Josh Rizzo stories, Page 36
Penn Hills notebook: Allen shatters school outdoor shot put record
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...
Taller roster gives Shaler boys volleyball team new look
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...
Shaler softball looks to make adjustments to keep bats hot
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’...
Work starting to show dividends for Penn Hills softball team
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...
Penn Hills baseball looking to shake struggles at plate
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...
Father-daughter tandem trying to boost youth basketball in Penn Hills
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...
Penn Hills notebook: Late-season invitationals critical for track team
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...
Penn Hills grad makes successful jump to college volleyball
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...
Inexperienced Penn Hills roster getting crash course in boys volleyball
Penn Hills boys volleyball coach Jay Mitlo has asked his players to accept mission impossible. Fortunately for him, players like senior outside hitter Brayden Mallory have happily accepted the challenge. The Indians’ coach has asked a team that only features six returning players with varsity experience to cram for a...
Penn Hills rugby team exposing more players to sport in program’s 2nd season
Matt Rosemeyer is excited to see what the Penn Hills Big Red rugby program will be able to able to accomplish in year two. With the Big Red’s roster composition, Rosemeyer will likely see a big difference between games one and two of their schedule. Many of his players from...
Stop the Violence alumni game aims to bring people together
Two torn Achilles tendons gave Wilkinsburg’s Taz Williams the hint. Williams, who co-organizes the Stop the Violence Alumni Shootout, decided to retire from playing in the 2022 event. Not that it’s an admission that the 39-year-old still can’t play. It’s a sign the interest revolving around participating has skyrocketed. Many...
Shaler’s Brooks Blasko looking to carve his own piece of wrestling history
Brooks Blasko has the benefit of having two people who left a legacy in wrestling to help guide his career. Blasko, who is 13 and a seventh grader at Shaler Area Middle School, was inspired to start wrestling at age 6 by his grandfather “Jumpin” Johnny DeFazio, who wrestled professionally...
Penn Hills track and field looks to benefit from larger roster
The Penn Hills indoor track team had a strong winter. With some reinforcements in tow, Indians coach Lee Zelkowitz believes the spring squad may be able to have even more success. Penn Hills will have about 30 more athletes out for the team compared to last spring, with the numbers...
Penn Hills softball teams confident of better season in 2022
There were things for Kiera Mack to be happy with despite a loss to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in a scrimmage last Wednesday. While Penn Hills’ softball team fell behind early, the Indians didn’t fold. They were able to make a comeback before losing. “I think that will...
Penn Hills coach reflects on growth, chemistry that led team to PIAA quarterfinals
Penn Hills boys basketball didn’t have the most experience coming into this season. The Indians only had one returning starter — junior guard Daemar Kelly — who had a similar role on last year’s team. The 2021-22 Indians needed Jaden Dugger, Julian Dugger, George Mitchell and Noah Barren all to...
Penn Hills baseball hoping strong finish carries over to 2022
Rodney Stubbs could see some of the progress from the strong ending to Penn Hills’ baseball team’s season last year carrying into 2022. The Indians won their final three games last season to finish 5-13 overall and 3-9 in Section 2-5A play. This year, Stubbs, who coaches the Indians, emphasized...
Deer Lakes baseball using last season’s shortcomings as motivation
Josh Tysk doesn’t want the Deer Lakes baseball team to lament missed opportunities. The Lancers saw the Section 3-3A title slip away late last season after a pair of one-run losses to eventual champion Derry. “We want to close games better,” Tysk said. “We were right there and didn’t close...
Deer Lakes softball team leans on experience from last season’s playoff run, healthy Guthrie
There are many ways to play softball, but playing with a cast on her wrist isn’t the type of adversity Deer Lakes senior outfielder Lydia Guthrie wanted to deal with again. Guthrie’s 2021 season was abbreviated because of a gym class injury. She didn’t get fully healthy until the Lancers’...
Greensburg Central Catholic baseball seeks to defend section title and disappointing finish
Greensburg Central Catholic senior pitcher/infielder Zach David is driven by what kind of player he could be fully healthy. When he got surgery to repair a torn UCL last October, the doctor told David there was a chance it could have been torn for two years. David’s injury likely will...
All-state pitcher Emma Henry, Greensburg Central Catholic softball eye next step
Emma Henry went into last season with the Greensburg Central Catholic softball team not knowing what to expect. After losing her freshman season to the covid-19 pandemic, Henry expected there to be a learning curve. However, she proved to be a quick study, earning Class A second-team all-state honors in...
Penn Hills grad’s swimming career hits high note at Edinboro
Edinboro’s Stephanie Sipple doesn’t like to slap the water at the end of races. During her swimming career, the Penn Hills graduate couldn’t remember doing it many times. However, after placing fourth at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championships in February in the 100 fly, Sipple let some emotion out....
Penn Hills road warriors savor upset win in state playoffs
Penn Hills coach Chris Giles dismissed the idea that the PIAA should try to tailor the Class 5A state playoff brackets to limit travel. Despite a travel mishap following the game, Giles enjoyed what 476-mile trek provided for the Indians. Packed into a gym with little support, Penn Hills, which...
Penn Hills wrestler hits reset button, earns spot in WPIAL tournament
Not placing at the Allegheny County Wrestling championships earlier this season didn’t sit well with Penn Hills sophomore Aidan Pham. The 189-pound Indians sophomore wrestler decided to refocus on training after bowing out quicker than he hoped. “It made me work harder,” Pham said. “I believed I had more potential...
Penn Hills boys basketball takes stock after WPIAL loss to Highlands
Penn Hills boys basketball Chris Giles was ultimately unconcerned with how the WPIAL chooses to determine which teams go to the state basketball playoffs. It doesn’t matter if it is the follow-the-leader system in place now or if there is a play-in tournament like there was previously. When it comes...
Playoff berth shows how far young Riverview girls basketball team came
Maddie Deem looked around during the preseason and quickly realized her role for the Riverview girls basketball team was going to be different. In the past, the 5-foot-6 senior guard had plenty of other players to look up to. But this year, the Raiders were looking up to Deem, who...
