Antonio RossettI stories, Page 2

After an early scare, top-seeded Fort Cherry advanced to the WPIAL Class A semifinals Friday night with a 27-20 victory over No. 9 Cornell. The Rangers went down 12-0 in the first quarter after Cornell had two straight drives that ended in touchdowns from Khylil Johnson on a 56-yard run...

The Deer Lakes hockey team was one game away from contending for the Penguins Cup, losing last year in the semifinals. This season, the Lancers are determined to make it a step further. Though a large senior class graduated, the returning Lancers (2-2) have high hopes for the 2024-25 season....

Quaker Valley captured its first WPIAL girls volleyball title with a 3-0 win against Hopewell in the Class 2A final Saturday at Peters Township’s AHN Arena. Molly MacDonald spearheaded the Quakers with 17 kills and 13 digs. “I’m glad to help out,” MacDonald said. “I mean, we all did a...

Franklin Regional’s late-game heroics on a Chase Lemke pop pass on a fake quarterback keeper pushed the Panthers to a 17-16 victory over North Hills in the WPIAL Class 5A first round Friday night at Martorelli Stadium. It was Franklin Regional’s first playoff win since 2018. Franklin Regional was on...

The Burrell hockey team won 11 straight regular-season games heading into the playoffs last season. The Bucs fought their way to the final but came up one goal short against Neshannock. The Bucs have one thing on their mind this season and that is to make it back to the...

The Westinghouse Bulldogs defeated Allderdice, 40-12, scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half to win their third straight City League championship Saturday at Cupples Stadium. Lloyd Penn spearheaded the Bulldogs offense, catching four passes — all for touchdowns — for 82 yards. Khalil Green threw for 187 yards and...

West Allegheny spoiled Montour’s senior night and threw the WPIAL Class 4A playoff bracket in a blender, claiming a share of the section championships with a 13-7 win in overtime Friday night at Montour. The Indians won their last three games of the regular season en route to their first...

Peters Township put on a dominant defensive display Friday night, defeating South Fayette, 38-3, in a Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference clash. Peters Township racked up 436 of total offense and held the Lions to minus-20 rushing yards and 3 total yards in the game. Mickey Vaccarello spearheaded the Indians...

After winning nine of its first 11 matches, the St. Joseph girls volleyball team wants to ride the momentum and bring home its first section title. “It would mean everything to me, especially playing all four years, and I’m one of three generations of my family to go to the...

Peters Township’s defense blanked Moon in the second half, pushing the Indians to a 23-14 win Friday night at Tiger Stadium. Peters Township trailed 14-7 going into the second half after back-to-back big plays for Moon. Andrew Cross hit Jared Moyer on a 74-yard pass to tie it 7-7 and...

Upper St. Clair snapped Peters Township’s 17-game regular season winning streak Friday night, as Julian Dahlem ran 24 times for 191 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-7 victory at Panther Stadium. Dahlem’s signature moment came with the Panthers leading 14-7 with 5:29 left in the game. On a third-and-32...

The Our Lady of the Sacred Heart defense held Ligonier Valley to just 107 yards of offense, leading the Chargers to a 28-7 victory Friday night in Moon. Vann Kavals recorded three sacks, Owen Nestor had an interception, and Talen Ellis tallied two interceptions. “I feel like all year we’ve...

Montour used its explosive offense to defeat Knoch, 44-14, in a nonconference game Friday at Thomas J. Birko Memorial Stadium. Montour (3-0) piled up 636 yards of total offense. Trey Hopper led the charge, completing 12 of 22 passes for 428 yards in two touchdowns. Seven of those completions went...

The Sanctuary Boxing Club in New Kensington continued its impressive run, earning national recognition at the USA Boxing women’s championships Aug. 17-20 in Lafayette, La. Makya Wade, 10, and Kabrynna Wiley, 8, won gold, and Katie Kerecz, 12, secured a silver and won the mitt competition with coach Rich Cantolina....

It’s a myth that lighting never strikes the same spot twice. That proved to be true at New Castle when the Highlands Golden Rams took on the Red Hurricanes at Taggart Stadium. After an hour wait and multiple lightning strikes, Highlands vs. New Castle was canceled. New Castle coach Fred...

The Shady Side Bulldogs barked up the right tree. Cam Mallory, Darrin Haynes and Shady Side Academy bulldozed Burrell, defeating it 42-7 at Buccaneer Stadium. Shady Side’s 166 rushing yards and 276 total yardage in the first half boosted them past the Buccaneers. Running back Haynes and quarterback Mallory led...

Robert Morris finished its last football season in the Big South with a 2-4 record and a 4-7 mark overall. The Colonials will look for better results this season as they return to the NEC, a conference they helped start in 1996. The Colonials finished 6-1 in the NEC in...

Beaver held off Westinghouse, 28-26, to cap off a season-opening tripleheader Saturday at the Wolvarena in thrilling fashion. With Westinghouse down 28-26 late in the fourth quarter, quarterback Khalil Green took it to the Beaver 36-yard line on a 35-yard run. On fourth-and-4, a pass interference penalty set Westinghouse up...

Leechburg was down 14-7 on Friday at Veterans Memorial Field against Apollo-Ridge. But the Blue Devils battled until the end, tallying 12 points in the fourth quarter and earning them a 19-14 victory. The Blue Devils were led by Jayden Floyd, who completed 13 out of 18 passes with a...

Bishop Canevin’s football program continues to achieve success, going 40-9 under coach Rich Johnson. Last season, Bishop Canevin went 10-2 and was 6-1 in conference play, advancing to the WPIAL semifinals before falling to eventual champion Fort Cherry. The Crusaders, who won a WPIAL title in 2021, are now looking...

When Burgettstown seemed to be down and out last season, the Blue Devils made a push and made the playoffs, using their physicality and aggression. Burgettstown defeated OLSH, Carlynton, and Avella in a row to earn a postseason berth. “We may not be the fastest guys, we might not be...

Jefferson-Morgan skyrocketed to success last season. The Rockets started out 1-3 but won four straight games and made the WPIAL Class A playoffs. Jefferson-Morgan lost in the first round, but finished 6-5, having its first winning season and first playoff appearance since 2012. “Our team fights every day to get...

The Carlynton Cougars have a pack of seniors that are more than ready for the Friday Night Lights. The Cougars’ roster showcases 17 seniors. Senior Mark Jameson, who played at Bishop Canevin for the past three years, returned to Carlynton for his last year of high school football. He knows...

Brian Hanson enters his second season at South Allegheny, eager to see improvement. Last season, the Gladiators went 1-9 and have won two games in the past two seasons. Hanson said the team improved drastically over the offseason and returns nine seniors and seven juniors to lead the way after...

The Beaver Bobcats went 9-3 last year, adding to one of the largest win totals in Pennsylvania high school football history. They’re got 675 victories, good for 25th all-time. Beaver racked up that record last season despite playing a lineup filled with first-year starters after a mass exodus of seniors...