High School category, Page 230
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Top kickers give their teams a leg up
Kickers rarely get much limelight. Their extra points are often taken for granted, and casual fans don’t give kickoffs that sail out of the end zone a second thought. But there are a few Westmoreland County kickers worth watching this season, a collection of legs that could be difference makers...
Uniontown enjoying some success as independent program
The Uniontown football team can divide its recent history into two eras: pre-covid and post-covid. In the seasons just before the pandemic hit, the Red Raiders were struggling. The team was finding it tough to build its roster and even tougher to come up with wins in its WPIAL conference....
Laurel Highlands expecting to return to form after down year
Entering his sixth year as head coach at Laurel Highlands, Rich Kolesar can usually assess the coming fortunes of his Mustangs by the way offseason workouts progress. Kolesar said the years that the offseason work has gone well, Laurel Highlands has had successful seasons. Coming off consecutive eight-win campaigns last...
Frazier out to prove 1-win seasons are thing of the past
Entering the 2024 season, the Frazier football team has plenty to prove. The Commodores want to prove to themselves and their fans that they are a much better team than the last few years’ records have indicated. They also want to prove that they are capable of establishing a winning...
Connellsville goes independent with momentum after .500 season
For a number of years, one of the main goals for the Connellsville football team has been to reestablish a winning culture that can be sustained long term. That’s proven to be a difficult task, but last year, the Falcons seemed to take a legitimate step forward by posting a...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 28, 2024
High schools Cross country Wednesday’s results Boys Nonsection Hampton 19, Mars 39 Football Thursday’s schedule Nonconference Linsly, W.Va. at Westinghouse, 7 p.m. Friday’s schedule WPIAL Nonconference Apollo-Ridge at Jeannette, 7 p.m. Armstrong at Hampton, 7 p.m. Beaver Falls at Imani Christian, 7 p.m. Belle Vernon at Aliquippa, 7 p.m. Beth-Center...
High school roundup for Aug. 28, 2024: Mars gets past Hampton in section showdown
Julia Lishia scored the game’s lone goal to lift Mars (4-0, 1-0) to a 1-0 victory over Hampton (2-1, 1-1) in an early season matchup between top teams in Section 1-3A girls soccer Wednesday night. Ambridge 3, Hopewell 2 (OT) – Megan Conover scored all three goals, including the game-winner...
What to watch for in high school sports on Aug. 28, 2024: Westinghouse looks to get in win column
Over the last two seasons, the Westinghouse football program has proven to be a dominant force, not only in the City League but also across the state. The Bulldogs are a combined 27-2 in 2022 and 2023, with both losses coming in the PIAA Class 2A championship game against Southern...
Trib 10: Quips stand atop 1st edition of football power rankings
Last year, only two teams sat atop the Trib 10 power rankings throughout the season. Central Catholic was No. 1 from Week Zero through Week 6, and then Aliquippa took over the top spot and remained there the rest of the 2023 campaign. It’s a new season, but the Quips...
A-K Valley high school football players to watch for 2024 Week 1
Player of the week Aven Shirley Kiski Area, jr., WR/DB Shirley delivered in all phases to complement Landon Kucic’s four rushing touchdowns in Friday’s 42-7 Week Zero rout of Knoch. He returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown which sparked Kiski to a 21-0 lead in the first...
A-K Valley high school football matchups for 2024 Week 1
Nonconference Apollo-Ridge (0-1) at Jeannette (1-0) 7 p.m. Friday, McKee Stadium, Jeannette Last week’s result: Leechburg 19, Apollo-Ridge 14; Jeannette 28, Mt. Pleasant 27 Last year’s meeting: Did not play. • Apollo-Ridge was in the same position last week against Leechburg that Mt. Pleasant was in against Jeannette. It was...
Don’t poke The Birdie as he makes his A-K Valley Week 1 picks
Last week: 7-2 (77.8%) The Birdie would like to talk about a very serious issue today: taunting. Not the kind of taunting that draws a 15-yard penalty in a football game. Taunting The Birdie when he picks a game wrong. The Birdie doesn’t get taunted often, of course. Generally speaking,...
2024 Western Pa. high school football schedule for Week 1
Thursday Nonconference Linsly, W.Va. at Westinghouse, 7 p.m. Friday WPIAL Nonconference Apollo-Ridge at Jeannette, 7 p.m. Armstrong at Hampton, 7 p.m. Beaver Falls at Imani Christian, 7 p.m. Belle Vernon at Aliquippa, 7 p.m. Beth-Center at Leechburg, 7 p.m. Bethel Park at Mars, 7 p.m. Bishop Canevin at Seton LaSalle,...
Westmoreland County players to watch for 2024 Week 1
Player of the week Kymon’e Brown Jeannette, Jr., WR/QB/DB The 6-foot, 145-pound junior had quite a game against Mt. Pleasant. He had four catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. He also completed 8 of 10 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He was the team’s leading receiver in...
Greensburg Salem, Ligonier Valley looking to see improvement, stay unbeaten
Greensburg Salem and Ligonier Valley kicked off the season with solid wins in Week Zero. But their performances were far from perfect. That’s why Greensburg Salem coach Ty George and Ligonier Valley coach Roger Beitel, along with the rest of the football coaches across the state, couldn’t wait to dissect...
Westmoreland County high school football matchups for 2024 Week 1
Here’s a look at the don’t-miss matchups for Westmoreland County in Week 1 of the 2024 season: Nonconference Apollo-Ridge (0-1) at Jeannette (1-0) 7 p.m. Friday, McKee Stadium, Jeannette Last week’s result: Leechburg 19, Apollo-Ridge 14; Jeannette 28, Mt. Pleasant 27 Last year’s meeting: Did not play. Apollo-Ridge was in...
The Birdie’s Week 1 picks in Westmoreland County are the real deal
Last week: 8-3 (72.7%) Skimmers and scammers. You know who you are, and the wordie Birdie is watching you. “These fake livestreams of games are getting out of control,” Birdie said. “Looking for the game you want to watch on the world wide web is like walking into a land...
Elizabeth Forward, Highlands look to rebound after narrow losses in Week Zero
Elizabeth Forward and Highlands will get together Friday night at Golden Rams Stadium, each seeking its first win of the season after close, heartbreaking defeats in Week Zero. It is the first matchup between the schools since 1999, and Golden Rams coach Matt Bonislawski and Elizabeth Forward coach John DeMarco...
‘He related to everybody:’ Friends, coaches, athletes mourn Baldwin track and field coach Ed Helbig
Ed Helbig didn’t need to yell or get loud to motivate his athletes, yet the longtime Baldwin coach’s voice was certainly the biggest in WPIAL track and field. A Baldwin track coach for 49 years and chairman of the WPIAL committee overseeing the sport, Helbig died Tuesday. His calming demeanor...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Super start for Southmoreland
Southmoreland picked a fine way to open the boys soccer season: by winning a championship. Second-year coach Brad Smith, a Norwin alum, celebrated with his players after the Scotties won the South Allegheny Classic last weekend in Glassport. The Scotties defeated South Allegheny, 4-0, before topping Derry, 4-2, in the...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 27, 2024
High schools Field hockey Tuesday’s results Nonsection Penn-Trafford 1, Shady Side Academy 0 Peters Township 8, Aquinas Academy 0 Football Thursday’s schedule Nonconference Linsly, W.Va. at Westinghouse, 7 p.m. Friday’s schedule WPIAL Nonconference Apollo-Ridge at Jeannette, 7 p.m. Armstrong at Hampton, 7 p.m. Beaver Falls at Imani Christian, 7 p.m....
High school roundup for Aug. 27, 2024: Peters Township shuts out Norwin
Alex Parise and Jeven Kelly scored to lead Peters Township (2-0) to a 2-0 victory over Norwin (1-1) in nonsection boys soccer Tuesday night. Avonworth 12, Riverside 0 – Abdul Basit had three goals and two assists to lead Avonworth (1-0, 1-0) to a Section 2-2A win over Riverside (0-1,...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Aug. 28, 2024: Section matchups heat up in girls soccer
With the August weather in full meltdown mode this week, things are heating up in select sections in Class 3A, 2A and A in WPIAL girls soccer. One of the matches to watch pits the two top teams from last year in Section 1-3A as Mars hosts Hampton. Last fall,...
Mars boys basketball coach Rob Carmody resigns after 26 years
Once Rob Carmody decided now was the time to resign as Mars’ boys basketball coach, his son Robby had a request. “He said, ‘Dad, I want to get in the gym with you one more time before this all happens,’” said Carmody, who fulfilled that wish over the weekend. “We...
Freeport volleyball commands respect in move up to 3A
The seniors on this year’s Freeport girls volleyball team know what it is like to face the competition in Class 3A. It was just three years ago in 2021, when the current senior group were freshman, the Yellowjackets put it all together and claimed the WPIAL Class 3A title before...
