High School category, Page 1105
Freeport rallies past North Catholic for WPIAL Class AA volleyball title
For the second time in 48 hours, the Freeport girls volleyball team rallied from two sets down. On Saturday afternoon, the comeback resulted in a 3-2 victory over top-seeded North Catholic in the WPIAL Class AA final at Fox Chapel. It’s the fifth WPIAL title — all in this decade...
Franklin Regional boys top West Allegheny to successfully defend soccer title
Hit the sweet spot. That’s what raced through Franklin Regional senior Garrett Beaver’s mind as the soccer ball deflected off a defender and landed squarely in front of him. When West Allegheny could not clear the ball after a Franklin Regional shot attempt, Beaver reared back and ripped the rebound...
Mars cruises by Plum to capture 1st WPIAL girls soccer title since ’15
The Mars girls soccer team advanced to the WPIAL Class AAA championship the past two seasons but came up short in both attempts. On Saturday at Highmark Stadium, the Fightin’ Planets made sure the third time was a charm. Top-seeded Mars scored four goals in the first half and never...
Jayden Sharpless nets free kick to give North Catholic first WPIAL girls soccer title
The WPIAL Class AA girls soccer championship game needed a hero, and North Catholic sophomore Jayden Sharpless stepped up in double overtime on an indirect free kick. Her first attempt sailed wide, but she was granted a second chance because of a pre-kick violation against Yough for encroachment. Cougars defender...
South Park shocks North Catholic in Class 3A barn burner
South Park scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a clutch 59-yard run up the middle by Rudy Mihoces with just over two minutes left in the game, to stun North Catholic, 32-27, in a WPIAL Class 3A first-round playoff upset Friday night at J.C. Stone Field in Allison Park. Mihoces finished...
Peters Township dominates Mars, heads to Class 5A semifinals
Fifth-seeded Peters Township cruised past 12th-seeded Mars, 47-6, in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. The Indians (10-1) dominated from the start, utilizing their strong offense and exceptional defense. Penn recruit Josh Casilli started the scoring, catching a 61-yard touchdown pass from Logan Pfeuffer. From there, Peters...
Ligonier Valley opens District 6 playoffs with rout of West Shamokin
Ligonier Valley’s presumed final football game against a District 6 Heritage Conference opponent before joining the WPIAL next year ended much like the ones before it. The Rams, without all-time leading rusher Kyrie Miller — out with a sprained ankle — skated to victory in their opener of the District...
WPIAL football playoffs roundup: Gateway holds off Shaler in 1st round
Derrick Davis scored twice in the fourth quarter as No. 2 Gateway avoided being upset in its Class 5A first-round playoff game with a 35-21 victory against No. 15 Shaler (4-7) on Friday night. The game was tied at 14 heading into the final quarter. Davis ran for 123 yards...
Avonworth puts quick end to Southmoreland’s playoff run
Although the Southmoreland football team accomplished a major goal of breaking a 40-year playoff drought, the Scotties were hoping that their stay in the postseason would turn out to be a bit longer. Unfortunately for the 15th-seeded Scotties, their postseason reservations expired in the first round of the WPIAL Class...
QB Cole Beck carries Freedom past Charleroi
Using three touchdown passes from Cole Beck and one critical drive in the second half, Freedom defeated Charleroi, 21-14, in a WPIAL Class AA first-round matchup Friday night. “Cole carried us tonight,” Freedom coach Greg Toney said. “We knew this was going to be a tight, defensive game. Whoever didn’t...
Trib HSSN Week 10 top performers for passing, rushing, receiving
Top performers for Week 10 high school football in Western Pennsylvania. Passing 294 - Logan Pfeuffer, Peters Township (15 of 19) 281 - Jake Fello, Apollo-Ridge (17 of 29) 255 - Zack Rocco, North Catholic (11 of 24) 244 - Max Rocco, Serra Catholic (13 of 23) 243 - Ben...
Led by Kenlein Ogletree, Clairton knocks OLSH off Class A throne
There will be a new WPIAL Class A champion in 2019. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart came out with a strong start, driving deep inside Clairton territory on its first two possessions but had nothing to show for it. The Bears scored five times in just over six minutes...
Moon slams Franklin Regional, gets back in playoff win column
In its first playoff appearance since 2014, fourth-seeded Moon cruised to a 35-7 victory over Franklin Regional in the opening round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs Friday night. The postseason victory is the first for the Moon program since 2006, when it defeated Belle Vernon in the first round...
New Brighton staves off Apollo-Ridge rally for playoff victory
New Brighton won its first WPIAL playoff game in 18 seasons Friday night at Apollo’s Owens Field. But the Lions had to hold off a late Apollo-Ridge rally punctuated by a close call at the end. New Brighton scored an insurance touchdown with 1 minute, 5 seconds left in the...
WPIAL Playoffs first round results — Nov. 1, 2019
TribLIVE’s sports reporters have you covered from Friday’s WPIAL high school football playoff action. GAMES OF THE WEEK • BLACKHAWK 36, GREENSBURG SALEM 7 Blackhawk’s victory came courtesy of a big second half and two long touchdown runs by speedster Marques Watson-Trent . • BETHEL PARK 45, KISKI AREA 16...
Belle Vernon golden at home, beats New Castle in Class 4A quarters
Belle Vernon prides itself on defending the beach and ringing the bell, and there was no way the seniors were going to be upset on their gold turf. The Leopards (9-1) fell behind early after a turnover, then scored 49 unanswered points behind physical football and big plays by their...
Quaker Valley beats Deer Lakes in 2OT for WPIAL boys soccer title
For the past four seasons, Highmark Stadium has been a blessing and a curse for the Quaker Valley boys soccer team. The Quakers captured a WPIAL title in 2016, but during the past two seasons they fell short. They lost to Shady Side Academy in double-overtime in 2017 and then...
Sto-Rox ends Jeannette’s season with defensive gem
Measuring by points allowed per game, Sto-Rox and Jeannette had the two best defenses in WPIAL Class A this season. Sto-Rox’s defense was harder to crack Friday night. The third-seeded Vikings won a playoff game for the first time since 2013, knocking off the sixth-seeded Jayhawks, 15-6, in a first-round...
Bethel Park scores 28 unanswered in playoff defeat of Kiski AreaVideo
With 10 minutes left until halftime of Friday’s WPIAL Class 5A first-round matchup at Bethel Park, Kiski Area led the Black Hawks by 10 points and appeared ready to take full control. But Bethel Park had other ideas. The seventh-seeded Black Hawks reeled off 28 unanswered points in the second...
Sophomore kicker the difference as Derry beats Beaver Falls in OT
Derry just needed a Chance in overtime. First-year sophomore kicker Chance White, moments after watching his counterpart from visiting Beaver Falls miss an extra point, calmly knocked his opportunity through the uprights to lift fourth-seeded Derry to a thrilling 28-27 victory over No. 5 Beaver Falls in a WPIAL Class...
Returning Sam Fanelli helps Penn-Trafford dispatch Fox Chapel
With two of its top running backs out with injuries since Week 4, No. 1 Penn-Trafford relied on its depth throughout most of this season. One of the injured backs, Sam Fanelli, returned to action and delivered in the Warriors’ 48-7 win over No. 16 Fox Chapel in a WPIAL...
Blackhawk advances to semifinals, denies Greensburg Salem win No. 700
Victory No. 700 will have to wait for the Greensburg Salem football team. That’s because Blackhawk, behind a big second half and two long touchdown runs by speedster Marques Watson-Trent, defeated Greensburg Salem, 36-7, in a WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal. Greensburg Salem (5-6) and Blackhawk (7-4) were locked in a...
QB Ethan Dahlem exits, but fast start leads Upper St. Clair past North HillsVideo
Like a scene from scary movie, Upper St. Clair quarterback Ethan Dahlem’s head and helmet were twisted around in the wrong direction as he crossed the goal line. Dahlem, with a laugh, called it a horror-movie moment. But for the most part, he was the one turning heads Friday night....
Despite inspired effort by Elizabeth Forward, Aliquippa wins, advances in playoffs
AMBRIDGE — If Elizabeth Forward was to defeat Aliquippa on Friday in their WPIAL Class 3A playoff opener, Mike Collodi knew his team would have to play a near-perfect game. For a good bit of the first half, the Warriors executed their plan. They played physical, effective defense and opportunistic...
Thomas Jefferson manhandles Montour
A relentless offense and a suffocating defense. Those were keys to Thomas Jefferson’s success throughout the regular season as it outscored opponents, 482-33. The top-seeded Jaguars continued their domination with a convincing 49-7 victory over No. 8 Montour in the first round of the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs Friday night...
