Josh Rizzo stories, Page 22

Amidst another winter of uncertainty, the Penn Hills athletic department has found itself no stranger to altering schedules due to the pandemic. Because of a surge of cases at Edinboro University, the Tri-State Track Coaches Association’s first indoor track meet, set to take place last Saturday, was canceled. The second...

Anthony Palumbo was the top performer for the Penn Hills wrestling team when it opened the season at the Eastern Area Invitational on Dec. 10 at Gateway. The 215-pound senior beat Bethel Park’s Anthony Zaborowski to finish in fifth place at 215 pounds. Palumbo went 4-2 at the tournament with...

Luka Stratimirovic was happy to be at practice Wednesday night at the Olympic Health & Swim Club in Penn Hills. Stratimirovic took a year and a half off before returning to the competition with the club team at Pitt and the Greater Pittsburgh Allegheny Swim Club. He was one of...

Latrobe coach Brad Wetzel didn’t believe the scoreboard reflected his team’s effort on defense Friday night at Woodland Hills High School. The Wildcats, who conceded an average of 77.7 points entering their Section 3-5A opener, allowed the Wolverines to barely reach the mark in a 77-52 defeat. Woodland Hills, which...

Angela Hepler never envisioned being the head coach of the Penn Hills bowling team. But when the Indians didn’t have anyone else interested in coaching the program, Hepler stepped in so her son, Nick, would have an opportunity to bowl for the high school like his sister did. Penn Hills...

Lou O’Connor quickly got the idea that trying out for the USA U16 ball hockey team wasn’t going to be an easy ride. Roster spots would be earned. The Penn Hills freshman who plays forward and defense was pushed to see what he was made of. “The first tryout was...

The foundation for the Pitt women’s volleyball team was firmly in place before Leketor Member-Meneh decided to transfer from Missouri and move 720 miles to play for the Panthers. Convincing the 5-foot-8 St. Louis native and senior outside hitter to leave home showed eighth-year Pitt coach Dan Fisher the Panthers...

Finals looming, coupled with the pressure of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball tournament, hasn’t worn on Chinaza Ndee. The fifth-year Pitt middle blocker routinely uses meditation to find her emotional center. Meeting with a sports psychologist once a week in addition to her own plan has Ndee focused on the moment....

The Shaler girls basketball team became a good example of how the WPIAL holding an open basketball tournament last season could benefit younger programs. The Titans, who finished 4-12 overall and in sixth place in Section 1-6A, wouldn’t have made the playoffs in a typical year. But since Shaler entered,...

Having a season limited to 13 games by the covid pandemic certainly wasn’t what Shaler boys basketball coach Rob Niederberger hoped for last year. But the Titans won’t have too many players who feel cheated by missed time. Shaler’s entire roster returned, creating one of the more competitive preseasons in...

Penn Hills senior guard Eryn Roberson doesn’t like the preseason perception of the program. In a year where the Indians only return four players, Roberson hasn’t felt a lot of positivity surrounding Penn Hills. The disrespect is what has Roberson motivated to propel the Indians as far as they can...

Daemar Kelly doesn’t want to see the Penn Hills boys basketball team bring the ball across half-court, see a zone defense and be timid. The Indians’ 6-foot-5 junior guard plans to be a part of an offense that attacks on instinct. Penn Hills learned its lesson when it was slowed...

Kayla Lund was elated to have an opportunity to take down Penn State, one of the Pitt women’s volleyball team’s oldest tormentors, Saturday night at Petersen Events Center. The Panthers graduate student and outside hitter decided to take advantage of the extra year provided because of the pandemic before Pitt...

Development is a priority in the Penn Hills football program. The Indians, who were eliminated from the playoffs after a 14-9 loss to Moon in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals Nov. 19 at Newman Stadium, will lose three offensive linemen to graduation. Two of those players — Khalil Barley Morrow...

Mt. Lebanon wide receiver/defensive back Eli Heidenreich didn’t see McDowell junior Christian Santiago’s 27-yard touchdown run as a sign of a potential WPIAL Class 6A championship hangover. But the Trojans’ quarterback scoring on a fourth-and-3 gallop on their first possession let the Blue Devils know they weren’t going to sleepwalk...

Tyler Paszkowski and his Shaler cross country teammates started the season slow by design. As the year wore on, the Titans wanted to utilize a strong taper to build toward sending as many athletes to the PIAA Class 3A championships as possible. Shaler’s strategy paid dividends for seniors Samantha Hennen,...

Paul Stadelman wasn’t sure if the message he was trying to sell might end up in the bargain bin. Five matches into his stint as the Shaler girls volleyball coach, the Titans had zero victories. The funk didn’t even last half a season. Something snapped into place. The Titans dug...

Penn Hills swimming coach Nick Page is hoping the team can avoid losing a month of practice time like it did last year. The Indians — like all local programs — were shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic for the first month of last season. But Penn Hills is...

All the time the Penn Hills football team’s coaching staff dedicated to knowing their players paid off Nov. 12 at Gateway. Indians coach Jon LeDonne knew what Julian Dugger was capable of while battling cramps during a 23-20 win over the Gators in the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals on the...

Weathering early adversity isn’t something Julian Dugger allows to linger in his mind during football games. The Penn Hills sophomore quarterback knows the Indians have the tools to make adjustments in-game. Three early turnovers against Franklin Regional in the Indians’ 38-6 WPIAL Class 5A first-round win Nov. 5 at Yuhas-McGinley...

AJ Palumbo and the Penn Hills wrestling team had the same unfortunate experience as many others did during the pandemic last season. Matches were canceled, schedules were changed, and nothing was normal for the Indians. Palumbo, a 220-pound senior, wrestled one match last season. Penn Hills finished with three wrestlers...

Eve Furbee bounced up and down in the stands excitedly Monday night at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Furbee, who is 5 years old and a Canonsburg resident, was excited to be at the Mars-South Fayette hockey game. “I’m here for (the Mars goalie),” said Eve, who plays youth hockey....

Austin Stuchul’s experience gained competing at the WPIAL Class 3A cross country championships Oct. 28 at Cal (Pa.) provided a blueprint for his senior season. The Penn Hills junior wants to try to navigate through the pack at a quicker pace than last season. Doing so, Stuchul hopes, will help...

Penn Hills coach Jon LeDonne might’ve preferred a bye for the first week of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs, but admits being scheduled to host Franklin Regional in the first round had its advantages. The Indians, who won the Northeast Conference on Gardner points after tying with North Hills and...

Penn Hills sophomore quarterback Julian Dugger has yearned to play a clean game all season. The fifth-seeded Indians won Friday night in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs, but didn’t find the performance they were seeking. Penn Hills was often spectacular — Jaden Dugger caught touchdown passes...