High School category, Page 704

When the Hampton football players turned in their equipment after the winningest season in program history, their coaches gave them something in return. The Talbots learned nine players were named first-team All-Greater Allegheny in voting by league coaches, the most of any team in the conference. Another six players also...

Fielding one of its youngest teams in memory, the challenge for Fox Chapel wrestling is to quickly get the newcomers into varsity competitiveness. It doesn’t help that injuries and covid concerns have hampered the Foxes start this season. “We have a couple of injuries early on in the year that...

Fox Chapel’s swimming teams got their seasons off on the right track, but coaches and swimmers are hoping that it’s only the start of bigger things to come. The girls defeated local rival Shady Side Academy, 98-75, while the boys took care of the Bulldogs, 102-71, at the home pool....

Vinnie Citrano has great expectations for his final varsity wrestling season. The Plum senior is eyeing section gold after a third and two runner-up finishes and is hoping to place at WPIALs and make a run at states. He also is hoping to join the exclusive 100-win club at Plum....

After making his mark at WPIALs last year and competing at the PIAA championships, Plum senior Sam Schohn’s goals are clear for the 2021-22 swim season. “I worked really hard in the offseason to get back to states and go even faster,” Schohn said. “I got best times in both...

Xander Smith and Joey Castle were a one-two special teams punch for Norwin this season. Smith centered long snaps to Castle, who boomed punts into orbit. Castle also made good on extra points and field goals and aimed for touchbacks as the Knights’ kicker. The junior pair continue to follow...

When coach Dan Heckert started a girls wrestling program a year ago at North Allegheny, he hoped someday the sport might become sanctioned by the PIAA and have teams at schools across the WPIAL. That idea just took a step closer to reality. The PIAA earlier this year created a...

Hockey standout Jamie Mauro is on point at IUP. On point, and on pace, for a career milestone. The grad student forward could reach 200 points when the American Collegiate Hockey Association resumes in January. Through 21 games, he had 14 goals and 25 assists for 39 points this season,...

Hampton hockey coach Luke Leya figured Logan Scanlon was bound to break out one of these nights. Scanlon, a senior forward, was the team’s leading scorer through the season’s midpoint with 10 goals in eight games. But Leya didn’t see this coming. Scanlon scored seven goals in the Talbots’ 9-7...

Matt McDonough had a ticket to see the new Spider-Man movie, but his own heroics almost made him late. The North Allegheny senior hit a game-tying 3-pointer with eight-tenths of a second left to force overtime, where the Tigers defeated visiting Pine-Richland, 74-70, Friday night in Section 1-6A boys basketball....

Donovan Walker scored a game-high 27 points to lead Aliquippa to a 59-37 victory over Rochester in nonsection boys basketball Friday night. It was the first game of the season for Aliquippa (1-0) coming off a long football playoff run that culminated in a Class 4A state championship. Sal Laure...

High schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Friday’s results WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 North Allegheny 74, Pine-Richland 70 (OT) Butler 62, Seneca Valley 55 Class 5A Section 3 Kiski Area 60, Franklin Regional 48 Woodland Hills 77, Latrobe 52 Section 4 Shaler 68, Indiana 30 Mars 75, Armstrong 51 Hampton 63,...

Kiski Area guard Isaiah Gonzalez had to leave the game briefly because he cut his lip and some blood dripped onto the court. He and his teammates were out for blood from the tip in the Section 3-5A opener. Despite a fourth-quarter surge by host Franklin Regional, the Cavaliers build...

The Freeport Yellowjackets used a strong advantage on the boards and the absence of a key Springdale player to roll past the Dynamos, 72-42, in a battle between ancient rivals that dates back nearly a century. Freeport outrebounded Springdale, 29-15, and turned a bunch of Dynamos miscues into points, particularly...

Latrobe coach Brad Wetzel didn’t believe the scoreboard reflected his team’s effort on defense Friday night at Woodland Hills High School. The Wildcats, who conceded an average of 77.7 points entering their Section 3-5A opener, allowed the Wolverines to barely reach the mark in a 77-52 defeat. Woodland Hills, which...

With holiday tournaments right around the corner, Saturday features several one-day events showcasing some of the top basketball teams from around the district. One such event is the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Showcase featuring eight boys basketball games at two sites. The slate at Hempfield includes: • Ligonier Valley vs....

The long-awaited college decision of one of the WPIAL’s best soccer players finally came to light Friday. Franklin Regional announced senior forward Anthony DiFalco signed with Duquesne. DiFalco, a three-time All-American, all-region and all-state player who scored 118 goals as a four-year starter for the Panthers, also had interest from...

Jeannette will recommend a former Jayhawks quarterback to be its next head football coach. The school board will vote Monday, according to the agenda, to approve Thomas Paulone Jr. to replace Roy Hall, who stepped down after 37 years on the sidelines, including 13 as head coach. Paulone, 29, is...

High schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Thursday’s results Nonsection Albert Gallatin 64, Waynesburg Central 31 Bishop Canevin 87, Chartiers Valley 74 Trinity 65, Brownsville 39 Fort Cherry 89, Carmichaels 76 West Mifflin 59, Carrick 48 Laurel Highlands 88, Greensburg Salem 25 Jeannette 64, California 22 New Brighton 66, Mohawk 61 Propel...

Kayla Hoehler netted 15 points to lead Hampton to a 63-42 victory over Plum in the Section 2-5A girls basketball opener for both teams Thursday night. Meghan Murray and Carolyn Kuzniewski added 10 points apiece for Hampton (4-0, 1-0). Megan Marston had a game-high 19 points for the Mustangs (2-2,...

It didn’t decide the game, but it didn’t help Mt. Pleasant’s chances of winning it, either. The Vikings had just cut a 14-point deficit to eight with about five minutes remaining Thursday night at Belle Vernon when standout junior forward Tiffany Zelmore was whistled for two quick fouls. The second,...

The Highlands girls basketball team got off to a winning start in Section 1-4A play Thursday as three players scored in double figures and a fourth came close during a 59-37 victory over Burrell. The Golden Rams, playing for the fifth time in seven days, improved to 5-0 overall. “We...

Greensburg Salem will honor one of its most successful coaches Dec. 29 with “Coach Paul Night,” a tribute to former boys basketball coach Paul Sapotichne. The event will fall in line with the Golden Lions’ game against Riverview, the other school where Sapotichne coached up until his retirement last summer....

Section 1 in Class 6A of WPIAL boys basketball has enjoyed a lot of success in recent years. The section produced three district champions in the five-year span between 2016-2020. Even though Upper St. Clair from Section 2 won gold in 6A last season, Section 1 was well represented deep...

Four games is a long way from a full body of work, and Penn-Trafford already has more losses than its football team had all season, but boys basketball coach Doug Kelly sees an intangible in his team that makes him ball up his fist and grit his teeth when he...