High School category, Page 938
North Catholic topples Ellwood City to capture 2nd WPIAL girls volleyball title in 3 years
Last season, the North Catholic girls volleyball team was a set away on three occasions from going back-to-back in championship opportunities, but ultimately fell to Freeport in five sets. The Trojans had gone up two sets to none, but faltered a bit late in a competitive match. This year, North...
Greensburg Central Catholic repeats, wins 5th WPIAL boys soccer championshipVideo
It wasn’t that Greensburg Central Catholic became complacent after a high-speed start against rival Winchester Thurston. The Centurions sprinted to a three-goal lead, but with 61 minutes of soccer remaining and the Bears more than capable of making that lead disappear, it was time to get serious. “Naturally, when you’re...
Campus visit convinces Gateway’s Derrick Davis to pick LSU
Derrick Davis visited Louisiana around the age of 8 for a youth track meet. He finished 17th in the country in the 100-meter dash, an early glimpse of the athleticism that has made him a coveted college football recruit. But even then, he remembers, he really liked the Bayou State....
Franklin Regional tops Montour for 1st WPIAL girls volleyball championship
Aly Kindelberger hammered the volleyball onto the court Saturday at Chartiers Valley High School before being overwhelmed by a swarm of her teammates. The 6-foot-1 Franklin Regional senior didn’t mind the slide across the floor as the Panthers’ celebrated the biggest win in program history with a dogpile. By topping...
Westmoreland football notebook: Jeannette-Clairton meet again for WPIAL Class A title
For the third time in six years, Class A heavyweights Clairton and Jeannette will meet for a WPIAL championship. Clairton wiped out Shenango, 55-16, and Jeannette handled Rochester, 40-13, in Friday night’s semifinals. It will be a rivalry renewed — a rematch many anticipated, including the coaches, after Clairton defeated...
Mars captures 7th WPIAL girls soccer title
The Mars girls soccer team is golden again. The Fightin’ Planets won the seventh WPIAL title in program history and their second in as many seasons with a 1-0 victory over Plum in the Class 3A final Saturday at North Allegheny. “I think if anyone tells you it gets old,...
Bishop Canevin wins 4th straight WPIAL volleyball title hours after coach’s death
On Friday, Bishop Canevin’s volleyball and athletics community learned of the death of 14-year head coach Kevin Walters. Walters, who took over at Bishop Canevin after a rough year that saw the team go 1-18 in 2006, crafted a sensational coaching record. His teams made the playoffs every single season,...
Clutch goal from Jayden Sharpless lifts North Catholic past Avonworth in Class 2A title game
In the early portion of Saturday’s WPIAL Class 2A championship game, North Catholic standout junior Jayden Sharpless said she was a little too amped up when she fired a free kick well over the goal from 30 yards out. The second time she got a free kick chance, Sharpless made...
North Journal notebook: North Allegheny girls volleyball returns to WPIAL final
The North Allegheny girls volleyball team found itself in a familiar position Saturday — playing for a WPIAL Class 4A title. The Tigers advanced to a fourth straight championship match after defeating Moon, 3-0, in the semifinals Nov. 4. They won by scores of 25-22, 25-23, 25-15. Mia Tuman had...
Penn Hills cross country team picking up steam
The Penn Hills boys cross country team had a young core this season that finished strong, which provides coach Lee Zelkowitz with optimism for years to come. Sophomore Austin Stuchul was the Indians’ top runner this season. Stuchul finished in 140th place with a time of 19:15 at the WPIAL...
Franklin Regional football finds positives in challenging season
If Greg Botta has his choice, he’d be preparing his Franklin Regional football team for a playoff game instead of cleaning his condominium in Myrtle Beach. But Franklin Regional had its streak of 16 consecutive seasons of playing in the WPIAL playoffs stopped this season after finishing 4-3 overall and...
Hampton notebook: Strong boys soccer season ends in OT loss to No. 1 Mars
Hampton senior Corey Scherer needed some time to ease the sting of a 1-0 double-overtime playoff loss to nemesis Mars. “We all gave it our best,” he said. “We just happened to come up short.” When Mars’ Dane Beller scored in the 107th minute of their WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinal...
Hampton football takes huge step forward
Hampton senior lineman Dawson Dietz stood along a chainlink fence at Aliquippa’s Carl Aschman Stadium, wearing a muddy uniform and a smile. “It was so exciting to go from two wins for the last three years (to the playoffs),” he said. “It’s crazy to be able to be here and...
Young Penn Hills roster shows competitive fire during rebuilding year
Coach Jon LeDonne knew it was going to be a tough matchup when No. 7 Penn Hills faced No. 2 Gateway in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs Oct. 30. However, LeDonne was encouraged with how the young Indians competed against the Gators as they lost, 14-0....
Success on home field propels Plum girls soccer into WPIAL finals
As the No. 2 seed for the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, the Plum girls soccer team enjoyed the comforts of home as it made its run to a second consecutive championship game appearance. Plum outscored its three playoff opponents — No. 15 Gateway, No. 7 Thomas Jefferson and No. 6...
Season of statements for Plum football
Preston Sunday said Plum football’s WPIAL Class 4A first-round victory over former conference rival McKeesport was big in the ongoing process of what has turned out to be one of the most successful seasons in program history. But the Mustangs senior running back and linebacker didn’t characterize the victory as...
Norwin AD trying to maintain normalcy during covid crisis
Norwin has encountered covid-19 like a lot of other school districts in Westmoreland County. In fact, it was one of the first to announce cases among its student body. But unlike the others, the majority of the school’s athletic programs have marched forward, almost without pause, through the WPIAL fall...
Norwin notebook: Knights seniors make college choices
A pair of Norwin seniors made a commitment to Division II schools on the same day. Jayden Walker and Danielle Rosso will play baseball and basketball, respectively, at the next level, they announced. Walker, a 6-foot-3 left-handed pitcher and first baseman, gave a verbal pledge to Mercyhurst of the Pennsylvania...
Peters Township avenges loss to Gateway, returns to WPIAL Class 5A title game
That bad taste Peters Township had had since a one-point loss to Gateway in a WPIAL championship football game a year ago finally is gone. For real, it isn’t there anymore. There’s nothing sweeter for the Indians, now that they’re headed to their second Class 5A championship game following a...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 6, 2020
High schools Football WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Championship Friday’s results Central Catholic 38, North Allegheny 24 Class 5A Semifinals Friday’s results Pine-Richland 49, Penn-Trafford 14 Peters Township 20, Gateway 19 Championship Nov. 14 schedule Pine-Richland (8-0) vs. Peters Township (8-0) at North Allegheny, 7 p.m. Class 4A Semifinals Friday’s results...
Fireworks aplenty as Sto-Rox gets past Serra Catholic and into Class 2A finals
The WPIAL Class 2A semifinal game between Sto-Rox and Serra Catholic had all the makings of a shootout as two prolific offenses with play-making athletes took the field Friday night. It definitely did not disappoint, and after the dust settled, it was the Vikings who cashed in on more opportunities...
Elizabeth Forward blanks North Catholic to reach 1st WPIAL title game
To come away with a win over North Catholic on Friday, Elizabeth Forward coach Mike Collodi knew his defensive unit had to play fast and physical, win the turnover battle and compete for a full 48 minutes. Knowing those tasks are easier said than done against the unbeaten Trojans, the...
Trib HSSN’s Week 9 top performers for passing, rushing, receiving
Top performers for Week 9 high school football in Western Pennsylvania. Passing 324 - Cole Spencer, Pine-Richland (18 of 23) 289 - Logan Pfeuffer, Peters Township (17 of 37) 239 - Jake Fello, Apollo-Ridge (17 of 32) 196 - Greg Phillips, North Allegheny (12 of 26) 192 - Austin Jones,...
Aliquippa beats Belle Vernon to earn 13th straight WPIAL finals appearance
A Friday night classic between two of the top teams in Class 4A sent top-seeded Aliquippa to its 13th straight WPIAL championship game with a 33-25 victory over No. 4 Belle Vernon. This game had everything – touchdowns, interceptions, fumbles, a kick returned for a touchdown and more – in...
Central Catholic tops North Allegheny, repeats as WPIAL Class 6A championVideo
Eddy Tillman scored three rushing touchdowns and Central Catholic’s defense was dominant in the second half Friday night, a familiar combination for the Vikings in recent years. Also familiar? Winning titles. Defending champion Central Catholic avenged a loss from earlier this season and defeated top-seeded North Allegheny, 38-24, in the...
