Josh Rizzo stories, Page 18
Defensive adjustment, Cole Chatfield’s big run lead Mt. Pleasant past Burrell
Mt. Pleasant quarterback Cole Chatfield feels like 42 seconds is an eternity. Even if his team had less time, the Vikings quarterback believes it could operate efficiently. Mt. Pleasant needed that confidence during its 23-13 nonconference win over Burrell on Friday night at Vikings Stadium. The Buccaneers bullied the Vikings...
Penn Hills girls soccer aiming to take practice lessons into games
Myron Cook knows the Penn Hills girls soccer team was tantalized by the movement and pace of the Fox Chapel soccer team. On Aug. 28 at Nate Ferraro Field, the defending WPIAL Class 4A champions defeated Penn Hills, 10-0. “Even though we try to do the keep-away game, you’re trying...
Penn Hills boys soccer working to build communication, confidence
Building strong communication with teammates isn’t a major mystery to Penn Hills junior midfielder Chase Delahanty. Sometimes, figuring out how to better mesh with your teammates means asking questions. Following a 10-0 loss to North Hills on Aug. 27, Delahanty and his teammates wanted to learn about how passes should...
Young players get chance to shine as Fox Chapel girls soccer starts strong
Emily McKee has much to live up to during her sophomore season for the Fox Chapel girls soccer team. The pressure is different after pocketing 24 goals during her freshman season. She’s grabbed people’s attention, and now McKee is faced with challenging herself to get better. “There’s pressure, but it’s...
Fox Chapel freshman showing skills in Drive, Chip & Putt competition
London Bitar learned that the regional qualifiers of the Drive, Chip & Putt competition were a step up in pomp and circumstance from the circuit she fought through to get there. When Bitar reached that level a few years ago, she was battling many distractions. When the Fox Chapel freshman...
Woodland Hills-Penn Hills game suspended with Wolverines ahead
The football game between Woodland Hills and Penn Hills was stopped with 10 minutes, 50 seconds remaining following a shooting two-tenths of a mile down the street in the CVS parking lot on Lynn Avenue in Turtle Creek. The Wolvarena was cleared as a precaution, with Woodland Hills ahead of...
Man shot outside of Woodland Hills football game in Turtle Creek; game called
A shooting in Turtle Creek on Friday night forced the suspension of the Woodland Hills-Penn Hills football game. At 10:06 p.m., police were dispatched to the 1200 block of Lynn Avenue for reports of gunfire. Around the same time, a man had left the game at the Wolvarena stadium and...
Penn Hills notebook: Golf team welcomes newcomers, looks to improve
There is a clear goal for Penn Hills golf coach William Berkshire. Every time the Indians play, he wants to see gradual progress from his players. While Penn Hills has yet to win a dual match early this season, the Indians believe they have shown improvement from the top to...
Fresh off WPIAL title, Fox Chapel girls face new challenge in Class 3A
The defending WPIAL Class 4A girls soccer champions are dropping down a class, but Fox Chapel coach Carlo Prati knows that repeating as champions likely won’t be any easier in Class 3A. Defending PIAA champion Moon, returning WPIAL champion South Fayette and perennial state power Mars will all have something...
New coach, players learning together in Penn Hills volleyball program
Raymond Ager III enjoys being part of a team. While playing for the Steel City Bobcats, an adult football league team at Friendship Park, Ager saw the Penn Hills girls volleyball team practicing. “I saw the girls working out up there, and I asked what they were doing,” Ager said....
Clairton rides defense to convincing win over Steel Valley
Clairton defensive back Taris Wooding and the Bears’ crushing defense didn’t worry much about the offense. With Wooding and his teammates patrolling the secondary, Steel Valley’s offense wasn’t gaining any territory. The Ironmen didn’t score any points on offense, allowing the Bears to survive three turnovers of their own for...
Armstrong turns back Highlands at goal line in OT thriller
Frank Fabian isn’t sure who halted Highlands quarterback Menage Lucas’ twisting effort at the goal line. But the Armstrong football coach said his kids told him it was Markayne Duncan who stopped a diving Lucas inches short during a 2-point conversion attempt in the first overtime of a 38-37 Week...
Beth-Center working to get young players up to varsity speed
Tony Ruscitto knew that Jonah Sussan only became a quarterback due to default. When Beth-Center needed the now-senior and three-year returning starter to play under center, Sussan was happy to oblige his 84-year-old veteran coach. Ruscitto chose to create a program to help develop signal callers. For the past few...
Larger roster, new conference have Avella excited for season
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Friday. Due to production schedule conflicts, the Bentworth and California previews will be published later in the week. Sawyer Kramer is always working toward pursuing the football. Avella’s...
Smaller roster won’t stop Keystone Oaks from vying for playoff spot
Steve McCormick has worked to make every member of the Keystone Oaks football team versatile. With only 30 players on the roster, the Golden Eagles can’t afford to have many specialists. McCormick wants to ensure that when injuries happen, they aren’t catastrophic. That’s why the Golden Eagles have been learning...
Fox Chapel’s Blake Krushinski commits to play baseball at West Virginia
Blake Krushinski has a clear path forward for his baseball career. By committing to West Virginia to play baseball before his junior season at Fox Chapel, Krushinski can focus on self-improvement. One of his first goals is to add 15 to 20 pounds before he graduates. Krushinksi, a right-handed pitcher,...
With co-op boosting roster numbers, optimism abounds at OLSH
Donnie Militzer wanted to be proactive following a nightmarish 2023 season. Toward the end of the season, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart’s football program was only dressing 17 or 18 players. Militzer went to athletic director Mike McDonald in the offseason with a request. He needed more players. The...
Shady Side Academy looks to learn from losses, thrive in Class 2A
Shady Side Academy coach Chuck DiNardo would like to see the Bulldogs learn from the adversity they faced last season. During the last two weeks of the regular season, Shady Side Academy had a pair of six-point losses that impacted its playoff seeding. “Being in tight games like that is...
Offensive line could be key to ending losing streak for Fox Chapel
The fourth quarter isn’t going to be the time when the Fox Chapel offensive line folds up its tent. The Foxes have spent most of the offseason building their physical capability to push the pace with their opponents. Fox Chapel plans to employ its run-heavy wing-T attack for 48 minutes....
McGuffey’s successful senior class ready to tackle bump up to Class 3A
Logan Carlisle won’t fret too much about the McGuffey football program bumping up to Class 3A this season. The Highlanders have a large senior class with players accustomed to playing both ways. Carlisle, a senior quarterback, believes that McGuffey has the mentality to carry its success into the Western Hills...
Penn Hills boys soccer team looks to build chemistry under new coach
The Penn Hills boys soccer program will need time to grow together. First-year coach Kevin Truman started an under-19 team over the past few months to allow players to gain experience. With a roster that included players as young as 13 and some 16 or 17, the team was able...
Fox Chapel putting in work to end losing streak
Fox Chapel senior offensive tackle Blake Kuhn believes the Foxes have put in plenty of work to halt a lengthy losing streak. But for the time and effort to build into something greater, Fox Chapel needs victories. The Foxes last won a game in 2021 when they upended Upper St....
In transition year, Shaler out to earn respect
Joe Rispoli doesn’t want anyone to think the Shaler football team’s transition to a new generation of players will mean a dip in performance level. Rispoli represents what the Titans hope can lead to success. They have a number of versatile players who can handle many jobs. Rispoli, a senior...
With Julian Dugger era over, Penn Hills looks for new cast of stars
Turning the page to a new quarterback wasn’t going to be easy for the Penn Hills football program. For the previous four seasons, the Indians could depend on Julian Dugger, now a freshman at Pitt, to lead the offense. Dugger passed for 4,984 yards and ran for 1,939 yards during...
Fox Chapel grad Fuhrer hopes summer golf success carries over to freshman season at George Mason
David Fuhrer doesn’t have to worry about ramping up for his first season on the George Mason men’s golf team. Fuhrer spent all summer building up his confidence. The Fox Chapel graduate has found that belief in himself on the junior circuit. Fuhrer has won three tournaments this summer and...
