High School category, Page 68
North Allegheny’s Liam Flaherty returns from torn ACL with renewed passion for football
A season-ending knee injury proved to be just what the doctor ordered for North Allegheny’s Liam Flaherty. The Tigers’ two-way standout was unsure of his desire to play football in college, but a torn ACL suffered midway through the 2024 season reinforced his passion for the game. “I didn’t know...
Playing for Riveters makes impact on Fox Chapel graduate Kate Friday
Kate Friday spent much of the Fourth of July looking around with astonishment. But it wasn’t the fireworks that caught her eye. The 19-year-old Fox Chapel graduate and 5-foot-7 midfielder for the Pittsburgh Riveters was swept up in the community’s response to her team. Nearly 4,200 fans attended the Riveters’...
Dedicated senior receiver helps pieces fit into place for Fox Chapel football
Fox Chapel senior Max Melocchi enjoys the pressure that comes with playing quarterback. However, Melocchi is happy to be preparing to play wide receiver and power back for the Foxes in the upcoming season. During a 7-on-7 workout July 9 at Fox Chapel, Melocchi was happy to haul in passes...
2025 Trib 25 Preseason Football All-Star Team: Peters Township’s Nolan DiLucia
Editor’s note: Each day through Aug. 3, Trib HSSN will profile one member of the 2025 Trib 25 preseason high school football all-star team. Peters Township football coach T.J. Plack said there is something special about senior Nolan DiLucia. The four-year starter at safety and three-year starter at quarterback commands...
North Allegheny remains unbeatable in Trib Cup all-sports competition
The more things change in high school sports, the more they stay the same, especially when it comes to the chase for the Trib Cup in Class 6A. North Allegheny wins again. The Tigers are 9 for 9 in Class 6A Trib Cups and remain perfect with 22 Sports Cup...
Jeannette grad Pryor, Franklin Regional grad Lee make MaxPreps top 100 list
Two WPIAL Hall of Fame members who played at Westmoreland County high schools were named to MaxPreps’ top 100 high school athletes of the 21st century. The high school sports website recognized top athletes from 2001 to present, with staff members each presenting a list if more than 200 candidates....
2025 Trib 25 Preseason Football All-Star Team: Central Catholic’s Ashton Blatt
Editor’s note: Each day through Aug. 3, Trib HSSN will profile one member of the 2025 Trib 25 preseason high school football all-star team. Ashton Blatt might be a little bit biased, but the Central Catholic senior says there’s no position on defense better than edge rusher. That’s his position....
Top-seeded Latrobe blanks Unity to advance to District 31 American Legion semifinals
Jack Stynchula pitched a three-hit shutout to lead Latrobe to a 7-0 victory over Unity Post 982 in the decisive third game of a District 31 American Legion baseball quarterfinal series Friday. The Jethawks will face Lower Burrell in Game 1 of the semifinals at 4 p.m. Saturday at Legion...
Bushy Run advances in Legion District 31 playoffs; Latrobe survives
What the Bushy Run American Legion baseball team did not do in Game 2 of its District 31 quarterfinal, it did in Game 3. The Beavers got clutch hits, played flawless defense and got a strong pitching performance from the ace of the WPIAL Class 5A champion Penn-Trafford staff, Brandon...
Championship-winning Shaler baseball coach Brian Junker resigns after 3rd WPIAL title
Weeks after leading Shaler to a WPIAL baseball title, Brian Junker has resigned as coach after 16 years. Junker announced his departure in a social media post Thursday, saying he intended to spend more time with family. Shaler won three WPIAL titles and one state championship under his guidance. The...
Athletic director Andre Carter eager to take on expanded role at Riverview
This summer has been one of transition for Riverview’s Andre Carter. The school district’s athletic director, who also served as a volunteer coach for the Raiders girls basketball team this past season, was hired as the program’s new head coach last month. Then, at the start of this month, Carter...
2025 Trib 25 Preseason Football All-Star Team: Fort Cherry’s Matt Sieg
Editor’s note: Each day through Aug. 3, Trib HSSN will profile one member of the 2025 Trib 25 preseason high school football all-star team. Fort Cherry quarterback and safety Matt Sieg has rushed for 6,176 yards and passed for 4,177 yards in his career and, last fall, joined former Jeannette...
Quaker Valley stands out among Class 3A schools to repeat as Trib Cup champs
Quaker Valley started the school year strong in the fall of 2024 and ended it with a double golden bang in the spring of 2025 to not only repeat as Class 3A Trib Cup champions, but crush the competition in winning its fifth title in the last six years. The...
Murrysville evens District 31 Legion series; Unity surprises Latrobe
What a difference a day makes. After playing one of its worst games of the season, Murrysville responded with one of its better games. Pitcher Ethan Raver allowed five hits and an unearned run to lead Murrysville to a 4-1 victory against Bushy Run in Game 2 of their best-of-three...
A-K Valley football teams reap benefits of 7-on-7 practice at Fox Chapel
The Knoch football players had an acronym printed vertically on the back of their uniforms for the Fox Chapel 7-on-7 football practice Wednesday night. Reach your full potential (RYFP) has become the slogan for the Knights, led by veteran first-year coach T.J. Wiley. Wiley said the early response he has...
Bushy Run rolls by Murrysville in District 31 Legion playoff opener
District 31 Playoffs Tuesday’s results Pigtail round Unity wins by forfeit against Mt. Pleasant Quarterfinals Game 1 Bushy Run 9, Murrysville 0 Hempfield East 11, Young Township 1 Lower Burrell 3, Homer City 1 Wednesday’s schedule (5:30 p.m.) Game 1 Unity at Latrobe (Legion Keener Field) Game 2 Bushy Run...
Lower Burrell Legion tops Homer City to lead District 31 1st-round series
Lower Burrell Post 868 has the upper hand in its best-of-three District 31 first-round series with Homer City Post 493. The Bulldogs scored three times over the first two innings of Tuesday’s series opener and then rode the pitching of starter Jonathan Walker (Kiski Area) and reliever Jake Smith (Kiski...
Double first-base bags coming to high school baseball for safety’s sake
No, you’re not seeing double. High school baseball will have two first-base bags starting in 2027, a change already in use by colleges as a way to avoid injury-causing collisions. The National Federation of State High School Associations, which writes the rulebook used by the PIAA and WPIAL, announced the...
5 from Hempfield among 13 Westmoreland County softball players named all-state
When the final votes were tabulated, Hempfield had the most selections among WPIAL teams on the Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association all-state teams released Tuesday. The WPIAL champion Spartans featured the Class 6A pitcher of the year, senior Riley Miller, who also made the first team along with four...
WPIAL well represented on Pa. High School Softball Coaches Association all-state teams
The compass pointed west Tuesday morning when the Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association announced its players of the year and all-state teams. Voting showed a strong representation from the WPIAL, with six player of the year awards going to girls from District 7. Seneca Valley’s Lexie Hames, the Gatorade...
Greensburg Central Catholic captures 5th Trib Cup in 6 years in Class A
Midway through the 2020s, Greensburg Central Catholic is closing in on clinching school-of-the-decade honors in Class A after claiming a second consecutive Class A Trib Cup, its fifth in the last six years. The Centurions remain alone in third place overall after winning the schools 11th Sports Cup, trailing only...
Battle-tested Latrobe, other contenders ready for start of American Legion baseball playoffs
Winning the District 31 American Legion title in the regular season does not guarantee a team will be the playoff champion, of course. But Latrobe (14-4) certainly enters the postseason battle-tested. The Jethawks won their sixth regular- season title under coach Jason Bush by defeating Unity, 3-2, on Friday and Bushy...
Lower Burrell Legion ‘ready for next chapter’ in playoffs
It seems like just yesterday, Lower Burrell Post 868 began its District 31 league schedule with a wild 12-10 triumph at Young Township Legion. That May 24 contest began a compacted dash through 18 games of a regular season that concluded Saturday in a 4-3 loss at league contender Bushy...
Winners of Trib Cup for all-around sports excellence set to be revealed
Over the course of the last two-plus decades, 24 WPIAL schools have won at least one Sports Cup, which recognizes the best sports programs in each WPIAL class over the entire school year. The first Sports Cup was handed out after the 2003-2004 school year to North Allegheny in 4A,...
Woodland Hills’ Scoop Smith commits to Miami (Ohio) during football camp he hosted at Wolvarena
Woodland Hills senior wide receiver Scoop Smith wanted to make his college commitment something that stood out. He didn’t want to be behind a table picking from baseball hats. Instead, Smith hosted a football camp Sunday at the Wolvarena, announcing his commitment to Miami (Ohio) with a video on the...
