Ray Fisher stories, Page 37

WPIAL Hall of Fame basketball coach Joe Lafko’s 25th season at Hampton has been like no others. After dealing with the consequences of the covid-19 pandemic, the Talbots, playoff qualifiers for 16 consecutive years, ended January with just one win. But because of the unique circumstances surrounding this season, the...

It’s official. The WPIAL swim finals will take place March 6-7. Hampton’s boys swim team has the dates circled on its calendar. “Everything is gearing up for us to have a great showing at WPIALs,” coach Morgan Zweygardt said. “Now that the date has been confirmed, the boys are even...

The Brentwood boys basketball team flourished in January, posting a 7-1 record, including a perfect 5-0 run in Section 4-3A. The Spartans ended the month on a five-game winning streak, including a key 55-54 section win Jan. 29 at home against Washington, ranked fourth in Class 3A. “This team plays...

Baldwin swim coach Kim Klinger basks in optimism, in and out of the pool. “I am constantly proud of how the athletes are performing this season,” Klinger said. “The season started with conditioning outside with no pool usage. The swimmers loved the cardio conditioning and strength training. We had a...

Mallory Daly has had a major effect on the Brentwood girls basketball team. You could say she has helped the team improve on a daily basis — at practice and in the Spartans’ games And she’s only a freshman. The 5-foot-7 Daly, a backcourt sensation as a sharpshooting point guard,...

The Baldwin competitive cheerleaders have entered the land of the unknown. Baldwin qualified for the Universal Cheerleaders Association nationals again this year, but this time virtually. It marks the eighth consecutive year the Highlanders have made the national event under the guidance of coaches Taryn Madden and Dena Mihalsky. This...

Months of painstaking preparation and grueling practice proved beneficial for Thomas Jefferson junior Brian Finnerty. The 172-pound grappler took first place in his weight division Jan. 9 at the season-opening North Allegheny Invitational. “Brian had a great start, winning the tournament and really opening up his offense,” TJ coach Michael...

The rivalry continues. No two girls basketball teams in the WPIAL have met as many times over the past two seasons as Chartiers Valley and Thomas Jefferson. The Colts have won seven in a row against the TJ girls, including a 64-48 victory in 2019 at the WPIAL Class 5A...

The Thomas Jefferson gymnastics program has climbed quickly to elite status. Last year, TJ won its fourth section title in a row, second consecutive WPIAL championship and finished as the state runner-up in the gold division. “We hope to defend the WPIAL title,” coach Jodi Cummings said, “and we hope...

The tag “defending state champion” provides awe-inspiring incentive for the Baldwin gymnasts in 2020-21. This season, the Highlanders are looking to retain their Pennsylvania Classic team title in the silver division. “We hope to be able to qualify for WPIALs and defend our state title,” coach Jodi Cummings said. “Each...

Thomas Jefferson’s hockey team is on the rise. After competing in the PIHL Class A division for several years, the Jaguars moved up to Class AA this season. At the end of December, TJ owned a 2-1-1 record in the Varsity AA Southwest Division. “The league uses a fair-play formula...

The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound effect on the Baldwin hockey team. After winning its first 15 games last year, Baldwin advanced to the PIHL Penguins Cup Class AA finals with a 19-1 record and was set to play 18-1 Latrobe in the championship game. The PIHL season was...

Here’s a look at the high school girls basketball teams for the South Hills Record coverage area: Thomas Jefferson The Thomas Jefferson girls won’t soon forget the wild ride that was the 2019-20 season. The Jaguars started out 7-1, won three and lost three midseason games, and wrapped it up...

Here’s a look at boys basketball teams in the South Hills Record coverage area: Brentwood Graduation losses hit the Brentwood boys basketball program hard. The Spartans were stacked with seven seniors in 2019-20, led by four-year starter C.J. Ziegler, a flashy 5-foot-11 guard and 1,000-point career scorer who is a...

Location, location, location. Veteran coach Jeff Ackermann has returned to his South Hills roots. A Brentwood native who has won five WPIAL titles and one PIAA championship at various schools, Ackermann was hired in May to oversee the boys basketball program at Baldwin. “We have a fairly young team with...

Two PIAA championships, three WPIAL titles, three conference crowns. In a nutshell, that describes the four-year varsity careers of the seniors in the Thomas Jefferson football program. The Jaguars topped previously undefeated and District 4 winner Jersey Shore, 21-14, in the PIAA Class 4A finals Nov. 28 at Hersheypark Stadium....

An anatomy of a state champion, or it takes a village to build a successful football program. Thomas Jefferson (10-1) won its 10th WPIAL title in school history and fifth state crown in 2020. The Jaguars held off previously undefeated and District 4 winner Jersey Shore (10-1), 21-14, Nov. 28...

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...

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...

The more things change, the more they remain the same. Thomas Jefferson won its ninth WPIAL football title under coach Bill Cherpak, and 10th all-time, when the Jaguars edged Aliquippa, 35-28, in overtime Nov. 14 at North Allegheny. Cherpak captured his first WPIAL crown in 2004 at age 36. Longtime...

Two undeniable stalwarts on the Baldwin football team this season were senior standouts Connor Lavelle and C.J. Robbins. Both were four-year starters and team leaders for the Fighting Highlanders, who ended up 2-3. Lavelle, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver/defensive back, ranked among the WPIAL’s leading receivers. A Lehigh recruit, he...

Records can sometimes be deceiving. Brentwood’s girls volleyball team finished 3-10 this season. Two of the wins came in Section 2-2A. “Our record did not reflect our talent this year, especially moving from A to 2A,” coach Kayla Hubsch said. “(Class) 2A volleyball is much more competitive, which we actually...

It was a season unlike any others in the Baldwin girls volleyball program. First, there was the coronavirus pandemic to deal with. Then, after the Highlanders incorporated proper precautions to the virus, they were not able to find their mojo on the court. Baldwin finished 3-9 in Section 2-4A and...

Aiden Wardzinski will be missed in the Brentwood football program. A four-year starter, Wardzinski accounted for more than 3,000 offensive yards since his sophomore season. The dynamic 5-foot-10, 190-pound senior running back/linebacker ran for 795 yards and 13 touchdowns this season and also had 11 receptions for 138 yards. He...

Nightmarish is defined as “frightening or unpleasant.” Exasperating is another word that comes to mind. For the Thomas Jefferson football team, the start and finish of its 2020 regular season aptly fit the definition, albeit for very different reasons. Its season opener was postponed because of covid-19 issues. At the...