High School category, Page 30
Norwin storms back to defeat Hempfield thanks to huge game from Jake Knight
Oh, what a Knight for the Norwin football team. The Knights rallied from a 12-point third-quarter deficit, and senior Jake Knight was a big reason. The senior intercepted two passes in the second half, caught a touchdown pass off a tipped pass and downed a punt at the Hempfield 2-yard...
Jeannette holds off rally by GCC, Crosby for crucial Eastern Conference win
Two lifelong friends who grew up together in Jeannette had another blast playing backyard football against each other, trading big runs and pass plays in the latest chapter of the Jeannette-Greensburg Central Catholic rivalry. Jeannette and Kymon’e Brown won the first half. Greensburg Central Catholic and Samir Crosby won the...
Mt. Pleasant rallies for victory over Greensburg Salem
Because of the odd Interstate Conference schedule, Mt. Pleasant played its final regular-season home game and observed senior night Friday. The Vikings’ seniors put a stamp on the home portion of their season with a hard-fought 42-29 win over Greensburg Salem. Mt. Pleasant (2-0, 5-2) spotted the visitors a 10-0...
Shoaf spoils alma mater’s homecoming as Southmoreland remains unbeaten with win over Yough
Normally a homecoming elicits feelings of remembrance and allows for reflection of years gone by. Dustin Shoaf, Southmoreland’s coach and Yough’s all-time leading rusher, downplayed most of those feelings as his team rolled into Cougar Mountain in Herminie and came away with a win. “It was just another game for...
Artman throws 5 TD passes as Kiski Area earns Big East victory over Latrobe
After a boisterous celebration by players and fans, the Kiski Area football team gathered for a final word. Indeed, with the dust still settling Friday night from a 34-13 Class 5A Big East Conference victory over visiting Latrobe, first-year Cavaliers coach Colyn Haugh joined the huddle and was brief. “It’s...
North Hills rides pair of big plays to win over Plum
“Style points don’t matter,” North Hills coach Brody Zangaro could be heard saying to his coaching staff as he emerged from the visitors’ locker room at Plum High School on Friday night, a smile on his face and new life in the WPIAL Class 5A playoff race for his team....
Highlands blocks extra-point attempt in OT, knocks off previously unbeaten Freeport
Freeport and Highlands needed overtime to decide their Allegheny 7 Conference clash Friday at Freeport Area Athletic Stadium. The teams’ heavyweight runners — Yellowjackets senior Amos Glenn and Golden Rams sophomore Tevin Owen-Cratsenberg — each scored TDs in their overtime possessions. Jackson Babinsack drilled Highlands’ point-after kick. But on Freeport’s...
Antonio Perkins leads Burrell past his former teammates at Valley
Burrell quarterback Antonio Perkins doesn’t expect hard feelings the next time he gets together with his friends at Valley. Perkins, who was a standout wrestler and football player for the Vikings last season, transferred to Burrell in the offseason. He piled up 303 rushing yards and scored four times to...
Tim O’Rourke named new boys basketball coach at Greensburg Central Catholic
Familiarity won’t be a problem for new Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball coach Tim O’Rourke. He’s had maroon in his blood for some time. A former girls assistant and junior high boys and girls coach at the school, O’Rourke is primed to take over after the summer resignation of Christian...
Former college coach has Chartiers Valley football winning again — 5 things to watch in Week 6
Chartiers Valley’s Steve Spence jokingly says there’s at least one difference between coaching football in college or high school. “In college, when things are going badly at practice, you can threaten them with, ‘Hey, we’re going to be here all night,’” Spence said with a laugh. “In high school, if...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Oct. 2, 2025
High schools Cross country Thursday’s results Nonsection Boys Latrobe 19, Derry 38 Ligonier Valley 27, Derry 28 Girls Latrobe 22, Derry 36 Ligonier Valley 23, Derry 36 Field hockey Thursday’s results Class 3A Pine-Richland 11, Hempfield 0 Football Friday’s schedule WPIAL Class 6A Hempfield at Norwin, 7 p.m. Mt. Lebanon...
High school roundup for Oct. 2, 2025: Shaler wins in OT to end 16-year playoff drought
Alex Gaetano scored the overtime winner to lift Shaler to a 1-0 victory over Indiana (5-7-1, 2-5-1) in Section 1-3A boys soccer Thursday night. The win sends the Titans (10-3, 8-2) to the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. Aquinas Academy 4, Brentwood 0 – Marco Anselmino scored...
Sparks will fly when resurgent New Castle hosts Montour in Parkway battle
Fireworks punctuate every New Castle touchdown at Taggart Stadium, a home-field tradition that the Red Hurricanes have enjoyed even more lately. Might the budget need an increase? “We always have a plethora of fireworks here,” New Castle coach Fred Mozzocio said. “It’s the fireworks capital of the world.” But the...
WPIAL clinched: Boys soccer playoff qualifiers as of Oct. 2, 2025
Section play in the 2025 WPIAL boys soccer regular season is down to the final week-plus with 41 teams having already qualified for the upcoming district postseason. The top four teams in each section qualify for the district playoffs. All teams tied for a playoff spot where head-to-head does not...
Fiery Franklin Regional boys get revenge against Belle Vernon with resounding win
Franklin Regional had its annual campus bonfire Thursday night. Shortly after the fire department doused the flames, the boys soccer team went out and smoked Belle Vernon. Aidan Alexander and Michael Hillebrand each scored two goals as the fifth-ranked Panthers avenged an earlier loss to the visiting Leopards in dominant...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Injuries could impact Eastern Conference clash
Forget the stat sheet. Take a look at the injury list. The biggest question mark in the 36th football meeting between Jeannette (3-3, 1-2) and Greensburg Central Catholic (3-3, 1-2) is who has more questionable players. Both teams had standout wide receivers sustain injuries last week. For Jeannette, it was...
Trib HSSN don’t miss high school football matchups for 2025 Week 6
There is nothing like October football. The heat of August and September football has faded to that special chill in the air on Friday nights as Week 6 of WPIAL football gets set to kick off. While NFL Films taught us that the autumn wind is a raider, it is...
Mt. Lebanon pair repeats, Winchester Thurston duo makes comeback at WPIAL girls tennis doubles finals
It didn’t begin well, but it ended all the same. The Mt. Lebanon girls tennis doubles duo of seniors Jackie Tang and Michelle Yang appeared a little off Thursday to start the WPIAL Class 3A final, which was a rematch of last year’s contest as the Blue Devils once again...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Injuries could impact Eastern Conference clash
Forget the stat sheet. Take a look at the injury list. The biggest question mark in the 36th football meeting between Jeannette (3-3, 1-2) and Greensburg Central Catholic (3-3, 1-2) is who has more questionable players. Both teams had standout wide receivers sustain injuries last week. For Jeannette, it was...
‘Big headache’ helps Deer Lakes boys soccer refocus for stretch run to postseason
The Deer Lakes boys soccer team entered the 2025 season with a talented senior class that contributed to its success over the past three years, and, through their first 11 games, that experience showed. The Lancers (10-3-1, 8-1-1) won nine of those games with their only two losses coming against...
Through the Years: 60 years ago, West Deer went toe-to-toe with Richland
Each week throughout the high school football season, the Valley News Dispatch will take a look at the players, coaches and events that shaped our scholastic legacy. West Deer’s Bill Smith returned the opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown at Richland on Oct. 2, 1965. Bob Pagano, however, returned...
Quick study Alyssa Zhang of Shady Side Academy repeats as WPIAL 2A golf champ
Alyssa Zhang needed to learn more about Sewickley Heights Golf Club with each shot she took Wednesday, and the Shady Side Academy sophomore was a quick study. She’d passed up a practice round a couple of days earlier yet defended her WPIAL Class 2A title with a six-shot victory on...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Oct. 1, 2025
High schools Cross country Wednesday’s results Division I Section 4 meet Boys 1. Michael Costello, Fox Chapel, 16:38.70; 2. Samuel Plazio, Kiski Area, 16:42.50; 3. Nolan Gwin, Fox Chapel, 17:03.20; 4. Asher Eckel, Fox Chapel, 17:11.10; 5. Nico Piraino, Franklin Regional, 17:29.70; 6. Mason Gray, Franklin Regional, 17:30.30; 7. Owen...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Oct. 2, 2025: 1st place on the line in girls volleyball
Following a busy Thursday night on the hardwood, the WPIAL girls volleyball regular season will be down to two weeks remaining. However, there are a handful of sections that could be either decided or muddied up for the stretch run with key Thursday showdowns. • In Section 1-3A, one game...
Trib 10: Shakeup in the big school power rankings
The Trib 10 small school power rankings remain intact from last week with the same 10 teams and only one minor move from a week ago. The big school power rankings – not so much. The only move in the small school Trib 10 came when Imani Christian knocked off...
