Josh Rizzo stories, Page 27

Summer basketball isn’t just about improving skills. Penn Hills boys basketball coach Chris Giles enjoys watching his 3-year-old daughter, Jaxx, co-exist with the teams she’s around. Jaxx has an opportunity to spend time with two teams — her dad’s Penn Hills squad as well as her mom Jordan’s Seton LaSalle...

The excitement still hasn’t worn off for Charles Morris. Spending time working with his players on the Penn Hills football team feels right. Morris, a 2005 Penn Hills graduate who spent time as an assistant at Gateway and Plum, is excited to take over the Indians program with his first...

Sophia Roncone didn’t bend when facing the pressure of the first round of the PIAA Class 5A softball playoffs. What the North Hills senior pitcher did was turn in one of the best performances of her career. Roncone, a Holy Cross commit, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against...

During his freshman and sophomore years at Penn Hills, Jordan Sullivan wasn’t dedicated to academics and his grades suffered. He spent most of his junior and senior years digging out of the hole. “I obviously wasn’t putting the effort in,” said Sullivan, who graduated from Penn Hills this spring. “I...

Dayvona Hogan enjoyed being able to keep her eyes on the varsity girls soccer team’s practice while she played for the Linton Middle School team. Hogan would wait until practice ended and eagerly wander over to talk to varsity coach Ashley DeVito. There was a natural curiosity for Hogan, who...

Hayden Ferra, Nate Morgan and Macin DeFazio were all on different dek ball hockey teams a year ago. When the three came together on the Penn Hills Arsenal Beaver Division team, there was little previous history tying the trio together. “I don’t know if Hayden and Macin knew each other,...

A 2012 trip to the Baltimore area solidified Angelo Allen’s feelings. The graduating Penn Hills thrower always enjoyed track and field. Setting a USATF 8-and-under record in the shot put cemented Allen’s thoughts that he might be good at it. But Allen’s 8.39-meter record throw in that event wouldn’t be...

Kiera Mack helped set the standard for the Penn Hills softball team. During the preseason, Mack talked about her game still being a work in progress. Even when the Indians’ third baseman/outfielder acknowledged improvements made, she had more ideas for how things could get better. “I can always improve with...

Penn Hills sophomore Julian Dugger is receiving plenty of attention on the college football recruiting scene. Dugger received an offer from the University of Massachusetts last week. He announced the offer on his Twitter feed. It has been a busy spring for Dugger, who also has offers from Toledo and...

Jake Miller watched the transfer portal activity and felt things at Akron weren’t going his way. Thanks to the covid-19 pandemic, life’s natural progression wasn’t taking its course. Players were being granted extra eligibility and Miller felt his opportunities were slipping away. Like many student-athletes in search of a better...

Penn Hills senior Angelo Allen didn’t shy away from being designated as the favorite in the shot put entering the WPIAL Class 3A Track and Field Championships on May 18 at Slippery Rock University. Despite missing the week before the meet with an illness, Allen quickly found his form. Allen...

Penn Hills baseball coach Rodney Stubbs doesn’t shy away from the reality of the matter. When it came to performance on the baseball diamond, the Indians had a difficult season. The team came in with a lot of optimism after opening the season with all of their players eligible. However,...

Irlynn Richardson wanted to be sharp while she was on the diamond. The Lincoln (Pa.) University freshman spent more time as a collegian getting to know her opponents. “I wanted to have a higher IQ,” said Richardson, who is a 2021 Penn Hills graduate. “The girls at this level are...

Things were difficult down the stretch for the Penn Hills softball team, but the Indians still had a strong opportunity in front of them. If Penn Hills had found a way to beat Plum on May 10 at home, the Indians could have made the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs for...

Eventually, Matthew Rosemeyer hopes the Penn Hills Big Red rugby club will be able to play a full schedule. However, the team is still working on building its program from the ground up. Issues with low numbers have limited the Big Red to playing a schedule mostly comprised of rugby...

Penn Hills’ athletes were able to leave a lasting impression at the South Fayette Invitational. The Indians, who are still trying to see athletes qualify for the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championship meet May 18, were able to take another step forward in their progress. Achan Green won...

Maura Wade won’t pout in the circle or outside of it. When it comes to Wade’s time with the Penn Hills softball team, she wants to show the Indians aren’t ready to revert to old habits. While Penn Hills isn’t always technically perfect, the Indians are never boring. Through April...

A long day at Slippery Rock University’s high school invitational wasn’t something Penn Hills track coach Lee Zelkowitz was hoping for. While the meet stretched from 9 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., the Indians were able to get a few things from the trip. First, Penn Hills was able to get...

Shaler senior outsider hitter Dom Rossi knows the Titans have a different way to build energy than in his previous years with the program. Featuring a larger frontline, the Titans can put up a strong block against section rivals North Allegheny and Seneca Valley. “I think the height helps,” Rossi...

When things go smoothly for the Shaler girls softball team, the Titans feature power not many other teams in WPIAL Class 5A can match. But what Shaler needs to transform itself into a serious postseason contender is the ability to stay on track when things go sideways. In the Titans’...

When the season began, first-year softball coach Ashley Banner believed the inexperienced Penn Hills softball team had potential. The Indians’ first win in her tenure, an 18-8 six-inning victory over Plum on April 13 on the road, snapped a significant losing streak. Penn Hills hadn’t beaten the neighboring Mustangs since...

The beginning of the 2022 baseball season has been more than unkind to Penn Hills. Offensively, the Indians have stagnated. Through 10 games, Penn Hills hit .217 as a team and suffered nine losses. While there is plenty of time to get on track, Penn Hills coach Rodney Stubbs knows...

Don Johnson referees youth basketball games and is always amazed at the traffic in the parking lot at North Allegheny. The school’s parking lot is always filled when he goes to call games. Johnson wants to see the same type of attendance grow at Penn Hills. Johnson has been volunteering...

Having the Tri-State Track Coaches Association Meet pushed back due to weather wasn’t necessarily a deterrent for Penn Hills track coach Lee Zelkowitz. The Indians were instead provided with a unique opportunity to improve. On April 13, Penn Hills competed in a triangular with Gateway and Plum before heading into...

Alain Tamo-Noche knew going from playing volleyball at Penn Hills to playing at the NCAA Division II level was going to be a major change. Once Tamo-Noche made it to Wilberforce, Ohio, to play in the inaugural season for the Central State men’s volleyball program, he had another curveball thrown...