High School category, Page 1146
Avonworth stands in the way of 8th WPIAL title for Washington
After winning the 700th game in school history earlier this season, Washington will try for another milestone Saturday — an eighth WPIAL football title. The Prexies (13-0) will take on Avonworth (13-0) at noon at Norwin. A victory would also mean a 48th win for the senior class, the most...
Former GCC standout Carolyn Appleby joins coaching staff
Carolyn Appleby couldn’t help herself. During a water break this week at a Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball practice, she took a few pull-up jump shots and banked in a scoop-shot layup as players looked on. Make that, as her players looked on. Appleby, just 22 years old and barely...
GCC girls get infusion of youth in bid for 20th straight playoff berth
Sam Salih relied on his seniors so much last year and got so comfortable with a short rotation that he didn’t leave the bench much while coaching the Greensburg Central Catholic girls. “I had that imaginary popcorn,” Salih said. “They were fun to watch.” Salih saw nine freshmen when he...
New GCC boys coach, 24, looks to carry on winning tradition at his alma materVideo
At 24, Christian Hyland will be one of the youngest head basketball coaches in the state — in the country, for that matter. But taking the reins at Greensburg Central Catholic — his alma mater — gives him a charge and gets his competitive juices flowing again. It’s all he...
Central Catholic keeps focus on State College with possible St. Joseph’s matchup looming
Central Catholic could have a showdown with defending state champion St. Joseph’s Prep on the horizon, an East vs. West clash with the nationally ranked Philadelphia power. But if so, that’s still two weeks away. Nobody in Central Catholic’s locker room should be thinking that far ahead, coach Terry Totten...
Schlegel leads Plum hockey team back to playoff contentionVideo
The Plum hockey team edged Hampton in a PIHL Class AA contest Nov. 11 for its fourth win in its opening six games. The Mustangs won three games last season. Senior co-captain Logan Schlegel scored twice against the Talbots. A power-play tally early in the third period broke a 2-2...
WPIAL championship Saturday football facts and figures, Class 5A/2A edition
Four WPIAL football championships are in the books from last week with two more set for Saturday at Norwin HS. This marks the first year since 1985 that a high school venue will host multiple WPIAL football championship games. That year, the Class AAAA and AAA championship games were played...
Chick’s Picks pays tribute to biggest fan as WPIAL football season draws to close
As the final week of the WPIAL football season is upon us, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, Chick’s Picks took some time to reflect on all that she has been thankful for this season. Each year, Chick’s Picks is amazed by all of those that contribute to making...
Opportunity knocks for underclassmen on Deer Lakes girls rosterVideo
Reese Hasley is confident and focused forward. On the cusp of a new season for the Deer Lakes girls basketball team, the sophomore guard said she sees a group of players who can contend for a WPIAL playoff spot despite losing four multiyear starters to graduation. “We’re a young team,...
After a season to remember, Deer Lakes boys trying to plan an encoreVideo
The Deer Lakes boys basketball team made history last year during its school-record run to and through the postseason. The Lancers captured an outright section championship for the first time since 1992. They also won a WPIAL playoff game and qualified for the PIAA playoffs for the first time since...
Ineligible Avonworth football player drops lawsuit against WPIAL, PIAA
Attorneys for ineligible Avonworth football player Kyros Thorpe withdrew his lawsuit against the WPIAL and PIAA on Thursday, ending his legal battle to play in the WPIAL football championship. Thorpe and his mother Anna Hollis had asked the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court to issue a preliminary injunction that would’ve...
Wyatt Henson returns to Waynesburg after winning Missouri state wrestling title
Missouri state wrestling champion Wyatt Henson has transferred back to Waynesburg, but the junior isn’t eligible for the WPIAL or PIAA postseason tournaments this winter. Henson was among nearly two dozen transfers that the WPIAL reviewed Monday. The WPIAL board ruled Henson eligible for the regular season but ineligible for...
High school schedule for Nov. 21, 2019
Football WPIAL Championships Saturday’s schedule Class 5A Peters Township (12-1) vs. Gateway (11-2) at Norwin, 6 p.m. Class 2A Washington (13-0) vs. Avonworth (13-0) at Norwin, noon PIAA playoffs Quarterfinals Class 6A Friday’s schedule Coatesville (10-2) at Downingtown West (12-1), 7 p.m.; Nazareth (12-1) vs. St. Jospeh’s Prep (9-2) at...
Belle Vernon’s Cameron Guess commits to Pitt
Belle Vernon’s Cam Guess made it all the way to No. 1 in the Kohl’s Kicking Camps national punter rankings last year for the Class of 2020. Pitt made it to No. 1 on the senior’s list of college choices. The strong-legged Guess announced Wednesday night his commitment to Pitt....
Rebuilding plan has Cheswick Christian boys ready to contend again
When 6-foot-10 Ben Pollock finished his Cheswick Christian Academy boys basketball career in 2016-17 after rewriting much of the school’s record book, longtime Chargers coach Todd Rosio had a three-year plan to build the team back up to contending status. The Chargers have arrived at Year 3 of that plan....
Thomas Jefferson runs into nemesis Cathedral Prep again
Round 4. Thomas Jefferson has won WPIAL Class 4A titles at Heinz Field in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. Each postseason, the Jaguars were knocked out of the PIAA playoffs by Cathedral Prep in the first round. TJ (13-0) and the District 10 champion Ramblers (11-2) again will clash in...
Cheswick Christian girls dedicate season to former coach in need of heart transplant
Jacque Willis thought she might become a basketball coach someday, but she never expected it to be just a few months after she graduated college. But when Clinton Blazevich had to step down for health reasons, Willis, 22, was elevated from assistant status to head coach of the Cheswick Christian...
Avonworth’s Kyros Thorpe seeks court injunction to play in WPIAL Class 2A football final
Turned away by both the WPIAL and PIAA, Avonworth senior Kyros Thorpe is taking his eligibility battle to court. Thorpe and his mother Anna Hollis filed a lawsuit in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court seeking an injunction that would let Thorpe play Saturday in the WPIAL Class 2A football championship....
Trib HSSN power rankings are shuffled following WPIAL finals at Heinz Field
With four WPIAL championship games in the books, the final 10 teams in HSSN’s weekly power rankings are now set. Two more district championship games coming up Saturday along with three more rounds of the state playoffs will determine the final order of those 10 teams. The freshly minted WPIAL...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Nov. 19, 2019
Football WPIAL Championships Saturday’s schedule Class 5A Peters Township (12-1) vs. Gateway (11-2) at Norwin, 6 p.m. Class 2A Washington (13-0) vs. Avonworth (13-0) at Norwin, noon PIAA playoffs Quarterfinals Class 6A Friday’s schedule Coatesville (10-2) at Downingtown West (12-1), 7 p.m.; Nazareth (12-1) vs. St. Jospeh’s Prep (9-2) at...
High school roundup for Nov. 29, 2019: Josh Bemis nets hat trick for Quaker Valley
Josh Bemis completed his hat trick with the game-winning goal in the first minute of the third period, leading Quaker Valley to a 4-3 victory over Penn-Trafford in PIHL hockey Tuesday night. Max Quinn had a goal and an assist and Colin Rice made 32 saves for Quaker Valley (4-3-0)....
Avonworth in, Pine-Richland, Penn-Trafford, Aliquippa, Sto-Rox out of state rankings
Of the 30 Trib HSSN state-ranked teams from a week ago, eight tasted defeat, were bounced from the top five and saw their seasons end. However, 22 teams are still alive heading into the second round on the Road to Hershey. One top-ranked team bit the dust when Penn-Trafford lost...
George Guido: Wrestling rules committee addresses injuries, stalling
In a move to address safety, additional time will be given to evaluate head and neck injuries when an appropriate health-care professional is present at a wrestling match. That’s the biggest rules change for the high school season. In addition to 1½ minutes of injury time allotted, an appropriate health-care...
Young Burrell girls roster has room to grow
Youth will be served on the Burrell girls basketball team this season. With no seniors and a small number of juniors, second-year coach Joel Ceraso will be relying on sophomores and a handful of freshmen. “The biggest problem we’ll have is getting them to play fast and physical,” Ceraso said....
With new coach in place, Burrell boys building from ground up
There’s nothing like starting with a clean slate. That’s the situation new Burrell boys basketball coach Mike Fantuzzo is facing as he takes over a program that went 4-8 last season in Section 3-3A, 5-14 overall. Combine the graduations with several potential returning players who decided not to come out...
