Josh Rizzo stories, Page 27

Bumps, scrapes and bruises are part of the nightly routine for Shaler Area junior libero Addie Kania. Sliding across the gym is a nonnegotiable part of the job description. Coming up with creative ways to make sure the other team doesn’t score is another vital aspect. Kania alleviates the pressure...

Jim Ryan held meetings via Zoom and gave members of the Shaler Area football team workouts to do at home. But the Titans football coach knew it would be difficult helping a young team improve without being around each other in person. The Titans also lost time at training camp...

Paige Miller volleyed one ball straight through Shaler Area’s block. The North Allegheny senior outside hitter also made sure to take her time and search for softer shots into open spaces on the court. Age and experience guided the Tigers Saturday at Chartiers Valley High School when North Allegheny captured...

Aly Kindelberger hammered the volleyball onto the court Saturday at Chartiers Valley High School before being overwhelmed by a swarm of her teammates. The 6-foot-1 Franklin Regional senior didn’t mind the slide across the floor as the Panthers’ celebrated the biggest win in program history with a dogpile. By topping...

Stephon Hall came bursting through the wedge and was optimistic about what he saw in front of him. All that loomed between the 6-foot-2 Central Valley senior wide receiver and the end zone was Keystone Oaks kicker Greg Wagner. Hall raced around Wagner and found the end zone, providing one...

There will be no relaxing once the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs start for Shaler outside hitter Mia Schubert. The Titans — who are the second overall seed — felt they let a match with section rival North Allegheny get away from them late in the season. Shaler — which was...

Shaler senior Ross Hartley saw the pattern for the boys soccer team shortly after a 6-0 loss to Fox Chapel. “From the beginning of the season, we were disconnected,” Hartley said. “We got more connected during the middle of the season. Toward the end of the end of the season,...

Creating structure for the Shaler hockey program was important for first-year coach Cory Sakolsky. It’s something Sakolsky had in mind while assembling his coaching staff. Sakolsky, who previously coached at Butler, brought in two former head coaches to help him out with the Titans. Matt Ranallo, who coached at Shaler...

The back half of Section 1-4A play didn’t go how Shaler Area girls soccer coach Craig Wilkins hoped it would go. The Titans were outscored 42-4 over their final five section games, including a 6-0 season-ending loss to Seneca Valley on Oct. 19 at home. But Wilkins was encouraged by...

Shaler cross country coach Justin Eskra believes the WPIAL may have stumbled upon one positive during the uncertainty of the covid-19 pandemic. Instead of heading down to Cal (Pa) for the district’s Class AAA championships, runners will compete at White Oak Park on Oct. 29. In what Eskra anticipates will...

Twenty-seven days made a world of difference for the Shaler Area boys soccer team. TJ Tylenda scored twice in the second half and the Titans regained self-respect during a 2-1 Section 1-4A victory over Pine-Richland on Oct. 6 at home. The Rams beat up Shaler a little less than a...

Tia Bozzo doesn’t want to look at the start of Shaler Area’s girls volleyball season and think the culture has changed. No alteration was necessary. The Titans want to maintain their identity as a scrappy group. Shaler is doing it with more oomph behind its offense. After a 25-8, 25-18,...

Losing two weeks of the season because of a player contracting covid-19 limited opportunities for the Shaler Area girls tennis team. Missed time didn’t put too much of a damper on the Titans’ progress. Coach Brian Duermeyer credited athletic director Clint Rauscher for making sure everyone had a chance to...

Emilee Miller scribbles down maybe five or so goals in a notebook before the start of every golf season. Several have been old standards — like qualifying for WPIAL Class AAA championships — for the Shaler Area senior. All of Miller’s goals were rooted with an overarching theme. “I wanted...

Emily Moorey wants the Shaler Area girls soccer team to seize extra opportunities. When the Titans senior defender sees opponents being lax with the ball, Moorey and her teammates want to apply pressure. When everything is humming — as it was during the Titans’ 5-3 win over North Hills on...

Knowing the target score didn’t rankle Shaler Area freshmen golfer Joey Miller. Carding a par on the 402-yard 18th hole during the Section 3-AAA tournament Sept. 21 at North Park would allow Miller to finish with an 8-over par 80 and march on to the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals. Miller...

Don’t waste time looking for a spot where the Shaler Area football program can take a breath. The Titans schedule doesn’t allow for it. All seven of Shaler’s opponents qualified for the WPIAL playoffs last season in various classes. In the first two weeks, North Hills and West Allegheny beat...

Running at North Park and the river trails in Millvale helped Tyler Paszkowski and Ryan Paris pass a lot of time during quarantine. Doing so was only natural for the two Shaler Area junior cross country runners. “Training with Tyler has been great,” Paris said. “We’ve been training together since...

Peering at the scoreline of the Shaler Area boys soccer team’s season opener,coach Adam Hunter doesn’t find what he anticipates seeing all season. The Titans were blanked by Fox Chapel, 3-0, in their Section 1-4A opener last Monday, conceding two goals late in the contest. What Hunter believes is that...

Sierra Ricci knows this isn’t the type of year she can ease back into the lineup. The defensive specialist for the Shaler Area girls volleyball team is returning to the lineup after missing last season with an ACL tear. But because of covid-19, the Titans will only play Section 1-4A...

Olivia Wilkins didn’t want to come into her senior tennis season unprepared. She took private lessons a few days a week over the summer to prepare for the daunting task of taking over the No. 1 singles spot on the Shaler Area girls tennis team. Wilkins knew taking the top...

Michael Heinl thought there might be a chance everything would be normal. The 149-pound Washington & Jefferson senior wrestler already had made the trip with teammate Hunter Neely to the NCAA Division III national championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. But Heinl found out less than 24 hours before the tournament...

Tom Sorce knows the current world environment isn’t making high school sports likely to happen this spring. But the third-year Shaler Area softball coach hopes the Titans will get a chance. Following strong workouts and tournaments in the fall and spring, Sorce thought Shaler had potential. The Titans, who saw...

Zach Hartung isn’t what you would call an experienced wrestler. Before the past two years, the Shaler Area freshman’s experience primarily consisted of unsanctioned matches with his brother. Hartung, who competes at 252 pounds, has shown considerable progress during his two-year career. He recently placed eighth at the Pennsylvania junior...

Shawn Pilyih had an inkling the Shaler Area girls bowling team clinched its first appearance at the state championships. The Titans coach came to the sudden realization when the results were delivered to him. “I was the tournament director,” Pilyih said. “I didn’t know until they handed me the sheet...