High School category, Page 552
For 2nd straight December, The Birdie labors over a Westmoreland County state final pick
Last week: 0-1 Season: 106-29 (78.5%) This is the last Birdie column of the season, and the gridiron guru is getting emotional. Or are those crocodile tears? “Look, I admit I’m glad another season is coming to an end so I can take some vacation time. … I need it,”...
Defending state champion Aliquippa draws PIAA finals rematch with Bishop McDevitt
Aliquippa started a sophomore at quarterback and a freshman at running back in the state finals last season while opponent Bishop McDevitt had a freshman behind center that day. So, no, this rematch isn’t a surprise. Defending champion Aliquippa (13-0) faces runner-up Bishop McDevitt (12-1) in the PIAA Class 4A...
Trib HSSN high school football state rankings for Dec. 7, 2022
The PIAA football playoffs are down to 12 teams as the season approaches the final weekend. The six state championship games, no longer held at Hersheypark Stadium, will be played Thursday-Saturday at Cumberland Valley in Mechanicsburg. Aliquippa in Class 4A and Southern Columbia in 2A are the only defending champions...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 7, 2022
High Schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Wednesday’s results Nonsection Ambridge 45, Riverside 44 Avonworth 85, Carrick 35 Butler 75, Eden Christian 66 Carmichaels 52, McGuffey 46 Jeannette 54, East Allegheny 51 Latrobe at Geibel, (n) North Catholic 54, Seneca Valley 53 Seton LaSalle 76, Serra Catholic 59 Shaler 79, Perry Traditional...
High school roundup for Dec. 7, 2022: Mt. Pleasant wrestling wins opener
No. 4 Mt. Pleasant rallied from an early deficit to defeat Albert Gallatin, 48-27, in a Section 2-2A wrestling match Wednesday night. The Vikings (1-0, 1-0) got pins from Greg Shaulis (139 pounds), Jamison Poklembo (145), Kolton Turek (152), Ty Hornick (160) and freshman heavyweight Dylan Pitzer along with three...
Freeport sophomore headlines swim season in A-K Valley
Freeport’s Kira Schrecongost didn’t let the bright lights and pressurized atmosphere of the WPIAL Class 2A swimming championships get to her last year as swam to gold in the 100-yard butterfly and second in the 200 individual medley as a freshman at Pitt’s Trees Pool. She followed that up with...
Plans to expand, strengthen PIAA competitive-balance rule rejected by board
MECHANICSBURG — Plans to revamp the competitive-balance formula were rejected Wednesday by the PIAA board, meaning only football and basketball teams are still impacted by the rule — and only those that add too many transfers. The PIAA board voted 18-10 against a proposal that expanded the rule to include...
After PIAA approves NIL policy, Laurel Highlands’ Rodney Gallagher quickly adds 1st deal
MECHANICSBURG — The vote was only a couple of hours old when Laurel Highlands senior Rodney Gallagher announced the first NIL deal for a PIAA athlete. Pennsylvania high school students can maintain their amateur status and accept money for use of their name, image and likeness under a groundbreaking policy...
Pine-Richland seniors aim to cap careers as state champions
The seniors on the Pine-Richland football team have an opportunity to complete their story arc in grand style. They were sophomores when the Rams won the 2020 state title. Since then they’ve gone through coaching changes in back-to-back offseasons, but under the direction of Jon LeDonne they’ve found their footing....
Union vies for 1st PIAA championship against veteran Steelton-Highspire
The list of firsts for the Union Area football program continues to grow. The Scotties won their first outright WPIAL championship, were the first double-digit seed to play in or win a Class A football title. On the way, Union defeated a county foe in the playoffs (the first time...
Westmoreland County girls basketball notebook: Mt. Pleasant’s Zelmore hits 1,000 the hard way
Tiffany Zelmore reached 1,000 career points, and the Mt. Pleasant senior did so in fewer games than most who achieve the milestone. Mt. Pleasant only played 20 games during Zelmore’s freshman and sophomore seasons and has only made the playoffs once during her career. So she has scored over 1,000...
Hempfield girls get off to quick start with hustle, composure
Two games is a small sample size. But to Hempfield, it can reveal a lot. With hiked-up expectations this season based on success in the offseason, Hempfield won its first two games for a sweep at the Fayette County Tournament at Connellsville. “We played with a lot of energy throughout...
Landon Urcho scores 1,000th point in Bentworth win over Jefferson-Morgan
Bentworth’s Landon Urcho needed just four points Tuesday night to reach the 1,000-career point milestone. That was the easy part. The hard part … the senior guard had to battle foul trouble, playing with four fouls most of the second half, and lead the Bearcats to a 51-45 victory over...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 6, 2022
High Schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Tuesday’s results Nonsection Allderdice 56, Gateway 47 Baldwin 72, Thomas Jefferson 58 Beaver 84, Burgettstown 33 Belle Vernon 58, Steel Valley 35 Bentworth 51, Jefferson-Morgan 45 Brentwood 70, South Side 31 Burrell 74, Indiana 67 California 66, Beth-Center 39 Propel Braddock Hills 62, Carrick 34...
High school roundup for Dec. 6, 2022: Woodland Hills holds off McKeesport in thriller
Chaz Cobbs scored 16 points to lead Woodland Hills to a 59-57 nonsection boys basketball victory Tuesday night, fending off a McKeesport shot at the buzzer that would have tied the score. Scoop Smith assed 11 points for the Wolverines (2-0). Travarese Rowe scored 26 points and Caiden Holtzman had...
Foster, Highlands boys race past Shady Side Academy
While most of us were chomping down turkey dinners on Thanksgiving Day, Bradyn Foster was sneaking into the gym working on his shooting. The extra work paid off as the Highlands junior scored a career-high 31 points Tuesday night as the Golden Rams rolled past Shady Side Academy, 92-53. Junior...
Norwin girls top Penn-Trafford to remain undefeated
Tori Sydeski is often the last girl out of the gym at Norwin basketball practices. “I don’t count how many shots. I just like to end on a make,” the senior guard said. Sydeski didn’t light up the scoreboard — no one did in this game — but the Knights’...
WPIAL Team Wrestling Rankings for Dec. 6, 2022
Here are this week’s WPIAL team wrestling rankings. Teams are listed with overall record. Class 3A 1. Waynesburg (0-0) 2. Latrobe (0-0) 3. Canon-McMillan (0-0) 4. Connellsville (0-0) 5. Franklin Regional (0-0) 6. North Allegheny (0-0) 7. Hempfield (0-0) 8. Bethel Park (0-0) 9. Butler (0-0) 10. Penn-Trafford (0-0) Teams...
WPIAL wrestling notebook: Bethel Park, Plum headline Eastern Area Invitational
Bethel Park had one champion and 10 placewinners to grab the team title at the Eastern Area Invitational on Saturday at Gateway High School. The Black Hawks finished with 212 points. Plum followed with 195 and Penn-Trafford was third with 174.5. Bethel Park’s champ was Mason Kernan (133 pounds). Placing...
WPIAL well represented on PVCA all-state girls volleyball teams
The Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association recognized the top players from each of the four girls volleyball classifications Tuesday with the release of the all-state selections. Five members of the team from North Allegheny, which captured its sixth straight Class 4A state title with a 3-1 win over Garnet Valley on...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 5, 2022
High Schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Monday’s results Laurel Tournament Ellwood City 61, Laurel 46 Nonsection Aquinas Academy 64, Propel Andrew Street 45 Armstrong 64, Leechburg 50 Greensburg Central Catholic 87, Ligonier Valley 39 Hopewell at Freedom, ppd. Neighborhood Academy 70, Carrick 42 Southmoreland 75, Frazier 38 Springdale 66, Valley 63...
High school roundup for Dec. 5, 2022: Greensburg CC beats Neshannock in early season girls showdown
Freshman Erica Gribble scored 23 points to lead Greensburg Central Catholic to a 61-56 victory over Neshannock in an early-season girls basketball matchup of ranked teams Monday. Mya Morgan added 14 points, and Avery Davis had 11 for the Centurions (3-0). Megan Pallerino scored 15 points, and Mairan Haggerty had...
Aquinas Academy tops St. Joseph, makes early statement in Class A girls basketball
The St. Joseph girls basketball team hoped to build on Friday’s victory over Class 4A Belle Vernon at the Play 4 Mae Tournament at Woodland Hills as it hosted Aquinas Academy on Monday in an early season clash of top five Class A teams. But those hopes were dashed by...
This week on Trib HSSN for week of Dec. 5, 2022
The fall sports season comes to a close this week with the PIAA football championships at Cumberland Valley. Plus, Trib HSSN will carry broadcasts of several boys and girls basketball games, as well as hockey games and wrestling matches. Here’s a look at this week’s broadcast schedule: Tuesday, Dec. 6...
Veteran football coach Tom Loughran resigns after 8 seasons at Fox Chapel
After 40 seasons as one of the WPIAL’s winningest football coaches, Tom Loughran has stepped down at Fox Chapel. Loughran won 210 games in his career, one of just 34 coaches in the league’s 117-year history to reach that plateau. In 1997 and in 2005, his South Park teams won...
