High School category, Page 367
Belle Vernon football turns attention toward WPIAL repeat
Friday was the first official practice date for WPIAL basketball season, but Quinton Martin and some of his teammates are not ready to take the court yet — if at all. Martin, who currently doesn’t plan to play basketball this year, was busy Friday night rushing for 152 yards and...
Experienced, talented Chartiers Valley girls roster looks to put it all together
The first season for the Chartiers Valley girls basketball program under coach Mike Semplice came to an end in heartbreaking fashion after losing to Mt. Lebanon, 47-46, in the WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinals. However, the tough loss provided Semplice and the Colts with valuable lessons that can be applied for...
Led by star guard Jayden Davis, Chartiers Valley boys look to finish stronger
Last season, the Chartiers Valley boys basketball team won its first 12 games and was ranked No. 1 in Class 5A at one point. However, the Colts sputtered once they reached section play and missed out on the playoffs by one game. With eight players returning from last year’s team...
Thomas Jefferson’s Evan Berger, Zoe Krizan, Laekyn Flinn sign with college programs
The NCAA early signing day for high school athletes took place Nov. 8. Three students at Thomas Jefferson — seniors Evan Berger, Zoe Krizan and Laekyn Flinn — took advantage of the opportunity. Berger, a fourth-year starter in basketball for the Jaguars, signed with NCAA Division II Penn West Edinboro...
Despite loss in WPIAL quarterfinals, Thomas Jefferson had another statistically strong season
Thomas Jefferson and Aliquippa have qualified for the WPIAL playoffs for 29 consecutive years. And that extraordinary streak remained intact for both teams in 2023. The Jaguars tied for second place with Trinity and Latrobe in the Class 4A Big Seven Conference this year and received a No. 6 seed...
Bethel Park girls tennis makes history during championship season
Expectations were soaring through the roof for the Bethel Park girls tennis team this year. And the Black Hawks jumped aboard the jet stream. Bethel Park won the first WPIAL team championship in school history, and the tandem of freshman Cami Fisher and senior Lily Sierka captured the first WPIAL...
Bethel Park football sets foundation for future, makes playoffs in successful season
The Bethel Park football team advanced to the WPIAL playoffs for the third consecutive season. The Black Hawks tied for second with Moon and Upper St. Clair in the Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference with a 3-2 record in league play. The Bethel Park gridders lost to defending WPIAL champion...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Coach returns to Ligonier Valley girls basketball
Ligonier Valley named a new girls basketball coach four days before the official start of practice. The coach not only is an alum but the all-time leading scorer for the program (1,606 points) and a Rams Hall of Famer. Christy (Clark) Hajjar, a 1991 graduate, was hired Monday to replace...
Motivated by 1-point playoff loss, Shaler girls aim higher
Hanna DeJidas still thinks about the Shaler girls basketball team’s loss in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. The Titans became one of the WPIAL’s top defensive teams last season by utilizing bungee cords in practice so the entire team knew how to move and work together....
Aliquippa headed ‘home’ to WPIAL finals, extending championship game streak to 16 years
Whether the stadium on the North Shore is called Heinz Field or Acrisure Stadium doesn’t much matter to Aliquippa’s football players, since they have their own nickname for it. “Home” is what they like to say. Tikey Hayes called it home. Arison Walker called it home. That’s because for the...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 17, 2023
High schools Football WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Championship Saturday’s schedule Central Catholic (10-1) vs. North Allegheny (10-1) at Norwin, 6 p.m. Class 5A Championship Saturday’s schedule Peters Township (12-0) vs. Pine-Richland (9-3) at Norwin, noon Class 4A Semifinals Friday’s results Aliquippa 47, Mars 24 McKeesport 28, Montour 14 Championship Nov....
Steel Valley grabs spot in WPIAL final by beating Mohawk
The Steel Valley Ironmen, propelled by a monstrous performance by Donald Barksdale, defeated Mohawk, 34-21, to return to Acrisure Stadium for the second straight year. Barksdale, the WPIAL Class 2A leader in rushing yards, made a statement, carrying for 254 yards and two scores on 26 carries. Barksdale, who surpassed...
McKeesport casts a ‘Spell’ on Montour in Class 4A semifinals
Halloween may be in the rearview mirror, but McKeesport still managed to dish out a few belated “Spells” on Montour on Friday night. Senior Keith Spell ran for 190 yards and three touchdowns, while younger brother Kemon Spell added 120 yards and another score to help the No. 2 Tigers...
Westinghouse’s quick-strike attack downs Central Clarion in PIAA 1st round
CLARION – Westinghouse continued its march in the PIAA Class 2A playoffs by outscoring high-scoring Central Clarion, 46-30, Friday at PennWest-Clarion. The Bulldogs (11-0) overcame a sluggish first half and numerous penalties to reach the next round against the winner of Saturday’s District 10 championship game between Farrell and Mercyhurst...
No. 2 Avonworth takes down Elizabeth Forward, earns return trip to finals
Avonworth will return to the WPIAL championship to face a familiar foe after earning a 21-10 victory over No. 3 Elizabeth Forward in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals Friday night at Gateway. The No. 2 Lopes (12-0) will get a rematch next Friday with top-seeded Belle Vernon a year after...
Trib HSSN’s 2023 Week 12 top performers for passing, rushing, receiving
Top performers for Week 12 of high school football in Western Pennsylvania. Passing 190 – Jake Wolfe, Montour (12 of 26) 185 – Kole Olszewski, Bishop Canevin (10 of 24) 169 – Jay Wrona, Mohawk (9 of 25) 167 – Quentin Goode, Aliquippa (9 of 12) 157 – Matt Sieg,...
10th-seeded Beaver Falls continues surprise run with Class 2A semifinal win over Washington
Beaver Falls might have a double-digit seed, but the Tigers are playing once again for the WPIAL’s top prize after pulling off another upset – this time over No. 3 Washington. No. 10 Tigers (8-5) regained the lead late in the third quarter and held on for a 28-26 victory...
Belle Vernon rushes back to WPIAL final with dominant win over East Allegheny
When it comes time to choose a ball carrier for each running play, Belle Vernon has options. Penn State commit Quinton Martin and speedsters Jake Gedekoh and Kole Doppelheuer give the Leopards a nice interplay of gears. “I can’t say enough about our skills guys,” coach Matt Humbert said. “It’s...
South Side makes biggest plays in Class A semifinal win over Clairton
After a back-and-forth first half, South Side came out on the positive side of a sequence of plays midway through the third quarter that led to 14 straight points. That third quarter swing killed all the momentum for No. 4 Clairton, as the top-seeded Rams remained undefeated and took a...
QB Matt Sieg comes up big in 4th quarter as Fort Cherry beats Bishop Canevin
Matt Sieg stood on the field after the game with friends, family and Fort Cherry fans asking him to take a picture with them. Everyone wanted a snapshot to remember what the Rangers and Sieg accomplished Friday night. Sieg rushed for five touchdowns, including three in the fourth quarter, and...
2023 PIAA Class 4A girls volleyball championship preview: Unionville vs. North Allegheny
PIAA Class 4A girls volleyball championship Unionville (25-0) vs. North Allegheny (19-1) 6 p.m. Saturday at Cumberland Valley On the air: Streaming on PCN Select; audio on Trib HSSN Seeds: Unionville 1-1, North Allegheny 7-1 How they got here: Unionville defeated Ephrata, 3-0; Spring-Ford, 3-0; and Parkland, 3-2. North Allegheny...
Greensburg Salem girls to test opponents with height, experience
When the Greensburg Salem girls basketball team takes the floor this season, it will present veteran coach Rick Klimchock some options. Will he send out a big lineup and try to outmuscle teams, or will he go with a smaller, quicker lineup? Whatever he selects, opponents will be spending extra...
Greensburg Salem looks to make a huge leap in coach’s second season
It’s been a while since the Greensburg Salem boys basketball team has had a winning season. But second-year coach Cam Auld sees a change on the horizon — a brighter future for a program that has floundered since the 2011-12 season. The Golden Lions finished 5-17 overall and 1-9 in...
2023 PIAA Class 3A girls soccer championship preview: Abington Heights vs. Moon
PIAA Class 3A girls soccer championship Abington Heights (23-0) vs. Moon (18-2-2) 4 p.m. Saturday at Eagle View MS On the air: PCN-TV Seeds: Abington Heights 2-1; Moon 7-2 How they got here: Abington Heights defeated Cocalico, 8-1; Archbishop Wood, 2-1; and Shilkellamy, 3-1. Moon beat Bradford, 2-0; Northern, 1-0;...
2023 PIAA Class A boys soccer championship preview: Delco Christian vs. Charleroi
PIAA Class A boys soccer championship Delco Christian (18-3-2) vs. Charleroi (22-1) 1 p.m. Saturday at Eagle View MS On the air: PCN-TV Seeds: Delco Christian 1-2, Charleroi 7-2 How they got here: Delco Christian defeated Kutztown, 4-3 in penalty kicks; Old Forge, 2-0; and Faith Christian, 2-1 in penalty...
