Josh Rizzo stories, Page 14

Hannah Sahr made Shaler indoor track and field history at the TSTCA championships Feb. 17. The junior set a Titans indoor record by finishing the 400 in 1 minute, 1.06 seconds. The previous record stood since 2007. Sahr placed eighth in the race. Of the 17 Shaler athletes who qualified...

Whether teams are playing man defense or zone defense doesn’t matter to Shaler senior forward Brandon London. Nor does it matter if the other team wants to play fast or slow. The Titans, who have their top eight rotation players back from last season, have enough experience that they’ve seen...

Mason Miles wanted more input on how to become a better thrower. The Fox Chapel senior does his best to work with throw coach Jayne Beatty a few times a week. Beatty, who was a three-time All-American at Slippery Rock, was able to help Miles refine his technique and make...

Zach Skrinjar has a theory about the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. Despite there being some mismatches on paper in terms of high seeds against lower seeds, the veteran Fox Chapel boys basketball coach believes the first round is the most difficult. “Everyone has nerves. You know...

Allderdice’s fourth consecutive City League championship didn’t come easy. The Dragons didn’t shoot well, and every possession was hotly contested. But in the final minute, Allderdice guard Logan Golle drew a charge, and the Dragons forced another turnover to escape with a 44-37 win over Obama Academy on Sunday afternoon...

Allderdice guard Bailey White was worried things may be going south Sunday afternoon. The Dragons’ were ice cold in the first quarter of the City League girls basketball championship game against Obama Academy at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. White missed her first four shots, while Allderdice missed 14 of its first...

Hannah Pugliese didn’t want to think about the chase for 1,000 points. Until about midway through this season, the Penn Hills girls basketball team senior didn’t think it was possible anyway. Pugliese, who has signed to play basketball at Slippery Rock next season, became more aware of the possibility as...

The Penn Hills and Gateway boys basketball programs may have been separated when the WPIAL realigned the sections, but the neighbors and rivals still found that fate couldn’t keep the pair apart. The Indians finished the regular season with a 14-7 overall record and were 6-4 in Section 2-5A play....

Expect the Fox Chapel presence at Pitt’s Trees Pool to be a strong contingent. The Foxes have hit a number of WPIAL Class 3A individual qualifying times and will be looking to push a number of athletes through to the state swimming championships. “It’s a super exciting time coming up...

Will Siegel is proud of the role he plays on defense for the Fox Chapel boys basketball team, and Siegel and his teammates want to make sure they don’t waste their effort on one end with mistakes on the other. Avoiding turning the ball over on offense is paramount for...

Allderdice coach Devin Crummie didn’t care if only five or six players could make it. If there was an opportunity during the summer to get the Dragons some time on the court together, he was willing to enter his squad in any available tournament. Allderdice entered this season with two...

Obama Academy girls basketball coach Monique McCoy impresses on her players the importance of playing in the City League championship game. The Eagles shouldn’t take anything for granted. If Obama Academy beats Allderdice at noon Sunday at Duquesne’s UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, the Eagles will have won their seventh City League...

Jeremy Packer is eager to see how the Penn Hills wrestling team will handle the section qualifiers. The Indians didn’t have anyone make the WPIAL Class 3A tournament last season, but have several prospects who could make the leap this year. Penn Hills wrestled at the Pine-Richland duals Feb. 3,...

Making adjustments late in the season has served the Penn Hills girls basketball team well. The Indians won back-to-back games going into their section finale, putting them in the playoffs for the second straight year. Without having to scratch and claw late for a spot like last season, senior guard...

Eli Teslovich is always thinking on the break. The 6-foot-1 Shady Side Academy senior guard has the clearest mind when he’s on the move. Teslovich has an idea of his best spots to shoot from and what defenders may be collapsing to require him to kick to teammates. Teslovich and...

Michael Worsen would like to find a way to stay on the front foot. If Worsen is going to find a way out of the 121-pound bracket at the WPIAL North section qualifier, through WPIALs and to the PIAA championships, being passive won’t be the ticket. “I feel like I...

Emily Ruperto enjoys the satisfaction of finding a way to self-motivate while competing for Serra Catholic in swimming. The Eagles don’t have enough kids to field a full team, so Ruperto competes as an independent swimmer. In many competitions, Ruperto’s only opponent is the clock on the scoreboard. “I feel...

Carter Lance would like to stand out when he hits the practice field for Duquesne’s football team this summer. The Penn Hills senior defensive lineman’s misfortune gave him ample time to devise a recovery plan. Lance tore his meniscus in the third game of the season and missed the rest...

The Fox Chapel wrestling team demonstrated in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Class 3A team tournament what it has shown all season. The Foxes weren’t going to be an easy out for any team. A week after sealing its first section title since the early 1970s, Fox Chapel won its...

Natalia Schaffer always looks for ways to improve on the basketball court. The Fox Chapel junior guard has been working on playing bigger than she is. With the Foxes being forced to be flexible this season, everyone has found different ways to contribute. After Fox Chapel’s 49-46 win over Hampton...

Penn Hills swimming coach Morgan Bush doesn’t have to worry about checking if her swimmers have been keeping up with their workout regimens. The Indians’ performance against Woodland Hills shows that they are doing what they need to do. “They are taking the time to improve,” Bush said. “Last (week),...

Jaden Dugger didn’t find the decision to leave Georgetown easy. Knowing the benefits of a degree from the prestigious school, Dugger was hesitant to leave the Hoyas’ football program. But after a strong sophomore season, Dugger felt the pull to push himself athletically as well as in the classroom. Dugger...

Landon Funk was surprised by who he saw when he stepped out on the mat for the final of the Allegheny County Wrestling Championships. Funk’s former youth coach Dustin Widdoss came in from out of town to see him and other wrestlers he coached in the Foxes’ youth program compete....

Tom Moul would like to see a contingent of Fox Chapel athletes make it to the PFTSCA championships at the end of the indoor track season. Foxes senior Anna Troutman is the lone returning state qualifier. Troutman qualified in the hurdles and the high jump last season. Troutman, who holds...

The Shaler hockey team started building a solid foundation last season. When the Titans brought in a new coach, they added a name that knows how to win on the PIHL level. Steve Meyers came on board as the Titans’ new coach this season. Meyers previously had a long tenure...