High School category, Page 92
Belle Vernon’s Max Henson dominates state to win PIAA Class 2A tennis title
One of the more accomplished junior players in the state, Belle Vernon’s Max Henson decided to play high school tennis for the first time this season. The rest of the PIAA wishes he hadn’t. Belle Vernon doesn’t have a tennis team, but it does have a state champion as Henson...
Shaler handles Ambridge for 3rd straight WPIAL volleyball title, 1st in 2A
When asked if there was any pressure on his team to capture a third straight WPIAL title, Shaler coach Paul Stadelman admitted the Titans put it on themselves. “Some of our inexperience and youth adds to the pressure,” Stadelman said. “I think a lot of times the team we played...
Derry’s Sophia Mazzoni, Greensburg CC’s Jerry Davis earn gold at state meet
Derry senior Sophia Mazzoni and Greensburg Central Catholic junior Jerry Davis achieved their goals Saturday at the PIAA track and field championships. They returned to Westmoreland County with gold medals. It was the second gold for Mazzoni in the Class 3A javelin and a first for Davis in the 2A...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Belle Vernon freshman gets D-I offer
Belle Vernon’s Aubrey Brown is only a freshman, but she already has Division I college coaches interested in her game. The 6-foot-1 forward, who made an immediate impact at the varsity level last season for the Leopards, received a scholarship offer last week from Kent State. Brown averaged 10.9 points,...
Westmoreland County athletes of the week: Hempfield’s Lauren Howard and Norwin’s Nathan Silberman
Lauren Howard School: Hempfield Class: Junior Sport: Softball Claim to fame: Howard, a Virginia commit, finished 4 for 4 with a double, triple and three RBIs as top-seeded Hempfield (20-1) defeated Canon-McMillan, 8-2, in the WPIAL 6A semifinals. Hempfield will face Seneca Valley on Wednesday for the WPIAL championship. Howard,...
Mohawk’s Jaxon Schoedel sets PIAA record while defending title in 3,200 meters
SHIPPENSBURG — Mohawk senior Jaxon Schoedel knew early on during the 3,200-meter Class 2A final Saturday that the race was his at the PIAA track and field championships. All he was focused on was defending his title, but he got a lot more. Schoedel finished in 8 minutes, 59.34 seconds...
Freeport’s Mackenzie Magness earns emotional win in pole vault at state championships
SHIPPENSBURG — There can be tears for many reasons at the PIAA track and field championships. If someone saw Mackenzie Magness of Freeport crying after winning the Class 2A girls pole vault Saturday morning, one might assume it was because the gold medal meant so much to her. It did,...
North Allegheny rallies past Seneca Valley to return to top of WPIAL 3A volleyball mountain
North Allegheny was back in its familiar position of favorite entering this year’s WPIAL boys volleyball playoffs. That wasn’t necessarily the case last year when North Allegheny lost to Shaler in the 3A finals, but the Titans subsequently dropped down to Class 2A and the Tigers brought back a team...
WPIAL announces schedule for 2025 softball finals, 3rd-place games
The WPIAL announced start times for the six softball finals Wednesday and Thursday at PennWest’s Lilley Field in California. The championship schedule starts with the Class 4A final at noon Wednesday, followed by Class 6A at 2:15 p.m. and Class 5A at 4:30 p.m. The Thursday schedule begins with the...
WPIAL sets schedule for 2025 baseball championships, 3rd-place games
The WPIAL announced times for its six baseball championship games Tuesday and Wednesday at EQT Park in Washington. The schedule includes an earlier than usual start Wednesday to accommodate Class A finalist Serra Catholic, which has a graduation ceremony that evening, WPIAL administrator Vince Sortino said. The Class 6A, 5A...
After tough finish, Franklin Regional turns attention to 2026 season
Baseball season ended a little earlier than expected for Franklin Regional. The campaign started well for the Panthers (10-9), but they ended the season on a six-game losing streak. Every one of the late-season losses came against playoff teams. The Panthers entered the final two weeks of the season a...
Shady Side Academy relay team uses all-for-one mentality to win WPIAL gold
Ella Van Norman feels like the way races are structured sets up Shady Side Academy’s 3,200-meter relay team for success. The Bulldogs’ largest concern during every race is getting the baton to the next person in the best possible position. Shady Side Academy’s 3,200 relay team — consisting of Rhyley...
Shady Side Academy freshman thrives on WPIAL track’s biggest stages
Javon Johnston continues to impress Shady Side Academy boys track and field coach Adam Janosko with his drive. The Bulldogs freshman, who qualified for the PIAA Class 2A championships in two events, went to the West Mifflin Last Chance Meet to put pressure on himself. Johnston wanted to set the...
Herald notebook: Fox Chapel’s Jack Kartsonas helps WVU baseball to big season
Fox Chapel resident Jack Kartsonas made a smart choice for his final season of college eligibility. The Vincentian Academy graduate chose to head from Kent State to West Virginia. This week, Kartsonas was given second-team All-Big 12 honors for his role as a right-handed pitcher. The Mountaineers, who finished the...
Fox Chapel baseball coach hits 100 wins, likes program’s direction
Jim Hastings has always appreciated the support of his coaching staff and the players in his program. Before Hastings took over at his alma mater Fox Chapel in 2018, he spent three years coaching at Springdale. Hastings, who recently hit the 100-win mark at Fox Chapel, took the Dynamos to...
Bethel Park notebook: Boys, girls lacrosse teams enjoy playoff seasons
Both lacrosse teams at Bethel Park advanced to the WPIAL playoffs this season. The boys squad, coached by Luke Lewis, landed the No. 7 seed in Class 2A and defeated No. 10 Quaker Valley, 12-10, in the first round before losing to No. 2 Mars, 18-0, in the quarterfinals. The...
Bethel Park’s Orie twins ready to take athletic talents to college level
Clancy Orie is a 6-foot-3, 255-pound senior athlete at Bethel Park. His twin sister — yes, his twin — Sadie stands 5-7 and weighs far less than her hulking sibling. Both are 19 years old. “We are very close since we grew up together,” Clancy said. “And we definitely love...
Strong finish helped Bethel Park baseball capture section title
The Bethel Park baseball team was ready for the postseason. The Black Hawks stormed into the WPIAL playoffs riding an eight-game winning streak, 16-4 record and No. 4 seeding in the Class 5A tournament. “I’m proud of the team and the way they’ve played this year,” coach Pat Zehnder said....
Plum sprinter Gabrielle Layne signs with Pitt
Gabrielle Layne stood in the library at Plum High School last Wednesday with a smile on her face from ear to ear. She spent a small part of her afternoon celebrating a decision that will shape the next four years of her life. The Plum senior track and field standout...
After unexpected playoff exit, Plum coach reflects on 18-win season
Last year, the Plum baseball team entered the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs as the No. 5 seed and hoped to make a strong postseason run. But No. 12 Trinity had other ideas and outlasted the Mustangs in 11 innings to crush Plum’s postseason desires. The sting of a playoff upset...
Norwin notebook: Knights earn trip to state track meet
Norwin’s track and field teams were ready to take a familiar trip across the Pennsylvania Turnpike. More than a half-dozen Norwin athletes qualified to compete in the PIAA Championships May 23-24 at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium. Norwin, which dominated the team portion of the WPIAL season with boys and...
Successful season ends too soon for North Allegheny softball
North Allegheny softball started this season at an amusement park in Florida, and like the rest of the spring, it was a lot of fun but ended too soon. Despite fielding a young lineup under first-year coach Bill Aguglia, the Tigers went 11-5 in section play and earned a No....
10-member senior class ‘helped grow the culture’ for North Allegheny girls lacrosse
North Allegheny senior Avery Anderson felt no regrets about the Tigers’ humbling four-win girls lacrosse season. “Just because we were losing, that didn’t mean we stopped liking each other or fighting for what we wanted,” she said. “And when we did win, the celebrations were great.” The victories were elusive....
3 WPIAL champs, 1 runner-up make PIAA tennis semifinals
Three WPIAL champions and a runner-up advanced to the semifinals at the PIAA tennis championships Friday in Hershey. The runner-up was Advaita Sircar of North Allegheny, who rolled through a pair of matches in the Class 3A boys singles bracket. He beat David Mikotowicz of McDowell, 6-1, 6-2, and Michael...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for May 23, 2025
High schools Baseball WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Championship Norwin (14-8) vs. Seneca Valley (16-6) Class 5A Championship Pine-Richland (20-3) vs. Shaler (16-6) Third place Bethel Park (18-5) vs. Peters Township (15-8) Class 4A Championship Indiana (21-1) vs. Elizabeth Forward (16-3) Third place Belle Vernon (15-6) vs. Central Valley (12-11) Class...
