High School category, Page 833
Bethel Park softball reflects on historic season
Bethel Park’s softball team enjoyed a historic run through the 2021 season, winning a WPIAL title in softball for the first time ever at the school. “We couldn’t be prouder of this group of girls,” coach Heather Semplice-Scott said. “Their performance throughout the season never ceased to amaze us. They...
Bethel Park alum, NFL player Nick Kwiatkoski helps give football locker room facelift
Nick Kwiatkoski hasn’t forgotten his roots. Not by a long shot. The Las Vegas Raiders linebacker and former West Virginia standout recently funded the costs to renovate the football locker room at Bethel Park, his alma mater. The planning process took place over a period of months; the actual physical...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for June 19, 2021
High schools Baseball PIAA playoffs Class 6A Finals Friday’s result La Salle College 2, North Allegheny 1 Class 4A Finals Friday’s result New Castle 7, Wyoming Area 3 Class 2A Finals Friday’s result Schuylkill Haven 8, Shenango 7 Softball PIAA playoffs Class 5A Finals Friday’s result Lampeter-Strasburg 10, Armstrong 7...
La Salle College starter shuts down North Allegheny in Class 6A finalsVideo
Sometimes, it’s not a pitcher’s fastball velocity that makes him unhittable. La Salle College starter Ryan Marler proved that true Friday night. The right-hander threw frequent change-ups in the PIAA Class 6A championship, a strategy that led to weak contact and some easy outs. North Allegheny faced more off-speed pitches...
Armstrong softball comes up short in PIAA Class 5A championship
UNIVERSITY PARK — Armstrong’s bid to win its first PIAA team championship in any sport was denied by a veteran Lampeter Strasburg team. The District 3 champions from near Lancaster used a five-run fifth inning to rally from a four-run deficit for a 10-7 victory Friday in the PIAA Class...
New Castle earns school’s 1st state baseball titleVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK — With little more than a quick Internet search, a few conversations with a couple of coaches and the eye test of watching Wyoming Area go through infield-outfield drills prior to the start of the game, New Castle didn’t know much about its PIAA Class 4A championship game...
Mt. Pleasant rallies past Mid Valley to capture state softball championshipVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK — Tested for the first time in the postseason, the Mt. Pleasant softball team had to find a higher gear to get around Mid Valley in the state championship game. Rather than committing to memory an early deficit against the only team to score on them in the...
Shenango’s rally falls 1 run short in PIAA Class 2A championshipVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK – At 67, Shenango coach Larry Kelly was four years younger than his state championship counterpart in the other dugout Friday. Scott Buffington has coached Schuylkill Haven for 44 years, or a nice round 50 if you add his six seasons as an assistant. And Buffington celebrated his...
Tri-Valley scores twice in bottom of 7th to defeat West Greene in PIAA Class A softball final
UNIVERSITY PARK — Tri-Valley scored two runs in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the seventh inning to stun WPIAL champion West Greene, 2-1, in the PIAA Class A softball championship game Friday at Penn State’s Beard Field. Senior Allison Huhn’s double to the right-center gap scored freshman Grace Header...
Facing 1-year suspension, Seton LaSalle football coach Mauro Monz resigns
Suspended football coach Mauro Monz, facing a one-year ban from the WPIAL over recruiting allegations, said he’s resigning at Seton LaSalle rather than continue to appeal. “It’s too much for the school and too much for my family to take,” Monz said Thursday night, but the first-year coach maintained his...
Jeannette athletic director Ryan Hayden resigns
Ryan Hayden is stepping down as athletic director at Jeannette after two years on the job. Hayden, 29, will continue to teach sixth grade in the district. A Hempfield graduate and former Seton Hill baseball player, Hayden wants to pursue a master’s degree, possibly get a principal certification and also...
High school scores, summaries and schedule for June 17, 2021
High schools Baseball PIAA playoffs Class 6A Finals Friday’s schedule La Salle College vs. North Allegheny at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, Penn State, 4:30 p.m. Class 5A Finals Thursday’s result Bethel Park 4, Red Land 2 Class 4A Finals Friday’s schedule New Castle vs. Wyoming Area at Medlar Field...
PIAA Class A softball championship preview: West Greene vs. Tri-Valley
History is being made in Happy Valley this week as the WPIAL sends 10 baseball and softball teams to Penn State University to compete in the PIAA championships. This is the fourth year the PIAA has had six championships in baseball and softball. In 2017, the WPIAL sent seven teams....
PIAA Class 2A baseball championship preview: Shenango vs. Schuylkill Haven
History is being made in Happy Valley this week as the WPIAL sends 10 baseball and softball teams to Penn State University to compete in the PIAA championships. This is the fourth year the PIAA has had six championships in baseball and softball. In 2017, the WPIAL sent seven teams....
PIAA Class 4A baseball championship preview: New Castle vs. Wyoming Area
History is being made in Happy Valley this week as the WPIAL sends 10 baseball and softball teams to Penn State University to compete in the PIAA championships. This is the fourth year the PIAA has had six championships in baseball and softball. In 2017, the WPIAL sent seven teams....
PIAA Class 6A baseball championship preview: North Allegheny vs. La Salle College
History is being made in Happy Valley this week as the WPIAL sends 10 baseball and softball teams to Penn State University to compete in the PIAA championships. This is the fourth year the PIAA has had six championships in baseball and softball. In 2017, the WPIAL sent seven teams....
PIAA Class 5A softball championship preview: Armstrong vs. Lampeter-Strasburg
History is being made in Happy Valley this week as the WPIAL sends 10 baseball and softball teams to Penn State University to compete in the PIAA championships. This is the fourth year the PIAA has had six championships in baseball and softball. In 2017, the WPIAL sent seven teams....
Clutch pitching carries Bethel Park past star-studded Red Land to PIAA baseball titleVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK — Red Land has a future MLB first-rounder batting leadoff and some ex-Little League World Series stars behind him. So, Bethel Park staked its title hopes on an old adage that good pitching beats good hitting. In the state finals, the Black Hawks proved that’s still true. Bethel...
Beaver finishes undefeated season with wild title-game win over Tunkhannock
UNIVERSITY PARK – Perfection. That’s what the Beaver softball team was chasing this season, and the Bobcats achieved it by winning the school’s first PIAA title Thursday afternoon. Winning pitcher Payton List scored the winning run on a throwing error in the top of the ninth inning, and Beaver’s defense...
Ligonier Valley softball marvels at community support after special season ends in state finals
UNIVERSITY PARK — It wasn’t the ending the Ligonier Valley softball team had hoped for, but the 2021 season was still memorable. The Rams dropped a 1-0 decision to Line Mountain in the PIAA Class 2A championship game Thursday at Penn State University’s Beard Field. It was the first time...
PIAA Class 3A softball championship preview: Mt. Pleasant vs. Mid Valley
PIAA softball preview Class 3A Championship Mt. Pleasant (20-3) vs. Mid Valley (22-2) 1:30 p.m. Friday, Beard Field, Nittany Lion Softball Park, Penn State University, University Park Coaches: Chris Brunson, Mt. Pleasant; Michael Piercy, Mid Valley Players to watch: Courtney Poulich, Sr., 1B, Mt. Pleasant; Maranda Runco, So., P, Mid...
Weight-training program powers Mt. Pleasant softball’s run to state finals
Each grapefruit the Mt. Pleasant softball team smashes out of the park seems to go farther than the last. It’s obvious this team likes home runs. Juicy home runs. With eight dingers — as they like to call them in softball circles — the Vikings (20-3) have shown a flair...
North Allegheny’s Paige Morningstar named top high school athlete in country
After leading North Allegheny to WPIAL and state championships in volleyball and basketball, Paige Morningstar received a prestigious honor Thursday. She was named the top girls high school athlete in the country by MaxPreps. A 6-foot Louisville recruit, Morningstar helped the Tigers an 18-0 record and a fourth straight PIAA...
Slow start dooms Eden Christian baseball in 1st PIAA finals appearance
UNIVERSITY PARK — As a first-time state finalist, Eden Christian will remember Thursday’s game for years to come, even if they’d like to forget the first two innings. Eden Christian committed three early errors, walked in a couple of runs and saw Halifax score eight times in those first two...
Line Mountain finally pushes run across in 9th inning to top Ligonier Valley in state title gameVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK – To win a PIAA softball title, three things are important: strong pitching, timely hitting and solid defense. Ligonier Valley got solid pitching again from junior Maddie Griffin, and the defense was flawless, but the Rams offense struggled to find their groove against Line Mountain senior Kya Matter...
