Ray Fisher stories, Page 24

Thomas Jefferson girls volleyball coach Ron Kelly didn’t shy away from offering his expectations for this year’s team. “I am looking forward to having a great season,” he said. “We will develop daily with hard work and should be a contender by year’s end. “We have an experienced group of...

Thomas Jefferson’s boys soccer team has been near unbeatable in 2022. The Jaguars racked up wins in eight of their first nine games and stood atop Section 3-3A with a sparkling 6-0 record, two games ahead of Trinity, Connellsville and Bethel Park. TJ outscored the opposition by a 26-5 overall...

Sewickley Academy’s Ashley Close took the first step toward what’s expected to be another compelling playoff run this season. Close defeated junior Chloe DeSanzo of Beaver, 6-1, 6-0, in the Section 4-2A finals Sept. 15 at Beaver High School. Close also beat Central Valley junior Rachel Hardek in the semifinals...

There was little if any doubt she’d be chosen. Quaker Vally senior Ellie Graham recently was named to the United States Rowing’s Class of 2023 Scholastic Honor Roll. It’s a prestigious honor. Each year, USRowing selects 100 students throughout the country who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements and success on...

Thomas Jefferson’s boys soccer team has been near unbeatable in 2022. The Jaguars racked up wins in eight of their first nine games and stood atop Section 3-3A with a sparkling 6-0 record, two games ahead of Trinity, Connellsville and Bethel Park. TJ outscored the opposition by a 26-5 overall...

Brooke Muraco is in her fifth season coaching the Bethel Park girls volleyball team. “It has always been a goal of mine since I was in high school to become an elementary teacher and a high school head volleyball coach,” Muraco said. “Two things I can proudly say I have...

The Bethel Park girls soccer team has climbed into WPIAL elite territory this season. The Black Hawks were ranked second in Class 4A in the Trib HSSN WPIAL girls soccer rankings for the week ending Sept. 18. Bethel Park started out 6-0 with five shutouts and 4-0 in Section 2...

Quaker Valley’s boys cross country team celebrated in style at the 20th annual Red, White & Blue Classic on Sept. 9 at White Oak Park. The Quakers zeroed in on third place with 132 team points, slightly behind first-place Hampton (121) and runner-up Blackhawk (131). Uniontown and North Catholic tied...

Sewickley Academy has traditionally been a significant force in boys soccer. The Panthers are maintaining that tradition so far in 2022. Through six games, SA was undefeated with wins over Freeport (7-0), Eden Christian (2-1), Beaver County Christian (3-1), South Side (7-0), Greensburg Central Catholic (4-2) and Our Lady of...

The respect is well-earned for the Quaker Valley boys soccer team. The Quakers were ranked No. 1 in Class 2A in the Trib HSSN WPIAL soccer rankings for the week ending Sept. 11. A year ago, Quaker Valley won PIAA, WPIAL and Section 4-2A championships and finished with a 24-2...

His competitiveness just won’t go away. Duquesne and Baldwin football alumnus Robert Healy took first place in the discus throw and shot put competition at the 2022 Donate Life Transplant Games of America, smashing records among living donors and all-time donors in both events. The 39-year-old Healy, a 2001 Baldwin...

Quaker Valley’s girls volleyball appears to be on the upswing. The Quakers opened their schedule with an impressive nonsection victories against Beaver and South Park. Sparked by junior Katelyn Clark’s strong net play, Quaker Valley blanked the Bobcats, 3-0. “I was excited to start the season off strong,” Clark said....

It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the Quaker Valley football team in the early part of the season. In fact, it’s been a bit rocky. The Quakers started off with a 24-12 nonconference loss at Freedom in Week Zero. Their second game — scheduled against Mohawk — was canceled. Mohawk...

One of the standards of the Sewickley Academy boys golf program is its “commitment to excellence.” With coach Win Palmer as the team architect, Sewickley won eight consecutive WPIAL championships from 2013-2020. “Commitment to excellence speaks to the goals of a strong work ethic to best prepare both before and...

Despite losing seven players from last year’s playoff team, Quaker Valley girls tennis coach Christi Hays believes the Quakers will be a viable contender for a section title this season. “With Sewickley Academy being moved to a different section, it really opens up our section,” Hays said. “Montour came in...

Expect the dynasty to continue this season for the Sewickley Academy girls tennis program. Since 2008, the SA netters have won eight WPIAL titles, including four in the past five years — facing Knoch in the finals all five times — and three PIAA championships, including back-to-back crowns in 2018-19....

Four seems to be the magic number for the Quaker Valley boys golf team. The Quakers, who narrowly lost to North Catholic by four strokes in last year’s WPIAL Class 2A finals, is bolstered by the return of four starters on the 2022 squad. Jackson Bould, the WPIAL 2A runner-up...

There were only four freshmen able to land a spot in last year’s WPIAL Class 3A individual golf championships. North Allegheny’s Chris Hoffman was one of the four who competed at Nemacolin Country Club. Hoffman also is one of four NA golfers back with ample varsity experience from last year....

Welcome back, Brentwood. The Spartans are returning to the Class 2A Century Conference for at least the next two seasons, reverting back to the early years of last decade. Brentwood has been a nomad of sorts over the years when it comes to football conferences. The Spartans competed in the...

The Brentwood girls volleyball team will be facing some tall orders this season. And Brentwood fans definitely will notice Brentwood’s first-year head coach Matt Episcopo at the team’s matches. Episcopo stands 6-foot-3 and is a former outside/middle hitter who competed in Junior Olympic volleyball for the Pittsburgh Golden Triangles in...

Sewickley Academy won eight consecutive WPIAL 2A titles in boys golf from 2013-2020. The Panthers, coached by Win Palmer, are looking to start a new streak and regain that lofty status after missing out on a championship last season. North Catholic posted a 405 score to earn a four-shot victory...

Bethel Park’s girls volleyball team plans to “hit the ground running” this season. With seven starters back from last year’s playoff squad, coach Brooke Muraco is bullish on the Black Hawks’ chances. “Almost all the returning players played competitively with a club in the offseason,” Muraco said, “and we did...

West Mifflin has been a fixture in WPIAL Class 4A football, but due to realignment, the Titans are competing in 3A for the next two seasons. They are looking forward to and are reinvigorated to meet the unknown challenges that lie ahead. “We have a team that grew up and...

Tim Storino appears to be in the right place at the right time. Storino was hired in March as Seton LaSalle’s coach following a tumultuous 2021 season, as the Rebels lost six of their first seven games before finishing with a 3-7 record in Class 2A. Storino was hired in...

Jason Cappa, who comes from a family of coaches and educators, was hired in April as Quaker Valley football coach. His father, Jake, was a football coaching legend at Riverview from 1986-2001, leading the Raiders to three WPIAL Class A finals in four years. Cappa has been with the QV...