High School category, Page 564

Steel Valley senior quarterback Cruce Brookins believes in his abilities on the football field. He also has great trust in his offensive line. That combo was on display in Week 1 in the season opener for the Ironmen in a thrilling, 28-24 win at Sto-Rox in an early season Class...

The WPIAL girls soccer championship games will be back at Highmark Stadium for the second year in a row, and Plum hopes to again reserve a spot in the Class 3A game in early November. Runners-up to Mars the past two seasons — 2020 at North Allegheny and last year...

There weren’t many introductions needed when Nicole Riley met her Gateway girls volleyball players on the first day of preseason camp Aug. 15. As the Gators middle school coach for a number of seasons, Riley had coached all but two members of this year’s team. The familiarity was there, and...

One of the standards of the Sewickley Academy boys golf program is its “commitment to excellence.” With coach Win Palmer as the team architect, Sewickley won eight consecutive WPIAL championships from 2013-2020. “Commitment to excellence speaks to the goals of a strong work ethic to best prepare both before and...

Despite losing seven players from last year’s playoff team, Quaker Valley girls tennis coach Christi Hays believes the Quakers will be a viable contender for a section title this season. “With Sewickley Academy being moved to a different section, it really opens up our section,” Hays said. “Montour came in...

Penn-Trafford’s field hockey team opened the season with a 4-2 victory against Peters Township on Aug. 30. Ava Hershberger scored two goals and added an assist on Ella Morocco’s goal. Early in the fourth quarter, Megan McBarron scored off a reset. Golfers bounce back after loss The Warriors golf team...

When the Penn-Trafford girls golf team began the season, veteran coach Ed Herbst had hope for success. With six players returning, including five who saw starting action in 2021 and three who have started since they were freshmen, there was reason to be optimistic. “When we started, I could see...

Former Penn Hills wrestler Te’Shan Campbell will once again be involved with collegiate wrestling. Campbell, a 2015 PIAA champion at 170 pounds with the Indians, will join Michigan State’s coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. “Te’Shan brings a lot of experience as a competitor and as a coach,” Michigan State...

Penn Hills kicker Owen Williams did what he had to do when a snap went sailing over his head during the Indians’ season opener Aug. 26 at NexTier Stadium. With less than 10 seconds left before halftime, Williams booted the football off the ground and through the back of the...

Pine-Richland girls volleyball has a unique mix, and it’s one that could be very dangerous. The Rams have experience, depth and a pair of dynamic freshmen who figure to be key players right away. They came close to making the semifinals a year ago, losing a five-set heartbreaker to Moon....

The Pine-Richland field hockey team is still hungry for more. The Rams have won three straight WPIAL championships, and if they are going to win a fourth this fall they’ll have to replace seven graduates, including All-American Rylie Wollerton, who is now at Louisville. Rams coach Donna Stephenson said her...

For the Riverview girls varsity soccer team, 2021 certainly was a year of growth. The Raiders rose like a phoenix from the previous fall when no team took the field because of the covid pandemic and lower-than-needed roster numbers. A group of 16 came together to finish 4-10 overall and...

High schools Cross country Boys Saturday’s results Gateway Invitational Individual: 1. Kefimba Cisse, Gateway, 17:52.53; 2. Rowan Gwin, Fox Chapel, 18:07.20; 3. Amberson Bauer, Riverview, 18:35.37; 4. Christopher Barnes, Riverview, 18:52.54; 5. Connor Pivirotto, Plum, 18:53.15; 6. Austin Stuchul, Penn Hills, 19:03.28; 7. Nate Mienke , Plum, 19:04.28; 8. Holden...

Xander LeFebvre completed four passes — and all four were touchdowns to Dorian McGhee — as Western Beaver (2-0) defeated Shenango (0-2) in a nonconference game Saturday. McGhee’s touchdown receptions were 58, 41, 89 and 3 yards. Tyson Florence rushed for 123 yards and a 66-yard score in the third...

Last year, on what turned out to be a drive to the WPIAL Class A championship, Bishop Canevin coach Rich Johnson always said that defense was his team’s calling card. That proved to be the case Saturday night as the Crusaders held Greensburg Central Catholic to one first down in...

This was the most competitive Week 1 in recent WPIAL history, but that probably wasn’t a coincidence. The WPIAL made a major change in recent years to the way it schedules nonconference games, an adjustment that seemed evident in the final scores Friday night. In all, there were five overtime...

Exhausted after 100 minutes of soccer that resulted in a grueling 2-2 tie in hot and humid conditions, Latrobe and Norwin girls soccer players reflected on the state of their game and the cause. The teams played to a double-overtime draw in the final of three matchups of the inaugural...

Apollo-Ridge coach John Skiba was overcome with emotion, tears flowing down his face, after speaking with his team following a highly emotional 34-19 home victory over Valley on Friday. Injuries to key players and deficits at halftime and in the fourth quarter challenged the Vikings players. But they rallied around...

WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 1-1, 1 2. North Allegheny, 2-0, 3 3. Seneca Valley, 1-1, 2 4. Mt. Lebanon, 0-2, 4 5. Canon-McMillan, 0-2, 5 Class 5A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Gateway, 2-0, 1 2. Penn Hills, 1-1, 3 3. Pine-Richland,...

Look down, and you might miss a play. Go to the concession stand, and you might miss a whole drive — maybe two. Hempfield is playing turbo-fast with its no-huddle spread offense, a product of offensive coordinator Ryan Reitz, who began to install the system last year and is seeing...

Kudos to everyone involved in the quick action last Monday to switch the planned Kiski Area outdoor volleyball event to the high school gym. The outdoor venue at Vandergrift’s Kennedy Park was to be the site of the second annual Pack the Park fundraiser for the Choose to Serve Foundation,...

High school football teams used to use an honor system in the summer months for offseason training. Players promised to work out on their own. Coaches hoped they did. “The offseason dictates everything,” Hempfield coach Mike Brown said. “I mean, kids play other sports, and that’s fine. But training is...

Taylor Heuser Class: Senior School: Valley Sport: Soccer Report card: Heuser scored three goals Wednesday to lead the Vikings (1-1, 0-1 Section 2-2A) to a 7-0 victory over East Allegheny in nonsection play. The senior forward, a three-time letter winner, was Valley’s leading scorer last year. How did the team...

After a season-opening loss to Apollo-Ridge, it was bounce-back Saturday for Leechburg. Leechburg scored on all eight first-half possessions and twice more in the second half en route to a resounding 69-0 nonconference victory at Summit Academy. It was the biggest margin of victory and the third-highest point total in...

Allison Tepper School: Mt. Pleasant Sport: Golf Year: Junior Claim to fame: Tepper has been the top scorer this season for the undefeated Lady Vikings, who recently turned some heads with a 187-190 win over Greensburg Central Catholic at Norvelt Golf Club. Tepper was the medalist in the nine-hole match...