Ray Fisher stories, Page 32
Matt Episcopo steps into new role leading Brentwood girls volleyball
The Brentwood girls volleyball team will be facing some tall orders this season. And Brentwood fans definitely will notice Brentwood’s first-year head coach Matt Episcopo at the team’s matches. Episcopo stands 6-foot-3 and is a former outside/middle hitter who competed in Junior Olympic volleyball for the Pittsburgh Golden Triangles in...
Sewickley Academy golfers look to start another WPIAL championship streak
Sewickley Academy won eight consecutive WPIAL 2A titles in boys golf from 2013-2020. The Panthers, coached by Win Palmer, are looking to start a new streak and regain that lofty status after missing out on a championship last season. North Catholic posted a 405 score to earn a four-shot victory...
Bethel Park girls volleyball sets sights on section title
Bethel Park’s girls volleyball team plans to “hit the ground running” this season. With seven starters back from last year’s playoff squad, coach Brooke Muraco is bullish on the Black Hawks’ chances. “Almost all the returning players played competitively with a club in the offseason,” Muraco said, “and we did...
Big, strong offensive line makes West Mifflin a team to watch in Class 3A
West Mifflin has been a fixture in WPIAL Class 4A football, but due to realignment, the Titans are competing in 3A for the next two seasons. They are looking forward to and are reinvigorated to meet the unknown challenges that lie ahead. “We have a team that grew up and...
After graduations, transfers, coaching change, Seton LaSalle moving in all new direction
Tim Storino appears to be in the right place at the right time. Storino was hired in March as Seton LaSalle’s coach following a tumultuous 2021 season, as the Rebels lost six of their first seven games before finishing with a 3-7 record in Class 2A. Storino was hired in...
Quaker Valley begins building project under new coach
Jason Cappa, who comes from a family of coaches and educators, was hired in April as Quaker Valley football coach. His father, Jake, was a football coaching legend at Riverview from 1986-2001, leading the Raiders to three WPIAL Class A finals in four years. Cappa has been with the QV...
Thomas Jefferson aiming to regain championship mojo
The 2021 season was not a customary prize-winner for the Thomas Jefferson football team. The Jaguars fell short on all three of their annual goals of winning conference, WPIAL and PIAA titles, and the TJ coaching staff hopes that fact doesn’t bode well for opponents this fall. “Now is when...
With deep senior class, Quaker Valley girls soccer in position for successful season
Maggie Behun and Rachel Loudermilk are soccer aficionados. Both are back again as co-head coaches of the Quaker Valley girls soccer program this season. Behun is in her ninth year as field boss; Loudermilk joined her on the sideline five years ago. The QV coaches are excited for their team’s...
With slew of starters returning, expectations soaring at Bethel Park
Bethel Park coach Brian DeLallo can count on an impressive list of returning players for the 2022 edition of his football team. Missing from the list is an experienced quarterback candidate, someone to take over for the highly acclaimed Max Blanc, now a freshman at Youngstown State. “Our most pleasant...
Baldwin moves into Class 5A looking to regain confidence
Although Baldwin has taken a step down from Class 6A to 5A this season, its 2022 schedule still can be considered a grind. Along with conference games against Bethel Park, Moon, Peters Township, South Fayette and Upper St. Clair, Baldwin will have early season matchups with Brashear, Thomas Jefferson, North...
Former Mars coach takes over Sewickley Academy girls soccer program
The Dale Giovengo coaching era begins this season in the Sewickley Academy girls soccer program. Giovengo was hired in mid-July to take over for Jessica Peluso, who resigned for family reasons. “Jessica Peluso was a dedicated and passionate leader of our women’s soccer program for over 18 years,” SA athletic...
Hampton, North Allegheny standouts form unstoppable grass volleyball duo
Emmy Schrom is a talented 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter at Hampton. Kyra Schmidt is a skillful 5-11 junior outside hitter at North Allegheny. They are friends and teammates on the Pittsburgh 16U White squad in the Revolution Volleyball Club. As a tandem, they are pretty much unbeatable. Schrom and Schmidt,...
Tide rising for Quaker Valley girls volleyball team
The Quaker Valley volleyball team has it — the first full week of the season, that is — circled on the calendar. The Quakers open their Section 4-2A schedule Sept. 6 at Freedom, followed by their first home match two days later against Central Valley. QV is hoping to turn...
Thomas Jefferson graduate becomes impact player on SE Louisiana offensive line
Dom Serapiglia’s football journey began at age 5 as a member of the TJ youth program, where he learned the basics from 2005-2012. He then embarked on a highly successful four-year varsity career at Thomas Jefferson, starting out as a long-snap specialist as a freshman and the team’s starting center...
Quaker Valley boys soccer reloading after championship season
Quaker Valley’s boys soccer team has the toughest of acts to follow in 2022. A year ago, the Class 2A Quakers captured PIAA, WPIAL and Section 4-2A championships and finished with a 24-2 overall record. QV was dominant, outscoring the opposition 128-8 in the regular season, 27-3 in the WPIAL...
Freshman phenom leads group of versatile athletes on Baldwin gymnastics team
She is beyond being a freshman prospect. Baldwin’s Abby Rexrode was one of the top freshman athletes in the area in the 2021-22 school year. Rexrode flourishes in the gym, working out year-round and looking to perfect her techniques and routines. The Baldwin underclassman won both WPIAL and state all-around...
Senior core made a difference for Bethel Park girls lacrosse
They were mainstays in the Bethel Park girls lacrosse program for four years. Caitlyn Schultz, Riley Miller and Tori Krapp proved to be near-unstoppable four-year starters for the Black Hawks. “Those three have led this team in every way over the last four years,” coach Becky Luzier said. “Tori was...
Seniors leave championship legacy with Bethel Park baseball program
The seniors on the 2022 Bethel Park championship baseball team enjoyed tremendous success in their varsity careers. The Black Hawks captured back-to-back PIAA titles in 2021-2022 after finishing second and third in WPIAL Class 5A. In 2022, Bethel Park was 14-3 in the regular season, took second place in section...
Loaded with seniors, Sewickley Academy boys soccer roster looking forward to season
Sewickley Academy’s Michael DiSantis has modest individual goals for the boys soccer season. “My personal goals are to score more than I did last year and stay healthy throughout the season,” DiSantis said. DiSantis and Hudson Colletti paced the Panthers in scoring last year and were complemented offensively by Adin...
Quaker Valley’s Bulger set to begin quest for 4th WPIAL golf title
High school golf starts in a month. That’s when Quaker Valley senior Eva Bulger officially will begin her quest to win a fourth consecutive WPIAL Class 2A championship. Although if you ask Bulger, it’s more about team goals than personal aspirations. Quaker Valley does not have a girls golf program,...
Quaker Valley athletics celebrates banner year of championship success
Quaker Valley athletics is synonymous with success. Over the years, the Quakers have established a championship caliber reputation around the WPIAL with many elite performances. But there hasn’t been a better school year for title-winning teams and individuals, perhaps, than 2021-22. “QV athletics over the last 10 years has won...
Competitive fire burns bright for Quaker Valley 3-sport star Nora Johns
Nora Johns is a natural. Name the sport and she’s a natural fit. It didn’t surprise Quaker Valley coach Jared Jones that the rising senior won WPIAL and PIAA titles during the 2022 track and field season. “Nora is a great athlete but an even better competitor,” Jones said. “I...
Penn State recruit Adin Zorn sets standard for Sewickley Academy baseball program
Adin Zorn’s baseball acumen runs the gamut, from A to Z. A senior-to-be at Sewickley Academy, Zorn has been a two-year starter and team leader on the Panthers baseball team. His freshman season was wiped out because of the covid-19 pandemic. “Adin is an exceptional talent,” SA coach Anthony Garofalo...
Sirianni twins make unforgettable impact on Quaker Valley tennis program
They formed a firm foundation for the Quaker Valley boys tennis program the past four years. Twin brothers Mike and Will Sirianni were top-flight singles players at QV since their freshman season. “As a coach, if someone came to you and said you will ‘inherit’ twin brothers who will define...
1st state playoff victory headlines Quaker Valley boys lacrosse season
Quaker Valley’s boys lacrosse season started early and ran late. “This was a historic and fun season,” coach Chip Hansen said. “This started with the senior dinner in February when the seniors set their goals to win the section, finish in the top three of the WPIAL and win a...
