High School category, Page 811
No-nonsense lineman helps launch Hempfield into new era
If you like no-nonsense, hand-in-the-dirt linemen with impeccable smarts and a mean streak, Dan Sierk is your guy. The brawny senior from Hempfield will move from tight end to offensive tackle this season and will be a problem for opponents from his defensive end post. You might have a hard...
New receiving corps hoping to catch fire for Fox Chapel
Lorenzo Jenkins was Fox Chapel’s leading receiver over the past two years. But Jenkins — selected to Trib HSSN’s preseason all-star team — has moved on to Blackhawk for his senior season. And Fox Chapel has moved on to different air-attack personnel. While Jenkins accounted for 31 of Fox Chapel’s...
High school notebook: Derry football coaches bridging the age gap
Football teams are learning how to read gaps at camp this week so they can open running lanes this season. At Derry, coaches are learning what a generation gap feels like. Derry second-year coach Vince Skillings is 62 years old. Take the combined age of three of his assistants, and...
Moon plans to follow championship formula
When Moon won a conference championship two seasons ago, its formula for success was controlling the line of scrimmage, running the ball effectively and winning the time-of-possession battle. Tigers coach Ryan Linn sees all of the pieces being in place to execute that plan once again. Moon returns four starters...
Blue-chip QB boosts West Allegheny’s hopes
As September became October last season, West Allegheny was 3-1 and in good shape to earn one of eight Class 5A football playoff spots. However, the Indians lost their final three games and missed the postseason for a second straight year. West A coach Dave Schoppe wasn’t pleased with the...
Like rivals, Upper St. Clair turns to new nucleus
Upper St. Clair’s conference was among the WPIAL’s deepest in recent years with senior-heavy rosters full of experience becoming the norm in the South Hills. This year, that’s not always the case. “Our league is turning over big time,” said USC coach Mike Junko, who returns only five full-time starters....
Bethel Park aims to rebound from rare winless season
Bethel Park has been a perennial WPIAL playoff contender on the gridiron. The 2020 season was an aberration. The Black Hawks, coming off 18 consecutive WPIAL playoff appearances and eight winning seasons in a row, did not win a game last fall and finished 0-7. They expect to turn things...
Peters Township seniors hungry for bigger roles
When Peters Township snaps the football on opening night, returning center Anthony Brunette will be the lineman over the ball. The Indians know that for sure. Who will be the four blockers next to him? Coaches must answer that question and quite a few others if they want to return...
South Fayette working toward Class 5A breakthrough
In the 2002 WPIAL football season, South Fayette moved up from Class A to AA, finished 4-5 and missed the playoffs. After 14 years and three WPIAL championships, the program made the big move from AA to 4A in 2016 with state expanding to six classifications. That year, the Lions...
2021 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the quarterbacks
Starting today, TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top quarterbacks for the 2021 season. 1. Brad Birch Gateway Sophomore, 6-2, 190 Birch already holds a college offer from Pac-12 school Oregon after a title-winning freshman...
WPIAL’s top girls soccer players make Moe Rosensteel award watch list
The Moe Rosensteel Player of the Year Award recognizes the best WPIAL girls soccer player “whose play, leadership and passion for the game emulates that of the award’s namesake.” Kaitlyn “Moe” Rosensteel was a soccer standout at Ringgold who was about to begin a college career at West Virginia Wesleyan...
East Allegheny eyes another playoff chance
Not long ago at East Allegheny, the concept of regularly playing football in the postseason was but a dream. It rarely happened. Anymore, though, just making it there isn’t enough. “We’ve gotten the program to where we’re getting to the playoffs. We even won a game (in 2017),” coach Dom...
Strength on defense to play key role for Valley
After experiencing four consecutive losing seasons for the first time in nearly 50 years, the Valley Vikings are eager to get back into WPIAL playoff contention. Valley finished last season 1-4 in the Class 3A Allegheny Conference and 2-5 overall. The best way to jump back into contention is by...
North Allegheny flying under Class 6A radar
Editor’s note: Starting today, Trib HSSN will preview at least one WPIAL conference per day until the start of high school football season Aug. 27. The preseason buzz in WPIAL Class 6A usually has North Allegheny among the early favorites. This year, that’s maybe not the case. “I think everybody’s...
Ex-Pine-Richland football coach Eric Kasperowicz joins Pitt staff as volunteer assistant
Eric Kasperowicz said he talked to “a bunch” of coaches at the high school and small college levels about resuming his coaching career. Finally, he received an offer that, he said, “I couldn’t pass up.” Kasperowicz, who coached Pine-Richland to four WPIAL championships and two PIAA titles in eight seasons...
Laurel Highlands baseball coach DeBerry dies following stomach cancer diagnosis
A few years ago, Scott DeBerry of Uniontown needed a French drain around his home, but there really wasn’t room to bring a backhoe in to do the digging. “He hand-dug the whole perimeter. That was an incredible amount of work for one person,” said Shawn Bernarding of Dormont. “He’s...
After committing to Penn State, Perry’s Tyreese Fearbry decides to re-open his recruitment
After verbally committing to Penn State on the Fourth of July, Perry four-star rush end Tyreese Fearby has decided to re-open his recruitment, he announced Thursday on his Twitter account. I will be de-committing from penn state until further notice @RivalsFriedman @Rivalsfbcamps @Evolve2tenths @coachcsanders @210ths @2_10thsRob @CoachWhiteFB @The__Hunt— Tyreese Fearbry...
Maple Leafs draft Pine native Ty Voit in 5th round
The Toronto Maple Leafs have selected forward Ty Voit in the fifth round (No. 153 overall) of the NHL’s entry draft. A native of Pine, the 18-year-old Voit is a product of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program. Voit is currently a member of the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey...
Highlands turns to familiar face to lead girls soccer program
Paul Matisz was hired last week as coach of the girls soccer program at Highlands. There was no need for an introduction to the Golden Rams players. As an assistant under former coach Jenna Plummer the past two seasons and also deeply involved with the Highlands Area Soccer Club, Matisz...
Greensburg Salem heavyweight Billy McChesney makes Ivy League commitment
Greensburg Salem heavyweight Billy McChesney is headed to the Ivy League. The Golden Lions rising senior announced his commitment to wrestle at Columbia via Twitter on Thursday night. “A huge thank you goes out to all of my coaches and Greensburg as a whole for always supporting me,” McChesney wrote....
With camps, college visits back, TribLive HSSN Preseason All-Stars are busy this summer
As Josh Jenkins walked into Kennywood Park, passing the merry-go-round and the Sky Rocket, the Sto-Rox quarterback marveled at just how much life has improved in a year. At this time last summer, Western Pennsylvania’s high school football players were mostly staying close to home and wondering whether there’d be...
Latrobe wrestler Kilkeary earns All-American honor at national tournament
Vinny Kilkeary made the most of his first trip to Fargo, N.D. The Latrobe rising junior earned his first All-American honor when he placed third at 113 pounds at the Fargo Freestyle National Cadet Wrestling tournament. The 2020 tournament, which would have been his first, was canceled because of the...
Knoch’s Sutton part of Team Pennsylvania in upcoming Big 26 Classic
Eli Sutton has one year of high school baseball remaining. The all-section catcher and rising senior at Knoch is among the players to watch in the WPIAL next spring. He also is one to watch this weekend as a member of Team Pennsylvania for the eighth annual Big 26 Classic...
Plum teen enjoying winning summer on links
Wes Lorish kicked off his summer of golf in winning fashion. The rising freshman at Plum captured the boys 12-14 age division at the Tri-State Junior PGA Championship on June 9 at Fox Run in Beaver Falls. Two weeks later, Lorish, 14, finished second in a playoff at the 101st...
Legendary Hempfield softball coach Bob Kalp, 7-time WPIAL champ, retires
Bob Kalp carried the torch for the Hempfield softball program until it burned his arm. The coach of the Spartans and face of the program for three decades — 25 years as head coach — is stepping down after a storied career in the WPIAL. Kalp, 76, won seven WPIAL...
