Josh Rizzo stories, Page 13
Getting comfortable with new offense, Penn Hills girls add wins to resume
The Penn Hills girls basketball team found its way back to the fringe of the playoff race. While the Indians would need several things to break their way down the stretch to sneak in, coach Robert Cash feels like the Indians have figured out the formula to be more comfortable....
Knoch boys beat Deer Lakes, keep section hopes alive
Knoch boys basketball coach Alan Bauman was thrilled watching his team mature Friday night during a Section 1-4A contest with Deer Lakes at home. Twice, the Lancers made extended runs in the third and fourth quarters to move within two points. Both times, Knoch dug deep and never returned the...
Despite being down 2 starters, Burrell wrestling rolls into Class 2A team semifinals
Calio Zanella was sporting a nose plug to stymie the bleeding, highlighting one of the major challenges facing Burrell’s wrestling team this week. The top-seeded Buccaneers are battling illness as they attempt to defend their WPIAL Class 2A crown. Burrell was missing two starters, but the Buccaneers didn’t allow that...
Springdale boys manage section victory over Riverview
Nothing came easy for the Riverview and Springdale boys basketball teams Wednesday night at Don McGhee Fieldhouse. The Dynamos had to fight for every point during a 41-32 Section 1-2A win. Springdale coach Scott Ruppert sacrificed the vest he was wearing to help clean the floor late in the fourth...
Penn Hills wrestling team knows next step in program’s rebuilding efforts
Penn Hills wrestling coach Jeremy Packer has gradually worked on building the depth of the program over the last few seasons. The Indians returned to team competition this season after opting out of the WPIAL schedule the past few seasons. Penn Hills saw its next marker for improvement with how...
Penn Hills soccer carries on tradition of winter indoor tournament
Kevin Truman wanted to maintain the traditions of the Penn Hills boys soccer program, much like his predecessor Ryan Hankey did. For the past 31 years, the Indians have hosted an indoor soccer tournament in the winter to raise money for the program. This year, Penn Hills had a minor...
Fox Chapel wrestling’s trademark balance on display at Allegheny County meet
Fox Chapel wrestling coach Michael Frank was proud of how balanced the Foxes’ lineup proved to be at the Allegheny County Championships. The Foxes finished third in the team standings despite not having a wrestler reach the finals. “It shows how well they wrestled as a group,” Frank said. “They...
Fox Chapel girls roster lacks height but isn’t short on talent
Fox Chapel girls basketball coach Marty Matvey went to great lengths to make sure he didn’t miss out on any potential post players for his roster. For one year, Matvey coached seventh grade girls volleyball in the district. The Foxes coach came away with two conclusions: First, he accumulated a...
Burrell wrestlers defeat Highlands to earn 22nd straight section title
Jacob Taylor’s attitude before his 189-pound match Wednesday night highlighted what has allowed the Burrell wrestling program to maintain its section dominance over the past 25 years. The sophomore was making his first start in a dual against Highlands that would determine the Section 9-2A title. But Taylor already had...
Shaler athletes enter school record books at indoor track meet
Shaler co-indoor track and field coach Shawn Ryan knows track during the winter can get monotonous. With a lot of snow in the forecast, it’s had to get much practice time in. Despite the lack of track-related activities, the Titans made a big splash during their first meet of the...
Up-tempo style leads to breakthrough season for Shaler girls
Bayleigh Perez is confident about what happens when the basketball leaves her hands. Shaler’s 5-foot-2 senior point guard enjoys pushing the pace. The Titans prefer to be on the move this season and have seen a spark from their offense. They are 11-2 overall and 5-1 in Section 5A. Shaler...
Penn Hills’ Tymere Alston hitting his stride in 400 meters during indoor season
Penn Hills indoor track coach Lee Zelkowitz believes junior Tymere Alston is ready to take a step forward. During the offseason, Alston dedicated a lot of his time to becoming one of the best 400-meter runners in the WPIAL. “He trained hard during the preseason and during the fall months,”...
New Penn Hills baseball coach out to rejuvenate program
Joe Capobianco Jr. kept tabs on the Penn Hills baseball program long after he graduated. Seeing the program slowly decline wasn’t something he ever wanted to see. Capobianco didn’t want to be one of the people standing by and complaining about the program’s current status. This offseason, Capobianco, who is...
Fox Chapel notebook: Swimmers setting pool records
The Fox Chapel swim team is full of athletes who are seeking an opportunity to put themselves in the best position to do well at the WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championships. To that end, the Foxes have seen a number of pool records fall this season. Sarah Pasquella, Josie...
Relay team comes together for Fox Chapel indoor track team
Fox Chapel senior Alyssa Quackenbush knows what happens when a relay team isn’t in sync. She was a member of a Foxes relay team that was disqualified from a race because of issues handing off the baton. During the Tri-State Track Coaches Association No. 2 meet at Edinboro, Quackenbush was...
Highlands boys come together for section win over Burrell
Troy Bielak remembers being in the stands and being impressed with all of the creative tricks the great Highlands boys basketball teams used to get easy shots. The Golden Rams’ 6-foot-4 junior forward had that in mind when he called a play on the fly Friday night during a road...
Burrell girls ride defense to 2nd win over Highlands
Forward Jules Fisher knew what the blueprint needed to be for the Burrell girls basketball team to beat Highlands on Thursday night in a Section 1-4A battle at home. The Buccaneers planned to make life difficult for the Golden Rams offense. Burrell blanked Highlands in the first quarter, building a...
Shady Side Academy girls progressing toward championship goals
There is still much work ahead for the Shady Side Academy girls basketball program. But the Bulldogs have laid a solid foundation that should provide many opportunities as the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs approach. The Bulldogs are off to a 12-0 start and have shown plenty of punch on offense....
Fox Chapel Herald notebook: FC boys basketball surges in section
The Fox Chapel boys basketball team didn’t plan to change its approach when it went up to Class 6A. The Foxes have found success in the WPIAL’s largest class before. The Foxes still have a lot of work to do to claim the Section 1-6A crown, but they have put...
With young roster, Penn Hills girls working on paying attention to detail
Robert Cash has been through this before with the Penn Hills girls basketball program. The Indians have a young group that needs to play as underclassmen because Penn Hills doesn’t have many older players on the roster. That has led to growing pains for the Indians. Penn Hills suffered its...
Penn Hills boys shake off early struggles, begin to hit stride
Penn Hills picking up a win over Shaler in a game that was televised locally provided the Indians with a significant boost of confidence. But how the Indians followed up their performance against the Titans may do even more to improve Penn Hills’ psyche. The Indians shot 67% (10-of-15) from...
Kiski Area boys execute game plan to perfection, smother Plum in Class 5A battle
Kiski Area boys basketball coach Corey Smith used the 48 hours before the Cavaliers’ game with Plum to craft the perfect game plan. If Kiski could do what its coach asked, the Cavaliers would set up a first-place battle with Penn Hills at home next Tuesday. The Cavaliers delivered with...
Burrell wrestlers throw weight around in resounding victory over Valley
Carter Thomas felt that weight fell off him much easier last year. But the 121-pound Burrell sophomore wrestler hasn’t let the challenges of staying in his weight class wear on him. Thomas picked up a second-period win over Valley’s Xavier Ross on Wednesday night at Valley High School to help...
Fox Chapel grad Kate Friday signs on with expansion Pittsburgh Riveters SC
Kate Friday didn’t want her mental well-being to be defined by success, or failure, surrounding her soccer career. When the Fox Chapel graduate committed to attend Xavier University in Cincinnati, she wanted to find places around her adopted city where she could escape. “I think my favorite place to go...
Highlands’ Suber mounts major comeback in victory vs. Valley
DeJamire Suber’s mind won’t go toward quitting when things get tough in future matches. The Highlands 127-pound junior wrestler showed what he is capable of when things are bleak Wednesday night. Suber trailed by 11 points when he stuck Valley’s Xavier Ross during the third round. Highlands had a night...
