trojanettes and host Highlands would not be as one-sided as the first Section 1-4A meeting Dec. 15 when North Catholic won by 28 points. This time, the Golden Rams slowed the pace in the first half and, with...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 20, 2023: 2nd half of section season tips off
While there are plenty of nonsection basketball games on the WPIAL boys basketball schedule, some teams will tip off the second half of the section schedule Friday. The first half of the section schedule ended in a three-way tie for first place in Section 3-3A. Two of those tied teams...
In middle of breakthrough season, Burrell boys get ready for key section showdown
At the halfway point of the season, Burrell boys basketball finds itself in a first-place tie in Section 3-3A with Deer Lakes and Shady Side Academy. Considering the Bucs only had one returning starter, it’s a pretty good spot to be in, and now they are looking to make good...
