High School category, Page 196
Trib 10: New team occupies top spot in WPIAL football power rankings
It wasn’t like playing Yahtzee, where players shake the dice, dump them and see what comes up, but there was some major movement at the top of the Trib 10 this week. Two big-time showdowns shook up the power rankings and when the dust cleared, a third different team sits...
High school roundup for Oct. 23, 2024: Franklin Regional knocks off No. 2 seed Thomas Jefferson
Jovan Sankoorikal scored the go-ahead goal early in the second half to lead No. 7 Franklin Regional to a 2-1 upset victory over second-seeded Thomas Jefferson in the WPIAL Class 3A boys soccer quarterfinals Wednesday night. Fabrizzio Costa scored a first-half goal, assisted by Sankoorikal, and Joey Bayne also registered...
Bethel Park uses OT to get around upstart Latrobe
When Xavier Jackson took a tumble after getting fouled during the first overtime, he considered not going back into the game because he felt pain in his hip. The Bethel Park junior forward quickly reconsidered, wiping the rubber pellets from the turf off his face and arms and checking back...
Fox Chapel ends field hockey reign of 8-time defending WPIAL champ Penn-Trafford
With four minutes to go in a tense tie game, Fox Chapel sophomore forward Emma Srodes brought the ball through the Penn-Trafford zone on a change of possession and fired a shot from 10 yards. “We’ve been practicing that shot a lot in practice, the shot when I take the...
Freeport volleyball takes care of business vs. Ringgold
The Freeport girls volleyball team saw its 19-year run as a section champion come to an end this year, but it quickly turned the page. Now the focus is on the pursuit of getting to another WPIAL final. The sixth-seeded Yellowjackets started their journey with a 3-0 victory over No....
North Allegheny boys add 1st PIAA team golf title; Peters Township girls go back to back
The North Allegheny boys golf team ended a 50-year drought by winning the WPIAL Class 3A team title Oct. 10. Now North Allegheny athletic director Bob Bozzuto has to find more room for the PIAA team championship trophy. The Tigers capped a tremendous season by winning their first PIAA title...
A-K Valley high school football players to watch for 2024 Week 9
Player of the week Landon Kucic Kiski Area, sr., RB/LB The 210-pound tailback continues to run hard for a Cavaliers team in the hunt for a wild-card berth in the Class 5A Big East Conference. Kucic tallied his third straight 100-plus rushing-yard performance last Friday in a 15-14 comeback win...
A-K Valley high school football matchups for 2024 Week 9
Class 5A Big East Conference Kiski Area (4-5, 2-3) at 5-Woodland Hills (7-2, 5-0) 7 p.m. Friday, The Wolvarena, Turtle Creek Last week’s results: Kiski Area 15, Plum 14; Woodland Hills 27, Franklin Regional 17 Last year’s meeting: Did not play Kiski Area has won three straight games after a...
The Birdie is fit to be tied as he makes his Week 9 picks in the A-K Valley
Last week: 10-1 Season: 71-21 (77.2%) As the WPIAL football season reaches its conclusion, there’s only one thing on The Birdie’s mind: tiebreakers. There’s nothing that makes his beady Birdie eyes light up like arcane discussions of the procedures for breaking ties in the standings. He’s a little concerned about...
2024 Western Pa. high school football schedule for Week 9
Friday WPIAL Class 6A Canon-McMillan at Central Catholic, 7:30 p.m. Norwin at Mt. Lebanon, 7 p.m. Seneca Valley at North Allegheny, 7 p.m. Class 5A Allegheny Six Baldwin at Upper St. Clair, 7 p.m. Bethel Park at Peters Township, 7 p.m. South Fayette at Moon, 7 p.m. Big East Armstrong...
In playoff quest, Latrobe faces huge obstacle in Penn-Trafford
Even with what happened to the Latrobe football team this season, losing star linebacker Alex Tatsch and other starters to injury, the Wildcats still have a chance to make the WPIAL playoffs for the third consecutive season with a victory Friday night. But the Wildcats face a huge obstacle in...
Westmoreland County high school football matchups for 2024 Week 9
Class 6A Norwin (2-7, 0-5) at Mt. Lebanon (2-7, 2-3) 7 p.m. Friday, Mt. Lebanon Stadium, Mt. Lebanon Last week’s results: Canon-McMillan 27, Norwin 26; Mt. Lebanon 42, Hempfield 20 Last year’s meeting: Did not play Norwin has sunk to the bottom of the conference after losing seven straight following...
Pick or treat with The Birdie in Week 9 for Westmoreland County football
Last week: 9-3 (75%) Season: 84-27 (75.7%) Halloween is the Birdie’s favorite time of year, and the candy-hunting pigskin pillock has narrowed his costume choices to five. “I am blessed and humbled to announce my top five get-ups,” Birdie said. “When I decide on a No. 1, please respect my...
Westmoreland County high school football players to watch for 2024 Week 9
Player of the week John Wetzel Latrobe, sr., QB/S The 6-foot, 190-pound senior is coming off a career game in leading the Wildcats to a 28-27 victory at Gateway. He completed 8 of 12 passes for 132 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 161 yards. The Marshall commit...
WPIAL cross country event has high stakes for A-K Valley runners
The journey to the WPIAL championships for hundreds of cross country runners and their teams concludes Thursday at White Oak Park. Individual and team gold and trips to the PIAA championships are on the line in six boys and girls races. The Riverview boys hope to return to the top...
Leechburg, Greensburg Central Catholic to battle for playoff seeding in Eastern Conference finale
A lot is on the line when Leechburg and Greensburg Central Catholic meet Friday in the Class A Eastern Conference finale for both teams. With the playoffs set to start next week, both teams want to go into the postseason on a roll. “It’s a huge game where the winner...
WPIAL bracketology: Don Rebel, Chris Harlan forecast 2024 football playoff pairings
The 2024 WPIAL football playoff field is taking shape with 35 teams having already clinched a spot entering Week 9. But this year’s qualifying process is a little different. There are more wild card teams than ever: 16. And the WPIAL will no longer use tiebreaking formulas such as Gardner...
A-K Valley WPIAL soccer playoff capsules: Games for Oct. 24, 2024
WPIAL soccer playoffs Boys Class 2A Quarterfinals 13-Burrell (9-9) vs. 12-Seton LaSalle (13-4) 8 p.m. Thursday, Joe P. DeMichela Stadium, Imperial Winner plays: Winner of 1-South Park (17-1-1)/9-Central Valley (14-4) on Monday in semifinals Corner kicks: All five Burrell shooters scored in a shootout Monday as the Bucs upset No....
Westmoreland County high school soccer playoff capsule for Oct. 24, 2024
WPIAL soccer playoffs Girls Class 4A Quarterfinals 6-Canon-McMillan (12-3-1) at 3-Penn-Trafford (13-4) 7 p.m. Thursday, Warrior Stadium, Harrison City Winner plays: Winner of 7-Upper St. Clair (10-5-2)/2-Seneca Valley (12-2-2) on Monday in semifinals Corner kicks: Canon-McMillan scored seven first-half goals en route to an 11-0 victory over No. 11 Hempfield...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Oct. 22, 2024
High schools Field hockey WPIAL playoffs Class 3A Semifinals Thursday’s schedule Norwin (4-12) at Pine-Richland (18-0), 7 p.m.; North Allegheny (8-10) at Mt. Lebanon (11-4), 7 p.m. Class 2A Semifinals Wednesday’s schedule Penn-Trafford (9-5-2) at Fox Chapel (9-6-1), 7 p.m. Thursday’s schedule Latrobe (3-10) at Peters Township (14-3), 6 p.m....
High school roundup for Oct. 22, 2024: North Allegheny boys get past Central Catholic, set up clash with North Hills
Mykola Desysenko and Nathan Katari scored to lead No. 4 North Allegheny to a 2-1 victory over No. 13 Central Catholic (5-12-1) in a WPIAL Class 4A first-round boys soccer match Tuesday. The Tigers (15-3-1) will take on No. 12 North Hills in the quarterfinals Saturday. Avonworth 7, McGuffey 0...
State legislators support in-depth study of PIAA policies, structure, finances
State legislators have voted to launch a comprehensive review of the PIAA. The “current status, management, structure, policies and finances” of the high school athletic association will be studied by the state Legislative Budget and Finance Committee under a House resolution passed Tuesday. The legislation instructed the committee to issue...
North Hills boys soccer unseats WPIAL champ Norwin
North Hills beat the buzzer, and the defending champs. With a little help, the No. 12-seeded Indians used a last-second goal to shock No. 5 Norwin, 3-2, in a WPIAL Class 4A first-round boys soccer playoff game Tuesday night at Norwin Knights Stadium. Just when it looked like it was...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Oct. 23, 204: Chartiers Valley looks for another upset in soccer 2nd round
Wednesday marks the first dip into the second round of the 2024 district soccer playoffs. Class 3A and Class A boys hit the pitch for quarterfinals action. All of the remaining seeds in the 3A elite eight are single-digit seeds with one exception. No. 14 Chartiers Valley (9-8) has stampeded...
Deer Lakes girls soccer tops reigning WPIAL champ Avonworth
There will be a new WPIAL girls soccer champion in Class 2A. Deer Lakes, the No. 7 seed, got a goal from freshman Reese Waruszewski in the ninth minute of the second half, and that turned out to be enough as the homestanding Lancers eliminated three-time defending champion Avonworth, 1-0,...
