Sports

Mt. Lebanon head coach Bob Palko celebrates a Blue Devils touchdown against St. Joseph’s Prep during the fourth quarter of the PIAA Class 6A state championship game on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, at Hersheypark Stadium.

Mt. Lebanon’s Bob Palko named Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year

February 6, 2022

Mt. Lebanon football coach Bob Palko, who led the Blue Devils to their first state championship, was named the 2021 Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year on Sunday.

Penn Hills’ Jaden Dugger intercepts a pass intended for Upper St. Clair’s Aidan Besselman on Sept. 24, 2021.

Penn Hills’ Jaden Dugger finds Division I fit at Georgetown

Developing into a leader as a senior wide receiver at Penn Hills didn’t mean Jaden Dugger had to be a rah-rah guy.

Penn Hills’ Daemar Kelly celebrates making a 3-pointer during a Section 3-5A game against Gateway on Jan. 11.

Penn Hills boys basketball looking for another gear in season’s final days

Penn Hills 6-foot-4 guard Daemar Kelly believes the Indians have more to give.

Pine-Richland’s Alex Gochis catches a touchdown pass last year against Harrisburg.

Pine-Richland notebook: 3 more football players make college choices

A trio of Pine-Richland football players made their college commitments official on National Signing Day on Feb. 2.

Pine-Richland’s Carson Kalpakis celebrates a goal against Canon-McMillan.

Pine-Richland hockey team thrives in pressure situations

Pine-Richland hockey enters the final month of the regular season in a tight race for playoff positioning with only nine points separating second place from seventh in the PIHL Class 3A standings.

Fox Chapel’s Danny Downey (91) celebrates his goal with teammates during their game against Kiski Area on Nov. 11, 2021.

Fox Chapel hockey steamrolling through PIHL schedule

Fox Chapel hockey is coming closer to capping its amazing comeback season with an undefeated mark.

North Allegheny’s Lexi Sundgren competes in the girls 200 freestyle during the 2020 WPIAL championships.

With longtime coach out of retirement, North Allegheny swim teams out to achieve more excellence

Longtime North Allegheny swimming coach Corky Semler didn’t hesitate when athletic director Bob Bozzuto asked if he was interested in coming out of retirement this winter.

Gateway seniors Carsen Engleka and Micah McBeam

Gateway’s Engleka to join Division III powerhouse

The University of Mt. Union has been the standard for football success in NCAA Division III for the past three decades.

Central Catholic senior Jaden Brown will join the baseball team at Division III Mt. Union (Ohio).

Central Catholic’s Brown to join longtime friend at Mt. Union

Monroeville resident Jaden Brown reached out to longtime friend Jaired Lehman, a Gateway graduate, as he went through his college baseball recruiting process.

Quaker Valley’s Amelia Herrmann scores during a Section 2-4A game against Montour on Jan. 12.

Quaker Valley girls basketball team coming together in season’s home stretch

The Quaker Valley girls basketball team is resilient if nothing else.

Penn-Trafford’s Troy Hohman beats Mt. Pleasant’s Sean Cain in the 120-pound quarterfinals during the WCCA championships on Jan. 7.

Penn-Trafford notebook: Wrestling team looks to build on postseason losses

The Penn-Trafford wrestling team continues to make positive strides despite losing two matches in the Section 1 tournament and bowing out of the WPIAL Class 3A championship in the first round.

Latrobe’s Nate Roth works to pin Canon-McMillan’s Josiah Gardner at 138 pounds during their WPIAL Class 3A team consolation match on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, at Peters Twp. High School.

PIAA announces wrestling tournament pairings

The PIAA wrestling team tournament will commence Monday with opening round matches. Teams that advance will compete at the Giant Center in Hershey Thursday-Saturday. Here’s a look at the matchups:

High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 5, 2022

February 5, 2022

High schools

Penn Hills’ Daemar Kelly drives past Gateway’s Michael Crawford during the first meeting between the teams this season Jan. 11. On Saturday, Kelly scored 15 points in a Penn Hills win.

High school roundup for Feb. 5, 2022: Penn Hills beats Gateway in battle for 1st place

George Mitchell scored 18 points on six 3-pointers, leading Penn Hills to a 65-57 victory over Gateway on Saturday in a battle for first place in Section 3-5A boys basketball.

Westmoreland athletes of the week: Hempfield’s Dominic Falcon, Mt. Pleasant’s Lily King

Dominic Falcon

Knoch’s Nina Shaw celebrates after defeating Highlands to win the Section 1-4A championship Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022.

Long time coming: Knoch wins win 1st section title in 50 years

A 50-year section-championship drought came to an end Saturday afternoon as the Knoch girls basketball team held off a furious fight from Highlands to capture the Section 1-4A crown with a 56-48 victory in front of a large and spirited home crowd.