High School category, Page 899
Apollo-Ridge girls edge Greensburg Central Catholic for key section victory
In crunch time, the Apollo-Ridge girls basketball team stood tall. Despite seeing a double-digit lead disappear in the second half of Monday’s Section 4-2A game against Greensburg Central Catholic, the Vikings made the necessary plays down the stretch in the fourth quarter to secure a 46-42 victory. “We all, as...
High school roundup for Feb. 8, 2021: Upper St. Clair girls clamp down
Katelyn Robbins scored 15 points and Upper St. Clair clamped down on defense and defeated Thomas Jefferson, 43-25, in a nonsection girls basketball matchup of ranked teams Monday night. Ava Keating added 10 points for Upper St. Clair (9-1, 3-0), which didn’t allow more than 10 points in any quarter....
What to watch for in WPIAL/City League sports for Feb. 8, 2021: Highlands, Mars set for rematch
Last year, they played for a WPIAL boys basketball title in two different classifications. One found a pot of gold at The Pete. The other settled for silver after a two-year championship run. On Tuesday, No. 3 Mars travels to No. 4 Highlands in a battle for sole possession of...
Burrell wrestling cruises to 18th straight section title
In this pandemic era when “new normal” has become a catch phrase, there is still one old normal: Burrell wrestling. The Bucs won their 18th consecutive section title Monday night with a 49-18 victory over Mt. Pleasant (10-6) at Valley High School. Burrell (10-1) won all but one of the...
Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Team of Week for Feb. 8, 2021
In a season like no other, the Frazier boys basketball team is playing like no other Commodores team has in a long time. Last season, Frazier finished 4-18 and in last place in Section 4-3A. Much like the rest of the world, so much has changed for the Commodores. They...
Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Player of the Week for Feb. 8, 2021
There have been so many successful father-son/coach-player combinations through the years on the hardwoods around the WPIAL. Perhaps another one is coming to fruition in Beaver County. Ambridge coach Eric Astorino quickly went from assistant to interim head coach last year upon the sudden retirement of Mark Jula. Astorino wanted...
Connellsville wrestling keeps WPIAL team tournament streak alive
The streak continues, and Connellsville showed what opponents have missed this season. The Falcons captured the WPIAL Class AAA Section 2 title Monday, defeating Norwin, 40-25, and Thomas Jefferson, 43-27. The victories advance the Falcons (6-3) to the WPIAL Team Tournament for the 43rd consecutive season. Connellsville is the only...
Freshman sparks Latrobe girls to comeback win over Gateway
Latrobe girls basketball gives out “paws” to its players for big performances, a custom akin to helmet stickers in football. At the end of the season, the player with the most paws makes the Wildcats’ “Paw of Fame.” It’s not Canton, but freshman Elle Snyder could be on her way...
Kiski Area wrestlers win section title, opt out of WPIAL team tournament
With all the ups and downs that this wrestling season had to offer, Kiski Area coach Chris Heater took a big sigh of relief after winning the WPIAL Class AAA Section 1 title on Monday. His Cavaliers won’t be gunning for a WPIAL title, however. Kiski Area defeated Plum, 42-26,...
New Greensburg Central Catholic football coach Thomas sold on program
While in the process of deciding whether to apply for the football coach opening at Greensburg Central Catholic, Marko Thomas sat down to watch some film. Lots of film. “I watched every one of (GCC’s) games from last year on YouTube and started researching everything I could,” said Thomas, who...
WPIAL releases latest swimming and diving performance lists
The WPIAL released its latest swimming and diving performance lists Monday, and there are changes at the top in four individual events and a relay from meets this past week. In boys Class AAA, Butler senior David Bocci landed in the top spot for the 500-yard freestyle with a time...
Canon-McMillan, Butler latest to opt out of wrestling team postseason
Two more Class AAA wrestling teams pulled out of the WPIAL team postseason, which begins Monday with the section tournaments. Joining No. 3-ranked Hempfield and No. 4 Franklin Regional are No. 7 Canon-McMillan and No. 7 Butler. Butler is being replaced by West Allegheny in the Section 3-AAA tournament at...
WPIAL football players among 30,000 cardboard cutouts in Super Bowl seats
WPIAL football fans might recognize some familiar faces in the Super Bowl crowd at Raymond James Stadium. The NFL filled empty seats with cardboard cutouts Sunday night, and some featured football players who reached the WPIAL finals. Pine-Richland and Peters Township each tweeted to keep eyes open for cutouts of...
Burrell bowlers turn attention to postseason after strong regular season
The top boys and girls bowlers in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League compete at Wildlife Lanes in Lower Burrell. Freeport’s Mark Livingston is at the top of the heap on the boys side, and Burrell junior Lydia Flanagan is tearing it up on the girls side with a league-best...
Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Team of the Week — Week 4
In a season in which half of their section games likely won’t be played because of the mask rule, Upper St. Clair has had to fill in the blanks, trying to find tough competition outside of what is historically a rigorous section. Last week, the Panthers faced two ranked opponents...
Gateway seniors sign on for future in college football
It has become tradition with the Gateway football team that the first Wednesday in February is a day to celebrate the achievements of its senior players and also look ahead to what they hope are bright futures in college. Last week was no exception as a trio of Gators standouts...
Gateway boys continue to build identity in advance of WPIAL playoffs
When the Gateway boys basketball team’s Section 3-5A game with Woodland Hills was postponed from Feb. 2, Gators coaches and school officials looked for another opportunity to play. “Our AD (Don Holl) asked if we wanted to play Avonworth,” Gateway assistant coach Verne Benson said. “We said, yeah. It beats...
Shaler senior swimmer finds surprising success in sprints
Lydia Nebiolo always did a little bit of everything when competing in Allegheny Mountain Swimming meets. Since starting high school meets, the Shaler senior has primarily specialized in distance events. But with the schedule setting up differently, the Titans have been moving Nebiolo around. She’s adapted well, hitting secondary WPIAL...
Bishop Canevin rebuilding hockey program into PIHL Class B contenders
Bishop Canevin has a great reputation on the ice. The Crusaders won five PIHL Penguins Cup championships before the turn of the century, including three straight from 1983-1985. Bishop Canevin went through a resurgence a decade ago and won three more high school hockey titles in 2011, 2014 and 2016....
Led by senior duo, Brentwood boys surge into first place
The Brentwood boys basketball team flourished in January, posting a 7-1 record, including a perfect 5-0 run in Section 4-3A. The Spartans ended the month on a five-game winning streak, including a key 55-54 section win Jan. 29 at home against Washington, ranked fourth in Class 3A. “This team plays...
Numbers up, enthusiasm abounds for Baldwin swim teams
Baldwin swim coach Kim Klinger basks in optimism, in and out of the pool. “I am constantly proud of how the athletes are performing this season,” Klinger said. “The season started with conditioning outside with no pool usage. The swimmers loved the cardio conditioning and strength training. We had a...
Sewickley Academy girls hitting stride midway through season
Despite a few losses early on this season, the Sewickley Academy girls basketball team is starting to find a rhythm. The Panthers won six of their first nine games, and the three losses came against top-tier teams. In their second game of the season, the Panthers fell to WPIAL Class...
North Journal notebook: North Allegheny, North Hills football players sign letters of intent
Four senior North Allegheny football players made their future plans official on national signing day Feb. 3. Defensive back Josh Humphries signed a letter of intent with Division II Mercyhurst, which plays in the PSAC. Three others will compete in Division III. Wide receiver/linebacker Braden Frank picked Case Western Reserve,...
Tiny Aquinas Academy showing it belongs among WPIAL girls basketball contenders
The second-smallest school in WPIAL girls basketball is eyeing bigger things this season. One year after making school history, Aquinas Academy is seeking its first section title and another postseason run. “We don’t want to stop,” junior forward Elizabeth Russell said. “We want to keep going.” The first-place Crusaders were...
Led by scoring sensation Vinnie Cugini, Aquinas Academy boys seek playoff success
Aquinas Academy star guard Vinnie Cugini knows the Crusaders will make the WPIAL Class A playoffs this season for the first time in program history. But the WPIAL’s leading scorer has greater ambition than a mere appearance in the league’s first “open” tournament since 1984. “I’m really excited,” the sophomore...
