High School category, Page 569
Guard play could provide spark for Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball team
A move to a new section is just logistics to Greensburg Central Catholic. The new digs come with no guarantees and don’t mean another perfect record in section games like last season. And they surely do not ensure a 23rd straight WPIAL playoff berth. That still has to be earned,...
Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball returns plenty
Greensburg Central Catholic will open boys basketball practice Friday with no starters. Sure, there are three players who appeared regularly in the starting five last season, but fourth-year coach Christian Hyland is not labeling them as first-stringers just yet. “Everything is on the table,” Hyland said. “The guys who compete...
5 things to watch in Week 12 of high school football
Aliquippa is trying to reach the WPIAL football finals for the 15th year in a row, meaning some of the players on the Quips roster weren’t born the last time the team failed to get there. That was in 2007. But as impressive as that record streak may be, Aliquippa...
In coach’s 2nd season, Deer Lakes girls ready to make climb over .500 mark
Deer Lakes has only one thing in mind as another girls basketball season approaches — to come away with a winning record for the first time in three years. Perhaps the time is ripe? “We have the potential to be as good as anyone in the section,” said coach Sam...
Through the Years: In 1947, Ken High shut out Har-Brack
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. Ken High won its second consecutive WPIAL title over Har-Brack, 27-0, at Forbes Field on Nov. 27, 1947. Vince Pisano scored two touchdowns...
Tradition-rich programs clash when Pine-Richland, Upper St. Clair play for WPIAL Class 5A crown
Pine-Richland and Upper St. Clair have each been to plenty of WPIAL championship games. But both have arrived to this year’s finals with a rare similarity. The Rams and the Panthers have advanced with quarterback changes. Pine-Richland has gone with Ryan Palmieri since midseason and Upper St. Clair has been...
WPIAL football playoff preview capsules for Nov. 18-19, 2022
Let the gold rush begin on the gridiron. The WPIAL will hold its first two championship games Saturday at Norwin, crowning winners in Class 5A and 6A. Meanwhile it’s Final Four Friday in the other classifications as eight semifinals games are set for Friday to set the stage for the...
New coach keeps bar high for Deer Lakes boys basketball
There have been great expectations in recent years for the Deer Lakes boys basketball team, which enters a new season with a new coach in a new classification. Don’t count on those expectations changing. Albie Fletcher, a Deer Lakes graduate and former basketball assistant at the school, certainly doesn’t see...
4 WPIAL teams set to play for PIAA soccer championships
Four WPIAL teams will compete for PIAA soccer championships Friday and Saturday in Mechanicsburg. Here’s a look at each game: Girls soccer PIAA Class A championship Southern Columbia (17-6-1) vs. Freedom (20-4) 10 a.m. Friday at Eagle View MS, Mechanicsburg On the air: PCN-TV Seeds: Southern Columbia 4-2; Freedom 7-1...
Aliquippa, McKeesport collide again in WPIAL semifinals after 2OT battle last season
For a year, McKeesport has wondered what might’ve been. What if the Tigers had won that dramatic double-overtime semifinal game last season against Aliquippa? Would they have followed the Quips’ path as WPIAL and PIAA champions? Nobody knows. “It’s something that’s kind of left a bad taste in our mouths,”...
Players selected for We Serve First All-Star Classic girls volleyball event
The inaugural We Serve First All-Star Classic girls volleyball event will be Dec. 10 at Kiski Area High School, and the 36 seniors set to take part have been selected. They represent 16 schools in the Alle-Kiski Valley and surrounding communities: Apollo-Ridge, Armstrong, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Franklin Regional, Freeport, Hampton,...
Chick’s Picks makes sure she doesn’t come up short while making WPIAL playoff predictions
Each year, at this critical point of the season, Chick’s Picks often finds herself needing a little more inspiration to carry her over the finish line. Chick’s Picks spent some time this week seeking that extra motivation. After reading about Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak earning his 300th career win...
Shaye Bailey’s hat trick torches Greensburg CC, sends Freedom to Class A state title game
Looking more like she was ready for the homecoming court than someone who had just played a soccer game, Shaye Bailey cradled a bouquet of roses as she talked to reporters on a bitter cold Wednesday night in Monroeville. White, pink, red: The flowers complemented the Freedom junior’s scarlet uniform....
Freeport girls volleyball team outlasts Philipsburg-Osceola, reaches state final
A pair of district champions battled for five games Wednesday at Punxsutawney High School with a trip to the PIAA Class 2A girls volleyball championship on the line. In a packed gym, a boisterous crowd saw District 6 champion Philipsburg-Osceola deliver the first shot with a dominant win in Game...
Moon fends off Mars again to return to state championship game
Just 11 days ago, Mars and Moon met for the WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer championship. The Tigers bested the Planets by a goal that day to capture their fifth title. The high stakes rematch tonight took place Wednesday night at North Allegheny with a spot in the PIAA championship...
Mt. Pleasant girls soccer team comes up short in PIAA semis
Mt. Pleasant’s dream run to the PIAA Class 2A girls soccer championship ended Wednesday at Slippery Rock. A stifling defense and a lucky bounce off the post helped District 10 runner-up General McLane to a 3-0 victory in the semifinals. General McLane (16-5-1) will face Central Columbia at 10 a.m....
2022 Western Pa. high school football schedule, broadcasts for Week 12
Friday WPIAL Playoffs Class 4A Semifinals Aliquippa (10-0) vs. McKeesport (11-1) at Canon-McMillan, 7 p.m. (HSSN*, 1460 AM, 1020 AM) Central Valley (10-1) vs. Thomas Jefferson (8-3) at North Allegheny, 7 p.m. (HSSN*) Class 3A Semifinals Avonworth (10-1) vs. Shady Side Academy (7-4) at Fox Chapel, 7 p.m. (HSSN*) Belle...
Birdie runs advance scouting mission for Belle Vernon, makes semifinal pick
Last week: 3-0 (100%) Season: 104-28 (78.8%) If you watched the Pittsburgh Steelers play the New Orleans Saints last Sunday at Acrisure Stadium, you may have caught a glimpse of the Birdie during the telecast. “They showed a quick shot of me and my cronies,” the Birdie said, rewinding his...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 16, 2022
High schools Field hockey PIAA playoffs Class 3A Semifinals Wednesday’s results Wilson 2, Emmaus 1 Lower Dauphin 3, Conestoga 2 (OT) Championship Saturday’s schedule Wilson (21-2-1) vs. Lower Dauphin (21-3-1) at Cumberland Valley, 3 p.m. Class 2A Semifinals Wednesday’s results Mechanicsburg 1, Villa Maria Academy 0 Palmyra 3, Gwynedd Mercy...
High school roundup for Nov. 16, 2022: Seneca Valley, Winchester Thurston make state finals
Seneca Valley avenged its loss in last year’s PIAA finals and earned a berth in the state championship game for the third straight year with a 2-0 victory over Conestoga in the Class 4A semifinals Wednesday night in Chambersburg. After a scoreless first half, Max Marcotte finished off a feed...
Get to know the new site of the PIAA soccer championships
The PIAA soccer championships will move to a new venue this year with eight title games set for Friday and Saturday at Eagle View Middle School’s Bobby Rahal Toyota Field on the campus of Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg. Since 1998, the state finals have been played at HersheyPark...
Seasoned roster has Franklin Regional girls in position to succeed
The girls basketball roster at Franklin Regional last year had a mix of guards and forwards, varying heights and positions. What it didn’t have was a senior. Not one. So coach Bernie Pucka is hoping a young group comes back battle-tested and tempered when practice tips off Friday. “It elevates...
Franklin Regional boys look to build on flashes of excellence
Franklin Regional is looking for more consistency, start to finish, end to end. “We want to string together good possessions, string together more stops and string together more wins,” Panthers coach Jesse Reed said. Last year, the Panthers (7-14, 5-7 Section 3) did not win more than two games in...
Trib 10: Teams in power rankings move closer to WPIAL gold
While the number of WPIAL football teams still fighting for gold continues to dwindle, those listed below in our weekly power rankings continue to thrive. Win and advance. Eight district teams did just that with wins last week to move on in their respective classifications, now one win or two...
Students learn leadership at 13th annual WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit
Becoming role models and difference-makers at your school and community was the theme of the 13th annual WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit on Wednesday at the Heinz History Center and Sports Museum. At least four students from 62 high schools attended the event and listened to numerous speakers urging them to create...
