Ray Fisher stories, Page 53
Gateway girls soccer finishes solid season with near-upset in playoffs
Gateway’s girls soccer team almost pulled off a stunner. The No. 15 seed in the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs, Gateawy lost to second-seeded Plum by the narrowest of margins, losing 2-1 in a shootout Oct. 21 in a first-round playoff match at Plum. Plum outscored Gateway, 6-5, in penalty kicks...
Gateway boys soccer comes up short of playoffs but makes strides
The 2019 season wasn’t what the Gateway boys soccer team expected. With 10 returning starters, the Gators hoped the balance of power in Section 4-AAA would begin to shift in their favor. But Gateway ended up with a 4-13 record and sixth-place finish. “Obviously, we wanted to go farther than...
TJ girls tennis looks to build on playoff season
It proved to be a goal-achieving season for the Thomas Jefferson girls tennis team. “We achieved our preseason goal to make the WPIAL Class AAA team playoffs,” coach Chuck Correll said. “The team really improved from last year. The girls worked hard during the offseason. “This team ranks as one...
Baldwin girls soccer takes first steps on path to winning program
The month of October wasn’t kind to the Baldwin girls soccer team. The Highlanders wrapped up September with a 3-6-1 record but didn’t win a game down the season’s home stretch, finishing 3-12-1 overall and 3-11 in Section 2-AAAA. “If you look at the wins and losses, you could be...
Baldwin boys soccer celebrates end of long playoff drought
The postseason drought is over for the Baldwin boys soccer program. It had been eight years since the Highlanders qualified for the WPIAL playoffs. They clinched a postseason berth Oct. 10 with a clutch 3-1 section win at home against rival Bethel Park. “It was an up-and down-season with a...
Mt. Lebanon field hockey speeds into playoffs after reaching elusive regular-season goal
The directional arrow for the Mt. Lebanon field hockey team pointed skyward this season. A top-four finish in Division I is the goal the team has been poised to reach for its program. The Blue Devils finally broke down that barrier thanks to a 15-2-1 regular-season record and 8-1 section...
Thomas Jefferson soccer teams keep building playoff tradition
For the past half-decade, it’s been a given both Thomas Jefferson soccer teams would clinch a spot in the WPIAL playoffs. Both achieved it again in 2019 for the sixth consecutive year. The TJ boys ended up third in Section 4-AAA, finished the regular season 9-5-4 and received the No....
Joey Moeller’s OT field goal against Bethel Park will go down in Baldwin football lore
It is a kick that long will be remembered in Baldwin football history. On Oct. 11, Joey Moeller, a junior placekicker, booted a 22-yard field goal in the second overtime to lift Baldwin to a 31-28 conference win over visiting Bethel Park. “(Moeller) did an amazing job,” coach Loran Cooley...
Plum girls soccer reaches section championship goal
What can Plum coach Jamie Stewart do for an encore? Stewart, in his first season coaching at Plum, guided the girls soccer team to a section championship and an impressive 14-1-1 regular-season record. “We set goals for the team at the beginning of the year, most having to do with...
Perennial power Upper St. Clair set for another girls soccer playoff run
There is one constant in the Upper St. Clair girls soccer program: The Panthers annually advance to the WPIAL playoffs. USC has advanced to the postseason every year that Dave Gray has been head coach. Gray began his coaching career with the Panthers in 2004. Not surprisingly, the USC girls...
Seton LaSalle girls soccer moves into playoff mode after dominating section play
Seton LaSalle’s girls soccer team was nearly flawless against section opponents this season. The Rebels won their second straight section title with a perfect 12-0 record, posting nine shutouts and allowing just one goal in the other three games. The Seton girls secured a remarkable 37-3 scoring edge in section...
Thomas Jefferson volleyball in midst of another successful season
Thomas Jefferson is closing in on its eighth consecutive section championship in girls volleyball. The Jaguars host rival Elizabeth Forward on Thursday, Oct. 17 in their final regular-season match in their new home gym and with the Section 3-AAA title at stake. The TJ girls also will host their annual...
Seniors spark Brentwood girls volleyball to another playoff appearance
Four senior athletes in the Brentwood girls volleyball program will be honored Thursday prior to the Spartans final home match against section rival Bishop Canevin. Outside hitter Mandy Race, libero Jaden Schwartz, right-side hitter Sarah Livingston and OH/RS Akir Deng, will be recognized. “This senior class has been very loyal...
Baldwin volleyball looking forward to Dig Pink fundraiser, postseason run
It has become an annual event on high school girls volleyball schedules, and it’s one of the highlights of the school year at Baldwin. The Highlanders’ annual Dig Pink fundraiser, set for Thursday, Oct. 17, will benefit breast cancer awareness and research. Baldwin hosts Bethel Park at 7:30 p.m. in...
Mt. Lebanon boys soccer leading section, proving doubters wrong
Mt. Lebanon’s boys soccer team has been nearly unstoppable this season. After a 0-1-1 start, Mt. Lebanon has reeled off 12 consecutive victories to move up the ranks of Class AAAA teams. The Blue Devils (12-0-1) are ranked fourth-best in AAAA in the latest Trib HSSN weekly rankings, behind Plum,...
Section title, WPIAL playoff run in reach for Moon boys soccer
Moon is one the verge of clinching first place on the pitch in Section 2-3A. The Tigers are 13-2 overall, 9-1 in league play, slightly ahead of rival West Allegheny (10-4-1, 8-1-1), with two games remaining. Moon plays on the road against two teams closer to the bottom of the...
Baldwin ace Bethany Yauch commits to Cleveland State
Baldwin tennis whiz Bethany Yauch, a two-time WPIAL runner-up, recently signed a letter of intent with Cleveland State, a member of the NCAA Division I Horizon Conference. The senior opted for the Vikings following a trip with her parents to the campus located near Lake Erie. “When I visited Cleveland...
Q&A with 40-year South Hills Record sports reporter Ray Fisher
The 2018-19 school year marked my 40th year covering high school sports at the South Hills Record. Where did the time go? Over the years, I’ve done my fair share of Q&A interviews with local sports figures, ranging from grandparents, parents, children (student-athletes) and now grandchildren. Recently, it was suggested...
Franklin Regional volleyball joins fight against breast cancer with Dig Pink event
The Franklin Regional girls volleyball players kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Oct. 1 with a Dig Pink fundraiser on their home floor. The Panthers topped rival Kiski Area, 3-1, to remain undefeated at 9-0 in Section 1-AAA. Franklin Regional was ranked No. 5 in Class AAA in the...
South Park girls soccer sets sights on section title, return trip to WPIAL finals
South Park is the defending section and WPIAL Class AA champion in girls soccer. The Eagles’ first order of business in 2019 is to clinch a 23rd consecutive section title. Possession of first place in Section 3-AA will be on the line Wednesday when Yough visits the Eagles for a...
Peters Township a force to be reckoned with in WPIAL girls soccer
Pat Vereb has been coaching in the Peters Township girls soccer program since 2007. During that span, the Indians have been extremely successful, qualifying for the playoffs every season and advancing to seven WPIAL finals and four PIAA finals. Peters Township has won three PIAA championships and two WPIAL crowns...
Under new coach, Seton LaSalle boys soccer remains section title contenders
There is new regime in place in the Seton LaSalle boys soccer program, as Nick Balzer has taken over as head coach. Balzer, a 2007 Seton LaSalle graduate, served as a captain on the Rebels’ first state championship team during his senior season. He also enjoyed a productive four-year career...
Long drive helps Baldwin secure win against Woodland Hills
The Drive. Baldwin secured its 30-27 conference win Sept. 20 against visiting Woodland Hills thanks in large part to a crucial 18-play, 93-yard drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Mason Stahl. It was the most important drive of the season so far for the Highlanders. “I thought...
TJ athletes give new facilities rave reviews
The Thomas Jefferson football and girls volleyball teams are talent-laden. Each finished as a WPIAL runner-up last season. The eight all-conference players on the 2019 football squad consist of WR/DB Dan Deabner, OL/DL Logan Danielson, TE/LB James Martinis, OL/DL Mike Huber, OL/DL Mac Duda, QB/DB Shane Stump, RB/LB Nathan Werderber...
Brentwood football lays foundation for special season with solid first half
The Brentwood football team is on the cusp. With a 4-1 overall record at midseason, the Spartans were tied for first with defending champion Burgettstown at 3-0 in the Three Rivers Conference. “So far, so good. We’re playing decent,” coach Kevin Kissel said. “We’re coming up on the tough part...
