Josh Rizzo stories, Page 44
Shaler bowlers handle pressure, qualify for regionals
Bella Pilyih knew the margin of error for the Shaler Area girls bowling team to reach the step-ladder portion of the WPIBL championships was going to be thin. The senior wanted to make sure her team reached the Western Regionals. Pilyih made the most of her opportunity, starting with six...
As program builds, expectations rise for Shaler boys basketball
Building a program wasn’t easy for coach Rob Niederberger. After several seasons in which the Shaler Area boys basketball team struggled to earn victories, Niederberger and his players righted the ship. The Titans fell short of reaching the PIAA Class 5A playoffs for the second straight season after Chartiers Valley...
North Allegheny track star Casey Burton in prime position for memorable senior season
Becoming a standout in track and field wasn’t the initial intention for North Allegheny senior Casey Burton. Finding success in the sport — Burton’s accomplishments earned her an opportunity to attend Princeton — was a byproduct of her hard work. At first, Burton was hoping to use the sport as...
Shaler Area track stays sharp during indoor season
Having something to look forward to is something Shaler Area indoor track coach Shawn Ryan stressed before the TSTCA Championships last weekend. The indoor track season doesn’t involve competing in many venues. But qualifying for states provides an opportunity for a trip to State College and a boost heading into...
Shaler Area boys basketball heartened by 1st-round victory
Any simmering problems the Shaler Area boys basketball team picked up during a rough stretch to end the season didn’t linger into the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. The Titans built a 14-point lead by halftime and moved past Gateway, 48-43, last Monday at North Hills. Shaler...
Mayah Charity leads Shaler track and field to indoor success
The Shaler Area indoor track and field team continues to show progress as it moves toward the postseason. Mayah Charity turned in a personal best in the 200-meter dash last week, finishing in 27.51 seconds. Charity’s time gave her the second-best time in program history. David Kondraciuk also ran a...
Shaler girls basketball team laments ones that got away
Emily Cavacini wishes the Shaler Area girls basketball team could have found a way into the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs. The Titans were undone by a few slow starts and wrapped up their season 9-13 overall and 6-8 in section. Their section mark left them one game short of tying...
Shaler hockey trying to salvage season
Things were admittedly bleak for Shaler Area senior Blake Kucharski and teammates. Heading into the holiday break, the Titans hockey team didn’t have much to show in the win column. Losing 10 of their first 11 contests had Kucharski, an assistant captain, and Shaler searching for answers. “I think we...
North Allegheny girls proving to be quick learners
The North Allegheny girls basketball team showed it can play fast and slow in a 60-42 victory against section rival Norwin on Tuesday night. The Tigers (15-3, 10-1) have won four straight and are tied atop Section 1-6A partly because of their flexibility, something that coach Spencer Stefko said comes...
Shaler notebook: Titans swimmers hope to make late push to WPIALs
Time is running out for the Shaler Area swimmers to earn times needed to reach the WPIAL Class AAA championships. Titans coach Keith Simmons would have liked to see some of his swimmers hit the times earlier, but he said sometimes it takes an extra sense of urgency to push...
North Allegheny girls basketball team snaps Norwin’s 12-game streak
Norwin’s Jayla Wehner found solace in the possibility of having another meeting with the North Allegheny girls basketball team down the road. The Knights were held to a season low in points and shot 2 of 13 from beyond the arc in the first half of a 60-42 road loss...
Slow starts hamper Shaler girls basketball team
Cornelious Nesbit wanted the Shaler Area girls basketball team’s Jan. 20 loss to Butler to serve as a spark. If the Titans want to a spot in the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs, they had to learn from their loss to the Golden Tornado. Avoiding slow starts is a must. Shaler...
Defensive pressure helps Shaler reach top of Section 3 standings
Each game requires Shaler Area senior Chris White to rely on his powers of observation. When an opponent is bringing the basketball up the floor, White looks for keys on how to separate them from it. Being out front of the Titans’ press is an opportunity to generate offense. “It’s...
Led by freshman sprinter, Shaler track team shattering records
Eloise Facher had a subdued reaction to Shaler Area track and field coach Shawn Ryan’s news. The Titans freshman impressed during her debut in early January at a track meet at Youngstown State. Facher ran the second-fastest time in school history in the 60-meter dash by finishing in 8.18 seconds....
Shaler competitive spirit team relishes top-five finish at states
Members of the Shaler Area competitive spirit team didn’t get to the top of the PIAA small division field as they hoped they might. But the Titans were able to navigate their way to the division finals and prove they were among the top five teams in the state at...
North Allegheny wrestlers building foundation at individual tournaments
The North Allegheny wrestling team has taken full advantage of having more wrestlers at individual tournaments during the season. By bringing 18 or 19 wrestlers to various events, the Tigers have been laying the foundation for building a deep roster. Winning the Mid-Winter Mayhem event Jan. 11 at IUP helped...
Shaler competitive spirit teams earns return trip to PIAA championships
Carrying on the legacy set in years past doesn’t burden the Shaler Area competitive spirit team. The Titans welcome the expectations set by previous classes. After placing fourth in the small division at WPIALs, Shaler went into the state championships with high expectations. “Our hopes are high,” Titans coach Phyllis...
After signing with Chicago Bears, Pitt product J.P. Holtz looks ahead to NFL future
When the call came, J.P. Holtz didn’t hesitate to get his things packed. The Shaler Area and Pitt graduate was released by the Washington Redskins in early September and was scrambling to try to catch on with the Chicago Bears a few days later. “It was pretty crazy,” Holtz said....
Shaler Area wrestling coach Swope hopes Yeager’s tournament medal is building blockVideo
Brad Yeager demonstrated what Shaler Area wrestling coach Ethan Swope hopes to see more of moving forward. By placing sixth at 106 pounds, the Titans freshman wrestler earned a medal in his first varsity tournament. Shaler, which has only five wrestlers on the roster, placed 28th as a team at...
Shaler focuses on fine-tuning in pursuit of WPIAL qualifying
Shaler Area sophomore Jake Bacasa wants everything to come together so he can qualify for the WPIAL Class AAA swimming championships. Right now, Bacasa is within several seconds of qualifying in the 100 breast and 500 free. “I want to better my technique,” Bacasa said. “A lot of the techniques...
Shaler hockey trying to find right formula for stretch run
Playoff prospects for the Shaler Area hockey team are bleak but still a possibility. Finding a way to join the PIHL Class AA postseason will rely on figuring out a difficult problem. Coach Steve Stayduhar said he believes Titans have hung tough for two periods for most of their games....
Despite short bench, Shaler boys off to strong start to season
Playing eight or nine deep is the goal for Shaler Area boys basketball coach Rob Niederberger. For much of this season, the Titans’ health woes made that seem like an off-in-the-distance dream. In Shaler’s Section 3-5A opener against Kiski Area, Niederberger played Darin Mizgorski and Logan Bernesser, who both had...
Shaler notebook: Titans bowlers showing potential
The Shaler Area bowling team hoped to be one of the major players in the WPIBL entering the season. Thus far, the Titans’ girls squad already has shown it will be a tough out in its section. Shaler is off to a 2-1 start, and its bowlers have been leaving...
New wrestlers finding their way for North Allegheny
North Allegheny wrestling had a schedule set up to ease in a roster with four freshmen in the starting lineup. The Tigers were provided with an opportunity to get their feet wet. But it didn’t provide the best barometer for where North Allegheny is a group. First, the Tigers downed...
Shaler Area grad Mike Heinl hits wrestling milestone at W&J
Reaching the 100-win milestone wasn’t out of the question for Washington & Jefferson senior Mike Heinl. But the Shaler Area graduate knew the math wasn’t in his favor after his freshman season. Heinl’s first go-round as a collegiate wrestler ended up with a 14-14 record in his ledger. But after...
