Josh Rizzo stories, Page 24

Mapletown football coach George Messich believes this year’s team is the most motivated group he’s had during his time at the school. The Maples, who finished 2-5 last season, return nine starters on offense and defense leading into its season-opener against Avella at home. “Our goal every year is to...

Brent Baker won’t necessarily have to build from the ground up as he takes over the Jefferson-Morgan football program. The first-year head coach spent the past three years as an assistant coach and worked at all levels of the program. Baker has been an assistant coach at three programs —...

Carmichaels won its first five games last year before dropping two in a row to end the season. Most years, the Mikes, who tied for second place in the Tri-County South Conference with a 5-2 record, would have been heading to the WPIAL Class A playoffs. But with spots limited...

Imani Christian coach Cliff Simon knows numbers in his program are unlikely to ever be high. The Saints will have between 16 to 20 players when they play Monessen on Sept. 3 to open the season. That’s why Simon has used the term gladiator football since he took over before...

Annamarie Armenti piled in the car Aug. 10 with her mom Sarah and boxing coach Chris Williams to make a 62-mile trek from Pittsburgh to Youngstown, Ohio. With less than a year of experience boxing, and at an age group and weight class that doesn’t feature much female competition, traveling...

Making the transition to coach Waynesburg’s football team wasn’t something Aaron Giorgi was apprehensive about for long. The players Giorgi inherited took any lingering apprehension away shortly after camp started. “The kids have been working hard and made the transition easier for me personally,” said Giorgi, who was the head...

The Pittsburgh Elite flag football program earned an opportunity for a new experience. By winning the 9U, 11U and 12U tournaments Aug. 1 at the Valley Forge Championships in Conshohocken, the program will have an opportunity to compete at the NFL Flag Bowl on Feb. 4-6 in Los Angeles. The...

Luke Cignetti and the Shaler football team are ready to show everyone their offense may have a little more zip this season. The junior running back is excited for the Titans to demonstrate their new wrinkles. “We seem to be clicking and firing on all cylinders,” Cignetti said. “As long...

Luke Pugliese doesn’t anticipate having to wait until the Penn Hills football team opens Class 5A Northeast Conference play in early October to find out what kind of team the Indians have. The Penn Hills senior offensive lineman sees the challenges lurking from day one. Penn Hills will have scrimmages...

Sustaining the momentum Woodland Hills started to build last season isn’t something senior Deontae Williams takes lightly. The Wolverines went 5-3 and returned to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs after a one-year absence, losing to eventual finalist Peters Township in the first round. “We started lifting in January and February...

Seventh-year Penn Hills girls soccer coach Ashley DeVito is always up for an opportunity to keep her team engaged in the offseason. Once the mask restrictions were eased earlier this summer, DeVito was contacted by the Deer Lakes girls soccer coach and invited to participate in a tournament. The Indians...

Playing for the Pittsburgh Hardball Academy provided Anthony Sciulli with a chance to play travel baseball he may not have otherwise had. Sciulli, a Chatham commit and 2021 Penn Hills graduate, has always played on more than one baseball team. When Penn Hills didn’t have a American Legion team, he...

Daemar Kelly told Penn Hills basketball coach Chris Giles his goal was to play AAU basketball for Team Final in Philadelphia. Giles had a friend whose son played on one of their younger teams. He was able to put Kelly in touch with the coaches. Then Kelly, who has offers...

Anthony Tucci’s arm was in midseason form when Clarion University wrapped up its pandemic-shortened baseball season. The Penn Hills native, a junior pitcher for the Golden Eagles, found a spot where he could keep throwing when his coach at CCAC Boyce, Bill Spina, reached out and asked if he would...

Penn Hills Eagles track and field coach Chuck Carter didn’t get a typical buildup to the Three Rivers Association track championships this spring. With pandemic restrictions, the club program wasn’t able to have any meets. The first competition Penn Hills joined was the Three Rivers Association Championships last weekend at...

Lauren Sipple didn’t anticipate having many nerves about if she would see the field for the Penn Hills softball team as a freshman. The Indians had vacancies at several positions going into the season. “I wasn’t nervous because I knew there weren’t a lot of people at Penn Hills who...

Alain Tamo-Noche saw a unique opportunity available by committing to play men’s volleyball at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. The 6-foot-1 Penn Hills senior outside hitter will be on the ground floor of a brand new program. The Marauders will be part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s first...

Eddie Daniels wanted to be in a place where everyone would have the same mindset as him. When the Penn Hills senior basketball standout didn’t field an offer he liked to play college at the next level, he sought an environment that would keep him competitive. Daniels decided to bet...

Claude Vangelus wasn’t a refined offensive lineman when he started with the Penn Hills High School football program. Relying primarily on his size, Vangelus entered high school with learning to do. All of his progression over four years led to Vangelus being selected to participate in the recent Pennsylvania Scholastic...

The National Christian School Athletic Association track and field meet May 22 at Geneva College provided good perspective for Redeemer Lutheran junior runner Christian Loewe. Competing against schools from multiple states, athletes from the Rams’ young track program got an idea of what kind of progress they’ve made. Loewe, who...

Penn Hills only had one athlete qualify for the PIAA Class AAA track and field championships last week, but Indians coach Lee Zelkowitz was pleased with contributions from younger runners as well. The Indians’ young 1,600-meter relay team reached the medal stand. Freshmen Caroline McDevitt and Maliah Powell teamed up...

Angelo Allen knew something wasn’t right with his approach in the weeks leading up to the WPIAL Class AAA track and field championships. The Penn Hills junior shot putter responded by consulting his team of advisers, including his coaches and dad. “It’s definitely a hand-in-hand process,” said Allen, who qualified...

Angelo Allen delivered on his promise at the WPIAL Class AAA Track and Field Championships last Wednesday at Slippery Rock University. The Penn Hills senior thrower hit a PIAA qualifying standard in the shot put with a best throw of 53 feet, 5.5 inches, placing him fourth in the district....

Anthony Scuilli thought the season finale was a good representation of this year’s Penn Hills baseball team. The Indians showed plenty of glimpses of their offensive potential during a wild 10-8 nonsection win over Knoch on May 13 at home. Penn Hills also had several lapses — on defense and...

Low numbers was never something Penn Hills track and field coach Lee Zelkowitz wanted to experience. But for this season, having fewer kids on the roster actually has been a help in terms of bringing an inexperienced group up to speed. Competing at the West Mifflin Last Chance meet gave...