High School category, Page 803
Alle-Kiski Valley high school football notebook: Springdale, Deer Lakes renew rivalry
A number of high school football rivalries were put on hold last year as the covid pandemic delayed, shortened and toyed with players, coaches and fans from August to early December. Springdale and Deer Lakes were not immune to the changes as their Week Zero matchup, scheduled for Deer Lakes’...
Westmoreland County girls soccer preview: Southmoreland has ‘something to prove’
If Josh Pajak was only allowed to give his Southmoreland girls soccer team one message before the start of the season it might be this: Proceed with caution. Southmoreland appears to be loaded with returning talent, but the second-year coach doesn’t want the Scotties to get ahead of themselves. Offsides...
Westmoreland County boys soccer preview: Franklin Regional eyes another title
Franklin Regional senior Anthony DiFalco has seen just about everything there is to see in high school soccer. He has won two WPIAL titles, finished as a runner-up and played in the PIAA semifinals twice. He’s been All-WPIAL, all-state and All-American. But even the best players want more. They always...
Westmoreland HS football notebook: Teams enjoy return to normalcy
As the band played and cheerleaders and students chanted from packed bleachers, the normally steely-eyed John Ruane felt some emotion. The Penn-Trafford coach soaked in the atmosphere that he and his staffers and players had missed last season. Ruane remembered what it felt like to play in empty stadiums where...
George Guido: Knoch to induct 7 into Sports Hall of Fame
Knoch High School’s Sports Hall of Fame is getting set to enshrine its sixth induction class Friday night during the Knights’ home opener against Freeport. The school’s hall of fame committee, like most similar organizations, suspended its activities last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Four of the seven inductees...
After leaving Puerto Rican home, Norwin lineman Guindin adjusts to new life
Chased out of Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria in 2017, Sebastian Rosado Guindin has found a home at Norwin. The brawny, 6-foot-2, 270-pound senior lineman is expected to be an important two-way player this season for the Knights, who are trying to return to contention in WPIAL Class 6A. The...
Shady Side, Neighborhood Academy students team up for football co-op
After 127 years as an independent football program, Shady Side Academy now has a partner. Due to a recently-approved cooperative agreement, 11 students from The Neighborhood Academy in Pittsburgh’s Stanton Heights section will be suiting up for Shady Side Academy. The co-op was approved by the PIAA on July 14...
Bethel Park QB Max Blanc plans for college career at Youngstown State
Max Blanc is a student of the game, particularly at the quarterback position. Blanc is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound strong-armed signal caller at Bethel Park who also plays linebacker. He studies, learns, then executes the Black Hawks’ game-plan to the best of his intellectual abilities. “His football IQ is better than...
Bethel Park boys soccer eyes WPIAL playoff berth
Small steps. The Bethel Park boys soccer team isn’t reaching for the sky this season. More on point, the Black Hawks would like to return to the WPIAL playoffs after sitting out the postseason the past four years. “Our goal is to make the playoffs,” said fourth-year coach Doug Fink,...
North Journal notebook: North Allegheny girls golfers off to strong start
The North Allegheny girls golf team opened its season by shooting 166 to sweep a tri-match with Fox Chapel (188) and Mt. Lebanon (185). Katie Rose Rankin shot 38 at North Park. Sissi Hai shot 40, Lauren Kardos had a 42 and Megan Manesiotis 46. Niyati Cannabilla, Jena Norman, Amber...
New wave of players ready to carry on North Allegheny girls volleyball tradition
Senior middle hitter Rachel Burton understands the expectations for the North Allegheny girls volleyball team. With 88 victories in their last 89 matches, including an 18-0 mark last season that culminated in the Tigers’ fourth straight PIAA Class 3A title, no one in the program wants to see the train...
Franklin Regional girls golfers look to stay on top of section
Franklin Regional girls golf coach Kane Daignault said he knew he had a good team returning. But when he finally got to watch freshman Anna Qin, he knew this could be a special season. Qin instantly made Franklin Regional the team to beat in Section 3-AAA, he said. “How good...
Fresh start energizes talented, young Hampton cross country team
A youthful Hampton girls cross country team is about to get even younger. And probably a lot better. The Talbots return five of their top seven runners from the WPIAL championships and welcome talented freshman Kevyn Fish into the fold. “I’m really excited,” said sophomore Lydia Bailey, who as a...
Hampton boys soccer seniors driven to make most of last chance
Since going undefeated as eighth graders, the seniors on the Hampton boys soccer team have held lofty expectations. They own a sparkling 35-15-3 overall record in three seasons but have zero section titles and no WPIAL championship game appearances. This is their final chance, and they plan on making the...
Ligonier Valley pitcher Maddie Griffin commits to Youngstown State
A slightly crumpled piece of paper is far from a national letter of intent, but it sure meant a lot to Maddie Griffin when she was a big-dreaming middle schooler. “I still have the paper I wrote my future goals on from fifth grade,” said Griffin, a star softball pitcher...
Big-play defense leads Sto-Rox past Bishop Sycamore at Wolvarena
Sto-Rox’s high-scoring offense will have big nights this season, there’s little doubt about that. But this season-opening win belonged to the defense. Tre’shaun Barron returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown and the Vikings kept forcing turnovers in a 19-7 victory Friday night over Bishop Sycamore of Columbus, Ohio....
Philly power Imhotep Charter wears down Central Catholic with oversized offensive line
Two tight ends, a huge offensive line and a gritty running back gaining chucks of yardage at a time. This certainly was the style of offense Central Catholic usually would relish. Yet, this was the rare occasion when someone was doing that to the Vikings. Philadelphia powerhouse Imhotep Charter ran...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 28, 2021
LOCAL High schools Football Friday’s results Western PA vs. Everyone Showcase At Wolvarena Sto-Rox 19, Bishop Sycamore (Ohio) 7 Imhotep 12, Central Catholic 6 Nonconference Albert Gallatin 40, Yough 0 Armstrong 48, Freeport 14 Avonworth 49, Summit Academy 14 Beaver 33, Quaker Valley 0 Blackhawk 31, Beaver Falls 20 California...
2021 WPIAL statistical leaders for rushing, passing, receiving in Week Zero
Top performers for Week Zero of high school football in Western Pennsylvania. Passing 318 - Hayden Teska, Greensburg Salem (14 of 40) 267 - Cadin Olsen, Armstrong (13 of 26) 224 - Nick Buckley, Keystone Oaks (23 of 30) 187 - Jake Phillips, Hempfield (14 of 24) 198 - Carson...
Week Zero high school football roundup: Moon takes down Seneca Valley
Dylan Sleva rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns as Moon defeated Seneca Valley, 38-21, in the Week Zero nonconference opener for both football teams Friday night. Tyler McGowan threw for 49 yards and one touchdown and ran for 100 yards on seven carries for the Tigers (1-0). Kai West...
Quarterback’s breakout game powers South Fayette past Montour
For Landon Lutz, this was a long time coming. Two years after nearly claiming South Fayette’s starting quarterback job, Lutz made his first start as a varsity player Friday. The result? A smashing success. Lutz methodically executed South Fayette’s offense, passing 13 of 16 for 138 yards and a touchdown,...
Mt. Lebanon delivers complete performance, shuts out Bethel Park
It didn’t take the Mt. Lebanon offense long to get on track in 2021. And the defense did its job, too, during a season-opening 28-0 win Friday night at Bethel Park in a nonconference game. After holding Bethel Park to a three and out on the opening first series, Mt....
Dickerson, Tracey score 2 TDs each; defense stout as North Hills blanks Mars
Moments after shaking hands with their opponents from Mars, the North Hills players raced over to their sideline to greet a packed and raucous student section waiting for them in the visitor’s grandstand. “The student section and the atmosphere were crazy,” North Hills running back Liam Tracey said. “It makes...
Latrobe builds huge 1st-half lead, dominates Derry
Vince Skillings stood motionless as his grandson, Latrobe sophomore Ja’Tawn Williams, intercepted a Derry pass and raced 45 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game. It was about the only thing Skillings could laugh about after Latrobe thrashed his Trojans, 61-0, on Friday night in the...
Hempfield’s furious 4th quarter dooms Greensburg SalemVideo
Hempfield scored 22 points in the fourth quarter Friday and rallied to defeat rival Greensburg Salem, 29-14, at Spartan Stadium. Junior quarterback Jake Phillips tossed two touchdown passes, including the winner to junior Ian Tuffs with 3 minutes, 2 seconds left to erase a 14-13 deficit. Junior Elijah Binakonsky iced...
