High School category, Page 255
Senior leaders out to turn things around for Ligonier Valley
The 2023 football season didn’t go well for Ligonier Valley. The Rams went 2-8 and finished the season on a six-game losing streak. Things will be a lot different in 2024 if senior lineman Wade Lamont and senior running back/linebacker Aidan Mulheren having anything to say about it. See, a...
WPIAL wrestling notebook: Hempfield looking for new coach
Hempfield is in the process of interviewing for a new wrestling coach. Steve Santia resigned at the end of the school year for personal reasons, leaving athletic director Brandon Rapp with the job of finding a replacement. “I have two kids now under 3. It has been a lot, and...
Kucic, Kiski Area football ready to prove doubters wrong
Landon Kucic acquired a unique nickname early in his tackle football career. “I was playing on the (Kiski Valley Lancers) youth football (team), and my first year, I was on kickoff and I blew a kid up,” he said. “Ever since then, the coaches that helped build me up from...
With co-op boosting roster numbers, optimism abounds at OLSH
Donnie Militzer wanted to be proactive following a nightmarish 2023 season. Toward the end of the season, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart’s football program was only dressing 17 or 18 players. Militzer went to athletic director Mike McDonald in the offseason with a request. He needed more players. The...
Ligonier Valley looks to rebound after rare losing season
A 2-8 season didn’t sit well with the Ligonier Valley football team and coach Roger Beitel in 2023. Injuries and a youthful squad that lacked experience were big reasons for the rare losing season. The Rams had only one senior on the team (Noah Gluck), and he got injured in...
Apollo-Ridge aims to rebound in new-look Allegheny Conference
Senior Ryan Lydon said he and his Apollo-Ridge teammates have a chip on their shoulder to get back on track this season and challenge for a spot in the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. The Vikings were 3-7 overall last year and 2-5 in the rugged Allegheny Conference. “We’re ready to...
Class 2A contender Steel Valley building around Donald Barksdale
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 23. Even though Steel Valley is easily one of the favorites to claim the WPIAL Class 2A championship this season, the Ironmen have some holes to fill,...
2024 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the tight ends
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here is a look at the top tight ends for the 2024 season. 1. Brady O’Hara North Catholic Senior, 6-6, 250 O’Hara took a pass 75 yards for a touchdown in North Catholic’s season...
South Park to ride running game against new opponents in Class 2A
Every football team, no matter what level, counts on the strength of the team to be the focal point. The strength of the South Park Eagles has been, more often than not, the running game and star ball carrier Eric Doerue, a senior who was a first team all-conference selection...
South Allegheny looks to make impact in Class 2A with veteran lineup
Brian Hanson enters his second season at South Allegheny, eager to see improvement. Last season, the Gladiators went 1-9 and have won two games in the past two seasons. Hanson said the team improved drastically over the offseason and returns nine seniors and seven juniors to lead the way after...
Shady Side Academy looks to learn from losses, thrive in Class 2A
Shady Side Academy coach Chuck DiNardo would like to see the Bulldogs learn from the adversity they faced last season. During the last two weeks of the regular season, Shady Side Academy had a pair of six-point losses that impacted its playoff seeding. “Being in tight games like that is...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Aug. 15, 2024
High schools Football Scrimmages Saturday’s schedule Allderdice at Thomas Jefferson, 10 a.m. Apollo-Ridge and Summit Academy at Riverview, 10 a.m. Baldwin at Woodland Hills, 10 a.m. Beaver Falls at North Catholic, 10 a.m. Berlin-Brothersvalley at Ligonier Valley, 10 a.m. Brownsville vs. Carmichaels vs. Charleroi at Charleroi, 10 a.m. Burgettstown at...
Countdown to Kickoff: 17 schools welcome new football coaches this season
They are new faces in new places supplying new hopes and golden dreams. Some are rookie head coaches replacing experienced coaches while some are veteran coaches starting over at new venues. Some schools have a new football coach for the first time in decades while others continue to play roulette...
Highlands’ veteran defensive backfield looks to create ‘No Fly Zone’ over Natrona Heights
Highlands’ move into the Class 3A Allegheny 7 Conference brought about some exciting rivalry matchups with nearby A-K Valley foes such as Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport and Valley. It also likely will lead to some sleepless nights for those teams’ coaches, quarterbacks and wide receivers. The Golden Rams will field...
WPIAL girls golf preview: 3A champ Mya Morgan back for Elizabeth Forward
WPIAL girls golf preview Class 3A Team 2023 champion: Peters Township 2023 PIAA champion: Peters Township Teams to watch: Armstrong, Elizabeth Forward, Franklin Regional, Moon, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair Individual 2023 champion: Mya Morgan, Elizabeth Forward 2023 PIAA champion: Rhianna Gooneratne, Plymouth Whitemarsh Players to watch: Ellie Benson, Peters...
WPIAL boys golf preview: Peters Township out to defend WPIAL, PIAA titles
WPIAL boys golf preview Class 3A Team 2023 champion: Peters Township 2023 PIAA champion: Peters Township Teams to watch: Belle Vernon, Butler, Central Catholic, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Latrobe, North Allegheny, Peters Township, Plum, South Fayette Individual 2023 champion: Nick Turowski, Penn-Trafford* 2023 PIAA champion: Hunter Swidzinski, Butler* Players to...
Latrobe lineman knows now’s the time for Wildcats to strike
Hype at Latrobe began with the players long before the community began to stir. The football team is a playoff contender again, and guys like Cody Krall saw it coming. “Every group of seniors grow up saying they can’t wait to play together in high school, and they talk about...
2024 WPIAL high school football preview
The quest for 2024 WPIAL and PIAA football championships is under way at stadiums across Western Pa. As teams hold preseason workouts at high schools around the region, TribLive writers and photographers are previewing the upcoming season. The Trib is compiling preview features for every team in the WPIAL and...
2024 WPIAL high school football preview
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2024 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the wide receivers
TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here is a look at the top wide receivers for the 2024 season. 1. Scoop Smith Woodland Hills Junior, 5-7, 150 Smith’s speed and big-play ability make him a concern for opposing defenses. The...
Yough moves to Class 3A where old rivals await
When the WPIAL released the new conference alignments for the 2024 football season in February, there were a lot of changes with teams switching conferences or moving up or down in classification. The Yough Cougars are one of the teams moving up this year from Class 2A to 3A, and...
Playmakers abound as Southmoreland continues hunt for elusive playoff win
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 23. Due to a conflict in publishing schedules, the Elizabeth Forward preview will appear next week. At the confluence of talent and potential could be the elusive,...
Mt. Pleasant working to build stronger finishing kick
Mt. Pleasant got off to a great start in 2023. The Vikings were 5-1 heading into first-place battles with Elizabeth Forward and eventual Class 3A WPIAL and PIAA champion Belle Vernon. Things didn’t go well, and the Vikings finished losing four of their final five games to end up 6-5....
Greensburg Salem aims to stay healthy, use balanced offense
Balance gives Greensburg Salem the best chance to win, second-year coach Ty George said. “You don’t want to force yourself into a situation where you rely too much (on the run or pass),” George said. “The more options you have, the harder it is to stop.” A couple of injuries...
Derry looking for continued success in move to Class 3A
It was a huge leap for the Derry football team in 2023. The Trojans ended a 20-game losing streak, won five games and qualified for the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. Even though the Trojans (5-6 overall, 4-3 Allegheny Conference) fell to McGuffey, 25-13, in the postseason, the program made major...
