High School category, Page 1037
With line leading way, Neshannock looks solid despite personnel losses
After going 8-2 in the regular season and advancing to the WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinals last season, Neshannock lost some productive skill players to graduation. Gone are 1,500-yard rusher Braden Gennock, who coach Fred Mozzocio called the MVP of the Midwestern Athletic Conference, and 1,000-yard passer Jason Nativio. Yet optimism...
Led by NyaSanu Greene, New Brighton eyes another deep playoff run
Since making a playoff appearance in 2015, the New Brighton Lions have been building toward a special season. Although they missed the playoffs in both 2016 and ‘17, the Lions qualified the last two seasons and made a run to the WPIAL quarterfinals last year before losing to eventual WPIAL...
Led by returning offensive line, Riverside to rely on ground game
The Riverside Panthers shocked the WPIAL last season when they made a surprising run through the Class 2A playoffs. They started their playoff run by defeating undefeated No. 3 Burgettstown, 42-35. They then took their season one step further with a 41-27 win over McGuffey in the quarterfinals. Riverside’s run...
Shady Side Academy delays football season until Week 3
Shady Side Academy won’t start football season until Week 3, a decision meant to limit potential exposure to coronavirus. The voluntary delay, which involves all contact sports, was revealed Friday by the school’s administration, coach Chuck DiNardo said. The football team will skip its preseason scrimmage and two regular-season weeks....
WPIAL girls tennis preview: Knoch’s Laura Greb has shot at making history
Laura Greb wants to make WPIAL tennis history. The Knoch senior standout hopes to put herself in position to win a fourth WPIAL Class AA singles championship. She would be the first player to accomplish the feat in the history of either classification. “There’s a little bit of pressure, but...
Uniontown reinstates football, soccer seasons after initially canceling fall contact sports
Football and soccer seasons were reinstated Friday at Uniontown. Three weeks after the school board voted to cancel contact sports, the school’s athletic department announced that all fall sports seasons will take place. The football team hasn’t trained together since mid-June, coach Cedric Lloyd said, but could resume workouts as...
Peters Township has high-end talent to contend again
Peters Township came within one point of winning the WPIAL Class 5A title last season, but that rain-soaked loss didn’t close the team’s championship window. “We have some good guys coming back,” coach T.J. Plack said. “If we didn’t have (Donovan) McMillon, (Corban) Hondru and some of these others, we’re...
Lack of returning starters doesn’t faze Bethel Park
Bethel Park graduated all 11 starters on offense and 10 on defense, but coach Brian DeLallo won’t call this a “rebuilding” year. “I don’t like using the R-word,” he said. “We’re not building in excuses and saying we’re rebuilding. We’re going to try to reload and get after guys. If...
Moon looks to build off trip to WPIAL quarterfinals
Moon produced one of its best football seasons in recent memory last year, when the Tigers posted a record of 9-3, earned a share of the Allegheny Eight championship and made a run to the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals. While it was the best season of coach Ryan Linn’s tenure...
South Fayette brings cutting-edge offense into Class 5A competition
South Fayette quarterback Naman Alemada was running the New England Patriots offense at times last season, with plays designed for small-but-quick receivers. Charley Rossi, Joey Audia and Ryan McGuire were the WPIAL’s version of Julian Edelman and Co. But this year, offensive coordinator Ben Maracek borrowed ideas from another championship...
Dahlem, Pantelis return to bolster Upper St. Clair aerial attack
Ethan Dahlem and David Pantelis have a quarterback-receiver connection that Upper St. Clair coach Mike Junko describes as nearly clairvoyant. The pair combined for 77 receptions and more than 1,100 receiving yards. “It’s almost intuitive,” Junko said. “They are very much in tune. They just know. They’re developing that rhythm...
Online offseason helps West Allegheny, new coach get up to speed
West Allegheny not only has a new head coach but also a new offensive coordinator and an entirely new offense. There was a lot to learn during the team’s twice-weekly video conference calls with everyone trapped at home this spring. Looking back, that online work let the Indians enter summer...
High school roundup for Aug. 27: WPIAL sports return with golf openers
For every golfer taking part in a match Thursday, it was a memorable occasion. High school sports took place for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down during the swimming and basketball postseasons in March. For Ligonier Valley’s golf team, it was a doubly historic moment. The...
Franklin Regional wrestler Finn Solomon picks North Carolina State
Finn Solomon is on a mission. The Franklin Regional junior did not like the way his sophomore season ended. He was ranked No. 1 in the state heading into the WPIAL Class AAA and Southwest Regional after defeating Norwin senior Kurtis Phipps in the Section 1 final. But when the...
WPIAL boys golf preview: Central Catholic’s Salvitti leads deep group of top players
Who is the top boys’ golfer in the WPIAL? Well, it depends on what day it is. There are numerous top players returning, including many accomplished seniors. The player to watch is Central Catholic sophomore Rocco Salvitti, who tied for third in the WPIAL individual tournament last year and ended...
GCC quarterback finds workout partner in Terrelle Pryor
Offseason training has made Nate Dlugos a better quarterback mechanically and has boosted his confidence. It also has given the Greensburg Central Catholic sophomore a pretty good practice partner. Dlugos has been throwing passes to Terrelle Pryor, the former Jeannette star and NFL free agent wide receiver. Dlugos and Pryor...
14 WPIAL players nominated for All-American soccer games
Fourteen WPIAL players have a chance to play in the country’s premier soccer all-star games. The watch list for the 10th High School All-American Game was announced this week and the WPIAL is well-represented, particularly on the girls side with 11 of the 30 nominees from Pennsylvania coming from District...
U mad, bro? Pittsburgh fans angry over Penguins moves, ESPN’s jab at Big Ben, playing high school sports
Why should everybody be mad about the same thing all at once? Let’s spread around the agitation for this edition of “U mad, bro?” This week, Pittsburgh sports fans are frustrated about Penguins trades, Minkah Fitzpatrick and my dismissal of Ben Roethlisberger’s skills. Except I didn’t dismiss Roethlisberger’s skills. I...
Entering school’s 2nd decade, Central Valley looks to add to loaded trophy case
What a great first decade of existence for the Central Valley football team. In the first 10 years since the merger of Center and Monaca before the 2010 season, the Warriors are 98-29 with five conference championships, three WPIAL titles and two WPIAL and two PIAA runner-up trophies with only...
Ambridge works to get up to speed before season-opener
Veteran football coach Don Phillips had a quick response when asked of his biggest concern entering the 2020 season, his second at the helm at Ambridge. “Conditioning.” Ambridge is a bit behind the 8-ball after the school district shut down offseason workouts Aug. 3 when three students tested positive for...
No rest for hungry Avonworth after historic run
It was a season to remember for the Avonworth football team. The Antelopes rolled to the program’s second WPIAL title and remained undefeated until falling to Southern Columbia in the PIAA Class 2A championship contest in Hershey. “It was an incredible ride, week in and week out,” said Avonworth coach...
Improvements in strength, conditioning to be key for Hopewell
Hopewell was a first-half football team a year ago. The Vikings came out strong each game with energy, excitement and the competitive juices flowing. Too often, however, they ran out of gas in the second half. Second-year coach Matt Weiss wants to make sure that trend doesn’t continue this season....
Hockey players, parents urge Pa. to change indoor sports regulations
Hockey parents and players gathered at Center Ice Arena in Delmont on Wednesday evening to call for changes to the state government mandate limiting indoor athletic events. This summer, the office of Gov. Tom Wolf released a series of safety guidelines for a return for all amateur sports, from youth...
Pittsburgh’s City League teams can start fall sports without delay
There will be City League sports this fall. The school board for Pittsburgh Public Schools voted unanimously Wednesday against a proposal that would’ve postponed sports until the district resumes in-person classes. The school district’s administration recommended the delay earlier this month, but the 9-0 vote reversed that decision, allowing sports...
WPIAL girls golf preview: GCC dynasty sets sights on 6th straight title
Since WPIAL girls golf went to two classifications in 2012, eight team champions have been crowned. But one team has hoarded the trophies handed out each October at Cedarbrook Golf Course. Greensburg Central Catholic has won the last five titles and has its sights on a six-peat as a new...
