High School category, Page 801
Hampton-Highlands clash pits evenly matched, undefeated foes
Friday night’s Class 4A Greater Allegheny Conference clash between Highlands and Hampton is about as even as it gets. Both teams are 4-0 for the first time since 2015, both schools needed strong second-half performances Friday in their conference openers, and the schools are knotted at 15-15 in the all-time...
The Birdie might not be a spring chicken, but he still picks A-K Valley football winners
Last week: 8-3 (72.7%) Season: 31-10 (75.6%) Watching Ben Roethlisberger take a beating against the Raiders last Sunday, a truth became painfully obvious: Big Ben isn’t as spry as he once was. Well, join the club. Who is? The Birdie. That’s who. “I’ve been picking high school football games since...
A-K Valley don’t miss high school football matchups for 2021 Week 4
Class 4A Greater Allegheny Conference Knoch (1-3, 0-1) at Armstrong (2-2, 0-1) 7 p.m. Friday, NexTier Bank Complex, Manor Township The River Hawks went for the win last Friday against Hampton, but a 2-point conversion pass with 39 seconds left fell short in a 21-20 loss to the Talbots …...
A-K Valley football players to watch for 2021 Week 4
Thomas Burke Leechburg, Sr., QB/CB The Blue Devils’ veteran performer had a big game last week against Clairton, throwing for 360 yards and three touchdowns against three interceptions. It was the most passing yardage accumulated in the WPIAL for Week 3. Burke, who hopes to help Leechburg return to the...
Carlynton football cancellation leads to Serra Catholic vs. Freeport matchup Friday
Carlynton canceled its nonconference football game scheduled for Friday against Serra Catholic because of covid-19 cases, but Serra needed little time to find new opponent. Freeport will host Serra Catholic at 7 p.m. Friday. Carlynton athletic director Nate Milsom said the football team didn’t have enough available bodies “with the...
Westmoreland County girls athlete of the week: Latrobe’s Jenna Bell
Jenna Bell School: Latrobe Sport: Tennis Year: Senior Claim to fame: Bell won her third section singles title and second in a row when she defeated teammate Carolina Walters, 6-2, 6-1, in the Section 1-3A championship match Friday at Latrobe. Bell also has won three section doubles titles in her...
Longtime friends Flynn, Hileman looking to coach Hempfield girls volleyball to success
Friends since birth? Well, perhaps not that far back. But close enough. To the best of their recollection, Ashten Flynn and Payton Hileman have been “best friends” since they were 3 years old. “Our parents were good friends, too,” Flynn said. “They did all kinds of things together, and the...
Dual-threat quarterback on a mission for Southmoreland
Southmoreland is determined to avoid starting a new streak, and Anthony Govern is front and center in that quest. Govern, the senior quarterback, got off to a strong start as the Scotties went 2-1 through their first three games, including an eyebrow raising romp of McGuffey in Week Zero. “We...
Burrell girls volleyball building momentum under 1st-year coach
Burrell girls volleyball hit the victory column for the first time last Wednesday under new coach Alyson Shirey. The Bucs defeated Highlands, 3-0, in a Section 5-3A contest on the Burrell floor. While the upcoming schedule is daunting with Hampton, Knoch and perennial contender Freeport — all in an eight-day...
A-K Valley girls athlete of the week: Valley’s Eden Richey
Eden Richey Class: Senior School: Valley Sport: Tennis Report card: Richey became the first Valley girls tennis player since 2012 to win Section 1-2A singles Friday, defeating teammate Rachel Schrock in the final 6-3, 6-1. She was the runner-up at sectionals in 2020, losing to Mt. Pleasant’s Mary Smithnosky in...
Knoch girls volleyball relying on young hitters in early going
Now in her 36th year at Knoch, Diane Geist is the longest tenured girls volleyball coach in the WPIAL. What keeps her coming back to the gym year after year is the process of getting the best out of every player she has. Two years ago, it was about managing...
After near-death experience, Bishop Canevin senior writing comeback story on football field
In a helmet and shoulder pads, Eli Wilson looks just like thousands of other high school football players across Western Pennsylvania. But the Bishop Canevin senior has a remarkable life story that started tragically before turning triumphant. He’s mostly kept the story to himself. “I thought people were going to...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Sept. 21, 2021
High schools Cross country Tuesday’s results Division I Section 1 Girls Hempfield 19, Greensburg Salem 40 Hempfield 19, Franklin Regional 42 Section 5 Boys Blackhawk 19, Beaver 36 Blackhawk 20, Hopewell 43 Girls Beaver 21, Blackhawk 36 Blackhawk 16, Hopewell 46 Section 6 Boys Mt. Lebanon 25, Canon McMillan 32...
High school roundup for Sept. 21, 2021: Peters Township prevails in overtime
Steven Suchko netted the overtime winner to lead Peters Township to a 2-1 victory over Upper St. Clair in a battle of top teams in Section 2-4A boys soccer Tuesday night. Andrew Massucci also scored for Peters Township (7-0, 5-0). Brady Lisak scored for Upper St. Clair (3-3, 3-1). Bentworth...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Sept. 22, 2021: Girls golf moves into sectional spotlight
After most of the individual boys golf sectionals here held earlier this week, it’s time for the girls to tee it up in three sections. The district will hold its girls individual golf sectionals on Wednesday at one Class 3A and both Class 2A sites. Qualifiers will earn a spot...
Trib HSSN State Football Rankings for Sept. 21, 2021
While there were no changes at the top, six teams lost their grip and dropped out of the latest edition of the Trib HSSN state football rankings. Only one classification, Class 4A, remained intact from Week 2. Harrisburg, Upper Dublin, Whitehall, Danville, Richland and Rochester got bounced after Week 3...
Greensburg Central Catholic boys soccer too much for Jeannette
A confident expression turned to one of wounded surprise as Jeannette watched Greensburg Central Catholic fire goal after goal into the back of the net. After a while, the surprise wore off and reality set in. As injuries mounted and a thin bench emptied to nothing, the Jayhawks realized what...
Burrell girls soccer team picks up where it left off
A youthful Burrell girls soccer team navigated through all of the covid-related changes last fall, won eight out of 12 games and finished 7-2 in Section 2-AA play. The Bucs capped their season in the WPIAL quarterfinals. Despite losing a couple of key players to graduation, a lot of talent...
Covid protocols force Derry, Norwin, Woodland Hills to cancel Week 4 football games
A pair of Westmoreland County high school football teams had to cancel their Week 4 games Tuesday. Derry athletic director Brett Miller informed Freeport officials Tuesday that Trojans players and coaches were exposed to someone who has covid-19, and the team had to cancel Friday’s WPIAL Class 3A Allegheny Seven...
Westmoreland County boys athlete of the week: GCC’s Mason Fabean
Mason Fabean School: Greensburg Central Catholic Sport: Soccer Year: Senior Claim to fame: Fabian scored two goals to lead Greensburg Central Catholic (3-1, 2-0) to a 3-1 win over Serra Catholic in Section 2-A action Sept. 16. Earlier in the week, Fabean scored the winning goal with 10 minutes left...
Derry girls volleyball aims to continue long run of postseason berths
Call Derry girls volleyball coach Brock Smith a perfectionist of sorts, though it’s far from a flawless setting. Derry, which is off to a 2-1 start in Section 5-2A, hasn’t won any WPIAL championships in the sport and has made just one appearance in the PIAA playoffs since Smith took...
Ligonier Valley girls volleyball talks the talk, walks the walk
Following a successful first season in the WPIAL, Ligonier Valley volleyball coach Emily Daugherty easily could identify some areas for her team to improve over the summer. “We knew that they’d be a very conditioned team. I was never afraid of their skill levels and stuff like that,” said Daugherty,...
A-K Valley boys athlete of the week: Plum’s Lucas Pittman
Lucas Pittman Class: Junior School: Plum Sport: Soccer Report card: Pittman scored four goals for Plum in a 9-0 win over Obama Academy on Sept. 13 and had an assist in a 3-0 win at Penn Hills on Sept. 15. Through the first six games, Pittman had six goals and...
Under new coach, Freeport boys soccer changes approach, sees some results
Tahlon Kirkland knew he was in for a challenge when he took over the Freeport boys soccer coaching job. The long-term substitute in the school district also was pretty familiar with the players he was inheriting. “I know most of them already from working at the school. So that was...
Team-first mentality helps Highlands football to 4-0 start
The Highlands football team fans cheer for on Friday nights isn’t the product of just a week’s worth of practice. They Golden Rams are the product of a year-long commitment and an attitude that fifth-year coach Dom Girardi has instilled from the moment he took over the program. “Every day...
