High School category, Page 39
High school roundup for Oct. 16, 2025: Mars volleyball clinches section title
Rylee Wooldridge had 17 kills and 13 digs to lead Mars to a 3-0 victory over Freeport (11-5, 7-3), clinching the Section 2-3A title for the Fightin’ Planets (14-4, 9-1). Cecilia Christy added 11 kills, Gabi Weidemann dished out 36 assists and Alaina Graham had 17 digs for Mars. Allderdice...
Logan Metzger steps into starring role as Belle Vernon opens boys soccer playoffs with win
With everything to play for in a grudge match between neighbors, it was two goals from Logan Metzger that made the difference for Belle Vernon. The 2-1 victory over Ringgold in a preliminary-round game Thursday put the Leopards into the first round of the Class 3A playoffs. No. 16 Belle...
TSTCA cross country championships serve as preview of WPIALs
With the WPIAL cross country championships just a week away, Thursday’s Tri-State Track Coaches Association race became a tune-up. Sunny weather and low-60s temperatures greeted more than 1,000 runners at the White Oak course. There were plenty of runners who broke personal records. The six winners were Butler junior Brendan...
Trib HSSN don’t miss high school football matchups for 2025 Week 8
Welcome to Week 8 of the high school football regular season as the “Stretch Run” continues with the final two weeks of the regular season. Only 49 WPIAL football playoff spots are guaranteed up and down the six classifications with another 16 wild card spots to be determined by the...
Highlands boys soccer excited for 1st WPIAL playoff game in 21 years
For the first time in 21 years, the Highlands boys soccer team is heading to the WPIAL playoffs. The Golden Rams received the No. 15 seed in the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs Wednesday and will travel to Leetsdale to take on No. 2 Quaker Valley at 6:30 p.m. Monday. “We’re...
Through the Years: Chuck Sypula sparked Highlands to win 50 years ago
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. In a game delayed a day by rain, Chuck Sypula scored two touchdowns for Highlands, and a 2-point conversion pass attempt by Churchill...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: 3 teams 1 win from clinching
Win and you’re in. That is as simple as it gets this week for three local teams looking to clinch WPIAL playoff berths. Many playoff spots will not be decided until next week, but a few Westmoreland County teams can take care of business Friday night. Penn-Trafford (7-1, 3-1) secures...
PIAA notebook: New policy lets some private school students play sports at home public school district
Students attending a “faith-based” private school can play sports at their home public school district under a new PIAA policy. The policy — adopted to settle a federal lawsuit brought by a religious rights group — applies only when the students’ faith-based private school doesn’t offer a particular sport that...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Oct. 15, 2025
High schools Field hockey Wednesday’s results Class 2A Penn-Trafford 1, Upper St. Clair 1 Football Thursday’s schedule City League Semifinals Allderdice at Westinghouse, 7 p.m. Friday’s schedule WPIAL Class 6A Canon-McMillan at Norwin, 7 p.m. Central Catholic at Seneca Valley, 7 p.m. Hempfield at Mt. Lebanon, 7 p.m. Class 5A...
High school roundup for Oct. 15, 2025: In battle of contenders, Fox Chapel downs Norwin
Emily McKee scored the go-ahead goal to lead Fox Chapel to a 2-1 victory over Norwin in a nonsection girls soccer playoff tuneup Wednesday night. Antonia Linzoain also scored for the Foxes (15-1-1), who are the top seed in Class 3A. Tatum Casper scored for the Knights (14-2), the third...
What to watch for in high school sports on Oct. 16, 2025: City League playoffs feature familiar matchups
As the Pittsburgh City League football playoffs kick off this weekend, forgive the four semifinalists if they are going through a bit of déjà vu this week. On Thursday at Cupples Stadium, second-place finisher and three-time defending champion Westinghouse (5-3) will battle the third-place team in the district this season,...
Westmoreland soccer playoff preview capsules for Thursday, Oct. 16
WPIAL soccer playoffs Boys Class 3A Preliminary round Ringgold (8-8) at Belle Vernon (7-10-1) 6:30 p.m. Thursday, James Weir Stadium, Belle Vernon Winner plays: At 1-Hampton (14-2-2) 12:30 p.m. Saturday in first round Players to watch: Izaiah Wilson, Ringgold; Jackson Pressel, Belle Vernon Throw-ins: Ringgold tied Laurel Highlands for fourth...
WPIAL clinched: Girls volleyball playoff qualifiers and clinching scenarios through Wednesday
The WPIAL girls volleyball regular season has only one day remaining and 62 district teams have clinched a postseason berth. The top four teams in each of the sections with seven or more teams and the top three teams in each of the sections with six or fewer teams qualify...
Trib 10: Shakeup at bottom of big school power rankings
The start of the “Stretch Run” of the high school football regular season was business as usual for the top six teams in both the big and small school power rankings. However, there was some shuffling of the deck in the bottom four in this week’s Trib 10. In the...
A-K Valley high school football players to watch for 2025 Week 8
Player of the week Aven Shirley Kiski Area, Sr., WR/DB Shirley hauled in 10 catches for 184 yards and a touchdown in a 27-25 win over Armstrong. That reception total is the top mark in the Alle-Kiski Valley for 2025. His 32-yard reception from Artman in the second quarter put...
Leechburg looks to rebound vs. Brentwood with Eastern Conference playoff implications on the line
The Leechburg football team has not lost back-to-back games in the regular season since early in the covid-shortened 2020 season. The Blue Devils hope to keep that streak going Friday. Leechburg, which suffered a shutout loss to Class A juggernaut Clairton in Eastern Conference play last Friday, will look to...
A-K Valley high school football matchups for 2025 Week 8
Here’s a look at the don’t-miss matchups for Week 8 in the A-K Valley: Class 5A Northeast Shaler (2-6, 2-1) at Fox Chapel (2-6, 0-4) 7 p.m. Friday, Burke Stadium, Fox Chapel Last week: Shaler 17, North Hills 14; Plum 35, Fox Chapel 0 Last year’s meeting: Shaler 35, Fox...
Here are a few of The Birdie’s favorite things … and his Week 8 picks in the A-K Valley
Last week: 9-2 Overall: 70-17 (80.5%) When The Birdie wrote his column last week about the teams and players in the A-K Valley he was excited about, something strange happened. His heart grew three sizes that day. “I’m sometimes a bit cranky,” our feathered friend admitted in the understatement of...
2025 Western Pa. high school football schedule for Week 8
Football Thursday City League Semifinals Allderdice at Westinghouse, 7 p.m. Friday WPIAL Class 6A Canon-McMillan at Norwin, 7 p.m. Central Catholic at Seneca Valley, 7 p.m. Hempfield at Mt. Lebanon, 7 p.m. Class 5A Allegheny Six Bethel Park at South Fayette, 7 p.m. Peters Township at Baldwin, 7 p.m. Upper...
Westmoreland County high school football players to watch for 2025 Week 8
Player of the week Stanley Chapman Southmoreland, Sr., MLB Chapman had 12 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in last week’s win against Mt. Pleasant. For the season, he has 78 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks for the undefeated Scotties. Southmoreland (8-0, 3-0) will play Elizabeth...
Westmoreland County high school football matchups for 2025 Week 8
Here’s a look at the don’t-miss matchups for Week 8 in Westmoreland County: Class 6A No. 5 Canon-McMillan (4-4, 2-2) at No. 3 Norwin (5-3, 2-2) 7 p.m. Friday, Norwin Knights Stadium, North Huntingdon Last week: North Allegheny 21, Canon-McMillan 13; Central Catholic 35, Norwin 6 Last year’s meeting: Canon-McMillan...
The Birdie ponders what might have been for Norwin, makes Week 8 Westmoreland County picks
Last week: 11-1 Season: 78-23 (77%) The Birdie has his eye on Norwin as the regular season winds into the final two weeks. He spins a what-could-have-been narrative for the Knights that could be bittersweet to the football fans of North Huntingdon, Irwin and North Irwin. Excuse His Excellence if...
Doubles victory lifts Quaker Valley in WPIAL team tennis thriller; Shady Side Academy reigns in 3A
With each team having won two matches, the No. 1 doubles teams from North Catholic and Quaker Valley were locked in a decisive showdown. Quaker Valley’s Jane Lenhard and Kate Miller went down 1-0 in the first set but rallied back and defeated Ava Conley and Leah Kernan to bring...
‘It will come down to matchups’: Westmoreland County soccer teams learn WPIAL playoff pairings
When Franklin Regional reached the WPIAL boys soccer finals last season, the Panthers were slight underdogs as the No. 7 seed. If they get back to Highmark Stadium, it won’t be as much of a surprise. The Panthers are No. 3 this time in what appears to be a wide-open...
Top-seeded Fox Chapel girls lead 15 A-K Valley teams on road to Highmark Stadium
The waiting ended at about 1:15 Wednesday afternoon when 15 Alle-Kiski Valley boys and girls soccer teams found out their playoff fates as the WPIAL revealed all eight brackets for the road to Highmark Stadium. The Fox Chapel girls lead the way with a No. 1 seed in Class 3A...
