High School category, Page 145
WPIAL clinched: Boys basketball playoff qualifiers through Feb. 4, 2025
The stretch run of the boys basketball season is down to the final few days as the district postseason field now sits at 79 teams. A change in the playoff format this season has sections with eight or more teams sending the top five teams to the playoffs while sections...
High school roundup for Feb. 4, 2025: Aliquippa, Sewickley Academy boys clinch section titles
Josh Pratt scored 25 points to lead Aliquippa to a 65-48 boys basketball victory over Mohawk on Tuesday, clinching the Section 1-3A title. Marcus Council followed with 17 points and Antonio Reddie added 11 for the Quips (16-3, 11-0). Bobby Fadden scored 28 points and Drew Wrona had nine for...
Resilient Highlands clinches playoff spot with win over Freeport
Highlands’ boys basketball players have taken all of the adversity they have faced this season and have turned it into a berth in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs. Three Golden Rams scored in double figures in a Section 1-4A contest Tuesday against rival Freeport at Freeport Middle School. Led by...
North Catholic takes control of section race with frantic, 1-point win over Knoch
The WPIAL’s tightest section race remains so thanks to a game that couldn’t get much closer. North Catholic’s Owen Maddalon blocked a shot with six-tenths on the clock Tuesday night, the last act in the frantic final seconds as the Trojans defeated visiting Knoch, 54-53, in a battle for first...
Greensburg Central Catholic boys make it a regular-season sweep of Jeannette
Jeannette boys basketball coach Adrian Batts said his Jayhawks could play Greensburg Central Catholic 10 times, and each team would win five. It remains to be seen if the county rivals will play again in the postseason — the WPIAL draw and Class 2A bracket will determine that possibility —...
Franklin Regional rolls over rival Norwin in PIAA 1st round
The Franklin Regional wrestling team did not suffer a letdown Tuesday after celebrating its third WPIAL Class 3A title Saturday. The Panthers (18-0) defeated Section 9 rival Norwin, 38-13, in the first round of the PIAA wrestling championship. They advance to Altoona on Friday to face District 11 runner-up Nazareth...
Catullo’s energy leads Burrell wrestling to victory in PIAA Class 2A tournament
Ben Catullo didn’t look like someone who had wrestled for 61⁄2 minutes when he leaped to his feet and flexed toward the Burrell wrestling team’s bench. After Catullo’s overtime win at 160 pounds, his teammates were happy to celebrate with him Tuesday night at Burrell High School. Buccaneers heavyweight Ayden...
State champ Landon Sidun of Norwin out for the season
Norwin sophomore Landon Sidun won’t get a chance to defend his PIAA Class 3A wrestling title. Sidun sustained a broken right hand during the WPIAL consolation match Saturday against Thomas Jefferson at Peters Township. He was wrestling against Jacob LaBryer. “I banged it up,” Sidun said Tuesday before his Knights...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 4, 2025
High schools Basketball Boys Monday’s results Class 5A Section 3 Thomas Jefferson 73, Ringgold 59 Section 4 Chartiers Valley 85, Blackhawk 61 Class 3A Section 1 Beaver Falls 67, Freedom 33 Class 2A Section 1 Springdale 80, California 54 Class A Section 1 Summit Academy 64, Beaver County Christian 30...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Feb. 4, 2025: Handful of section titles up for grabs in boys basketball
The final week of the regular season in WPIAL boys basketball continues with plenty of high-stakes contests for both section titles and district playoff spots. There are five district boys hoops games with first place and a possible section crown at stake, but only one of them is between two...
Trib HSSN boys basketball team of the week for Feb. 3, 2025Video
Trib HSSN boys basketball teams of the week – Jeannette Jayhawks Coach: Adrian Batts (16th season at Jeannette) Record: 10-1 in Section 1-2A, 17-1 overall #Earned: The Jayhawks have a big showdown for the section title Tuesday at rival Greensburg Central Catholic, but this past week, they proved their focus...
Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week for Feb. 3, 2025Video
Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week – Connor Crossey School: Franklin Regional Class: Senior Height: 6-foot-1 Position: Guard #Earned: A year ago, Franklin Regional was the toast of Westmoreland County, reaching both the WPIAL and PIAA boys basketball championship games. However, with the core of the team having...
WPIAL clinched: Girls basketball playoff qualifiers through Feb. 3, 2025
The stretch run of the girls basketball season has less than a week left as the district postseason field continues to take shape. A change in the playoff format this season has sections with eight or more teams sending the top five teams to the playoffs while sections with seven...
High school roundup for Feb. 3, 2025: Peters Township clinches sole possession of section title
Natalie Wetzel scored 23 points to lead Peters Township to a 58-49 victory over Thomas Jefferson, clinching sole possession of the Section 4-5A girls basketball title Monday night. Taylor McCullough added 11 and Bri Morreale finished with 10 for Peters (17-2, 10-0). Maggie Spell scored 15 while Riley McCabe and...
South Fayette jumps on Chartiers Valley early to stand alone atop section
For the final three quarters of Monday night’s showdown for the Section 3-5A girls basketball crown, Chartiers Valley was able to compete at home. Unfortunately for the Colts, their nightmarish first quarter could not be deleted, which was good news for South Fayette. The Lions clinched the outright section title...
Unbeaten Shady Side Academy girls complete season sweep of Greensburg Central Catholic
Unlike the first Section 2-3A matchup, Shady Side Academy didn’t have such an easy time getting to the basket in its rematch with Greensburg Central Catholic. High-percentage shots were fewer and far between. Passes were harder to come by into the post, and the Bulldogs had to look for alternative...
Freeport uses pressure defense to defeat Highlands, earn spot in playoffs
Applying consistent pressure and constantly sprinting left Nia DiSanti, a 5-foot-7 guard for the Freeport girls basketball team, a little tired Monday night. But after losing seven of eight games to start the season, the Yellowjackets became accustomed to having to turn up the energy to dig out of their...
Seneca Valley hires former NFL lineman as football coach
Former NFL offensive lineman Don Barclay, who was an all-conference athlete at Seneca Valley, is returning to his high school alma mater as football coach. The school announced his hire Monday. A 2007 graduate of Seneca Valley, Barclay was a three-year starter for West Virginia’s football team and played five...
Nos. 1-2, Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette, prepare for boys basketball rematch
The top two boys basketball teams in WPIAL Class 2A have circled back for a rematch. No. 2 Jeannette (17-1, 10-1) will visit No. 1 Greensburg Central Catholic (18-2, 12-0) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a matchup of Section 1-2A heavyweights, the latest chapter in one of Westmoreland County’s hottest...
Franklin Regional faces big challenge from rival Norwin as PIAA wrestling tournament opens
It is a quick turnaround for the seven WPIAL wrestling teams looking to advance to Altoona for the PIAA team championships this weekend. The PIAA tournament begins Tuesday and every team — Franklin Regional (17-0), Connellsville (11-2) and Norwin (15-2) in Class 3A and Burrell, Derry Area, McGuffey and Quaker...
Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Greensburg Salem’s Blessing Gantt
At the end of last season, the Greensburg Salem girls basketball graduated four key players, all of whom are playing college basketball. That left the Golden Lions with big shoes to fill and just two seniors, Blessing Gantt and Regan Kerr, left to lead a young roster. Despite the turnover,...
Latrobe swimmers speeding toward championship meets
When Latrobe swimming coach Grey Arrigonie was asked about the times for his swimmers last year, he offered up the following response: “There’s always room for improvement in swimming. It’s one of those sports where you can continue to get faster and faster.” This year, his swimmers just might hit...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Fox Chapel’s Bella Urso
When Fox Chapel senior guard Bella Urso first stepped on the high school basketball court, coach Marty Matvey wondered if Urso had a pulse. “She was quiet as a freshman,” Matvey said. “She’s sort of a reserved kid to begin with but had — and still has — one of...
Deer Lakes’ Ryan Grunden reaches 100 points for career, turns attention to playoff push
Before his game on the evening of Jan. 13 against Sewickley Academy, Deer Lakes hockey senior forward Ryan Grunden went through his normal pregame routine. He brought up YouTube videos of USA and college hockey players and watched how they skate, handle the puck and create shot opportunities. Then he...
WPIAL boys basketball playoff clinchings through Feb. 2, 2025
The stretch run of the 2025 WPIAL boys basketball season is down to the final week as the district postseason field continues to grow. A change in the playoff format this season has sections with eight or more teams sending the top five teams to the playoffs while section with...
