High School category, Page 1030
High school roundup for Feb. 26, 2020: Allderdice boys win on buzzer beater
Blake Haber’s 3-point shot at the final buzzer lifted Allderdice to a 51-49 victory over District 6 champion Altoona in a District 6-8-10 subregional game at Brashear on Wednesday night. Tony Henderson’s 19 points led Allderdice (19-6), which advances to play McDowell (20-3) in the championship game either Friday or...
Beaver holds down Avonworth, reserves spot in girls Class 3A championship game
Extend the lead – somehow, some way. That was the emphasis for Beaver coming out of halftime of Wednesday’s WPIAL Class 3A semifinal. The Bobcats were able to do it, and they held on for a 46-37 win over Avonworth. “When you get behind them, it’s tough,” Beaver coach Greg...
Johnny Crise scores 27 to lead Highlands past Blackhawk and into WPIAL title gameVideo
At this time of the year, the best teams learn how to overcome adversity. When an opponent delivers a blow, you rebound, take a deep breath and bounce back with the same amount of energy. Top-seeded Highlands did just that Wednesday night at North Allegheny in a WPIAL Class 4A...
East Allegheny, Seton LaSalle girls clinch spots in PIAA Class 3A tournament
A pair of Class 3A girls basketball teams clinched spots in the PIAA playoffs Wednesday based on results of WPIAL semifinal matchups at West Allegheny. Seventh seed East Allegheny (13-11) and No. 8 Seton LaSalle (15-8) advanced with wins by No. 2 Mohawk over No. 3 Carlynton and No. 1...
Trinity girls stop Woodland Hills, set up WPIAL finals showdown with Chartiers Valley
After coaching in college and in the WNBA, Kathy McConnell-Miller is experiencing success in her first season on the high school level. McConnell-Miller’s Trinity Hillers are headed for Petersen Events Center after a 50-33 Class 5A semifinal victory over Woodland Hills on Wednesday night at Mt. Lebanon High School. Following...
Belle Vernon ends New Castle’s reign, makes first WPIAL finals trip since 1978
Belle Vernon coach Joe Salvino did not speak to his players about New Castle’s success in the WPIAL boys basketball playoffs or the Red Hurricanes’ reputation as a storied program. He didn’t see a need to oversell his team’s semifinal opponent. “The kids know all of that already,” the veteran...
Mt. Pleasant swimmer Gardner chases more gold at WPIAL championship meet
For the third consecutive season, Mt. Pleasant senior swimmer Heather Gardner is heading toward two gold medals at the WPIAL Class AA championship meet Thursday and Friday at Pitt. Gardner is seeded first in the girls 50-yard freestyle in 24.07 seconds and 100 breaststroke (1:04.61). “I am very excited to...
Mohawk girls top Carlynton to reach WPIAL Class 3A finals for 1st time
Mohawk entered Wednesday night’s WPIAL Class 3A semifinal with one of the area’s best offenses. The Warriors showed they can play some high-level defense too in a 64-58 win over Carlynton at West Allegheny. Mohawk advances to the program’s first WPIAL title game at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Petersen...
Mt. Lebanon starts strong, finishes off Central Catholic in Class 6A semis
Playing in their third consecutive WPIAL semifinal, the defending Class 6A champion Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils knew they’d need a good start on both ends in order to continue to defend their title. The third-seeded Blue Devils received exactly that, as they raced out to a 16-6 lead after a...
With school about to close, Vincentian Academy to face Cornell in emotional Class A final
When Vincentian Academy and Cornell square off at the Petersen Events Center on Thursday night, it will be the 11th time the teams have met in the last four years. None of those contests has meant more than this one. No. 1 Vincentian Academy (20-4) is looking for its fourth...
Defense carries Bishop Canevin, Laurel into WPIAL Class 2A girls title game
The old saying about defense winning championships is ringing true in the WPIAL Class 2A girls basketball playoffs. No. 2 Bishop Canevin and No. 4 Laurel face off for the championship at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Petersen Events Center. Both teams reached the title game thanks to tough-nosed defense....
Deer Lakes’ Morrison leads talented A-K Valley contingent into WPIAL Class AA swim meetVideo
Deer Lakes senior Adam Morrison has two main individual goals when he arrives at the WPIAL Class AA swimming championships Thursday and Friday at Pitt’s Trees Pool. One is to defend his 2019 title in the 500-yard freestyle, and the other is to claim gold in the 200 free after...
A-K Valley wrestling notebook: Middleweights lead charge for Kiski Area
Two weeks ago, WPIAL Class AA wrestlers converged on Canon-McMillan for their individual sectional and WPIAL tournaments. Now, the Class AAA wrestlers get their chance this Friday and Saturday at the same site. The WPIAL released the brackets earlier this week after sectional tournaments last Saturday. Jack Blumer was the...
Kiski Area’s Jack Blumer looking to pin down a third straight WPIAL title
Kiski Area’s Jack Blumer has won back-to-back WPIAL titles and on Friday, he begins his quest for No. 3. “I feel like I need to back it up since I’ve won the last two years,” Blumer said. “I feel like I need to win this year, but the main goal...
Unbeaten Southmoreland girls seeking fast start in quest to upset No. 1 North Catholic
Senior forward Sarah Pisula could have typed a text message and sent it in the time she had to line up a pair of 3-pointers early in Monday night’s playoff game. Instead, she dialed it up from long distance. Freshman teammate Olivia Cernuto, a fast-rising point guard, followed her lead....
Decade’s best WPIAL finals: Boys basketball No. 1
There were a lot of changes to the WPIAL basketball championships over the last 10 years. They expanded from two days to three days and from eight boys and girls finals to a dozen championship games. The district also switched venues, moving from the Palumbo Center at Duquesne to the...
Big shake-up in Trib 10 power rankings heading into championship weekend
There was some slicing and dicing in this week’s Trib 10 as championship weekend is set for The Pete. From quarterfinals weekend through the final four, three boys team and two girls teams saw their district championship hopes end and a spot in the power rankings slip away. However, all...
Lance Getsy steps down as Charleroi football coach
Charleroi is in the market for a new football coach after Lance Getsy resigned the position after two successful campaigns. Getsy, a teacher in the Elizabeth Forward School District, recently accepted a teaching position at Franklin Regional, where he once served as an assistant football coach. In two seasons at...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 25, 2020
Basketball Boys WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Semifinals Wednesday’s schedule Butler (18-4) vs. Upper St. Clair (20-3) at Robert Morris, 8 p.m. Central Catholic (14-10) vs. Mt. Lebanon (17-6) at Robert Morris, 6:30 p.m. Class 5A Semifinals Tuesday’s results Laurel Highlands 44, Thomas Jefferson 42 Mars 59, Chartiers Valley 50 Championship...
Mars’ Michael Carmody flexes muscles against Chartiers Valley, returns to WPIAL finalsVideo
Michael Carmody has already won two WPIAL basketball championships and contributed to both, but the Mars senior wasn’t responsible for leading the Planets to Petersen Events Center either time. It’s a far different story this year. Carmody’s romp through the WPIAL playoffs continued Tuesday night with 27 points and 22...
Bethel Park wins ‘ugly,’ beats Mt. Lebanon to advance to WPIAL 6A title game
The last time Bethel Park and Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils matched up, scoring was not at a premium. When the two met Tuesday in a WPIAL Class 6A semifinal at Canon-McMillan, defense dominated. The lone exception was the first quarter, when the top-seeded Black Hawks managed 15 points on their...
Sto-Rox boys erase 14-point deficit to defeat Shenango in Class 2A semifinals
Throughout the course of this year’s WPIAL playoffs, No. 2 Sto Rox has developed a flair for the dramatic. On Friday, the Vikings had to erase an 11-point halftime deficit to overcome Brentwood in their quarterfinal matchup. They found themselves in a familiar position Tuesday at Woodland Hills. They trailed...
North Allegheny girls shut down Upper St. Clair, get back to WPIAL Class 6A finals
On the bus ride to North Hills, members of the North Allegheny girls basketball team chatted back and forth about what their keys were going to be defensively. At the front of the bus, Tigers coach Spencer Stefko sat back and listened in like a proud parent. Stefko is appreciative...
Loaded semifinals matchups around the WPIAL on Wednesday
It could be said these two legendary WPIAL basketball coaches have a sixth sense. They also have six district championships each and are two wins away from seventh heaven. Joe Salvino of Belle Vernon has 667 wins, and Ralph Blundo of New Castle has 240 wins. Both coaches have a...
Decade’s best WPIAL finals: Girls basketball No. 1
There were a lot of changes to the WPIAL basketball championships over the last 10 years. They expanded from two days to three days and from eight boys and girls finals to a dozen championship games. The district also switched venues, moving from the Palumbo Center at Duquesne to the...
