Josh Rizzo stories, Page 4

Tony Grenek was ready with the justification before his wife, Megan, approached him about the promise he made before taking the job as Shaler girls basketball coach. Grenek, who coached collegiately at Seton Hill and Point Park before spending the previous two years as North Hills’ varsity coach, said he...

The Redeemer Lutheran girls basketball team is conditioned to play all 32 minutes if necessary. But the Rams are happy the program has grown enough so they can all get a rest. Redeemer opened the Southwestern Pennsylvania Athletic Association playoffs Feb. 10 by beating Neighborhood Academy, 51-25, on the road...

Mikael Epperson had to retrain his thought process if he was going to become an effective diver for the Penn Hills swim team. The Indians sophomore chose to come out for swimming for the first time this year after previously competing in track and field. “About halfway through the season...

The Shady Side Academy girls basketball team is in a strong position to defend its WPIAL Class 3A crown. The Bulldogs turned in an impressive regular season, compiling a 22-0 record with an average margin of victory of 31.6 points per game. While Shady Side Academy players settled comfortably into...

The Fox Chapel girls wrestling team has spent less time focusing on learning the basics. In the Foxes’ second full season as a varsity wrestling program, Fox Chapel felt much more prepared for the second WPIAL wrestling championships. “Last year, I felt like I was wide-eyed walking into the tournament,”...

The Obama Academy girls basketball team was forced to use many different lineups throughout the regular season. The Eagles were limited by injuries and had to send many underclassmen onto the floor. Obama Academy (10-10) opened the season with six straight losses but found its footing in league play. The...

Allderdice boys basketball coach Devin Crummie would prefer to see his team on the move during the City League championship game Sunday at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. But the Dragons likely will need to be more methodical against Obama Academy. The Eagles, who are attempting to halt Allderdice’s streak of four...

Claire Conti set the Fox Chapel indoor track and field record in the shot put during her freshman season. Now a junior, Conti spent the past two seasons attempting to find a way to hit the 33-foot mark. During Tri-State Track Coaches Association meet No. 4 on Feb. 1 at...

Penn Hills junior swimmer Sydney Smith doesn’t want to take her mind off what she is working toward. Smith has inched closer to earning a berth in the WPIAL Class 3A championships in the 100 breaststroke. Smith has a personal best time of 1 minute, 15.20 seconds, which is behind...

The Penn Hills boys basketball team fought into the position coach Chris Giles hoped they could land at. The Indians already had their ticket to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs punched before their final section game with Kiski Area. Penn Hills entered the game, the result of which was too...

Beating Deer Lakes on the road to wrap up sole possession of the Section 1-4A boys basketball title came from a foundation North Catholic built in early December. The Trojans lost their first three games, two by 15 or more points. But the lessons North Catholic learned from losing to...

Fox Chapel coach Zach Skrinjar isn’t worried about the classification the Foxes fall under when the PIAA realigns their boys basketball divisions every two years. The Foxes plan to adjust and contend. When Fox Chapel returned to Class 6A this season, the Foxes stuck to the plan. Fox Chapel has...

Ben Catullo didn’t look like someone who had wrestled for 61⁄2 minutes when he leaped to his feet and flexed toward the Burrell wrestling team’s bench. After Catullo’s overtime win at 160 pounds, his teammates were happy to celebrate with him Tuesday night at Burrell High School. Buccaneers heavyweight Ayden...

Applying consistent pressure and constantly sprinting left Nia DiSanti, a 5-foot-7 guard for the Freeport girls basketball team, a little tired Monday night. But after losing seven of eight games to start the season, the Yellowjackets became accustomed to having to turn up the energy to dig out of their...

Donovan Burnett wanted his college football experience to be similar to his experience at Penn Hills. When Burnett visited the Virginia Military Institute, he felt he was where he wanted to be. “Well, the brotherhood there and the football stood out to me,” Burnett said. “It’s comparable to the brotherhood...

Landon Funk had the idea planted in his head of reaching 100 wins as a varsity wrestler in 2017. Funk admired Foxes wrestler Mike Mahon and was in the crowd when he hit the century mark. During the Frank Ferguson Brooke Classic at Brooke High School in West Virginia, Funk...

Kristofer Bandurski found what he was looking for on his visit to Cal (Pa.). The Fox Chapel senior wanted to find a place that could mold him on the football field throughout his career. “The hospitality of the coaches was unbelievable,” Bandurski said. “They develop players into who they need...

The Penn Hills girls basketball team found its way back to the fringe of the playoff race. While the Indians would need several things to break their way down the stretch to sneak in, coach Robert Cash feels like the Indians have figured out the formula to be more comfortable....

Knoch boys basketball coach Alan Bauman was thrilled watching his team mature Friday night during a Section 1-4A contest with Deer Lakes at home. Twice, the Lancers made extended runs in the third and fourth quarters to move within two points. Both times, Knoch dug deep and never returned the...

Calio Zanella was sporting a nose plug to stymie the bleeding, highlighting one of the major challenges facing Burrell’s wrestling team this week. The top-seeded Buccaneers are battling illness as they attempt to defend their WPIAL Class 2A crown. Burrell was missing two starters, but the Buccaneers didn’t allow that...

Nothing came easy for the Riverview and Springdale boys basketball teams Wednesday night at Don McGhee Fieldhouse. The Dynamos had to fight for every point during a 41-32 Section 1-2A win. Springdale coach Scott Ruppert sacrificed the vest he was wearing to help clean the floor late in the fourth...

Penn Hills wrestling coach Jeremy Packer has gradually worked on building the depth of the program over the last few seasons. The Indians returned to team competition this season after opting out of the WPIAL schedule the past few seasons. Penn Hills saw its next marker for improvement with how...

Kevin Truman wanted to maintain the traditions of the Penn Hills boys soccer program, much like his predecessor Ryan Hankey did. For the past 31 years, the Indians have hosted an indoor soccer tournament in the winter to raise money for the program. This year, Penn Hills had a minor...

Fox Chapel wrestling coach Michael Frank was proud of how balanced the Foxes’ lineup proved to be at the Allegheny County Championships. The Foxes finished third in the team standings despite not having a wrestler reach the finals. “It shows how well they wrestled as a group,” Frank said. “They...

Fox Chapel girls basketball coach Marty Matvey went to great lengths to make sure he didn’t miss out on any potential post players for his roster. For one year, Matvey coached seventh grade girls volleyball in the district. The Foxes coach came away with two conclusions: First, he accumulated a...