High School category, Page 555
Freshman Stephens banks in 3-pointer at buzzer to lift Plum girls to win over Freeport
The bank was open late for Riley Stephens, and the Plum freshman made a deposit she won’t soon forget. Stephens’ 3-point shot at the buzzer deflected off glass and went in to give the Mustangs a come-from-behind 49-48 victory over Freeport on Friday in the second game of the Freeport...
Deer Lakes boys stumble vs. Shaler in Albie Fletcher’s head-coaching debut
Shaler boys basketball coach Rob Neiderberger won’t assign a grade to his Shaler team after an opening-night victory, but the veteran coach was pleased with some of things he saw. Four players scored in double figures, and the Titans took the lead for good late in the first quarter en...
Trib HSSN 2022-23 WPIAL Class A girls basketball preseason breakdown
Bishop Canevin captured its fifth WPIAL championship in the past seven seasons last winter and will open this season as the favorite again. The Crusaders have four returning starters and lots of playoff experience. But several other Class A teams reached the postseason a year ago and are looking to...
Trib HSSN 2022-23 WPIAL Class A boys basketball preseason breakdown
One of the most revered records in WPIAL sports in on thin ice on the Class A hardwood this season. Aquinas Academy scoring machine Vinnie Cugini is back for his senior year, having already racked up 2,078 points in his career. The WPIAL scoring record has stood since Valley’s Tom...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 1, 2022
High Schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Friday’s schedule Aquinas Academy Tournament Cheswick Christian at Aquinas Academy, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh Christian Academy vs. Hillcrest Christian Academy, 8:30 p.m. Armstrong Tournament Geibel vs. Kiski Area, 4:30 p.m. Grove City at Armstrong, 7:30 p.m. Baldwin/Peters Township Tournament Altoona at Peters Township, 7:30 p.m. Chartiers...
High school roundup for Dec. 1, 2022: Landgraff nets pair as Armstrong tops Thomas Jefferson
Brayden Landgraff scored twice and Dylan Morris made 23 saves to lead Armstrong to a 2-1 victory over Thomas Jefferson in PIHL Class 2A hockey Thursday night. Wyatt Tutak contributed a pair of assists for Armstrong (7-1). Jake Stock scored for Thomas Jefferson (3-5). Avonworth 4, Chartiers Valley 2 –...
Starting 5: A primer for high school hoops season in the A-K Valley
The WPIAL basketball season opens Friday. Here are some of the top players, teams and storylines to watch this winter in the A-K Valley. Boys 5 players to watch Mackey Bennis, Jr., G, Burrell: With four starters lost to graduation, including VND first-team all-star Brandon Coury (21.9 points per game),...
In storied Aliquippa football history, could these Quips show they’re best with another PIAA title?
There’s always room to debate which Aliquippa football team was the best in school history. With 19 WPIAL titles and four state championships, there are plenty of options to consider. In the state championship era, the Quips won their first PIAA title in 1991 with Ty Law as a senior....
Starting 5: A primer for high school hoops season in Westmoreland County
The WPIAL basketball season opens Friday. Here are some of the top players, teams and storylines to watch this winter in Westmoreland County. Boys 5 players to watch Adam Bilinsky, Sr., G, Norwin: A Mercyhurst recruit with hops, the 6-foot-3 Bilinsky is a tough matchup who has elevated his game...
PIAA Class A semifinal preview: Union vs. Port Allegany
PIAA Class A semifinals Union (12-3) vs. Port Allegany (12-1) 7 p.m. Friday at Clarion University On the air: TribHSSN.triblive.com How they got here: WPIAL champion Union defeated Bishop Canevin, 26-0, in the District 7 final. District 9 champion Port Allegany beat District 10 champion Reynolds, 42-8, in the PIAA...
PIAA Class 2A semifinal preview: Steel Valley vs. Westinghouse
PIAA Class 2A semifinals Steel Valley (12-0) vs. Westinghouse (13-0) 7 p.m. Friday at West Mifflin On the air: 100.1 FM, 1020 AM How they got here: WPIAL champion Steel Valley defeated Beaver Falls, 34-14, to win the District 7 title. City League champion Westinghouse rolled past District 10 champion...
Westmoreland County basketball notes: Coaching reunion at Norwin tournament
Norwin will host a tip-off tournament to open boys basketball season Friday. The two-day event will be more like a reunion for three opposing coaches. Norwin coach Lance Maha, Jeannette’s Adrian Batts and Dale Chapman of Steel Valley used to coach together at West Mifflin. Batts and Chapman are Maha’s...
Central Catholic football coach Terry Totten resigns after 18 seasons, 6 WPIAL titles
When Central Catholic football coach Terry Totten officially met with his players one final time Thursday, he showed them the watch on his wrist and told them how it just keeps ticking. You can’t speed it up or slow it down, Totten explained, and after 18 years as head coach,...
Belle Vernon’s Braden Laux makes impact on both sides of the ball
The more you watch Belle Vernon play, the more logical the question becomes. Is Braden Laux a quarterback who also plays defensive end, or a defensive end who also plays quarterback? Depends on who you ask. The defensive coaches claim him like a native son. “We had him first, then...
Pine-Richland draws PIAA semifinal opponent that rarely passes
The football itself is usually an essential piece of practice equipment, but when Pine-Richland’s scout-team offense took the field this week, coach Jon LeDonne had the group run plays without one. Coaches come up with creative ways to practice when they run into a team like District 3 champion Cocalico,...
Trib HSSN 2022-23 WPIAL Class 2A girls basketball preseason breakdown
Last year’s WPIAL finalists Neshannock and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart have moved up to Class 3A, leaving Class 2A open for new contenders. One of those contenders will be Freedom, a WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A finalist last year that bumped down via PIAA realignment. Here is a...
Trib HSSN 2022-23 WPIAL Class 2A boys basketball preseason breakdown
Jake DiMichele is at First Love Christian Academy. OLSH is playing in Class 3A. It might sound harsh, but the rest of the WPIAL Class 2A field is no long playing for second place, which must be a refreshing change of pace after the reign of terror the Chargers visited...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 30, 2022
High schools Bowling WPIBL Wednesday’s results Boys Freeport 7, Riverview 0 Top series: Dylan Granata, Colin Cummings (F) 556; Noah Prosky (R) 329 St. Joseph 7, Apollo-Ridge 0 Top series: Aidan Dehnert (SJ) 596; Jordan Abell (AR) 592 Shaler 4, North Allegheny 3 Carlynton 7, Bishop Canevin 0 Blackhawk 7,...
Belle Vernon’s Viva Kreis takes home national High School Heisman honors
In 1994, the Heisman High School Scholarship was created to extend the Heisman Trophy’s prestige from college football to the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors. Now, Westmoreland County is home to one of the winners. Belle Vernon senior Viva Kreis is the female recipient of the 2022 Heisman High...
Mt. Pleasant wrestlers plan to reload, compete for section title
Mt. Pleasant wrestling team missed its goal last season of winning a WPIAL Class 2A title. But fourth-year coach Zach Snyder said reaching the final four in the WPIAL was something the 2022-23 squad can build on. With the change in section alignments moving Mt. Pleasant to Section 2, the...
WPIAL Class 2A wrestlers to watch in 2022-23
WPIAL Class 2A wrestlers to watch: Rune Lawrence, Frazier The junior (67-4) earned his second WPIAL and PIAA titles at 172 pounds last year. He was 37-3 as a sophomore and has 40 career pins. His brother Thayne was a PIAA two-time champion. Grant MacKay, Laurel The senior (119-18) was...
WPIAL Class 2A wrestling preview: Burgettstown takes preseason favorite role
For the first time in 15 years, Burrell isn’t necessarily the wrestling team to beat in WPIAL Class 2A. That honor goes 2022 third-place finisher Burgettstown. The Blue Devils are the pick because they return 10 starters, including five PIAA qualifiers, from a squad that finished 15-3. Two of the...
Time to play The Birdie’s favorite game show: Leopardy!
The Birdie Last week: 1-0 (100%) Season: 106-28 (79.1%) This … is … Leopardy. The Birdie is a gameshow host this week as he preps for Belle Vernon’s first PIAA playoff game in 27 years. He wants to test your Leopards knowledge on the eve of their matchup with Martinsburg...
Burrell wrestling team aims to start new streak of WPIAL titles
The Burrell wrestling team is determined to get back on the top step of the podium. The Bucs’ incredible streak of 15 consecutive WPIAL titles came to an end last year with a 30-28 loss to Quaker Valley in the Class 2A final, but the goal is to start a...
Trib HSSN 2022-23 WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball preseason breakdown
What will Neshannock do for an encore? After winning back-to-back WPIAL Class 2A girls basketball championships, the Lancers will look for a three-peat as they move up to Class 3A. Lancers coach Luann Grybowski, who won the 700th game of her career and was named the state’s Class 2A coach...
