High School category, Page 648
WPIAL baseball playoff clinchings through May 4, 2022
In a game with no clock, time is running out on WPIAL baseball teams outside the playoff bubble. The top four teams in each section qualify for the district postseason and only a few section games remain on the schedule. Exclusive coverage of the 2022 WPIAL baseball playoffs is only...
High school roundup for May 4, 2022: North Allegheny, Pine-Richland share section title
Aaron Posey hit a two-run triple in the first inning and Erik Sundgren belted a two-run home run in the fourth, leading North Allegheny to an 8-4 victory over Pine-Richland on Wednesday, clinching a split of the Section 1-6A title. Spencer Barnett, Aaron Galaska and David Posey doubled for North...
Valley softball enjoying continued renaissance
Morgan Dunkel was ready to take the ball, toe the rubber in the pitching circle and have a breakout freshman season for the Valley softball team. But the early stages of the growing covid pandemic snuffed out the 2020 spring campaign. “It was difficult. I was looking forward to the...
Major change to PIAA wrestling tournament qualification process put on hold
A major change to the way the PIAA determines qualifiers for the state wrestling tournament has been put on hold. At its April 5 meeting, the PIAA wrestling steering committee voted to move to a new system where each of the state’s five Class 3A regions would receive three automatic...
Power surge on Cougar Mountain boosts Yough softball team
Yough plays its home games on Cougar Mountain in Sewickley Township. But softball coach Dutch Harvey is lobbying to rename his team’s home address. “It’s become Dinger City here,” Harvey said. Yough isn’t traditionally a leave-the-yard kind of team, but the Cougars are developing a reputation that says otherwise as...
Westmoreland County softball notebook: Ligonier Valley’s Griffin gets aggressive
The owner of a 21-strikeout perfect game and three no-hitters this season, Ligonier Valley senior pitcher Maddie Griffin has all the physical tools to dominate in the circle. She has proven that beyond a doubt over the last season-plus of WPIAL and PIAA softball. But the Youngstown State commit, who...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for May 3, 2022
High schools Baseball Tuesday’s results Class 6A Section 1 Butler at Seneca Valley, ppd. Central Catholic at Allderdice, ppd. Pine-Richland at North Allegheny, ppd. Section 2 Baldwin at Canon-McMillan, ppd. Norwin 3, Hempfield 2 Mt. Lebanon 2, Upper St. Clair 0 Class 5A Section 1 Franklin Regional 13, Kiski Area...
Yough tops Southmoreland to win section baseball crown outright
Yough relied on the strong pitching of James Shoman and timely hitting to down Southmoreland, 7-1, on Tuesday to clinch the Section 4-3A championship. With Monday’s 3-2 walk-off victory, the Cougars (8-5, 7-2) clinched a share of the section crown, but coach Craig Spisak’s team wanted it for themselves. “I...
Hampton 3-sport star Matt DeMatteo to run track at Duquesne
Hampton three-sport athlete Matt DeMatteo has committed to attend Duquesne on a track scholarship. The senior was also considering Penn State (track) and James Madison (football). DeMatteo is a two-time all-conference selection in football and a two-time all-section pick in basketball, but his best offers were for track and field....
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on May 4, 2022: Softball playoff berths on the line
Win and you’re in. Those four words are sweet music to the ears of any high school team on the bubble as section play winds down. In district softball, several teams can earn a playoff berth with a victory Wednesday — weather permitting, of course. • In Section 1-6A, Baldwin...
WPIAL baseball playoff clinchings through May 3, 2022
In a game with no clock, time is running out on WPIAL baseball teams outside the playoff bubble. The top four teams in each section qualify for the district postseason and there aren’t many section games left oin the schedule. Exclusive coverage of the 2022 WPIAL baseball playoffs is only...
High school roundup for May 3, 2022: East Allegheny baseball clinches section title
Jax Jurisic went 2 for 3 with a double and four RBIs to lead East Allegheny to an 8-2 victory over Derry on Tuesday, clinching the Section 3-3A baseball title. Tommy Kearns doubled and Michael Cahill picked up the win for the Wildcats (9-4, 8-2). Ryan Hood went 1 for...
Mt. Pleasant’s Pitzer, Greensburg Central Catholic’s Brewer win Driscoll awards
It takes a special person to find a way to mix academics and athletics. Greensburg Central Catholic’s Corinn Brewer and Mt. Pleasant Dayton Pitzer did just that. The seniors not only are outstanding athletes, they are exceptional students. That’s why they were chosen as the Judge John J. Driscoll Excellence...
Franklin Regional baseball team outlasts Kiski Area in extra innings
Kiski Area was on the brink of a big, Section 1-5A upset Tuesday after scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings. The Cavaliers had the bases loaded and none out in the eighth, but Franklin Regional senior Kyle Morgan pitched out...
Penn-Trafford uses disciplined attack to back pitcher Grabowski in win over Latrobe
Penn-Trafford baseball coaches and players talked about the importance of hitting and throwing first-pitch strikes against section champion Latrobe. They also discussed ways to possibly drum up offense if they were to earn a Section 1-5A sweep against the Wildcats. It all worked out according to plan, and the Warriors...
Hempfield’s Blahovec and Tapper continue to improve
Hempfield track and field coach Ron Colland has been pleasantly surprised with some of the performances his athletes this season, especially juniors Cydney Blahovec and Liz Tapper. Blahovec is coming off a strong performance at the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association track and field championships, where she won the 800-meter run...
WPIAL track notebook: Baldwin Invitational returns to 1-day format
When Baldwin track and field coach Ed Helbig approached the Baldwin-Whitehall School District administration about the 48th annual Baldwin Track and Field Invitational, they wanted the event to be held over two days because of covid concerns. But with the covid threat diminishing, Helbig was told recently the meet could...
Avonworth, Beaver stand atop Trib HSSN state softball rankings
One little slip is all it takes sometimes to lose your grip. That might be the feeling for nine softball teams that lost their spot this week in the Trib HSSN state softball rankings. With the district playoffs on the horizon, sometimes a loss may cost you a spot in...
No shot clock for Pennsylvania high schools, says PIAA basketball committee
Time is running out for shot clock advocates. The PIAA basketball committee reviewed statewide survey results Tuesday and decided a shot clock should not be added to high school games in Pennsylvania, likely ending that debate for now. The committee voted 9-5 to keep the status quo, a recommendation the...
Hempfield boys volleyball rolling into 2nd half of regular season
With six players getting a late start, including three senior mainstays, the Hempfield boys volleyball team stumbled out of the gate this season and lost to Norwin in its opener. Since then, the Spartans gradually began pulling together, winning their next five matches heading into the second half of the...
WPIAL postpones team track semifinals to Wednesday
The WPIAL postponed its team track semifinals to Wednesday because of an unfavorable weather forecast Tuesday that included afternoon rain and possible thunderstorms. The semifinals instead will start at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the same host sites. Butler, Norwin, North Allegheny and South Fayette are hosts for the 3A semifinals...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for May 2, 2022
High schools Baseball Monday’s results Class 6A Section 1 Central Catholic 10, Allderdice 0 Pine-Richland 1, North Allegheny 0 Seneca Valley 1, Butler 0 Section 2 Canon-McMillan 3, Baldwin 0 Mt. Lebanon 7, Upper St. Clair 0 Norwin 15, Hempfield 8 Class 5A Section 1 McKeesport 5, Gateway 4 Kiski...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on May 3, 2022: Team track semifinals set
Rain may affect a busy day of WPIAL baseball and softball Tuesday, but barring storms, the district postseason should begin for one spring outdoor sport. The 2022 WPIAL team track and field semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday with each classification holding championship qualifiers at four sites. Boys 3A At Butler:...
Trib HSSN Softball Team of the Week for May 2, 2022
Perennial softball power West Allegheny had hit a wall. After winning five of its first six games and tying for the top spot in Section 4-5A, the Indians dropped two out of three section games and fell into a tie for second place, two games out of first. “Our biggest...
Trib HSSN Softball Player of the Week for May 2, 2022
North Hills was cruising out of the gates this spring in defense of its WPIAL Class 5A softball section crown, winning its first three games by a combined score of 37-5. However, the vaunted Indians offense was shut down in the team’s second Section 3-5A contest, losing at Fox Chapel,...
