High School category, Page 542
Bob Palko, 9-time WPIAL champion, resigns as Mt. Lebanon football coach
Thirteen months after celebrating a state championship with the Blue Devils, Bob Palko has resigned as Mt. Lebanon’s football coach to focus attention on concerns away from the field. “I’ve got some personal health issues I need to deal with,” he said Friday. “It’s nothing like I’m going to die,...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Jan. 5, 2023
High schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Thursday’s results Class 3A Section 3 Ligonier Valley 46, Apollo-Ridge 31 Class A Section 3 Summit Academy 72, Hillel Academy 33 Nonsection Propel Andrew Street 48, Calvary Christian 21 Shenango 63, Wilmington 29 North Catholic 79, Winchester Thurston 37 Friday’s schedule Class 6A Section 1...
High school roundup for Jan. 5, 2023: Upper St. Clair beats Mt. Lebanon in section showdown
Kate Robbins netted a game-high 20 points to lead Upper St. Clair to a 57-39 victory over Mt. Lebanon in a matchup of top teams in Section 2-6A girls basketball Thursday night. Paige Dellicarri added 12 points on four 3-pointers and Rylee Kalocay scored 11 for the Panthers (8-2, 3-0)....
Hot-shooting North Catholic girls hold back Greensburg Salem
Greensburg Salem likes to turn out the lights for its player introductions at home games. The full spotlight effect. North Catholic left the Golden Lions in the dark in the third quarter Thursday night in a matchup of top-five girls basketball teams in WPIAL Class 4A. Greensburg Salem smelled an...
Greensburg Central Catholic girls rally late to hand Serra Catholic its 1st loss
Serra Catholic was knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten while on the road against Greensburg Central Catholic on Thursday night. The Eagles led by five with 1 minute, 27 seconds left in the third quarter before being limited to six points down the stretch in a 47-43 loss to...
3 players score in double digits as Highlands girls hold off Freeport for 3rd straight win
The Highlands girls basketball team went three for three Thursday in a Section 1-4A matchup at Freeport. Three players scored in double figures as the Golden Rams won their third game in a row with a 55-44 victory over the Yellowjackets at Freeport Middle School. “We just had to execute...
Latrobe’s Vinny Kilkeary gets chance to become 3-time champion at WCCAs
Latrobe senior Vinny Kilkeary returned to the Wildcats starting lineup Wednesday and will get a chance to be a Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association three-time champion. He would become the 58th wrestler in the 70 years of the tournament to win three county titles. Kilkeary (5-0) hadn’t wrestled since the Hickory...
After solid start, Freeport boys look to tighten up defensively for section games ahead
As the Freeport boys basketball team gets ready to dive into the heart of section play, second-year coach Sean Devinney is looking for a more consistent commitment to defense. It’s no surprise with Devinney’s background as a former assistant to Zach Skrinjar at Fox Chapel, a team known for its...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 6, 2023: New Castle, Butler to meet for section lead
They are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the WPIAL’s highest boys basketball classification, just like they were 30 years ago. On Friday, top-ranked New Castle (1-0, 9-0) will host Butler (1-0, 9-1) for at least an early share of first place in Section 1-6A. While this is an...
PIHL mourns death of commissioner John Mucha
PIHL commissioner John Mucha, the top administrator for high school hockey in Western Pennsylvania, has died. League president Jack Kukan, who described him as a strong leader with a business-like approach to finances, said Mucha died Thursday while traveling to New York City. Mucha, 63, was hired four years ago...
Jeannette girls snap 51-game losing streak
Jeannette had been close. The girls basketball team lost by three to Geibel, and was dealt five-point losses to Propel Montour, Sto-Rox and Hundred, W.Va. But on Wednesday night, the Jayhawks finally broke through. The team broke a 51-game losing streak with a 68-13 home victory over Hillel Academy, a...
Greensburg Salem rookie coach learns lessons, brings fresh approach to team
Often, as he coaches his first season at Greensburg Salem, Cam Auld finds himself reverting back to the not-too-distant past when he was a high school basketball player. He puts himself on the outside of the huddle looking inward. “You put yourself back in that time,” the Golden Lions’ 24-year-old...
Westmoreland County boys basketball notebook: Tourette syndrome can’t slow Greensburg Salem leading scorer
At first glance, Ryan Burkart does not look like he would be Greensburg Salem’s leading scorer. The 6-foot junior guard is not the fastest player and doesn’t jump higher than many of his opponents. His demeanor is reserved, his voice low. But don’t let looks deceive you. Burkart manages to...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 5, 2023: South Hills rivals to square off
They met three times last season. Now these two South Hills girls basketball powers are set to mix it up for the first time in 2023 with first place at stake. Defending Class 6A district champion Mt. Lebanon (3-0, 7-3) visits Route 19 neighbor Upper St. Clair (2-0, 7-2) on...
Trib 10: Basketball power rankings make season debut
Last year proved that when it comes to high school basketball, it’s not the size of the school but how much gold it won that matters. When the dust settled following the PIAA basketball championships in which nine WPIAL teams participated, a pair of Class 2A squads were alone on...
Rosters announced for 2023 PIHL all-star games
Hempfield’s Nick Bruno and Bishop Canevin’s Ryan Saginaw, two of the PIHL’s top scorers, are among 210 players selected for the league’s all-star games. The five games are Jan. 29 at RMU Island Sports Center on Neville Island. The D2 game starts at noon, with Class A Gold at 1:40...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Jan. 4, 2023
High schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Wednesday’s results Class 3A Section 3 Ligonier Valley at Apollo-Ridge, ppd. Class A Section 2 West Greene 58, California 54 Section 3 Imani Christian 51, Neighborhood Academy 44 Nonsection Nazareth Prep at New Brighton, (n) Northgate 81, Hopewell 49 Union 62, Slippery Rock 38 City...
High school roundup for Jan. 4, 2023: Quaker Valley wrestlers beat Montour in thriller
Kris Brown (189) won by fall and Chase Kretzler (215) took a 3-0 decision in the final two bouts to lead Quaker Valley to a 29-28 Section 3-2A win over Montour on Wednesday night. Bruce Anderchak (106) picked up a pin, Brandon Krul (126) and Marcus Richey (152) won by...
Latrobe wrestlers bring home emotional win for Mears family
It’s been a tough week for the Latrobe wrestling team. The Wildcats had to wrestle a huge WPIAL Section 4 (3A) first-place showdown against Hempfield without coach Mark Mears, who was home with wife, Mary, after she was released from the hospital after suffering a heart attack Saturday. But freshman...
Kiski Area wrestling continues dominance over rival Armstrong
Kiski Area extended its recent dominance of Armstrong on Wednesday night in a high school wrestling series involving neighboring rivals along the border of Westmoreland and Armstrong counties. The Cavaliers completed their third consecutive no-doubt victory over the visiting River Hawks, handing Armstrong its first loss, 48-21. “It was a...
Young Plum girls team might be finding way in new year
Rich Mull saw ups and downs from a youthful Plum girls basketball team in his first season as coach last year. The Mustangs finished outside of the playoff mix for the first time in six seasons. The still young team, with just forward Dannika Susko and guard Cam Rogers as...
Marko Thomas resigns position as Greensburg Central Catholic football coach
With four young sons, including a 1-year-old, and three of them active in multiple sports, Marko Thomas decided it was time to be a dad instead of a coach. Thomas told his players Tuesday he has resigned as head football coach at Greensburg Central Catholic after two seasons. Thomas, 42,...
Nelly Cummings’ brother, Brandin, becomes 1st from class of ’24 to commit to Pitt
Within hours, Pitt coach Jeff Capel received two doses of good news from one family when Lincoln Park junior guard Brandin Cummings said he plans to enroll after his 2024 graduation. 1000% committed! ???????? #H2P @Pitt_MBB pic.twitter.com/WNyhcYp97Y— Brandin Cummings (@ambition___3) January 4, 2023 Cummings (6-foot-3, 170 pounds) is rated a...
Regardless of rankings, Norwin girls have look of WPIAL title contender
When Brian Brozeski played football at Blairsville in the late 1990s, his team was ranked No. 1 in its classification and was considered one of the top teams in the state. But even then, the lofty rating didn’t sit well with Brozeski, who is now the girls basketball coach at...
Westmoreland County girls basketball notebook: Tiffany Zelmore, Mt. Pleasant teammates thriving
WPIAL scoring leader Tiffany Zelmore continues to put up impressive numbers. But don’t label Mt. Pleasant a one-girl team. How can it be? The Vikings are 9-2 overall and 1-0 in Section 3-3A. “It’d be easy to say on paper that we’re one-dimensional,” coach Scott Giacobbi said. “That would be...
