High School category, Page 861
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...
Highlands playmaker Brock White on road to recovery from knee injury
Brock White might have to wait a few games to start his 2021 football season. The standout rising senior running back and linebacker at Highlands is in the recovery process after surgery earlier this month to repair an MCL tear suffered at a seven-on-seven event in late May at Valley...
Field set for Tre Cunningham memorial basketball tournament
The field is set for the inaugural Tre Cunningham Memorial Basketball Tournament to be played Friday and Saturday at the Jeannette High School gymnasium. Eight high school boys teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket. The event is sponsored by the Jeannette Educational Foundation. Funds will go toward a scholarship...
Penn-Trafford lineman pops up on recruiting radar
Declan Ochendowski knew he wanted to play college football, but it wasn’t that long ago that the incoming senior at Penn-Trafford doubted he would draw attention from Division I programs. The size was there. Penn-Trafford will have one of the largest lines in the WPIAL this fall (more on that...
Yough comes up short in Legion Region 7 tournament
SIDMAN – Yough reached the Pennsylvania American Legion Region 7 tournament for the second consecutive season. And while the run to the semifinals was fun, the results were the same as 2020: Yough came up short. Errors and walks cost Yough a trip to the championship as it dropped a...
Excitement builds for return of PONY League World Series
In another indication that pre-pandemic normalcy is making its return, directors of PONY League baseball unveiled plans Tuesday for the organization’s 69th World Series. The eight-team double-elimination tournament is set for Aug. 13-18 at Lew Hays PONY Field in Washington, Pa., next door to Washington Wild Things Park. The series...
Fifth field added for Freeport International Baseball Invitational, which expects 20 teams
Excitement continues to build for next week’s Freeport International Baseball Invitational, with 20 teams, five area fields and close to 60 games scheduled over five days. “For 27 years, we’ve been saying that there is no pressure to win a game for a trophy,” Freeport International president Chuck Sarver said....
Southmoreland to honor late alumnus with football helmet sticker
Remembered as a teammate who could lighten the mood when football created tense moments like it can, Brandon Peterson left quite an impression on the Southmoreland football team. He is missed more every day. The team will honor their fallen friend by wearing his number 15 on the back of...
Trib HSSN Preseason WPIAL Football All-Star team: Cade Yacamelli, Penn-Trafford
The Tribune-Review and the TribLive High School Sports Network are profiling each member of the 25-player Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star team. The players will be recognized Thursday during HSSN Media Day at Kennywood Park. For more than two years, Cade Yacamelli ate like there was no tomorrow. Three heavy...
WPIAL adds board of directors seat exclusively for private schools
Private schools in the WPIAL soon will have their own seat on the board. As the WPIAL entered a new school year, the board voted Monday to add a 20th seat earmarked exclusively for private schools. Those schools were left without a representative when longtime WPIAL board member Bill Cleary...
