Josh Rizzo stories, Page 23

Bob Martini’s energy is infectious. When it comes to fitness — or talking about it — it’s not hard to see why the 72-year-old Penn Hills resident has been able to keep the physical fitness team at the high school together. Usually after he works out with the team, Martini...

Fox Chapel’s swimmers won’t be lacking for things to do during the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships. Sophie Shao and Sarah Pasquella will both be trying to rack up medals in multiple events. Both Shao and Pasquella are tied for a team-high six automatic qualifying times. Pasquella has qualified in...

With the WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball playoffs quickly approaching, Fox Chapel coach Zach Skrinjar has a simple aim. The Foxes want to be playing their best as the postseason begins. Grabbing consecutive wins over Plum and Armstrong Jan. 31 and Feb. 3 helped Fox Chapel secure its bid. “As...

Shady Side Academy’s 6-foot-4 forward Nate Mallory wants to avoid hearing the same phrase over and over again. With a chance to earn a share of the Section 3-3A boys basketball title against Deer Lakes on Friday night at Mellon Gymnasium, Mallory and fellow 6-4 big man Ben Michaels lived...

Egypt Coleman didn’t need to wait to hear the whistle or for the first basket to be scored. The 5-foot-11 junior forward believed the Penn Hills girls basketball team was back on the path back to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. “We already knew,” Coleman said. “With how much work...

Sherron Schifino didn’t find a home at Youngstown State. The Point Park senior went to Ohio following his graduation from Penn Hills in 2017 as a preferred walk-on and did some workouts with the team, but decided to come back home. After spending time at CCAC Boyce, Schifino landed with...

Logan Kennedy and Nick Hepler didn’t have to wait to form a bond until they were on the Penn Hills bowling team. The duo had already met through club competitions a few years before. Now, the pair are starting to help the Indians form the foundation of a strong boys...

The Shady Side Academy basketball team never planned on being a half-court, defensive-oriented team. But circumstances have changed how the Bulldogs have had to approach things down the stretch. Shady Side Academy lost senior guard Ethian Salvia to a torn ACL and has played several games without Eli Teslovich, who...

Sarah Slember’s athletic resume isn’t lacking in skills and experience to display. Playing basketball was difficult for Slember because of poor fortune. A pair of sprained ankles as a freshman limited her availability, while a torn ACL halted her sophomore season. Finally healthy, Slember has shown her versatility for a...

Angelo Allen has successfully started his track career at Seton Hill University. The 2022 Penn Hills graduate has recorded a pair of top-10 finishes during the early part of the indoor season. Allen finished in third place in the shot put at the Capital University Comet Open with a toss...

Trevor Katz received an unorthodox scouting report on his 189-pound quarterfinal opponent in the Allegheny County Wrestling Championships long before the match Jan. 20 at Fox Chapel. Highlands’ Tyler Bender had received high marks for his character from Katz’s mom. Colleen Katz teaches English at Highlands and told Trevor how...

Good luck trying to intimidate Fox Chapel senior forward Sam Smith off the puck. Playing varsity hockey as a sophomore hardened Smith to the challenges of life in the PIHL. Two years ago, Smith was trying to stop players that were much more physically mature than him. Smith, who is...

Cam Thomas was pleased that though imperfect, his start to the indoor track season showed tangible progress from the year before. The Penn Hills junior finished the 60-meter dash in 7.27 seconds to place third at the first TSTCA indoor meet at Edinboro University. Thomas’ time improved on his best...

Adding skills to the Penn Hills’ girls basketball team is a gradual progress. Indians coach Robert Cash said the Indians have been working throughout the season to become a team that is suited to match up with any team they come across. Penn Hills has limited their opponents to 47.5...

Noah Lang doesn’t want to rely on a good taper to be prepared for the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships. The Shaler sophomore already has a mental checklist built up of things to work on to pursue the school record in the 500 freestyle and a good performance at the...

Being able to see the rewards of gradual progress has Shane Ciganik relishing his opportunity to represent the PIHL Class A Blue Division in the PIHL All-Star game. Ciganik made his first start as a freshman goalie too nervous to think about the challenge ahead. Now, Ciganik has a different...

Fox Chapel’s Anna Troutman didn’t get the opportunity to compete in the WPIAL outdoor track championships last season due to an injury. But after her debut with the Foxes’ indoor track team last season, she left a lasting impression. During the indoor season, she set school records in the 60-meter...

Fox Chapel has ruled the PIHL’s Class A Blue Division this season. Following a 9-2 road win over Norwin on Jan. 17, the Foxes pushed their record to 14-1 on the season with an 11th consecutive victory. That means Fox Chapel will be well represented at the PIHL All-Star game,...

Anthony Sipple doesn’t need to go far to find resources to help with his swimming career. Eldest sister Stephanie and his middle sister Kristen both swim at Edinboro. Anthony, a freshman at Penn Hills High School, is on the same team as his younger sister, Lauren, who is a junior....

Chris Giles is welcoming of the Penn Hils boys basketball team’s position in the black-and-blue division of WPIAL Class 5A. Only one team in Section 2 allows more than 51 points per game, while no team scores more than 60 points per game. The Indians are ready to dig in...

Landon Funk didn’t have a secure spot in the lineup during his freshman season on the Fox Chapel wrestling team. Throughout the season, Funk had to wrestle off with Michael Worsen for the spot at 106 pounds. Funk didn’t always win and would voluntarily bump up to 113 pounds. What...

Lyla Jablon didn’t have to worry about slowly discovering the chaos of playing girls varsity basketball. The Fox Chapel freshman guard was thrust into an uncomfortable situation early in the season. The Foxes lost leading scorer Skye Byrnes to a broken ankle and had two other starters out with injuries...

Making a play call came quickly to Damian Davies on Friday. The Leechburg boys basketball coach could call out “Georgetown, layup” repeatedly when Blue Devils point guard Marcus Cleveland had the ball. Starting in the second quarter, Cleveland delivered nearly on demand. He finished with 35 points as Leechburg held...

Penn Hills boys basketball had a unique opportunity in late December and early January. The Indians were able to take on three teams that were all major players on the state stage last season. Penn Hills played two teams that reached the PIAA Class 6A semifinals — Archbishop Wood and...

Penn Hills isn’t ready just yet to field a high school girls wrestling team. But Indians athletic director Steph Strauss wants the district to be ready for when the day comes, so Penn Hills became the 78th school in Pennsylvania to sponsor a girls varsity wrestling team. One hundred schools...