High School category, Page 816
High school roundup for Aug. 28, 2021: 99-yard TD pass helps Woodland Hills to opening win
Deontae Williams hit Louis Callaway for a 99-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, helping put away a 20-0 victory for Woodland Hills over Wayne Valley, N.J., in a nonconference game Saturday at the Western PA vs. Everyone showcase at the Wolvarena. Williams and Callaway each intercepted passes for the...
Penn Hills girls soccer works hard to build united front
Preparing to become ironwomen started early in the Penn Hills girls soccer team’s training camp. No one would be left behind. Indians coach Ashley DeVito noticed when a player was dragging behind on running laps, a few teammates went and ran extra laps to encourage each other to keep up....
Westinghouse dominates Seton LaSalle, scores one for the City League
The dog days of summer produced another hot and steamy evening as Week Zero concluded Saturday at Dormont Stadium. Westinghouse is proving these are the dog days in the City League as well, as the Bulldogs are off and running toward what they hope is a third straight District 8...
Harrisburg rallies past Pine-Richland in coach Steve Campos’ debut
For four quarters, on a suffocatingly humid night, the new era at Pine-Richland sure looked pretty similar to the old. But there was one major difference: finishing. The Rams (0-1) showed their characteristic speed and flash, but turned the ball over four times in enemy territory and stalled on two...
Trib HSSN WPIAL football rankings: Aug. 29, 2021
Class 6A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Central Catholic, 0-1, 1 2. Mt. Lebanon, 1-0, 2 3. North Allegheny, 1-0, 3 4. Canon-McMillan, 1-0, 5 5. Seneca Valley, 0-1, 4 Out: none Class 5A Rk, Team, W-L, Last 1. Gateway, 1-0, 1 2. Penn-Trafford, 1-0, 2 3. Pine-Richland, 0-1, 3...
A-K Valley girls soccer preview: Plum eyes another trip to WPIAL final
The Plum girls soccer team hopes three is the magic number this fall. The Mustangs, despite the loss of eight seniors who were starters or significant contributors the past two seasons, will attempt a run at a third straight trip to the WPIAL Class 3A championship game. Coach Jamie Stewart...
A-K Valley boys soccer preview: New coach leading Deer Lakes
Aaron Smith felt some nerves heading into training camp, and at the first practice he could sense his Deer Lakes boys soccer players had some, too. It’s natural to have anxiousness in a new environment, but as the practices went on the nerves have started to subside. After coaching the...
5 things we learned in Week Zero of H.S. football
Rather than a double-double, two-sport star Rodney Gallagher recorded a double-triple. As in, the Laurel Highlands junior rushed for more than 100 yards and passed for more than 100 on Friday as the Mustangs defeated Connellsville, 44-14. He also tossed two touchdowns, ran for two more and intercepted two passes...
Alle-Kiski Valley high school football notebook: Springdale, Deer Lakes renew rivalry
A number of high school football rivalries were put on hold last year as the covid pandemic delayed, shortened and toyed with players, coaches and fans from August to early December. Springdale and Deer Lakes were not immune to the changes as their Week Zero matchup, scheduled for Deer Lakes’...
Westmoreland County girls soccer preview: Southmoreland has ‘something to prove’
If Josh Pajak was only allowed to give his Southmoreland girls soccer team one message before the start of the season it might be this: Proceed with caution. Southmoreland appears to be loaded with returning talent, but the second-year coach doesn’t want the Scotties to get ahead of themselves. Offsides...
Westmoreland County boys soccer preview: Franklin Regional eyes another title
Franklin Regional senior Anthony DiFalco has seen just about everything there is to see in high school soccer. He has won two WPIAL titles, finished as a runner-up and played in the PIAA semifinals twice. He’s been All-WPIAL, all-state and All-American. But even the best players want more. They always...
Westmoreland HS football notebook: Teams enjoy return to normalcy
As the band played and cheerleaders and students chanted from packed bleachers, the normally steely-eyed John Ruane felt some emotion. The Penn-Trafford coach soaked in the atmosphere that he and his staffers and players had missed last season. Ruane remembered what it felt like to play in empty stadiums where...
George Guido: Knoch to induct 7 into Sports Hall of Fame
Knoch High School’s Sports Hall of Fame is getting set to enshrine its sixth induction class Friday night during the Knights’ home opener against Freeport. The school’s hall of fame committee, like most similar organizations, suspended its activities last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Four of the seven inductees...
After leaving Puerto Rican home, Norwin lineman Guindin adjusts to new life
Chased out of Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria in 2017, Sebastian Rosado Guindin has found a home at Norwin. The brawny, 6-foot-2, 270-pound senior lineman is expected to be an important two-way player this season for the Knights, who are trying to return to contention in WPIAL Class 6A. The...
Shady Side, Neighborhood Academy students team up for football co-op
After 127 years as an independent football program, Shady Side Academy now has a partner. Due to a recently-approved cooperative agreement, 11 students from The Neighborhood Academy in Pittsburgh’s Stanton Heights section will be suiting up for Shady Side Academy. The co-op was approved by the PIAA on July 14...
Bethel Park QB Max Blanc plans for college career at Youngstown State
Max Blanc is a student of the game, particularly at the quarterback position. Blanc is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound strong-armed signal caller at Bethel Park who also plays linebacker. He studies, learns, then executes the Black Hawks’ game-plan to the best of his intellectual abilities. “His football IQ is better than...
Bethel Park boys soccer eyes WPIAL playoff berth
Small steps. The Bethel Park boys soccer team isn’t reaching for the sky this season. More on point, the Black Hawks would like to return to the WPIAL playoffs after sitting out the postseason the past four years. “Our goal is to make the playoffs,” said fourth-year coach Doug Fink,...
North Journal notebook: North Allegheny girls golfers off to strong start
The North Allegheny girls golf team opened its season by shooting 166 to sweep a tri-match with Fox Chapel (188) and Mt. Lebanon (185). Katie Rose Rankin shot 38 at North Park. Sissi Hai shot 40, Lauren Kardos had a 42 and Megan Manesiotis 46. Niyati Cannabilla, Jena Norman, Amber...
New wave of players ready to carry on North Allegheny girls volleyball tradition
Senior middle hitter Rachel Burton understands the expectations for the North Allegheny girls volleyball team. With 88 victories in their last 89 matches, including an 18-0 mark last season that culminated in the Tigers’ fourth straight PIAA Class 3A title, no one in the program wants to see the train...
Franklin Regional girls golfers look to stay on top of section
Franklin Regional girls golf coach Kane Daignault said he knew he had a good team returning. But when he finally got to watch freshman Anna Qin, he knew this could be a special season. Qin instantly made Franklin Regional the team to beat in Section 3-AAA, he said. “How good...
Fresh start energizes talented, young Hampton cross country team
A youthful Hampton girls cross country team is about to get even younger. And probably a lot better. The Talbots return five of their top seven runners from the WPIAL championships and welcome talented freshman Kevyn Fish into the fold. “I’m really excited,” said sophomore Lydia Bailey, who as a...
Hampton boys soccer seniors driven to make most of last chance
Since going undefeated as eighth graders, the seniors on the Hampton boys soccer team have held lofty expectations. They own a sparkling 35-15-3 overall record in three seasons but have zero section titles and no WPIAL championship game appearances. This is their final chance, and they plan on making the...
Ligonier Valley pitcher Maddie Griffin commits to Youngstown State
A slightly crumpled piece of paper is far from a national letter of intent, but it sure meant a lot to Maddie Griffin when she was a big-dreaming middle schooler. “I still have the paper I wrote my future goals on from fifth grade,” said Griffin, a star softball pitcher...
Big-play defense leads Sto-Rox past Bishop Sycamore at Wolvarena
Sto-Rox’s high-scoring offense will have big nights this season, there’s little doubt about that. But this season-opening win belonged to the defense. Tre’shaun Barron returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown and the Vikings kept forcing turnovers in a 19-7 victory Friday night over Bishop Sycamore of Columbus, Ohio....
Philly power Imhotep Charter wears down Central Catholic with oversized offensive line
Two tight ends, a huge offensive line and a gritty running back gaining chucks of yardage at a time. This certainly was the style of offense Central Catholic usually would relish. Yet, this was the rare occasion when someone was doing that to the Vikings. Philadelphia powerhouse Imhotep Charter ran...
