High School category, Page 560
Ligonier Valley boys to lean on Sierocky and Pleskovich
It could be an interesting season for the Ligonier Valley boys basketball program. The Rams were hit hard by graduation and return only two starters from a team that finished 8-4 in Section 3-3A and 12-11 overall. The Rams lost to Avonworth in the first round of the playoffs. But...
Football newcomer develops into one of WPIAL’s finest linemen at Belle Vernon
First, there was curiosity. Then came eagerness. Before long, though, bewilderment set in. Did this experiment backfire? “There’s no way,” Belle Vernon football coach Matt Humbert said as he watched then-sophomore Steve Macheska pull up lame two years ago on the first day of training camp. “That’s just my luck....
Despite playoff exit, Highlands enjoys ‘successful season’ under 1st-year coach
Despite an overtime loss in an opening round playoff game, it was an outstanding season for Highlands. The Golden Rams finished at 9-2, garnered second place in the Greater Allegheny Conference at 5-1 and outscored the opposition 356-182. In six conference games, Highlands gave up 99 points, 56 of those...
Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Norwin’s Sean Hanley
Norwin’s hockey team won the school’s first PIHL championship last year, a moment that created new memories for everyone on that roster. One of those players was Sean Hanley, who finished with seven points, all assists, in 20 games last season. Hanley described the feeling of being a part of...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Kiski Area’s Maxine Crosby
It’s around the time of year when athletes are signing their national letters of intent, and when it came time for Kiski Area senior Maxine Crosby to put pen to paper, she signed to play soccer at Edinboro. “I looked at schools that weren’t far from home and Division II,”...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 21, 2022
High schools Football WPIAL playoffs Class 4A Championship Friday’s schedule Aliquippa (11-0) vs. Central Valley (11-1) at Acrisure Stadium, 8 p.m. Class 3A Championship Friday’s schedule Belle Vernon (9-2) vs. Avonworth (11-1) at Acrisure Stadium, 5 p.m. Class 2A Championship Friday’s schedule Steel Valley (11-0) vs. Beaver Falls (11-1) at...
High school roundup for Nov. 21, 2022: North Hills rallies for OT win
Owen Sroka scored 56 seconds into overtime to complete a comeback as North Hills defeated Blackhawk, 5-4, in PIHL Class A hockey Monday night. North Hills (6-0-1) trailed 4-2 in the third period, but goals by Tony Kiger and Johnathan Troskey forced overtime. Kiger had a hat trick. Jacob Hofer...
New Kiski Area girls coach foresees ‘formidable team’
There have been some lean years during the past decade in girls basketball at Kiski Area, but a 9-13 record a year ago represents the most victories since the team went 16-7 during the 2011-12 season, the most recent time the Cavaliers reached the WPIAL playoffs. Armed with four starters...
Latrobe boys basketball wants to reap benefits of adversity
To experience the pleasure of the WPIAL postseason again, Latrobe had to endure a little pain. A few lean years — extra lean by the Wildcats’ standards — kept the boys basketball team out of the postseason in 2019-20 and 2021-22. Latrobe won just six games last year (6-15) and...
Latrobe girls basketball team maintains work ethic
Despite a two-year run of success that has produced a a pair of section titles, a run to the WPIAL semifinals and its first PIAA playoff berth since 1999, the Latrobe girls basketball team is not expecting any handouts. Even with four starters back, the Wildcats know they have to...
Kiski Area boys coach Smith confident entering 2nd season
Every time he’s in the gym at Kiski Area High School, Corey Smith looks up at banners representing the Cavaliers’ WPIAL section championships in boys basketball and feels the pride of being a member of those title teams in 2000 and ’02. For Smith, there’s just something about being a...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Franklin Regional well represented on all-star team
The Big 5/6 Conference, which acknowledges the accomplishments of teams and athletes in the WPIAL’s two largest classifications, announced its all-section teams for football, soccer and volleyball. The Class 5A Big East Conference first team was loaded with Franklin Regional players, and Lance Getsy was named the section coach of...
High school sports schedules for Nov. 21, 2022
High schools Football WPIAL playoffs Class 4A Championship Friday’s schedule Aliquippa (11-0) vs. Central Valley (11-1) at Acrisure Stadium, 8 p.m. Class 3A Championship Friday’s schedule Belle Vernon (9-2) vs. Avonworth (11-1) at Acrisure Stadium, 5 p.m. Class 2A Championship Friday’s schedule Steel Valley (11-0) vs. Beaver Falls (11-1) at...
New coach sets lofty goal for Highlands girls basketball
Finding a way to adjust to a new coach can be difficult. But in the case of some players on the Highlands girls basketball team, they have a bit of a history with first-year coach Shawn Bennis. He has coached at the AAU level with the PK Flash AAU program....
This week on Trib HSSN for week of Nov. 21, 2022
Enjoy a hearty Thanksgiving meal with family and friends Thursday, but plan to spend all day and night Friday glued to the TribLive High School Sports Network. Trib HSSN is the only place to watch the four WPIAL football championship games live from Acrisure Stadium. We will have free video...
PIHL standings through Nov. 20, 2022
Here are the latest PIHL high school hockey standings through Sunday: Team – Wins – Losses – Overtime/Shootout Loss = Total Points Class 3A Seneca Valley, 6-1-1 = 13 North Allegheny, 6-2-0 = 12 Peters Township, 5-1-0 = 10 Central Catholic, 5-2-0 = 10 Cathedral Prep, 5-3-0 = 10 Baldwin,...
PIAA announces quarterfinal sites, times for state football playoffs
WPIAL Class 5A champion Pine-Richland will host a state quarterfinal in the PIAA football playoffs this week while 6A winner North Allegheny starts on the road. City League champion Westinghouse also drew a home game when the PIAA announced sites and times for the next round of the state playoffs....
Jeannette boys basketball looking to measure up to competition
Jeannette has featured strong guard play in recent years, but its strength this boys basketball season looks like the frontcourt. The team has length and should be able to pull down rebounds, alter shots and finish breaks because of it. “We do have some decent size,” coach Adrian Batts said....
New coach keeps positive outlook as Jeannette girls basketball eyes rebound
The climb back to respectability is steep for Anna Leonard, the new girls basketball coach at Jeannette. But she is ready to scale the challenge and doesn’t plan to look down. “I’m not nervous. I’m excited,” Leonard said. “It’s not just a challenge for the girls, it’s a challenge for...
Experienced Highlands boys counting on defense to lead them on another playoff run
Jimmy Kunst takes defense personally. The senior point guard for the Highlands basketball team knows his teammates feel the same way. Expect Kunst and his teammates to hit the floor, either to draw charges or grab loose balls. Entering a season with high expectations means the Golden Rams will need...
Moon’s Hailey Longwell wins Moe Rosensteel Award
Her team did not lose a single game and celebrated a pair of championships. But a postseason award really seemed to cap a perfect season for Hailey Longwell. She was the engine that made the Tigers go. The senior midfielder from Moon was named the recipient of the fourth Moe...
Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Norwin’s Sophia Alvarez
Coming into the season, it was unclear how Norwin’s girls volleyball team would fare. Nine of the 12 returning players for the team were seniors, but according to senior setter Sophia Alvarez, a large number of those girls do not play volleyball as their main sport. The Knights started off...
From 2 wins to reaching the state playoffs, Latrobe girls soccer team reflects on success
The Latrobe girls soccer team had a historic season, winning the first two WPIAL playoff games in program history and qualifying for the state tournament for the first time. It was a year of major accomplishments, but the feeling around the program is that they are just getting started. “We...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Deer Lakes’ Ben Korol
The winter’s first snow hasn’t even fallen, and the Deer Lakes hockey team has won its first four games while outscoring opponents 27-5. Among the talented players on the roster is senior goalie Ben Korol. Ben actively coaches the Deer Lakes middle school hockey team as a part of his...
After 2nd straight playoff trip, Burrell coaches, players continue to push program forward
Burrell football coach Shawn Liotta isn’t going to try and cram any square pegs into round holes. Twenty-four years of coaching experience has shown Liotta the way to properly structure a program requires coaches and cultures evolving to their environments. For the 13 seniors on this year’s team, they’ve seen...
