High School category, Page 342
Focus on defense fuels 8-1 start for Gateway boys basketball
The Gateway boys basketball team kicked off 2024 in winning fashion Jan. 2 with a 62-46 victory over McKeesport in its Section 3-5A opener. It continued what has been a strong start for the Gators, who improved to 8-1 overall. While coach Alvis Rogers is happy with the way his...
After strong start, Sewickley Academy boys look ahead to section play
Sewickley Academy’s boys basketball team closed out the month of December most impressively. The Panthers won four consecutive games and six of seven down the month’s home stretch. Their only loss during this time was a tense one-point decision Dec. 8 to Serra Catholic. The Panthers followed up with victories...
Fisher’s Files: Quaker Valley’s Bruce Anderchak, Jack Kazalas among WPIAL’s best wrestlers early on
Notebook items from Quaker Valley and Sewickley Academy athletics: Quaker Valley’s Bruce Anderchak (107 pounds) and Jack Kazalas (139 pounds) were ranked first in their weight divisions in the WPIAL 2A individual wrestling rankings for the week of Dec. 25. Anderchak, a sophomore, ended the month with a 15-1 record;...
Penn-Trafford senior Carlee Valenta signs with UTEP rifle team
Penn-Trafford senior Carlee Valenta said she was 12 years old when her grandfather, John Malazich, taught her how to shoot a rifle in his backyard. “We’d shoot at soda cans,” Valenta said. “Then my uncle Andy (John Andrew Malazich) got me involved in a local shooting club.” She honed her...
Penn-Trafford rifle team ready to defend title
Penn-Trafford rifle coach Diana Cholock isn’t making any bold predictions for this season. But if things fall right like they did last year, the Warriors have a chance at celebrating back-to-back state titles. The Warriors return five starters from the squad that picked the right time to jell in 2023....
Penn Hills runner sticks with sport, emerges as captain, key relay contributor
Maliah Powell agreed to go out for the Penn Hills track team as a freshman via peer pressure. Powell’s decision to stay when her two friends abandoned ship was voluntary. Now a senior captain for the indoor track team, Powell decided to stick around after flourishing on the Indians’ 1,600...
Steady approach helps Penn Hills boys, girls basketball coaches hit 100-win mark
Robert Cash always wants his team to approach every task with the same intensity, and the Penn Hills girls varsity girls basketball coach attempts to hold himself to the same standard. In his eighth season leading the varsity program, Cash hit the 100-win total. Cash was the second Indians coach...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Jan. 6, 2024
High schools Basketball Boys Saturday’s results BK Classic At Erie Consolation Niagara Falls (NY) 76, Cathedral Prep 60 Championship Neumann Goretti 82, Lincoln Park 67 Chuckie Mahoney Classic At Burgettstown Washington 74, Fort Cherry 68 McGuffey 68, Chartiers-Houston 44 OLSH 42, Quaker Valley 41 Weir (WV) 82, Avella 38 West...
High school roundup for Jan. 6, 2024: Lincoln Park falls to Neumann-Goretti in state title rematch
Larenzo Jerkins scored 23 points to lead Neumann-Goretti to an 80-67 win over Lincoln Park in the BK Classic in Erie on Saturday night, avenging a loss to the Leopards in last year’s PIAA Class 4A championship game. St. Joe’s recruit Khaafiq Myers added 22 points for Neumann-Goretti (10-0). Meleek...
Westmoreland athletes of the week: Latrobe’s Elle Snyder, Derry’s Anthony Mucci
Elle Snyder School: Latrobe Class: Senior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Snyder, a 5-foot-9 guard, announced last week her college commitment to Division I Evansville. She has helped lead the Wildcats to three straight wins, including 54-42 over Penn Hills and 55-24 over Connellsville. Against Penn Hills, she registered 29...
Kiski Area’s Roscosky, Burrell’s Baker claim WCCA titles
When Kiski Area sophomore Cooper Roscosky was in eighth grade, he mentioned his goal was to be a four-time Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association champion. Unfortunately, Franklin Regional’s Juliano Marion spoiled those plans last year. But Roscosky used that disappointing moment during his freshman season as motivation. He won his first...
Trib HSSN boys basketball rankings for Jan. 6, 2024
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Mt. Lebanon, 10-1, 1 2. Butler, 9-1, 2 3. Upper St. Clair, 8-3, 4 4. Central Catholic, 6-3, NR 5. Baldwin, 8-3, 5 Out: New Castle (9-3, 3) Class 5A 1. Gateway, 9-1, 1 2. Moon, 9-2, 4 3. Shaler, 11-1, 2 4....
WPIAL girls basketball rankings: Week ending January 7, 2024
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Peters Township, 12-0, 3 2. Norwin, 9-3, 2 3. North Allegheny, 7-1, 1 4. Chartiers Valley, 9-1, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 9-2, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Oakland Catholic, 11-0, 1 2. McKeesport, 9-1, 2 3. Lincoln Park, 11-0, 3 4. Trinity,...
Trio of wrestlers become 3-time WCCA champions
There were no surprises in the finals of the 71st Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association wrestling tournament Saturday at Greensburg Salem. The trio of wrestlers looking to become three-time champions — Latrobe junior Luke Willochell, Hempfield senior Eli Carr and Franklin Regional senior Juliano Marion — did so. The list of...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Valley’s Keyziyah Clay, Knoch’s Adah Fuller
Adah Fuller Class: Senior School: Knoch Sport: Basketball Report card: Knoch sharpshooter Adah Fuller hit five 3-pointers and had a career-high 25 points Tuesday in a 46-30 win over Freeport. Then, on Thursday, she knocked down four 3-pointers and had 19 points as Knoch picked up a 51-16 win over...
Hempfield, Neshannock claim their 4th WPIAL competitive spirit championships
Neshannock’s competitive spirit cheer squad has won the past two state championships. However, it did not have a WPIAL title in that time. That changed Saturday. Neshannock claimed its fourth WPIAL title by winning the Class 2A championship at Chartiers Valley on Saturday morning and also was crowned the 2A...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports for Jan. 6, 2024: WPIAL to crown spirit champions
The first championships of the new year will be determined Saturday with the 2024 WPIAL competitive spirit championships at Chartiers Valley. A total of 27 district schools will battle for championships in five categories — 3A large and small varsity, 2A large and small varsity and co-ed. This is the...
Norwin notebook: Freshman Landon Sidun bursts onto wrestling scene
The Landon Sidun era is underway at Norwin. The highly touted freshman wrestler had his “hello, world” moment at one of the toughest tournaments in the country. Sidun won a championship at 114 pounds at the Powerade Tournament. He was named the event’s outstanding wrestler. Sidun (25-1) was carrying the...
North Allegheny notebook: Joe Dopirak leads Tigers past No. 3 New Castle
North Allegheny’s boys basketball team scored a signature victory in its section opener Jan. 3. The Tigers took down No. 3 seed New Castle, 57-45, behind 32 points from senior forward Joe Dopirak. Ty Iwanonkiw added 13 points for the Tigers (4-7, 1-0) in the Section 1-6A win. Ralphie Blundo...
Franklin Regional notebook: Hockey team builds momentum
Franklin Regional hockey took momentum in the form of a two-game winning streak into the holiday break. The Panthers followed a 5-3 victory over Bishop McCort with a 6-3 win against Armstrong to move to 6-3-0-1 on the season. Matt Rutkowski had a hat trick and an assist against Armstrong,...
New Hampton softball coach Kate Hedderman ready to get started
Hampton didn’t have to look too far to find its new softball coach. There was someone in the Talbots’ own backyard. Kate Hedderman, a private softball instructor who runs a training facility in Hampton, was hired in late November to replace longtime coach Ron Fedell. “I know a lot of...
Fox Chapel notebook: Former Foxes soccer star makes all-decade team
Fox Chapel graduate Jessie Thiessen was picked for the North Coast Athletic Conference women’s soccer 40th anniversary all-decade team. Players had to compete in the NCAC between 2013-23 to be eligible. Thiessen, a 2017 Allegheny college graduate, helped the Gators reach the NCAA Division III tournament in 2013 and 14....
Fox Chapel starting to see light at end of injury-filled tunnel
Marty Matvey doesn’t need to give pep talks on weathering adversity. The crushing presence of reality has allowed the Fox Chapel girls basketball coach to allow the Foxes to learn that skill on the job. For the past month, Fox Chapel has been without three starters and has been forced...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Jeannette legends up for national football hall of fame honors
Three Jeannette football legends are among 60 nominees for the National High School Football Hall of Class of 2024. Former coach Joe Mucci and star players Dick Hoak and Terrelle Pryor are on the ballot for the second hall class. Mucci also was nominated last year. They are among impressive...
Pine-Richland notebook: Ryan Cory officially joins long list of Rams linemen in D-I football
Ryan Cory officially signed his letter of intent with Wisconsin on Dec. 20, becoming the latest NCAA Division I offensive line prospect to come out of Pine-Richland. Cory joins Jalen Klemm (Kansas State/Washington), Mike Katic (Indiana), Andrew Kristofic (Notre Dame) and Harrison Hayes (Liberty) as former Rams linemen who have...
