Nathan Smith stories

It’s been a sensational senior year for Jada Lee. The Carlynton basketball player has been a leader in helping the Cougars win the Section 3A title, reach the WPIAL semifinals and clinch a PIAA playoff berth for the first time since 2017. “She brings a calmness to the court,” Carlynton...

The old saying about defense winning championships is ringing true in the WPIAL Class 2A girls basketball playoffs. No. 2 Bishop Canevin and No. 4 Laurel face off for the championship at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Petersen Events Center. Both teams reached the title game thanks to tough-nosed defense....

The Norwin hockey team made a statement this season. They weren’t the same old Knights. Norwin is preparing for as return to the PIHL Class A playoffs after starting the season 14-4. That is the most wins for the program in a decade. “It’s been great,” coach Adam Tokarski said....

Carlynton boys basketball coach Mike Kozy knew he had something special this season. The Cougars entered the season with experience on their side with a solid core of seniors and returning lettermen. The team made sure to make the most of the opportunity, finishing with a winning record for only...

The Penn-Trafford girls basketball team has been living on the edge this season. The Warriors have played in eight games decided by single digits, four of which decided by three points or fewer. P-T has won about half of the battles, but despite the setbacks, the Warriors enter their final...

The Bishop Canevin boys basketball team is out to prove defense wins championships. The Crusaders’ ferocious defense has held teams in check all season. The team is allowing only 46.3 points per game — the lowest average in Class A. “It’s what we emphasize as a staff,” Bishop Canevin coach...

Tony Zona has had a successful wrestling career at Penn-Trafford. The 170-pound senior has won more than 75 matches and placed at the postseason section tournament in each season. But there is one last thing Zona wants to accomplish: qualify for the PIAA tournament. “I haven’t done that yet in...

Baseball has always been Eli Snider’s first love. The moment he picked up a bat as a toddler started 15 years of devotion to the sport. And now his dedication is being rewarded. The South Fayette senior third baseman will compete at the Under Armour All-American Preseason Tournament. Snider travels...

The Norwin boys bowling team entered the season with high expectations. So far the Knights have met them. A year after reaching the final four in the state tournament, Norwin is off to a strong start with a 4-0 record. An experienced, talented roster is leading the Knights. Three of...

The Pine-Richland wrestling team is locked and loaded this season. The Rams have lacked postseason team success in recent years. The team reached the WPIAL Class AAA team playoffs only once during the past decade. But with a strong returning core of wrestlers, Pine-Richland is looking to flip the script...

A.J. Brentzel knows what the Penn-Trafford wrestling team can be. During his high school career, he was a standout wrestler with the Warriors. As a junior, he helped the team win the WPIAL Class AAA title. The team finished in second place the following year. Entering his first season as...

It was a season full of highs for the South Fayette girls volleyball team. But it had to come to an end. The Lions wrapped up their season with a loss in the opening round of the PIAA Class AAA playoffs Nov. 5. While it wasn’t how the team imagined...

When Nick Showman took over the Carlynton boys soccer team three years ago, something was missing. The program didn’t have the energy it had in the past. But the Cougars found that spark this season. Carlynton finished the season with a 17-4 record and reached the WPIAL Class A consolation...

The Chartiers Valley boys soccer team had to contend with one of the greatest adversary a team can face — injuries. The Colts ended their season with a 3-0 loss in the opening round of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs, but coach Garrett MacKenzie was proud of his team’s effort...

Quaker Valley needed a win to keep its playoff hopes alive. Hopewell was happy to play spoiler. The Vikings stormed into Chuck Knox Stadium and scored a 41-26 road win in Class 3A Tri-County West Conference play. The setback will keep the Quakers out of the playoffs for the first...

With the WPIAL championships approaching, the Chartiers Valley cross country teams are getting some big race experience. In October, the Colts competed in the Big South Championship, the John Sample Invitational in Grove City, the Mingo Classic and the TSTCA Cross Country Championships. “We have seen a lot of good...

The Chartiers Valley hockey team may have started the season with a pair of losses, but the Colts have fought to the final buzzer in each game. Chartiers Valley opened the season with a 3-1 loss to North Hills. The team then fell to South Park, 2-1, in a shootout....

The Norwin girls volleyball team entered the season as a relative unknown. The team returned only one starter from last season’s team — senior middle hitter Victoria Nicholes. With only four seniors total, the staff turned to a junior class and underclassmen lacking varsity experience. This uncertainty led to some...

South Fayette golfer Luke Lestini entered the season with a new focus. He was as one of the top returning boys golfers in the WPIAL after finishing 16th in the state last year. While other golfers might concentrate on improving their short game or tee shots, Lestini focuses on enjoying...

The Penn-Trafford girls volleyball team has been a consistent presence in the WPIAL playoffs over the last decade. The Warriors have been in the postseason eight of the previous 10 years. But after failing to advance last year, Penn-Trafford has focused on not falling short two seasons in a row....

The Norwin girls golf team does a lot of things well on the course. But the team has one weakness — the short game. “I have five girls who can get from the tee to the green,” Norwin coach Mike Buscemi said. “But when they get near the green, they...

Naman Alemada didn’t feel too much pressure in the build-up to his first start as South Fayette’s quarterback. But as the hours until kickoff drained away, the tension started to mount. “When I woke up that day, I wasn’t too nervous,” the junior gunslinger said. “But then all day everyone...

For the past three seasons, the Penn-Trafford field hockey team has captured the WPIAL Class AA championship. Will there be a four-peat? It could come down to how the team matures. The Warriors graduatd 11 seniors from last season’s roster. In their place will be talented-but-unchallenged junior and sophomore classes....

Norwin football coach Dave Brozeski didn’t mince words after his team’s showdown with North Allegheny. “NA is a heck of a team,” Brozeski said. “They beat us pretty good.” Six players scored touchdowns for the Tigers as they rolled to a 42-0 win over the Knights in a Class 6A...

Aug. 27 is a date that will go into the South Fayette history books. The girls golf team, in the first match of its inaugural season, recorded a 206-259 win over Bethel Park for the first victory in program history. Coach Rocky Violi hopes it is just one of many...