High School category, Page 619
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week: Allison Tepper and Hunter Jurica
Allison Tepper School: Mt. Pleasant Sport: Golf Year: Junior Claim to fame: Tepper has been the top scorer this season for the undefeated Lady Vikings, who recently turned some heads with a 187-190 win over Greensburg Central Catholic at Norvelt Golf Club. Tepper was the medalist in the nine-hole match...
Schedule toughens for 5-time defending PIAA champion North Allegheny girls volleyball team
Section 1 is smaller this season, so the North Allegheny girls volleyball team had to fill some open dates on its schedule. The section shrunk from seven teams to five, leaving the Tigers with only eight section matches. As a defending WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A champion with a majority...
North Allegheny notebook: Tigers football team opens with shutout win
The North Allegheny football team scored a 41-0 nonconference victory over visiting Allderdice on Aug. 26. Logan Kushner threw for 167 yards and three touchdowns to lead Class 6A No. 3 North Allegheny (1-0). Tyree Alualu ran for two touchdowns and caught another for the Tigers. Field hockey team tops...
With defense leading way, Franklin Regional girls soccer expects strong season
After a 14-win season and a run to the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals, the Franklin Regional girls soccer team is primed to go farther. The Panthers return seven starters, including junior goalkeeper Aris Lamanna, an All-WPIAL selection last season. The others back are sophomore midfielder Abby Paterline, senior forward Sierra...
Realignment adds tall hurdle, but Hampton girls soccer team remains optimistic
Two years ago, the Hampton girls soccer team won its first section title since 2008. That’s almost certainly not happening again this season. The WPIAL offseason realignment moved three-time undefeated PIAA champion Mars into the Talbots’ section, leaving the rest of Section 1-3A likely fighting for second place. Mars went...
Defending WPIAL boys soccer champion Hampton embarks on extensive rebuild
The reigning WPIAL and PIAA champion Hampton boys soccer team faces a massive rebuild this season. But maybe not as much as anyone might expect. “It’s not a total melt-the-walls-down-and-rebuild-the-castle kind of thing,” coach Matt McAwley said. “It’s a younger group, but it’s all very talented players who are looking...
Fox Chapel looks to boost offense, Shady Side Academy faces injury woes as girls soccer season begins
It’s hard to believe there could have been a more seamless transition in coaching than the move from Fox Chapel girls soccer coach Peter Torres to his successor, Carlo Prati. Torres, after a thrilling WPIAL playoff ride last season, has moved on to the collegiate level at LaRoche University. Taking...
Opportunity knocks for young Norwin boys soccer roster
Don’t count Norwin out of the WPIAL playoff chase just yet. Knights veteran coach Scott Schuchert said WPIAL Class 4A is “Seneca Valley and everybody else,” but he likes to think his team is in that vast group of pursuers. While six starters return from a 14-2-1 team that lost...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Sept. 2, 2022
Football Friday’s results WPIAL Class 6A North Allegheny 35, Canon-McMillan 21 Nonconference Aliquippa 28, Armstrong 14 Ambridge 16, Freedom 14 Apollo-Ridge 34, Valley 19 Beaver 19, Beaver Falls 16 Belle Vernon 41, Laurel Highlands 30 Bentworth 21, Avella 7 Bethel Park 27, Mt. Lebanon 24 (OT) Burgettstown 38, Beth-Center 22...
Steel Valley’s Cruce Brookins follows big blockers in run-heavy win over Sto-Rox
Cruce Brookins predicts that he and Steel Valley teammate Greg Smith could be crashing into one another on a college field in a year or two. Brookins is a Kent State commit and Smith is headed to Miami (Ohio), so they’re future rivals in the Mid-American Conference. But for now,...
2022 WPIAL statistical leaders for rushing, passing, receiving in Week 1
Top performers for Week 1 of high school football in Western Pennsylvania. Passing 323 - Chris Cibrone, Peters Township (19 of 37) 313 - Keegan Smetanka, Shaler (22 of 36) 257 - Nehemiah Azeem, OLSH (16 of 36) 249 - Graham Hancox, Seneca Valley (20 of 44) 239 - Julian...
High school football roundup for Week 1: Gavlik leads North Allegheny past Canon-McMillan
Andrew Gavlik ran for 104 yards and three touchdowns as No. 3 North Allegheny opened Class 6A conference play with a 35-21 victory over No. 5 Canon-McMillan (0-2, 0-1) on Friday night. Logan Kushner threw for 194 yards and a touchdown for North Allegheny (2-0, 1-0). Mike Evans tossed for...
Upper St. Clair makes short work of North Hills
North Hills coach Pat Carey knew his team was in for a challenge against a big, athletic and, perhaps most importantly, experienced Upper St. Clair team. His expectations turned into a cruel reality Friday. The Panthers (2-0) stymied North Hills for nearly the entire night, running away with a 37-7...
Bethel Park off to 2-0 start after OT victory against Mt. Lebanon
Bethel Park deployed a relentless ground attack to defeat Mt. Lebanon in overtime, 27-24, on Friday night. The victory over the defending Class 6A state champion has Bethel Park off to a 2-0 start. “They’re still Mt. Lebanon,” Blackhawks coach Brian DeLallo said. “It’s good for us to see that...
Hayes scores 4 times as Aliquippa uses pair of 4th-quarter TDs to top Armstrong
Aliquippa, the defending Class 4A WPIAL and state champion, chose not to play a Week Zero game, so tonight’s trip to Armstrong marked the Quips’ first step in defending the dual 2021 titles. Step 1 was a good one, as the Quips earned a hard-fought 28-14 victory at Armstrong. “It...
McKeesport gets impressive victory vs. Penn-Trafford
It might have been youth night at Warrior Stadium, but this was big boy football. Or was it Big Boyd football? Running back Bobbie Boyd gave McKeesport a pronounced edge in a statement win for the Tigers. Boyd ran for 149 yards and three touchdowns and intercepted three passes to...
Quinton Martin’s 3 touchdowns lead Belle Vernon past Laurel Highlands
With Penn State coach James Franklin in attendance for the first half, Quinton Martin ripped off three touchdown runs to help push Belle Vernon to a 41-20 win over visiting Laurel Highlands on “The Beach” at James Weir Stadium. The three touchdowns gave the Leopards’ a 21-0 halftime lead as...
Hempfield shows off for program’s 1st playoff team, routs Connellsville
Hempfield honored its first playoff team on Friday night then took the field and played like a postseason squad of its own. Gino Caesar rushed for 167 yards and four touchdowns, and Jake Phillips passed for 131 yards and ran for another score as Hempfield outclassed visiting Connellsville, 49-0. It...
Nick Curci runs for 249 yards to lift Apollo-Ridge past Valley
Facing a halftime deficit and another one in the fourth quarter and also facing adversity with several key injuries, Apollo-Ridge dug deep for a 34-19 victory over Valley in a nonsection contest Friday at Owens Field in Apollo. Senior Nick Curci carried the ball 31 times for 249 yards and...
Robert Fulton scores 4 touchdowns as Latrobe beats Franklin Regional in 2OT
Robert Fulton scored on a 5-yard run in the second overtime, and Latrobe won its second game of the season by defeating Franklin Regional, 36-33. Fulton rushed for 252 yards and four touchdowns. He also scored on runs of 2, 92 and 73 yards. The senior transfer now has rushed...
Northgate gets off to fast start, rolls past Springdale
In a season-opening loss to Fort Cherry, mistakes snowballed on the Northgate football team. Wide receiver Lewis Clark wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again. Clark caught two early touchdown passes and gained 141 yards through the air, leading the Flames to a 37-14 win over Springdale on Friday...
Ligonier Valley holds on to best Southmoreland
Southmoreland took advantage of a 70-yard kickoff return to crack the scoreboard just before halftime, but Ligonier Valley responded with a big return of its own and hung on for a 27-18 nonconference victory Friday at Russ Grimm Field in Alverton. Down 21-0 with 2:33 left in the second quarter,...
Burrell pulls out overtime win against Deer Lakes
Burrell needed overtime, but the extra session was worth it as the 2-0 Bucs pulled out a 27-21 decision over Deer Lakes on Friday at Buccaneer Stadium. Burrell tried to win it in regulation, driving to the Deer Lakes 14 with 3.7 seconds to go. After two Lancers timeouts, Ryan...
Highlands overcomes another slow start, beats Blackhawk
After two weeks of football, a pattern is beginning to develop with Highlands: A slow first half leads to a dominant second half. Highlands took control of a tight game by scoring 16 points in the third quarter to put away nonconference rival Blackhawk, 23-0, on Friday at Golden Rams...
Derry’s Hunter Jurica uses local knowledge to win WCCA boys golf title
There’s something to be said for home course advantage. Derry senior Hunter Jurica’s home course is the Latrobe Elks Golf Course, and he took advantage of his knowledge of the tricky greens to capture the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association boys golf title Friday. Jurica used seven birdies, four on the...
