Josh Rizzo stories, Page 3
With patience, determination, Fox Chapel girls march into state playoffs
The Fox Chapel girls soccer team hasn’t had to worry about battling through another version of the WPIAL tournament through the first few rounds of the PIAA Class 3A playoffs. That’s exactly how Foxes coach Carlo Prati prefers things to shake out. Fox Chapel knocked off District 10 champion Harbor...
Pair of Fox Chapel players cap season with all-conference honors
The Fox Chapel football program has many markers it would like to hit on its way back to respectability. Foxes coach Dave Leasure was happy to cap the season, where Fox Chapel finished 3-7 overall and 0-5 in the Northeast Conference, with Harran Zureikat and Max Melocchi earning all-conference honors....
Playoff goal still remains for improving Penn Hills boys soccer program
Kevin Truman wanted to find a way to help the Penn Hills boys soccer program find a way back to the WPIAL playoffs. While the Indians’ coach felt like they had made tremendous progress, they couldn’t find enough punch on offense to emerge from Section 1-4A. What Penn Hills hopes...
Shady Side Academy girls focus on team success, win program’s 1st cross country state title
Shady Side Academy girls cross country coach Jeff Perlis talked to Charlotte Barker and Josephine Lenart the night before the PIAA Class A championship race to discuss strategy. Both girls were among the favorites to cross the finish line first. Lenart and Barker had traded wins at meets back and...
Freshman QB sparks Western Beaver past Apollo-Ridge in WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinals
Western Beaver freshman Amari Marshall didn’t expect to be a quarterback coming into the preseason. But when the program lined up for its first night WPIAL Class 2A postseason game, Marshall was under the gun and ready to try and help the Golden Beavers make history. No. 2 Western Beaver’s...
Cohesive, mature Apollo-Ridge ready to challenge No. 2 Western Beaver in quarterfinals
Apollo-Ridge lineman Connor Bogdanski and his teammate sent a signal in early August that they were ready to show off everything they had learned during a difficult 2024 season. The Vikings won a big-man challenge event against competitors from Fox Chapel and Knoch. After Apollo-Ridge finished with one win last...
Deer Lakes resets after WPIAL title, beats Harbor Creek in PIAA 1st round
Coming back down from the high of winning the WPIAL Class 2A championship was a weird feeling for Deer Lakes keeper Wesley Boyle. The Lancers are excited to pursue a state championship, but they understand nothing about moving on in the PIAA playoffs is easy. Peyton Kushon headed in a...
Led by stellar senior class, Beaver sweeps Oakland Catholic for WPIAL 3A volleyball crown
Susan Pollins has spent nine years with the seniors on the Beaver girls volleyball team. The Bobcats coach believes any group coming behind them will have a high hurdle to clear to match what they’ve accomplished. Beaver, the No. 2 seed, swept Oakland Catholic 3-0 (25-15, 27-25, 27-25) in the...
No. 11-seeded Avonworth caps playoff run with WPIAL Class 2A volleyball championship
Julia Cernich had enough of the five-set wars. If No. 11 seed Avonworth was going to win its first WPIAL Class 2A girls volleyball title Saturday against top-seeded Hopewell, the Antelopes wanted to do so in tidy fashion in the fourth set. Avonworth had a dream start, rolling off the...
Fox Chapel, Shady Side Academy runners find stride at WPIAL cross country meet
Fox Chapel girls cross country coach Tom Moul hoped the Foxes would make steady improvement throughout the season. Had you asked him if the team would reach the PIAA Class 3A championships as a team, Moul wouldn’t have necessarily anticipated that. During the WPIAL Class 3A championships at White Oak...
Neshannock uses fast start, tough defense to bounce Leechburg in WPIAL 1st round
Neshannock quarterback Jino Mozzocio felt the Lancers’ football season hasn’t been quite to his liking so far. He wanted to start writing a different story against Leechburg during a WPIAL Class A semifinal Friday at Veterans Memorial Field. No. 9 Neshannock took that first step by blasting the Blue Devils,...
In WPIAL final, Fox Chapel seeks 3rd win of season vs. Seneca Valley
Fox Chapel boys soccer coach Erik Ingram doesn’t always get bogged down by tactics when the Foxes play section rival Seneca Valley. Many times, Ingram gets caught up in being a spectator. Ingram appreciates competing against the Raiders because he admires the program they’ve built. Seneca Valley will be the...
Deer Lakes battles past Beaver to win 3rd WPIAL boys soccer championship
Zane Spence cradled the WPIAL Class 2A boys soccer championship trophy Wednesday night at Highmark Stadium, ignoring the steady rain that was streaming down. The Deer Lakes senior defender was too proud continuing a family and program tradition to be brought down by the weather. Spence headed in a shot...
Fox Chapel ousts Plum to keep WPIAL repeat bid alive
The Fox Chapel boys soccer team prides itself on having variety in its attack. The Foxes leaned on that versatility to put themselves in position to win a seventh WPIAL title. The Foxes produced goals two minutes apart in the first half during a 2-0 win over Plum in a...
Deer Lakes boys carry confidence into WPIAL Class 2A final against Beaver
Deer Lakes boys soccer team forward Collin Rodgers has a good feeling about the team going into the WPIAL Class 2A final. The Lancers have demonstrated in the playoffs that they are comfortable when things aren’t going their way. Sixth-seeded Deer Lakes trailed No. 2 Quaker Valley at halftime in...
Deer Lakes uses quick-strike offense to down Quaker Valley in clash of elite 2A programs
The Deer Lakes boys soccer program already has built the foundation of its burgeoning blue blood reputation. The Lancers added another story on top of it during a 2-1 WPIAL Class 2A semifinal win over Quaker Valley on Monday at Fridley Field. Collin Rodgers scored twice in the first 10...
Penn Hills middle school swim team reaching new heights
Mark Spinola was happy to say every swimmer who competed at the middle school championships saw a significant drop in their times. The Penn Hills middle school swim coach is pleased the program is trending in the right direction. “The team has come a long way,” said Spinola, who has...
Fall ball program the latest signpost in Penn Hills baseball’s rebuilding efforts
Joe Capobianco didn’t have to buy a large amount of refreshments for the Penn Hills baseball boosters meetings during his first season with the program. The Indians only had one booster last season. This year, the number has swelled to about eight parents. As Penn Hills attempts to climb the...
Shady Side Academy savors upset win in WPIAL girls soccer playoffs
Being familiar with playing Deer Lakes in the past was a major benefit for Virginia Powers. The Shady Side Academy forward didn’t feel she and her teammates were unprepared to take on the fifth-seeded Lancers. Powers scored midway through the second half to help the No. 12 Bulldogs advance to...
Fox Chapel’s Carson Kittsley joins elite company with 2nd state golf title
Fox Chapel junior Carson Kittsley felt more comfortable on the golf course this season. Results didn’t necessarily come easier, but Kittsley felt better equipped to put himself in the best position to win. Kittsley’s precision proved to be necessary during the second and final round of the PIAA Class 3A...
Herald notebook: Fox Chapel field hockey returns to WPIAL final
The Fox Chapel field hockey program has been knocking on the door of winning its sixth field hockey championship. The Foxes beat Latrobe, 2-0, in the semifinals to reach the WPIAL Class 2A final. The Foxes had have another opportunity to do so against Peters Township. The championship match, on...
Antonio Perkins sets school record, Burrell wins barnburner against Deer Lakes in pursuit of playoffs
Burrell sophomore quarterback Antonio Perkins chose to put a lot of pressure on the WPIAL Class 3A wild-card committee. After Perkins piled up a school-record 360 rushing yards, ran a punt and kick back for a score, intercepted a pass and scored five rushing touchdowns, who wants to be the...
USO looks to dethrone 3-time defending City League champion Westinghouse
USO football coach Lou Berry knows his team is capable of toppling three-time defending City League champion Westinghouse. USO proved it on the field two weeks ago when USO beat the Bulldogs, 20-14. But Berry knows doing it at 3 p.m. Saturday at Cupples Stadium in the City League championship...
Plum girls finally notch playoff win over Mars
Allison Porter was happy to get one in the win column against Mars. The Plum senior defender had felt enough heartbreak against the Planets in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. Porter made the winning penalty kick after the teams played through 110 scoreless minutes Thursday night at Plum High School....
Defending champ Springdale uses late goal to best Chartiers-Houston in WPIAL playoffs
Springdale forward Hailey Marchlewski played a long ball from near midfield she hoped would put teammate Lacey Shondeck in a spot to score. Chartiers-Houston keeper Adrianna Rozzo came forward to attempt to play it forward. Rozzo didn’t hit it clean, and it rolled by her. She charged desperately after it,...
