Avella

The battle for the HSSN Trib Cup in Class A in 2021-2022 turned into one of the closest and most unique battles where overall success won out. In the end, it was Greensburg Central Catholic hoisting the cup aloft again, this despite the school only winning one district championship all...

Last week, five of the 20 WPIAL baseball sections got the early jump on section games. On Monday, teams from the other 15 sections join in on the fun. Of course, as is the case all week long it appears, weather permitting. Of the 20 district sections, only three ended...

Mapletown’s Landan Stevenson and West Greene’s Colin Brady play for small schools but they put up big numbers. The two running backs finished among the Top 10 rushers in the WPIAL this season, earning all-conference honors in the Class A Tri-County South. Stevenson, a junior, rushed for 1,725 yards and...

Nehemiah Azeem ran for two touchdowns as OLSH slipped past No. 3 Cornell, 13-12. for a Class A Big Seven Conference win Friday night. OLSH (6-3, 4-3) clinched a playoff berth with the victory. Sincere Kimbrough threw for 110 yards and a touchdown for the Raiders (7-2, 6-1), who had...

Last week: 8-4 (66.7%) Season: 79-31 (71.8%) With a fingernail flick, a piece of candy corn soars across the office and hits a copy editor on the back of the head. “It’s good!” the Birdie shouts, raising his fists into the air and disturbing a lifestyles writer and a news...

Leechburg clinched its first playoff appearance since 1988 by earning a 66-6 victory over Imani Christian (2-6, 1-5) in the WPIAL Class A Eastern Conference on Friday night. Braylan Lovelace ran 32 times for 183 yards and six touchdowns for Leechburg. The Blue Devils (7-2, 4-2) have scored 137 points...

Tim Henderson scored on an 80-yard kickoff return and a 53-yard run to lead No. 3 Cornell to a 14-7 victory over No. 5 Rochester in a battle of top teams in the Class A Big Seven Conference on Friday night. Henderson’s TD run for the Raiders (6-1, 5-0) broke...

Stephen Greer scored on a 6-yard run in overtime to cap No. 2 OLSH’s 37-36 comeback win against Union (5-1, 3-1) in the WPIAL Class A Big Seven Conference on Friday night. Greer finished with 162 rushing yards and two touchdowns for OLSH (5-1, 3-1), which trailed 30-7 after the...

For Avella coach Ryan Cecchini, last year’s run to the playoffs showed that even if his program doesn’t always have the biggest roster, it can compete in the WPIAL. The Eagles surprised a lot of people by finishing second in the Tri-County South and earning their first playoff berth since...

Wednesday’s games Class 5A First round 5-Plum (11-6) vs. 12-Latrobe (11-8) 4:30 p.m. at Norwin Coaches: Carl Vollmer, Plum; Matt Basciano, Latrobe Winner plays: Winner of 4-South Fayette (15-3)/13-Peters Township (8-10) Friday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals. Players to watch: Ethan Kircher, Sr., C, Plum; Chase Sickenberger, Jr., INF, Latrobe...

Here’s a look at Thursday’s WPIAL basketball playoff games involving A-K Valley teams: Boys First round Class 4A 11-Burrell (9-9) at 6-Central Valley (10-5) 6 p.m. Thursday Coaches: Mike Fantuzzo, Burrell; Brandon Ambrose, Central Valley Winner plays: Winner of 19-Beaver (2-16) at 3-Montour (12-7), 6 p.m. Monday About Burrell: After...

Springdale and Avella boys and Shenango girls have been forced to pull out of WPIAL basketball playoffs. Because of covid-related protocols, Springdale, the fourth seed in Class 2A, was forced to forfeit its first-round game with No. 13 Winchester Thurston, which was set to be played Wednesday. Springdale coach Aaron...

California running back Jaeden Zuzak, the WPIAL’s third-leading rusher this season, was among 45 players named all-conference in the Class A Tri-County South. The Trojans led with nine all-conference players. Zuzak rushed for 1,571 yards and 28 touchdowns for California (6-1, 6-0), which went undefeated in the conference. Trojans’ coach...

If Jeannette coach Roy Hall was worried his players were looking ahead, they made sure early on Friday night to ease his mind. The Jayhawks took care of business against an overmatched Avella squad, scoring on their first seven possessions and adding scores on a kickoff return and a fumble...

WPIAL Class A quarterfinals No. 6 Avella (5-2) vs. No. 3 Jeannette (6-1) 7 p.m. Friday at McKee Stadium, Jeannette On the air: Video at TribHSSN.TribLive.com; Audio at 95.3 FM. Winner plays: Winner of No. 2 Rochester (6-1) and No. 7 Springdale (5-2), 7 p.m. Nov. 6 (site TBD) Coaches:...

Last week: 9-0 (100 %) Season: 64-21 (75.3 %) Halloween is the Birdie’s favorite holiday, A. Because he gets candy, B. Because he gets candy, and C. Because it means playoff time. The Birdie, fresh off a perfect week, has a question for the Halloween steering committee: “Do we have...

Two of the top teams in WPIAL Class A kicked off a Big Seven finale Friday night. On Saturday, they’ll get to finish it. The matchup between No. 2-ranked Shenango and Rochester was suspended because of lightning with 1 minute, nine seconds left in the third quarter with Rochester leading...

Class 6A Central Catholic (3-2, 3-2) vs. Baldwin (2-2, 1-2) 7 p.m. Friday, Cibic Stadium at Baldwin HS On the air: Audio on TribHSSN.TribLive.com Coaches: Terry Totten, Central Catholic; Tim Sweeney, Baldwin Players to watch: Eddy Tillman, Central Catholic (Sr., 5-8, 165, RB); Colton Brain, Baldwin (Sr., 5-10, 165, QB)...

Owen Petrisek scored three rushing touchdowns, including one that came during a critical second-quarter surge, as Bentworth defeated Avella 41-31 in a Tri-County South game Thursday night. Bentworth has won two in a row after a 1-2 start (3-3, 3-3). Avella (4-2, 4-2) has lost two of three after starting...

Jaedan Zuzak ran for 440 yards and seven touchdowns to lead unbeaten California to a 65-22 victory against Jefferson-Morgan (2-3, 2-3) in the Class A Tri-County South Conference on Friday night. Damani Stafford added 112 rushing yards and one touchdown for the Trojans (4-0, 4-0). Burgettstown 29, Cornell 14 —...

Rashawn Reid ran for five touchdowns and caught another to lead No. 5 Rochester (4-0, 4-0) to a 47-21 Big Seven win over No. 4 OLSH (3-1, 3-1) on Friday night. Reid scored on runs of 5, 6, 75, 25 and 45 yards. Denny Robinson also ran for a score...

Class 6A No. 2 Central Catholic (2-1, 2-1) at No. 3 Seneca Valley (2-0, 2-0) 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nextier Stadium at Seneca Valley Coaches: Terry Totten, Central Catholic; Ron Butschle, Seneca Valley Players to watch: Eddy Tillman, Central Catholic (Sr., 5-8, 165, RB); Ethan West, Seneca Valley (Sr., 6-2, 200,...

Twelve years ago, these Eagles were an endangered species. It was so bad near the end of the 2008 football season, one of the cheerleaders had to suit up to guarantee the team would have enough players. Avella has seen better times since then, but it is a Class A...

Coming into this season, the Avella football team had two conference wins in the previous three years. It isn’t October yet and the Eagles have already left that win total in the dust. K.J. Rush threw for 165 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score, and Avella stopped...

Sal Laure ran for 226 yards and five touchdowns to lead Rochester to a 54-24 victory against Union (0-2, 0-2) in the Class A Big Seven Conference on Friday night. Denny Robinson added 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns for Rochester (2-0, 2-0). Tyler Staub paced Union’s offense with 168...