High School category, Page 564
Electrifying Quinton Martin sparks Belle Vernon to WPIAL Class 3A title win over Avonworth
Attendance at Acrisure Stadium for the WPIAL Class 3A football championship: Quinton Martin … and everyone else. Martin electrified the crowd with a highlight-reel, 51-yard punt return touchdown, caught a TD pass and ran for another score to lead Belle Vernon to its first WPIAL title since 1995 in a...
WPIAL Class 2A final by the numbers: Steel Valley 34, Beaver Falls 14
Steel Valley 34, Beaver Falls 14 Beaver Falls 8-0-6-0 — 14 Steel Valley 20-0-7-7 — 34 How they scored SV: Cruce Brookins 56 run (run failed) BF: Trey Singleton 20 pass from Jaren Brickner (Da’ Sean Anderson pass from Brickner) SV: Brookins 53 run (A.J. Karstetter kick) SV: Donald Barksdale...
Instant offense from Cruce Brookins leads Steel Valley past Beaver Falls in WPIAL Class 2A title gameVideo
Steel Valley football coach Ray Braszo got the proverbial monkey off his back Friday at Acrisure Stadium. For the first time in his 34-year career, a Braszo-coached team defeated Beaver Falls. And by doing so, Braszo got his first Gatorade dousing at the former Heinz Field. Steel Valley quarterback Cruce...
Norwin girls basketball coach planning to manage team so it peaks at right time
Looking to allow recovery time between the fall season and WPIAL winter season, Norwin’s girls basketball team eased into practice instead of going all out like in previous years. “It’s a different approach,” coach Brian Brozeski said. “We’re a little bit behind. We had more fall involvement than in years...
Despite small roster, Riverview girls in position to stay in section hunt
The Riverview girls basketball team would like to extend its legacy of making the WPIAL playoffs 12 of the past 13 seasons. But first, the Raiders will have to get their whole team on the floor. A number of players have missed preseason practice time for various reason, but second-year...
Norwin boys basketball team prepared to take next step in Maha’s 2nd season as coach
A sleek, refurbished gym floor greeted the basketball teams at Norwin this year. The floor is much lighter, adding brightness to the room. The color scheme is slightly altered — a tangier shade of yellow against the traditional navy blue — and the Knights logo also has a modernized look...
Riverview boys look to build on solid foundation
While Phil McGivney’s first year at Riverview didn’t produce a playoff berth for the Raiders boys basketball team, the belief is that the future is bright. “I thought it was a productive year,” McGivney said of his team that went 6-16 overall and 2-8 in the section. “We were in...
WPIAL Class A final by the numbers: Union 26, Bishop Canevin 0
Union Area 26, Bishop Canevin 0 Union 8-0-18-0 26 Bishop Canevin 0-0-0-0 0 How they scored U: Braylon Thomas 6 run (Grayson Blakeley pass from Thomas) U: Thomas 38 run (pass failed) U: Matt Stanley 28 fumble recovery (run failed) U: Mike Gunn 59 interception return (pass failed) Team statistics...
No. 10 Union shocks No. 1 Bishop Canevin to win 2nd WPIAL football championshipVideo
Union was the definition of an underdog. • First appearance in a WPIAL championship game since 1973 • First double-digit seed to reach the WPIAL finals since 2010 • Playing top-seeded and defending champion Bishop Canevin, which averaged 41.8 points and scored 60 or more three times On Friday afternoon,...
2022 WPIAL 4A football championship breakdown: Aliquippa vs. Central Valley
WPIAL Class 4A football championship No. 1 Aliquippa vs. No. 2 Central Valley 8 p.m. Friday, Acrisure Stadium Video stream: tribhssn.triblive.com Radio: KDKA (1020 AM, 100.1 FM), WMBA (1460 AM, 95.7 FM) Winner plays: District 10 champion Meadville (12-1) or District 11 champion Allentown Central Catholic (8-5) in a PIAA...
2022 WPIAL 3A football championship breakdown: Belle Vernon vs. Avonworth
WPIAL Class 3A football championship No. 1 Belle Vernon vs. No. 2 Avonworth 5 p.m. Friday, Acrisure Stadium Video stream: tribhssn.triblive.com Radio: KDKA (1020 AM, 100.1 FM), WJPA (95.3 FM), WHJB (107.1 FM) Winner plays: District 10 champion Grove City (9-3) or District 6 champion Central Martinsburg (11-2) in a...
How to watch Friday’s 2022 WPIAL Class football championships on Trib HSSN
Championship Friday has arrived at Acrisure Stadium, and the TribLIVE High School Sports Network has you covered. Trib HSSN is the only place to watch the WPIAL Class A, 2A, 3A and 4A football championships. Here’s how to watch Friday’s games, sponsored by U.S. Air Force and First National Bank:...
2022 WPIAL 2A football championship breakdown: Steel Valley vs. Beaver Falls
WPIAL Class 2A football championship No. 1 Steel Valley vs. No. 2 Beaver Falls 2 p.m. Friday, Acrisure Stadium Video stream: tribhssn.triblive.com Radio: KDKA (1020 AM, 100.1 FM), WBVP (1230 AM, 99.3 FM) Winner plays: City League champion Westinghouse (13-0) or District 10 champion Farrell (10-1) in a PIAA semifinal...
2022 WPIAL A football championship breakdown: Bishop Canevin vs. Union
WPIAL Class A football championship No. 1 Bishop Canevin vs. No. 10 Union 11 a.m. Friday, Acrisure Stadium Video stream: tribhssn.triblive.com Radio: KDKA (1020 AM, 100.1 FM) Winner plays: District 10 champion Reynolds (11-1) or District 9 champion Port Allegany (11-1) in a PIAA semifinal Dec. 2 or 3. WPIAL...
Belle Vernon secondary prepares to deal with tall Avonworth receivers in WPIAL title game
WPIAL Class 3A football championship Avonworth (11-1) vs. Belle Vernon (9-2) 5 p.m. Friday, Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh … Watching film on Avonworth this week, Belle Vernon football players could see the size advantage the Antelopes possess in the slot and on the perimeter. The Antelopes go long: long legs, long...
Mt. Pleasant boys need to overcome big loss of top scorer
If the Mt. Pleasant boys basketball team wants to improve on its dismal 2021-22 season, it must do so without leading scorer Dante Giallonardo. The junior forward who averaged 12 points per game will be sidelined this season with a knee injury sustained during football season. And while the loss...
Small roster doesn’t shrink expectations for Monessen girls
Monessen girls basketball coach Janine Vertacnik has kept a close eye on how hard she is working with everyone. The Greyhounds don’t have a roster with a lot of room for a lot of flexibility. Avoiding injuries and ailments will be important for a team trying to repeat last season’s...
Returning starters, influx of talent make Monessen boys contenders in Class A
Becoming a better basketball player wasn’t going to be accomplished by doing the same old things. Jaisen Blackman, a senior at Monessen, decided he was going to find an outlet to help improve. By playing in a league in the Mon Valley, Blackman gave himself a boost. “It was my...
Through the Years: Riverview celebrates 25th anniversary of WPIAL title
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. After coming up short two of the three previous seasons, Riverview finally got to wear the Class A crown with a 19-14 victory...
Thanks to boost in numbers, enthusiasm high for Leechburg girls
There’s a pleasant surprise involving Leechburg girls basketball this season. More players. After several seasons with a barely enough players to take the court, Leechburg has its roster in double digits. The Blue Devils went 0-17 last season, 0-8 in section play, but that hasn’t hindered more girls coming out...
With uncommon chemistry, veteran Leechburg boys lineup ready to tackle Class 2A
The names are familiar, and so are the goals. The Leechburg boys basketball team returns five of its top seven players from last season, and the Blue Devils are poised to try for an eighth consecutive WPIAL playoff berth. Coach Damian Davies brings back an experienced lineup, led by forward...
After regrouping, Mt. Pleasant girls ready to make inroads in Class 3A
Scott Giacobbi is beginning his 18th season as girls basketball coach at Mt. Pleasant. He called last season a regrouping year. The Vikings were sometimes overmatched in Section 4-4A, but with a drop in classification, Giacobbi is looking forward to the new challenges his squad will face. Instead of playing...
New coach aims to make game fun again for Plum boys basketball
Justin Walther, a familiar face around WPIAL circles, is the new coach of the Plum boys basketball team. Walther was hired at the end of June and replaces Mark Marino, who went 23-25 in three seasons as the Mustangs coach. Walther graduated from Central Catholic in 1995 as the second-leading...
Expectations rising for Plum girls basketball
Expectations have been raised for the second year of the Rich Mull coaching tenure at Plum. “I was hired at the end of last summer, so we really didn’t have an offseason to put things in place,” Mull said. “We should be more prepared with everyone knowing their roles. “We...
Thanksgiving Day practice now annual tradition for WPIAL 4A finalists Central Valley, Aliquippa
How many folks are coming to Thanksgiving dinner? Central Valley’s Bret FitzSimmons expected to eat turkey with around 70 friends. It’s become an annual after-practice tradition for him and his football teammates, who planned to eat together around noon Thursday for the fourth year in a row. That’s one of...
