High School category, Page 394
Penalty kick sends Plum girls soccer team past Franklin Regional, clinches section title
The Plum girls soccer team clinched its fifth straight outright section championship Wednesday evening at Mustangs Stadium. But the Mustangs needed overtime to get the victory. A controversial penalty call on a Franklin Regional defender in the box set up a penalty kick for Plum. Senior Ava Weleski set up...
Lola Abraham’s 4 goals lift Riverview past GCC in Section 1-A showdown
Greensburg Central Catholic tried everything against Lola Abraham, marking her with multiple girls in 10-minute intervals as it tried to slow her down. But like she has done against so many other opponents throughout her career, Abraham scratched out those plans in impressive fashion. While some teams look like they’re...
Kiski Area’s Miller, Plazio win WCCA titles; Norwin boys, girls sweep 3A team trophies
As Eliza Miller headed toward the finish line during the annual Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association Cross Country Championship on Wednesday, she turned it on. With the timing clock in site, the Kiski Area senior poured it on, determined to break the 18-minute mark. As she crossed the finish line, Miller...
A-K Valley football players to watch in 2023 Week 7
Player of the week Jayden Floyd Leechburg, Jr., QB Floyd completed 15 of 28 passes for 230 yards, one of the highest yardage totals in the WPIAL for Week 6, in a loss to Jeannette on Friday. He completed a 73-yard pass to Tristan Zalenski down to the 1-yard line...
Playoff future in the balance for Knoch, Freeport in Allegheny 6 clash
Eight and a half miles separate Knoch and Freeport high schools. But the history between the schools, including the Knights and Yellowjackets athletic teams, is much closer. Athletes on both sides know each other well from growing up next door, and each season builds on the tradition from past matchups....
2023 Western Pa. high school football schedule for Week 7
Thursday City League Westinghouse at Brashear, 7 p.m. Friday WPIAL Class 5A Allegheny Six Baldwin at South Fayette, 7 p.m. Bethel Park at Moon, 7 p.m. Big East Franklin Regional at Hempfield, 7 p.m. Penn-Trafford at Plum, 7 p.m. Northeast Fox Chapel at Woodland Hills, 7 p.m. Shaler at Pine-Richland,...
With Jayhawks back on track, Jeannette-GCC rivalry gets reheated
How big is Friday’s WPIAL Class A Eastern Conference matchup between Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic? In Westmoreland County, it might be the biggest rivalry going. At Jeannette, it’s Central week. At Greensburg Central Catholic, it’s Jeannette week. This is the 32nd meeting between the schools, and during many of...
Don’t be alarmed when the Birdie makes his Westmoreland County Week 7 picks
Last week: 10-3 (76.9%) Season: 63-23 (73.3%) It was around 2:20 in the afternoon last Wednesday when the Birdie almost made an eagle. He was playing in a rare, midweek golf scramble. “An elite corporate thing with some other influencers,” he said, feathering his hair back with his fingers. He...
Westmoreland County high school football matchups for 2023 Week 7
Class 5A Big East Conference Franklin Regional (5-2, 2-1) at Hempfield (1-6, 0-2) 7 p.m. Friday, Spartan Stadium, Hempfield Last week: Franklin Regional 37, Norwin 29; Seneca Valley 42, Hempfield 13 Last year’s result: Franklin Regional 56, Hempfield 21 Franklin Regional can get a share of the conference title if...
Westmoreland County football players to watch in 2023 Week 7
Player of the week Ayden Hudock Franklin Regional, Sr., WR/S The 6-foot-1 Hudock began Franklin Regional’s game against Norwin last week by returning the kickoff 92 yards for a score. He then caught three touchdowns passes (6, 56 and 58 yards) from quarterback Chase Lemke as the Panthers defeated Norwin,...
A-K Valley high school football matchups for 2023 Week 7
Class 5A Big East Conference Penn-Trafford (3-4, 2-1) at Plum (2-5, 0-3) 7 p.m. Friday, Mustangs Stadium, Plum Borough Last week: Gateway 31, Penn-Trafford 27; South Fayette 24, Plum 13 Last year’s meeting: Penn-Trafford 35, Plum 21 The Warriors try to rebound after a hard-fought loss to Gateway while Plum...
Birdie paints playoff picture, makes Week 7 A-K Valley picks
Last week: 9-2 (81.8%) Overall: 61-19 (76.3%) When The Birdie strolled into the office Monday morning, he was whining up a storm. He was mad that the temperature had dipped below 50 degrees. “Once you put your Bermuda shorts in the back of the closet, they’re not coming back out...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Jeannette’s Jordan Taylor climbs WPIAL all-time goals list
The goal came without any fanfare and it came in a loss, so Jordan Taylor didn’t think much of it. But his score last week in a 4-2 loss at Freeport was a record breaker. Taylor, a Jeannette senior forward, broke the boys’ career goals record for Westmoreland County with...
Mt. Pleasant senior thrives after battling through career-threatening hip problem
The thought of ending his soccer career pervaded Luke Domasky’s mind at the start of the season. Many nights, he soaked in his family’s hot tub and pondered his next move. The Mt. Pleasant senior was not sure if he could be as effective after his junior season fell short...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Oct. 10, 2023
High schools Cross county Division II Section 3 Boys Burgettstown 15, Keystone Oaks 50 Girls Keystone Oaks 15, Burgettstown 50 Field hockey Tuesday’s results Section 3A Mt. Lebanon 6, Hempfield 0 Section 2A Penn-Trafford 2, Latrobe 1 Fox Chapel at Oakland Catholic, (n) Section 1A Aquinas Academy at Winchester Thurston,...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Oct. 11, 2023: Crunch time for girls soccer playoff hopefuls
Win and you’re in. Those four words mean a lot is at stake in a particular contest. That will be the case for two WPIAL girls soccer teams as the playoffs essentially begin early for McGuffey and West Mifflin. South Park (9-0), Shady Side Academy (7-2) and Keystone Oaks (5-3-1)...
Trib HSSN Pennsylvania high school football rankings for Oct. 10, 2023
It was a strong start to the final month of the regular season for teams ranked in the Trib HSSN PIAA football rankings. Last week’s 30 top teams went a combined 26-4 in Week 6. Two of the teams that lost fell out of the weekly state rankings. Thomas Jefferson...
WPIAL boys soccer playoff picture through Oct. 10, 2023
Section play in the regular season is winding down with one week left in the 2023 WPIAL boys soccer season and a few postseason spots up for grabs. The top four teams in each section qualify for the district playoffs. All teams tied for a playoff spot in which head-to-head...
High school roundup for Oct. 10, 2023: Montour beats Moon to climb into 1st place
Andrew Prunier, Jaxon Camp and Parker Brennan scored to lead Montour to a 3-1 victory over Moon in a key Section 2-3A boys soccer matchup Tuesday. Montour (11-2, 11-1) now leads Moon (12-3-1, 10-1-1) in the race for first place in the section with two games remaining. Mike Walenchok scored...
Trevor Kovatch’s PK goal lifts Belle Vernon to key win over Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant’s pep band played at halftime Tuesday night at Viking Stadium, a rare occurrence for a high school soccer game, but an addition that was befitting to the ambiance of such a big first-place showdown. What isn’t a rare occurrence is Trevor Kovatch scoring goals against Mt. Pleasant. He...
Freeport girls volleyball sweeps Derry, moves closer to another section title
The Freeport girls volleyball team hadn’t allowed a Section 5-2A foe to win a set through 10 matches. Derry hoped to be the first to do that Tuesday as the Trojans got a second crack at the Yellowjackets in their home gym. But Freeport had other ideas, and the No....
Westmoreland County girls soccer notebook: Before knee surgery, GCC senior scores one last goal
Senior night could have been a bummer for Ella Machusko, who has a torn ACL and had written off playing the rest of the season. It could have been a grin-and-bear-it kind of game for the senior defender, who is still supporting a team with low roster numbers. Machusko played...
Despite challenges, Southmoreland girls soccer emerges as perennial playoff program
No matter the roster turnover or how many star players it loses, Southmoreland manages to stay in the thick of the WPIAL girls soccer playoff race. While some programs stall out after a few playoff runs, the Scotties keep on trucking. “This is my fourth year here, and the hope...
Moon coach Bill Pfeifer nears 500th win, an unprecedented feat in WPIAL girls soccer
Undefeated state champion, national coach of the year and the winningest coach in Pennsylvania girls soccer history. Moon’s Bill Pfeifer was all of those last fall and says he thought about retiring on top after a season that couldn’t have gone any better. The six-time WPIAL champion stresses team goals,...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Oct. 10, 2023
High schools Field hockey Monday’s results Section 3A North Allegheny 10, Hempfield 0 Mt. Lebanon 7, Norwin 1 Peters Township 8, Allderdice 0 Nonsection Oakland Catholic 1, Winchester Thurston 0 Pine-Richland 5, Fox Chapel 0 Tuesday’s schedule Section 2A Latrobe at Penn-Trafford, 7:30 p.m. Fox Chapel at Oakland Catholic, 7:30...
