High School category, Page 1133
Thomas Jefferson caps dream season with program’s 4th PIAA football title
The last time Thomas Jefferson advanced to the PIAA football championship, this season’s seniors were in first grade. The upperclassmen were determined to end an 11-year drought, and they did with a resounding 46-7 victory against Dallas on Dec. 5 at Hersheypark Stadium. “I’ve been dreaming (about) this since I...
7 Thomas Jefferson athletes make college choices
Seven Thomas Jefferson athletes representing five sports officially made college commitments Nov. 13 on national signing day. Senior softball players Bella Bucy and Mackenzie Zang committed to Indiana (Pa.) and Seton Hill, respectively. “So much drew me to Seton Hill,” Zang said. “I will for sure be pursuing a health...
Baldwin tennis standout Bethany Yauch leaves lasting legacy
Not only was Bethany Yauch a four-year starter at Baldwin, she ended her outstanding career knowing she is the best female tennis player in school history. Yauch was a two-time section champion and runner-up once. She placed second in the WPIAL twice and earned third place as a freshman. She...
Pair of golfers provides Baldwin boys team ‘solid 1-2 punch’
Baldwin’s golf team was led this year by a talented tandem at the top of its lineup: senior Matt Fediaczko and junior Connor Woods. The Highlanders’ home course was located across the highway at South Hills Country Club. Fediaczko, the team captain, averaged 39.8 and qualified for the WPIAL Class...
Quaker Valley swim team has title aspirations
Bolstered by some new athletes, the Quaker Valley girls swimming team expects to be a serious contender for its first WPIAL title. Second-year coach Alexis Glenn said 12 girls have been added to the roster, many of whom will be standouts. “We definitely will put up a fight for section,...
Experienced roster has Pine-Richland wrestling on track for big season
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...
Young Pine-Richland swimmers showing potential
The Pine-Richland boys swimming team looks forward to improving after finishing at the bottom in the WPIAL Class AAA championship meet last season. Rams coach Pete Barry said sophomores William Laubacher and Trent Vakula, plus the 400-yard freestyle relay team, have the potential to advance to the PIAA meet. Senior...
Plum takes aim with revamped rifle roster
The Plum rifle team was an experienced group last season with seven seniors helping to form the squad’s core. That group included all five shooters who represented the Mustangs at WPIALs. Graduation opened several spots in the lineup, and a younger Plum squad with four seniors, five juniors and 11...
Franklin Regional bowling team faces new challenges in bid for WPIBL three-peat
So close yet so far away. That might be on the mind of Franklin Regional boys bowling team members. The Panthers are the two-time defending WPIBL champions led by senior Alex Smith, who is capable of bowling a 300 game more than once in a series. But when it comes...
Shady Side working toward successful swim season
Shady Side Academy will have to replace several key swimmers from last season, but coach John Landreth is confident in this year’s team. “As per the norm, we have big shoes to fill this year,” he said. “But we have begun the process of finding our identity.” Landreth noted the...
Shady Side girls look to reload after losing coach, 4 starters
The Shady Side Academy girls basketball team is coming off a banner season. The Indians finished with a 13-1 record in section play and, for the first time in school history, made it to the WPIAL finals, where they lost to top-seeded Neshannock. The Indians fell to Central Cambria in...
Plum in prime position midway through hockey season
As Plum hockey reached the midpoint of the PIHL Class AA season, it found itself tied atop the Northeast Division standings with Armstrong with a pair of games in hand. There’s a long way to go, with plenty of games to be played and the schedule running into late February,...
Norwin swimmers encouraged by fast start
Thanks to a new workout regimen, the Norwin swimming teams are off to encouraging starts. Second-year oach Doug Watson said four individuals and two relays qualified for the WPIAL Class AAA championships in a recent nonsection meet against Franklin Regional. “Our lineup wasn’t our best,” Watson said. “We wanted to...
Franklin Regional’s Mike Rettger Tournament keeps alumnus’ memory alive
Steve Scorpion looked up to the late Mike Rettger, who was five years older and a co-captain on Franklin Regional’s basketball team. Rettger always made time for Scorpion in 1997, the year the Panthers made it to their second WPIAL championship game. In the three years Scorpion has led the...
Gateway’s Derrick Davis named TribLive HSSN Football Player of the Year
With nearly 30 college scholarship offers, Gateway’s Derrick Davis admits he’s had to look back through his Twitter timeline just to remember them all. This fall, Davis showed why he’s in such high demand. The do-it-all running back and safety had more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage and scored 28...
High school roundup: Rochester girls edge Blackhawk in overtime
Alexis Robison scored a game-high 30 points with six 3-pointers as the Rochester girls basketball team downed Blackhawk, 77-74, in overtime Saturday at The Clash at New Castle. Mackenzie Amalia led Blackhawk (4-1) with 27 points, and Sierra Richard added 17 with three 3s. Rochester improved to 4-1. Latrobe 70,...
Undefeated state champions, record-setting rusher among Trib 25 football all-stars
The WPIAL crowned six more champions this season, each with a unique story to tell. There was an undefeated state champion who celebrated win No. 16 in Hershey and a running back from Greene County who became the first to 3,000 yards. They’re all represented here along with many other...
High school scores, schedules for Dec. 14, 2019
High schools Basketball Boys Saturday’s results WPIAL Nonsection McDowell 66, Bethel Park 63 North Allegheny 45, Altoona 39 North Catholic 72, Canon-McMillan 51 Ringgold 63, West Allegheny 58 Florida Elks Holiday Basketball Classic At Umatilla, Fla. Lincoln Park 77, Inspire Prep Academy (Fla.) 70 Shiloh (Ga.) 79, Montour 59 Hollidaysburg...
Jeannette’s Jackson Pruitt gets first Division I football offer
For the past month or so, Jackson Pruitt has been in contact with football coaches at Youngstown State. Those around the Jeannette senior knew something was up, that something had to be in the works. On Saturday, they found out what the back-and-forth was all about. Pruitt skipped Jeannette’s basketball...
Top 19 of ’19: Trib HSSN breaks down the top stories of the year — No. 18
The 2019 high school sports season is nearly in the books. While we anxiously look ahead to 2020, let’s reflect on the district high school sports scene over the last 12 months. Here is a look back at the top 19 stories from around the WPIAL in 2019. HSSN Top...
Tribune-Review Westmoreland football all-star team
Here are the members of the 2019 Tribune-Review Westmoreland football all-star team. HAYDEN BARON Belle Vernon, T/DE, Sr., 6-3, 260 The Robert Morris commit helped the Leopards reach the WPIAL Class 4A championship game. The Leopards had a balanced offense, and he contributed on defense, as well. ANTHONY BONACCI Franklin...
Derry’s Justin Huss named Tribune-Review Westmoreland Football Player of the YearVideo
PLAYER OF THE YEAR JUSTIN HUSS RB/DB, Senior, 5-9, 150, Derry For fans who attended a Derry football game in 2019, the one thing they noticed is No. 21 never left the field. And while Derry coach Tim Sweeney likes to use multiple runners, there was no doubt Justin Huss...
Valley News Dispatch Defensive Player of the Year: Apollo-Ridge’s Logan Harmon
Logan Harmon is in the early stages of his second varsity wrestling season. The Apollo-Ridge junior is hoping to make the most of the opportunity under the co-op with Armstrong, and that includes as many takedowns as possible. Harmon was in the habit of taking down many a ball carrier...
2019 Valley News Dispatch Football All-Stars
Here’s a look at the Valley News Dispatch football all-star team: Kenny Blake Kiski Area, RB/DB, jr. Blake scored 11 touchdowns while carrying the ball 168 times for 980 yards. He also caught 14 passes for 144 yards. On defense, he tallied 26 tackles, one sack and one interception. Jake...
Valley News Dispatch Offensive Player of the Year: Burrell’s Alex Arledge
Valley News Dispatch Offensive Player of the Year Alex Arledge QB, Junior, 6-3, 190, Burrell Burrell football coach Shawn Liotta was looking for a quarterback, and this past season, he found one in junior Alex Arledge. The 6-foot-3 gunslinger stepped into Liotta’s complicated run-and-shoot offense and simply took over. He...
