High School category, Page 752
A-K Valley football players to watch for 2021 Week 11
Legend Ausk Springdale, Sr., QB/LB The dual-threat capabilities of the veteran signal-caller have the Dynamos thinking big things in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals. In last Friday’s shutout victory over No. 4 West Greene, Ausk threw for 54 yards and a touchdown. He now has 12 passing scores and another...
Upstart programs collide when Cornell, Leechburg meet in Class A quarterfinals
Often, coaches and school officials can get upset after earning home-field advantage and having the site moved. That’s not the case, however, with Cornell. For the second consecutive week, the Raiders have had a home game moved from Frank Letteri Stadium in Coraopolis. No. 2 Cornell (8-2) will face No....
Freeport aims to find winning formula against Elizabeth Forward
Now that Freeport has won the first WPIAL football playoff game ever held at Freeport Area Athletic Stadium, it is time for the Yellowjackets to hit the road. Freeport visits Elizabeth Forward on Friday night in the Class 3A quarterfinals against a Warriors team it has lost to each of...
The Birdie learns an important football lesson, picks A-K Valley playoff games
Last week: 4-3 (57.1%) Overall: 82-30 (73.2%) If there are three things The Birdie loves more than anything on earth, it’s football, french fries and tortured analogies. So as The Birdie pulled out of the McDonald’s drive thru at lunchtime one day this week, he carefully lifted a glorious box...
2021 Western Pa. high school football schedule for Week 11
Friday WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Semifinals North Allegheny (7-4) at Mt. Lebanon (10-0), 7 p.m. (HSSN*) Seneca Valley (7-3) vs. Central Catholic (8-2) at Baldwin, 7 p.m. (HSSN*) Class 5A Quarterfinals Woodland Hills (5-6) at Moon (10-0), 7 p.m. (HSSN*) Penn Hills (6-4) at Gateway (7-3), 7 p.m. (HSSN*) Fox...
Westmoreland football players to watch for 2021 Week 11
Brant Garn Mt. Pleasant, sr., WR The 6-foot-2 senior is a big target for quarterback Tyler Reese. He has seven catches for 190 yards and two touchdowns for the Vikings. Logan Hoffman Belle Vernon, sr., FB/TE/ILB Hoffman is an excellent blocker on offense and also a leader on defense for...
Mt. Pleasant motivated to make history in playoff clash with Avonworth
Motivation can come in many forms at WPIAL football playoff time. There’s the underdog approach — us against the world. Or, the next-man-up mentality. Small-town pride also can carry a lot of weight. But some teams simply are fueled by a want to carve their name into program history. To...
Fox Chapel will try to outfox No. 2 Penn-Trafford in WPIAL quarterfinals
Fox Chapel has already pulled off a playoff upset this season, but can it outfox Penn-Trafford in the quarterfinals Friday? The No. 10-seeded Foxes (5-6) opened the WPIAL Class 5A first round by defeating seventh-seeded Upper St. Clair, 13-10, last Friday. Now they face well-rested Penn-Trafford (8-2), which is seeded...
‘Tis the season for Westmoreland County playoff picks from The Birdie
Last week: 4-2 (66.7%) Season: 92-37 (71.3%) The Birdie has become a mall-walker as part of his covid times-inspired mission to get in some kind of shape. While he strolled around and poked his head into department stores recently at Westmoreland Mall, he became increasingly annoyed by the playing of...
Coaches announce 2021 WPIAL field hockey all-stars
Days after winning WPIAL titles, the Pine-Richland, Penn-Trafford and Shady Side Academy field hockey teams had another reason to celebrate Wednesday. Combined, the three WPIAL champions had 15 players honored as WPIAL all-stars. The all-stars were chosen by a vote of coaches, who also identified an All-WPIAL team. Class 3A...
WPIAL girls volleyball teams learn sites, times for PIAA quarterfinals
Twelve WPIAL teams began the girls volleyball state playoffs on opening night Tuesday. Four saw their season come to an end while eight District 7 teams were winners and are moving on to Round 2. The PIAA has announced the sites and times for the quarterfinals Saturday. Both WPIAL Class...
New Ken-Arnold to cast broad net in replacing head football coach ‘Muzzy’ Colosimo
New Kensington-Arnold School District will cast a wide net as it searches for a new varsity football head coach. The school board Tuesday accepted the resignation of William “Muzzy” Colosimo and will advertise the coaching position. Colosimo did not attend the meeting. Colosimo, 71, previously said he felt it was...
PIAA releases sites, times for boys, girls soccer quarterfinals
It was a nearly flawless start for WPIAL soccer teams in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs on Tuesday. The 11 girls teams were a combined 9-2 in the first round while the district boys teams were perfect on the pitch, going 11-0. The next step on the Road...
Westmoreland County girls athlete of the week: Greensburg C.C.’s Rebecca Hess
Rebecca Hess School: Greensburg Central Catholic Sport: Volleyball Year: Senior Claim to fame: Hess, an outside hitter, led No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic (14-4) with 12 kills in a 3-1 loss to No. 1 Bishop Canevin (24-1) in the WPIAL Class A championship at UPMC Events Center on Nov. 6....
After early playoff exit, Deer Lakes boys soccer team turns attention to next season
The ink wasn’t even dry on the 2021 season and a disappointed Deer Lakes boys soccer team was eager to dive right into offseason workouts. “They said they wanted to get started, and they said they wanted to start ‘yesterday,’ ” said Deer Lakes coach Aaron Smith, who just finished...
Playoff victory provides memorable night for Leechburg faithful
They came early … and they stayed late. That’s the best way to describe the Leechburg football faithful and the atmosphere surrounding the first home playoff game in the history of Leechburg Veterans Stadium and the first WPIAL playoff victory since 1978. The Blue Devils broke open a close game...
A-K Valley girls athlete of the week: Freeport’s Erica Lampus
Erica Lampus Class: Senior School: Freeport Sport: Volleyball Report card: Lampus is the lone senior starter on the Freeport volleyball team, which won it sixth WPIAL volleyball title Saturday with a 3-1 victory over section rival Hampton. Lampus had the clinching kill in a 25-22 win in the second set....
High school roundup for Nov. 9, 2021: Mars girls soccer opens PIAA defense with shutout win
Addison Girdwood and Piper Coffield scored a goal apiece and WPIAL champion Mars began its defense of its PIAA Class 3A girls soccer championship with a 2-0 first-round victory over Red Land on Tuesday. Megan Boddy and Kate McEnroe earned the shutout for the Fightin’ Planets (17-0-1), who will face...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 9, 2021
High schools Field hockey PIAA playoffs Class 3A First round Tuesday’s results Conestoga 1, Kennett 0 Cumberland Valley 9, Northeast 0 Methacton 3, Hazleton Area 0 Emmaus 4, Souderton 1 Lower Dauphin 4, Great Valley 0 Downingtown West 2, Parkland 1 Wilson 2, Garnet Valley 1 Central York 2, Pine-Richland...
Freeport volleyball avoids WPIAL title hangover, beats Plum in PIAA 1st-round match
Freeport girls volleyball coach Tom Phillips has always worried about the potential for a “hangover” from winning a WPIAL championship going into the first round of the state tournament. The emotional high of winning a district crown can be tough to replicate just a couple days later, but the Yellowjackets...
Plum beats District 6 champ Hollidaysburg for program’s 1st PIAA playoff victory
HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Plum girls soccer team threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Hollidaysburg net, and Tigers freshman keeper Natalie Foster in the first half during a PIAA Class AAA first-round game Tuesday at Hollidaysburg. Plum delivered 14 shots, including seven on goal, over the first 40 minutes....
Penn-Trafford still looking for elusive 1st PIAA win after loss to Fleetwood
Penn-Trafford has yet to crack the win column in the PIAA field hockey playoffs, but veteran coach Cindy Dutt feels it’s coming. Fleetwood, the District 3 fifth-place finisher, got a pair of goals from Casey Dewald and defeated Penn-Trafford, 4-0, Tuesday in the opening round of the Class 2A playoffs....
Trib HSSN state football rankings for Nov. 9, 2021
There was no sliding and there was no climbing for teams across Pennsylvania as the district playoffs began for some last week. The Trib HSSN weekly state football rankings remained status quo with 13 teams enjoying byes last week. Time to say bye-bye to the free passes as all 30...
Westmoreland County boys athlete of the week: Franklin Regional’s Colton Hudson
Colton Hudson School: Franklin Regional Sport: Soccer Class: Junior Claim to fame: Hudson, who has 18 goals and 15 assists this season, scored the tying goal and made a penalty kick as No. 3 Franklin Regional (16-4) defeated No. 4 Plum (17-4-1), 2-1 (4-1 on penalty kicks), in the consolation...
Hempfield football maintains message, builds for future
Mike Brown isn’t budging. Doesn’t matter what day it is, what month or who’s listening. His message isn’t changing. Not one bit. “I wouldn’t have taken this job if I didn’t think we could win here,” he said. “We’ve just got to really develop physically and mentally. The kids understand...
