High School category, Page 479
Plum adds roster depth to track and field teams
Plum track and field coach Stephanie Kennedy saw a growth in numbers for both the boys and girls teams from last year to this spring, and the mix of veteran and new talent has her excited for what can be accomplished between now and the championship events in the latter...
Norwin notebook: Volleyball team takes tournament title
The Norwin boys volleyball team won its 16-team tournament on March 25, holding back Butler in the final for the title. The top-seeded Knights beat Central Catholic in the quarterfinals and Latrobe in the semis. Norwin won a couple of matches leading up to the tournament, defeating Baldwin, 3-0, and...
Norwin girls take pride in long playoff run, 24-win season
Norwin did not make its way through the PIAA girls basketball playoffs like it was touring a museum, pausing to look at others’ accomplishments with an enjoy-the-ride mentality. The Lady Knights were not slack-jawed as they stared down each round in the state’s largest classification. No, their run to the...
North Allegheny boys volleyball embarks on season of change
The senior-heavy lineup that won a state championship has graduated. The head coach who led the program for two decades has retired. Yes, this is a season of change for the North Allegheny boys volleyball team. The defending WPIAL and PIAA champions have only two seniors on the roster. Fortunately,...
North Allegheny notebook: Junior wrestler Mack Apel claims pair of state titles
Mack Apel, a third grader at Hosack Elementary, won a pair of state championships last month. A member of the North Allegheny junior wrestling team, Apel bested a field of 30 qualifiers to win the 8-and-under 74-pound championship at the Pa. Keystone Wrestling state championships March 19, at IUP. He...
Smaller roster doesn’t faze perennial girls lacrosse power Hampton
The Hampton girls lacrosse program has only 25 players this season spread across the varsity and JV rosters. It is one of the thinnest rosters in coach Kelsey Burke’s nine seasons — they typically have 35-plus — and prevents the Talbots from holding full-field scrimmages at practice. But every one...
Hampton boys lacrosse looks to build foundation for playoff run
The Hampton boys lacrosse team was playing an intrasquad practice game in late March under the lights at Fridley Field when pouring rain began. The soaked players were enthusiastic and energized despite the wet, windy conditions at the end of their two-hour workout. And second-year coach Andy DeMichiei is starting...
Plenty of potential on Fox Chapel track teams
The Fox Chapel track and field programs hope to find a way to bring put the puzzle pieces together at some point. The Foxes have plenty of potential on both the boys and girls side but will need things to fall right in order to find success. For the boys...
Fox Chapel notebook: Jake Pilarski finds success in spring training with Dodgers
Fox Chapel graduate Jake Pilarski got the most out of his spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pilarski, 24, signed with the Dodgers in December after spending two seasons with the Washington Wild Things in the Frontier League. Pilarski was able to add some zip on his fastball, allowing...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for March 31, 2023
High schools WPIAL Baseball Friday’s results Class 2A Section 2 Seton LaSalle at New Brighton, ppd. Nonsection Allderdice at Gateway, ppd. Apollo-Ridge at West Shamokin, ppd. Belle Vernon at Connellsville, ppd. Carrick at Clairton, ppd. Fort Cherry at Northgate, ppd. Knoch at Shady Side Academy, ppd. Monessen at Southmoreland, ppd....
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on April 1, 2023: A few softball teams set to hit diamond
Foul weather in Western Pa. is a bonus for those softball teams that planned some business trips down south. Burrell (1-2) will complete its Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach with a game against Moore Catholic out of New York. West Allegheny (2-0) has two games set for Saturday at the...
Trib HSSN Head of the Class: Best of WPIAL boys basketball 2022-23
There were a lot of players and coaches who put in plenty of time on the basketball court this season to be the best that they could be. While we salute all of those who participated in a memorable 2022-23 boys high school basketball campaign, we have a special seat...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on March 31, 2023: Burrell softball staying busy
The final day of March may bring limited action around the district diamonds due to a wet forecast. Perhaps the greatest chance at playing ball Friday might be Burrell softball team. The Bucs are spending a few days enjoying the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C. before section play begins...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for March 30, 2023
High schools WPIAL Baseball Thursday’s results Nonsection Avella 14, Northgate 2 Belle Vernon 10, California 0 Blackhawk 11, Union 3 Burgettstown 9, Freedom 6 Burrell 7, Highlands 2 Canon-McMillan 9, Upper St. Clair 2 Connellsville 9, Yough 1 East Allegheny 12, Jeannette 7 Ellwood City 12, New Brighton 2 Greensburg...
High school roundup for March 30, 2023: North Allegheny slams Norwin
JD Costanzo and David Posey homered to power North Allegheny to a 10-3 victory over Norwin in nonsection baseball Thursday. Spencer Barnett had three hits, including two doubles, and plated a pair of runs for the Tigers (1-0). Keegan Carr smacked a home run for Norwin (0-4). Avella 14, Northgate...
Clutch defense helps Hempfield hold off Latrobe
With Latrobe on Hempfield’s bumper late in Thursday’s nonsection baseball game, the host Spartans turned to their defense to bail them out of some tense moments, particularly those attached to two of the final three outs. First baseman Adam Hess made a long throw across the diamond to knock out...
Westmoreland baseball notebook: Latrobe keeps tradition going with opening game
The Ohio trip has become a tradition at Latrobe. And if the Wildcats don’t make the trek to Upper Arlington to play the Golden Bears to christen a new baseball season, then the Golden Bears come to them. Upper Arlington is coached by Latrobe alum Nate Phillips. The initial thought...
Franklin Regional baseball team getting strong hitting, pitching in fast start
Junior Blake Bertucci and his fellow Franklin Regional baseball pitchers are playing with less stress these days. With the offense giving them leads to work with, their job is less complex. It comes down to limiting the damage, getting off the field and allowing the hitters to get back to...
Freeport baseball team returns to winning ways
Freeport baseball coach Ed Carr sensed this could be the year the program bounced back. It wasn’t that long ago that the Yellowjackets made the WPIAL semifinals and state playoffs, but the last two seasons have been a rebuild. They only won one section game last year, so this week’s...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for March 29, 2023
High schools WPIAL Baseball Wednesday’s results Class 5A Section 1 Franklin Regional 10, Penn Hills 1 Class 3A Section 1 Mohawk 8, Quaker Valley 4 Section 3 Shady Side Academy 10, Deer Lakes 9 Class 2A Section 2 Northgate 10, Aliquippa 3 Class A Section 2 Summit Academy 8, Springdale...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on March 30, 2023: Softball section schedules ramp up
There are 21 WPIAL softball section games slated for Thursday as teams continue or begin their section schedule in Sections 2 and 3 in Class 4A, Sections 1 and 3 in Class 2A and Sections 1, 2 and 3 in Class A. Two games match teams that are looking to...
Trib 10: State champs take top spots in season’s final power rankings
The WPIAL sent seven teams to Hershey to play for a PIAA basketball championship, and three came home with gold. Lincoln Park won the boys Class 4A state title while Class A produced two PIAA champions with Imani Christian boys and Union girls. Thus, there was no change at the...
High school roundup for March 29, 2023: Hempfield blanks Mt. Lebanon
Riley Miller homered and threw a one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts as Hempfield defeated Mt. Lebanon, 10-0, in Section 1-6A softball Wednesday, bouncing back from a loss to North Allegheny on Monday. Claire Mitchell and Allie Cervola also homered and Margaret Howard went 4 for 4 with a double for...
Latrobe softball has power, ‘talent to win it all’
Watching softballs fly over the fence can make some coaches jump around like a child on a trampoline. But Latrobe’s Bob Kovalcin doesn’t overreact to home runs. He admits he would rather see base hits and sacrifice bunts, crisp execution over power. “They’ve made a fool out of me,” Kovalcin...
Westmoreland softball notebook: Franklin Regional, Plum put up eye-popping numbers
Plum’s softball field is known for its short dimensions. A coach whose team was playing there for the first time called it a litter box. On Monday, Franklin Regional mistook it for a driving range. In one of the wildest games you will see, Franklin Regional out-clubbed host Plum, 28-19,...
