High School category, Page 743
Chick’s Picks thankful for WPIAL championship football this holiday weekend
Welcome to Week 13. Chick’s Picks doesn’t think it’s by chance that our final stop on the Highway to Heinz coincides with Thanksgiving. After all, Chick’s Picks has plenty to be thankful for this season, such as: The Birdie: Chick’s Picks is thankful for The Birdie for sharing the TribLive...
Ruane, Humbert build Penn-Trafford, Belle Vernon into consistent contenders
The local coaches who will try to lead their teams to WPIAL football championships on Saturday at Heinz Field have more in common than a desire to break through. John Ruane of Penn-Trafford and Matt Humbert of Belle Vernon have taken competitive programs to the next level, following similar trajectory...
New coach has Deer Lakes girls looking mentally, physically strong
A coaching change in the Deer Lakes girls basketball program seems to be working out smoothly. Sam Salih replaced David Petruska, who stepped down during the offseason. Salih has the Lancers working on an eighth consecutive WPIAL playoff appearance. “The transition is doing great,” Salih said. “I see the girls...
Westmoreland County football notebook: Penn-Trafford making special plans for Moon matchup
A WPIAL championship would be special to Penn-Trafford. Special teams might play a key role in the Warriors’ quest to win their first title. The Warriors (10-2) have been exceptional at times on special teams this season, particularly in the playoffs. Last week, senior Nathan Schlessinger, one of the WPIAL’s...
With 5 starters returning, Greensburg Central Catholic girls in position to contend
Chris Skatell is a practicing attorney. The new Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball coach hopes his defense doesn’t rest. “We want to mix it up on defense and never give teams the same look,” said Skatell, a former assistant under recent coaches Sam Salih and Joe Eisaman. “If you play...
Tall, talented roster has Greensburg Central Catholic boys talking title
Good luck getting rebounds against Greensburg Central Catholic this season. The Centurions will be one of the tallest boys basketball teams in WPIAL Class 2A with the return of 6-foot-3 swingmen Brevan Williams and Ryan Appleby, both seniors and returning starters from a WPIAL runner-up team that finished 16-4 and...
WPIAL Class 2A football championship breakdown: Beaver Falls vs. Serra Catholic
WPIAL Class 2A football championship No. 5 Beaver Falls vs. No. 6 Serra Catholic 5 p.m. Friday, Heinz Field On the air: TribHSSN.TribLive.com (video); 1020 AM, 1230 AM, 99.3 FM, 1460 AM Winner plays: Winner of District 9 champion Karns City and District 10 champion Farrell in the PIAA semifinals...
WPIAL Class A football championship breakdown: Bishop Canevin vs. OLSH
WPIAL Class A football championship No. 9 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart vs. No. 3 Bishop Canevin 2 p.m. Friday, Heinz Field On the air: Video: HSSN.TribLive.com; Audio: 92.1 FM Winner plays: Redbank Valley/Northern Bedford winner in the PIAA semifinals Dec. 3 or 4 WPIAL titles: OLSH 1 (2018);...
Bishop Canevin, OLSH both looking for school’s 2nd WPIAL title in Class A final
Having one WPIAL football championship in the trophy case is good, but having two is twice as nice. That is the goal for the two combatants in the 2021 WPIAL Class A championship game set for 2 p.m. Friday at Heinz Field. It was only three years ago when Our...
WPIAL football championship factoids: A warm welcome back to the North Side
Last year marked the first time a WPIAL football championship game was not played at either Heinz Field or Three Rivers Stadium since 1982. We’re back! The district finals from Class A to 5A will be played for the first time ever in a two-day event at Heinz Field. You...
Trib 10: Big power-rankings shake-up before Heinz Field showdowns
With many head-to-head matchups last weekend and the district field whittled to only 11, there was a big shuffling of the power deck heading into the final weekend of November. We hope that this holiday edition of the Trib 10 power rankings is a feast for all. Still feasting on...
North Allegheny claims 5th straight PIAA volleyball title
SILVER SPRING TOWNSHIP — It is said to never wake up a sleeping bear. By beating North Allegheny in the first game of their PIAA girls volleyball championship match Nov. 20, Parkland might have woken the sleeping Tiger. North Allegheny rallied to win the next three games to claim its...
Cheswick Christian boys basketball team motivated to make mark
At the elementary and middle school levels, the current group of Cheswick Christian basketball players experienced success, which has given them some confidence coming into the season. Now they hope they can translate those winning ways to the high school level. “They’re eager to break back through at the high...
Full schedule breeds enthusiasm inside Cheswick Christian girls basketball program
After a covid-shortened 2020-21 season in which the Cheswick Christian girls basketball team played only nine games, signs are pointing towards a return to a more normal slate this winter. That’s a welcomed proposition for Chargers coach Jacque Willis and her team. Cheswick Christian returns three starters from last year’s...
Franklin Regional girls basketball team’s young roster to sport new look on defense
Bernie Pucka used to be an assistant football coach at Franklin Regional, but now he is the school’s new girls basketball coach. He may still have some football tendencies as he settles into his new surroundings. “I’m the defensive coordinator and (assistant) Krista Pietropola is the offensive coordinator,” Pucka said....
New coach brings energy boost to Franklin Regional boys basketball
The more time Jesse Reed spends around his Franklin Regional boys basketball team, the more enlivened he gets. “It’s been better than I ever imagined,” Reed said. “I love this.” Reed, a former standout at Greensburg Central Catholic, Saltsburg and The Kiski School who played collegiately at American and professionally...
Penn-Trafford’s unsung heroes to bring lunch pails to WPIAL championship game
When people talk about the 2021 Penn-Trafford football team, the names that are mentioned frequently are Wisconsin recruit Cade Yacamelli, quarterback Carter Green and members of the imposing offensive line. But there is a lot more to the Warriors. Every successful football team has players that go unnoticed to the...
Mix-and-match approach carries Belle Vernon to brink of WPIAL championship
Championship teams usually have it all sorted out by now. They know who is starting on both sides of the ball, where they’ll play and who will be their backups. But Belle Vernon, set to play for a WPIAL football title Saturday afternoon at Heinz Field, still has moving pieces....
While making Westmoreland County finals picks, Birdie sees red on Highway to Heinz
Last week: 2-0 (100 %) Season: 97-37 (72.4%) Whether in packets or by the bottle, the Birdie has a ketchup obsession. An unhealthy Heinz ketchup obsession. Ever since last week when Penn-Trafford and Belle Vernon won semifinal games to advance to the WPIAL finals Saturday at Heinz Field, he has...
2021 Western Pa. high school football schedule, broadcasts for Week 13
Football WPIAL playoffs Championship Class 5A Saturday’s schedule Moon (12-0) vs. Penn-Trafford (10-2) at Heinz Field, 6 p.m. (HSSN, 1020 AM, 107.1 FM, 92.1 FM, 1230 AM, 99.3 FM, 1460 AM) Class 4A Saturday’s schedule Aliquippa (10-1) vs. Belle Vernon (10-0) at Heinz Field, 3 p.m. (HSSN, 1020 AM, 92.1...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 23, 2021
High schools Football WPIAL playoffs Championship Class 5A Saturday’s schedule Moon (12-0) vs. Penn-Trafford (10-2) at Heinz Field, 6 p.m. Class 4A Saturday’s schedule Aliquippa (10-1) vs. Belle Vernon (10-0) at Heinz Field, 3 p.m. Class 3A Saturday’s schedule Central Valley (12-0) vs. North Catholic (12-0) at Heinz Field, noon...
High school roundup for Nov. 23, 2021: Chartiers Valley scores comeback win
Greg Kraemer scored two of his three goals in the last eight minutes of regulation and Brady Nairn’s second goal of the game was the overtime winner as Chartiers Valley pulled off a 7-6 comeback win over Norwin in PIHL Class A hockey Tuesday night. Kraemer added three assists and...
Burrell girls basketball program rolls with changes
When Shaun Reddick took over as coach of the Burrell girls basketball team in June, it marked his return to that capacity for the first time since one season at the helm of the Bucs two decades ago. Very familiar with the Burrell girls basketball program in a number of...
Burrell boys basketball team confident in ability, experience
Two years ago, the Burrell boys basketball team won just one game. The Bucs made strides last season in the midst of all of the covid uncertainty, improving to 9-10 overall and 5-6 in Section 1-4A. They suffered a WPIAL first-round loss to Central Valley. Coach Mike Fantuzzo said he...
Trib HSSN state football rankings for Nov. 23, 2021
Usually at this time of year, there is a large shuffling of the deck when it comes to state rankings as the district playoffs wind down and morph into the state playoffs. That is not the case this week in the Trib HSSN weekly state rankings as, outside of Class...
