High School category, Page 893
Valley, Leechburg opt out of WPIAL girls basketball playoffs
Earlier this week, Valley girls basketball coach Ernie Sipolino said he was optimistic his team, despite only having five players able to take the court, would enter the open WPIAL Class 4A playoffs. However, one of those five, freshman guard Ryleigh Kasten, has been trying to play through a condition...
Greensburg Salem girls repeat as WPIBL champions
For the second year in a row, the Greensburg Salem girls bowling team is the WPIBL champion. The Golden Lions prevailed over top-seeded Butler, 2-1, in a best-of-three title match Thursday afternoon at Sims Lanes in Beaver Falls. Greensburg Salem won the first game of the finals, 215-156, while Butler...
Four years later, St. Joseph’s Andrew Sullivan continues to score
For the past four years, St. Joseph senior guard Andrew Sullivan has been a mainstay in the Spartans program and has given the team a leader to look to when things get tough. Even as a sophomore, Sullivan helped the Spartans capture a Section 3-A title and make a run...
A-K Valley boys basketball notebook: All 14 boys teams opt into WPIAL playoffs
The WPIAL basketball playoffs are approaching, and teams had until Thursday afternoon to decide whether they were going to play in this year’s open tournament format. In December, after Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf put a three-week pause on winter sports, the WPIAL decided to use an open tournament format that...
Westmoreland boys basketball notebook: Everyone going to playoffs
All 18 boys teams from Westmoreland County will enter the WPIAL basketball playoffs. The WPIAL is having an open tournament this year where all teams are invited to compete. The league deadline to opt in was 3 p.m. Thursday. Southmoreland was undecided going into Wednesday night’s game against Geibel but...
After tough losses, Mt. Pleasant boys turn it up in time for playoffs
Mt. Pleasant had just surrendered a six-point, fourth-quarter lead against Jeannette and took a gut-punch. Jayhawks 32, Vikings 30. The Vikings did not score in the final period. That game, although nonsection, would have been a nice feather in their collective cap, but instead left them wrung out and looking...
25 basketball teams won’t participate in WPIAL’s open postseason tournament
Derry’s girls basketball team earned its way into the WPIAL playoffs last winter, but the one-win Trojans won’t go back this year. They could have. The vast majority of schools will take part in the WPIAL basketball playoffs this winter in an open-tournament format, but 25 teams decided to not...
Franklin Regional boys basketball doing double duty Saturday
Franklin Regional will pull double-duty Saturday. The Panthers boys basketball team will play two nonsection games as they continue to sharpen their rotation for the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. Coach Steve Scorpion’s grandfather, legendary Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Dick Groat, might appreciate the “let’s play two” reference as it pertains to...
Big 33 Football Classic goes ‘full-speed ahead,’ announces roster with 19 WPIAL players
The weather will be perfect for the Big 33 Football Classic, predicts Garry Cathell, executive director of the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association. Sure, call him an optimist. But his positive thinking doesn’t end there. Cathell also envisions the all-star game surging back to action this spring with four- and...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 17, 2021
High schools Basketball Boys Wednesday’s results WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 Butler 87, North Hills 60 Seneca Valley 71, North Allegheny 70 Class 5A Section 1 Thomas Jefferson 67, Connellsville 19 Ringgold 65, West Mifflin 49 Section 2 New Castle 55, South Fayette 39 Section 3 Latrobe 56, Franklin Regional...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Feb. 18, 2021: South Hills powers square off
Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon and Bethel Park girls have all been ranked in the Trib HSSN top 5 all season long. The combined overall record of these three juggernauts is 34-6. However, because of the Mt. Lebanon mask policy, not allowing the Blue Devils to play teams without masks,...
High school roundup for Feb. 18, 2021: Shady Side Academy shocks No. 1 South Allegheny
Thompson Lau scored 20 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with eight seconds left, as Shady Side Academy stunned No. 1 South Allegheny and moved into first place in Section 3-3A with a 68-61 boys basketball victory Wednesday night. Alex Kramer added 15 points and Ethan Salvia and Eli Teslovich had...
Hempfield wins fifth WPIAL rifle title
The Hempfield coed rifle team achieved one of its goals Wednesday. Now, it will be shooting for the other next week. The Spartans captured their fifth WPIAL title, third in the past four seasons, by outscoring Trinity, Waynesburg and Bethel Park. All four teams advance to the PIAA championship Tuesday...
Latrobe boys basketball gets thrilling victory vs. Franklin Regional
Ryan Sickenberger thought the ball might miss the rim completely when he double-clutched and launched a desperation 3-pointer as the final seconds ticked off. “Frankie (Newill) set a great screen,” the Latrobe senior lefty guard said. “I was just looking for a shot. I thought it was a little flat....
Burrell girls basketball team gets revenge with win over Highlands
Highlands won the first meeting Jan. 30. Burrell returned the favor Wednesday. Behind 17 points from freshman Kate Myers and 11 more from junior Allison Fisher, the Bucs earned a 47-37 victory in a competitive Section 1-4A girls basketball game at Highlands High School. It was the Bucs’ fourth win...
North Allegheny boys win program’s 1st WPIBL team title
The North Allegheny Tigers took down top-seeded Butler in the WPIBL boys team finals on Wednesday at North Versailles Bowling Center to capture the first team championship in program history. The Tigers, who were the No. 2 seed after the qualifying round, beat Butler, 2-1, in the championship match with...
A-K Valley girls basketball notebook: Plum, Fox Chapel part of exciting section race
With just a week left in the truncated WPIAL girls basketball regular season, Section 2-5A is in position to have every team complete its section slate. It would be one of the few sections, boys or girls, to be able to accomplish the feat. Every remaining game has a scheduled...
Trib HSSN Boys Basketball State Rankings for Feb. 17, 2021
Plenty of change this week in the latest HSSN boys basketball state rankings as the sands in the regular season hourglass fade away. Two teams in Class 6A and one each in 5A, 3A and Class A were bounced, opening the door for new entrants Reading and Upper St. Clair...
Trib 10: Lincoln Park returns to boys power rankings
A week after Belle Vernon made a drastic leap and debuted at No. 1 in the boys Trib 10, there is very little movement this week in the latest HSSN basketball power rankings. As the regular season winds down to a week remaining, only New Castle falling five spots and...
Parents appreciate coaching — or coaching against — their kids in Westmoreland County girls basketball
Mike Gerdich admits he and his daughters take basketball home with them. After games and practices, the family vehicle is alive with hoops talk as Gerdich discusses the day that was for the Yough girls basketball team with two of his key players. Kayla Gerdich is a junior guard and...
Schools must certify mask exemptions in writing before PIAA playoffs, not WPIALs
High school athletes must wear a mask during PIAA postseason competition unless their school certifies in writing that they qualify for a medical exemption. The PIAA board decided Wednesday that all schools participating in a state tournament must complete the “PIAA Postseason Covid-19 Universal Face Covering Certification,” a form that...
Westmoreland girls basketball notes: All but 2 teams appear headed for playoff tournament
The playoff picture is clear for Westmoreland County girls basketball teams. The WPIAL is having an open tournament this year where all teams are invited to compete. Their deadline to opt in is 3 p.m. Thursday. Roll call in the county shows all but two girls teams will cap this...
All A-K Valley girls basketball teams intend to compete in playoffs
The WPIAL Board of Directors in December, fearing covid cancellations and other interruptions to team schedules would create unbalanced section standings, voted to have the basketball playoffs decided with open-tournament formats. As of Wednesday, all 14 Alle-Kiski Valley girls teams plan to participate. “We’re young, and our numbers aren’t the...
Jeannette freshman QB Brad Birch draws scholarship offer from Oregon
What seemed like an innocent follow on Twitter led to a college scholarship offer for Jeannette freshman quarterback Brad Birch. It is another example of, as coaches often tell their players, “you never know who is watching.” Birch announced a Division I offer from Oregon on Wednesday, the first for...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 16, 2021
High schools Basketball Boys Tuesday’s results WPIAL Class 6A Section 3 Penn-Trafford 74, Greensburg Salem 44 Class 5A Section 1 Ringgold 59, Connellsville 47 Section 2 Chartiers Valley 83, Trinity 67 West Allegheny at South Fayette, ppd. Section 3 McKeesport at Woodland Hills, ppd. Class 4A Section 1 Derry at...
