Josh Rizzo stories, Page 25
Franklin Regional hopes avoiding injuries provides path to postseason
Cam Rowell was worried he didn’t quite have the spring in his step anymore. The 6-foot-4 Franklin Regional senior forward suffered a hip flexor injury that kept him out for most of last season. After four months off, Rowell said it took about a month of playing in games before...
Penn Hills notebook: Kelly hits court for Quinnipiac
Daemar Kelly was on the court for the Quinnipiac men’s basketball season opener Nov. 6. The Bobcats destroyed Coast Guard, 116-48, to open the season. Kelly, a freshman guard, contributed 17 minutes off the bench, scored seven points, grabbed two rebounds and had two assists. Kelly also made the first...
Strong playoff performance led to Penn Hills’ biggest offensive explosion in 5 years
Charles Morris had to wait until his second season to coach his first playoff game as the Penn Hills football coach. The Indians’ performance left quite the impression on anyone who saw it. Penn Hills blasted Penn-Trafford, 63-28, in the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals. It was the first time the...
North Allegheny routs Canon-McMillan to set up rematch with Central Catholic
North Allegheny quarterback Logan Kushner won a foot race four plays into Friday night’s WPIAL Class 6A semifinal playoff game at Wright Field. The 71-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 was a risk that paid off big time for the Tigers. North Allegheny gained the early lead and coasted to a...
Fox Chapel cross country team, top runner Rowan Gwin dialed in at WPIAL meet
Fox Chapel senior Rowan Gwin looked forward to mentoring junior teammate Drew Black at the PIAA Class 4A cross country championships in Hershey. If anyone had the requisite experience for helping a first-time runner out, it was Gwin, who was making his third trip and had a wide range of...
Fox Chapel girls soccer uses speed to go on long postseason run
Fox Chapel’s underdog run through the WPIAL Class 4A postseason wasn’t just the result of an October victory. The Foxes blazing a path to the championship game at Highmark Stadium started by challenging one another during training camp in August. Those battles continued through routine practices in September or any...
Penn Hills senior finishes cross country career with fond memories
Sawyer Kinney has been drawn to activities throughout his life that made him feel like he was joining a brotherhood. When the Penn Hills senior thought about what he would like post-college life to be like, he was drawn to a military career the same way he was drawn to...
Penn Hills wins conference title, rivalry trophy to head into playoffs with momentum
The Penn Hills football team was crowned “King of the Hills’ by beating Woodland Hills to end the regular season. The winner of the game being awarded a trophy caught Indians coach Charles Morris off guard. It wasn’t the trophy Penn Hills was ultimately after, but the Indians were happy...
South Fayette nets golden goal in OT to dethrone Moon in Class 3A girls soccer
The nerves of playing in the WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer championship game Saturday at Highmark Stadium didn’t rattle Mia Deramo. The South Fayette sophomore forward has played plenty of high-level games at the venue as part of the Riverhounds’ developmental program. Before Deramo scored the game-winning goal with 1...
Avonworth gets past Shady Side Academy to win 3rd straight WPIAL championship
Gianna Babusci knew her teammate Minah Syam had likely scored 15 minutes into the WPIAL Class 2A girls soccer championship Saturday at Highmark Stadium. The fact the goal wasn’t given was immaterial. The Avonworth senior forward believed the Antelopes’ attack was too efficient not to produce more scoring opportunities. “We...
Penn Hills grad reaches out to South African kids via volleyball
Alain Tamo-Noche immensely enjoyed his experience in Cape Town, South Africa. The Central State University student and Penn Hills graduate taught young people how to play volleyball. One little boy, Mokhtar, left a lasting impression on Tamo-Noche. “He stood out because he was eager to keep learning,” Tamo-Noche said. “He...
Penn Hills defense grows into physical force
Don’t expect to find many holes in the Penn Hills football team’s defense. Indians defensive end Kelsey Hundley believes the team’s discipline makes it difficult for other teams to move the ball effectively. “We’re a physical team,” Hundley said. “We fly around and get to the ball. We tackle well.”...
Penn-Trafford advances to 8th straight WPIAL field hockey final after shutting out Latrobe
There is nothing about making the WPIAL Class 2A field hockey championship game that feels routine to Ava Hershberger. Avoiding complacency through Penn-Trafford’s dominant stretch has a personal motivation. The Warriors qualified for the championship game for the eighth consecutive season by beating Latrobe, 2-0, in a semifinal playoff game...
Playoff losses make high-scoring Fox Chapel hockey ‘hungrier to win’
Fox Chapel hockey coach Cam Raidna knows the pain from the last two seasons has been part of the building process for the team. Two seasons ago, Fox Chapel bowed out of the PIHL Penguins Cup playoffs in the semifinals. Last season, the Foxes coasted through the regular season in...
Fox Chapel toughs it out through rash of injuries, rebuilding season
Fox Chapel offensive tackle Kristofer Bandurski had a few options after having his ankle rolled up during a mid-September game against Upper St. Clair. He could either have gotten surgery, which would have likely ended his season, or done physical therapy. With how many of Bandurski’s teammates were already out...
AD-turned-coach excited about future of Penn Hills volleyball program
Stephanie Strauss never planned on returning to the bench to coach girls volleyball this season, and the Penn Hills athletic director never imagined it would happen this season. The Indians had their share of struggles during Strauss’ return to coaching but were able to pick up a pair of section...
Young players thrown into deep end for Penn Hills’ matchup with Central Catholic
Interrupting the Northeast Conference schedule to play Central Catholic was a tough spot for the Penn Hills football team. The Indians were facing the juggernaut Vikings a week after they were upset by Pine-Richland. Central Catholic pounced on Penn Hills at West Mifflin High School, scoring a 45-12 win. But,...
Late-season win provides highlight for Shaler boys soccer
If Shaler boys soccer coach Tyler Schultz had it his way, the Titans’ outburst against Hempfield on Oct. 10 would have happened much sooner. But as it was, Shaler’s 5-1 win over Hempfield was a nice reward for a group of seniors who had difficulty navigating through a brutal Section...
Shaler golfer still working after playing in state championships
Chris Catanese chuckled when he got the notification on his phone from Jacob Crissman’s parents. The Shaler junior golfer hadn’t stopped working after he finished playing the Penn State Blue Course at the PIAA Class 3A championships. After Crissman’s final round, he stuck around and drove some balls. Then, when...
Fox Chapel golfer David Fuhrer happy to end high school golf career with state medal
David Fuhrer felt fulfilled after competing at the Penn State Blue Golf Course last week as part of the PIAA Class 3A championship. The Fox Chapel senior had wrapped up his first appearance on the state’s biggest stage. While Fuhrer felt he had missed opportunities to score better, he was...
With healthy lineup, Fox Chapel boys eager to open WPIAL playoffs
Heading into the WPIAL Class 4A soccer playoffs won’t provide a major intimidation factor for the Fox Chapel boys soccer team. After surviving Section 1-4A play and grabbing the fourth playoff spot, Foxes coach Erik Ingram is relieved to have a full lineup available. Through the season, Fox Chapel spent...
Penn Hills cross country looking to finish season strong
The Penn Hills cross country program has seen its numbers steadily climb since having a tough start to the season. The boys program had five runners compete at the Section 4 championship meet. Veteran Penn Hills cross country coach Lee Zelkowitz hopes their accumulating experience will help once the WPIAL...
Signature win helps Penn Hills boys soccer wind season down on positive note
Ryan Hankey hopes the last few weeks of the Penn Hills boys soccer season can feature more milestones. Over the past few weeks, the Indians have started to play at a higher level. While it won’t be enough to lift Penn Hills into the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, the Indians...
Fox Chapel cross country claims section titles, building momentum for WPIAL meet
Fox Chapel cross country coach Thomas Moul knew what the top goal on the mind of the girls team was. After a few years without a title, the Foxes wanted to get back on top of the section. All five of the Foxes’ top runners placed at the top 10...
Cam Thomas works to secure his place on long list of great Penn Hills defensive backs
Penn Hills defensive back Cam Thomas has two legacies he is trying to live up to. He wants to be another one of the next great defensive backs in school history. Thomas also wants to maintain the family tradition of excelling on defense as well. When it comes to playing...
