South Hills notebook: Baldwin boys soccer rebounds with 2 victories

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 8, 2017 | 11:00 PM

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Notebook items from around the South Hills:

• After opening the season with back-to-back losses to Norwin and Chartiers Valley, the Baldwin boys soccer team rebounded with 3-1 and 2-1 victories against Ringgold and Thomas Jefferson.

Senior forwards Janvier Ramson and Devlin Iaquinta, and senior midfielder Laun Eh, connected for goals against Ringgold. Ransom and senior forward Valon Rexhepi netted a goal apiece against TJ.

Jackson Brandwene, a junior, was the winning goalkeeper in both games.

“The chemistry is coming along,” Baldwin coach Allen Duda said. “We still have some work to do, but (the players) are energized and ready to go.”

• Thomas Jefferson's girls soccer team kicked off the first week of its season with wins against Seton LaSalle, 5-0, South Allegheny, 5-1, and, in its section opener, Oakland Catholic, 3-2.

“I am pleased with the 3-0 start,” TJ's first-year coach Jason Vozar said. “However, I don't feel like we have played a complete game yet. The work rate is there, but we need to clean up a few of our mistakes. That being said, these kids all care about one another, and it shows on the field.”

Sophomore midfielder Dalaney Ranallo, with four goals, and freshman midfielder/forward Ava Lutz, with three, led the Jaguars offensively. Other goal-scorers were seniors Lia Manning (two), Angelica Campano and Angelina Campano; and juniors Reagan Eckenrod and Bella Sestito.

Bailey Keck, a sophomore, and Maddison Sippey, a freshman, shared goalkeeping duties.

• Rob Carter, head coach of the Seton LaSalle football team, offered a basic strategy for his team's 2017 season.

“It sounds cliche, but we are just trying to win each day that is presented to us and go 1-0 each week,” Carter said. “Our first game (a 35-20 conference win at Shady Side Academy) had some good and some bad things. The offense moved the ball pretty well but ran into a few snags. We need to clear up some third-down conversions, and we should be fine down the road.

“Defensively, we were not at our best; (our) tackling needs to improve if we are to achieve the goals that we've set forth.”

• Five former Baldwin gridders are teammates in the Thiel College football program.

They are Justin Zinsmeister, a senior tight end; Jake Elk, a senior linebacker; Josh Zinsmeister, a junior offensive lineman; Nick Barca, a junior running back; and Dalton Dubrosky, a junior defensive back. Justin Zinsmeister and Elk are team captains.

Other Baldwin graduates who are continuing their football careers in college include Sterling Jenkins, a redshirt sophomore offensive lineman at Penn State; Luke Smorey, a senior wide receiver at Cal (Pa); Brenden Badstibner, a redshirt freshman offensive lineman at Cal (Pa.); Doug Altavilla, a redshirt sophomore quarterback at Mercyhurst; Nick Altavilla, a redshirt freshman wide receiver at Mercyhurst; Artie Priore, a freshman linebacker at Robert Morris; Ean Eshelman, a junior offensive lineman at St. Vincent; and Carter Lutz, a sophomore offensive lineman at Westminster.

• The starting lineup for the Baldwin girls volleyball team consists of seniors Brenna Green, a 5-foot-5 defensive specialist; Brianne Phillips, a 5-9 middle hitter; juniors Kerri Herron, a 5-2 defensive specialist; McKenzie Meis, a 5-1 libero; and five sophomores — Riley Lenard, a 5-8 outside/right-side hitter; Mia Hampsay, a 5-7 setter; Allison Murray, a 5-10 middle/outside hitter; Anna Baloh, a 5-6 outside hitter; and Ally Schenk, a 5-11 middle hitter.

• Shashuk Gurung, a sophomore forward, scored four goals to lead the Brentwood boys soccer team to a 7-0 section win against California in the Spartans' home opener.

Gurung was complemented offensively by junior Ramesh Bista with two goals, and senior Edwin Lopez Osorio with one.

Senior goalkeepers Dylan Brown and Derek Festa combined efforts in logging the shutout.

• Due to renovations taking place at its stadium, the South Park football team held its home opener (Sept. 8) against Mt. Pleasant at Dormont Stadium.

The Eagles also will play Derry on Sept. 22 at Baldwin, Aliquippa on Sept. 29 at Ringgold and McGuffey on Oct. 13 at Mt. Lebanon.

• The Baldwin girls soccer team has been sparked by forwards Alina Stahl, Riley Nolan and Robyn Sopata in the early part of the season.

Others in the starting lineup include midfielders Victoria Disesare, Haley Huber, Adriana Marina, Isabella Rossa; defenders Megan Flavin, Katie Deiley, Kelsey Heenan; and goalkeeper Emma Brandwene.

Among the Highlanders' leading reserves are Elena Zandier (forward), Katie Doyle (midfield/defense), Addie Carr (forward/midfield) and Briana Bandola (forward).

• Baldwin's girls volleyball team will host its annual invitational tournament Sept. 30 at the two high school gyms. A total of 14 teams are expected to participate.

• Area volleyball coaches, Ron Kelly at Thomas Jefferson and Chris Kelly at Baldwin, are not related.

Chris Kelly is assisted by Adam Foote, Jenna Snyder and Liz Moeslein.

• The Serra Catholic-Seton LaSalle nonconference football game Sept. 22 will be televised by 22 The Point. The game will take place at Thomas Jefferson; game time is 7 p.m.

• The Brentwood girls volleyball team will compete in two tournaments in September.

The Spartans will travel Sept. 16 to Plum, and Sept. 30 to Elizabeth Forward.

• Peters Township girls volleyball coach Ashley Green, and her assistant Nicole Oakes, are Baldwin graduates.

Ashley Green is a cousin of Baldwin senior defensive specialist Brenna Green.

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

Tags: Baldwin