High School category, Page 686

Camille Dominick played three positions Thursday night, working the wings as a small forward before moving to the post as a power forward and then playing some center. The 6-foot junior helped the Wildcats build a commanding lead with her 3-point shooting, then filled in around the rim when senior...

The Laurel girls basketball team is trying to reach the WPIAL playoffs for the fifth year in a row, but the Spartans must do so without their head coach. Coach Matt Stebbins, who was in his sixth season, said Thursday he recently resigned under pressure, but declined to discuss specifics....

Like mother, like daughter. Senior basketball player Gracie Spadaro moved in with some unique company when she joined the 1,000-point club at Southmoreland. Well, she was already moved in. Her mom achieved the same milestone 25 years ago. Susan (Love) Spadaro, an assistant coach for her daughter’s team, also scored...

Football coach LaRoi Johnson is returning to his roots. The former Homewood resident was hired to coach at Imani Christian Academy, which is less than a mile from his old home. The private school in East Hills is a place Johnson already knows well, having coached there as Imani’s offensive...

The Fox Chapel boys basketball team continues rolling on, seeking a goal that has never been reached in school history — winning three consecutive section titles. At the halfway mark in Section 3-6A play, the Foxes are undefeated at 5-0, one game ahead of Central Catholic after the 54-37 victory...

Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball players fling up half-court shots as a recent practice draws to a close. The atmosphere is fun. It’s loose. But it’s also competitive — very competitive. Just about every Centurion thinks he can make it. That’s what happens when roles get elevated and a wave...

Ben Thomas had not played a WPIAL basketball game in nearly a year. The Greensburg Salem senior guard hadn’t taken the court since April 11 when he tore his ACL in an AAU game in Lancaster. Right might be expected when Thomas finally returned Tuesday for a home game against...

The WPIAL announced pairings Thursday for wrestling section tournaments as part of the team championship. The section tournaments will be held Wednesday at the sites of the first-place team in the B subsections. There was a three-way tie for second place in Section 1-A. Fort Cherry was awarded the spot...

High School Basketball Boys Wednesday’s schedule Class 4A Section 3 Uniontown 70, Mt. Pleasant 55 Class 3A Section 2 Avonworth 73, Freedom 48 Section 3 Steel Valley at East Allegheny, (n) Nonsection Albert Gallatin at Uniontown, ppd. Laurel Highlands 76, Belle Vernon 67 Chartiers-Houston 50, Brentwood 44 Laurel at Freedom,...

The second half of section play in WPIAL girls basketball begins with a busy Thursday around the district. One of the great races shaping up for the final three weeks is in Section 2-5A. The top four teams are separated by only one game. Mars is 5-1 in section play,...

As we hit the midway point of section play in WPIAL basketball, there are fewer and fewer perfect teams in the district. There are six boys and six girls teams that are undefeated in mid-January. While those dozen district teams hit the hardwood with big bull’s-eyes each week, so do...

Colton Stoneking (138), Jake Stephenson (152), Nate Kirby (160), Eli Makel (215) and Joseph Simon (120) recorded pins to lead Waynesburg to a 55-10 victory over Canon-McMillan to wrap up first place in Section 4A-3A Wednesday night. Mac Church (132) and Rocco Welsh (172) won by tech fall and Zander...

To win a WPIAL golf title next season, players must make the cut and play two good rounds. The WPIAL board on Tuesday approved a new 36-hole format for the boys and girls individual championships next fall. All WPIAL qualifiers will play an 18-hole opening round, and then the top...

Colleges are not offering Belle Vernon’s sensational sophomore too early. They’re right on “Q”. Quinton Martin, the fast-rising running back, defensive back — OK, athlete — bagged another Power Five scholarship offer Thursday and it’s a big one. Notre Dame reached out to the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder after Fighting Irish offensive...

Not often does pomp and circumstance surround an ordinary nonsection boys basketball game in the middle of January. Wednesday’s showdown between Class 4A No. 2 Belle Vernon and Class 5A No. 1 Laurel Highlands wasn’t your ordinary affair, though. And it lived up to the hype. With the game tied...

Franklin Regional found itself trailing Penn-Trafford with six bouts remaining Wednesday, but a couple of moves by coach Matt Lebe proved to be the difference. Consecutive pins by Nate Stone, Ben Pekarcik and Finn Solomon helped Franklin Regional rally to defeat Penn-Trafford, 43-29, in a WPIAL Class AAA Section 1-B...

Apollo-Ridge and St. Joseph did something Wednesday night they rarely had done this month: play a basketball game. Despite all the down time, the Vikings girls didn’t lose their free-throw shooting touch. Apollo-Ridge shot 30 of 40 from the free-throw line and posted a 66-55 victory in a home nonsection...

With no seniors on its roster, the youthful Apollo-Ridge girls basketball team took a wait-and-see attitude into the season with hopes of making an impact in and out of Section 4-2A. So far, the veteran presence for the Vikings has meshed well with newer varsity talent to produce a 10-2...

Scores can be indicative of how far struggling programs have come — a measurement of improvement. For Yough, three results stand out on the schedule. The Cougars (3-9, 1-3 heading into Wednesday night’s game against No. 4 Southmoreland) did not win any of the three — they weren’t favored to...

When Norwin lost promising junior Savannah Schneck to an ACL injury for the second straight year, the girls basketball team quickly regrouped. It had little choice in the matter, but it regrouped nonetheless. The season was about to start, and the Knights began to shine a spotlight around to see...

Bob Kalp won more than 400 games as Hempfield’s softball coach, and Chuck Tursky celebrated his 500th career win as Kiski Area’s wrestling coach. Those are remarkable numbers, and they set them apart from their peers, yet the wins only partially explain why they’re among the best coaches in WPIAL...

The WPIAL two years ago gave Butler permission to play football in District 10 as an “associate member,” but there now is a dispute about whether the Golden Tornado can qualify for that district’s playoffs. The WPIAL board says no, they can’t. “They are welcome to get an independent schedule,”...

It is the highest honor an athlete, a coach or a team can achieve: being elected to a Hall of Fame. That honor will come to several folks Wednesday when District 7 officials announce the inductees into the WPIAL Hall of Fame, Class of 2022. The WPIAL will unveil the...

High School Basketball Boys Tuesday’s results Class 6A Section 1 Pine-Richland 66, Butler 65 North Hills 63, Seneca Valley 40 Section 2 Baldwin 86, Bethel Park 66 Canon-McMillan 57, Peters Township 44 Upper St. Clair 48, Mt. Lebanon 46 Section 3 Fox Chapel 54, Central Catholic 37 Hempfield 82, Greensburg...

Mike Wells scored 29 points to lead New Castle to a 68-59 victory over Chartiers Valley in a rematch of last year’s WPIAL championship game in Section 2-5A boys basketball Tuesday night. Isiah Boyce added 21 points for No. 2 New Castle (9-1, 5-0). Jayden Davis led Chartiers Valley (3-9,...