High School category, Page 1114
Unflappable approach carries Shaler volleyball to playoff season
Dealing with the nerves of being in a playoff match didn’t seem to rattle the Shaler Area girls volleyball program. Opening the WPIAL Class AAA tournament with a 3-0 sweep of Penn-Trafford fit with the narrative the Titans have tried to build around the program. “We played a calm, but...
Despite injuries, Chartiers Valley boys soccer season included playoff berth
The Chartiers Valley boys soccer team had to contend with one of the greatest adversary a team can face — injuries. The Colts ended their season with a 3-0 loss in the opening round of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs, but coach Garrett MacKenzie was proud of his team’s effort...
Carlynton football team sees progress despite rough season
When Rich Piccinnini took over the Carlynton football program during the most recent offseason, he wasn’t expecting miracles. The Cougars, after all, had almost no success on which to build. He also wasn’t expecting to lose three quarterbacks to season-ending injuries. But that’s the hand the team was dealt as...
Howard bolsters Penn Hills rushing attack
During the WPIAL playoffs, a successful team will need to lean on a strong running game to advance deep in the tournament. Throughout the season, the Penn Hills football team has worked to establish a run game after the graduation of Terry “Tank” Smith. Coach Jon LeDonne has leaned on...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Oct. 23, 2019
Field hockey WPIAL playoffs Class AAA Semifinals Wednesday’s results Peters Township 1, Mt. Lebanon 0 Pine-Richland 3, North Allegheny 0 Championship Monday’s schedule Pine-Richland vs. Peters Township at Fox Chapel, 6 p.m. Class AA Championship Tuesday’s schedule Penn-Trafford vs. Latrobe at Fox Chapel, 7:30 p.m. Class A Semifinals Wednesday’s results...
Girls volleyball first round and girls soccer quarters highlight Thursday in WPIAL
The WPIAL girls volleyball Class A championship has been a hot potato for most of this decade. For a six-year stretch, Greensburg Central Catholic and Bishop Canevin alternated winning district gold with the Centurions winning in the even years of 2012, 2014 and 2016 while the Crusaders won it all...
High school roundup Oct. 23, 2019: Mt. Lebanon scores 3 goals in game’s final 70 seconds to win WPIAL playoff match
Second-seeded Mt. Lebanon netted three goals in the final 1 minute, 10 seconds of regulation to roar past upset-minded Butler 3-1 Wednesday night in a WPIAL boys soccer Class AAAA quarterfinal matchup. Trailing since the 21:55 mark of the first half thanks to a Butler goal by Carson Knight, Mt....
Power rankings unchanged after Trib 10 teams enjoy perfect Week 8
The Trib 10 became the Perfect 10 in Week 8. All 10 teams from last week’s power rankings were winners in the next-to-last weekend of the regular season. That won’t happen in Week 9 with a pair of head-to-head matchups with North Allegheny visiting Pine-Richland in 6A and Aliquippa hosting...
Greensburg Central Catholic gets revenge on Avonworth in boys soccer playoffsVideo
Itching to play Avonworth again for the better part of a year, Greensburg Central Catholic got its shot at redemption in the boys soccer playoffs Wednesday night. The second-seeded Centurions embraced the challenge and made amends, scoring three unanswered goals to post a 3-1 victory over No. 7 Avonworth in...
Chris Mitchell’s OT goal carries Springdale into WPIAL Class A semifinals
The bond between two brothers was enough to send Springdale’s boys soccer team into the semifinals of the WPIAL Class A playoffs. Senior Michael Mitchell collected the ball in the box about seven minutes into overtime, turned to his left and passed it to freshman Chris Mitchell. “I knew my...
Deer Lakes tops North Catholic in overtime to advance to boys soccer semifinals
The first 85 minutes of the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinal matchup between No. 2 Deer Lakes and No. 7 North Catholic was a stalemate, but something was bound to break sooner or later. Five minutes into the first overtime, Deer Lakes forward Mike Sullivan settled a rebound off a free...
Ligonier Valley gets ready to say goodbye to Appalachian Bowl
Football for Roger Beitel began for real as a player at Penns Manor High School, which is the site of Saturday’s Appalachian Bowl that matches champions of the Heritage and Western Pennsylvania Athletic conferences. Football has come full circle for Beitel, who returns home perhaps for the final time as...
Westmoreland girls soccer playoff capsules: Games of Oct. 24, 2019
Class AAAA 9-Fox Chapel (10-7-1) at 1-Norwin (16-1) 8 p.m. Thursday Winner plays: Winner of 4-Moon (15-2-1) and 5-Seneca Valley (12-3-2) on Monday in semifinals Coaches: Peter Torres, Fox Chapel; Lauren Karcher, Norwin Players to watch: Lucy Ream, Jr., F, Fox Chapel; Katelyn Kauffman, So., MF/F, Norwin Corner kicks: The...
Greensburg CC, Fox Chapel, Sewickley Academy win PIAA team golf titlesVideo
YORK — Is a three-peat in order for the Greensburg Central Catholic girls golf team? If sophomores Meghan and Ella Zambruno and junior Angelika Dewicki have something to say about it, the answer is yes. Greensburg Central Catholic won its second consecutive PIAA Class AA team title on Wednesday at...
Jeannette, Clairton to battle for Eastern Conference title, top seed in WPIAL playoffsVideo
The Gardner Point System used by the WPIAL to settle tiebreakers for playoff berths and positioning makes football fans, players and coaches cringe. No. 1-ranked Jeannette (9-0, 5-0) is hoping to avoid any scenario regarding Gardner Points, but that will mean beating No. 2 Clairton (7-2, 5-0) on Friday at...
Westmoreland County don’t-miss football matchups for Week 9
Class 6A Norwin (2-7, 1-6) at Seneca Valley (3-6, 3-4) 7 p.m. Friday at NexTier Stadium Last week: Mt. Lebanon 45, Norwin 16; Pine-Richland 35, Seneca Valley 21 Coaches: Dave Brozeski, Norwin; Ron Butschle, Seneca Valley Players to watch: Jack Salopek, Norwin (Sr., 6-3, 180, QB); Gabe Lawson, Seneca Valley...
A-K Valley high school football Q&A with Highlands’ Johnny Crise
Over the past few weeks, the Highlands football team has started to hit its stride, especially in the passing game. Senior wide receiver Johnny Crise has been a big part of that. During Highlands’ past two games, he has caught 12 passes for 295 yards and four touchdowns as the...
A-K Valley football players to watch in Week 9
Jake Blumer Leechburg, sr., RB/LB The Blue Devils’ workhorse ball carrier ran wild against Bentworth to the tune of 242 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries in last Friday’s dominant 46-13 victory. For the season, Blumer has 822 yards and 14 scores on 131 rushing attempts. Jack Dykes Kiski...
Derry provides tough final hurdle for Burrell’s playoff quest
Since their matchup with Deer Lakes on Sept. 27, the Burrell Bucs have been in playoff mode. They knew to secure their first playoff berth since 2012, they would have to get over some big humps, and it started during that matchup against the Lancers. They came away with a...
A-K Valley don’t-miss football matchups for Week 9
Class 5A Northern Armstrong (1-7, 0-6) at Kiski Area (4-5, 3-3) 7 p.m. Friday at Richard J. Dilts Field, Allegheny Township Last week: Fox Chapel 41, Armstrong 14; Kiski Area 10, Mars 7 Coaches: Frank Fabian, Armstrong; Sam Albert, Kiski Area Players to watch: Cole Brown, Armstrong (Jr., 6-1, 170,...
The Birdie is strutting his stuff with A-K Valley picks
Last week: 10-3 (76.9) Overall record: 69-30 (69.6) “That’s what I call a bounce back week!” The Birdie’s jubilant cry was heard from the rafters of the Valley News Dispatch office Monday as he walked in with his 1970s letterman jacket on, some cool aviator shades and a necklace that...
High school football schedule for Week 9
Friday WPIAL Class 6A Butler at Canon-McMillan, 7 p.m. Central Catholic at Mt. Lebanon, 7:30 p.m. North Allegheny at Pine-Richland, 7 p.m. Norwin at Seneca Valley, 7:30 p.m. Class 5A Allegheny 8 Bethel Park at Upper St. Clair, 7 p.m. Moon at West Allegheny, 7 p.m. Peters Township at Baldwin,...
The Birdie making trick-or-tweet plans in Westmoreland County
Last week: 14-0 (1.000) Season: 99-18 (84.6) A pile of candy wrappers on the Birdie’s desk grows each day. It looks like a mound of leaves, especially with all of the orange peanut butter cup papers. No, the great one did not overeat to celebrate his perfect 14-0 week of...
5 things to watch at the 2019 WPIAL cross country championships
For the second straight year, hundreds of high school runners will gather at the Roadman Park Course at Cal (Pa.) on Thursday to compete in the WPIAL cross country championships. The Class A girls race kicks everything off at 12:45 p.m., followed by the Class AA girls (1:30 p.m.), Class...
A-K Valley WPIAL girls soccer capsules: Games of Oct. 24, 2019
Girls soccer Quarterfinals Class AAAA 9-Fox Chapel (10-7-1) at 1-Norwin (16-1) 8 p.m. Thursday Winner plays: Winner of 4-Moon (15-2-1) and 5-Seneca Valley (12-3-2) on Monday in the semifinals Coaches: Peter Torres, Fox Chapel; Lauren Karcher, Norwin Players to watch: Lucy Ream, Jr., F, Fox Chapel; (Katelyn Kauffman, So., MF/F,...
