High School category, Page 225
Pine-Richland girls volleyball ready to walk tough road to playoffs
The road to the playoffs in Section 1-4A girls volleyball has always been tough, but the addition of North Catholic for 2024 has made the group even stronger. Add in the fact that only three teams from the section will qualify for a postseason berth instead of four, like in...
Hampton senior Ray Kirsopp dedicates football season to late father
When Hampton hosts Upper St. Clair on Sept. 13, the highlights will include much more than a typical WPIAL nonconference football game. “It’s going to be a special night for me, for sure,” Hampton senior wide receiver/linebacker Ray Kirsopp said. “It’s a lot for me to process.” Hampton will hold...
Aquinas Academy girls volleyball joins big leagues
The Aquinas Academy girls volleyball team is a first-year WPIAL program, but the Crusaders plan to grow up quickly. After two seasons as a club sport, the players at the tiny Hampton Catholic school have their sights on a WPIAL Class A playoff berth. “We just put up some new...
Young linemen, skill players vault Pine-Richland to strong start
The pair of victories the Pine-Richland football team earned to start the season were welcomed results, but it’s the development that has occurred during them that has Jon LeDonne and his coaching staff excited. The Rams have a young offense that is coming together fairly quickly, scoring 57 points in...
Norwin girls volleyball working to make strides
Norwin girls volleyball finished 3-11 overall and 1-7 in Section 3-4A, which put the Knights in last place. That means there is room for improvement for veteran coach Mary Ellen Ferragonio and her players. Seven returning starters give the team a reason for optimism. Ferragonio said it is too early...
North Allegheny notebook: Tigers cross country teams off to strong start
North Allegheny’s boys and girls cross country teams opened the 2024 season with nonsection victories Sept. 3 against Peters Township. The boys won 15-50, and the NA girls won 15-48. For the girls, Elizabeth Pizon, Kendall Lucas, Camille Swirsding, Lydia Stuart and Tess Pagnotto were the top five finishers. Gabby...
North Allegheny boys soccer focused on unfinished business
A WPIAL title slipped away on penalty kicks and a trip to the state finals fell two rounds short. It’s easy to understand why “unfinished business” was the motto North Allegheny’s boys soccer team adopted this year. In this, coach Manuel Montero’s third season, the Tigers want to accomplish more....
Franklin Regional notebook: Boys soccer team opens section schedule with win
A matchup of first-year coaches in Section 3-3A boys soccer went to Franklin Regional’s Nick White, whose Panthers rang up three second-half goals to pull past Ryan Hankey’s Penn-Trafford team, 3-1, in the section opener Aug. 29. “P-T came out strong, and they were really strong in the back,” said...
Fox Chapel cross country boosts confidence with strong showing at Gateway Invitational
Tom Moul likes setting up the Fox Chapel boys and girls cross country teams with a confidence builder to start the season. Competing at the Gateway Invitational before the Red, White & Blue Invitational the following weekend has been a staple of the Foxes schedule for years. Fox Chapel opened...
Fox Chapel rewarded with streak-snapping win
Suffering through consecutive 0-10 seasons left Victor Nernberg with plenty to think about in the offseason. The Fox Chapel senior running back/linebacker focused all of his energy on becoming the fittest he has ever been. Nernberg was focused on working back from a torn MCL and partially torn PCL he...
Central Catholic forgets about 0-2 start with mercy rule win over Woodland Hills
The PA announcer at the Wolvarena encouraged fans to travel home safely and never talk about this game again. Central Catholic left the stadium pleased to have quieted talk about its winless start. Vikings quarterback Jy’Aire Walls passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more, the defense was dominant...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Sept. 6, 2024
High schools Football Friday’s results WPIAL Nonconference Albert Gallatin 29, Connellsville 26 Aliquippa 46, Avonworth 20 Avella 44, Springdale 0 Belle Vernon 23, Central Valley 17 Bentworth 35, Charleroi 28 Bethel Park 46, Armstrong 7 Bishop Canevin 42, Steel Valley 6 Brentwood 21, Sto-Rox 14 Butler 35, Meadville 11 Carmichaels...
Trib HSSN’s 2024 Week 2 top performers for passing, rushing, receiving
Top performers for Week 2 of high school football in Western Pennsylvania. Passing 326 - Tanner Pfeuffer, Bethel Park (17 of 22) 290 - Travis Clear, Beaver (22 of 41) 281 - Anthony Smith, Southmoreland (12 of 16) 273 - Tristyn Tavares, Norwin (16 of 32) 256 - Elsidro Bryant,...
High school football roundup for Sept. 6, 2024: Aliquippa rallies past Avonworth
Tiqwai Hayes reeled off three unanswered touchdown runs in the second quarter as Aliquippa rallied from an early deficit to give first-year coach Vashawn Patrick his first win 46-20 over Avonworth on Friday night. Bryce Metz scored on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs as Avonworth (1-1) jumped out to...
Thomas Jefferson storms back after halftime to defeat McKeesport in overtime
Heading into halftime trailing 28-7 against rival McKeesport, Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak told his players that their second-half response would define them. The Tigers managed just 44 yards of offense in the second half, two first downs and no points as the Jaguars roared back for a massive 34-31...
Belle Vernon survives home scare from Central Valley
A bend, don’t break defense late in the game led Belle Vernon to a win Friday as the Leopards managed to “defend the Beach.” After an apparent no-call on a muffed punt, the Leopards held visiting Central Valley to only a field goal, then held the Warriors out of the...
Hempfield gives up lead then gets dramatic win over Kiski Area on late field goal
Hempfield was looking for its first win of 2024, and the Spartans got it in a heart-stopper. With 32 seconds left, sophomore Sawyer Leuthold connected on his first field goal of the season from 26 yards, and Hempfield earned a 31-29 victory Friday night in a game delayed by storms....
Alex Tatsch scores 4 TDs as Latrobe stays perfect by running over Norwin
Latrobe football coach Ron Prady challenged his offensive line this week, and the group responded. He also said Norwin was going to see a lot of running back Alex Tatsch, and the Knights will probably have nightmares after what the Penn State commit and quarterback John Wetzel, a Marshall commit,...
Sizzling Greensburg Salem rolls past Valley, off to best start since 2011
Greensburg Salem honored its conference championship football teams from 2003 and ’04 before Friday night’s kickoff. Then, the current Golden Lions took the field looking like a team with similar aspirations. Greensburg Salem continued its best start since 2011, making it a perfect 3 for 3 in home games to...
Defensive adjustment, Cole Chatfield’s big run lead Mt. Pleasant past Burrell
Mt. Pleasant quarterback Cole Chatfield feels like 42 seconds is an eternity. Even if his team had less time, the Vikings quarterback believes it could operate efficiently. Mt. Pleasant needed that confidence during its 23-13 nonconference win over Burrell on Friday night at Vikings Stadium. The Buccaneers bullied the Vikings...
Freeport-Quaker Valley football game postponed to Saturday
Mother Nature didn’t allow the Freeport and Quaker Valley football teams to play much of their nonconference game Friday night at Freeport Area Athletic Stadium. The teams were 5 minutes, 48 seconds into the contest when lightning first was spotted by game officials. The teams were ushered off the field...
Upper St. Clair football team dominates Franklin Regional
In a battle of Panthers versus Panthers, it was Upper St. Clair that roared early and often in a mercy-rule 45-7 nonconference victory against Franklin Regional on Friday night at Upper St. Clair High School. Upper St. Clair (3-0) scored 21 points in the opening quarter and never looked back....
Highlands football game vs. New Castle canceled by lightning
It’s a myth that lighting never strikes the same spot twice. That proved to be true at New Castle when the Highlands Golden Rams took on the Red Hurricanes at Taggart Stadium. After an hour wait and multiple lightning strikes, Highlands vs. New Castle was canceled. New Castle coach Fred...
Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Softball League begins 2024 season
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Softball League kicked off its 2024 season Sunday afternoon with four doubleheaders. Mt. Lebanon swept its way past Baldwin by a combined 34-5. North Allegheny and Bethel Park, Seneca Valley and Shaler, and Hempfield and Plum all split their opening two-game sets. Montour and West Allegheny...
5 things to watch in Week 2: NFL encroaches on Friday night high school football tradition
The storied tradition of Friday night football adds another chapter this week with high school games all across Pennsylvania. But might a game played in South America keep some fans home, especially on the other side of the state? That’s in question because the NFL has scheduled a rare Friday...
