Josh Rizzo stories, Page 41

James Bernick, a freshman at Slippery Rock, joined the Shaler unified bocce team during its first season last year with an eye on the future. Bernick liked the values sports can teach and wanted to focus on getting a teaching degree with an emphasis in special education. The Titans didn’t...

Everything played out according to “the script,” according to North Catholic girls basketball coach Molly Rottmann. By taking down Central Valley, 75-57, on Friday night at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center, the Trojanettes won their third straight WPIAL Class 4A title and 19th in the school’s history. Carrying the weight of...

Ryan Sullivan’s final performance as a Shaler wrestler was heart-wrenching and dramatic. Fifteen seconds into his 120-pound Section 3-AAA championship match against Pine-Richland’s Kelin Laffey at Fox Chapel, Sullivan broke his hand. “He gutted it out,” Titans coach Drew D’Agostino said. The defending state champion and Pitt recruit found a...

Cam Mbalo made sure the Shaler track and field team received one more accolade before the season ended. With a leap of 45 feet, 9 inches, Mbalo broke his own school triple-jump record and set a personal best to land on the medal stand with a seventh-place finish at the...

Reyna Garvey’s WPIAL gymnastic routine was a collaborative effort. The North Allegheny freshman had to execute all of the tricks but wasn’t alone when it came to preparation. “I would write down the skills I have, what I need to add and what might look better for the judges,” Garvey...

Shaler swimming coach Keith Simmons wanted every opportunity for his athletes to qualify for the WPIAL Class AAA swimming championships. Going to the last-ditch meet at North Allegheny was an opportunity to try to get a few kids through to swim at Pitt’s Trees Hall. Lydia Nebiolo, Isabella Cercone, Jenna...

Navigating the regular season is a grind. So is finding a path through the WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball playoffs, Shaler coach Rob Niederberger said. However, Shaler extended its postseason stay by toppling McKeesport, 76-60, on Feb. 18. It was the Titans’ first playoff win since 2012. Shaler played defending...

Sincere Carry knocked down a 3-pointer, grabbed the gray waistband on his red shorts before giving his hips a swivel near midcourt. The Duquesne freshman point guard let everyone know 91 seconds into Saturday’s game at Palumbo Center that it wasn’t going to be a typical Dukes game. “The dance...

The Shaler unified bocce team scored its first-ever victory last Wednesday at Montour. The Titans defeated the Spartans, 2-1, and will have their first scheduled home match Feb. 22 against Hampton. Shaler’s program is part of the Interscholastic Unified Sports program sponsored by the Special Olympics in Pennsylvania. The teams...

Listing all the accomplishments earned by the seniors on the North Allegheny swim team would have likely lasted longer than its meet last Wednesday against North Hills. A list of team accomplishments pops off the page as the Tigers prep for the WPIAL championship, which begins Feb. 28 at Pitt’s...

Overstating the importance of Sincere Carry’s absence from the Duquesne men’s basketball team Saturday at Palumbo Center would be difficult. Dukes coach Keith Dambrot beat everyone to the punch following the Dukes’ 80-74 loss to VCU. Dambrot made sure to put a qualifier in front of the comparison to avoid...

Luce Duritza’s climb didn’t come by scaling the mountain all at once. The 5-foot-11 forward for the Marietta women’s basketball team had to make gradual progress. As a senior at Shaler, Duritza had her season end when she tore her ACL in the opener. As a college freshman, Duritza was...