High School category, Page 1294
Gateway’s Whiteside, Hanisak gain experience at WPIAL championships
Gateway coach Ryan Sula saw improvement from Evan Whiteside in every area of his wrestling, but the one thing that stood out the most was the growing confidence in his 113-pound junior. A specific example came after a tough 11-2 major decision loss to Latrobe’s Marino Angelicchio in the third-place...
Thomas Jefferson girls made program history by reaching title game
The Thomas Jefferson and Chartiers Valley basketball teams clashed March 2 in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game at Pitt’s Peterson Events Center. It wasn’t the first time TJ senior guard Shaylor Williams stepped onto the court at The Pete. “When I played AAU in sixth grade for the Bruins,...
Rebounding, scoring struggles prove costly for Thomas Jefferson girls in WPIAL final
The bubble finally burst for the surging Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team. The Jaguars lost to Section 1 rival Chartiers Valley, 64-48, in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game March 2 at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center. Thomas Jefferson (19-7) went into the final confidently riding an eight-game winning streak, and...
Senior class lauded for success by Thomas Jefferson football coach Cherpak
The 60th annual Thomas Jefferson football banquet took place Feb. 24 at Georgetown Centre. The Jaguars’ success over the past four years was duly noted, as coach Bill Cherpak started off the post-dinner program by lauding the efforts of the senior class on and off the field. Over the past...
Team chemistry key for TJ girls basketball
Does winning spark good team chemistry, or does good team chemistry enhance winning? While talent is an integral part of any winning program, team chemistry certainly can be important. Take, for example, the Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team. The Jaguars reached the WPIAL finals this season for the first time...
Quaker Valley freshman Huang makes big splash at WPIAL championships
Quaker Valley swimming coach Alexis Glenn knew from the beginning of the season she had an amazing swimmer in Isabel Huang. She became even more convinced of that after the freshman earned two gold medals at the WPIAL Class AA championship meet Feb. 28-March 1 at Pitt. “I was surprised...
For Penn-Trafford’s Coy, journey to Hershey is a trip down memory lane
It’s tough not to crack a smile and imagine the possibilities when someone rolls up for a road trip driving a shiny new black Chevy Suburban, but Penn-Trafford wrestler Nick Coy jumped in anyway. The WPIAL Class AAA 138-pound champion, Warriors coach Rich Ginther, three assistant coaches and Ginther’s son,...
Relays, divers lead Penn-Trafford into PIAA championship meet
Despite their small size, the Penn-Trafford boys and girls swimming teams will be well represented at the PIAA Class AAA championship meet March 15-16 at Bucknell. Seniors Paige Kalik, the girls third seed, and Logan Sherwin, the boys fourth seed, are among favorites in 1-meter diving. Kalik and Sherwin placed...
Pine-Richland boys lacrosse players commit to play in college
A quartet of Pine-Richland boys lacrosse players pledged their commitments to their future colleges of choice Feb. 27 at the high school athletic office, gathering to both celebrate the future and enjoy the unique moment together before embarking on their senior seasons. Seniors Ben Barnes, Brendan Hein, Will Harnick and...
Limited time in pool doesn’t keep Aquinas swimmer Schirra from making WPIALs
There were plenty of reasons for Sam Schirra not to swim this season. The most glaring reason is his high school, Aquinas Academy, did not field a swim team. Beyond that, Schirra had a starring role in the school play, a rendition of “Pride and Prejudice,” a commitment that would...
Plum’s Citrano, Stecik cap season at WPIAL wrestling championships
As a freshman this year, Plum’s Vinny Citrano believed in himself every time he stepped on a mat, and it showed in his results. But before his first match at the WPIAL individual championships Feb. 28, the magnitude of the event set in. “There were definitely some butterflies in my...
Plum swimmers prepare for PIAA championships
Devan Taylor hopes for a repeat performance and more in the girls 100-yard breaststroke Saturday at the PIAA Class AAA championships at Bucknell. The Plum senior was seeded ninth and positioned in the second-to-last heat of the preliminaries last year and swam a school-record 1 minute, 4.13 seconds to move...
Norwin sends program record 10 wrestlers to WPIALs; 2 capture titles
The Norwin wrestling team walked away from the WPIAL Class AAA individual tournament with some serious hardware. The Knights had two wrestlers capture gold at the tournament: junior Kurtis Phipps at 120 pounds and junior Ryan Weinzen at 220. “I thought we wrestled well as a team,” Norwin coach Vince...
Young Norwin freestylers set school record at WPIAL championships
The Norwin girls swimming team earned no medals at the WPIAL Class AAA championship meet Feb. 28-March 1 at Pitt, but it probably is just a matter of time before the Knights do. First-year Norwin coach Doug Watson believes all the young squad lacks is confidence. “(We had) lot of...
Fox Chapel rower Gilmore claims title at Erg in the ‘Burgh indoor championships
Fox Chapel rower Samuel Gilmore worked hard over the winter, and it paid off at the Erg in the ‘Burgh Indoor Rowing Championships Feb. 23 at North Allegheny. Gilmore, a senior, took first place in the men’s varsity final in a career-best 6 minutes, 37.6 seconds over 2,000 meters. Daniel...
Franklin Regional sends quartet to PIAA wrestling championships
Franklin Regional sent four wrestlers to the PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championship, which began March 7 at Giant Center in Hershey. And while coach Matt Lebe was thrilled with four wrestlers heading to Hershey, he was disappointed three others — Garrett Thompson, Mason Spears and Mario Sarnic — didn’t make...
Franklin Regional swim team basks in WPIAL meet success
At the start of the swim season, Franklin Regional coach Vic Santoro was wondering what kind of team he had. After a strong showing at the Westmorland County Coaches’ Association championships, where the girls took first place for the second year in a row and the boys finished second, Santoro...
Fox Chapel track teams hope to build off indoor season
The Fox Chapel track team is hard at work with hopes of a successful spring season. “We lost some seniors but are looking forward to our returning athletes working hard and having a good season,” FC coach Tom Moul said. On the girls side, the Foxes return a dozen letter...
WPIAL sends 17 wrestlers to PIAA Class AAA semifinals
HERSHEY — The WPIAL is proving itself a heavyweight in the state’s lighter weights. Led by some dominant performances in the early weight classes, the WPIAL advanced 17 wrestlers to the PIAA Class AAA semifinals thanks to wins in Friday afternoon’s quarterfinal round at Giant Center. The WPIAL claimed three...
5 Westmoreland County wrestlers advance to PIAA Class AA semifinalsVideo
Ty Cymmerman found himself down three points in the second period of his quarterfinal match at the PIAA Class AA wrestling championships Friday. But the Derry junior didn’t panic and took advantage of a stoppage because of a bloody nose to rally for a 6-4 win in overtime against Greensville...
Roundball Classic rosters announced
Event director Allen Deep released rosters for the Roundball Classic all-star basketball games, set for April 12-13 at Geneva College. There will be seven games over two days at Metheny Fieldhouse. More than 200 senior players were selected. On April 12, there will be three boys games, including East vs....
15 WPIAL wrestlers advance to PIAA Class AA semifinals
HERSHEY — Even as the fate of his state wrestling quarterfinal match hung in the balance, Joey Fischer felt confident. And eventually the South Park sophomore was proven correct. Fischer began a near-perfect Friday morning for WPIAL wrestlers at the PIAA Class AA tournament, with a 5-3 decision over Brookville’s...
Unbeaten teams to test Highlands, Leechburg boys in PIAA opening round
Only two WPIAL basketball teams made it through the district playoffs with a perfect record, and both were on the girls’ side — Class 6A champion Peters Township (25-0) and Class 5A winner Chartiers Valley (25-0). While no District 7 boys’ teams enter the state playoffs undefeated, a couple of...
Shaler Area notebook: Lynch returns to Wheeling Nailers
Former Shaler hockey standout Zac Lynch is headed back to the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. Lynch was recently released following a six-game stint in the AHL on a professional tryout contract with the New York Ranger affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack. Hartford released Lynch on March 5 after he recorded seven shots...
Penn Hills’ Gregory, freestyle relay prepare for PIAA championship meet
When it comes to the Penn Hills swim team, the main attraction is senior Kimani Gregory. Gregory lived up to his top billing as expected, but a few other Indians shined as well at the WPIAL Class AAA championships Feb. 28 and March 1 at Pitt’s Trees Pool. The Indians...
