High School category, Page 930
Greensburg Salem girls basketball returns plenty of experience, depth
Four starters return to the Greensburg Salem girls basketball team, giving coach Rick Klimchock hope for a breakout season heading into his fourth year of leading the Golden Lions, whose enrollment rose enough to place them in Class 5A. Though he wasn’t thrilled to learn of the move, Klimchock hasn’t...
Greensburg Salem boys basketball preparing to face Class 6A competition
The lure of familiar names was too much for Mark Zahorchak, the third-year Greensburg Salem boys basketball coach and former Golden Lions player. So much so that he elected to take the jump. All the way to Class 6A. “At least, we’ll have some connection with most of the teams,”...
Central Valley caps undefeated season with PIAA Class 3A championship
HERSHEY — The second-half clock usually moves lightning quick for Central Valley games, but this time the Warriors insisted it felt excruciatingly slow. Regardless, the celebration was worth the wait. Working to hold a fourth-quarter lead, unlikely hero Brandon Graham made two late interceptions and Central Valley relied on its...
2 interception returns lift Steelton-Highspire past Jeannette in PIAA Class A football finalVideo
HERSHEY — Steelton-Highspire did to Jeannette what the Jayhawks did to opponents all season: get defensive scores. Steelton-Highspire returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the fourth quarter and held on to defeat Jeannette, 32-20, on Friday at Hersheypark Stadium to capture its third PIAA Class A football title. Daivin Pryor’s...
Boys basketball preview: Fox Chapel ready to reload after losing strong senior class
The Fox Chapel boys basketball team put together a historic season last year. The Foxes won their first 20 games of the season, put together an overall record of 21-2 with their two losses coming in their final three games of the season, limited teams to a WPIAL-low 43.1 points...
Girls basketball preview: Fox Chapel ready to take next step in coach’s second season
In Marty Matvey’s first year at the helm of the Fox Chapel girls basketball program, the Foxes saw a glimpse of success that they are hoping to build on in year two. They finished with an overall record of 13-10 and went .500 in a section that included eventual WPIAL...
5 things to watch at the PIAA football championships
With a laugh, Cathedral Prep coach Mike Mischler brags that his defense hasn’t given up a point in weeks. Technically, he’s right. The District 10 champions reached the PIAA football championships on the heels of two covid-related forfeits. Wyoming Valley West forfeited their quarterfinal game and Upper Dublin forfeited the...
PIAA Class 5A football championship breakdown: Pine-Richland vs. Cathedral Prep
Pine-Richland vs. Cathedral Prep 8 p.m. Friday, Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey On the air: TV: PCN; Streaming audio: TribHSSN.triblive.com; Radio: 1020 AM, 100.1 FM PIAA titles: Pine-Richland 1 (2017); Cathedral Prep 5 (2000,’12, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18) Cathedral Prep (7-2) Player to watch: Jaheim Williams Senior, 6-1, 215, RB/LB Williams is...
With young roster, Deer Lakes boys are hoping to return to playoffs in 2020
After losing nine seniors to graduation, the Deer Lakes boys basketball team will be young in 2020, but the Lancers don’t lack experience. A season ago, the Lancers recorded an overall record of 12-10 and sneaked into the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs as the No. 16 seed. They earned a...
PIAA Class 3A football championship breakdown: Central Valley vs. Wyomissing
Central Valley vs. Wyomissing 3:30 p.m. Friday, Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey On the air: TV: PCN; 1020 AM, 100.1 FM, 1460 AM, 1230 AM, 99.3 FM, 92.1 FM; audio streamed on TribHSSN.triblive.com PIAA titles: Central Valley 0 (third appearance), Wyomissing 1 (2012) Central Valley (11-0) Player to watch Landon Alexander,...
Central Valley, Wyomissing set for battle of unbeatens in PIAA Class 3A final
Experience matters. Or does it? That is one of the big questions heading into Friday afternoon’s battle of the unbeatens in Class 3A as WPIAL champion Central Valley (11-0) squares off with District 3 champion Wyomissing (9-0) in the PIAA finals. It has been eight years since Wyomissing appeared in...
PIAA championship ‘final chapter’ for record-setting Pine-Richland seniors
Cole Spencer has won more games than any quarterback in Pine-Richland history, and Eli Jochem owns all-time receiving records for catches and yards. A week ago, Luke Miller set a single-game Rams record with 23 tackles in one afternoon. Miguel Jackson owns the team’s all-time sacks record with 36. Pine-Richland’s...
Young, tall team returns for Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball
Perspective is a trigger word this season around the Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball program. Third-year coach Sam Salih, who works as a behavior specialist, has used Zoom meetings and team gatherings to help guide his players through the country’s turbulent times. With uncertainty surrounding this season, the coach has...
Loss in 1st round of playoffs last season motivates Greensburg C.C. boys
The final score is all but burned into their collective mind. Eden Christian 66, Greensburg Central Catholic 56. And just in case it isn’t, Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball coach Christian Hyland has a stark reminder on his office wall. “We have the article from that loss framed above my...
Jeannette defense hopes to continue causing havoc in PIAA title game
One more gigantic test remains for the Jeannette football team. That’s what the defense faces at 11 a.m. Friday in the PIAA Class A championship game at Hersheypark Stadium. High-powered Steelton-Highspire strolls into the chocolate capitol of the world with a powerful running back and dangerous group of wide receivers...
PIAA football championship factoids: WPIAL teams look to make history
In 33 years of PIAA football playoffs, the WPIAL has never had more than three state champions crowned in a single year. It has been a unique season in so many ways, so why not wrap up the football season with four District 7 teams winning state gold? WPIAL champions...
A-K Valley cross country all-star teams announced
After a fall season like no other, area cross country coaches came together recently to celebrate the athletes who competed on some of the biggest stages in the WPIAL and beyond with the sixth edition of the Alle-Kiski cross country all-star teams. The coaches review selection criteria such as performances...
PIAA finalists stand atop Trib 10 football power rankings
Two WPIAL champions are spectators while the four others are Hershey bound, looking to add to their golden seasons. Four times in the 33-year history of the PIAA football playoffs has the WPIAL captured three state football championships in a year. In 2001, ‘05, ‘07 and ‘17, three WPIAL teams...
Girls basketball preview: After successful run, high expectations remain for Cheswick Christian
Cheswick Christian Academy girls basketball coach Jacque Willis said it was hard to put into words how special last season was for the program. “The girls were in the situation where their beloved head coach (Clinton Blazevich) was going through a very serious condition where he needed a heart transplant,...
Boys basketball preview: Large senior class set to guide Cheswick Christian
When veteran Cheswick Christian Academy boys basketball coach Todd Rosio assessed his team’s 2019-20 season, he saw improvement from the players but knew they were not satisfied with their record. “The team is looking to take a step forward this year,” said Rosio, who enters his 27th season at the...
Franklin Regional’s Sydney Lindeman commits to Towson soccer
Franklin Regional girls soccer coach Scott Arnold calls Sydney Lindeman a leader by example. The junior midfielder does not have to say much to inspire her teammates. Her skilled game does most of the talking. They often follow the pace she sets. “Syd’s teammates love and respect her,” Arnold said....
Few tickets. No locker rooms. Covid-19 alters football team plans for PIAA championships
Central Valley’s football players will eat Thanksgiving dinner at the school, enjoying food served only by their coaches, before the team boards its buses to Hershey. The Warriors are headed to the PIAA championships for the second year in a row, but they and the 11 other state finalists will...
Girls basketball preview: Senior trio set to lead Franklin Regional into new section
When reflecting on last season, Franklin Regional girls basketball coach Anthony Kobus pointed out five losses in section play by seven points or less. It was a product of having a young team with only one senior. Now the Panthers have a rotation of nearly a dozen girls who have...
Boys basketball preview: Franklin Regional to rely on deep group of returning guards
On paper, the 2019-20 Franklin Regional boys basketball season looked like a tale of two halves with a 7-2 run down the stretch to get into the postseason after 5-9 start, but it was more of a yearlong journey of growing up. The Panthers had only three returning players with...
The Birdie thinks Jeannette will do the steamrolling in PIAA finals
Last week: 1-0 Season: 72-22 (76.6 %) Jeannette has a lot of traditions. Winning football games is one. Starting basketball late is another. The Birdie has been around the Jayhawks long enough to know the sneakers do not start squeaking at Jeannette until late November, sometimes later, because of long...
