Josh Rizzo stories, Page 9

Riverview quarterback Rio Stotts believes in watching game tape and thoroughly preparing for each week’s game. But when it comes to implementing the game plan, Stotts likes having the opportunity to make decisions on the fly. Stotts and his teammates kept Springdale guessing Saturday at Riverside Park. The Raiders put...

The Fox Chapel girls golf team had a strong day at the WPIAL Section 4-3A tournament. The Foxes had three golfers hit the target score and qualify for the WPIAL championships. Fox Chapel sophomore Clara Koteski won the section by shooting an 82 at the Murrysville Golf Club. Foxes junior...

Fox Chapel field hockey coach Kellee Cribby was happy to get a chance to coach her favorite sport again. While Cribby played lacrosse at Allegheny College, she always had a deep appreciation for field hockey, which she played while growing up in Maine. When Cribby, who coached the Foxes’ lacrosse...

The Penn Hills boys soccer team is searching for positives in every result this season. The Indians are rebuilding, and they are seeing turnover in the program from last year to this year. Penn Hills coach Kevin Truman was proud of how the Indians recently played against Norwin in Section...

The Penn Hills football team got plenty of reinforcements back on defense for its Northeast Conference opener against Fox Chapel. Following three straight close calls to start the season, playing a clean game and getting the band back together helped the Indians earn their first win of the season. Darrell...

Deer Lakes wide receiver Zach Grant demonstrated Deer Lakes’ pursuit of school history will come down to precise performance. Winless East Allegheny stood between the Lancers and opening the season with five straight victories for the first time Friday night at Churchman Stadium. The Wildcats gave Deer Lakes an idea...

Springdale senior forward Briana Ross wasn’t shaken when the Dynamos allowed a goal for the first time in five matches Wednesday night. What Ross was most concerned about following a goal from Greensburg Central Catholic forward Riley Kerr was the next segment of the game. “It’s the next five minutes...

Ray Ager wants to see the Penn Hills girls volleyball team learn to weather the storm. When the skies opened up during the Indians’ first four matches, they hadn’t found a way to battle their way to shelter. With a young team, Ager expected there to be learning pains. “They’ve...

Williams & Mary’s football program would have difficulty having a captain that fit one of their offensive mottos better than Hollis Mathis. Effort, Adaptability and Toughness (EAT) is one of The Tribe’s mantras for this season. There may not be many athletes across college football as adaptable as Hollis, a...

The Fox Chapel girls volleyball team is fortunate to have so much experience at the top of the lineup. The Foxes returned eight seniors this season and will hope to see that group grow together as they seek a return trip to the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs. Fox Chapel coach...

Fox Chapel girls tennis coach Alex Slezak is glad his veteran group of players have a close rival in-section to push them. This season, the Foxes and Shady Side Academy are on a collision course to play for the Section 3-3A title on Sept. 23. Both teams are undefeated in...

Menage Lucas can promise plenty of excitement from the Highlands football team’s offense on a weekly basis. The senior quarterback has proven he, and his teammates, have a nose for the end zone. The Golden Rams continued to show they are of the most prolific offenses in the WPIAL by...

Mike Diano is happy to be back coaching at his alma mater. The 2000 Penn Hills graduate hopes a few more athletes will choose to join the cross country team. Right now, the Indians have only four athletes to open the season. Penn Hills has four boys and one girl...

Charles Morris recognizes the early-season struggles the Penn Hills football team has been forced to battle through. The Indians coach knows the program has new faces, and everyone is still figuring out how to work together. Penn Hills was too generous to its opponents during its first two games of...

Washington Wild Things catcher Ricardo Sanchez chose to come to Southwestern Pennsylvania because liked what the team had to offer. Following two seasons with the Trois-Rivieres Aigles, Sanchez believed he had a purpose with the Wild Things. During Washington’s 10-0 win over the Lake Erie Crushers on Saturday night in...

Tom Moul likes setting up the Fox Chapel boys and girls cross country teams with a confidence builder to start the season. Competing at the Gateway Invitational before the Red, White & Blue Invitational the following weekend has been a staple of the Foxes schedule for years. Fox Chapel opened...

Suffering through consecutive 0-10 seasons left Victor Nernberg with plenty to think about in the offseason. The Fox Chapel senior running back/linebacker focused all of his energy on becoming the fittest he has ever been. Nernberg was focused on working back from a torn MCL and partially torn PCL he...

Mt. Pleasant quarterback Cole Chatfield feels like 42 seconds is an eternity. Even if his team had less time, the Vikings quarterback believes it could operate efficiently. Mt. Pleasant needed that confidence during its 23-13 nonconference win over Burrell on Friday night at Vikings Stadium. The Buccaneers bullied the Vikings...

Myron Cook knows the Penn Hills girls soccer team was tantalized by the movement and pace of the Fox Chapel soccer team. On Aug. 28 at Nate Ferraro Field, the defending WPIAL Class 4A champions defeated Penn Hills, 10-0. “Even though we try to do the keep-away game, you’re trying...

Building strong communication with teammates isn’t a major mystery to Penn Hills junior midfielder Chase Delahanty. Sometimes, figuring out how to better mesh with your teammates means asking questions. Following a 10-0 loss to North Hills on Aug. 27, Delahanty and his teammates wanted to learn about how passes should...

Emily McKee has much to live up to during her sophomore season for the Fox Chapel girls soccer team. The pressure is different after pocketing 24 goals during her freshman season. She’s grabbed people’s attention, and now McKee is faced with challenging herself to get better. “There’s pressure, but it’s...

London Bitar learned that the regional qualifiers of the Drive, Chip & Putt competition were a step up in pomp and circumstance from the circuit she fought through to get there. When Bitar reached that level a few years ago, she was battling many distractions. When the Fox Chapel freshman...

The football game between Woodland Hills and Penn Hills was stopped with 10 minutes, 50 seconds remaining following a shooting two-tenths of a mile down the street in the CVS parking lot on Lynn Avenue in Turtle Creek. The Wolvarena was cleared as a precaution, with Woodland Hills ahead of...

A shooting in Turtle Creek on Friday night forced the suspension of the Woodland Hills-Penn Hills football game. At 10:06 p.m., police were dispatched to the 1200 block of Lynn Avenue for reports of gunfire. Around the same time, a man had left the game at the Wolvarena stadium and...

There is a clear goal for Penn Hills golf coach William Berkshire. Every time the Indians play, he wants to see gradual progress from his players. While Penn Hills has yet to win a dual match early this season, the Indians believe they have shown improvement from the top to...