High School category, Page 1023
Everett takes down Riverview girls in PIAA 1st round
JOHNSTOWN — The difference in Friday night’s PIAA Class 2A first-round game between Riverview and Everett was in the shooting. The Warriors used strong shooting from the floor while the Raiders struggled. The Warriors also used timely rebounding to bounce Riverview from the state playoffs 69-33. “They shot lights-out,” Riverview...
WPIAL champion Laurel Highlands bounced from PIAA tournament in 1st round
Laurel Highlands had grown accustomed to winning close games, almost to the point of expecting them to happen. Good, down-to-the-wire games had become their calling card in the playoffs. The Mustangs won’t blow you out, they said, but they’ll give you quite a show. Call it a law of averages...
Playing without star center Michael Carmody, Mars falls short in PIAA 1st-round game
After his team lost in overtime, battling without standout senior Michael Carmody, who was serving a one-game suspension, Mars boys basketball coach Rob Carmody told his players he was obviously disappointed, but he was glad they lost on a play made by a “winning player.” For most of the night,...
Derry’s Cymmerman will medal again at PIAA Class AA wrestling championships
HERSHEY — Derry junior Ty Cymmerman must wait another year to win a state title. That dream came to an end Friday in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals when he lost to Tunkhannock senior David Evans, 17-8. But Cymmerman bounced back in the consolation rounds and earned his second consecutive...
Sean Snead’s 3-pointers lead Obama past Penn Hills in PIAA 1st roundVideo
A first-half shot can’t be called a game-winner, especially one that only ties the score, but the energy from Sean Snead’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer was felt long after halftime. “I was electrified,” said Snead, who scored a game-high 25 points with five 3s to lead City League champion Obama Academy past...
Derry softball’s playoff-victory hunt turns to new coach DePalma
Derry’s softball team will embark on a new era with first-year coach John DePalma at the helm. He has coached about half of the roster on traveling teams and wants to increase expectations around the program, which has lost in the first round of the playoffs for three consecutive seasons...
Derry baseball team expects progress after challenging seasons
Batting .350 and receiving all-section honors would be nice, but a section championship is at the top of Austin Siko’s wish list. Siko, the only senior on Derry’s baseball team, said he believes the Trojans are ready to contend after two losing seasons. “I 100 percent feel we can do...
Latrobe’s Kilkeary making big noise at PIAA Class AAA wrestling championships
HERSHEY — The smallest guys in the PIAA Class AAA wrestling championships are making some big noise. On a day where controversial calls cost Franklin Regional junior Carter Dibert and Waynesburg freshman Mac Church possible state titles Friday, Latrobe freshman Vincent Kilkeary, a 5-foot ball of thunder, rolled into the...
Westmoreland PIAA basketball preview capsules for March 7, 2020
Today’s games Boys Class 3A first round Ligonier Valley (23-3) vs. Carlynton (15-9) 1 p.m. at Greater Johnstown Winner plays: Winner of Fairview (23-2) and Beaver Falls (14-8) on Wednesday in second round Coaches: John Berger, Ligonier Valley; Mike Kozy, Carlynton Players to watch: Michael Marinchak, Ligonier Valley; Chauncie Mickens,...
Burrell’s Corrado, Oswalt to wrestle for PIAA Class AA gold
HERSHEY — Burrell will have two wrestlers competing for gold medals Saturday at the PIAA Class AA championships at Giant Center. Ian Oswalt punched his ticket to the 132-pound final with a 3-1 win over Anthony Glasl of Brockway on Friday night. Shortly thereafter, AJ Corrado claimed his spot in...
Kiski Area’s Blumer dominant in PIAA wrestling quarterfinals victory
HERSHEY — Jack Blumer of Kiski Area is making his last wrestling trip to Hershey a memorable one. Blumer scarcely was challenged in a 7-1 win over Susquehannock’s Colby Ramjue in the Class 3A 160-pound quarterfinals Friday afternoon at Giant Center. The only point Blumer (38-2) allowed was because of...
Ligonier Valley, Carlynton hit reset buttons for PIAA playoffs matchup
Mike Kozy inferred District 6 Class 3A runner-up Ligonier Valley, which next season becomes a member of the WPIAL, is perceived to be out in the hinterlands though the Carlynton boys basketball coach is a bit familiar with the area. Kozy played at nearby Saint Vincent and is a member...
Pine-Richland’s Vacula earns trip to PIAA swimming championships
At the WPIAL Class AAA swimming championships Feb. 27-28 at Pitt’s Trees Pool, Trent Vacula turned in the best 200-yard individual medley time in Pine-Richland history. The Rams sophomore finished in 1 minute, 56.83 seconds to take sixth in the event and earn a spot on the podium. His time...
Plum’s Decheck earns shot to compete with best in state
Joey Decheck swims this week at the PIAA Class AAA championships at Bucknell. The Plum senior caps his career among the state’s best in the 50-yard freestyle. “Joey has always gone about it the right way,” Plum coach Shawn Haupt said. “He trains year-round, works hard, and there’s not a...
Gateway girls basketball sees potential for growth
The Gateway girls basketball players ended the season waiting and hoping. When Chartiers Valley, the state’s top-ranked team in Class 5A, defeated Trinity 58-40 in the WPIAL championship game Feb. 29 at Petersen Events Center, Gateway’s section championship-winning season came to an end. After losing in the quarterfinals Feb. 22...
Gateway boys basketball eager to build off WPIAL playoff appearance
Progress is defined by movement toward a destination, and despite an early exit from the WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball playoffs, Gateway’s season can be defined by growth. After a five-win season in 2018-19, Gators finished 6-6 in Section 1-5A this season, winning their last three section games to land...
Thomas Jefferson’s Findlan claims 1st WPIAL swimming title in program history
Hallie Findlan has been rewriting the Thomas Jefferson record book in girls swimming for three years. Findlan, a junior, added another historic chapter to her distinguished career by becoming the first TJ swimmer in school history to win a WPIAL championship. Findlan finished first in the 100-yard freestyle at the...
Thomas Jefferson’s Werderber honored with Breisinger Award
Thomas Jefferson senior Nathan Werderber officially enlisted Dec. 30 with the U.S. Marines Corps. One of the toughest athletes in the starting lineup for the TJ football team last fall, Werderber will leave Sept. 14 for basic training at Parris Island in South Carolina. Not only was Werderber known for...
Baldwin gymnasts earn 9th state championship
Baldwin can add another year on the state championship banner for gymnastics in its high school gym. The Highlanders finished first in the silver division team competition at the Pennsylvania Classic last month at Moon. The classic is representative of the state championship meet in gymnastics. Baldwin took first place...
Quaker Valley’s Huang seeking more hardware at PIAA meet
After earning two gold medals at the WPIAL Class AA championship, Quaker Valley sophomore swimmer Isabel Huang looks forward to more awards at the PIAA meet Friday and Saturday at Bucknell. “My main goal is to continue dropping time, but I also hope to make the podium in both of...
Penn-Trafford junior wrestling has banner year, sends 9 to state tournament
Gavin Ellwood ran to his coaches, Chris Hartman and Mike Enick, beaming with excitement at the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Area III tournament. He told them he completed his goal sheet, a list of three objectives he set for himself at the beginning of the season, the last of which was...
Pine-Richland’s Spencer brothers each win wrestling championships
Pine-Richland’s Cole Spencer snared his first WPIAL wrestling title Feb. 29 at Canon-McMillan High School, earning his status as a champion after edging Kiski Area’s Sammy Starr, 2-1. To make the win even sweeter, Spencer (38-0) clinched career win No. 100 with the victory at 152 pounds, and did so...
Norwin’s Phipps joins elite group of WPIAL wrestlers
Kurtis Phipps became the 30th wrestler in WPIAL history to win four district titles. But that wasn’t enough history for the Norwin senior, who wanted to finish his career by winning another gold medal. He overcame a poor seeding and then pinned Franklin Regional sophomore Finn Solomon and defeated Waynesburg...
Franklin Regional’s Dibert celebrates WPIAL title
Franklin Regional senior Carter Dibert won his first WPIAL Class AAA title on Feb. 29 and quickly turned his focus to winning his second PIAA gold medal. Dibert defeated West Allegheny freshman Nico Taddy, 5-2, in the WPIAL finals at 113 pounds. He placed second at 106 in 2019, losing...
Fox Chapel track athletes quickly move from indoor to outdoor season
Fox Chapel’s indoor track season came to a close at the Tri-State Coaches Association indoor track championships held at Penn State on Feb. 29. “We were not bad and not great,” FC coach Tom Moul said. “Grace Sisson and Brooke Krally had been sick all week. They gutted it out,...
