Josh Rizzo stories, Page 35
New Penn Hills coach wants to ramp up aggressiveness
Penn Hills coach Charles Morris isn’t so worried about X’s and O’s for his first season in charge. The foundation for the Indians’ success on the field has been shaped over the previous few years by the players and coaching staff. Morris, a Penn Hills graduate, wants to know that...
Shaler looks to learn lessons from losing streak
There was a real opportunity last season for the Shaler football team to get off to a 3-0 start. But after two double-digit wins to open the season, the Titans were tripped up by Hampton by three points. What followed that loss is something Shaler coach Jim Ryan hopes another...
Penn Hills junior shows 1-on-1 skills at summer showcase
Penn Hills basketball player Hannah Pugliese was excited to participate in a one-on-one competition that was part of the NEO Summer Showcase last month. To win, all the junior had to do was navigate through a field of 30 players. No problem. “I was trying to be as confident as...
Hard work pays off with league championship for 15U Penn Hills softball squad
Steve DeCarlo has spent seven years with Penn Hills teams of various age groups in the Eastern Fastpitch Softball League. With half of his roster on the 15U team set to age out following this season, the league is considering adding an 18U division to have a recreational summer league...
Shaler teen following goaltending dreams
Mental toughness isn’t something Gino Texter will have to seek out. Hockey has provided the 15-year-old Shaler native with plenty of challenges. Five times Texter tried out to be a goaltender with the Pens’ Elite program. Every attempt ended without an invitation. Texter instead found a home with the Cleveland...
Penn Hills Pony League baseball team caps off strong season with championship
Mason Wade felt the Penn Hills Pony A team was in the middle of what would be a good run. By the time the championship game rolled around July 18 against Squirrel Hill, Wade was confident. “I got a good feeling in the middle of the season,” said Mason, who...
Recent Penn Hills grad chosen for international rugby tournament
Penn Hills rugby coach Matthew Rosemeyer doesn’t know where his son, Charlie Joe, gets the motivation to tackle so many different activities. During his time at Penn Hills, the 2022 graduate played on the football, soccer, rugby and golf teams. Of all the sports Charlie Joe played, rugby may be...
CCAC Boyce baseball program on upward trajectory after strong comeback season
Larry Bielawski was happily working for a rug company in the Strip District when he saw a poster advertising CCAC. Seeing a chance to pick up some skills in music production, Bielawski decided to go back to school while working. Despite not playing baseball since 2018 in the OVDL Summer...
With drive to improve, Penn Hills dives into summer basketball competition
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...
New coach presiding over positive offseason for Penn Hills football
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...
State playoff loss puts heartbreaking ending on successful season for North Hills softball
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...
Penn Hills grad Jordan Sullivan looks to hit books, baseballs at CCAC Boyce
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...
Ashley DeVito built program, relationships during 7 seasons with Penn Hills girls soccer
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...
Penn Hills ball hockey team wins national tournament
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,...
Angelo Allen wraps up decorated Penn Hills track career with pair of state medals
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 among Penn Hills softball standouts honored for turnaround season
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 notebook: Julian Dugger on college football recruiting radar
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...
Transfer from Akron to Slippery Rock a win-win situation for Shaler grad Jake Miller
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’ Angelo Allen cements status as WPIAL’s top shot putter
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 working to make upgrades after difficult season
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,...
Penn Hills’ Richardson makes all-rookie team
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...
Penn Hills softball shows marked improvement in ‘exciting’ season
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...
Penn Hills rugby club working on building program
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 notebook: Track team makes headlines at South Fayette Invitational
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...
Resurgent Penn Hills softball team proud to be part of playoff race
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...
