High School category, Page 58
Fox Chapel swimmers earn medals, enjoy opportunity to compete in Maccabi Games
Cameryn Brindza enjoyed the learning experience that came along with participating in the Maccabi Games. The event, which was held in Pittsburgh during the first week of August, was an international competition for Jewish teenagers similar to the Olympics. Brindza, 16, attends Fox Chapel and won six medals in swimming...
Senior state qualifier, Quaker Valley golf teammates driven to reach goals
Three Quaker Valley golfers qualified for the PIAA Class 2A individual championships last season. Two were seniors — Ethan Dai and Nolan Wagoner — who ended their high school golf careers at the Penn State Blue Course. The third qualifier — Makenna Kamnikar — is back this season. Kamnikar finished...
Quaker Valley boys soccer driven to meet and exceed program’s high standards
Quaker Valley’s boys soccer team finished 14-4-1 in 2024 in Sean Ryan’s first year in charge of the program. QV ended the regular season with a 14-game unbeaten streak and first-place finish in Section 2-2A. The Quakers, who outscored opponents 86-8 in section play and 87-14 overall, tied with Avonworth...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 15, 2025
High schools Football Scrimmages Saturday’s schedule Aliquippa at Hickory, 10 a.m. Ambridge at New Brighton, 10 a.m. Apollo-Ridge, Brashear at Riverview, 10 a.m. Armstrong at Butler, 10 a.m. Avella at Fort Cherry, 10 a.m. Avonworth at New Castle, 10 a.m. Belle Vernon at Gateway, 10 a.m. Bentworth at Carlynton, 10...
Little bit of rebuilding won’t faze resurgent Ellwood City
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 22. There are two aspects to the turnaround of the Ellwood City program that help make it one of the best stories going in WPIAL football. First...
After challenging season, tradition-rich Beaver Falls eyes success in MAC
When your football program boasts 122 years of tradition, not to mention six WPIAL football titles, you can consider yourself among the elite programs in Western Pennsylvania’s storied history. Despite a winless 2024 season that included six shutouts and a scoring disparity of 306 points, things are trending up for...
Western Beaver ready to shine under Friday night lights
The book (and movie and TV show) wasn’t called “Saturday Afternoon Sunshine.” It was “Friday Night Lights,” and that’s a concept Western Beaver will become much more familiar with this season. The Golden Beavers have been playing at Rich Niedbala Field at the high school in Industry for 63 years....
Union to lean on young players in 2nd season in Class 2A
There is an old saying that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. And in the case of Kim Niedbala, his coaching legacy starts with his father Rich, who spent 31 years in charge at Western Beaver. The road traveled for Kim was paved mostly in the college...
With 11 starters back from playoff team, Riverside expects even more in 2025
Rob Magnifico returns for a second season as head coach at Riverside in 2025 after leading the Panthers to the WPIAL playoffs last season. The story of how Magnifico came to be coach of Riverside, given the fact that he’s an Ellwood City native who played and then coached the...
After big step forward last season, New Brighton seniors still want more
After two consecutive seasons without a single win, New Brighton coach John Macuga set a goal in 2024 to change the mentality of his players and help them establish a winning persona. “It’s been a point of emphasis for the players,” Macuga said before camp in 2024. “We must learn...
Program in a good place as Mohawk keeps stacking playoff seasons
The long summer days that lead to the start of a football season are where many coaches feel wins and losses will be determined, based on the effort put in. Mohawk coach Tim McCutcheon is no different, logging hours that go into the evening most days. But to build a...
Freedom football looking to follow baseball team’s example
For visitors meeting with Freedom football coach Ron Balog before the start of preseason camp, the most striking sight on campus was probably the baseball turf being torn up awaiting a new surface. But what really grabbed attention was the large banner hanging from the back of the bleachers reminding...
Countdown to Kickoff ’25: Saturday games not extinct just yet in WPIAL football
There was a time when Saturday afternoon marked a busy end to a high school football weekend around the WPIAL. Twenty years ago, 11 district schools played their home football games on Saturdays, with Bishop Canevin, Duquesne, Geibel Catholic, Riverview, Serra Catholic, Shady Side Academy, Shenango, South Side, Summit Academy,...
Hempfield softball player Claire Mitchell flips college commitment
Hempfield rising senior softball player Claire Mitchell has flipped her college commitment following a coaching change. Mitchell, a standout outfielder, announced she is no longer committed to Maryland Baltimore County and instead will play at Marist of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. She decided to leave UMBC after the resignation...
Kiski Area’s Shirley brothers work toward playoff berth in final season as teammates
Throughout their lives, as brothers often do, Aven and Teegan Shirley have found different avenues to be competitive with each other. When they were younger, it involved them tackling each other in the attic, which later would turn into fistfights, or going against each other on one-on-one passing routes with...
2025 Trib HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the defensive line
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here is a look at the top defensive tackles for the 2025 season. 1. Lincoln Hoke North Allegheny Senior, 6-2, 260 An indomitable defensive lineman named Hoke wearing black and gold sure feels familiar....
Ligonier Valley’s Cameron Kunkle won’t let injury steal senior season
When Cameron Kunkle tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee during basketball season, his doctor told him recovery time would take 12 months. The 6-foot-2, 178-pound senior went for a second opinion. That doctor gave him better news: He could be back in six months. After he had...
New Shady Side Academy coach favors grit over glamour
Spending time on campus during the first few weeks of football camp has given Shady Side Academy football coach Andrew Geisler the feeling he is where he needs to be. The former Bulldogs captain was hired in January to take over the program after a tumultuous season last year. Shady...
With interest in program up, OLSH ‘would like to surprise people’
The fruits of bringing together three programs in a co-op have brought Our Lady of the Sacred Heart football coach Donnie Militzer what he was looking for. The Chargers now have 54 players on the roster, allowing for competitive practices. Militzer is encouraged by the arrangement between Eden Christian, Propel...
Ligonier Valley looks to move on from consecutive losing seasons
Ligonier Valley football coach Roger Beitel had not endured consecutive losing campaigns before last season. Westmoreland County’s longest-tenured coach does not want a third. The Rams were 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the tough WPIAL Class 2A Allegheny Conference in 2024. They graduated 13 seniors, but Beitel hopes a talented...
Apollo-Ridge aims to bounce back after 1-win season
Apollo-Ridge took its lumps in and out of Allegheny Conference play last year. The Vikings won just one game out of nine, with the lone triumph a conference victory by three points over Ligonier Valley in the season finale. But with the struggles, veteran head coach John Skiba said, came...
Steel Valley gears up for championship run to close out Barksdale era
Since 2021, when Donald was a freshman, there’s always been a Barksdale in the backfield for the Steel Valley football team. It’s been a run to remember. Over the past four seasons, the Ironmen have gone 42-8 with a WPIAL championship in 2022, a runner-up finish the following year and...
After dream season, South Park ready to see next generation take over
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 22. South Park is coming off a dream season. Led by a dominant offensive line and superstar running back in Erie Doerue, the Eagles defeated Seton LaSalle,...
South Allegheny driven to reach new heights as turnaround continues
South Allegheny reached the playoffs for the first time since 2021 last season, finishing 9-3 for its first winning season since 2020. After back-to-back 1-9 seasons, the Gladiators were fed up. With a motivated and energized cast of players, South Allegheny found its mojo. “We have to continue to play...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 14, 2025
High schools Golf Thursday’s results Boys Wildcat Invitational At Latrobe Country Club Team scores: 1. Fox Chapel 374. 2. Latrobe 385. 3. Central Catholic 397. 4. Pine-Richland 400. 5. Franklin Regional 409. 6. McDowell 410. 7. North Catholic 416. 8. West Shamokin 467 Individual scores: 1. David DiGregory, Fox Chapel,...
