High School category, Page 62
Butler ‘tired of losing,’ returns 16 starters with hopes to end winning season drought
Butler is ineligible for the playoffs again this season, but the Golden Tornado still have a lot at stake. Returning eight starters on each side of the ball, Butler is hoping to build on an encouraging 2024 season and aims to post the program’s first winning season since 1997. “Everyone...
Creating competition a top priority for Brownsville’s 1st-year coach
Cody Castor wants competition. Whether it’s in the weight room, battling for a starting position during practice or smacking pads with an opponent under the Friday night lights, Brownsville’s first-year coach is seeking competitive fire from the Falcons. As the old adage says, “Competition breeds success.” It will be a...
Albert Gallatin looks to carry momentum from 6-win season
It’s been seven years since Albert Gallatin played a WPIAL schedule in the Class 5A Big East conference. Since moving out of the WPIAL and into an independent schedule in 2019, consistency has been the goal of coach Drew Dindl. The Colonials have had at least five wins in four...
Westinghouse reloads to defend City League title
The Westinghouse Bulldogs may have lost starting quarterback Khalil Green and a talented senior class that helped them capture their 40th City League title and fifth in the past six seasons, but don’t expect them to take a step backward. The Bulldogs have reloaded and are preparing to put together...
Bolstered by returning starters, University Prep eyes more City League success
The University Prep Panthers felt like they were on the verge of accomplishing something special a year ago. They put together a 4-6 overall record and went 3-1 in City League play. However, an unfortunate incident in their final regular season game against Westinghouse, which resulted in several University Prep...
Perry carries over late-season momentum into 2025
Perry Traditional Academy didn’t have the success it would’ve liked last season, but the Commodores are ready to build on what they did accomplish. Perry (1-6, 1-3) was shut out in two of its first three games and scored just six points. In their final three games, the Commodores scored...
Kiski Prep opens year with new coach, new QBs and game overseas
It’s not often that an opportunity like the one the Kiski School Cougar football team will experience comes along. The coaches and players understand that, and the excitement at the school is palpable. “I’ve never been outside the country,” said junior Levi Porter. “It’s pretty cool to get the chance...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 21, 2025
High schools Football Friday’s schedule KDKA Kickoff Classic (at Wolvarena) North Allegheny at Woodland Hills, 5 p.m. LaSalle College vs. Central Catholic, 8 p.m. Nonconference Allderdice at Fox Chapel, 7 p.m. Baldwin at Thomas Jefferson, 7 p.m. Blackhawk at Beaver Falls, 7 p.m. Brashear at Cornell, 7 p.m. Brownsville at...
Clairton to christen Tyler Boyd Stadium with star-studded matchup vs. Imani Christian
Clairton has officially renamed its football stadium in honor of Bears great Tyler Boyd, so it’s fitting that the first game played there is between two teams with WPIAL title hopes. Remember, Boyd won four WPIAL and four state championships in his high school days. Imani Christian visits Clairton in...
Trib HSSN don’t miss high school football matchups for 2025 Week Zero
Welcome to the kickoff of the 2025 WPIAL football regular season. Ten years ago, the PIAA initiated the idea of Week Zero, giving schools throughout the state the option to have a traditional second scrimmage or schedule a 10th game for an early taste of Friday night lights. While there...
Thousands of youth soccer players geared up for 28th annual Plum Kick-Off Classic
The largest youth soccer tournament in Pennsylvania is set for its 28th edition this weekend. Tournament director Jamie Stewart said Plum Area Youth Soccer and PA West are excited to host the Plum Kick-Off Classic and will welcome teams from neighboring communities and throughout the region. “We are right around...
A-K Valley boys soccer preview: Deer Lakes, Plum, Fox Chapel among teams to watch
Over the last seven years, the Deer Lakes boys soccer program has found a way to insert itself into the WPIAL championship conversation on an annual basis. First, it was the trio of Michael Sullivan, Colton Spence and Devin Murray — who’s now an assistant coach with the program —...
2025 Trib HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the coaches
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here is a look at the top coaching changes for the 2025 season. 1. Mike Warfield Aliquippa Warfield is back. The Aliquippa grad stepped away as coach before last season saying he was taking...
Valley’s secret weapon is freshman with ‘golden leg’
Before entering seventh grade, Jude Hicinbothem saw his older brother Trent kicking for the Valley varsity football team and wanted to try it. Hicinbothem liked it and thought he was good enough to kick for the middle school team. Hicinbothem was right. He was a reliable field goal and touchback...
Through the Years: 40 years ago, Plum rewarded new coach with season-opening win
Each week throughout the high school football season, the Valley News Dispatch will take a look at the players, coaches and events that shaped our scholastic legacy. In 1985, Plum rewarded new coach Bill Helsley with a 27-12 victory over Highlands at Mustangs Stadium. Quarterback Phil Kinney pulled off a...
New duo gives Yough 1-2 punch on both sides of the ball
There will be a new look in the backfield at Yough this season. Gone are quarterback Raidon Kuroda and running back Aidan Thornton, the team’s leading rushers. Both are at Seton Hill. Enter senior Braiden Snyder and sophomore Johnny Gergely at the running back position and junior Aidan Shaffer at...
Westmoreland County boys high school soccer preview: Mt. Pleasant has savvy to make noise in Class 2A
With nine returning starters, Mt. Pleasant boys soccer has its sights on a sixth straight WPIAL playoff berth. The season opens Friday, and the Vikings are primed to make their mark in Class 2A. They lost only two starters from a team that took second place in Section 4. “We...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Key players out of Norwin’s lineup
Four players who likely would have had an impact for Norwin are nonfactors — at least for this season. Junior Chase Molinaro, sophomore Turner Raibel, and freshmen Christian Wilson and Mateo Yezovich are playing for the MLS Next, a youth developmental league that does not permit players to dual roster...
With dynamic backfield, McKeesport in position to take championship step forward
Despite enjoying plenty of success over the past few seasons — enough to satisfy the majority of WPIAL football programs — McKeesport has felt bittersweet about its recent results. The Tigers have played well enough to win their conference and advance to the WPIAL championship the last two years, but...
Former Frazier quarterback working to restore program’s luster
Settling in as Frazier’s new coach, Tony Battaglini begins to think more and more that the team has underachieved the past few seasons. Now it’s time to turn the Commodores’ program around. Battaglini has brought a coaching staff full of, not just experience, but championship experience to Perryopolis and has...
With star quarterback returning, Elizabeth Forward sets goals high
Coming off another conference championship and a semifinal loss to Central Valley in the Class 3A playoffs, the Elizabeth Forward Warriors enter the 2025 season with a little bit of a chip on their shoulders. Let’s call it the “overlooked chip.” Gone are stalwarts such as Charlie Nigut, Jace Brown...
With new coach at helm, Charleroi driven to earn respect
Charleroi’s Scooter DeUnger has a daunting task ahead of him as he takes over as football coach at his alma mater. The Cougars have fallen on hard times, with last year’s 1-9 campaign marking their third straight season around the bottom of the conference. They have an overall record of...
California enters season with focus on a single goal: a Tri-County South title
Since veteran coach Ed Woods took over the head coaching duties at California years ago, he always tells his teams in training camp that they have one primary goal — win the conference crown. In 2024, the Trojans were one missed two-point conversion run away — in Week 9 against...
Westmoreland County football notebook: Ligonier Valley hopes to shine in ‘Friday Night Lights’ contest
Ligonier Valley is the latest Westmoreland County school to enter the school spirit-driven T-Mobile 5G Friday Night Lights competition. Latrobe and Derry took part in the season-long contest, which recognizes small towns and their fondness for high school football. Top schools are awarded each week, starting with $5,000 in the...
South Side focused on process over results with experienced group
From 2021-23, it seemed like South Side football was on track to capture its first WPIAL title in 25 years. During that span, the Rams went from the WPIAL quarterfinals to the championship in three consecutive seasons. However, with no WPIAL title to show for it, the team was eager...
