High School category, Page 785
Penn-Trafford notebook: Hershberger leading Warriors field hockey
Ava Hershberger scored the game’s only goal to lead Penn-Trafford to a 1-0 victory against Fox Chapel in Class AA field hockey action on Sept. 17. She also had four goals as the Warriors blanked Upper St. Clair, 6-1, on Sept. 23. Ella Morocco and Delaney Lentz each had goals,...
Girls golf championship teams set standard for success at Penn-Trafford
Penn-Trafford High School is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Here’s a look at the Warriors’ WPIAL championship girls golf team as part of a series on the school’s athletics’ success: When Mia Barchetti and Haley Borkovich were freshmen at Penn-Trafford, girls golf coach Ed Herbst knew he had two...
Penn Hills notebook: Brayton makes return trip to WPIAL golf tournament
The Penn Hills girls golf team had to wait 14 years after Mallory Ruhling qualified before sending another competitor to the WPIAL finals. Lucy Brayton, who broke the streak last season, made sure the Indians didn’t have to suffer through another long wait. By shooting an 83 at the Murrysville...
Penn Hills girls soccer squad stays strong during toughest stretch of schedule
Penn Hills senior midfielder Kari Holt easily found solace after the Indians battled through the rain in a 4-0 loss last Wednesday to Section 3-3A foe Plum. The Indians were playing with a roster only featuring three substitutes. Plum, which is off to a 7-0 start and has played in...
Pine-Richland grad making stops as starting linebacker for Stony Brook
As Tyler King was going through his recruiting process, the thing that stood out about Stony Brook was the coaching staff’s transparency. “They didn’t beat around the bush in anything with what they were telling me,” King said. “They were very straight forward.” The message was that hard work pays...
Gateway boys soccer rolls into 2nd half of Section 4-3A play at 5-1
The Gateway boys soccer team finds itself right in the mix for a playoff spot in Section 4-3A as it gets into the second half of section play this week. Coach Bernie Stiles said the team is working well together and is learning from all the ups and downs the...
After strong start, Gateway’s Brady Sundin builds confidence for invitational, championship meets
Brady Sundin didn’t have the 2020 cross country season he had hoped. “It wasn’t ideal,” said Sundin, who finished the season with what he said was a less-than-desired 108th-place finish in the Class 3A boys race at the WPIAL championships at White Oak Park. “I think I had overtrained from...
Momentum keeps building for Shaler volleyball team
There was no use lamenting an opportunity lost for Shaler setter Tia Bozzo. With the specter of covid-19 restrictions hanging heavy over last season, the Titans were happy to be able to play. Missing out on the PIAA Class 4A playoffs due to a truncated playoff bracket — only the...
New-look offense has Shaler football team rolling
Stopping the Shaler football team’s offense requires doing some thinking. Opponents expecting the same old thing may be caught in some of the window dressing. By revitalizing the presentation, the Titans have made themselves a difficult group to prepare for. Shaler, which got off to a 2-2 start, scored 100...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Sept. 25, 2021
High schools Cross country Boys Saturday’s results PIAA Foundation Meet At Hershey Class 3A Team: 1. North Allegheny, 56; 2. Downingtown East, 117; 3. Lower Merion, 131; 4. State College, 165; 5. Owen J. Roberts, 166. Individual: 1. Cole Adams, York Suburban, 16:28; 2. Andrew McGonigle, Owen J. Roberts, 16:33;...
5 things we learned in Week 4 of H.S. football: 16 teams remain unbeaten at midway point
Laurel football coach Brian Cooper has the Spartans off to a 5-0 start, likely for the first time since 1977, but the Spartans aren’t slowing down to celebrate. “We’re really just trying to keep them focused on the next task at hand,” said Cooper, who’s in his eighth season. “That’s...
Bishop Canevin beats Greensburg Central Catholic, off to best start in 10 years
Sophomore Jason Cross came off the bench to pass for 149 yards and two touchdowns as Bishop Canevin, off to its best start in 10 seasons, remained undefeated with a 20-14 victory over Greensburg Central Catholic on Saturday night at Dormont Stadium. An interception by Cross at the Centurions’ 20-yard...
High school roundup for Sept. 25, 2021: Beaver holds off Seton LaSalle
Beaver quarterback Wyatt Ringer was intercepted four times by Seton LaSalle, but he was able to score two rushing touchdowns to lead Beaver (3-1) to a 21-7 nonconference victory over Seton LaSalle (1-4) on Saturday. Dylan Porto had a pick-six in the first quarter as the Bobcats jumped out to...
Penn-Trafford gets back on track with big win over Shaler
Saturday marked the sixth meeting between Penn-Trafford and Shaler on the football field. The Warriors were a perfect 5-0 and had outscored the Titans, 257-15 in those wins. Even the return of Saturday homecoming festivities at Shaler couldn’t alter the one-sidedness of this series. Senior running back Cade Yacamelli scored...
Quarterback Burke helps make Leechburg’s high-scoring offense go
Thomas Burke is in a lead role for one of the higher-octane offenses in the WPIAL. Leechburg leads Class A in points at 46 per game. The Blue Devils hit 41 in a victory over Eastern Conference rival Springdale on Friday. Burke, a senior in his first year at quarterback...
Westmoreland high school football notebook: Norwin, Derry on opposite sides of forfeit/no-contest rule
Call it a WPIAL dichotomy, the concept of forfeits and no-contests in covid-19 times. Two area teams are on separate sides of the issue after they had to cancel games because of covid protocols. Norwin was dealt a loss without playing, and Derry was not penalized for sitting out. Norwin...
Trib HSSN high school football rankings: Sept. 26, 2021
Class 6A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 4-1, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 5-0, 2 3. Seneca Valley, 4-1, 4 4. North Allegheny, 3-2, 3 5. Canon-McMillan, 3-2, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Moon, 5-0, 1 2. Peters Township, 4-1, 3 3. South Fayette, 4-1, 4 4. Pine-Richland,...
Devin Whitlock’s thrilling last-second TD ‘most meaningful run he’s ever made’ for Belle Vernon
It needs a nickname, that dazzling touchdown run by Devin Whitlock. That 40-yard mad dash with 4.5 seconds remaining Friday night that lifted No. 2 Belle Vernon past No. 1 Thomas Jefferson, 28-21, at James Weir Stadium. That viral scoring play lit up social media and sent the Jaguars packing....
George Guido: Kiski Area, Leechburg football enjoy best starts since ’80s
One half of the 2021 regular season is in the books, and something is becoming painfully obvious. There is a possibility that one or more of the six WPIAL football champions won’t necessarily be the best team in that class. Instead, it will be the team from the school that...
Norwin tennis team off to strong start behind ‘seasoned’ lineup
With the largest and most experienced team she has since taking over at Norwin in 2018, girls tennis coach Diane Pesarsick has even larger expectations for the Knights this fall. Norwin, which has 23 girls in its program — 11 varsity, six of whom are seniors — is looking to...
Norwin notebook: Knights girls soccer rebounds after early loss
Norwin girls soccer coach Diane Metzger isn’t panicking. After all, it’s only one game. The first-year coach knew Latrobe was talented and could be the team to beat in Section 3-4A when her Knights visited the Wildcats for the section opener. Latrobe scored two first-half goals and held off Norwin...
North Allegheny notebook: Hoffman advances to WPIAL semifinals
North Allegheny freshman golfer Chris Hoffman shot 7-over par 78 to finish in fourth place at the Section 3-AAA boys golf qualifier Sept. 21, at Shannopin Country Club. He bettered the target score of 81 to advance to the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals, set for Sept. 27, at Cedarbrook. North...
North Allegheny girls golfers chasing individual, team success
Many of the golfers on North Allegheny’s girls team already have their own swing instructors, so first-year coach Sarah Morrison tries not to tinker much with their mechanics. Instead, the attorney and former college golfer has turned her attention to their thoughts between shots. “My biggest focus with them this...
Franklin Regional notebook: Panthers golfers advance to semifinals
Three Franklin Regional golfers advanced through the first level of WPIAL boys qualifying on the road to the district championship. Zach Abdallah (71), Nolan Shilling (75) and Jeff Anderchak (76) all achieved the designated target score of 79 in the Section 4-AAA tournament at Murrysville Golf Club to advance to...
Palmer Jackson’s season off to hot start at Notre Dame
The Notre Dame golf team began the fall season with two tournaments and Franklin Regional graduate Palmer Jackson has paced the Fighting Irish in both. The junior finished fourth at the Marquette Intercollegiate by shooting an 11-under par 205 at Erin Hills Golf Course in Hartford, Wisc., on Sept 7....
