High School category, Page 139
Westmoreland H.S. athletes of the week: Mt. Pleasant’s Olivia Kovach and Jeannette’s Markus McGowan
The Westmoreland County Athletes of the Week is presented by Smail Kia. Look for the tags and look for the savings at Smail Kia in Greensburg. Olivia Kovach School: Mt. Pleasant Class: Junior Sport: Gymnastics Claim to fame: Kovach narrowly won the all-around title at the WPIAL gymnastics championships, outscoring...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 15, 2025
High schools Basketball WPIAL playoffs Boys Class 6A First round Monday’s schedule Woodland Hills (11-11) at Seneca Valley (11-11), 7 p.m.; North Hills (7-15) at Butler (15-6), 7 p.m.; Norwin (10-11) at Mt. Lebanon (15-7), 7 p.m. Quarterfinals Wednesday’s schedule Woodland Hills/Seneca Valley winner at Upper. St. Clair (20-2), TBA;...
High school roundup for Feb. 15, 2025: Derry crowns WPIAL-best 5 champs at section tournament
Derry and Burrell led the way at the WPIAL Class 2A Eastern Sectional tournament Saturday at Greensburg Salem. The Trojans had five champions and 10 WPIAL qualifiers. Giovanni Beatrice (127), Anthony Mucci (133), Mason Horwat (152), Ewan Olson (160) and Brady Brown (189) took titles. The Bucs had four champions...
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Feb. 17, 2025
WPIAL basketball playoffs Monday’s games Girls Class 4A First round 10-Belle Vernon (11-11) at 7-Central Valley (14-7) 7 p.m. Monday Winner plays: Winner of 15-Hampton (10-11)/2-Oakland Catholic (19-3) on Thursday (time, date TBD) in quarterfinals Players to watch: Saylor Lee, Belle Vernon; Nyah Hayes, Central Valley Layup lines: Belle Vernon...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Big 5/6 dotted with county players
The Big 5/6 Conference, which recognizes accomplishments of the two largest classifications in the WPIAL, announced its all-section basketball teams. The undefeated Penn-Trafford girls were rewarded with John Giannikas earning coach-of-the-year honors in Section 2-5A and junior Torrie DeStefano earning the section’s player of the year. DeStefano joined seniors Kamryn...
A-K Valley WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Feb. 17, 2025
WPIAL basketball playoffs Monday’s games Boys Class 2A First round 21-Springdale (14-8) at Northgate (13-8) 7 p.m. Monday Winner plays: Winner of 4-Neshannock (19-2)/13-Winchester Thurston (16-7) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, date TBD) Players to watch: Pat Wylly, Springdale; Kadeen Kemp, Northgate Layup lines: Springdale advanced into the first round...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Plum’s Addison Then, Springdale’s Patrick Wylly
Addison Then School: Plum Class: Junior Sport: Bowling Claim to fame: Then bowled a team-high 618 series to help Plum (10-0) repeat as WPIBL champion by defeating Hempfield in the team championships Thursday. Then was also named to the all-tournament team. She led the East division in pin average (196),...
Elizabeth Forward holds off pesky Highlands to end playoff drought
Elizabeth Forward coach Nolan Larry couldn’t have asked for a better birthday or Valentine’s Day gift from his team Friday. The No. 8-seeded Warriors picked up their first WPIAL playoff win since 2014 and gave Larry his first playoff victory as a head coach with a 61-56 triumph over No....
Hampton boys rebound from slow start to earn 21st straight playoff berth
The Hampton boys basketball team is sticking to its New Year’s resolution. After opening the season with a 3-6 mark, the calendar turned to 2025 and the Talbots started winning, putting together an impressive run that vaulted them into the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. “I always kept a realistic grasp...
Ferraro brothers, Pine-Richland teammates out to make waves in wrestling postseason
After going 39-7, winning the section tournament and placing second at the WPIAL tournament last year, Dominic Ferraro had only one goal in mind for his senior year. He wanted to finish his high school wrestling career with an undefeated season. “I’ve been thinking about that since last season,” Ferraro...
Pieces in place for Shady Side Academy girls as postseason run begins
The Shady Side Academy girls basketball team is in a strong position to defend its WPIAL Class 3A crown. The Bulldogs turned in an impressive regular season, compiling a 22-0 record with an average margin of victory of 31.6 points per game. While Shady Side Academy players settled comfortably into...
Fox Chapel Herald notebook: Fox Chapel boys earn 4th seed
The Fox Chapel boys basketball team was deemed one of the top four teams in the Class 6A field ahead of the WPIAL playoffs. The WPIAL steering committee rewarded the Foxes for a 16-6 finish in the regular season by giving them the No. 4 seed and a home game...
Confidence soaring as Fox Chapel hockey blazes into February
For Fox Chapel hockey coach Ryan Loebig, January is an important month in the season. In his experience, how a team plays in that month is a harbinger of how successful they will be in the playoffs. Going into the final game of the month on Jan. 30 at Latrobe,...
Confidence grows for Fox Chapel girls wrestlers in program’s 2nd season
The Fox Chapel girls wrestling team has spent less time focusing on learning the basics. In the Foxes’ second full season as a varsity wrestling program, Fox Chapel felt much more prepared for the second WPIAL wrestling championships. “Last year, I felt like I was wide-eyed walking into the tournament,”...
‘It’s nice for us to be No. 1’: 50 years later, coach, players recall Richland baseball’s 1st section title
Whenever Rick Frederick visits the Pine-Richland gym nowadays, he admires the baseball banner hanging on the wall, the one that lists 18 section titles. The first was in 1975. He knows with certainty that the Rams couldn’t have won a section title any earlier. That’s because the high school didn’t...
Plum bowlers shine at WPIBL team championships, turn attention to individual finals
Once the Plum boys bowling team hit its stride, nothing was getting in its way. After losing their first game of the semifinals, the Mustangs reeled off wins in the next four games of the bracket playoffs to claim the WPIBL boys team championship Feb. 12, at AMF Mt. Lebanon....
Narrow late-season losses prevent Plum boys from reaching postseason
With experience returning to the lineup and new faces giving his team a shot of adrenaline, first-year Plum boys basketball coach Dave Pucka said the pieces were in place for a run to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. He said he saw his team compete hard and battle in many...
North Hills notebook: Midseason surge delivers playoff berth to boys basketball team
The North Hills boys basketball team’s midseason surge proved to be enough to clinch a spot in the WPIAL Class 6A postseason. The Indians, who finished the regular season 7-15 overall and 6-8 in Section 1-6A, found out Feb. 10 who they would face in the opening round of the...
North Hills swimming duo making splash in and out of pool
In the water, North Hills swimmers Conor Greer and Alex Alder have accomplished a lot for themselves this year. But it’s what the duo has done outside of the pool that will have a bigger impact. Both seniors, Greer and Alder have each qualified for multiple events in the WPIAL...
North Allegheny inline hockey team coming together after season of ups, downs
North Allegheny inline hockey coach Dominic Manz figured this season would be a rebuilding year for his perennial power Tigers. He just had to roll with the changes. “It was a big challenge,” said Manz, who lost most of his roster from last season’s 17-4 league runner-up. “The kids that...
North Allegheny boys stick together during trying season
Seniors Carter Melzer and Carson Burns walked out of North Allegheny’s gymnasium for the final time Feb. 8. Although the last game of their careers ended in a loss — and there were more of those than they wanted this season — both players were proud of their team’s perseverance...
Franklin Regional wrestlers come up short at PIAA team tournament, turn attention to individual success
Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe and his wrestlers left Altoona unsatisfied after competing in the PIAA Class 3A team tournament Feb. 8. The Panthers went 1-2, dropping close matches to Nazareth, 32-29, and Connellsville, 28-22. They defeated Central Mountain, 39-11, to finish the team season 19-2. And while they were...
Hampton girls weather season’s ups, downs to make another playoff appearance
There weren’t many expectations levied upon the Hampton girls basketball team coming into the 2024-25 season. After making it to the playoffs as a No. 15 seed last season and playing No. 2 seed McKeesport tight in a 49-46 loss, the Talbots came into this season having lost all-time leading...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 14, 2025
High schools Basketball WPIAL playoffs Boys Class 6A First round Monday’s schedule Woodland Hills (11-11) at Seneca Valley (11-11), 7 p.m.; North Hills (7-15) at Butler (15-6), 7 p.m.; Norwin (10-11) at Mt. Lebanon (15-7), 7 p.m. Quarterfinals Wednesday’s schedule Woodland Hills/Seneca Valley winner at Upper. St. Clair (20-2), TBA;...
12 WPIAL all-stars chosen for 2025 Big 33 Football Classic
Five offensive or defensive linemen were among a dozen WPIAL players chosen Friday to represent Pennsylvania in the Big 33 Football Classic this spring. The 68th playing of the annual all-star game is May 25 at Cumberland Valley. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. The Pennsylvania roster includes South Park’s Parker Cunningham,...
