Josh Rizzo stories, Page 14
Junior guard making things happen for Penn Hills girls basketball
Penn Hills guard Milani Oliver crammed a game’s worth of moments during the final two minutes against Woodland Hills on Dec. 10. With Penn Hills trailing by four, Oliver chased down a loose ball, pulled up at the 3-point line and knocked down a key jumper. Less than 30 seconds...
Penn Hills boys off to rare slow start
The growing process for the Penn Hills boys basketball program will have many layers this season. One of the most important ones will be becoming comfortable with being in the varisty atmosphere. With the Indians having so many new players in starting roles on varsity, the season’s first few weeks...
Pitt volleyball sweeps Kentucky, heads back to national semifinals for 4th straight year
Pitt outside hitter Valeria Vazquez Gomez’s raising her arms with the NCAA regional championship trophy was mirrored by many of the 9,525 spectators in the crowd Saturday at Petersen Events Center. The raucous throng was celebrating what has become a tradition for the Pitt women’s volleyball team. The No. 1...
Fox Chapel boys rely on defense to spark strong start
The process of getting ready for the basketball season wasn’t any different for Fox Chapel boys basketball coach Zach Skrinjar this season. The Foxes were bumped up to Class 6A during this enrollment cycle, but the basic foundation for Fox Chapel’s success remains the same. “It all starts on defense,”...
Local players dot prep school hockey roster at Shady Side Academy
Killian Kissane knew hockey would be different when he chose to play at Shady Side Academy. The Bulldogs, who play a national prep schedule, would require him to be a different player than when he was at Fox Chapel. Kissane had to be more physical if he was going to...
Smothering defense lifts Knoch boys past Valley in section opener
Teegan Finucan couldn’t help but feel confident after the Knoch boys basketball team opened Section 1-4A play Friday night at home with a dominant defensive performance. The Knights kept Valley off the scoreboard for the first 3 1/2 minutes before coasting to a 74-39 win. Knoch (4-1, 1-0) has established...
Shaler wrestlers expect to be in the hunt for sub-section title, spots at WPIALs
Shaler sophomore wrestler Anthony Jones is in an ideal position for a wrestler competing in the lightest weight class. Jones wasn’t focused on figuring out how to cut weight to get down to 107 pounds in the offseason. Instead, Jones spent the offseason worrying about adding weight. “He has a...
Coach Brandon Sensor happy to kick off new era of Shaler boys basketball
Brandon Sensor was happy to earn the opportunity to lead the Shaler boys basketball program. For one thing, Sensor got to be closer to home for his four children, who are all 6 and under. Sensor and his family live in the Shaler district. He also has the interesting challenge...
Pitt women’s volleyball sweeps Oklahoma, advances to 5th straight round of 16
The Pitt women’s volleyball team can count on the totality of its talent to pull it out of tight situations. The Panthers needed their ability to solve puzzles to sink eighth-seeded Oklahoma during the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night at Petersen Events Center in front of...
Herald notebook: Zoe Skirboll chasing NCAA cut times at Virginia
Zoe Skirboll competed in the U.S. time trials to try to earn a spot on the Olympic team last summer. The Fox Chapel graduate would like to utilize that experience to help her junior year at Virginia be a big success. While the season is still young, Skirboll already has...
Led by Division I trio, Fox Chapel swimmers poised for memorable season
Coach Matt Mauclair is excited about what the Fox Chapel swimming program is bringing back up and down the lineup. At the top, the Foxes have four captains with plenty of experience swimming at a high level. Three of those athletes — Sarah Pasquella, Owen Howe and Christian Dantey —...
Penn Hills freshman heavyweight showing vast potential
Denairo Price hardly had to break a sweat during his first varsity wrestling match. Thankfully, the Penn Hills freshman heavyweight doubled up on his matches during a triangular with Woodland Hills and Riverview on Dec. 4. Price, who transferred to Penn Hills from Kiski Area, claimed two pins to open...
Penn Hills notebook: Junior high girls wrestler makes history; Strader named All-American
There was plenty to celebrate for the Penn Hills wrestling program as the season opened with a triangular against Riverview and Woodland Hills on Dec. 4. While the Indians varsity boys program picked up wins against the Raiders and the Wolverines, the girls program also got an opportunity to get...
No. 1 Pitt sweeps Morehead State in opening round of NCAA Tournament
Senior libero Emmy Klika and her teammates huddled together in front of the net after the Pitt women’s volleyball team swept Morehead State on Friday night at Petersen Events Center. The Panthers’ tradition of taking a photo after every match is the program’s simple way of documenting the steps along...
Riverview splits dual matches; Wylly notches pair of technical falls
Alex Wylly wants his sophomore season with the Riverview wrestling team to reflect his toughness. Wylly has demonstrated he is willing to put the time in managing the burden that comes with playing three varsity sports. Following a solid freshman season on the mat, Wylly wants to prove to the...
Penn Hills notebook: Hollis Mathis accomplishes rare feat at William & Mary
Hollis Mathis’ career at William & Mary has seen various iterations. Initially, the Penn Hills graduate was slotted in as quarterback for the Tribe. However, things changed over the time Mathis spent in the program. During a season-ending loss to Richmond last week, Hollis ended his career by hitting an...
Penn Hills boys hoping to see players grow into new roles
Penn Hills boys basketball coach Chris Giles has plenty of upperclassmen ready to lead the program this season. The Indians’ ability to win basketball games will be dependent on how quickly they can handle the challenges that come with being varsity athletes. “This team has to be experienced. They have...
Shady Side Academy girls taking it one step at a time in WPIAL title defense
Jonna Burke is much more focused on the beginning of the season than the end. The Shady Side Academy girls’ basketball coach said it is nice to have benchmarks from last season to shoot for. The Bulldogs won the WPIAL Class 3A championship and made a run to the PIAA...
Fox Chapel girls wrestling winning matches as program grows
Atia DiGioia fought the battle with uncertainty and nerves before she ever stepped on the wrestling mat. The Fox Chapel junior wasn’t entirely sure how wrestling would go for her. But having a close friend, Emma Srodes, to train with at practice made things easier. “The first week or so,...
Fox Chapel teams, athletes filled trophy cases during successful fall season
There were plenty of moments during the fall sports season to give people in the Fox Chapel school district a reason to follow the action closely. First, Foxes sophomore Carson Kittsley stole the show with a cool performance at the Penn State White Course. By shooting 5-under par on the...
Apollo-Ridge holds off hosts at Leechburg tournament
Apollo-Ridge forward Zane Beatty believes the Vikings boys basketball team learned an essential lesson during its season opener Friday night at the Leechburg Tournament. When the Vikings build double-digit leads, they want to stay on top of their opponents. Apollo-Ridge survived a late comeback from the host Blue Devils to...
After hard-working offseason, Penn Hills junior ready to help wrestlers return to team competition
Bradley Repovich’s resolve was consistently tested during his first season on the Penn Hills wrestling team. Wrestling isn’t a sport that is typically kind to newcomers, especially at the varsity level. Repovich, who will be a junior and wrestle at 145 pounds this season, went through his share of adversity....
Penn Hills 3-sport athlete turns his focus to the pool
Anthony Sipple enjoys the challenge of playing multiple sports, but the Penn Hills junior knows that swimming isn’t the one where it is possible to give a lesser effort. Sipple has the challenge of trying to return to the WPIAL Class 3A championships after qualifying for two individual events and...
Avonworth shuts out Central Valley to win WPIAL Class 3A championship
Avonworth senior running back Nico Neal was itching to have one more opportunity to play at Acrisure Stadium. After two years of being champions in waiting, the fifth-seeded Antelopes battered down the door during a 17-0 win over Central Valley in the WPIAL Class 3A title game Saturday evening. Neal...
High-flying Fox Chapel hockey team looks to play with more grit
First-year Fox Chapel hockey coach Ryan Loebig believes the Foxes were at a perfect spot for a breather after five games. The Foxes proved they are an offensively gifted team that is capable of winning wild shootouts. But a pair of one-goal losses offered a chance for reflection. “We’ve been...
