High School category, Page 485
Penn Hills volleyball looks to build foundation with improved technique
Will Piccolino knows setting the standard for the Penn Hills boys volleyball program isn’t going to revolve around his players suddenly finishing highlight-reel kills. The Indians are in the process of laying the foundation for getting in position to make those types of plays possible. Penn Hills recently picked up...
Penn Hills senior relies on simple, effective approach on mound, at plate
Penn Hills senior pitcher/first baseman Kenny Boyle has a simple pitching philosophy. He’s a one-two-three guy: He throws a fastball, curveball and slider. When Boyle, who is committed to play at Penn State New Kensington, is on the field, he tries to pitch to contact. “It’s all about not walking...
Now recovered from knee injury, Louisville recruit Gianna Rotelli ready to finish Pine-Richland career strong
Gianna Rotelli was excited going into her junior season, because she was the top ranked javelin thrower in the WPIAL after a second-place finish as a sophomore, but she never got the opportunity to showcase her talent. She suffered a serious knee injury while playing volleyball, which sidelined her the...
6-foot-6 freshman sparks Pine-Richland boys volleyball
Doolin Stober has a unique name and an equally distinct skill set on the volleyball court. Standing at 6-foot-6, he provides a major presence in the middle of the net for the Pine-Richland boys volleyball team. He had a big performance that helped the Rams secure their first win of...
Gateway boys tennis captures long-awaited section championship
The last time the Gateway boys tennis team captured a section title, Bill Clinton was ramping up his campaign to become President of the United States, Duke has just routed Michigan to win the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, and “Jump” by the hip-hop duo Kris Kross was moving...
Gateway lacrosse eyes improvement, progress in 2nd half of season
The Gateway boys lacrosse team last made the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs in 2019. The Gators that year defeated Sewickley Academy in the first round before falling to No. 2 Hampton in the quarterfinals. Gateway’s momentum was stunted the next year as the covid pandemic wiped out the entire spring...
Led by veteran doubles team, Shaler boys tennis ends long playoff drought
Nolan Le knows he doesn’t have to wait for Shaler coach Brian Duermeyer to circle back to his doubles match for advice. Le can lean on partner Ethan Opiela to point him back in the right direction. “I always start slow and we drop a few games,” Le said. “Ethan...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for April 22, 2023
High schools WPIAL Baseball Sunday’s schedule Johnstown at Ligonier Valley, 11 a.m. Ligonier Valley at Richland, 1:45 p.m. Lacrosse Saturday’s results Boys Nonsection Cathedral Prep 10, Bethel Park 7 Owen J. Roberts 13, Hampton 0 Girls Nonsection Moon 10, Sewickley Academy 9 Track and field Saturday’s results Rock Relays High...
High school roundup for April 22, 2023: Laurel’s Atkins sisters collect medals at Slippery Rock
Regan and Tori Atkins led the WPIAL contingent at the Rock Relays at Slippery Rock University on Saturday, each claiming three first-place finishes. Regan Atkins won the javelin with a throw of 113 feet, 1 inch and Tori Atkins took first in the 200 with a time of 25.35. They...
Soccer took Kiski Area’s Lundberg to Duquesne, pros, now A-K hall of fame
As a youngster, Stefan Lundberg gravitated toward the sport of soccer for a simple reason. “T-ball was a little too slow-paced for me,” Lundberg said with a laugh. “Soccer is a fast game, and you have to keep moving. I picked it up pretty well and kept playing the rest...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Freeport’s Michael Hanz, Burrell’s Kadi Bauer
Kadi Bauer Class: Senior School: Burrell Sport: Track and field Report card: Distance running Bauer set a school record in the 1,600-meter run (5 minutes, 20.34 seconds) as the Bucs locked up second place with a 6-1 record in Section 4-2A and a spot in the WPIAL team playoffs. They...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Latrobe’s Havrilla pulls double duty
Maybe it has something to do with nets. Playing two sports in the same season is challenging enough, but how about two in one day? Latrobe senior Josh Havrilla made it happen last Tuesday. In the frigid afternoon, he joined teammate August Lawrence in the championship match of the Section...
Westmoreland athletes of the week: Greensburg Salem’s Gionnah Ruffner, Norwin’s Nolan Ryan
Gionnah Ruffner School: Greensburg Salem Class: Junior Sport: Softball Claim to fame: Ruffner, a center fielder, is helping to keep the Golden Lions in the playoff race in WPIAL Section 2-4A. She went 4 for 5 with a double, triple and three runs in a 12-3 win over Laurel Highlands....
WPIAL softball rankings: Week ending April 23, 2023
Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Seneca Valley, 9-1, 2 2. Norwin, 11-2, 3 3. Hempfield, 11-2, 1 4. North Allegheny, 10-4, 4 5. Canon-McMillan, 4-7, 5 Out: none Class 5A Rank, Team, W-L, Last 1. Shaler, 12-0, 1 2. Armstrong, 11-1, 2 3. Trinity, 10-1, 3 4. West...
Fox Chapel notebook: Aidan Oehrle hits leaderboard for Lehigh
Aidan Oehrle helped the Lehigh men’s golf team pick up a win at the ABARTA Coca-Cola Collegiate Invitational on April 17 in Easton. Oehrle shot a 4-under par 140 to lead the Mountain Hawks. During the final round, Oehrle made two birdies and also recorded an eagle to tie for...
Back from injury, Jack Loughren helping Riverview baseball contend for section crown
It was a long road to recovery for Riverview junior Jack Loughren. The three-sport Raiders standout saw his football season come to an end Sept. 10 when he suffered a severely broken leg in a game against Northgate at Riverside Park. Surgery and several months of healing followed. Loughren missed...
Fox Chapel baseball’s successful season built on sound defense
Jack Resek didn’t believe the Fox Chapel baseball team welcomed a break in the Section 1-5A schedule. But the senior designated hitter didn’t believe having four nonsection games in late April would do much to change the Foxes’ approach. Fox Chapel, which was 6-5 overall and 6-2 in section as...
Bethel Park sprinter shattering school records in breakout season
Bethel Park coach Mark Jacobs had high hopes for junior Artemis Conaboy in the outdoor track and field season. “I have to say my expectations for this season have been blown out of the water because Artemis sprinted right past them,” Jacobs said. “I knew she had the ability to...
With roster loaded with underclassmen, Bethel Park girls lacrosse looks to learn, grow
It’s been tough sledding for the Bethel Park girls lacrosse team. “We graduated about 75% of our varsity team last year, so this is a major rebuilding year for us,” coach Becky Luzier said. “The good news is we return some great now-upperclassmen and we have an abundance of freshmen...
Despite roster turnover, Bethel Park boys lacrosse remains in contention
Luke Lewis moved from defensive coordinator into the leadership position of head coach this year in the Bethel Park boys lacrosse program. He said the team’s expectations remain the same. “Bethel Park lacrosse has always been a highly competitive top-tier WPIAL team,” Lewis said, “and despite graduating several starters from...
Bethel Park ready to defend back-to-back PIAA baseball championships
The players on the Bethel Park baseball team have had big shoes to fill this season. The Black Hawks are two-time defending state champions and are coming off back-to-back 20-win campaigns. “Our goals are the same as every year,” coach Pat Zehnder said, “to win section, WPIAL and state championships....
Norwin notebook: Track standouts climb medal stand
The Norwin boys track and field team finished second and the girls were third at the Lady Spartan/Wildcat Invitational at Latrobe. Ashley Laukus won the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 3 inches, while Nataiah Robertson-Dutrieuille captured the long jump in 16-11.25, and Hannah Shaw won the pole...
North Hills notebook: Indians softball adds pair of key section wins
North Hills continued its strong start to the 2023 season with a pair of dominating victories in Section 1-5A. The Indians beat Fox Chapel, 12-2, on April 11 and shut out Penn Hills, 15-0, on April 12. Against the Foxes, Hanna Murphy hit a two-run homer, Brenna Westwood hit a...
North Hills baseball off to hot start
A year older, a year better. A lot better, in fact. That’s been the case for the North Hills baseball team through the opening weeks of the season. After finishing 6-12 and missing the playoffs in 2022, the Indians have gotten off to a blistering hot start in 2023, racking...
North Allegheny notebook: Lee, Shi win WPIAL Scholar-Athlete Awards
The WPIAL saw an increased number of applicants for the James Collins Scholar-Athlete Award this year, and Wednesday announced 20 winners from the 162 nominees, including two students from North Allegheny. North Allegheny’s Harron Lee and Christina Shi were recognized. Lee, who carries a 4.61 GPA, is a four-year letter-winner...
