North Allegheny notebook: Joe Dopirak leads Tigers past No. 3 New Castle

By: Tribune-Review
Saturday, January 6, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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North Allegheny’s boys basketball team scored a signature victory in its section opener Jan. 3.

The Tigers took down No. 3 seed New Castle, 57-45, behind 32 points from senior forward Joe Dopirak.

Ty Iwanonkiw added 13 points for the Tigers (4-7, 1-0) in the Section 1-6A win.

Ralphie Blundo scored 17 points and Damian Harrison followed with 13 for New Castle (9-2, 0-1).

Dopirak also had 38 points in a 61-53 loss to Franklin regional in the Holiday Bash Showcase on Dec. 28.

Girls basketball falls to Norwin

Ava Kobus scored 15 points, and Lauren Palangio finished with 13 to lead No. 2 Norwin to a 47-42 victory over No. 1 North Allegheny in a battle of the top two girls basketball teams in Section 1-6A on Jan. 2.

Norwin (8-2, 1-0) took control of the game with a 19-4 edge in the second quarter. Caroline Henderson made five 3-pointers and had 17 points, and Kellie McConnell added 13 points for North Allegheny (6-1, 0-1).

NA wrestlers place 10th at classic

Led by Aidan Buggey’s third-place finish at 215 pounds, the North Allegheny wrestling team placed 10th at the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic Dec. 29-30.

Also placing were Evan Schomburg, who was fifth at 107, Guss Stedeford and Mason Hartung, who were sixth at 121 and 189, respectively, and Griffen Reid, who was eighth at 139.

Council Rock South won the event.

• The Tigers also picked up a 33-32 win over Norwin on Dec. 22, to improve to 8-2 overall. The match came down to a tiebreaker criteria, and NA was awarded the victory based on having the most bout victories.

Schomburg (107), Charlie LaQuatra (114) and Travis Stipetich (160) had pins. Buggey (172) and Hartung (189) won by decision. Casey Walker (127) and Will Bentrim (133) won by major decision.

Girls wrestlers take down Connellsville

Brenna Collery (130 pounds), Maya Scott (142), Audrey Morrison (148) and Leyna Rumpler (155) recorded first-period pins and Riona Redshaw (106) and Hannah Williams (124) also won by fall for North Allegheny’s girls wrestling team in a 48-20 victory over Connellsville on Jan. 3.

It was the program’s first dual meet victory as an official PIAA sanctioned sport.

Kylee Christman (112) and Janayah Nobles (136) won by fall, Trinity Moore (118) by tech fall and Olivia Shultz (170) by decision for Connellsville.

NA swimmers top Fox Chapel

The North Allegheny swim teams swept Fox Chapel on Jan. 2. The girls won 95-91, while the boys won 99-82.

Taking first place for the girls were Lola Malarky (diving), Claire Bacu (500 free, 200 free), Natalie Sens (50 free) and Greta Mott (100 back).

The NA girls also won the 200 medley relay (Mott, Tori Tieppo, Sens, Eva Ogden).

Bacu set two pool records in the 200 free and 500 free at Fox Chapel.

Boys first-place finishers included Ethan Maravich (diving), Grant Regule (50 free), Gus Miller (100 fly) and Owen Williams (100 back).

The NA boys also won the 200 medley relay (Danny Lesinski, William Gao, Zachary Totin, Regule) and 200 free relay (Lesinski, Miller, Riley Williams, Gao).

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