High School category, Page 608

Norwin softball had its team banquet the night before the playoff opener. Odd timing? For sure. But it also allowed the Lady Knight to spin forward instead of looking back. To offer pep talks and atta-girls rather than farewell hugs and nostalgia. This season isn’t over yet. “We’re coming in...

Baseball Class 5A First round 11-Plum (12-6) vs. 6-Shaler (14-6) 7 p.m. Tuesday at North Allegheny The teams last met in the playoffs in 2015, a WPIAL Quad-A quarterfinal game won by Shaler, 1-0 … The Mustangs, the third-place team from Section 2, lost three of four to end the...

WPIAL softball playoffs Capsule previews Class 5A First round 12-Latrobe (9-4) vs. 5-West Allegheny (12-4) 6 p.m. Tuesday at North Allegheny Winner plays: Winner of 13-Upper St. Clair (6-14) vs. 4-North Hills (14-3) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Jenna Tallman, Sr., Latrobe; Elly Vicari-Baker, So.,...

WPIAL baseball playoffs Capsule previews Class 5A First round 12-Thomas Jefferson (13-6) vs. 5-Latrobe (12-7) 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hempfield Winner plays: Winner of 13-Chartiers Valley (9-11) vs. 4-Mars (14-5) on Thursday in quarterfinals Players to watch: T.J. Bucy, Sr., Thomas Jefferson; Logan Short, Sr., Latrobe Last year’s finish: Thomas...

Greg Klingensmith owns the Apollo-Ridge boys school record in the discus at 156 feet 9 inches recorded in placing third at last year’s WPIAL Class 2A track and field championships at Slippery Rock University. The William & Mary football recruit has his sights set on improving both numbers as he...

Tommy Burke spent his four years in high school balancing numerous activities, including baseball, football, academics and musical theater. Despite the hefty workload, the Leechburg senior managed to become the school’s valedictorian. Burke excelled on the gridiron last fall as the Blue Devils’ starting quarterback, throwing for 2,207 yards and...

It can be said that opposites attract. On the tennis court, that’s certainly true for Mt. Pleasant seniors Mark Gallagher and Ryan Borkowski. Gallagher and Borkowski were among the top players in Section 1-2A this season, and they teamed up to finish third in the section doubles tournament and earn...

The role of the WPIAL executive director has changed over the years, with social media bringing more and more issues to the league’s attention, said outgoing director Amy Scheuneman. As a result, executive directors has become more than a one-person job. Now more than ever, the WPIAL staff and its...

Welcome to opening day of the 2022 WPIAL baseball, softball and lacrosse playoffs. Of course for the diamond sports, it is weather permitting. Perhaps with an eye on the forecast, the WPIAL did schedule all four games for turf fields, including the lone district baseball preliminary round game. McKeesport faces...

The curtain is about to rise on the final district party of the school year. Let the games of the 2022 spring sports postseason begin this week here on the TribLive High School Sports Network. We have exclusive video and audio diamond action from the WPIAL baseball and softball first...

A year after key injuries helped keep the district’s preseason top-ranked team in Class 5A baseball from reaching its potential, most of those key players were returning for what looked like a potentially dominant spring for West Allegheny. However, it didn’t take long for injuries to mount and take a...

Heading into this season, the Plum girls lacrosse team already had experienced the WPIAL playoffs three times in its young history. The first trip came in 2018 in only its second full season in the WPIAL. As the No. 10 seed for the Class 2A playoffs, the Mustangs lost to...

Following an 8-2 start to the 2022 baseball season, Knoch hit a rut as April turned to May. A four-game losing streak killed the Knights’ chances at a Section 1-4A title and saw them slipping toward the middle of the pack in Class 4A. Winning three of four games last...

Inspired by what he heard and saw, Andrew Nesler set out to help — a good soldier wanting to pay back an army of them for their service. A junior football player at Franklin Regional, Nesler formed a fundraiser called “DefenseForDefense” aimed at raising money for disabled war veterans. The...

WPIAL softball playoffs Class 6A First round 9-Baldwin (4-11) vs. 8-Norwin (5-9) 3 p.m. Monday at West Mifflin Winner plays: 1-Hempfield (12-3) at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Penn-Trafford Players to watch: Gabby Jaquay, Fr., Baldwin; Madie Kessler, Jr., Norwin Last year’s finish: Baldwin — Lost to Bethel Park, 9-1, in...

Quaker Valley’s performance this season in boys lacrosse has been off the charts. It’s been the case of 12 up and 12 down in games played through May 8. The perfect 12-0 record vaulted the Quakers into first place in Section 1-2A. They were the only undefeated team in the...

The 36-year wait to put another number on the boys volleyball section-title banner in the gym at the Gateway Furrie Sports Complex has ended. Head coach Phil Randolph and his players couldn’t be more excited. Gateway clinched its first section title since 1986 with a 3-0 win over Mars on...

The Sewickley Academy baseball team had a firm foundation to build upon this season. Junior shortstop Adin Zorn, senior third baseman Sajen Schuchert, sophomore first baseman Jordan Smith and juniors Nick Straka (catcher), Bennett Spencer (infield) and Nick Madison (outfield) were returning starters. Zorn, Schuchert, Smith and Spencer bolstered the...

Penn-Trafford senior Nate Schlessinger won a title at the 48th Annual Baldwin Invitational. Schlessinger won the discus with a toss of 139-8. Amelia Barilla placed second in the girls mile run to South Fayette’s Lauren Iagnemma. who ran a 5:15.84. Barilla ran a 5:18.16. Madison Setzenfand finished second in the...

Irlynn Richardson wanted to be sharp while she was on the diamond. The Lincoln (Pa.) University freshman spent more time as a collegian getting to know her opponents. “I wanted to have a higher IQ,” said Richardson, who is a 2021 Penn Hills graduate. “The girls at this level are...

Things were difficult down the stretch for the Penn Hills softball team, but the Indians still had a strong opportunity in front of them. If Penn Hills had found a way to beat Plum on May 10 at home, the Indians could have made the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs for...

Four Pine-Richland spring sports teams earned spots in the WPIAL playoffs. The Rams baseball, softball, boys and girls lacrosse teams all qualified for the postseason. Here is a look at how they got there. Baseball The Rams split the Section 1-6A title with North Allegheny a season after a rare...

Josh Johnson sticks to the same regimen before every game. He starts by drinking an energy drink. Then he puts his gloves and cleats on the exact same way every time. After that he takes four rounds in the batting cage before taking batting practice every day. Some would call...

Amberson Bauer qualified, along with several of his Riverview track and field teammates, for the WPIAL Class 2A championships at Slippery Rock University. The junior middle distance and distance specialist built up a great deal of momentum leading up to the meet with times that put him in contention for...

It has been an up and down season for the Plum softball team, but last Tuesday against Penn Hills, the Mustangs were able to enjoy a victory which clinched a spot in the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. Plum controlled its own destiny for the fourth and final spot from Section...