High School category, Page 869
High school roundup for March 20, 2021: Beaver drops heartbreaker, Rochester rolls in state playoffs
Freshman Jayden McBride hit a free throw with 14.7 seconds left to score the only point of overtime as Villa Maria Academy knocked off Beaver, 29-28, in a battle of undefeated teams in the PIAA Class 4A girls basketball playoffs Saturday afternoon. Billed as a matchup of stingy defensive teams,...
Spadafora, DiMichele guide OLSH past Karns City into PIAA semifinals
District 9 champion Karns City rolled into Our Lady of the Sacred Heart’s Angela Activities Center Saturday with hopes of finding the rhythm that had led to 23 Gremlins victories. Instead, OLSH’s lockdown defense ruled the day as the Chargers blasted Karns City, 75-45, in a PIAA Class 2A boys...
Short-handed Upper St. Clair wins PIAA quarterfinal with 6 players, volunteer coachVideo
Screenwriters might not turn the “Upper St. Clair Six” into a movie, but their improbable story has every element for a covid-era drama about high school basketball. Only six players were available after team-wide covid-19 testing and they asked a 20-year-old volunteer coach to lead them, yet somehow the short-handed...
Westmoreland notebook: Jeannette looking for new girls basketball coach
Jeannette is taking its girls basketball program in a new direction. The district opened the coaching position held for the last three seasons by Jonathan Bass after the Jayhawks finished 0-19 this season. The team was 0-6 in section play but opted to enter the WPIAL open playoff tournament and...
North Allegheny girls capture 1st PIAA swimming championship since ’97Video
The last time a North Allegheny girls swimming and diving team won a PIAA state championship, the TV show “Friends” was all the rage on NBC and the Green Bay Packers reigned as Super Bowl Champions. The year was 1997, a long time ago in the eyes of Tigers coach...
Chartiers Valley girls cruise past Warren in PIAA quarterfinals
Despite a “flawed” game plan, Chartiers Valley scored 26 of the final 37 points in the first half, then used a 13-0 run in the third quarter to blow open a tight game and roll to a 61-38 victory Saturday afternoon. The win lifts the three-time WPIAL champions and defending...
Brookville ousts WPIAL champion Ellwood City from PIAA playoffs
Jace Miner stole the ball on an inbounds play and scored on a layup with 10 seconds remaining, and in the blink of an eye Ellwood City’s magical run came to an end. Miner’s steal and score proved to be the game-winner as District 9 champion Brookville edged the Wolverines,...
Derry softball to be tested early on by nonsection opponents
The message was clear. With an entire year to think things over, it’s time to make a move. Second-year Derry softball coach John DePalma, though he has yet to have coached the Trojans in a game because of the coronavirus shutdown last season, likely won’t have to wait much longer...
Section championship the goal for Derry baseball team
After planning to publicly do so last year before the pandemic canceled the schedule, the Derry baseball team will try again this season to honor the memory of the mother of one of its players by including her initials on the team’s hats. Wendy Jones, the mother of Sam Jones,...
George Guido: Despite pandemic cancellation, high school streaks live on
We don’t quite know if 48 years of covering high school sports allows me to issue a decree, but if so, some streaks weren’t interrupted with the pandemic of 2020. The high school baseball and softball seasons were wiped out last year. So does that mean Leechburg’s softball streak of...
Burrell softball to debut new field, uniforms, coach in long-awaited ’21 season
For Burrell softball last year, it was a matter of new uniforms and a newly renovated field but no place to go. The Bucs, along with other WPIAL schools, had the plug pulled on their season without a chance to show off their new uniforms and a renovated Bon Air...
Burrell baseball ready to take on challenges of Class 4A
The pandemic that caused last year’s WPIAL baseball season to be wiped out had an impact on the Spohn household. Hopes were high that coach Mark Spohn might lead the Bucs to a 22nd playoff berth in 23 seasons. Also, his son Tanner, then a Burrell senior, was poised to...
Louisy eager to take over Franklin Regional boys soccer program
Thomas Louisy had pondered coaching high school soccer in the past. “I had hundreds of offers,” he said. “I just never had been interested in coaching high school.” But then the recruitment started, and he made a quick pivot. The Franklin Regional job opened after his longtime cohort, Rand Hudson,...
Hampton wrestler Hart rebounds from cracked ribs to earn PIAA silver
In mid-January, Hampton senior Justin Hart couldn’t laugh without it hurting. One month later, he was smiling with no pain at all. Hart fought back from multiple cracked ribs that sidelined him for nearly three weeks to win the WPIAL Class AAA wrestling title at 189 pounds. He followed that...
Young, talented Riverview baseball team ready to compete in Class A
Bill Gras has high hopes this spring for his Riverview baseball team, a group he said which is high on both youthfulness and talent. The Raiders have settled into their move down to Class A, and Gras said his players are anxious to put their abilities to the test in...
Plum baseball looks to find success in move to Class 5A
Two years ago, the Plum baseball team missed the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2005. The Mustangs finished 8-12 and were fifth in Section 2-6A. Plum hoped to get back in a postseason mindset last year, but covid concerns wiped out the 2020 season before it started. But...
Norwin notebook: Girls basketball team well-stocked for solid 2021-22 season
With the WPIAL sending only champions to the PIAA playoffs this year in basketball, local fans only can wonder what might have been for some teams in the state tournaments — the ultimate second chance for teams that were tripped up in the district playoffs. Take Norwin’s girls. The Knights...
Large, talented senior class gives rise to optimism for Norwin boys lacrosse
With one of its largest senior classes — and arguably one of its most talented — the Norwin boys lacrosse team is hoping for a season that extends into the WPIAL playoffs. Sixth-year coach Chad Good’s team could match his namesake. “We always have high expectations,” Good said. “We have...
Franklin Regional’s Solomon wins gold, Dibert takes silver at PIAA wrestling tournamentVideo
Sometimes it’s better not to poke the bear. Waynesburg junior Cole Homet found out the hard way against Franklin Regional junior Finn Solomon. After Homet defeated Solomon, 4-2, in the WPIAL Class AAA final Feb. 27, the wrestlers exchanged words. The phrase was uttered, “See you next time.” Solomon sure...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for March 19, 2021
High schools Basketball Boys PIAA playoffs Class 6A Quarterfinals Friday’s results Lower Merion 62, Abington 41 Saturday’s schedule Archbishop Wood (17-0) at William Allen (11-4), 1 p.m. Scranton (14-2) at Reading (23-2), 1 p.m. Erie (19-3) at Upper St. Clair (20-1), 2 p.m. Semifinals Tuesday’s schedule Archbishop Wood/William Allen winner...
Daniel Boone, Governor Mifflin bowlers claim state singles titles
Daniel Boone’s Alex Horton and Governor Mifflin’s Emily Breidegam claimed Pennsylvania high school bowling singles championships Friday afternoon in North Versailles. The girls final was an all-Governor Mifflin affair. Breidegam defeated teammate Camryn Brown, 180-156. Breidegam was the top bowler in qualifying with a 1,408 six-game series. Burrell’s Lydia Flanagan...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports for March 20, 2021: State quarterfinals roll on
Quarterfinal weekend in the 2021 PIAA basketball playoffs continues Saturday with 24 more state boys and girls games, including six contests involving WPIAL champions. The District 7 champs hitting the court Saturday afternoon are Upper St. Clair (6A), Ellwood City (3A) and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (2A) boys...
Neshannock’s McBeth, Belle Vernon’s Shahan spark WPIAL gold rush at state swim meet
Neshannock’s Conner McBeth and Belle Vernon’s Ian Shahan picked up where they left off from WPIALs in the 50-yard freestyle as the seniors did battle for state gold at the PIAA Class AA boys swim championships Friday at Cumberland Valley High School. They finished tied for the WPIAL title March...
Neshannock girls fend off Windber, make PIAA Class 2A semifinals
Moments after coming out of the locker room after Friday night’s game, Neshannock girls basketball coach Luann Grybowski breathed a sigh of relief. “We got lucky to get this one,” she said. After watching a 14-point lead slowly evaporate, led by Addi Watts and Aaralyn Nogay the Lancers made enough...
Belle Vernon’s Ian Shahan shatters state record in final high school meet
In his final high school meet, Ian Shahan put his stamp on the PIAA state record book. The Belle Vernon senior set a record in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 20 seconds flat, bettering the previous record of 20.45. “I knew it was going to be a fight,”...
