High School category, Page 435
Plum boys soccer team learns from early setback
The Plum boys soccer team had a most interesting, and exhausting, opening to its season Aug. 26. Kiski Area pulled out of the Mustangs’ kickoff tournament which also featured West Allegheny and Upper St. Clair. It created a void that the coaches of Plum, West A and USC worked to...
Norwin volleyball looks to take ‘baby’ steps forward coming off playoff season
“Don’t drop the baby” has become one of Norwin’s favorite games to play at volleyball practice. The Lady Knights hope the multi-tasking game makes them sharper this season. Basically, two extra volleyballs are put in play, with teams playing normally with a regular ball, while passing to each other two...
Norwin notebook: Knights show potential in football opener
Norwin showed some fight in its first football game of the season. The Knights fell behind early and rallied to tie it at halftime, but ultimately fell to host Upper St. Clair, 24-21. Sophomore quarterback Tristyn Tavares completed 12 of 27 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns, two of...
Franklin Regional notebook: Panthers pay tribute to late teammate at opener
Franklin Regional will never forget Joe Purdue. The Panthers are wearing helmet decals with the initials “J.P.” this season to remember their late and beloved teammate. A somber moment of silence was held in the Week Zero opener at Panthers Stadium for Purdue, who died in March from pediatric brain...
Young Franklin Regional boys golf team shows depth with key victories
How deep is the Franklin Regional boys golf team’s lineup? Good enough for coach Jeff Traphagen to take his second team to a tri-match Aug. 30, and earn wins over Gateway, 200-227, and Woodland Hills, 200-310. With the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association tournament set for the following day, and coming...
Hopes are sky high for Hampton girls volleyball
The Hampton girls volleyball team looks so promising this season that winning a section title would hardly qualify as a goal. It’s more of a given. Led by returning two-time all-state senior outside hitter Emmy Schrom and a deep, talented supporting cast, the Talbots will be defined by what happens...
Hampton girls tennis ready to fight for playoff berth
During the second day of Hampton girls tennis tryouts in mid-August, four upperclassmen playing doubles argued over whether a serve was in or out. Coach Grant McKinney stepped in to settle the dispute — “That was clearly in, ladies” — and the fiery Talbots resumed their practice at Hampton Community...
Fox Chapel cross country standout working back into form
Rowan Gwin never discovered what the cause of his hip flexor injury was last spring. Trying to navigate through great pain, Gwin competed in the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championship at Slippery Rock University. That didn’t go great. Entering this cross country season, Gwin, who finished seventh at...
Fox Chapel notebook: Soccer teams tested early
Section play is grueling for all WPIAL soccer programs. The way the calendar falls necessitates playing tough games early in the schedule. Both the Fox Chapel boys and girls programs were tested by perennially WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A challengers Seneca Valley in the first week of the season. For...
Aliquippa debuts at new Heinz Field with convincing victory over Armstrong
Aliquippa debuted its renovated stadium Friday night the only way the Quips knew how, with a dominant victory. An overcapacity crowd of more than 3,500 gathered at the newly named Heinz Field to watch the Quips defeat Armstrong, 37-19, in a nonconference contest. “Now I finally can reflect back on...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Sept. 1, 2023
High schools Football Friday’s results WPIAL Class 6A Section 1 North Allegheny 30, Canon-McMillan 6 Nonconference Aliquippa 37, Armstrong 19 Ambridge 14, Freedom 7 Avella 22, Bentworth 15 Avonworth 28, Central Valley 20 Beaver 31, Beaver Falls 28 Belle Vernon 40, Laurel Highlands 0 Bishop Canevin 26, Greensburg Central Catholic...
High school football roundup for Sept. 1, 2023: Avonworth takes down Central Valley
Carson Bellinger threw for 105 yards and a touchdown as Class 3A No. 4 Avonworth earned a 28-20 victory over Class 4A No. 4 Central Valley (1-1) in a nonconference football game Friday night. The Lopes (2-0) opened a 14-0 lead after Bellinger connected with Andrew Kuban on a 74-yard...
Trib HSSN’s 2023 Week 1 top performers for passing, rushing, receiving
Top performers for Week 1 of high school football in Western Pennsylvania. Passing 361 - Devin Harris, Shady Side Academy (16 of 29) 276 - Keegan Smetanka, Shaler (14 of 20) 243 - Adam DiPasquale, Greensburg Salem (22 of 40) 207 - Jake Wolfe, Montour (11 of 17) 197 -...
South Fayette comes alive in 2nd half to top old conference rival West Allegheny
It was technically a Class 4A vs. 5A nonconference matchup, but it was more like a clash of two old rivals as West Allegheny and South Fayette collided Friday night. The former foes in the Allegheny Six conference came into the game after opening-week wins, and it was the Lions...
Reilly has big return as Latrobe beats Norwin at Moe Rosensteel memorial
Four goals. It wasn’t so much about how they happened, but that they happened. Then again, Latrobe players and coaches have come to expect such a performance from Robin Reilly. The junior midfielder had not played a competitive game in two months when she took the field for the first...
Kushner carries North Allegheny to victory over Canon-McMillan
The last time North Allegheny and Canon-McMillan faced off was during one of the rainiest days of the year last November. Friday night, there wasn’t a cloud in a sky, but the Tigers still rained on the Big Macs’ parade. Logan Kushner ran for 167 yards on just 13 carries,...
Mt. Lebanon tops rival Bethel Park in overtime, avenging last year’s OT loss
Mt. Lebanon thought they’d won and then were sure they’d lost, so the surprised smile junior Noah Schaerli showed afterward summed up Friday’s win perfectly. “It was unbelievable,” said Schaerli, who caught an 8-yard touchdown pass in overtime to secure Mt. Lebanon’s 19-16 win over host Bethel Park in a...
Franklin Regional’s goal-line stands turn back Latrobe
Two goal-line stands and two third-quarter touchdown runs by Kyle Dupill helped Franklin Regional defeat Latrobe, 28-21, in a heart-thumping nonconference battle Friday at Memorial Stadium. It might have been a nonconference game, but these two Westmoreland County foes battled like it was for a conference title. The Panthers (1-1)...
Defending champ Belle Vernon leaves no doubt with shutout at Laurel Highlands
Defending WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A champion Belle Vernon earned a convincing road win to begin its title defenses Friday night. Penn State recruit Quinton Martin finished with four touchdowns, and Belle Vernon’s tenacious defense refused to allow a score in a 40-0 victory over Laurel Highlands in nonconference action....
Bishop Canevin revs up in victory against Greensburg Central Catholic
Greensburg Central Catholic was hoping Bishop Canevin would be rusty because the highly touted Crusaders did not play a game or scrimmage last week. The Crusaders were, especially early. But they recovered from the groggy start and a slew of penalties, using a huge push up front and some GCC...
Da’sjon Craggette carries Southmoreland to blowout victory
The spotlight on a pair of Westmoreland County running backs with 200-yard games last week during the opening night of high school football shifted Friday night to Southmoreland’s Da’sjon Craggette. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior ran every which way again, finishing with 193 yards and three touchdowns to lead the visiting...
Randolph runs wild in Highlands’ victory over Blackhawk
Football can be a game of inches. This was certainly the case when Highlands traveled to Blackhawk for a nonconference matchup Friday night. With Highlands holding a 20-13 lead with more than seven minutes remaining in the game, Blackhawk faced a fourth-and- goal at the 5-yard line. The Golden Rams...
Valley beats Apollo-Ridge to give new coach Adams his first victory
The Mark Adams era of Valley football is officially underway, and if the Vikings defense plays anything like it did Friday night against Apollo-Ridge, the folks of New Kensington will be proud. The Vikings (1-1, 0-0) controlled the line of scrimmage for all but one drive in an 18-7 victory....
Deer Lakes dominates rival Burrell in shutout
Last year’s matchup between Burrell and Deer Lakes went to overtime before the Bucs pulled out a six-point victory. An extra session wasn’t needed Friday in the latest edition of the series between the area rivals. Deer Lakes scored three times in the first half, added two TDs in the...
Big plays, takeaways help McKeesport defeat Penn-Trafford
Before its matchup with Penn-Trafford, the Class 4A No. 3 McKeesport added a play to its offensive repertoire that coach Matt Miller did not know if they would use. That play: a halfback pass. Not only did the Tigers use it, but they used it to perfection. That play also...
