Westmoreland County athletes of the week: Penn-Trafford’s Mia Williams and Franklin Regional’s Fabrizzio Costa

By: Bill Beckner Jr. And Paul Schofield
Saturday, November 8, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Fabrizzio Costa

School: Franklin Regional

Class: Senior

Sport: Soccer

Claim to fame: Costa scored the decisive goal goal in a 1-0 Panthers victory over Bethel Park in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals Oct. 28 when he finished off a pass from Michael Hillebrand. He also scored a goal in the WPIAL finals and continued his hot streak in the first game of the PIAA playoffs against Hollidaysburg where he had a goal and an assist.

Did you have any memorable moments this season or during your career?

I have a few. The game-winner against Bethel Park or the goal against Thomas Jefferson in the quarterfinals in 2023 after it just tied the score.

Do you play any other sport?

No.

Is there another sport you wish you could play?

Football. I wish I had been the team’s kicker.

Have you picked a college? Do you hope to play a sport? What are you looking for from college?

No, I have not picked a college yet. I am open to playing in college. I want a great academic school. I want to major in engineering and business.

What is your favorite class?

AP statistics.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

Petals for a Purpose, making flower arrangements for families. Help making meals for Helping Hands.

What does it mean to be a Panther?

Working hard and being dedicated to reach a goal.

What is special about your school?

The environment and people. It is a welcoming environment.

Where do you and your teammates head for a snack after practice or a game?

Moe’s and a get a Stacker.

What is your favorite meal?

My mom’s pasta.

If you were making dinner, what would it be?

Filet mignon, medium well.

Do you have a candy or snack weakness?

Nerd gummy clusters.

What sport do you enjoy watching?

American football. I like watching the Steelers.

Is there an athlete you would like to meet?

Soccer player Neymar.

Have you ever met a celebrity?

No.

What was the last movie you watched?

“Dodgeball.”

What type of movies do you like?

I like watching comedies.

What type of music do you listen to?

Rap and R&B.

Where is your favorite vacation spot?

Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Where do you hope to visit in the future?

I want to visit Greece.

Who has the best pizza in your school district?

I like Fox’s cheese pizza.

What do you want to be after college?

I want to be an engineer.

Do you have a pet? What is it?

I have dog. It is a Pomeranian.

What is something you do that your friends do not know you do?

I speak two languages: English and Portuguese.

Mia Williams

School: Penn-Trafford

Class: Senior

Sport: Tennis

Claim to fame: Williams captured the PIAA Class 3A singles championship with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Erika Dunwoody of West Chester Henderson last weekend at Hershey Racquet Club. Williams finished as the WPIAL runner-up three times after winning the district title as a freshman. She had never advanced past the state quarterfinals before her breakthrough run.

At what point in the state final did you know the title was yours?

Tennis is a sport where anyone could come back at any time, so there was never really a time I knew. But after I hit that final backhand, I was just so happy.

Going into the state tournament, what gave you the confidence you could win it all?

I just had the mentality of going out there and playing my game. Win or lose it was going to be my final weekend of high school tennis, so I was gonna leave it all out on the table and enjoy it.

What does the state title represent to you, beyond the achievement itself?

I mean, it’s just a great honor. To be the first Penn-Trafford player to win a state title is a fantastic feeling. As much as this weekend and win were for myself, it also was for my team and school. The support from the community has been great; so many people have reached out congratulating me, and I couldn’t be more happy to share this win with a school and community that supports me the way have these guys have.

As a player, is winning a PIAA title bigger than the WPIAL title?

I would say so. WPIAL is very competitive with some great players, but PIAA is the best of the best from every district. It’s the top 16 in the entire state and the best competition PA can offer. So being able to come out on top in a field like that is a super cool feeling and as someone who has been fortunate to win both WPIAL and PIAA titles, I would say winning the PIAA title feels bigger and the reaction from people is definitely bigger.

What drew you to Skidmore College (N.Y.)?

I was looking at Ithaca, which is a college near Skidmore, and I just love that area and that conference, so I started looking at Skidmore. Once I saw the facilities they had, I was blown away, and then once I walked around their campus and met their coach, I was just kind of like, yep, this is where I want to go to school.

Were you born in New York or did you live there?

I have family from up there so I am familiar with the area, but I’ve never lived there myself.

Explain what getting your “bookends” at states means.

So, I train with Tim (Cortazzo) at FSQ and we had this thing earlier this year, before the high school season even started where he said “You’re gonna get your bookends,” because I won WPIALs freshman year, so if I won it senior year, those WPIAL titles would be like bookends. Unfortunately, I fell short in the WPIAL finals this year, so I didn’t get my WPIAL bookends, but after I won states this weekend, I texted him telling him I finally got my bookends, not the ones we expected, but still bookends.

There is a photo of you sticking out your tongue after winning a point at the PIAA final. Was that just emotion taking over?

I was just playing with joy. I was enjoying the moment and playing my game in one of the biggest matches I’ve had, so I was just enjoying myself and being happy. Honestly, after the match, I didn’t really even remember doing that until I saw the photo, but I think that’s just because I was enjoying the moment and clearly that shows on my face.

Who is your favorite all-time pro tennis player?

Rodger Federer for sure. I love his one-hander.

Who is the best player you have faced in a match?

Probably Ava Catanzarite this summer. Lost 6-1, 6-3, but it was a solid match against a player with a ton of high-level match experience.

Where do you get your tennis talent from?

No one in my family really played tennis. I kind of brought tennis to our household. Both of my parents were athletes, so I definitely got athleticism from them and then through many years of hard work with my dad and my coach, Rashid Hassan, and some others, we turned that into tennis talent.

You want to get into sports journalism. What drew you to the field?

I love journalism and all things reporting and of course I have a huge passion for sports, so just combining the two made perfect sense to me. You know in sports there is always a storyline you can follow, whether the story of the underdog trying to pull off an impossible win or a top competitor trying to stay motivated win after win. There is always an angle you can follow. Also, there is just so much natural emotion in sports from athletes and coaches, so it makes great reporting if you can tap into those emotions.

What is the toughest question in sports to ask?

I think any type of questions with a player right after a tough loss is always hard. No player, and I don’t blame them, really wants to speak after a loss to a reporter. They just want to process it with their team and coach. So any questions with a player that just lost is always tough.

What is the toughest question in sports to answer?

I think very similar to the last answer, but anything after a loss. I know when I lost WPIALs this year, I don’t really want to answer a question about the loss. I wanted to just not think about the loss in the moment and be able to process it later with my family and coach. So that was tough, but I also understand the reporter’s side of wanting to get your story. I’ve been in that position before

What is the most overused question in sports?

This is a question I always ask players early on the season, but I always get the same kind of answer every time and that is, what is the team goal this season? The players always give some variation of “win WPIALs” or “go to states.”

Who is your favorite sports writer or media personality?

I like Pat McAfee or Michael Cole, but that’s really because I like WWE and they commentate it.

What is the farthest place you’ve gone to cover a high school football game?

Acrisure Stadium for the WPIAL finals last year.

Have you faced any deadline pressure yet?

It is sometimes a struggle to get those articles done on a Friday night after a football game, especially those away ones with a long drive back. I’m tired and have got to force myself to stay awake sometimes to get my article hopefully in for midnight to post the next morning, but I’ve always gotten it done, so hopefully don’t jinx it.

Did you think Penn-Trafford football could get this far?

I think they are a very good team, so it’s not a total shock. We have a lot of good seniors who all want to leave it all out there before they graduate, which I think creates a good environment for the team. Of course, the coaching staff is great too, and you can tell from being on their sidelines every week they are a team that all play like a team out there, not 11 guys with 11 different goals. Nobody seems to be playing to make themselves look good. They are doing it to make P-T football good, and they lift each other up.

Do you have a pre-match ritual you go through?

I always do the same warm-up/stretch, and I always listen to the same song before my match: “Lose Yourself” by Eminem.

What would be your ideal NIL deal?

I don’t know if I have a dream one. Maybe Chick-Fil-A because I do like their food, or maybe a camera company so I could get some nice camera equipment.

If you could change one rule in WPIAL/PIAA tennis, what would it be?

Being able to play doubles in section doubles and WPIAL doubles even if you have already qualified for states in singles.

What other sports are you good at?

Just tennis. It’s where I spend all my time.

Do you have any pets?

My cat, her name is Melon, and two goldfish, Comet and Clifford.

Tags: Penn-Trafford