High School category, Page 314
Franklin Regional prepares for grudge match with Moon at PIAAs
Just press play, Jesse. As of Friday night, Franklin Regional boys basketball coach Jesse Reed had yet to watch the film of his team’s 53-48 loss to Moon in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game. It was too gut-wrenching a setback to relive. “Now, I guess I have to,” Reed...
Fort Cherry takes care of business vs. Jeannette, reaches PIAA semis
Emotions ran high during some tense moments Saturday in a PIAA Class 2A boys basketball quarterfinal, but Fort Cherry didn’t get caught up in the commotion. The Rangers were too immersed in their long-awaited run through the state tournament. Fort Cherry advanced to the semifinals for the first time since...
Hampton’s Gabby Elk takes 2nd at PIAA Class 2A diving championships
LEWISBURG — Hampton sophomore Gabby Elk sat in fifth place after the second round of dives Saturday afternoon at the PIAA Class 2A championships at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium. But she made a final push over the final three dives, scoring 121.40 points to move to second in the final...
PIAA announces sites for WPIAL boys basketball title game rematches in state semifinals
There will be at least two WPIAL boys basketball teams playing for state gold in Hershey following Friday’s PIAA quarterfinals results. WPIAL title game rematches are set for Monday in the PIAA semifinals in Class 5 and 4A after Moon, Franklin Regional, Lincoln Park and Hampton all picked up third...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Kiski Area’s Ava Golding, Highlands’ Kooper Price
Ava Golding Class: Sophomore School: Kiski Area Sport: Wrestling Report card: Kiski Area sophomore Ava Golding finished third at the first PIAA girls wrestling championships March 9 after beating Western Wayne’s Sara Shook, 19-2, in the bronze medal match. The 136-pound grappler also won WPIAL and West Regional titles and...
Greensburg Central Catholic girls learn site, time for PIAA semifinals
There will be no state gold for the WPIAL in girls 6A and 3A as three district teams came up short in the quarterfinals on Friday in the 2024 PIAA girls basketball state playoffs. WPIAL champion Norwin in 6A and district winner Shady Side Academy and runner-up Avonworth in 3A...
5 WPIAL swimmers, 2 relays to go for PIAA Class 2A gold as top seeds after Day 2 prelims
LEWISBURG — Day 2 of the PIAA Class 2A swimming championship Saturday morning at Bucknell University brought more fast times from WPIAL swimmers, and they will be well-featured in this evening’s championship heats in the 100-yard freestyle, 500 free, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke and 400 free relay. Girls Mt. Pleasant...
North Allegheny notebook: Tigers hockey team advances to PIHL finals
North Allegheny used three first-period goals to defeat No. 3-seeded Seneca Valley, 4-2, in the PIHL Class 3A Penguins Cup semifinals March 11, at Robert Morris’ Island Sports Center. No. 2 North Allegheny got first-period tallies at 3:15 from Ed Scherer, 11:59 from Luke Walkauskas and 16:12 from Gianni Lochiatto....
Timing right for Pine-Richland boys volleyball to take step forward
As a young team of freshmen and sophomores, the Pine-Richland boys volleyball team took their lumps last season. Now, a year older and more seasoned, they are looking to earn respect in WPIAL circles. “Our guys are excited to show what they can do because they knew that last year...
Pine-Richland’s Vaughn Spencer finally slays injury bug to win state wrestling title
The morning of his state championship wrestling match, Vaughn Spencer was sitting in his hotel room, rubbing Icy Hot on his knee. During his semifinal match the previous day, he got his knee twisted before finishing off a pin of Owen J. Roberts’ Sam Gautreau. It was almost fitting that...
‘Plethora of arms’ makes North Allegheny baseball a team to reckon with
Some WPIAL baseball teams scramble to find enough pitching to cover their innings, but North Allegheny coach Andrew Heck has a much different dilemma. He’s hoping to find enough innings for all of his pitchers. The Tigers entered this spring with a pitching staff heavy in talented arms — a...
Hampton boys tennis looks to take another step
The tennis courts at Hampton Community Park are scheduled to undergo a major renovation this summer, but in the meantime, the Hampton boys team has some work of its own to do. The Talbots return six of their seven top players from last year’s 8-8 team, which reached the WPIAL...
Hampton notebook: Aquinas Academy girls team misses out on trip to basketball finals
The Aquinas Academy girls basketball team weathered injuries and illness for much of the season, but the Crusaders fought through it. “I didn’t think it affected us that much,” coach Chris Lebakken said, “until it did.” Outscored 21-7 in the third quarter, Aquinas fell to St. Joseph, 65-56, in the...
Fox Chapel notebook: Basketball playoff run ends in PIAA 2nd round
The Fox Chapel boys basketball team came within 16 minutes of a trip to the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals. The Foxes’ offense just couldn’t produce enough down the stretch to hold off Bethel Park. Fox Chapel, which beat Bethel Park in a fifth-place WPIAL consolation match in late February, ended...
Fox Chapel grad Borkovich makes adjustments to improve performance in circle for Slippery Rock
Mackenzie Borkovich felt like she had been kicked in the face during her freshman year at Slippery Rock. The skills that served her well in the pitcher’s circle at Fox Chapel Area High School were going to take some adjusting to be successful in college. After making seven relief appearances...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Hockey teams join madness
There has been plenty of March Madness around here — on the hardwood and now, on the ice. After five Westmoreland County teams played for WPIAL basketball championships earlier his month, three underdog hockey teams from the county have reached the finals of the PIHL Penguins Cup playoffs. Greensburg Salem...
Plum seniors cap careers at PIAA wrestling tournament
Mike Tongel wrestled at the PIAA Class AAA tournament as a senior in 1984. He went 4-1 at 155 pounds and took third place overall. Forty years to the week, his son, Jack, a senior at Plum and a Pitt commit, took his first steps onto a wrestling mat at...
Expectations remain high for new-look Plum baseball team
It was another banner year in 2023 for the Plum baseball team. The Mustangs used a walk-off win against Fox Chapel on the final day of the regular season to earn a split of the Section 1-5A title with Penn-Trafford and went on to make the WPIAL semifinals before falling...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for March 15, 2024
High schools Baseball Friday’s results Nonsection Avella at Washington, ppd. Canon-McMillan 4, Central Valley 4 Carlynton 7, Northgate 5 Charleroi at California, (n) Deer Lakes 14, Steel Valley 3 Eden Christian 9, McGuffey 0 Ellwood City 4, Burgettstown 0 Laurel at Riverside, (n) Liberty County (Ga.) 7, Yough 3 Ligonier...
WPIAL swimmers dominate field on 1st day of PIAA Class 2A meet
Indiana’s Preston Kessler knows nothing but PIAA championships in the Class 2A boys 200-yard freestyle. The junior freestyle specialist won his third state title Friday evening with a time of 1 minute, 38.57 seconds. While it wasn’t his best time in the event – he swam a 1:38.26 at WPIALs...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on March 16, 2024: Jeannette looks to continue surprising state playoff run
Welcome to Quarterfinals Saturday on the Road to Hershey with third-round PIAA basketball games in boys Class 6A, 3A and 2A, along with girls 5A, 4A and A taking center stage. What a difference six weeks make. After losing to rival Greensburg Central Catholic in early January by 27 points...
High school roundup for March 15, 2024: Hampton, Lincoln Park win to set up WPIAL rematch
Peter Kramer scored 22 points to lead Hampton to a 60-54 victory over District 3 champion Eastern York (20-9) in a PIAA Class 4A boys basketball quarterfinal Friday night. Alex Nyilas added 17 points and Liam Mignogna scored 15 for the Talbots (25-4). Hampton will face Lincoln Park in Monday’s...
Mt. Pleasant adds 6 state swimming gold medals to trophy case
WPIAL individual swimmers and relays captured nine out of a possible 12 state titles on the first day of the PIAA Class 2A championships Friday at Bucknell University. Mt. Pleasant claimed six of the nine and added a state record to the program portfolio. Junior David Mutter was a big...
Franklin Regional boys sprint past Shaler and into the PIAA semifinals
If Franklin Regional isn’t sprinting up and down the floor, there is a good chance it isn’t winning basketball games. Transition is the lifeblood of this Panthers team. A Panthers team that has two speeds: fast and turbo-fast. “That’s when our guys are at their best,” coach Jesse Reed said....
Greensburg Central Catholic finds footing, blows past Everett into PIAA semifinals
SIDMAN — A three-point halftime lead turned into a rout in a hurry for Greensburg Central Catholic. Once the Centurions girls found their legs in their state quarterfinal Friday night, there was no way of stopping them. “We definitely picked it up in the second half. We beat them by...
