Sewickley sports notebook: WPIAL Community Champion Award going strong

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, August 31, 2025 | 11:01 AM

The WPIAL Community Champion Award is presented to the schools that tabulate the most “meals” — total between money donated and food collected — in each of the six divisions, which are determined on enrollment.

The award was established by the WPIAL in 2021.

Quaker Valley helped kick off program four years ago, taking the title in Class 4A in 2021 by raising 7,145 meals.

There have been 15 community champions since the start of the event, with Armstrong and Winchester Thurston being three-time winners. Knoch, Redeemer Lutheran, Seneca Valley, Seton LaSalle and Southmoreland have won the award twice.

Last year’s titlists consisted of Armstrong (6A), Central Catholic (5A), Southmoreland (4A), Seton LaSalle (3A), Winchester Thurston (2A) and Ellis School (A).

Preseason honors

Quaker Valley was well represented on the Trib HSSN girls preseason soccer list of top players in Class 2A.

Making the grade were seniors Ari Bosh (MF) and Emma Currier (D), sophomore GK Ava Hajok and junior MF Annabel Miko.

The Quakers were ranked No. 1 in the Trib HSSN preseason poll ahead of Mt. Pleasant, Burrell, Freeport and Beaver.

QV’s Tanner Shultz, a senior defender, also was cited among the boys top players in the 2A division.

• Sewickley Academy and Eden Christian Academy had good representation on the Trib HSSN girls preseason soccer list of top Class A players.

Three girls from each team were cited.

At Sewickley, they consisted of juniors Emma Eannarino (F) and Emilia Carrabba (D) and senior MF Makenzie Dice.

All three Eden players who were named are juniors — Allie Emswiler (D), Maris Milliken (D) and Alexandra Nacey (MF).

Sewickley’s Luca Peluso, a senior forward, and Finn Wentz, a senior midfielder, also were lauded among the boys top Class A players.

Tennis recap

QV’s Will Meagher and Matthew Henry landed the No. 5 seed in last year’s WPIAL Class 2A boys tennis doubles championships.

The QV athletes capped their senior season by placing third in the WPIAL and qualifying for the PIAA playoffs.

The tandem clinched the district’s third spot by rallying past Indiana’s Gabe Nettleton and Michael Dubetsky, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the consolation match.

Meagher and teammate Tanner Schultz also advanced to the WPIAL singles playoffs off their performances at the Section 3-2A tournament.

Meagher and Henry received the top seed for the section doubles tournament and ended up in second place.

QV underclassmen Charlie Pyle and Dom Ditano also qualified as the No. 6 seed for the section doubles tournament as a sophomore and freshman, respectively.

In Class 3A, Sewickley Academy’s Severin Harmon gained a berth in the WPIAL singles championships by finishing as the Section 2 runner-up.

Harmon, a senior and No. 2 seed, was joined by Will Bojalad in the section competition. Bojalad, a freshman, was seeded fifth.

Bojalad and Ben Terrell along with Jason Chen and Rob Fogle represented the Panthers as No. 2 and No. 8 seeds at the section doubles tournament.

Highmark memories

Quaker Valley’s Ari Bosh, Mia Duckstein, Madeline Gatehouse, Emma Currier, Anna Hanley, Annabel Miko and Ava Hajok all played the entire 80 minutes at last year’s WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer championship game.

Other QV team members racking up playing time at Highmark Stadium included Mia Modrovich, Eliza Rahm, Rowan Wallace, June Lukasavage and reserves Hope Waller, Lily Baker and Avery Persuit.

Did you know?

Did you know that five Sewickley Academy girls soccer players were selected all-section in 2024?

They were Katherine Varghese (MF), Marie Bigi (GK), Makenzie Dice (MF), Emma Eannarino (F) and Emilia Carrabba (D).

Tags: Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy