Sports
New-look Sewickley Academy boys basketball hopes for more WPIAL gold
November 23, 2018
Sewickley Academy's boys basketball team wants to defend its WPIAL Class 2A championship this season. The Panthers will have a different look, though, with the departure of three starters. Dave Groetsch graduated, and juniors Isaiah Smith (Lincoln Park) and Jett Roesing (First Love Christian) transferred. Nevertheless, Sewickley Academy returns two
Quaker Valley boys basketball hopes to benefit from depth
Quaker Valley's boys basketball team has played for the last two WPIAL Class 4A championships. The Quakers hope to make it back to Petersen Events Center once again this spring as well as to the PIAA semifinals, where they lost to Sharon, 65-48, to finish last season 26-2. andquot;Absolutely. Last
Pine-Richland relishes WPIAL championship win
For the third time in the last five years, and for the second season in a row, the Pine-Richland football team won the WPIAL's largest classification. This time, the Rams knocked off Seneca Valley, 34-7, in the Class 6A title game Nov. 16 at Heinz Field. Throughout the first half,
Penn-Trafford swim programs small but well stocked
The Penn-Trafford boys and girls swimming teams are smaller than usual, but the Warriors have big hopes. andquot;I expect us to be competitive,andquot; coach Dave Babik said. andquot;The kids are excited in accepting the challenge of competing with (fewer) members. andquot;We have been joined by a few freshmen (who) are
Replenished Penn-Trafford wrestling team expects to fill entire lineup this season
Penn-Trafford wrestling coach Rich Ginther knew the storm was coming last year. All he could do was hang on, and good times would come. A combination of a high turnover of wrestlers, untimely injuries and a lack of sheer numbers put the Warriors in an unfamiliar position. Penn-Trafford only managed
Plum swimmers eye more record-breaking efforts this season
Plum swimmers altered the school record board in the high school natatorium four times over the past two seasons, and there is optimism among the Mustangs coaches and competitors that there will be more changes to the lists this year. School-record swims are just part of what is fueling the
Greensburg Salem girls ready to reach WPIAL Class 4A playoffs
Rick Klimchock enters his second season as coach of the Greensburg Salem girls basketball team. With four starters returning this season, the Golden Lions believe they are primed for a deep run in the WPIAL playoffs. After a full offseason of conditioning and summer and fall league games, the Golden
Greensburg Salem boys under new leadership for 2018-19 season
Mark Zahorchak has taken over as head coach of the Greensburg Salem girls basketball team this season as the Golden Lions look to continue what former coach Craig Mankins developed over the previous six years. Zahorchak, a 1988 Greensburg Salem graduate, coached the freshman team and was an assistant football
PIAA football playoffs: 30 years in 30 days — Defense leads Rochester to ’98 title
The PIAA had been hosting state playoffs in all but one fall high school sport since 1976. Soccer, volleyball, tennis, golf, cross country and field hockey all crowned state champions once the district playoffs concluded. The lone exception to the fall state playoff slate was high school football. It wasn't
PIAA Class 6A quarterfinals preview capsule: State College vs. Pine-Richland
PIAA Class 6A quarterfinals State College (12-1) vs. Pine-Richland (10-2) 7 p.m. Saturday, Altoona's Mansion Park Coaches: Matt Lintal, State College; Eric Kasperowicz, Pine-Richland Winner plays: The winner of St. Joseph's Prep and Freedom in the PIAA semifinals Nov. 30 or Dec. 1. PIAA titles: State College 0; Pine-Richland 1
WPIAL Class 2A championship preview capsule: South Side vs. Steel Valley
WPIAL Class 2A championship No. 8 South Side (10-3) vs. No. 3 Steel Valley (11-1) Noon Saturday, Robert Morris University's Joe Walton Stadium On the air: KDKA-TV; 1230 AM, 1460 AM; TribHSSN.triblive.com Coaches: Luke Travelpiece, South Side; Rod Steele, Steel Valley Winner plays: The winner of District 9
WPIAL Class 5A final preview capsule: Penn Hills vs. West Allegheny
November 22, 2018
WPIAL Class 5A championship No. 2 Penn Hills (13-0) vs. No. 5 West Allegheny (10-2) 7:30 p.m. Friday, Norwin On the air: WPCW-TV, TribHSSN.triblive.com Coaches: Jon LeDonne, Penn Hills; Bob Palko, West Allegheny Winner plays: Archbishop Wood of District 12 or Hollidaysburg of District 6 in a PIAA semifinal WPIAL
Norwin’s DeAugustine eager to take wrestling program for spin
For 14 years, former Hempfield wrestling coach Vince DeAugustine sat in his folding chair during matches against Norwin. Now, he's changed chairs. When DeAugustine took over as the Norwin coach last May, he took the reins of a stocked program. He is eager to build a winner. andquot;I've always been
After crashing Class 5A title-game party, West Allegheny set to take on unbeaten Penn Hills
No high school stadium could match the atmosphere of Heinz Field or old Three Rivers Stadium, venues where West Allegheny's Bob Palko won his record eight WPIAL football titles. But the WPIAL needed a new host for the Class 5A final. andquot;They had to play the game somewhere,andquot; Palko said.
Deer Lakes girls basketball chases elusive WPIAL playoff win
Victoria Keibler isn't telepathic, but she still can sense what some of her Deer Lakes basketball teammates will do on the floor during games. andquot;We know each other,andquot; the senior guard explained at a recent practice. andquot;We know what we're going to do before we even do it.andquot; That kind
Deer Lakes boys hope to build on recent winning tradition
Deer Lakes' 2018 boys basketball senior night lasted longer than most because of the sheer amount of players. Ten seniors -- enough to fill two starting fives -- walked the floor with their parents that night to receive recognition. And while it stood mostly as a time of celebration, it
New coach Salih hoping to instill toughness in GCC girls
Knee pads and mouth guards have become part of the uniform at Greensburg Central Catholic. The Centurion girls won't be tall, but they also won't be talked down to. andquot;We want our girls to play hard and to be physical,andquot; said first-year coach Samuel Salih. andquot;I started having teams put
Bisignani returns to helm as GCC boys try to get back to playoffs
The approach and motivation for Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball is like the gym floor on which the team will play this season: fresh and shiny, brand new and bright. This is a team that looks new on the surface but is quite same-old underneath. And that includes the expectation
No longer a secret, South Side ready for rematch with Steel Valley in Class 2A title game
At first glance, it would appear South Side's trip through the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs was akin to a Cinderella story. But upon further examination, a more apt metaphor to the Rams' story could be late comedian Rodney Dangerfield's famous catch phrase. No respect. That's because when the WPIAL
Belle Vernon soccer standout Apodiakos commits to Duquesne
Markello Apodiakos had a lot to be thankful for Thursday. The soccer standout from Belle Vernon flew under the radar of Division I college coaches, despite a decorated high school career and constantly being the go-to player who was marked by opponents. The situation flustered the senior and baffled his
