High School category, Page 375
With Royce Parham gone, North Hills boys turn to up-tempo approach
When a team loses a generational talent, and loses him earlier than expected, a reinvention of sorts may have to take place. And that will be the case with the North Hills boys basketball team this season. Following the summer departure of rising senior Royce Parham, a 6-foot-8, four-star Marquette...
Jim Schall steps down as girls volleyball coach at Penn-Trafford
There will be a new person coaching the Penn-Trafford girls volleyball team next year. Longtime coach Jim Schall said he felt it was time to step away. It will allow him to spend more time with his family (wife Nancy and children Patrick and Kate) and focus more on the...
Penn Hills wrestlers set sights on longer postseason runs
The Penn Hills wrestling program will be in a year of transition. The Indians bring back four wrestlers — Cameron Patterson (139 pounds), Julian Lavender (133), Daemon Phipps (114) and Levi Smith (127) — who saw significant time last season. All four finished with double-digit wins, but none escaped the...
With something to prove, skilled North Allegheny boys taking different approach
When a new high school sports season dawns, many coaches are asked what the goals are for their team in the upcoming season. Many give the same responses: “Our goal is to win the section.” “We’re out to make the playoffs.” “We want to lift that WPIAL trophy at the...
Franklin Regional wrestling building toward future
Franklin Regional wrestling coach Matt Lebe said he has a good feeling about his team, especially when it counts once January begins. That’s when he feels his lineup will be set. The Panthers were co-Section 3-3A champions with Norwin and Penn-Trafford last season and Lebe sees another tight race. He...
Spencer Lee tops Nico Megaludis in battle of former Franklin Regional wrestling greats
An all-Franklin Regional matchup in a post-college wrestling match with Olympic-qualifying possibly on the line? Yes, local fans will take a tall glass of that. Spencer Lee, the superstar who went on to a brilliant and albeit injury-plagued college career at Iowa, met Nico Megaludis, a former Penn State standout,...
Behind 7 returning WPIAL qualifiers, Hampton wrestlers determined to snap playoff drought
The Hampton wrestling team’s season-ending banquet last March was more about eyeing the future than remembering the past. Returning seven WPIAL qualifiers from last season’s senior-less roster, the Talbots turned their focus to ending a three-year playoff drought and contending for the Section 5-2A team title. “We didn’t have any...
Meghan Murray-led Hampton girls basketball team a work in progress
Hampton star point guard Meghan Murray is being realistic when she expects the Talbots to start slow this season. With two-fifths of their starting lineup playing deep into November for the school’s WPIAL champion and PIAA finalist volleyball team, the Talbots girls basketball team got a late start to cohesive...
With coach Jonna Burke on sidelines thanks to judge’s ruling, Shady Side Academy girls in position to contend
Jonna Burke feels fortunate to have the assistant coaching staff she does with the Shady Side Academy girls basketball program. It’s made it easier for the Bulldogs to deal with the fallout from a one-year suspension levied on the coach in July. A federal judge has granted Burke an injunction...
Fox Chapel notebook: Step up in competition doesn’t faze hockey team
Bumping up to Class 2A hasn’t been too harsh on the Fox Chapel hockey team. While the Foxes aren’t as dominant as their team that made a run to the Penguins Cup final, Fox Chapel is in a good position for another playoff run. The Foxes are off to a...
Lineup loaded with WPIAL qualifiers breeds confidence for Bethel Park wrestling
Nine members of the Bethel Park wrestling program have been WPIAL qualifiers in their careers. It’s an impressive list: Mason Kernan (139 pounds), Ethan Higgins (145), Landon Hartman (215), Jaden Palombine (107), Aiden Bench (127), Aden Stout (133), Hunter Goelz (172), Seth Miller (127) and Maksim Miller (160). A.J. Tomaino...
1st-year coach ushers in new era for Bethel Park girls basketball
There’s a new face on the bench and a new system on the floor. Steve Norman is in his first season coaching in the Bethel Park girls basketball program. “I’m really excited to be part of the Bethel Park program,” Norman said. “We expect to be very competitive in 6A....
Boasting lineup with size, experience, Bethel Park boys expect successful season
Height isn’t an issue for the Bethel Park boys basketball team. At least not when 6-foot-4 junior Tanner Pfeuffer and 6-6 senior Paul Digbeu are paired together in the frontcourt along with 6-3 senior forward Shawn Davis. “We want to continue building on what was started last season and continue...
Penn Hills swimmers optimistic about season despite pool repairs
Things will be decidedly different for the Penn Hills swimming team this season. When the Indians start the season, Penn Hills will have its home meets at the Olympic Swim & Health Club instead of the school’s pool at Linton Middle School. The pool has had maintenance issues since last...
Madison Zavasky, Cate Gentile return to lead Pine-Richland girls in quest for playoff success
Positive progress was the theme for Pine-Richland girls basketball in Gabby Baldasare’s first season as coach. The Rams made the playoffs for the first time on merit since 2017-18 and finished in a tie for third in the Section 1-6A standings. With IUP recruit Madison Zavasky back to lead the...
Pine-Richland boys hoping to sneak up on Class 6A competition
The Pine-Richland boys basketball team is in a position to surprise some people, and it’s an opportunity that’s being embraced. After a rare playoff miss last year, a young Rams team is energized, hungry and ready to get back on track in what should be an extremely competitive Section 1-6A....
North Hills girls look to keep rebuilding process rolling
A year ago, newly hired Tony Grenek looked at his North Hills girls basketball team and knew that a significant step needed to be taken. While the end result was another postseason miss for the Indians, the team undeniably showed signs of progress, improving from a 1-21 record the year...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 1, 2023
High schools Basketball Boys AHN/Highmark Tip-Off Tournament Friday Baldwin 55, Altoona 33 Chartiers Valley 61, Peters Township 59 Saturday Altoona at Peters Township, noon Chartiers Valley at Baldwin, 1:30 p.m. Aquinas Academy Tournament Friday Pittsburgh Christian Academy 53, Portersville Christian 36 Aquinas Academy 88, Cheswick Christian 65 Saturday Consolation Portersville...
Upper St. Clair, Gateway open season with victories at USC tip-off tournament
On opening night of the new WPIAL basketball season at the Novum Upper St. Clair tip-off tournament, a couple of roundball truths were re-enforced. Size matters and defense wins. Host Upper St. Clair broke open a tied game at the half by outscoring Ambridge by 32 points in the second...
High school boys basketball roundup for Dec. 1, 2023: Jayden Davis lifts Chartiers Valley past Peters Township
Jayden Davis dropped 29 points and made a basket with 27 seconds left to lift Chartiers Valley to a 61-59 boys basketball victory over Peters Township in the AHN/Highmark Tip-Off Tournament on Friday night. Jack Dunbar led Peters (0-1) with 18 points and Dylan Donovan added 15. Daniel Slizik had...
High school girls basketball roundup for Dec. 1, 2023: Erica Hall beats buzzer for South Fayette
Erica Hall made the game-winning basket with 2.4 seconds left to lead South Fayette to a 68-66 girls basketball victory over tip-off tournament host Wheeling Park on Friday night. Haylie Lamonde led the Lions (1-0) with 16 points. Hall and Alexa Ankrum each had 14 and Lainey Yater and Juliette...
Season of first continues as Fort Cherry advances to PIAA Class A final
It’s been a season of firsts for the Fort Cherry Rangers. First WPIAL title, first state playoff game, first state playoff win and now a first trip to the PIAA Class A championship game While Fort Cherry was in uncharted territory, its challenger, the Redbank Valley Bulldogs were in a...
Aliquippa secures 3rd straight state finals appearance with win over Selinsgrove
EBENSBURG — There was some fourth-quarter suspense for Aliquippa as the final minutes ticked away in the state semifinal Friday night. It was felt whenever the stadium’s PA announcer gave updates on the other semifinal 3½ hours away. The Quips’ only question at that point was who’d be waiting for...
Westinghouse returns to PIAA title game after taking down Beaver Falls
Westinghouse is headed back to the PIAA championship game for the second year in a row. Behind a relentless defense, the Bulldogs defeated WPIAL Class 2A champion Beaver Falls, 28-8, in the state semifinals Friday night at West Allegheny. The Bulldogs forced Beaver Falls (9-6) to turn the ball over...
Peters Township defense stands tall, sends Indians to PIAA Class 5A title game
ALTOONA — From the moment the ball was kicked in Friday night’s PIAA Class 5A football semifinal between Peters Township and Cocalico, both defenses smothered much of the hope that both sides had for moving the ball. It would come down to the final two plays where the Eagles had...
