High School category, Page 747
Late rally lifts Allentown Central Catholic past Avonworth in PIAA Class 2A girls soccer final
HERSHEY — The Avonworth girls soccer team was three minutes away from finishing off its first PIAA championship victory in its first appearance in Hershey. But Allentown Central Catholic scored two goals a minute apart in blustery and windy conditions as time wound down to rally for 2-1 victory and...
Seeking 1st WPIAL finals trip since 1998, No. 1 Moon faces Penn Hills in semifinals
A sign hanging inside Moon’s football stadium chronicles the milestone years in team history. One look at that board reminds the current Tigers that their team hasn’t reached the WPIAL finals in more than two decades. Yet this year’s roster, with a strong senior class, wants desperately to write 2021...
Central Valley runs winning streak to 24, earns 3rd straight trip to WPIAL finals
Central Valley punched its third straight ticket to the WPIAL Class 3A championship game Friday night with a 51-0 victory over Elizabeth Forward, extending its two-year win streak to 24 games. Despite a slow start — Central Valley led just 3-0 after the first quarter — the Warriors offense came...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 18, 2021
High schools Field hockey PIAA playoffs Championship Saturday’s schedule Class 3A Emmaus vs. Lower Dauphin at Whitehall, 3 p.m. Class 2A Twin Valley vs. Gwynedd Mercy at Whitehall, 12:30 p.m. Class A Wyoming Seminary vs. Oley Valley at Whitehall, 10 a.m. Football WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Finals Saturday’s schedule Mt....
High school roundup for Nov. 18, 2021: Ringgold wins title game rematch
Kenny Cadwallader scored his second goal of the game in overtime to give Ringgold a measure of revenge with a 4-3 PIHL Class B victory over Neshannock on Thursday in a rematch of last year’s championship game. Jacon Frahlich had a goal and an assist, Nathan Boulanger added two assists,...
Era ending for Ward family dynasty in Greensburg Central Catholic soccer
The Ward family name has long been a part of Greensburg Central Catholic soccer. It holds pride and championship clout. Three sisters and a brother have continued the family legacy up the program ladder — Sarah, Sydney, Natalie and Nate. They know a little about playing for championships, WPIAL and...
WPIAL football playoff preview: A closer look at all 13 of this weekend’s games
Welcome to championship weekend in Class 6A and the final stop on the Highway to Heinz in the other five classifications. Ten teams on Friday, from Class A to 5A, will punch their ticket to ride to the North Shore on Thanksgiving weekend to play for a WPIAL championship. Speaking...
All-WPIAL boys soccer teams, players, coaches of year announced
The Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association has rounded up its All-WPIAL lists for the season, just in time for the PIAA finals in Hershey. Here are the teams by classification: Class 4A Sean Ahia, Sr., Fox Chapel Evan Anderson, Sr., North Allegheny Ben Beale, Sr., Allderdice Aidan Dyga, Jr., North...
Baldwin girls soccer coach Chiodo chosen for 30-under-30 program
Christine Chiodo has come a long way from her days as a ball girl for the West Allegheny football team. Chiodo, who just completed her first season as the head girls soccer coach at Baldwin, is part of a national mentoring program for on-the-rise coaches. She was named to United...
North Allegheny swimming brings back retired coach to replace Patrick Wenzel
Citing personal reasons, title-winning North Allegheny swimming coach Patrick Wenzel resigned this fall after leading the WPIAL’s top program for eight years. The Tigers swept the WPIAL boys and girls titles in each of Wenzel’s eight seasons as coach, and the girls enter this winter as reigning state champions. To...
Big, physical offensive line makes Penn-Trafford offense go
It’s no secret the Penn-Trafford football team likes to run the football. Senior running back Cade Yacamelli and quarterback Carter Green have rushed for more than 2,200 yards and scored 30 touchdowns between them. Yacamelli has rushed for 1,290 yards and 16 touchdowns, and Green has 916 yards and 14...
Moon’s Mia Cochran named Pennsylvania cross country runner of the year
Moon senior Mia Cochran picked up a huge honor when the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association named her the girls athlete of the year. Cochran was also named first-team All-State after winning her third consecutive PIAA Class 3A cross country title. She was joined on the first team by...
Trib HSSN football players to watch for 2021 Week 12
Here are four WPIAL high school football players to watch in Week 12: Sean FitzSimmons Central Valley, sr., DE/DT FitzSimmons, a Pitt recruit, has been a driving force behind Central Valley’s undefeated season. The Warriors’ defense has limited opponents to 6.9 points per game. They rolled to a 48-6 win...
George Guido: Have teams that shared a home field ever won WPIAL titles in the same season?
For those who remember the American Top 40 radio show, here’s a Casey Kasem-like question for WPIAL football. Moon and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart both play home games at Moon Tiger Stadium, and both are still alive in the WPIAL playoffs. Have there ever been two WPIAL football...
Just like the teams, Chick’s Picks makes her way to WPIAL football championships
Welcome to Week 12. As Chick’s Picks continued her cruise on the Highway to Heinz this week, she ran into a bit of a detour along the way. After programming her crystal ball’s GPS, Chick’s Picks noticed that an unexpected stop had been added to her route. Then, Chick’s Picks...
Westmoreland County football notebook: Central Catholic QB set for Norwin homecoming
Payton Wehner hoped he could pilot Central Catholic back to the WPIAL finals so the Vikings could chase down a third straight Class 6A championship. But the sophomore quarterback was hoping to play at Heinz Field. “You know, when I heard it wasn’t going to be at Heinz, I was...
Through the years: Kiski Area won thriller in 1971 playoffs
Each Friday throughout the high school football season, the Valley News Dispatch will take a look back at the games, players and events that are part of local scholastic history. In a history-making WPIAL playoff game where all undefeated teams were admitted to the postseason for the first time, Kiski...
No surprises when Belle Vernon, Thomas Jefferson meet in anticipated rematch
When Belle Vernon and Thomas Jefferson meet Friday in a WPIAL Class 4A semifinal, there won’t be anything to hide. The teams know pretty much exactly what the other wants to do. It’s just a matter of who can stop it. The Leopards (9-0) and the Jaguars (8-2) met Sept....
6 finalists announced for 3rd Bill Fralic Award
Finalists were announced this week for the third annual Bill Fralic Memorial Award, which recognizes the top senior football lineman in the WPIAL. There are six finalists — one from each classification — and the winner will be announced Dec. 4 at a pancake breakfast at Longue Vue Club in...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 17, 2021
High schools Field hockey PIAA playoffs Championship Saturday’s schedule Class 3A Emmaus vs. Lower Dauphin at Whitehall, 3 p.m. Class 2A Twin Valley vs. Gwynedd Mercy at Whitehall, 12:30 p.m. Class A Wyoming Seminary vs. Oley Valley at Whitehall, 10 a.m. Football WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Finals Saturday’s schedule Mt....
Trib 10: One team falls out of power rankings in 2nd week of WPIAL playoff action
It was nearly a perfect week for the teams ranked in the Week 11 edition of the Trib 10 power rankings. Nine of the teams were victorious in their playoffs games with only No. 8 Hampton getting bounced from the chase for district gold and the HSSN power rankings. There...
GCC soccer coach gives birth, coaches team to PIAA final 11 days later
Olivia Kruger watched the WPIAL Class A girls soccer championship game Nov. 5 at Highmark Stadium from a hospital bed, shortly after delivering her 8-pound, 4-ounce bundle of joy, James Thomas Kruger. The baby was born minutes after kickoff. Just 11 days later, she had a much better view of...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Search begins for next Jeannette football coach
The search has begun for Jeannette’s next football coach. With the resignation of longtime coach Roy Hall official, the district is taking applications through Nov. 19. Superintendent Matt Jones said interviews will begin after that time, but there is no hard deadline to get a coach in place. The district...
2021 Western Pa. high school football schedule, broadcasts for Week 12
WPIAL Class 6A finals Saturday’s schedule Mt. Lebanon (11-0) vs. Central Catholic (9-2) at Norwin, 7 p.m. (HSSN, 1020 AM, 95.3 FM) WPIAL Class 5A semifinals Friday’s schedule Moon (11-0) vs. Penn Hills (8-3) at North Allegheny, 7 p.m. (HSSN*) Penn-Trafford (9-2) vs. Pine-Richland (7-4) at Gateway, 7 p.m. (HSSN*,...
Through ups and downs, Pine-Richland back in WPIAL semifinals against Penn-Trafford
Don’t let Pine-Richland’s record fool you. The reigning PIAA and WPIAL Class 5A champions are a talented football team despite the twists and turns of the past 11 months. Now they find themselves back in the WPIAL semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday against No. 2 Penn-Trafford (9-2) at Pete Antimarino...
