A-K Valley athletes of the week: Fox Chapel’s Emily McKee and Kiski Area’s Samuel Plazio

By: Ted Sarneso
Saturday, September 6, 2025 | 7:39 PM

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Emily McKee

School: Fox Chapel

Class: Junior

Sport: Soccer

Claim to fame: McKee scored a pair of goals in a 7-0 win versus Penn Hills on Tuesday and recorded a hat trick as Fox Chapel (4-1, 2-0) routed Obama Academy, 10-0, on Wednesday night. McKee has scored 45% of the Foxes goals to begin the season.

Tell me about the goals you scored on Tuesday, how were they set up?

My first goal was scored within the first 30 seconds of the game, and I’m pretty sure Summer Hill passed the ball to me. I was able to get a touch and put it in the net on the ground. The second one Lily McLaughlin sent a cross over to me, and I was able to finish that one as well.

Take me through the hat trick on Wednesday.

The first one was a penalty kick I took, which again was the first goal of the game. My second goal was from outside the 18-yard box. I was able to turn and get a higher shot off. My third one was a cross from Summer again, going down the left wing and I was able to finish.

Any idea how many hat tricks you’ve scored so far in your high school career?

I think I’ve had at least five. Probably more, but I can think of five occasions where I’ve scored three goals in a game.

The team has scored 22 goals so far this year, and you have netted 10 of those. Are you prepared for when teams look to shadow you in hopes of curtailing your scoring?

I think I got a taste of that on Friday night at North Allegheny. They were really playing me tight. I’m expecting it to start happening and I’m trying to work on how I can get myself, and how my teammates can help, me stay out of, or get out of those situations. It’s going to happen more, so I have to get used to it.

You scored 24 goals in your freshman year and 35 last year. Do you see yourself surpassing last year’s total and are you the go-to scorer on the team?

I see myself as both. I play the nine position, so I’m the highest target to look for and my job is to put the ball in the back of the net. I think I’m doing a pretty good job at my job so far. Every year you set yourself goals, and I’ve set that goal to eclipse my goal total from last year, just like I did last year to break my freshman year total.

The team has allowed just three goals in the early part of the season. What’s fueled the team’s defensive success this year?

I think every year, we’ve lost some strong girls along our defensive front. Freshman year we had Anna Troutman, last year we had Bella Urso and Maya Dipasquale. I think Caylie Wilkinson has done a great job back there as a center-back. Two new girls in that defensive group have stepped up this year, Gemma Levy and Paige Capek, as well as Cassie Classen, and they all work well together.

Tough loss in the WPIAL finals last year. How driven and focused is the team this year to get back and get a title?

Especially this year after we lost four or five starters from last year’s team, we’re trying to regroup. We believe we can make it back there this season. There are some things we still need to work on, but because we’ve made the title game the last two seasons, we know what it takes to get there.

You guys play three of the top four seeds from last year’s Class 4A playoffs in North Allegheny, Seneca Valley and Norwin. How beneficial is it to play those types of teams, especially later in the season?

We’ve been a 4A team for so long, and moving down to 3A, we’re missing out on playing some of those bigger schools. We’ve scheduled a lot of those schools for our nonsection matchups the last few years. Those teams also have a more physical style of play, and that will help us push ourselves for playoffs.

What are your individual goals for the year?

I’m always looking to get better, like this year because I’m a junior, I want to work on leading my team. I’m always looking to build up my fitness. As a team, we’re looking for the WPIAL final and section champs.

What would be the title of your biography?

It would have to be something with soccer. Maybe something like “My Soccer Dream.” I feel so many things have happened with soccer that I dreamt about as a little kid.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

My dad will always tell me that because everything goes by so fast, to enjoy my high school years, because they go by so fast.

If you could be an animal for a day, what would you be and why?

I’d be a dog. They’re always so much fun and look like they have the best life.

Do you have a dog?

Yes, she’s a shih tzu and her name is Rosie.

What is one hobby you would like to try?

I’ve always wanted to snowboard. I ski, but I think snowboarding is so cool.

What are you looking forward to most this school year?

I’m looking forward to all my classes. I see a bunch of people in school that I don’t see often enough during the summer. I like school, as much as the classes are hard, I look forward to being there with my friends.

Samuel Plazio

School: Kiski Area

Class: Senior

Sport: Cross country

Claim to fame: Plazio finished in first place at the Gateway Invitational on Aug. 30 with a time of 16 minutes, 30.30 seconds. He helped the Cavaliers place third at the competition.

You just got home from racing in the Red, White and Blue Invitational. Where did you place, what was your time and how would you assess your performance?

I placed 17th and ran a 16:32. It wasn’t a good performance. It was 30 seconds slower than what I ran at that race last year. It had to do a little with the Gateway invitational last week. That race had a lot of hills and took a lot out of me.

Did you encounter any rain?

No. The course was a little muddy, but overall, it was in better shape than I thought it would be.

You’re so accustomed to the early starts, but is it still a challenge to get up that early and run?

No, it wasn’t that bad. The Red, White and Blue race is actually one of the later races I have to get up for because I had to be at the school at seven o’clock in the morning, when I’m usually there at five.

How did it feel to finish in first place at the Gateway Invitational?

It was pretty exciting and was great to see the hard work pay off.

How were you feeling going in?

I was really calm about it. I wasn’t really thinking too much about it. I knew I was showing up to compete and to give it my all.

Did you have a set plan on how to best complete the race?

My coach gave me a race plan. He told me to sit on the front group until we hit the two-mile mark and then crush the hill and see if anyone comes along.

Did it go down exactly as Coach Berzonsky told you?

I went a little earlier than the two-mile mark. I was antsy, but it worked out very well.

Where’s your mental focus while you’re running?

Being the best I can that day and put all my effort into it and seeing where I come out at the end of the race.

What’s your career best time?

16:02 from last year at WPIALs where I placed 11th.

Compared with last year, with all your training and how you’ve performed at meets year to year, are you on pace to hit or break that mark this year?

Yeah, I think I can make it pretty deep into the 15-minute mark.

What were your results from the Gateway race last year?

This year was actually the first time I ever raced that event. I love hills, so that aspect of it was fun and I embrace the challenge.

Will you also compete in the TSTCAs in October?

We’re not entirely sure if I’ll race that event. Coach is still undecided if I should race that one. I have ran it before, though. I ran it last year, and the results were about what I ran on Saturday.

The boys cross country team finished in third at the Gateway Invitational. What can be said for how well the team has done this year and to come together and have the results you did at Gateway?

I’d say this is the closest the team has ever been and the best training we’ve put into a season. We’re really going to come out and turn heads this season.

Do you play any other sports at school?

Just cross country and track.

What do you compete in for track?

The 800, 4×800, mile, two-mile and when I get the chance I run the steeplechase. I really enjoy that.

You don’t often hear that listed from track athletes nowadays.

There was only one postseason meet that we found that still offers steeplechase, but I think they finally stopped offering it. So, I’m going to look around for another chance to compete in that event. It gave me a break from the basic track races and gave it an extra element that made it fun.

If you had to choose one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Pizza. You can go a lot of different ways with pizza. We have a pizza oven at home, so we make homemade pizza with homegrown ingredients all the time.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three things, other than a cell phone, would you bring?

A football, a pair of running shoes and my fishing pole.

What are you looking forward to most in your senior year?

To see how the last four years of training have paid off for me and see how I can finish the year off at the state meet and maybe make it to nationals.

What are your future plans?

I’m still looking around at colleges, but I would like to go for construction management and make a business out of the carpentry trade.

Tags: Kiski Area