Josh Rizzo stories, Page 16
Motivated by down year, Shaler girls volleyball gets back on track
Anna (Bozzo) Carter was disappointed following the end of last season. Only winning four matches and finishing in third place in the section wasn’t what Carter believed the Titans program is capable of. Entering the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs this season, Carter can say that everyone in the program took...
Paul Stadelman, cornerstone of Shaler volleyball, honored as PIAA coach of year
Bright orange Syracuse T-shirts stand out among the blue and gold-clad supporters and wooden bleachers in the usually dingy Fitzgerald Field House. Annie (Bozzo) Carter appreciated that Shaler volleyball coach Paul Stadelman still supported her when she came to town with her college team. “My first week there, I felt...
Jeannette pulls away from Riverview to complete turnaround after slow start to season
Jeannette quarterback Kymon’e Brown couldn’t say he was happy with how things were in early October. The Jayhawks had just suffered their third straight loss and made a habit of fading after halftime. But the way Brown looked at it, Jeannette had an opportunity to turn around its season and...
Cross country program thriving at Dorseyville Middle School
Dorseyville Middle School cross country coach Sean Mawhinney insists every member of the program run a mile at the school at the start and end of every season. There are few better ways to show progress than for athletes to see it in action. For the girls program this season,...
Looking to win ‘something big,’ Fox Chapel’s Carson Kittsley claims PIAA golf title
Something was missing from Carson Kittsley’s wish list in 2024. The Fox Chapel sophomore had yet to pick up a victory in a major golf tournament. Kittsley emphatically crossed the goal off his list Oct. 22 at the Penn State White Course. Kittsley, who was playing in the PIAA Class...
Penn Hills goalkeeper happy to give teammates a helping hand
Atheena Burnett had a busy job for the Penn Hills girls soccer team this season. When things broke down for the Indians, she was tasked with keeping the ball out of the net. There were many matches where Burnett was asked to do a lot of work. Burnett saved 40...
Penn Hills coach proud of team’s progress in classroom
Penn Hills football coach Charles Morris is excited about his team’s progress in the classroom this season. The Indians, who have qualified to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs for the second straight season, have made major strides in the classroom. Ninety-five percent of the team has a GPA above 2.5,...
Penn Hills gets key win for playoff fortunes, defeating rival Plum
Jay’mere Ellis didn’t want to worry about tiebreakers, Gardner Points or for the committee to decide the Class 5A wild cards. The Penn Hills senior quarterback wanted to seal up second place in the Northeast Conference in tidy fashion to make a case for the best seed possible for the...
Penn Hills middle school football proud of success on field, in classroom
The Penn Hills Middle School football team got a good opportunity for some postseason experience Oct. 17 when it played Armstrong in the semifinals of the WAADA Football League. But Indians coach Mark Banner said that he is most proud of the program’s progress with having players be eligible to...
Penn Hills running back Naytel Mitchell thrives in workhorse role
Penn Hills football coach Charles Morris told Naytel Mitchell during exit meetings last year that he expected a lot from the senior linebacker/running back. When the Indians have needed Mitchell down the stretch, all of that hard work has seemingly paid off. Mitchell piled up 187 yards on the ground...
Springdale boys soccer scores late for playoff win over Sewickley Academy
Springdale senior Colton Gent’s job, whether he is on the track or soccer field, is usually pretty simple. Gent is told to run fast. When the Dynamos boys soccer team needed to win a race Saturday at Franklin Regional High School, Gent pulled away to extend the Dynamos season. Gent...
Fox Chapel notebook: Girls soccer team ready to tackle playoff grind
Fox Chapel girls soccer coach Carlo Prati has been consistent all season. He has continuously reminded people around the program that defending the WPIAL championship wasn’t going to be easy, even as the Foxes went down in classification. Fox Chapel, which was seeded No. 1 in the girls 3A tournament,...
Future remains bright for Fox Chapel boys golf
The Fox Chapel boys golf team will likely be in the running for the WPIAL Class 3A team championship again next season. Foxes coach Joe Farrell hopes his team will be able to get back over the hump and qualify for the PIAA championship. For the second straight year, the...
West Mifflin knocks off Knoch behind Armand Hill’s 334 yards rushing, 4 TDs
Any available space was the perfect amount of room for West Mifflin sophomore running back Armand Hill to make something happen. Hill’s frequent long dashes tormented Knoch’s defense Friday night during a 48-21 Greater Allegheny Conference victory at Titans Stadium. Hill finished with 334 yards and four touchdowns to give...
Penn Hills notebook: Basketball grad to play professionally in Ireland
Penn Hills graduate Adia Brisker recently signed to play professional basketball in Ireland. The news was shared on X by the Penn Hills Lady Indians basketball account. Brisker recently wrapped up her collegiate career at Queens (N.C.) University. Brisker’s best year in college was during the 2022-23 season. She finished...
Penn Hills boys soccer keeps battling
The Penn Hills boys soccer team didn’t have the benefit of a deep bench when the season started. As the Indians have gone through the rigors of Section 1-4A play, they have been battling against their opponents and a war with attrition. Penn Hills is on a five-match losing streak...
Riverview gets back on track with rout of Frazier
Prince Govan saw a celebration on TikTok he liked and planned to employ it when he scored. The Riverview junior defensive back had his opportunity Saturday afternoon at Riverside Park against Frazier. Teammate Dom Williams reminded Govan, and the pair ran across the field holding one arm above their shoulder,...
Fox Chapel’s Carson Kittsley shakes off early hiccup at Oakmont to make states
There had to be some creeping doubt from Fox Chapel sophomore Carson Kittsley about his chances of reaching the PIAA Class 3A boys golf championships. But you couldn’t see it in his face or body language. Kittsley simply kept playing his style of golf. After opening the WPIAL Class 3A...
Fox Chapel football sees opportunity in closing weeks of season
Fox Chapel coach Dave Leasure equated the Foxes’ football schedule to being like a mountain. There were a few games for Fox Chapel to prepare for the climb, followed by an arduous journey to the top while playing against some of the best teams in Class 5A. The Foxes hope...
Deer Lakes’ ball control tactics not enough to slow down Imani Christian
Deer Lakes did what it could to stall Imani Christian sophomore running back Gabriel Jenkins. But when the Lancers’ early success at playing keep-away didn’t result in points, the Saints quickly put the hammer down in an Allegheny 7 Conference showdown Friday night at Graham Field. Imani, the top Class...
Penn Hills notebook: Golfing grad wins weekly honor at Saint Vincent
Saint Vincent sophomore Lucy Brayton was chosen as the PAC women’s golfer of the week at the end of last month. At the Grove City Invitational, Brayton, a 2022 Penn Hills graduate, finished second out of 70 competitors. She shot a 4-over par 76 at Grove City Country Club. Three...
Penn Hills dials back physicality in practice, sees positive results
Every year provides third-year Penn Hills football coach Charles Morris with the opportunity to make tweaks to benefit the program. This year, the Indians have been focused on helping young players on the offensive line make steady improvements. Morris said Penn Hills’ approach has changed and the focus is on...
Ethan Vaughan, Fox Chapel cross country teams ‘race with the top dogs’
Ethan Vaughan had a scare early this season with his ankle. But other than one mystery ailment following a meet, everything has been on the right path for the Fox Chapel season. Vaughan suffered a stress fracture last season that prevented him from competing at WPIALs or earning a spot...
Gritty Fox Chapel boys dealing with any adversity season throws at them
The Fox Chapel boys soccer program will face plenty of obstacles, but coach Erik Ingram believes this year’s team is equipped to handle them. Fox Chapel suffered a difficult loss in Section 3-4A play Oct. 1, losing 5-1 to Seneca Valley. “We’ll be fine,” Ingram said. “We scored first (against...
Beaver football team dominates undefeated Deer Lakes
The Beaver football team has been hardened by the challenges that come from playing a difficult schedule. The Bobcats, ranked fifth in the WPIAL Class 3A Trib HSSN rankings, showed the benefits of that type of experience Friday night at Deer Lakes High School. Beaver bullied No. 2 Deer Lakes...
