High School category, Page 163
WPIAL girls basketball rankings: Week ending Dec. 15, 2024
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Upper St. Clair, 3-2, 1 2. Norwin, 3-2, 2 3. Mt. Lebanon, 3-3, 4 4. Canon-McMillan, 3-3, 5 5. North Allegheny, 1-3, 3 Out: none Class 5A 1. Peters Township, 5-0, 1 2. South Fayette, 5-0, 2 3. Penn-Trafford, 7-0, 3 4. Indiana,...
WPIAL boys basketball rankings: Week ending Dec. 15, 2024
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Imani Christian, 3-0, 3 2. Upper St. Clair, 5-1, 1 3. New Castle, 5-0, 4 4. Mt. Lebanon, 3-1, 5 5. North Allegheny, 4-1, NR Out: Central Catholic (1-3, 2) Class 5A 1. Baldwin, 5-0, 2 2. Peters Township, 5-0, 3 3. Chartiers...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Plum’s Riley Stephans, Deer Lakes’ Nathaniel Moore
Riley Stephans School: Plum Class: Junior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Stephans scored a career-high 26 points to lead Plum (1-4, 0-1) to a 56-40 upset victory over Kiski Area (5-1) in nonsection play Monday night. What were your feelings after scoring a career high in points in a huge...
Westmoreland athletes of the week: Penn-Trafford’s Kamryn Pieper, Latrobe’s Hunter Snyder
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. Kamryn Pieper School: Penn-Trafford Class: Senior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Pieper has been one of several steady-going players on a deep, undefeated team....
2024 WPIAL All-Conference Football: Midwestern
2024 Midwestern All-Conference Offense Name, School, Pos., Ht., Wt., Year Chris Smiley, Ellwood City, QB, 6-0, 175, sr. Elijah Palmer-McCane, Ellwood City, RB, 6-0, 200, sr. Robbie Janis, Riverside, RB, 6-1, 215, sr. Chris Kirkland, Western Beaver, WR, 6-0, 175, sr. Michael Veon, New Brighton, WR, 6-0, 175, sr. Zack...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Greensburg Central Catholic volleyball stars named all-state
Greensburg Central Catholic junior Ashlyn Black was named to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association Class A All-State Team for the second time in her prep career. Black, a right-side hitter, powered the Centurions to their fourth WPIAL championship and third PIAA title. She wasn’t the only player from Westmoreland County...
Fox Chapel girls motivated to reach WPIAL playoffs
Coach Marty Matvey and the Fox Chapel girls basketball coaching staff were one win away from 100 as a staff. Matvey is in his fifth year coaching the Foxes, who started the season 2-2 heading into last Friday’s meeting with Penn Hills in the Section 1-5A opener. He wouldn’t want...
Fox Chapel boys rely on defense to spark strong start
The process of getting ready for the basketball season wasn’t any different for Fox Chapel boys basketball coach Zach Skrinjar this season. The Foxes were bumped up to Class 6A during this enrollment cycle, but the basic foundation for Fox Chapel’s success remains the same. “It all starts on defense,”...
Local players dot prep school hockey roster at Shady Side Academy
Killian Kissane knew hockey would be different when he chose to play at Shady Side Academy. The Bulldogs, who play a national prep schedule, would require him to be a different player than when he was at Fox Chapel. Kissane had to be more physical if he was going to...
Shady Side Academy boys look to overcome early-season injuries as section play begins
Shady Side Academy boys basketball started 2-4 last season, but rose up and finished 18-9 with an 11-2 conference record, earning the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. This season, the Bulldogs started 2-2 and want to push their way toward similar success. To get there, they will have to...
Returning group aims to lead Plum girls wrestling toward success
Plum girls wrestling coach Dave Miller could easily see the excitement level of his returning and new competitors long before the start of official preseason practices Nov. 15. “They wanted to get started with work real early this year,” said Miller, who will help guide the Mustangs through their dual...
Norwin wrestlers working toward successful season on, off mat
Proof that his wrestlers measure up does not always come in the form of pins or lofty spots on the medal stand. No, coach Kyle Martin and his staff have raised a different type of bar at Norwin as they raise young men and women. Ask him to project how...
Norwin notebook: Girls basketball team shakes off loss, picks up impressive wins
Defending WPIAL champion Norwin rebounded from a tough 51-50 season-opening loss to Penn-Trafford with two wins at the State College tournament and another over District 9 power Kennedy Catholic. After a 49-40 win over Abington Heights, Norwin pushed past State College, 48-42, as Kendall Berger scored 17 points. In their...
Roster smaller but hopes high for North Allegheny gymnasts
The North Allegheny gymnastics team hopes to prove good things come in small packages. The Tigers’ roster has dropped from 22 gymnasts last season — by far the biggest team in coach Nicole Bova’s 12 years — to just 11 this winter. The departures included a class of 11 seniors...
North Allegheny girls wrestlers plan to trust the process during rebuilding year
North Allegheny girls wrestling coach Dan Heckert has confidence in his squad despite the potential rebuilding season that is before them. “We’ve had a lot of turnover from last season,” said Heckert. “We have seven new girls, and we lost eight due to graduation and girls not returning.” Amidst all...
Franklin Regional swimming on verge of big things in Class 2A
The Franklin Regional girls swimming team is on the verge of something big. The team dropped to Class 2A, and with the majority of the squad made up of juniors and sophomores, second-year coach Dan Taylor is excited about the future. “The girls are in a good spot for the...
Franklin Regional notebook: After early wins, Panthers hit bump in road
After winning its first two games of the season at the Mike Rettger Tournament, the Franklin Regional boys basketball team dropped two straight at the 20th Hempfield tipoff tournament. Coach Jesse Reed was looking for better starts from his team, which has fallen behind early in games and had to...
Championship coach Gene Matsook steps away after 39 years at Rochester
Gene Matsook was hesitant to take the Rochester job when his brother resigned, unsure at first whether he wanted to run the football program himself. That was 25 years ago. “I didn’t know if I wanted it,” he said. “They said, ‘You’re the guy. You’re the guy.’ I said, ‘I...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 13, 2024
High schools Basketball Boys Friday’s results Class 6A Section 1 North Allegheny 66, Butler 56 New Castle 70, North Hills 59 Fox Chapel 52, Seneca Valley 41 Pine-Richland 65, Woodland Hills 58 Section 2 Upper St. Clair 46, Central Catholic 31 Mt. Lebanon 58, Hempfield 38 Norwin 64, Connellsville 47...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Dec. 14, 2024: Premier big men to clash at La Roche
A “big” boys basketball battle is set for La Roche College on Saturday as part of the annual Harry Jenkins Classic. When Upper St. Clair (5-0) takes on Montour (2-0) in the first of four games, the contest not only features two undefeated teams, but also two of the best...
High school roundup for Dec. 13, 2024: Mars rains down 19 3-pointers in win over Blackhawk
Drew Navetta hit eight 3-pointers and finished with 26 points and Austin Wroblewski added 20 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead Mars to an 83-53 win over Blackhawk in Section 4-5A boys basketball Friday night. The Fightin’ Planets (3-3, 1-0) hit 19 3-pointers in the game. Justin Shanor scored 14...
Latrobe boys stay unbeaten with ‘gritty, gutsy’ comeback win over Gateway
The fourth quarter greeted Latrobe with less than ideal circumstances. Three starters had four fouls, another had three and Gateway had a seven-point lead in the Section 1-5A boys basketball opener. Mass disqualifications seemed inevitable. “A lot of teams would have packed it in there. They wouldn’t think they had...
Penn-Trafford boys stage huge rally, earn victory in overtime vs. Franklin Regional
One by one, his players emerged from the home locker room at Penn-Trafford and paraded across the gym floor. Most, if not all, of coach Doug Kelly’s crew was in an unusually impulsive mood, laughing and conversing and seemingly feeling as good as can be. In fact, some hardly could...
Deer Lakes routs Freeport at home in section opener
The last time Deer Lakes took the court, the Lancers barely defeated Mohawk in a double-overtime win Tuesday. You might expect the Lancers to come out in their matchup against Freeport a little sluggish as they regained their legs. However, the Lancers didn’t use the extra time on the court...
Smothering defense lifts Knoch boys past Valley in section opener
Teegan Finucan couldn’t help but feel confident after the Knoch boys basketball team opened Section 1-4A play Friday night at home with a dominant defensive performance. The Knights kept Valley off the scoreboard for the first 3 1/2 minutes before coasting to a 74-39 win. Knoch (4-1, 1-0) has established...
