High School category, Page 264
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Burrell’s AJ McLafferty
Stealing bases is a small chess match in the middle of a baseball game between the pitcher and the runner. Burrell senior center fielder AJ McLafferty enjoys the mental game as the Bucs leadoff hitter. “I have fun when I’m on base,” McLafferty said. “There’s a lot of little things...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports for May 20, 2024: Baseball quarterfinals on tap
Welcome to quarterfinals Monday in the 2024 WPIAL baseball playoffs. For most teams, it’s a second taste of postseason baseball following a victory in the opening round last week. However, for 19 district teams, it is the second-season opener after a long layoff. Which begs the question, rest or rust?...
This week on Trib HSSN for week of May 20, 2024
The 2024 WPIAL spring sports postseason kicks into full gear with quarterfinals and semifinals contests on the diamonds, the courts and the stadiums around the district leading up to a holiday weekend this week on the TribLive High School Sports Network. We have plenty of postseason action between Monday and...
High school sports schedules for May 20, 2024
High schools Baseball WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Quarterfinals Monday’s schedule Mt. Lebanon (16-4) vs. Butler (6-12) at Boyce Mayview Park, 4:30 p.m.; Hempfield (14-6) vs. Seneca Valley (10-8-1) at Plum, 7 p.m.; Pine-Richland (16-4) vs. Central Catholic (10-10) at Shaler, 3 p.m.; North Allegheny (14-5) vs. Norwin (11-9) at Boyce...
Southmoreland’s Da’sjon Craggette helps West team to victory at PSFCA East-West all-star game
Several senior WPIAL standouts left their mark at the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association East-West all-star football games Sunday at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field. In the small school game, Loyalsock QB Tyler Gee hit Hanover’s Joey Wilkinson with a 2-yard TD pass in the final seconds to give the West...
Moon wins 2nd girls flag football title in a row over North Allegheny
Given the spirited nature of WPIAL football during the fall, it came as no surprise that the third annual girls flag football championships, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Steelers, were just as exciting. Athletes from 15 high schools showed off their skills on a beautiful, sun-drenched Sunday afternoon at Carnegie Mellon’s...
Trib HSSN baseball player of the week for May 19, 2024
Trib HSSN baseball player of the week — Dylan Smith School — Blackhawk Class — Junior Position — Pitcher, left field #Earned — There are eyebrow raisers, and then there are double eyebrow raisers. A No. 16 seed beating a top seed in the first round is a monumental diamond...
Westmoreland baseball notebook: Section 1-5A provides intrigue
Section 1-5A was an anomaly. It’s rare for four baseball teams to tie for first place, an issue that presented such a seeding dilemma for the WPIAL steering committee that it had to “throw out” numbers and focus solely on creating the best quarterfinal matchups. “That’s what we did. Class...
Trib HSSN baseball team of the week for May 18, 2024Video
Trib HSSN baseball team of the week — South Park Coach — Corey Fischer (first season) Records — South Park finished in third place with a record of 7-3 in Section 2-3A and is 13-7 overall #Earned — South Park rookie head coach Corey Fischer is a battler, and his...
Burrell baseball team seeks another playoff upset
Being a double-digit seed and winning in the playoffs has become a theme for Burrell this school year. The Bucs boys basketball team made a run to the WPIAL finals as an 11 seed, and after pulling off an upset over No. 3 Mt. Pleasant in the first round, the...
A-K Valley high school baseball playoff preview capsules for May 20, 2024
WPIAL baseball playoffs Class 5A Quarterfinals 7-Penn-Trafford (17-3) vs. 2-Fox Chapel (14-6) 7 p.m. Monday at Gateway Winner plays: Winner of 6-Franklin Regional/3-North Hills on Tuesday (time, site TBD) in semifinals Players to watch: Tyler Freas, Penn-Trafford; Jeremy Haigh, Fox Chapel Extra bases: The teams split a two-game series March...
Westmoreland WPIAL baseball playoff capsules: Games for Monday, May 20, 2024
WPIAL baseball playoffs Class 6A Quarterfinals 4-Hempfield (14-6) vs. 5-Seneca Valley (11-8-1) 7 p.m. Monday at Plum Winner plays: Winner of 1-Mt. Lebanon (16-4)/8-Butler (6-12) on Tuesday (time, site TBD) in semifinals Players to watch: Carson Shuglie, Hempfield; Nick Parrotto, Seneca Valley. Extra bases: The Spartans held off a late...
Penn Hills boys volleyball team sees wins on horizon
Junior setter Anthony Collins is encouraged about the future of the Penn Hills volleyball team. The Indians didn’t get the results they wanted this season, but Collins is encouraged about the potential growth for the next crop of kids coming up through the program. “They are promising. A few did...
Gateway’s Dino Nadarevic to compete in shot put, discus at PIAA championships
Dino Nadarevic went from non-WPIAL qualifier to a double PIAA qualifier in the span of 12 months. The Gateway junior put the work in, and last week at Slippery Rock University, he produced a pair of medal-winning performances. Nadarevic said he’s excited for the opportunity to return to his standards...
Penn Hills notebook: Hurdler gets redemption with WPIAL gold
Achan Green’s redemption story happened right at Slippery Rock University on May 15. Green missed out on qualifying for states last year due to an injury he suffered at the WPIAL Class 3A track championships. But Green was healthy this year and took advantage while competing at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Green...
Pine-Richland notebook: Lacrosse teams pick up playoff wins
The Pine-Richland girls lacrosse team got a step closer to defending its WPIAL Class 3A title with a 17-7 win over Canon-McMillan in the quarterfinals May 15. Cate Gentile had five goals and six assists in the win over the Big Macs. Madeline Mill added four goals and two assists,...
Gateway singles, doubles players look ahead to PIAA tournament
It’s been more than a month since Adam Memije punched his ticket to the PIAA Class 3A boys tennis singles tournament at the Hershey Racquet Club. It is, in a way, a redemption story for the Gateway junior after he fell short of making it to states last year. “That...
Shaler athletes find their niche on track team
Hannah Sahr and Liam Kelley started track and field with an idea of what events they thought they may like. But the Shaler juniors both adjusted once they got some hands-on experience. Hannah Sahr wanted to be a distance runner like her cousin, Cheyenne. Kelley wasn’t sure what events he...
Chartiers Valley lacrosse comes together to support freshman’s mom’s cancer fight
On May 6, the Chartiers Valley lacrosse community came together in support of one of their own. The boys and girls doubleheader was transformed into a pinkout to raise money for freshman Jack Varnish’s family as his mother, Julie, continues to battle cancer. The idea came to life midway through...
Chartiers Valley softball sophomore packs powerful punch
Mashing home runs has become just “another day in the office” for Chartiers Valley sophomore phenom Lily Duffill. That’s how it’s described from the perspective of senior Marta Gualazzi and her softball teammates as they watch Duffill launch sometimes not just one or two, but three home runs in a...
Girls relay team uses home-track advantage to win at Baldwin Invitational
The girls 3,200-meter relay team’s performance at the 50th annual Baldwin Invitational is one senior Mackenzie Hirt won’t soon forget. If ever. Hirt, a fourth-year competitor for the Baldwin girls track and field team, and sophomores Molly Gorman, Mackenzie Bowen and Julianne Ott, took first place at the invitational May...
Thomas Jefferson senior makes impact in diving, gymnastics
Addison Arndt, a two-sport standout at Thomas Jefferson, is attending Penn State in the fall. She will take a 3.9 GPA with her to the University Park campus. “I am committed to Penn State,” Arndt said. “I am going in as an undecided major, but I am very interested in...
Sewickley Academy’s Libby Eannarino surpasses 200-goal milestone
Sewickley Academy senior midfielder Libby Eannarino needed three scores at home against Quaker Valley on May 7 to reach 200 career goals in girls lacrosse. She ended up with seven to lead the Panthers to an exciting 15-11 win against their rivals. Eannarino’s younger sister Emma, a freshman midfielder/attacker and...
Quaker Valley track shows depth with large crop of WPIAL qualifiers
As the reigning WPIAL Class 2A team champion, the Quaker Valley track and field program was well-represented at the WPIAL individual championships. “I’m very proud of the number of boys and girls we qualified for WPIALs,” QV coach Jared Jones said. “We had 29 total athletes competing in 34 individual...
Fisher’s Files: Quaker Valley coach in favor of new wrestling rules
The National Federation of State High School Associations has made new rule changes for wrestling in the offseason. • Beginning next season, wrestlers will be considered in bounds with only one point of contact by either competitor inside or on the boundary line. • Another change is three points for...
