High School category, Page 1212
Penn-Trafford combo of Lisbon, Dunlap, Carr too much for Norwin
There weren’t many things that displeased Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane on Friday in his team’s season opener against rival Norwin. That’s because his team, though not flawless, dominated from the start in a 42-7 nonconference victory at Warrior Stadium. The trio of Caleb Lisbon, Gabe Dunlap and Ethan Carr turned...
WPIAL football Week Zero results
TribLIVE’s sports reporters have you covered from Friday’s Week 0 high school football action. GAMES OF THE WEEK • PENN-TRAFFORD 42, NORWIN 7 Penn-Trafford’s Caleb Lisbon, a senior running back, rushed for 172 yards on 11 carries and scored three touchdowns: 68- and 45-yard runs, and a 38-yard pass from...
Upper St. Clair defeats South Fayette in first game of post-Render era
Mike Junko knew what the expectations were when he got the job as the football coach at Upper St. Clair. Not only was he inheriting a program that was a perennial power, he was replacing the legendary Jim Render, who walked the Panthers’ sideline for the previous 40 years. Not...
Baldwin held in check against Avalon (Md.)
After fumbling the opening possession and allowing a touchdown just a few plays later, Avalon faced a 7-0 deficit. But the Black Knights took control from then on, defeating Baldwin(0-1, 0-0), 26-7, in a game that was part of the Western Pa. vs. Everyone Showcase at Woodland Hills’ Wolvarena. After...
Plum gains momentum with Week Zero win over Highlands
Plum went into its Week Zero matchup at Highlands hoping to take some positive momentum into Class 5A Foothills Conference play and the Mustangs got it in all three phases of the game. The Mustangs produced a 70-yard punt return from Reed Martin, sprinkled in some big yardage plays on...
Hempfield handles rival Greensburg Salem in openerVideo
Hempfield’s big line played as advertised, getting a fairly strong push early. But the Spartans did something they hadn’t planned to do — at least not this much — in their season opener. They went to the air. With a gameplan that is, by all accounts, hell-bent on running the...
Burrell shuts out Valley to snap 6-game streak in ‘Battle of the Bypass’
Throughout the history of the “Battle of the Bypass,” Burrell and Valley have traded winning streaks. On Friday, Burrell ended Valley’s six-game win streak that started in 2013. Mike Scherer led the way on the ground, rushing for 124 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, and Central Catholic transfer...
Knoch blanks Hampton in season opener
Entering their WPIAL Week Zero nonconferene matchup, the 52nd edition of the Knoch versus Hampton rivalry, the all-time series was tied at 25-25-1. Knoch made sure to break that tie in head coach Brandon Mowry’s first game at the helm, and they did so with authority. The Knights opened a...
Pine-Richland uses fast start to defeat Penn Hills in clash of championsVideo
Pine-Richland didn’t ease into this new football season. Junior quarterback Cole Spencer threw two touchdowns in the first 2½ minutes as host Pine-Richland defeated Penn Hills, 21-0, in a Week Zero contest that matched the defending WPIAL Class 6A and 5A champions. The Rams scored on their first two possessions...
Derry boys, girls soccer squads combine forces
It definitely is a rebuilding season — in more ways than one — for the Derry boys soccer program. First-year coach Austin Main has a new group of players to work with as there were 12 seniors on last year’s squad with many filling integral positions. But last week, the...
Ligonier Valley girls soccer kicks off new era as ‘underdogs’
With only two starters and two other letterwinners back from last season, the Ligonier Valley girls soccer team could have cause for concern. Instead, the Rams are invigorated and eager to begin what longtime coach Eric Vogelsang calls “a new era.” Nine first-year starters and a sizable group of incoming...
2 goals for Ligonier Valley boys soccer: make playoffs, have fun
In his quarter century of coaching the Ligonier Valley boys soccer team, Kip Crumrine has gained valuable perspective. The man who started the program 25 years ago is willing to teach whoever signs up to play, no matter the level of experience. Most importantly, Crumrine wants to makes things fun...
Boot camp helps Gateway tennis team prepare for season
Members of the Gateway girls tennis team are not in the military, but sure felt like that recently. The Gators had a week of boot camp-style training, in which they started practice at 7 a.m. and worked on conditioning for an hour without lifting a racket. Gateway second-year coach Kenny...
Gateway boys soccer coach, players say it’s time to win
Forget that Gateway has won five of its last 22 conference games. Everyone in the boys soccer program believes the balance of power in Section 4-3A will start to tilt in their favor. The struggles of the last two seasons were growing pains, players said. “I think our coach just...
Cherpak’s record at TJ speaks for itself
He is considered by many to be the Michaelangelo of high school football in Western Pennsylvania, if not the state. Much like the Italian artist’s masterpiece on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Bill Cherpak’s exemplary performance as coach of the Thomas Jefferson football program for two-and-a-half...
Middle of lineup powers Sewickley Academy boys soccer
Sewickley Academy’s boys soccer team is going to build from the middle this season. With a large senior class lost to graduation, the Panthers return six starters, and most play in the middle of their formation: Nick Wilson, Jackson Coles, Cole Rychel, Bobby Serafin, Jack Wentz and Josh Chico. “With...
Quaker Valley boys soccer reloads for another run
The reloading process continues for Quaker Valley’s boys soccer team. Once again, the Quakers graduated a big senior class. Once again, they hope to restock their lineup and reach the WPIAL Class AA title match as they have the past three seasons. “Quaker Valley has always been good at that....
Improving Penn-Trafford girls tennis eyes WPIAL playoff berth
After coming close last season, the Penn-Trafford girls tennis team is hoping to make the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs. Penn-Trafford coach Megan Satira said the Warriors, who are off to an 0-2 start, were a win away from qualifying for the postseason last season. “We have some tough competition with...
Donnelly, potent scoring attack poised to lead Pine-Richland girls soccer
In each of the last nine seasons, the Pine-Richland girls soccer team has totaled double-digit wins. While the team graduated three all-section players, the tradition of success in the program that has accompanied coach Jodi Chmielewski’s tenure gives plenty of reason to believe the Rams won’t skip a beat in...
New coach, new system, same dedication for Pine-Richland boys soccer
The Pine-Richland boys soccer team will be guided by first-year coach Jordan Wiegand, and he will lead a roster that has more sophomores than juniors and more juniors than seniors. But the Rams’ relative youth and lack of in-game experience in a new system is no reason for diminished expectations,...
Norwin girls tennis eager for extended postseason run
The Norwin girls tennis team looks forward to a longer run in the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs after early exits the past two seasons. Second-year Norwin coach Diane Pesarsick said all starting players practiced in the offseason. “They’ve all worked really hard, and it shows,” Pesarsick said. Senior co-captain Ashley...
New coach, big goals for Norwin field hockey
It is a new era for the Norwin field hockey team. Will Kelly has taken over as the Knights’ coach, and while he does not have field hockey coaching experience, he is well versed in what the Norwin field hockey program is all about. His daughter, Bailee Kelly, is a...
Plum’s Matolcsy hopes to build on solid sophomore season as 2-way playerVideo
Max Matolcsy led the Plum football team last year in receiving yards and touchdowns, total tackles and interceptions. He capped his sophomore season with Class 5A All-Foothills second-team honors at outside linebacker. But the numbers Matolcsy, along with the rest of the Mustangs, was most concerned with were the ones...
WPIAL Week Zero: How to watch, listen and find scores
High school football season opens tonight, and TribLIVE HSSN has you covered with broadcasts of games across the WPIAL. You can find a complete list of all the games being broadcast here. And when results start to roll in, you can find all the scores here. Check back with TribLIVE...
McGuffey-Ambridge Week Zero football game postponed in 11th hour
Friday night’s football game between Ambridge and McGuffey was postponed because no game officials were hired to work the game, said McGuffey athletic director Ed Dalton. The two teams were supposed to play a Week Zero game at Ambridge’s Moe Rubenstein Stadium, but Dalton said he received a call while...
