High School category, Page 345
WPIAL athletes captured individual district, PIAA gold in 2023
There is no ‘I’ in team, but there is an ‘I’ in the word individual. These district athletes rose above all others to claim gold in their respective high school sports this past year. This salute to champions parade includes those who marched alone to the best of their own...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Latrobe becoming hot spot for Division I athletes
An assistant football coach from Southern Cal flew across the country recently to meet with coveted Latrobe prospect Alex Tatsch. The coach covered 4,916 miles round trip, just to meet with the junior four-star linebacker. “Schools really like him,” Latrobe football coach Ron Prady said. “We have more coming in,...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Highlands’ Jordyn Tavarez
Last season, current Highlands senior guard Jordyn Tavarez was a versatile role player for the Golden Rams. Tavarez was the point guard and best defender on a squad that made the WPIAL semifinals two years in a row: in Class 5A in 2021 and 4A a year ago. “Jordyn knew...
Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Greensburg Salem’s Carter Cherok
Last year, Greensburg Salem’s hockey team went 17-3 and rode that momentum all the way to the PIHL Class A semifinals, where a 3-1 loss to eventual champion Kiski Area ended the season. The setback wasn’t all bad. It gave Greensburg Salem motivation to see a team it played closely...
‘Q’ & A with Belle Vernon star football player Quinton Martin
During a WPIAL playoff game last month Quinton Martin hurdled a defender on his way to a first down, but no penalty was called. Maybe such an athletic move had become expected of Martin, even by the officials. His highlight film is one breakaway rush or catch-and-go after another, each...
WPIAL teams claimed numerous district, state titles in 2023
Thirty years ago, the City of Pittsburgh went on with plans for its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade through downtown despite being in the middle of the Blizzard of ’93 that dumped just over 25 inches of snow. That is as hardcore as it gets, but while this parade may...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 30, 2023
High schools Basketball Boys Saturday’s results Ambridge tournament Bethel Park 88, Blackhawk 69 Highlands 71, Ambridge 59 Sto-Rox 52, Nazareth Prep 40 Rochester 67, New Brighton 54 Avella tournament Seventh place Burgettstown 79, Propel Montour 61 Fifth place South Side 70, Western Beaver 49 Third place Chartiers-Houston 54, Avella 46...
High school roundup for Dec. 30, 2023: Bethel Park beats Blackhawk at Ambridge tournament
Nick Brown scored 22 points to lead four Bethel Park players in double figures in an 88-69 win over Blackhawk on Saturday at the Ambridge tournament. Shawn Davis scored 20, Michael Mathias had 14 and Jack Bruckner added 10 for the Black Hawks (5-4). Justin Shanor had a double-double with...
Norwin’s Sidun wins Powerade title, keeps WPIAL’s streak of champions alive
Persistence and hard work in the wrestling room were big reasons why Norwin freshman Landon Sidun won the 114-pound weight class Saturday at the Powerade Wrestling Tournament. Sidun (25-1) was carrying the torch for the WPIAL and extended the district’s streak of having at least one champion to 57 consecutive...
Latrobe girls basketball standout Elle Snyder commits to Evansville
Sharp-shooting senior basketball player Elle Snyder of Latrobe announced Saturday a verbal commitment to NCAA Division I Evansville. Snyder, a 5-foot-9 guard, is Latrobe’s leading scorer (18.5 points per game) and rebounder (12.3). She had a 36-point game earlier this season and has produced eight double-doubles. She plays AAU basketball...
Westmoreland athletes of the week: Greensburg CC’s Mya Morgan, Norwin’s Nate Campbell
Mya Morgan School: Greensburg Central Catholic Class: Senior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Morgan, a 5-foot-9 shooting guard, scored her 1,000th career point Wednesday in GCC’s 44-35 victory over Canon-McMillan at the Hoopfest at Cal (Pa.). She had 13 points in that game, then matched that total Thursday in a...
Trib HSSN girls basketball rankings for Dec. 30, 2023
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 6-0, 1 2. Norwin, 7-2, 2 3. Peters Township, 10-0, 3 4. Chartiers Valley, 6-1, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 7-2, NR Out: Upper St. Clair (6-4, 5) Class 5A 1. Oakland Catholic, 8-0, 1 2. McKeesport, 7-1, 2 3. Lincoln Park,...
Trib HSSN boys basketball rankings for Dec. 30, 2023
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Mt. Lebanon, 8-1, 1 2. Butler, 6-1, 2 3. New Castle, 9-1, 3 4. Upper St. Clair, 6-3, 4 5. Baldwin, 7-2, 5 Out: none Class 5A 1. Gateway, 6-1, 1 2. Shaler, 10-0, 2 3. Penn Hills, 5-1, 3 4. Moon, 7-2,...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Plum’s Will Beckner, Apollo-Ridge’s Sophie Yard
Sophie Yard Class: Senior School: Apollo-Ridge Sport: Basketball Report card: Apollo-Ridge’s Sophie Yard was named to the all-tournament team at the Apollo Trust Company Tournament this week after she scored 33 points in a 59-8 win over East Allegheny on Thursday and had 11 points in a 57-22 loss to...
2023 in A-K Valley sports: High school athletes make their championship dreams come true
The year 2023 will long be remembered for many monumental happenings, from a landmark announcement by the PIAA to A-K Valley athletes’ accomplishments and championship performances and teams bringing home gold at the district, regional and state levels. Athletes again were able to pay off many hours of dedication and...
2023 in Westmoreland County sports: Gold rush brings titles in wide array of sports
Football, swimming, wrestling, track and field, softball, golf, tennis, bowling and cheerleading. Westmoreland County teams and athletes had a propensity for winning championships in an array of sports, and that became their collective calling card in 2023. It was a run of titles to remember, and the winners highlight the...
Counting down the top stories in WPIAL sports in 2023: One of district’s most prestigious records falls after 30 years
The 2023 year in WPIAL sports saw a lot of excitement across three seasons. There was domination on the hardwood and in the pool during the winter sports season and sensational action on the diamonds, hardcourts and tracks in the spring, concluding with greatness on the gridiron, the pitch and...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 29, 2023
High schools Basketball Boys Friday’s results Ambridge tournament Highlands 64, Sto-Rox 41 Rochester 55, Nazareth Prep 47 Blackhawk 60, New Brighton 45 Bethel Park 68, Ambridge 55 Apollo Trust Company Tournament Consolation Summit Academy 52, Leechburg 51 Championship River Valley 56, Apollo-Ridge 33 Aquinas Academy tournament Consolation Pittsburgh Christian Academy...
High school roundup for Dec. 29, 2023: South Allegheny surges past Norwin in 2OT thriller
Cam Epps had 21 points to help tournament host South Allegheny to a 67-57 victory over Norwin in double overtime Friday night. Drew Cook added 16 points for the Gladiators (8-1) and Josh Jackowski scored 14, including eight in the second overtime. Mario Csukas led the Knights (5-4) with 17...
Knoch boys basketball team shocks top-ranked Deer Lakes
Moments after his team knocked off the WPIAL’s No. 1 boys basketball team in Class 3A, Knoch coach Alan Bauman rejoiced with his staff. Then, the real celebration took place. When Bauman walked into the Knights’ locker room Friday night at Deer Lakes High School, his players hooted and hollered...
Southmoreland boys run record to 10-0 with convincing win over Ringgold
Southmoreland boys basketball coach Frank Muccino is known as a harsh critic of his team’s performances, but there wasn’t much to be frustrated with during a 67-38 victory over Ringgold in the Charleroi Holiday Classic on Friday evening. The Scotties (10-0) finished the tournament at 3-0 with the other wins...
Hempfield girls score signature win by avenging earlier loss to Indiana
Up nine and then down six in a game where no lead was safe, budding Hempfield relied on its defense and late-game aptitude to score arguably its best win of the season. Using a lengthy second-half run to regain the lead, Hempfield pulled past Indiana, 50-42, on Friday night in...
St. Joseph girls roll past Freeport despite early foul trouble for standout Spinelli
Waiting 11 days to play in a basketball game was hard enough for St. Joseph senior guard Julie Spinelli. Finding herself on the bench with foul trouble 108 seconds into the game wasn’t the ideal return. But as the Spartans discovered many times during their St. Joseph Holiday Tournament game,...
4 WPIAL wrestlers reach semifinals at Powerade Wrestling Tournament loaded with talent
Connellsville wresting coach Bill Swink has been coming to the Powerade Wresting Tournament since his dad brought him when he was in elementary school and the event was held at Hamer Hall at Cal (Pa.). That was in the 1970s. “It was a great tournament back then,” Swink said. “It’s...
North Allegheny trio, 4 from Central Catholic picked to Class 6A all-state team; Art Walker named coach of year
Coach Art Walker and a group of decorated upperclassmen led North Allegheny to a second straight WPIAL Class 6A championship and a PIAA runner-up finish this fall. The veteran coach of three of those Tigers were honored for their accomplishments Friday by the Pa. Football Writers. Walker, the Trib HSSN...
