Josh Rizzo stories, Page 40
Players make new coach feel at home at Waynesburg
Making the transition to coach Waynesburg’s football team wasn’t something Aaron Giorgi was apprehensive about for long. The players Giorgi inherited took any lingering apprehension away shortly after camp started. “The kids have been working hard and made the transition easier for me personally,” said Giorgi, who was the head...
Youth flag football teams to bring Penn Hills flavor to Super Bowl week
The Pittsburgh Elite flag football program earned an opportunity for a new experience. By winning the 9U, 11U and 12U tournaments Aug. 1 at the Valley Forge Championships in Conshohocken, the program will have an opportunity to compete at the NFL Flag Bowl on Feb. 4-6 in Los Angeles. The...
Shaler out to end losing streak with new offense
Luke Cignetti and the Shaler football team are ready to show everyone their offense may have a little more zip this season. The junior running back is excited for the Titans to demonstrate their new wrinkles. “We seem to be clicking and firing on all cylinders,” Cignetti said. “As long...
Penn Hills ready to tackle front-loaded schedule
Luke Pugliese doesn’t anticipate having to wait until the Penn Hills football team opens Class 5A Northeast Conference play in early October to find out what kind of team the Indians have. The Penn Hills senior offensive lineman sees the challenges lurking from day one. Penn Hills will have scrimmages...
Woodland Hills looks to build on bounce-back season
Sustaining the momentum Woodland Hills started to build last season isn’t something senior Deontae Williams takes lightly. The Wolverines went 5-3 and returned to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs after a one-year absence, losing to eventual finalist Peters Township in the first round. “We started lifting in January and February...
Penn Hills girls soccer eager to get to work in offseason
Seventh-year Penn Hills girls soccer coach Ashley DeVito is always up for an opportunity to keep her team engaged in the offseason. Once the mask restrictions were eased earlier this summer, DeVito was contacted by the Deer Lakes girls soccer coach and invited to participate in a tournament. The Indians...
Pittsburgh Hardball Academy provides travel ball opportunity for Penn Hills players
Playing for the Pittsburgh Hardball Academy provided Anthony Sciulli with a chance to play travel baseball he may not have otherwise had. Sciulli, a Chatham commit and 2021 Penn Hills graduate, has always played on more than one baseball team. When Penn Hills didn’t have a American Legion team, he...
Penn Hills’ Daemar Kelly joins Philly AAU team for high-end summer competition
Daemar Kelly told Penn Hills basketball coach Chris Giles his goal was to play AAU basketball for Team Final in Philadelphia. Giles had a friend whose son played on one of their younger teams. He was able to put Kelly in touch with the coaches. Then Kelly, who has offers...
Penn Hills grad staying sharp with Monroeville summer ball team
Anthony Tucci’s arm was in midseason form when Clarion University wrapped up its pandemic-shortened baseball season. The Penn Hills native, a junior pitcher for the Golden Eagles, found a spot where he could keep throwing when his coach at CCAC Boyce, Bill Spina, reached out and asked if he would...
Penn Hills Eagles track and field club pushes forward despite pandemic interruptions
Penn Hills Eagles track and field coach Chuck Carter didn’t get a typical buildup to the Three Rivers Association track championships this spring. With pandemic restrictions, the club program wasn’t able to have any meets. The first competition Penn Hills joined was the Three Rivers Association Championships last weekend at...
Penn Hills softball players earn postseason honors
Lauren Sipple didn’t anticipate having many nerves about if she would see the field for the Penn Hills softball team as a freshman. The Indians had vacancies at several positions going into the season. “I wasn’t nervous because I knew there weren’t a lot of people at Penn Hills who...
Penn Hills senior gets in on ground floor of Division II college volleyball program
Alain Tamo-Noche saw a unique opportunity available by committing to play men’s volleyball at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. The 6-foot-1 Penn Hills senior outside hitter will be on the ground floor of a brand new program. The Marauders will be part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s first...
Penn Hills basketball standout heads to CCBC with drive to improve game
Eddie Daniels wanted to be in a place where everyone would have the same mindset as him. When the Penn Hills senior basketball standout didn’t field an offer he liked to play college at the next level, he sought an environment that would keep him competitive. Daniels decided to bet...
Penn Hills lineman caps high school career with East-West All-Star appearance
Claude Vangelus wasn’t a refined offensive lineman when he started with the Penn Hills High School football program. Relying primarily on his size, Vangelus entered high school with learning to do. All of his progression over four years led to Vangelus being selected to participate in the recent Pennsylvania Scholastic...
Redeemer Lutheran track team shows program’s growth at national meet
The National Christian School Athletic Association track and field meet May 22 at Geneva College provided good perspective for Redeemer Lutheran junior runner Christian Loewe. Competing against schools from multiple states, athletes from the Rams’ young track program got an idea of what kind of progress they’ve made. Loewe, who...
Penn Hills notebook: Young runners shine for Indians track team
Penn Hills only had one athlete qualify for the PIAA Class AAA track and field championships last week, but Indians coach Lee Zelkowitz was pleased with contributions from younger runners as well. The Indians’ young 1,600-meter relay team reached the medal stand. Freshmen Caroline McDevitt and Maliah Powell teamed up...
Penn Hills shot putter goes back to basics, hits PIAA qualifying mark
Angelo Allen knew something wasn’t right with his approach in the weeks leading up to the WPIAL Class AAA track and field championships. The Penn Hills junior shot putter responded by consulting his team of advisers, including his coaches and dad. “It’s definitely a hand-in-hand process,” said Allen, who qualified...
Penn Hills notebook: Allen qualifies for states in shot put
Angelo Allen delivered on his promise at the WPIAL Class AAA Track and Field Championships last Wednesday at Slippery Rock University. The Penn Hills senior thrower hit a PIAA qualifying standard in the shot put with a best throw of 53 feet, 5.5 inches, placing him fourth in the district....
Late-season winning streak gives Penn Hills baseball hope for future
Anthony Scuilli thought the season finale was a good representation of this year’s Penn Hills baseball team. The Indians showed plenty of glimpses of their offensive potential during a wild 10-8 nonsection win over Knoch on May 13 at home. Penn Hills also had several lapses — on defense and...
Small numbers help Penn Hills track put emphasis on training, improving
Low numbers was never something Penn Hills track and field coach Lee Zelkowitz wanted to experience. But for this season, having fewer kids on the roster actually has been a help in terms of bringing an inexperienced group up to speed. Competing at the West Mifflin Last Chance meet gave...
Penn Hills baseball focused on future
Penn Hills baseball got the offensive jolt it needed during its final Section 2-5A series of the season. Facing rival Woodland Hills, the Indians plated 20 runs in two games to close the section schedule on a positive note with 14-4 and 6-3 victories. The 14 runs in the first...
Tamo-Noche, fellow seniors continue development for Penn Hills boys volleyball
Alain Tamo-Noche picked up volleyball as a sophomore looking to build skills for basketball season. The 6-foot-1 Penn Hills senior outside hitter is now considering playing in college. Learning the sport has been a fun process for Tamo-Noche, who learned from veteran players when he started and is now part...
Penn Hills’ Big Red Rugby building foundation for future
Every match the Big Red Rugby club team plays is a learning experience. After opening against a few clubs that were newer programs like Penn Hills’ squad, the Big Red took one on the chin against West Allegheny. At an event hosted by Moon, the Big Red Rugby club fell...
Penn Hills grad Sipple makes splash at Edinboro
Stephanie Sipple’s boyfriend would be on dry land holding bungee cords, while she would take 20 butterfly strokes in Edinboro Lake. The Edinboro junior swimmer and Penn Hills graduate didn’t want to fall behind. With the school enforcing tight covid-19 restrictions, Sipple wanted to stay in shape. With few organized...
Penn Hills catcher back and better than ever
Jordan Sullivan Jr. didn’t sit around and pout when the pandemic forced the Penn Hills baseball team to have last season canceled. Tommy John surgery would have kept him sidelined either way. The junior catcher for the Indians felt when he returned, he didn’t feel any ill effects. “I feel...
