Sports

West Mifflin’s Ni-Keese Hodges-Demery grabs the ball in front of Belle Vernon’s Nolan Labuda (left) and Ian Maloney on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019, at Belle Vernon.

Top 19 of ’19: Trib HSSN breaks down the top stories of the year — No. 3

December 29, 2019

The 2019 high school sports season is nearly in the books.

High school scores, summaries and schedules for Dec. 28, 2019

December 28, 2019

Basketball

Luke Cochran led Highlands with 18 points Saturday night.

High school roundup for Dec. 29, 2019: Highlands tops Lincoln Park in battle of title contenders

For the second straight night, the CJ Betters Holiday Classic featured a matchup of WPIAL boys basketball title contenders from different classes.

Springdale boys win again, get off to best start since mid-1980s

Springdale is 9-0 for the first time since the 1984-85 season.

Highlands guard Bobby Mills drives the baseline against Fox Chapel on Jan. 7, 1986. Mills, his father, Glenn, and six others will be inducted into the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame on May 16, 2020.

Father-son duo headline 2020 A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame class

For the first time, the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame will be inducting a father and son simultaneously.

Westmoreland H.S. notebook: Hempfield lineman heading to St. Francis

Another Hempfield lineman has accepted an invitation to play football at the next level.

Hempfield holds off rally to beat rival Greensburg Salem

Greensburg Salem saved its best for last, but it wasn’t enough to get around Hempfield, which fended off the Golden Lions’ late surge in the final game of the Greensburg Salem Holiday Classic.

Belle Vernon girls top Greensburg Salem in Mt. Pleasant tournament

Belle Vernon’s stable of young girls basketball players keep performing at a high level this winter, providing some hope for another successful season.

Bethel Park’s Olivia Westphal drives to the basket past Mt. Lebanon’s Brooke Collins during their game Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, at Bethel Park High School.

Trib WPIAL girls basketball rankings: Week ending Dec. 29, 2019

WPIAL rankings

Latrobe’s Willochell pulls stunner, wins Powerade wrestling title

Gabe Willochell has a funky style to his wrestling.

Mt. Lebanon head coach Bob Palko talks to his team before playing Gateway Friday, Aug. 23, 2019 at Antimarino Stadium at Gateway High School.

Top 19 of ’19: Trib HSSN breaks down the top stories of the year — No. 4

The 2019 high school sports season is nearly in the books.

Lincoln Park’s Isaiah Smith scores over Aliquippa’s Zuriah Fisher during their game Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019, in Midland.

Trib WPIAL boys basketball rankings: Week ending Dec. 29, 2019

WPIAL rankings

Ligonier Valley’s Mike Petrof (54) and John Beard (88) celebrate after the Rams recover a Richland fumble in the PIAA District 6 Class 2A championship game on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona. Richland beat Ligonier Valley 34-6.

Players from Ligonier Valley, Belle Vernon garner all-state football honors

WPIAL-bound Ligonier Valley’s days of dominating the District 6 Heritage Conference might be over, but the Rams left lasting memories.

Avonworth head coach Duke Johncour gets doused by the water cooler from Josh Elm as time winds down in the WPIAL Class AA championship game against Washington Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at Norwin High School.

Class 2A all-state football: Avonworth’s Duke Johncour named Coach of the Year

Fresh off their team’s first PIAA championship appearance, two Avonworth players earned all-state honors Saturday and Duke Johncour was named Pennsylvania’s Coach of the Year in Class 2A.

Thomas Jefferson head coach Bill Cherpak hugs Daniel Deabner after the Jaguars defeated Dalls, 46-7, in the PIAA Class 4A state championship game Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019, at Hersheypark Stadium.

Class 4A all-state football: 4 Thomas Jefferson players selected, Cherpak voted top coach

Thomas Jefferson’s quarterback, top running back, wide receiver and lineman all earned all-state honors Saturday, statewide recognition for winning WPIAL and PIAA titles with an undefeated 16-0 record.

Central Catholic kicker Jonathan Opalko watches his game-winning field goal in the final seconds of the Vikings’ PIAA Class 6A state quarterfinal against State College Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, at North Allegheny High School.

Class 6A all-state football: Central Catholic leads WPIAL with 4 players

Central Catholic senior Jonathan Opalko twice made game-winning field goals in the playoffs and had a school-record 54-yarder in the regular season, kicks that earned him all-state honors Saturday.

Deer Lakes boys basketball tournament to begin Saturday after postponement

The Deer Lakes boys basketball tournament will begin Saturday evening after Friday’s first-day doubleheader was postponed because of water leakage in the high school gymnasium.

Trib HSSN girls swimmer of the week: Mt. Pleasant’s Heather Gardner

Heather Gardner put pen to paper last month on the first day of the National Letter of Intent signing period for swimming and finalized her commitment to Division I Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.