High School category, Page 1306
20 WPIAL wrestlers advance to PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional semifinals
Freedom’s Bryson Miller and Bentworth’s John Vargo are halfway to defending their titles at the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional. Miller and Vargo advanced to the semifinals of the regional tournament during the first two rounds of action Friday at IUP’s Kovalchick Complex. The two defending champions led a pack...
Brashear boys look to dethrone 4-time defending City League champion Allderdice
When longtime rivals Allderdice and Brashear take to the court Saturday afternoon and play for the City League boys basketball championship, there will be no secrets or surprises, just straight-up basketball. “We concentrate on what we do well,” Allderdice coach Buddy Valinsky said. “Our focus over the last five games...
Allderdice girls ready to defend City League title against rival Obama Academy
When Allderdice third-year coach Ellen Guillard walks her team onto the hardwood floor of Pitt’s Petersen Events Center Saturday to face Obama Academy in the City League girls basketball championship game, things will have come full circle for her and the Dragons. Obama Academy is the team that handed Guillard...
West Allegheny hires WPIAL champion to replace Bob Palko as track coach
West Allegheny lost one WPIAL champion coach but quickly added another. Laura Montecalvo, who led Chartiers-Houston to a WPIAL girls basketball title in 2017, was hired to coach West Allegheny’s track team, athletic director Dave McBain said. Montecalvo replaces Bob Palko, who was West A’s football coach for 24 seasons...
Valley heavyweight pulls out of SW Regional
Valley senior heavyweight Dave Schuffert’s high school wrestling career came to a dramatic end on Thursday when he informed his coaches to scratch him from the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional at Indiana University’s Kovalchick Athletic Complex on Friday. Schuffert (28-4) was seeded No. 4 after falling to Burgettstown junior...
Five things to watch at the Class AA Southwest Regional wrestling tournament
For the wrestlers in Class AA from the WPIAL and Districts 5 and 6, this is the final chance they have to earn a trip to the PIAA individual wrestling championships March 7-9 in Hershey. Over the next two days at the PIAA Southwest Regional at IUP’s Kovalchick Complex, 224...
No. 1 Lincoln Park scores first 14 points in victory over Beaver Falls
Lincoln Park’s Keeno Holmes made a 3-pointer on the opening possession and Isaiah Smith added another seconds later as the Leopards scored the first 14 points in Thursday night’s 82-54 victory over Beaver Falls in a WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinal at New Castle. Holmes scored a game-high 30 points for...
Seton LaSalle rolls past Washington in Class 3A quarterfinals
Both Seton LaSalle and Washington were shorthanded entering Thursday’s WPIAL Class 3A boys basketball quarterfinal game at Canon-McMillan. The No. 4-seeded Rebels relied on a suffocating zone defense to carry the day as they cruised past the Little Prexies, 48-34, to advance to Monday’s semifinals where they will face the...
DeGregorio, Paschall combine for 64 points to lead North Catholic past Deer Lakes
North Catholic knew it needed to adjust to the physicality of Deer Lakes after getting hit hard early by the Lancers’ offensive rebounding. The Trojans’ plan of attack was to attack. Isaac DeGregorio scored a game-high 37 points, and Jackson Paschall added 27 as No. 3 North Catholic shook off...
No. 1 Vincentian boys slip past upset-minded Leechburg
Down by 17 points to the defending WPIAL champion and No. 1 seed Vincentian, Leechburg worked its way back to a tie with 3 minutes, 6 seconds to go. Vincentian then called on its big man, 6-foot-6 sophomore Angelo Reeves, who drove in for two straight baskets and added a...
High school scores, schedules for Feb. 21, 2019
High Schools Basketball Boys WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Quarterfinals Saturday’s schedule Pine-Richland (20-2) vs. Peters Township (16-7) at North Hills, 3 p.m.; Upper St. Clair (19-3) vs. Butler (18-4) at Canon-McMillan, 1:30 p.m.; Latrobe (18-2) vs. Canon-McMillan (15-8) at Norwin, 3 p.m.; Mt. Lebanon (19-3) vs. Fox Chapel (16-7) at...
No. 4 OLSH girls use 2nd-quarter surge to topple No. 5 Serra Catholic
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart used a run in the second quarter to take control after a back-and-forth opening frame en route to a 56-40 victory over No. 5-seeded Serra Catholic in a WPIAL Class 2A girls basketball quarterfinal Thursday at Canon-McMillan. “The second quarter has been very good...
DiVito nets 32 points as No. 2 Cornell takes down Greensburg Central Catholic
Greensburg Central Catholic had no illusions about Cornell and its standout junior guard, Kaden DiVito. The Centurions knew the Raiders would present a challenge in the WPIAL Class A boys basketball quarterfinals, but some self-inflicted issues did not help their cause in a one-sided defeat that snowballed downhill. It was...
Monessen boys repel St. Joseph rally, reach WPIAL semifinals
The St. Joseph and Monessen boys basketball teams met Thursday at West Allegheny with a spot in the WPIAL 1A semifinals and a trip to the PIAA tournament on the line. Led by 25 points from Devin Whitlock and 23 from Dishon Howell, No. 4 Monessen outlasted No. 5 St....
High school roundup for Feb. 21, 2019: Nazareth Prep rallies past Union
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. That was plenty true for the No. 3-seeded Nazareth Prep boys basketball team Thursday night. After trailing by three in the first quarter and four at halftime, Nazareth Prep finished on a 17-2 run to defeat No. 6 Union, 49-38, in...
No. 2 Aliquippa erases 14-point second-half deficit to defeat Neshannock
M.J. Devonshire was taking his official recruiting visit to Kentucky when Aliquippa lost to Neshannock in January, a loss that bothered him hundreds of miles away. “I started calling people on Facetime to watch the game while I’m out to eat,” he said. “My coach from Kentucky was like, ‘Are...
Fast start sends Blackhawk past Southmoreland and into WPIAL 4A semifinals
Blackhawk started hot and never let up. The No. 3 Cougars topped No. 6 Southmoreland, 61-42, in the WPIAL Class 4A girls basketball quarterfinals at Moon. Blackhawk advanced to its third straight semifinal appearance, and a hot-shooting first quarter got the Cougars there. “All the credit goes to the girls,”...
Spirnak lifts No. 5 Elizabeth Forward past upset-minded Quaker Valley in quarterfinals
With Quaker Valley pushing Elizabeth Forward to the edge late in the fourth quarter, Bri Spirnak did what she had been doing all game: She stayed tough and found a way to score. The No. 13-seeded Quakers cut the lead to three points on two occasions with less than two...
Garvey’s standout performance helps lift North Allegheny gymnasts
Reyna Garvey’s WPIAL gymnastic routine was a collaborative effort. The North Allegheny freshman had to execute all of the tricks but wasn’t alone when it came to preparation. “I would write down the skills I have, what I need to add and what might look better for the judges,” Garvey...
Record-setting Shaler swimmers headed for WPIALs
Shaler swimming coach Keith Simmons wanted every opportunity for his athletes to qualify for the WPIAL Class AAA swimming championships. Going to the last-ditch meet at North Allegheny was an opportunity to try to get a few kids through to swim at Pitt’s Trees Hall. Lydia Nebiolo, Isabella Cercone, Jenna...
Shaler boys break through with playoff win vs. McKeesport
Navigating the regular season is a grind. So is finding a path through the WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball playoffs, Shaler coach Rob Niederberger said. However, Shaler extended its postseason stay by toppling McKeesport, 76-60, on Feb. 18. It was the Titans’ first playoff win since 2012. Shaler played defending...
Pinnix leads Penn Hills indoor track into state event
Entering the season, Penn Hills indoor track and field coach Lee Zelkowitz didn’t know very much about freshman Miniya Pinnix. However, after a few practices and the first meet, Zelkowitz knew he had something special. Pinnix finished second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 21.48 seconds...
Penn Hills bowlers use group effort to excel
The Penn Hills bowling team didn’t have a standout bowler this season. However, the Indians blended as a team and managed to get the best out of their talents. Penn Hills finished seventh at the WPIBL team championships with a total of 2,187 pins Feb. 14 at AMF Noble Manor...
North Hills hockey in position for postseason success
The PIHL regular season has come to a close for the North Hills hockey team, a group with a 13-5 record that has the No. 4 seed in the Class A North Division sewn up. The finish to the regular-season schedule represents the conclusion of a journey that began back...
Fox Chapel quartet ready to perform at WPIAL diving championships
For the second year in a row, Fox Chapel will have four athletes compete at the WPIAL Class AAA boys diving championships at North Allegheny High School. Senior Jonah Cagley is gunning for a third straight WPIAL crown Saturday afternoon, and sophomore David Manelis, third last year in his first...
