High School category, Page 557
St. Joseph boys motivated by last year’s brush with playoffs
St. Joseph coach Hart Coleman doesn’t have to look too far to find a way to motivate his group. He can point to one game against Neighborhood Academy last February. The Spartans led for most of the way only to see it slip away late and end in a 61-59...
Southmoreland boys to rely on toughness to get back into playoffs
After missing out on the WPIAL playoffs last season, Southmoreland boys basketball coach Frank Muccino is predicting the Scotties will be better this year. Good enough for a return to the postseason, where Southmoreland recently was a staple before last season? Muccino thinks so, if … “The big issue will...
PIHL standings through Nov. 27, 2022
Here are the latest PIHL high school hockey standings through Sunday: Team – Wins – Losses – Overtime/Shootout Loss = Total Points Class 3A North Allegheny, 7-2-0 = 14 Seneca Valley, 6-1-1 = 13 Central Catholic, 6-2-0 = 12 Peters Township, 5-1-0 = 10 Cathedral Prep, 5-4-0 = 10 Baldwin,...
Coach Ron Prady doesn’t want Latrobe football to be 1-hit wonder
Things couldn’t have gone much better for Latrobe football coach Ron Prady during his first season. The Wildcats finished 7-5 and reached the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals. The remarkable season included the program’s first seven-win season since 2001, the first winning season since 2011, the first playoff win since 1968...
Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Franklin Regional’s Matt Knizner
Coming off of back-to-back runner-up finishes, Franklin Regional’s hockey team is hoping to make a third PIHL finals appearance this season. The only difference is, it wants to be the one to win the Penguins Cup this time around. With 12 seniors graduating after last year, that will not be...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Freeport’s Jake Suwan
The Freeport hockey team is working hard early on in the season, facing three tough losses but quickly battling back to put together a four-game winning streak. Among the talented players on the roster is senior defensemen Jake Suwan. “The first three games were arguably the hardest games of the...
Valley goes through growing pains in Dave Heavner’s 1st season
Dave Heavner wanted to make being a member of the Valley football team centered around expectations. Showing up and working hard at practice wasn’t going to be the be-all, end-all. To stick around, Heavner wanted the Vikings to show they were committed. “We put some rules and regulations into place,”...
Gateway girls basketball looks to use team approach to get back on track
For the last several seasons, the Gateway girls basketball team has had one or two top-level players on the roster — a scorer or two who could fill up the stat sheet before matriculating on to the next level to play high-end college basketball. Players like Lexi Jackson, Dynasty Shegog,...
Gateway hopes to carry momentum of playoff run into new season
After an impressive playoff run for the Gateway boys basketball team a season ago, things will look a bit different on the hardwood in Monroeville in 2022-23. The Gators upset third-seeded Mars in the WPIAL quarterfinals, gave eventual runner-up New Castle a game in the semifinals and knocked off WPIAL...
New coach expects Sewickley Academy girls to adopt defensive identity
The Sewickley Academy girls basketball team has a new head coach. She is not new to the program, however. Jill Capozzi has taken over as head coach after serving as an assistant to Mark Gaither last season. “I left teaching and coaching to raise my children and last year got...
Returning contributors have Quaker Valley girls in position to make noise
Last season was a learning experience for the coaches and players on the Quaker Valley girls basketball team. The Quakers advanced to both the WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A playoffs in Ken Johns’ first year as floor boss. This season, QV is looking to make more noise in the section,...
Penn Hills girls basketball eager to get back on course
Hannah Pugliese doesn’t need to dig into the history books to know what the tradition of the Penn Hills girls basketball program means. All she has to do is talk to volunteer assistant coaches Desiree Oliver and Jade Ely, who have been helping the team out in the preseason. Both...
Penn Hills boys look to use playoff run as springboard
The Penn Hills boys basketball team got a jolt from what it did beyond the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs last season. While the Indians didn’t bring home a PIAA crown, Penn Hills did leave a remarkable wave behind it during the state tournament. The Indians knocked off Lampeter-Strasburg and East...
PIAA announces semifinal sites, times for state football playoffs
The Pine-Richland football team has a two-hour bus ride this weekend and Aliquippa has a three-hour trip ahead. That often comes with reaching the state semifinals. The PIAA has announced sites for the next round of playoff games. Pine-Richland faces District 3 champion Cocalico at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona...
Trib HSSN 2022-23 WPIAL Class 6A girls basketball preseason breakdown
Mt. Lebanon captured the WPIAL Class 6A girls basketball championship last season to give coach Dori Oldaker a fourth WPIAL title in her 19 years with the Blue Devils. After the team finished as the PIAA runners-up, Oldaker decided to resign to spend more time watching her daughters play basketball...
Trib HSSN 2022-23 WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball preseason breakdown
It’s more than a safe bet to predict that there will be a new WPIAL champion in Class 6A boys basketball this season. It’s a sure thing. Last year’s finalists, Fox Chapel and North Hills, both dropped down to Class 5A in PIAA realignment. A lean, mean crop of 12...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 26, 2022
High schools Football PIAA playoffs Class 6A Quarterfinals Saturday’s results Harrisburg 44, Manheim Township 6 St. Joseph’s Prep 52, Parkland 21 Semifinals Garnet Valley (13-0) vs. St. Joseph’s Prep (10-1); State College (13-0) vs. Harrisburg (10-2) Class 5A Quarterfinals Saturday’s result Imhotep Charter 55, Whitehall 7 Semifinals Imhotep Charter (10-1)...
Springdale basketball team wants to improve on playoff loss
After a slow start, Springdale won seven of eight boys basketball games down the stretch to qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. It was the 37th time Springdale has made the postseason, second-best in Alle-Kiski Valley history behind Ford City’s 49. One of the reasons for the slow start was the...
Springdale girls no longer focused on roster size, turn attention to success
At a glance Springdale girls basketball Last year’s record: 5-15 (3-7 in section) Returning starters: Grace Gent (Sr. G), Caity Stec (Sr. C), Ashlyn Ferderbar (So. G) Top newcomers: Abby Williams (Jr. G), Jocelyn Walters-Vrabel (Jr. F) For a number of years, the issue with the Springdale girls basketball team...
Westinghouse shuts down Farrell, sets up PIAA semifinal showdown with WPIAL champion
Westinghouse fans have a variety of chants and cheers, but “go defense go” seemed to have a little extra enthusiasm Saturday afternoon at Cupples Stadium. “Our alumni gets us hyped,” said senior lineman Donte Taylor, whose defense sure had plenty of energy. District 10 champion Farrell managed only 56 yards...
Guido: After memorable season, time to hand out annual football awards
With the unusually quick convergence of the fall sports season with the winter sports, our sports department has been as busy as the guy who runs the fake snowmaking machine for Hallmark Christmas movies. Completion of the football playoffs with basketball and wrestling seasons being moved up a week is...
Belle Vernon’s long-awaited WPIAL football title was product of tireless work
A 30-plus-hour work week was worth it for a WPIAL championship. Belle Vernon coaches and players spent extra time preparing to play Avonworth in Friday’s Class 3A title game, and the long days produced quite a result: the Leopards’ first football championship in 27 years. They celebrated loudly and proudly...
WPIAL girls soccer players lauded with All-America, all-region, all-state honors
A trio of WPIAL girls soccer standouts guided their teams to long postseason runs and now are reaping individual rewards. Senior forward Lucia Wells of North Allegheny was named to the United Soccer Coaches Region II All-America Team. She helped the Tigers (21-2) win the WPIAL 4A championship and reach...
WPIAL boys earn All-America, all-region, all-state soccer accolades
Beau Lizewski helped lead Seneca Valley (22-1-1) to a PIAA Class 4A championship and a runner-up finish in the WPIAL. The standout senior midfielder is considered one of the best in the district. Make that state, region and country, too. Lizewski was named a United Soccer Coaches Region II All-American...
Penn-Trafford girls shooting for more consistency on offense
Making open shots. That’s one of the biggest things the Penn-Trafford girls basketball team will be working on this season, veteran coach John Giannikas said. “Last year, we were hot and cold from the outside,” he said. “If we shoot better, we’ll be pretty good.” The Warriors graduated only one...
