High School category, Page 1284
Donovan Johnson scores 28, leads Moon past Mars in PIAA semifinalsVideo
Donovan Johnson and his Moon teammates left in tears after losing to Mars in the WPIAL championship three weekends ago. This time, there was nothing but smiles and some Hershey’s kisses. The 6-foot-6 junior scored 28 points with five 3-pointers Monday night to defeat Mars, 73-55, in a PIAA Class...
Penn-Trafford baseball sets sights on winning section championship
There isn’t any question that Penn-Trafford baseball lost some talented players to graduation with all five departed seniors going on to play in college. The good news, however, is that a deep team chock-full of varsity experience returns and is ready to shoulder the load. Josh Spiegel (Oklahoma State), Zach...
WPIAL Class 4A softball preseason breakdown
The Belle Vernon softball team has found itself atop the WPIAL Class 4A ladder the past two seasons. But with standout lefty Bailey Parshall now pitching at Penn State, the Leopards may have a tougher road to the title game. Parshall finished her career 76-13 with 984 strikeouts. Last season,...
WPIAL Class 4A baseball preseason breakdown
There will be a new champion crowned in WPIAL Class 4A after realignment bumped 2018 winner South Fayette up to Class 5A. However, there is a defending state champion in the district. After Ringgold had to settle for silver in the WPIAL, the Rams went on to capture gold and...
Hempfield softball has extended trip home from State Capitol after bus breaks down
Stranded but still enjoying the ride, the state softball champions didn’t let a broken down bus dampen their trip to the state capitol. Hempfield, the only three-peat state champions in the PIAA’s largest classification, were stuck on the Turnpike for just more than two hours Monday evening after their school...
Talented Riverview softball moves up in class
The Riverview softball team is rife with talented and experienced underclassmen. Despite only having two seniors, coach Jim Ashbaugh knows his team won’t be lacking confidence. That confidence will be needed for the Raiders, even after a 2018 season that saw them go 12-5, finish second in Section 3-A and...
PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA finals preview: Peters Township vs. North Allegheny
PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA Championship Peters Township (16-3-1) vs. North Allegheny (16-4) 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Cranberry How they got here: Peters Township: def. Mt. Lebanon, 3-2, in double overtime in the semifinals and def. Canon-McMillan, 3-0, in the quarterfinals. North Allegheny: def. Bethel Park,...
PIHL Penguins Cup Class A finals preview: Montour vs. South Fayette
PIHL Penguins Cup Class A championship Montour (20-1) vs. South Fayette (19-2) 6 p.m. Tuesday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Cranberry How they got here: Montour: def. Thomas Jefferson, 6-5, in overtime in the semifinals; def. South Park, 6-3, in the quarterfinals; and def. Greensburg Salem, 14-1, in the first...
Penn-Trafford softball prepares for tough section slate in Class 5A
When new alignments came out, Penn-Trafford softball coach Denny Little looked at who was going to be in the Warriors’ section and came to a quick conclusion. “Someone isn’t going to be happy at the end of the season,” he said. With Class 6A runner-up Latrobe and Class 5A playoff...
Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Team of the Week: Thomas Jefferson Jaguars
The Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Team of the Week missed out on district gold when losing in the WPIAL finals, but now it is two wins away from state gold — the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars. After beating Trinity in the first round of the PIAA playoffs, Thomas Jefferson coach Lisa...
Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Player of the Week: Chartiers Valley’s Mackenzie Wagner
Mackenzie Wagner School: Chartiers Valley Class: Senior Whatever Chartiers Valley needed last week, Mackenzie Wagner was there for her team as the dream season continues into the state semifinals. The senior did her part as the Colts picked up two more wins in a season filled with nothing but victories,...
Trib HSSN boys basketball state rankings for week of March 17, 2019
Last week, there were zero changes to the Trib HSSN boys basketball state rankings after the first round of the PIAA playoffs. A week later, following two more rounds, nine teams have dropped. While five of the six top-ranked teams from last week remain alive for state gold and still...
5 things to watch in the PIAA basketball semifinals
Moon and Mars combined for a dramatic WPIAL boys basketball championship earlier this month. Mars rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit and Andrew Recchia made a game-winning 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds left in a 58-56 victory at Petersen Events Center. Now, they’ll meet again. WPIAL champion Mars (27-1) faces runner-up...
Trib HSSN PIHL Player of the Week: North Allegheny goalie Richie Karapandi
It was as if there was a brick wall between the pipes for North Allegheny in Thursday’s double-overtime win over third-seeded Bethel Park. Except that the brick wall was, arguably, Class AAA’s best goaltender in 2018-19: senior Richie Karapandi. The PIHL All- Star goalie posted a .936 save percentage, three...
Alle-Kiski Valley lookahead for Week of March 18, 2019
Monday Hockey: Burrell will attempt to win the first PIHL title in school history as the No. 1 Bucs (21-1) face Ringgold (18-4) in the Division II Penguins Cup championship game at 6 p.m. at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. The teams played a pair of tight games during the regular...
Five things to watch during the PIHL Penguins Cup finals
Chalk. It’s a term to describe a tournament that runs as expected, no surprises with the favorites all winning. Welcome to the 2019 PIHL Penguins Cup playoffs. The league will crown four champions Monday and Tuesday with the title games set for doubleheaders each night at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex...
WPIAL Class 5A softball preseason breakdown
West Allegheny captured the WPIAL Class 5A championship a year ago, but the Indians weren’t without challengers. Both Connellsville and Albert Gallatin were in the WPIAL Final Four. Many others made runs throughout the season. Here’s a look at who could be among the top teams and players in Class...
Plum softball hoping to turn last season’s close losses into wins
For the Plum softball team, 2018 was a season filled with several close games in which it had an opportunity to win but came up short. In eight of their 10 losses, the Mustangs lost by three runs or fewer, and four of those eight were by one run. Their...
Trib HSSN PIHL Team of the Week: Ringgold
Of the eight teams in the Penguins Cup championships or the Division 2 championship, only one is a seeded lower No. 2. In Class AAA, the top two seeds made it. In classes AA and A, both division winners, thus the two top seeds, will play for the title. In...
WPIAL Class 5A baseball preseason breakdown
While Mars has been golden on the boys basketball court the last two years, the Fightin’ Planets are tired of seeing the silver lining on the diamond. After losing to Latrobe in the first WPIAL Class 5A championship game in 2017, Mars was knocked off by North Hills in an...
PIHL playoff capsule: Pine-Richland vs. Upper St. Clair
PIHL Penguins Cup Class AA Championship Pine-Richland (20-0-1) vs. Upper St. Clair (16-3-2) 8:30 p.m. Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex How they got here: Pine-Richland: def. Latrobe, 5-2, in the semifinals and Hempfield, 8-4, in the quarterfinals. Upper St. Clair: def. Franklin Regional, 9-8, in overtime in the semifinals...
Burrell ready for 3rd clash with pesky Ringgold, this time in finals
From the beginning of the season, the Burrell hockey team made no secret that its goal is to win the school’s first PIHL title. Standing in the way is one final hurdle. That hurdle is a Ringgold team that arguably has played the Bucs the toughest since they restarted the...
Despite losses of key players, Plum baseball aims to contend again
During his tenure as Plum’s baseball coach, Carl Vollmer has aimed to perpetuate his team’s culture. “It’s just an understanding of how to win baseball games,” Vollmer said. “I believe we have the culture to win. I just think it’s getting each and every kid to learn that and getting...
No surprises for PIAA Class A semifinalists Monessen, Vincentian Academy
The last time Monessen and Vincentian Academy faced one another, a trip to the WPIAL Class A championship game was on the line. Three weeks later, it’s time for Round 2. And the stakes are higher. With a trip to Hershey up for grabs, the Greyhounds (18-9) will take on...
Norwin softball looks to build on breakout year
It was breakthrough season for the Norwin softball team in 2018. After going 10-6 during the regular season, the Knights put together their most successful postseason run in recent memory. The team reached the WPIAL Class 6A semifinals and finished one game away from the state tournament. It was the...
