High School category, Page 779
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Dec. 14, 2021: Section rivalries to tip off
While a good chunk of WPIAL boys basketball teams will tip off section play Friday, four Class 6A Section 1 teams are set to begin section play with a bang less than a week into the 2021-2022 season. Two of the top players in the classification square off when Butler...
Trib HSSN Football Team of the Week for Dec. 13, 2021
When the high school football season hits November and December, every team left is talented. So what separates the teams that come up short, those that settle for silver, from those special groups that bring home the gold? Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane seems to have found the reason is Warriors...
LaRoi Johnson resigns as Sto-Rox football coach, athletic director
Football coach LaRoi Johnson, who led Sto-Rox to the WPIAL finals twice in his four seasons, said he resigned Monday as coach and athletic director. The Vikings went 37-9 under Johnson and finished as WPIAL runner-up in 2020 and ’19. The team went 12-1 this season and reached the WPIAL...
Trib HSSN football player of the week: Dec. 13, 2021
In 10 regular season games, Central Valley running back Landon Alexander rushed for 1,362 yards, an average of more than 136 yards per game. Then, in five district and state playoff games, he proved why he was Alexander the Great. The senior capped off his incredible postseason and his scholastic...
Kiski Area runner Miller caps season with All-American honors at Nike meet
Kiski Area’s Eliza Miller capped her successful cross country season with a bold exclamation point. The talented sophomore athlete placed eighth at the Nike New York/Northeast Regional Championships held Nov. 27 at Bowdoin Park, Wappingers Falls. “This was my first year running at Nike for high school,” Miller said. “I...
Westmoreland County senior spotlight: Greensburg Central Catholic’s Cole Spivak
^ Greensburg Central Catholic’s football team might have lost its first-round playoff game to OLSH, but the fact that the Centurions even played is remarkable. Two line coaches for GCC, Joe Oslosky and B.J. Farrell, died days before the game, and coach Marko Thomas was left with a decision: forfeit...
A-K Valley senior spotlight: St. Joseph’s Stella Swanson
Stella Swanson started playing volleyball as a freshman at St. Joseph. By the end of her sophomore season, she was a third-team all-section selection. A year later, she was awarded second-team honors. With her high school volleyball career recently completed, the 5-foot-7 senior outside hitter can celebrate being a first-team...
This week on Trib HSSN: Week of Dec. 13, 2021
The torch has been passed. We say farewell to the fall sports season and focus on all things winter sports this week on the TribLive High School Sports Network. We continue our dive into the 2021-2022 high school basketball season with video and audio coverage of nearly 40 boys and...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports for Dec. 13, 2021: Section basketball to tip off
It’s only four days into the new WPIAL basketball season, and already, the first section game is set for Monday. Section 2-6A will cut the ribbon on district section play when Upper St. Clair hosts Canon-McMillan in girls basketball. These two teams were on opposite ends of the spectrum in...
High school sports scores, schedules for Dec. 12, 2021
High schools WPIAL Basketball Boys Sunday’s results Midland Tournament Blackhawk 63, Ellwood City 53 Lincoln Park 96, East Liverpool (Ohio) 74 Montour 76, Rochester 46 Monday’s schedule Mike Rettger Tournament (at Franklin Regional) Penn-Trafford at Franklin Regional, 7:30 p.m. Woodland Hills vs. Baldwin, 6 p.m. Nonsection Ambridge at Moon, 7:30...
Inexperience, early road games to present challenge to Sewickley Academy boys basketball
Sewickley Academy’s road gear is firmly in place. The SA boys basketball team is not slated to play its first home game until Jan. 7 in a section test with Springdale. It’s the exact opposite of last year when SA did not compete in an away game until mid-January. Of...
With new coach, revamped lineup, Quaker Valley girls basketball looks for smooth transition
Last season, the Quaker Valley girls basketball team, seeded No. 2, qualified for the WPIAL finals for the first time before losing to No. 1 Beaver, 44-29. Will the Quakers be able to take that next step forward in 2021-22? Well, first things first. Quaker Valley is aiming for a...
With smaller roster, Penn Hills bowling team focused on development
Angela Hepler never envisioned being the head coach of the Penn Hills bowling team. But when the Indians didn’t have anyone else interested in coaching the program, Hepler stepped in so her son, Nick, would have an opportunity to bowl for the high school like his sister did. Penn Hills...
Penn Hills trio to wear red, white, blue at ball hockey world championships
Lou O’Connor quickly got the idea that trying out for the USA U16 ball hockey team wasn’t going to be an easy ride. Roster spots would be earned. The Penn Hills freshman who plays forward and defense was pushed to see what he was made of. “The first tryout was...
Veteran core ready to lead Pine-Richland wrestlers
When mats need to be cleaned before practice, Pine-Richland wrestling coach Caleb Kolb doesn’t have to seek out a volunteer to get the mop out and start scrubbing. Jake Lukez and Joey Schneck get the job done without anyone on the coaching staff asking. It’s a small detail, but it’s...
Injuries present early season speed bump for veteran Pine-Richland girls basketball team
As Pine-Richland girls basketball enters a new season, it has a bit of a good-news, bad-news situation. The good news is the Rams have four returning starters, two other returners with experience and a couple of newcomers who will provide help. The bad news is several of those players are...
North Allegheny girls basketball team reloads after epic season
Lizzy Groetsch and Paige Morningstar led North Allegheny’s girls basketball team to a season for the ages in 2020-21. It easily could be labeled the best girls basketball season in school history. The Tigers captured their first PIAA championship, won a fourth WPIAL title in five years, stormed through Section...
Boost in numbers gives Hampton wrestling optimism despite graduation losses
The Hampton wrestling team is aiming to focus on quantity rather than quality. The Talbots, under first-year coach Nick Endres, have seen growing numbers at every level and are counting on the boost in participation to offset the losses of two PIAA qualifiers. Gone are Justin Hart, the 2021 WPIAL...
Hampton can count on depth in quest to repeat at WPIAL Class 2A boys swim champs
The reigning WPIAL Class 2A champion Hampton boys swimming team hopes deeper is better when it comes to the pool. The Talbots will look to defend their title with less top-end talent and more roster-wide balance. “I think we have a lot of depth,” junior Ben Sheets said. “Last year...
With accomplished coach on board, Shady Side Academy girls basketball begins new era
When Shady Side Academy was looking to fill its girls basketball coaching vacancy, the school reached out for a big name. Jonna Burke, who has had a successful career at Butler and Bethel Park, was hired by Shady Side in late September. The former Bethel Park and Pitt player wanted...
Deep, unselfish Shady Side Academy boys basketball team set to build on strong season
Despite the pandemic-related starts and stops to last year’s scholastic basketball season, the Shady Side Academy boys had a surprisingly successful campaign. And the formula for winning was simple: No one cared about individual statistics. “It was a bit of a surprise,” coach David Vadnais said of his team’s accomplishments....
PIHL standings: Week of Dec. 13, 2021
Here are the latest PIHL high school hockey standings through Sunday, Dec. 12. *- indicates clinched a playoff spot x- indicates eliminated from playoff chase Team, Wins-Losses-Overtime/Shootout Loss = Total Points Class AAA North Allegheny, 9-1-0 = 18 Peters Township, 7-4-1 = 15 Pine-Richland, 6-2-0 = 12 Baldwin, 5-2-2 =...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Norwin pair headed for kicking academy
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 continues to follow...
Aliquippa has ‘no legitimate complaint’ about competitive-balance rule, says PIAA executive director
HERSHEY — The state’s competitive-balance rule is working as originally intended, despite Aliquippa football’s strong objections to playing bigger schools, says the PIAA’s top administrator. “In my opinion, they have no legitimate complaint,” PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said “as seen by winning a state championship this year, and last...
High school girls basketball roundup for Dec. 11, 2021: Mankins sisters lift Greensburg Salem to tournament title
Greensburg Salem used pressure defense and the scoring of the Mankins sisters to defeat Greensburg Central Catholic 48-30 to win the Greensburg Salem Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday. Abby Mankins led all scorers with 21 points and Kait Mankins had 10 for the Golden Lions (2-0). Bailey Kuhns and Mya Morgan...
