High School category, Page 927
Thomas Jefferson defends title, captures 5th PIAA football championship
HERSHEY — Style points aren’t important to Thomas Jefferson’s football team, or else the Jaguars coaching staff wouldn’t be wearing shorts in 40-degree weather. Saturday’s game wasn’t always pretty, but Thomas Jefferson defended its PIAA title with a 21-14 victory over Jersey Shore in the Class 4A championship in Hershey....
Boys basketball preview: Hempfield ready to pick up pace
Hempfield is in somewhat of a unique situation. While its boys basketball team lost six seniors, it returns two of its top three scorers. Seniors Christian Zilli (12 points per game) and Michael Hosni (10.8 ppg) are back to lead the Spartans (12-11), who finished second in Section 3-6A and...
Plum’s Proviano named Valley News Dispatch Girls Soccer Player of the Year
Valley News Dispatch Girls Soccer Player of the Year Gina Proviano Sr., MF, Plum Gina Proviano remained hopeful there would be a fall high school sports season amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but the Plum senior girls soccer standout knew nothing was for sure as many athletic teams throughout the...
Girls basketball preview: Freeport looks to replace a talented senior class with ‘young’ and ‘athletic’ roster
The Freeport girls basketball team is set to face a tough challenge. After posting an overall record of 17-8 and making a run to the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals and PIAA first round last season, the Yellowjackets will have to replace five seniors, including leading scorer Sidney Shemanksi (12.5 ppg.)...
Franklin Regional’s DiFalco named Tribune-Review Westmoreland Boys Soccer Player of the YearVideo
Player of the Year Anthony DiFalco Jr., F, Franklin Regional Rand Hudson has seen a number of dynamic players over the course of his 28-year coaching career at the college, club and high school levels. He has an eye for talent. But one such player seems to stand out among...
Southmoreland’s Cernuto chosen Tribune-Review Westmoreland Girls Soccer Player of the YearVideo
Player of the Year Olivia Cernuto So., MF, Southmoreland Olivia Cernuto moved to forward this season for the Southmoreland girls soccer team, and the Scotties went forward with her. The Scotties were one of the biggest surprises of the 2020 season as they won their first section title since 2011...
Girls basketball preview: Fox Chapel ready to take next step in coach’s second season
In Marty Matvey’s first year at the helm of the Fox Chapel girls basketball program, the Foxes saw a glimpse of success they are hoping to build on in Year 2. They finished with an overall record of 13-10 and went .500 in a section that included eventual WPIAL champion...
With college choice made, Norwin lefty Jayden Walker itching to pitch
Jayden Walker was finally ready to pitch again last spring, nearly a year after shoulder surgery to fix a damaged labrum. The hard-throwing lefthander was chomping at the bit and pounding his glove in anticipation of taking the mound again. But that was when the covid-19 pandemic had just begun...
Franklin Regional athletes have unprecedented run of success in fall season
Franklin Regional decided the best way to navigate a pandemic during a sports season was to keep playing — and keep winning. The fall sports season, which lived in the shadow of covid-19, turned out to be one for the mantle at Franklin Regional. A number of teams celebrated lengthy...
Girls basketball preview: Hampton aims to get back on track with up-tempo attack
The Hampton girls basketball team is going small in the hopes of something big. Coach Tony Howard is installing a fast-paced, guard-oriented lineup as the undersized Talbots try to return to the playoffs after a two-year absence. With the 2020-21 season scheduled to start Dec. 11 against McDowell, the Talbots...
Boys basketball preview: Hampton getting ready for season unlike any other
There are a lot of new faces on the Hampton boys basketball team, even if coach Joe Lafko can’t quite see them right now. “This year is so different from any year that I’ve experienced,” said Lafko, a WPIAL Hall of Famer entering his 25th season at Hampton, “and it’s...
Baldwin’s Gina Bolla leaves lasting mark on cross country program
Gina Bolla entered the Baldwin cross country program in 2017 as a quiet, unassuming freshman. Four years later, she’s emerged as the crown jewel of the program. Bolla is a cross country, indoor and outdoor track athlete. She placed 20th at this year’s PIAA Class AAA meet with a time...
Thomas Jefferson’s McClain Flinn shows flair for dramatic
It was an emotionally charged atmosphere at North Allegheny. Thomas Jefferson squeaked past Aliquippa, 35-28, in a WPIAL Class 4A overtime thriller Nov. 14. The Jaguars built on their championship culture with the 10th WPIAL championship in school history. The overtime period belonged to junior McClain Flinn, a 6-foot-1, 182-pound...
AD proud of Carlynton’s efforts to complete successful, safe fall sports season
Nathan Milsom has climbed the ladder at Carlynton as he prepares for the winter season of his ninth year as district athletic director. He started as a substitute teacher in the school district in 2005 and in the next 16 years, he has been a teacher, coach and AD. He...
Chartiers Valley, South Fayette volleyball teams savor playoff seasons
The fall sports season was a challenge for all involved. However, the biggest obstacles to overcome in order to get a full season in the books may have been for those playing the only indoor sport in the fall, girls volleyball. A pair of local teams did a great job...
PIAA Class 4A championship breakdown: Thomas Jefferson vs. Jersey Shore
Thomas Jefferson vs. Jersey Shore 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey On the air: TV: PCN; Streaming audio: TribHSSN.triblive.com; Radio: 95.3 FM PIAA titles: Thomas Jefferson 4 (2004, ‘07, ‘08, ‘19); Jersey Shore 0 Thomas Jefferson (9-1) Player to watch: Conner Murga Junior, 6-1, 178, RB/DE Murga and DeRon...
Pine-Richland routs Cathedral Prep to claim PIAA Class 5A titleVideo
HERSHEY — Luke Miller was a Pine-Richland waterboy four years ago when the Rams last celebrated a state football championship at Hersheypark Stadium. “I remember the feeling the seniors had, looking at each other saying: ‘Wow, we did it. We finally did it.’ ” Miller and his teammates now know...
High school sports scores, summaries, schedules for Nov. 27, 2020
High schools Football PIAA playoffs Championships Class 6A Saturday’s schedule St. Joseph Prep (5-0) vs. Central York (10-0) at Hersheypark Stadium, 8 p.m. Class 5A Friday’s result Pine-Richland 48, Cathedral Prep 7 Class 4A Saturday’s schedule Jersey Shore (10-0) vs. Thomas Jefferson (9-1) at Hersheypark Stadium, 3:30 p.m. Class 3A...
Greensburg Salem girls basketball returns plenty of experience, depth
Four starters return to the Greensburg Salem girls basketball team, giving coach Rick Klimchock hope for a breakout season heading into his fourth year of leading the Golden Lions, whose enrollment rose enough to place them in Class 5A. Though he wasn’t thrilled to learn of the move, Klimchock hasn’t...
Greensburg Salem boys basketball preparing to face Class 6A competition
The lure of familiar names was too much for Mark Zahorchak, the third-year Greensburg Salem boys basketball coach and former Golden Lions player. So much so that he elected to take the jump. All the way to Class 6A. “At least, we’ll have some connection with most of the teams,”...
Central Valley caps undefeated season with PIAA Class 3A championship
HERSHEY — The second-half clock usually moves lightning quick for Central Valley games, but this time the Warriors insisted it felt excruciatingly slow. Regardless, the celebration was worth the wait. Working to hold a fourth-quarter lead, unlikely hero Brandon Graham made two late interceptions and Central Valley relied on its...
2 interception returns lift Steelton-Highspire past Jeannette in PIAA Class A football finalVideo
HERSHEY — Steelton-Highspire did to Jeannette what the Jayhawks did to opponents all season: get defensive scores. Steelton-Highspire returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the fourth quarter and held on to defeat Jeannette, 32-20, on Friday at Hersheypark Stadium to capture its third PIAA Class A football title. Daivin Pryor’s...
Boys basketball preview: Fox Chapel ready to reload after losing strong senior class
The Fox Chapel boys basketball team put together a historic season last year. The Foxes won their first 20 games of the season, put together an overall record of 21-2 with their two losses coming in their final three games of the season, limited teams to a WPIAL-low 43.1 points...
Girls basketball preview: Fox Chapel ready to take next step in coach’s second season
In Marty Matvey’s first year at the helm of the Fox Chapel girls basketball program, the Foxes saw a glimpse of success that they are hoping to build on in year two. They finished with an overall record of 13-10 and went .500 in a section that included eventual WPIAL...
5 things to watch at the PIAA football championships
With a laugh, Cathedral Prep coach Mike Mischler brags that his defense hasn’t given up a point in weeks. Technically, he’s right. The District 10 champions reached the PIAA football championships on the heels of two covid-related forfeits. Wyoming Valley West forfeited their quarterfinal game and Upper Dublin forfeited the...
