High School category, Page 386
Perennial contender Chartiers Valley in the mix for WPIAL cross country success
The Chartiers Valley cross country program seems to be in the mix every year, and this year looks to be no different. The boys and girls teams might be young, but they hope the experience gained last year by the girls team pays off as they look to prepare for...
Chartiers Valley football looking to build culture, battle for playoff spot
Belief. Trust. Resilience. These three words have been the pillars Aaron Fitzpatrick has tried to instill the Chartiers Valley football program in his second year as head coach. The record might not show much change, but Fitzpatrick is excited to see the positive growth in the program as the Colts...
Thomas Jefferson girls soccer hits playoffs in stride after back-to-back section titles
The Thomas Jefferson girls soccer team was expecting a banner year on the pitch in 2023. And that mindset has been met, at least through the regular season. The TJ girls, after losing their season opener to West Allegheny, won all 16 other games on their regular season schedule. “I...
Thomas Jefferson boys overcome injuries to reach WPIAL playoffs
Michael “Doc” Kulish performed a juggling act this year as head coach of the Thomas Jefferson boys soccer team. “Overall, I am happy with the season so far,” Kulish said prior to the WPIAL playoffs. “I’m disappointed we did not win the section, but overcoming the (knee) injuries we had...
Sewickley Academy tennis looks ahead to PIAA tournament after WPIAL runner-up finish
Sewickley Academy was looking to win its ninth WPIAL championship in girls tennis. The second-seeded Panthers, however, settled for second place, losing a 3-2 decision to No. 1 Knoch in the Class 2A finals Oct. 18 at the Janet L. Swanson Tennis Center at Washington & Jefferson College. “Obviously, today’s...
Mt. Pleasant swimmer Lily King commits to N.C. State
Mt. Pleasant junior swimmer Lily King announced on Instagram on Friday that she is not changing her colors. She will wear the red of N.C. State. She gave the Wolfpack a verbal commitment. King has earned six gold medals in the PIAA Class 2A championships. She won the 50- and...
5 things we learned in high school football Week 8: WPIAL playoff hopefuls shake off early-season losses
Not only did Keystone Oaks lose three of its first four games, the Eagles also started the season by losing their best player to injury. That misfortune could sink many seasons. But count Keystone Oaks among at least a dozen WPIAL teams who endured some early losses, yet put themselves...
Alle-Kiski Valley high school football notebook: Final week has playoff implications galore
Playoff spots are coming down to the wire in the Class 3A Allegheny 6 Conference. East Allegheny, which knocked off Knoch, 14-13, in overtime Friday, captured the conference title and improved to 4-0, 7-2 overall. Even before the game, the Knights, based on their 3-0 conference record coming in, had...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Oct. 21, 2023
High schools Soccer WPIAL playoffs Boys Class 4A Quarterfinals Oct. 28 games Norwin (12-5-1) at Seneca Valley (13-0-3), TBA; Fox Chapel (11-4-2) at Upper St. Clair (14-1-2), TBA; Canon-McMillan (10-6-1) at North Allegheny (14-1-3), TBA; Peters Township (12-3-1) at Butler (13-2-3), TBA Class 3A First round Saturday’s results Franklin Regional...
High school roundup for Oct. 21, 2023: Bentworth nets OT winner as boys soccer playoffs begin
John Scott scored the overtime winner, assisted by Ryan Moessner, to lead No. 7 Bentworth to a 2-1 victory over No. 10 OLSH (10-6-2) in a WPIAL boys soccer Class A first-round match Saturday afternoon. Andrew Vipperman also scored for the Bearcats (15-2), assisted by Scott. Bentworth will face No....
WPIAL football rankings: Week ending Oct. 22, 2023
WPIAL football rankings Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 8-1, 1 2. North Allegheny, 8-1, 2 3. Canon-McMillan, 5-4, 3 4. Mt. Lebanon, 5-4, 4 5. Seneca Valley, 3-6, 5 Class 5A 1. Peters Township, 9-0, 1 2. Penn Hills, 7-2, 2 3. Pine-Richland, 6-3, 3 4....
Floodgates finally open for Burrell in playoff-opening win over Greensburg Central Catholic
The Burrell boys soccer team delivered numerous shots and scoring chances in last year’s WPIAL Class A first-round game against Serra Catholic at Buccaneer Stadium. But the Eagles got the game’s only goal in what was a frustrating final contest for the Bucs in the 2022 season. Burrell again found...
Plasko scores all 4 goals to lead South Fayette past Latrobe in boys soccer playoffs
Senior Michael Plasko is one of South Fayette’s best basketball players. A fiery guard who can shoot 3-pointers, he averaged 17 points per game last winter. But he also plays a mean forward for the soccer team. In the first half of the Lions’ opening playoff game, the call was,...
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week: Hempfield’s Sarah Podkul and Latrobe’s Brock Pflugh
Sarah Podkul School: Hempfield Class: Senior Sport: Volleyball Claim to fame: Podkul has helped lead the Spartans on a four-game winning streak and to a WPIAL Class 4A playoff appearance. Podkul, a third-year libero, had 30 digs in a 3-1 victory against Shaler. She added 18 digs in a 3-0...
Westmoreland high school football notes: 3 more teams clinch playoff berths
Three more Westmoreland County teams clinched spots in the WPIAL football playoffs with wins Friday night. One is another resurgent program that has taken its lumps in recent years. With a 29-22 victory over Burrell — and Ligonier Valley’s 31-0 loss to Imani Christian — Derry secured its first postseason...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Freeport’s Angelo Porco, Deer Lakes’ Claire Cacurak
Claire Cacurak Class: Sophomore School: Deer Lakes Sports: Soccer, cross country Report card: Cacurak scored a pair of goals in leading Deer Lakes (9-6-3, 6-4) to a key Section 2-2A victory in girls soccer Monday. The Lancers, who closed the season with a 5-1-1 run, drew the No. 10 seed...
Doubles team’s WPIAL championship highlights special season for Bethel Park tennis
Both are talented tennis players. One is a freshman at Bethel Park. The other’s a senior. Together, they’ve developed into quite the dynamic duo on the tennis courts. Bethel Park’s Cami Fisher and Lily Sierka this season became the first WPIAL doubles champions in girls tennis in school history. “Lily...
Norwin notebook: Cross country teams sweep at county meet
While it is the time of year to rake leaves, the Norwin cross country teams brought brooms to the county race. Norwin’s girls and boys teams swept the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Championship earlier this month at Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood. The girls placed seven runners in the...
After winning Section 3 title, Bethel Park boys look forward to postseason run
Bethel Park didn’t lose a section game in boys soccer this season. The Black Hawks rang up a 13-0-1 mark in Section 3-3A to narrowly finish first ahead of runner-up Thomas Jefferson (12-1-1). And perhaps most impressive, Bethel Park allowed just seven goals in 14 section games with seven shutouts...
After 2 special seasons, Norwin hockey ready to tackle step up in class
As Norwin discovered, there is a menu of factors for hockey teams to move up in classification in the PIHL. To mention some main ones: The league takes into account previous years’ winning percentages, the number of hockey players in the school’s district and hockey talent in that district, as...
Aquinas Academy boys double win total but playoff spot remains elusive
Aquinas Academy missed the WPIAL Class A boys soccer playoffs this season, but the Crusaders kept opposing goalies busy. Aquinas scored 47 goals, the most in coach Mat Anselmino’s five-year tenure, capped with a 5-0 victory over California on Oct. 16 in the season finale. “There was definitely more emphasis...
Hampton boys eye WPIAL cross country 3-peat
Since last season’s fourth-place finish at states, the Hampton boys cross country team has been focused on a return trip to Hershey. But one small hurdle remains — The WPIAL Class 2A championships. The loaded Talbots are overwhelming favorites to claim their third consecutive district title Thursday (Oct. 26) at...
School-record rushing effort part of special season for Riverview’s Carlo Buzzatto
It was a bittersweet feeling for senior tailback Carlo Buzzatto on Oct. 14 after Riverview football’s heartbreaking 29-28 loss to Leechburg in a rivalry game at Riverside Park that had huge playoff ramifications. The Raiders rallied from a 29-14 deficit in the fourth quarter and had a two-point conversion play...
After series of tough losses, Plum football aims to finish strong
The Plum football team, for the second year in a row, will cap its season Friday with a nonconference matchup against Indiana. The Mustangs last year went out with a bang in a 46-27 victory over Indiana which saw the now-graduated Eryck Moore set the career-yards record for a Plum...
Senior captain wraps up North Hills career having made mark on volleyball program
Giana Cutenese is putting the final touches on her high school volleyball career. And while it’s one that may not finish with championships or deep playoff runs, it is one to be proud of for the North Hills senior. A defensive specialist/libero, Cutenese has started all four of her high...
