High School category, Page 151
Big stage awaits North Allegheny junior gymnast
A gymnastics trip to Las Vegas prevented North Allegheny junior Sarah Patterson from competing at last season’s WPIAL individual championships. This season she left nothing to chance. Patterson, a Level 9 gymnast and one of the program’s top all-around performers, will take part in the WPIAL individuals this season after...
Penn-Trafford hockey team working toward strong finish to season
It was a good time for the Penn-Trafford hockey team to take a break. With four games left in the regular season, the Warriors and Latrobe sit on top of Class 2A with 39 points. Latrobe has played one less game. Fox Chapel is third with 34 points and Erie...
Penn Hills wrestling team knows next step in program’s rebuilding efforts
Penn Hills wrestling coach Jeremy Packer has gradually worked on building the depth of the program over the last few seasons. The Indians returned to team competition this season after opting out of the WPIAL schedule the past few seasons. Penn Hills saw its next marker for improvement with how...
Penn Hills soccer carries on tradition of winter indoor tournament
Kevin Truman wanted to maintain the traditions of the Penn Hills boys soccer program, much like his predecessor Ryan Hankey did. For the past 31 years, the Indians have hosted an indoor soccer tournament in the winter to raise money for the program. This year, Penn Hills had a minor...
North Allegheny’s dominant 2012 championship team goes down in WPIAL history
During North Allegheny’s undefeated run to the 2012 PIAA Class 4A football championship, the players often visited a local pizzeria the day after games. “We’d go to eat at Cenci’s,” all-state quarterback Mack Leftwich said. “We’d be 40 deep in there on Saturday mornings after we watched film.” Now those...
Franklin Regional wrestling team crosses off one of its goals with section title
One of the Franklin Regional wrestling team’s goals was met Jan. 22 when the Panthers defeated Norwin to claim the Section 9-3A title. Now it is on to the WPIAL team tournament for the No. 2-ranked Panthers. They were scheduled to play host to first-round and quarterfinal matches on Jan....
Herald notebook: Fox Chapel girls wrestling tops Kiski Area
The Fox Chapel girls wrestling team earned a 33-29 victory over Kiski Area on Jan. 22. Elaine Huang scored a pin in 3:59 at 155 pounds, and Lily McLaughlin (130) earned a 5-0 decision. Atia DiGioia (106), Emma Srodes (112), Kayla Nguyen (118) and Vie Filar (235) earned forfeit wins....
Fox Chapel wrestling’s trademark balance on display at Allegheny County meet
Fox Chapel wrestling coach Michael Frank was proud of how balanced the Foxes’ lineup proved to be at the Allegheny County Championships. The Foxes finished third in the team standings despite not having a wrestler reach the finals. “It shows how well they wrestled as a group,” Frank said. “They...
Fox Chapel girls roster lacks height but isn’t short on talent
Fox Chapel girls basketball coach Marty Matvey went to great lengths to make sure he didn’t miss out on any potential post players for his roster. For one year, Matvey coached seventh grade girls volleyball in the district. The Foxes coach came away with two conclusions: First, he accumulated a...
Elite 18 club volleyball team dominates field in season-opening tournament
The Pittsburgh Elite 18 girls volleyball team started off its club season impressively. Coached by Maggie Smith and Alyson Londot, Elite 18 won the Pittsburgh Ice Breaker Tournament in its division Jan. 11 at the All American Fieldhouse in Monroeville. Not only did they go undefeated in the tournament, they...
Pierce Reinhart claims 121-pound title, helps Bethel Park to runner-up finish at Allegheny County tournament
It’s been a banner season for the Bethel Park wrestling team in 2024-25. And the Black Hawks’ success continued at the Allegheny County tournament held Jan. 17-18 at Fox Chapel. Bethel Park placed second to Thomas Jefferson, which won the tournament with a record-breaking performance. The Black Hawks racked up...
Back from injury, Plum’s Saphia Davis shines at Mid-Winter Mayhem tournament
Saphia Davis wrestled just two matches in December before being forced off the mat because of injury. She made quick work of Burrell’s Cierra Molnar with a 48-second pin in Plum’s season opener and pinned Norwin’s Avalin Barry in 5:55 of their 130-pound bout during a dual match Dec. 18....
Plum trio reaches medals podium at Allegheny County tournament
Each year at the Allegheny County wrestling tournament, one can find Plum wrestlers contending for championships and podium finishes. This year was no exception, as multiple Mustangs were in contention on the second day of the two-day tournament Jan. 17 and 18 at Fox Chapel High School. When all of...
Norwin girls pop right back up after rare losing streak
A losing streak can teach a team a lot about itself, especially a team that isn’t used to losing. Take Norwin, the defending WPIAL 6A champion. The Knights recently dropped three straight — to North Catholic, Shaler and No. 1 Upper St. Clair. They had not endured such a streak...
Zach Pollaro’s buzzer-beater in overtime lifts North Hills over No. 2 Seneca Valley
Zach Pollaro practices bank shots from spots all around North Hills’ gym, so bouncing in a 3-pointer off the glass might feel almost routine at times. But this one surely didn’t. Trailing by two points with 2.9 seconds left, Pollaro banked in a buzzer-beating 3 from the left wing as...
High school roundup for Jan. 24, 2025: Avonworth’s Rowan Carmichael hits 2,000 points on night of milestones
Rowan Carmichael became the 38th WPIAL boys basketball to reach 2,000 points for his career, scoring 36 to lead Avonworth to an 85-71 victory over Hopewell (6-10, 1-5) in Section 2-4A on Friday night. Noah Goetz added 25 points for the Antelopes (13-2, 6-0). South Allegheny 73, Shady Side Academy...
Zion Moore leads Belle Vernon past Derry, running winning streak to 7
Late in the first half, Zion Moore saw two toddlers wander onto the court and waddle his way. The Belle Vernon senior guard delicately picked one of them up and passed him over the scorer’s table and then directed the other back to the bleachers. Moore knew them, so he...
Deer Lakes dials up long-distance offense in win over rival Burrell
As if Deer Lakes needed another 3-point shot Friday night in its 71-49 Section 1-4A boys basketball victory at Burrell. The Lancers sank a season-high 11 from long range. Sophomore guard Evan Moore made six of them, including four of the team’s total of eight before halftime. But he’d have...
Kiski Area boys hold off Hampton in revenge game, remain tied for 1st in section
The Kiski Area boys basketball team had payback on its mind Friday night from a six-point loss to Section 2-5A rival Hampton on Dec. 20. Mission accomplished. The Cavaliers, ahead by six at halftime and nine at the end of three quarters, weathered a couple of Hampton second-half rally attempts...
Quick start helps Gateway boys hold off Franklin Regional in section tilt
How big is finishing a quarter strong in high school basketball? On Friday night at Franklin Regional, it was huge for visiting Gateway. The Gators (9-7, 7-3) got a driving layup from junior Jacob Settles to finish the first quarter, a driving layup from junior Mykel Bruce-McCrommon to finish the...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 25, 2025: Busy weekend of basketball showcases ahead
The count is 30 WPIAL boys basketball teams that will be participating in events sponsored by the Pittsburgh Basketball Club this weekend. On Saturday, the PBC will host its annual Hall of Fame Classic with five games at North Hills and four at Ambridge. Here is the schedule for each...
PIAA board expands girls volleyball to 6 classes, votes on competitive-balance rule changes
The PIAA will expand girls volleyball to six classifications starting in 2026. The sport currently has only four classes, but the PIAA board on Wednesday finalized plans to add two more. PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said the move was needed because girls volleyball now has nearly the same number...
Aliquippa players, coach suspended for in-game altercation ahead of section game vs. Freedom
“A travesty of justice” was how Aliquippa boys basketball coach Nick Lackovich described the situation his short-handed team will face Friday night. As a result of last weekend’s on-court altercation with Imani Christian, Aliquippa must play a section game with only five players and without Lackovich, who was suspended one...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Jan. 24, 2025: Belle Vernon, Derry rematch in key section clash
In WPIAL Section 3-4A boys basketball, three teams have pulled away from the other four schools. Belle Vernon (12-4) and Derry (10-5) are both 7-1 in section play while Elizabeth Forward (13-3) is right there as well with a 6-1 section mark. The Leopards beat the Warriors, the Warriors knocked...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Jan. 23, 2025
High schools Basketball Boys Thursday’s results Class 2A Section 2 Northgate 62, Leechburg 36 Section 3 Jefferson-Morgan 72, Beth-Center 40 Chartiers-Houston 55, Carmichaels 21 West Greene 61, Mapletown 33 Nonsection Kiski School 71, Indiana 51 Obama Academy at Sto-Rox, (n) Southwestern Christian Athletic Conference Cheswick Christian Academy 61, Western PA...
