Josh Rizzo stories, Page 17
Win over Aliquippa shows Penn Hills moving in right direction
Penn Hills quarterback Jay’Mere Ellis never planned on shying away from his responsibilities. The Indians football program gives him plenty of challenges. “I knew what I was signing up for by playing on both sides of the ball,” Ellis said. “I came in with a different mindset. I wanted to...
Penn Hills notebook: Girls soccer goalkeeper puts in work
Penn Hills girls soccer goalie Atheena Burnett put in a hard day’s work in the Indians’ 3-0 loss to Gateway on Sept. 23. Burnett made 40 stops to help keep her team in the game. Penn Hills is in the middle of a rough stretch of play. The Indians haven’t...
Jeannette unable to break Clairton’s defense as Bears post another shutout
Clairton junior defensive back Donte Wright is watching all of his teammates in practice. Just like everyone is watching him. The Bears defense has set a standard it doesn’t want to let slip. Clairton stretched its streak of not allowing an offensive touchdown to six games when it bullied Jeannette,...
Carson Kittsley, Fox Chapel golf team peaking in postseason
Carson Kittsley wanted to start his high school golf career with a bang. The Fox Chapel sophomore was left a little disappointed at the end of his freshman season. He fell one step short of qualifying for the PIAA Class 3A tournament after losing in a playoff at the WPIAL...
Pieces fitting into place for Fox Chapel girls soccer
The Fox Chapel girls soccer team is figuring out the puzzle pieces to compete in a section filled with unfamiliar opponents. The Foxes were tasked with replacing their top defensive player, Anna Troutman, and assembling a roster that would be battle-tested by the time the postseason rolled around. Fox Chapel...
Glenn shakes off early injury to score 6 TDs in Freeport’s romp over Valley
Freeport junior running back Amos Glenn was doing pushups on the sideline. He got advice from his dad. When Glenn returned to the game, he ran harder as requested. “My shoulder popped out of place,” Glenn said. “It was dislocated. I thought my season was over. The trainer came over...
Shaler girls soccer aims to break 37-year playoff drought
Zoey Cieslak didn’t have to spend extra time bonding with two of her teammates on the backline of the Shaler girls soccer team. Zoey, a junior, has the benefit of playing with her sophomore twin sisters, Ava and Allie. “It’s fun, sometimes,” Zoey said. “I can talk to them. They...
Veteran lineup puts together solid season for Shaler golf team
The Shaler boys golf team couldn’t follow up the first section title in school history with a title defense, but the Titans still figure to feature in the WPIAL team and individual playoff pictures. Shaler beat Highlands on Sept. 17 in a dual match to improve to 7-2 in Section...
Riverview uses varied offensive attack to roll to 41-0 win over Springdale
Riverview quarterback Rio Stotts believes in watching game tape and thoroughly preparing for each week’s game. But when it comes to implementing the game plan, Stotts likes having the opportunity to make decisions on the fly. Stotts and his teammates kept Springdale guessing Saturday at Riverside Park. The Raiders put...
Fox Chapel notebook: Fox Chapel, Shady Side Academy golfers dot leaderboard
The Fox Chapel girls golf team had a strong day at the WPIAL Section 4-3A tournament. The Foxes had three golfers hit the target score and qualify for the WPIAL championships. Fox Chapel sophomore Clara Koteski won the section by shooting an 82 at the Murrysville Golf Club. Foxes junior...
Timely offense, stingy goalkeeping boost Fox Chapel field hockey
Fox Chapel field hockey coach Kellee Cribby was happy to get a chance to coach her favorite sport again. While Cribby played lacrosse at Allegheny College, she always had a deep appreciation for field hockey, which she played while growing up in Maine. When Cribby, who coached the Foxes’ lacrosse...
Penn Hills notebook: Soccer team takes positives from defensive improvement
The Penn Hills boys soccer team is searching for positives in every result this season. The Indians are rebuilding, and they are seeing turnover in the program from last year to this year. Penn Hills coach Kevin Truman was proud of how the Indians recently played against Norwin in Section...
Penn Hills getting healthier, building confidence as section schedule approaches
The Penn Hills football team got plenty of reinforcements back on defense for its Northeast Conference opener against Fox Chapel. Following three straight close calls to start the season, playing a clean game and getting the band back together helped the Indians earn their first win of the season. Darrell...
Deer Lakes makes program history, going 5-0 for 1st time with win over East Allegheny
Deer Lakes wide receiver Zach Grant demonstrated Deer Lakes’ pursuit of school history will come down to precise performance. Winless East Allegheny stood between the Lancers and opening the season with five straight victories for the first time Friday night at Churchman Stadium. The Wildcats gave Deer Lakes an idea...
Springdale takes GCC’s best shot, still dominates
Springdale senior forward Briana Ross wasn’t shaken when the Dynamos allowed a goal for the first time in five matches Wednesday night. What Ross was most concerned about following a goal from Greensburg Central Catholic forward Riley Kerr was the next segment of the game. “It’s the next five minutes...
Penn Hills girls volleyball working to turn the corner
Ray Ager wants to see the Penn Hills girls volleyball team learn to weather the storm. When the skies opened up during the Indians’ first four matches, they hadn’t found a way to battle their way to shelter. With a young team, Ager expected there to be learning pains. “They’ve...
Penn Hills grad Hollis Mathis thriving as captain, hybrid offensive weapon at William & Mary
Williams & Mary’s football program would have difficulty having a captain that fit one of their offensive mottos better than Hollis Mathis. Effort, Adaptability and Toughness (EAT) is one of The Tribe’s mantras for this season. There may not be many athletes across college football as adaptable as Hollis, a...
Fox Chapel girls volleyball team leaning on experience in quest to return to playoffs
The Fox Chapel girls volleyball team is fortunate to have so much experience at the top of the lineup. The Foxes returned eight seniors this season and will hope to see that group grow together as they seek a return trip to the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs. Fox Chapel coach...
Strong start has Fox Chapel girls tennis in hunt for Section 3-3A title
Fox Chapel girls tennis coach Alex Slezak is glad his veteran group of players have a close rival in-section to push them. This season, the Foxes and Shady Side Academy are on a collision course to play for the Section 3-3A title on Sept. 23. Both teams are undefeated in...
Highlands continues to churn out points in victory over East Allegheny
Menage Lucas can promise plenty of excitement from the Highlands football team’s offense on a weekly basis. The senior quarterback has proven he, and his teammates, have a nose for the end zone. The Golden Rams continued to show they are of the most prolific offenses in the WPIAL by...
Coach with hall of fame credentials recruiting runners for Penn Hills cross country team
Mike Diano is happy to be back coaching at his alma mater. The 2000 Penn Hills graduate hopes a few more athletes will choose to join the cross country team. Right now, the Indians have only four athletes to open the season. Penn Hills has four boys and one girl...
In early season, Penn Hills working to fit pieces together
Charles Morris recognizes the early-season struggles the Penn Hills football team has been forced to battle through. The Indians coach knows the program has new faces, and everyone is still figuring out how to work together. Penn Hills was too generous to its opponents during its first two games of...
Washington Wild Things roar into Frontier League Championship Series
Washington Wild Things catcher Ricardo Sanchez chose to come to Southwestern Pennsylvania because liked what the team had to offer. Following two seasons with the Trois-Rivieres Aigles, Sanchez believed he had a purpose with the Wild Things. During Washington’s 10-0 win over the Lake Erie Crushers on Saturday night in...
Fox Chapel cross country boosts confidence with strong showing at Gateway Invitational
Tom Moul likes setting up the Fox Chapel boys and girls cross country teams with a confidence builder to start the season. Competing at the Gateway Invitational before the Red, White & Blue Invitational the following weekend has been a staple of the Foxes schedule for years. Fox Chapel opened...
Fox Chapel rewarded with streak-snapping win
Suffering through consecutive 0-10 seasons left Victor Nernberg with plenty to think about in the offseason. The Fox Chapel senior running back/linebacker focused all of his energy on becoming the fittest he has ever been. Nernberg was focused on working back from a torn MCL and partially torn PCL he...
