High School category, Page 950
Gateway boys continue to build identity in advance of WPIAL playoffs
When the Gateway boys basketball team’s Section 3-5A game with Woodland Hills was postponed from Feb. 2, Gators coaches and school officials looked for another opportunity to play. “Our AD (Don Holl) asked if we wanted to play Avonworth,” Gateway assistant coach Verne Benson said. “We said, yeah. It beats...
Shaler senior swimmer finds surprising success in sprints
Lydia Nebiolo always did a little bit of everything when competing in Allegheny Mountain Swimming meets. Since starting high school meets, the Shaler senior has primarily specialized in distance events. But with the schedule setting up differently, the Titans have been moving Nebiolo around. She’s adapted well, hitting secondary WPIAL...
Bishop Canevin rebuilding hockey program into PIHL Class B contenders
Bishop Canevin has a great reputation on the ice. The Crusaders won five PIHL Penguins Cup championships before the turn of the century, including three straight from 1983-1985. Bishop Canevin went through a resurgence a decade ago and won three more high school hockey titles in 2011, 2014 and 2016....
Led by senior duo, Brentwood boys surge into first place
The Brentwood boys basketball team flourished in January, posting a 7-1 record, including a perfect 5-0 run in Section 4-3A. The Spartans ended the month on a five-game winning streak, including a key 55-54 section win Jan. 29 at home against Washington, ranked fourth in Class 3A. “This team plays...
Numbers up, enthusiasm abounds for Baldwin swim teams
Baldwin swim coach Kim Klinger basks in optimism, in and out of the pool. “I am constantly proud of how the athletes are performing this season,” Klinger said. “The season started with conditioning outside with no pool usage. The swimmers loved the cardio conditioning and strength training. We had a...
Sewickley Academy girls hitting stride midway through season
Despite a few losses early on this season, the Sewickley Academy girls basketball team is starting to find a rhythm. The Panthers won six of their first nine games, and the three losses came against top-tier teams. In their second game of the season, the Panthers fell to WPIAL Class...
North Journal notebook: North Allegheny, North Hills football players sign letters of intent
Four senior North Allegheny football players made their future plans official on national signing day Feb. 3. Defensive back Josh Humphries signed a letter of intent with Division II Mercyhurst, which plays in the PSAC. Three others will compete in Division III. Wide receiver/linebacker Braden Frank picked Case Western Reserve,...
Tiny Aquinas Academy showing it belongs among WPIAL girls basketball contenders
The second-smallest school in WPIAL girls basketball is eyeing bigger things this season. One year after making school history, Aquinas Academy is seeking its first section title and another postseason run. “We don’t want to stop,” junior forward Elizabeth Russell said. “We want to keep going.” The first-place Crusaders were...
Led by scoring sensation Vinnie Cugini, Aquinas Academy boys seek playoff success
Aquinas Academy star guard Vinnie Cugini knows the Crusaders will make the WPIAL Class A playoffs this season for the first time in program history. But the WPIAL’s leading scorer has greater ambition than a mere appearance in the league’s first “open” tournament since 1984. “I’m really excited,” the sophomore...
Road to WPIAL team wrestling championship begins Monday
The WPIAL will host its first winter sports championship this week, the team wrestling championships. The week begins with the team sectionals on Monday to determine the two representatives from each section into the team tournament. The brackets will be announced by the WPIAL on Tuesday with an eight-team field...
‘Sigh of relief’ as City League basketball teams ready for delayed season openers
Snow days are sometimes enjoyable but not when you’re a high school basketball player who has waited weeks for a game, and then winter weather extends that wait a few days longer. Just ask Sayon Bennett, a top player in Pittsburgh’s City League. “We’re just kind of rolling with the...
What to watch for in WPIAL sports for Feb. 8, 2021: 6A girls basketball heats up
As we begin the stretch run of this unique basketball season, most folks are checking out the races for section titles in the final two-plus weeks of the regular season. That is not the case in Section 1-6A. Defending champion North Allegheny, barring a collapse, will notch another section title...
Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Player of the Week for week ending Feb. 7, 2021
With limited offseason team workouts, the more experienced teams have had an advantage in playing during the pandemic. That is especially true on the high school level, where coaches greatly value offseason drills and conditioning in building a solid team foundation. “We have all had many challenges,” Albert Gallatin girls...
PIHL standings through Feb. 7, 2021
Here are the latest PIHL high school hockey standings through Sunday. The PIHL announced games for Wheeling Park and Wheeling Central Catholic were postponed until March 1. The Pa. Cup state hockey championships are set for April 24. Wins – Losses – Overtime/Shootout Loss = Total Points Class AAA Canon-McMillan,...
Franklin Regional wrestling pulls out of Section 1 tournament; Plum steps in
Franklin Regional became the second wrestling team to pull out of the WPIAL team postseason, which is scheduled to begin Monday with section tournaments. The Panthers, who captured the Westmoreland County Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, join Hempfield, which pulled out of the Section 2 tournament. Franklin Regional was the Section...
This week on Triblive High School Sports Network: Week of Feb. 8
THIS WEEK ON THE TRIBLIVE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS NETWORK: We have another Super seven days of high school sports broadcasts on tap this week on the TribLive High School Sports Network. We have plenty of video and audio coverage of WPIAL boys and girls basketball along with some boys and...
High school scores, schedules for Feb. 7, 2021
High schools Basketball Boys Sunday’s result Penn Hills 58, Allderdice 50 Monday’s schedule WPIAL Class 5A Section 1 Ringgold at Laurel Highlands, 7:30 p.m. Class 4A Section 2 Beaver at Lincoln Park, 7:30 p.m. Hopewell at Quaker Valley, 7:30 p.m. Class 3A Section 2 Avonworth at Freedom, 7:30 p.m. Class...
High school roundup for Feb. 6, 2021: North Allegheny girls stay unbeaten
Lizzy Groetsch scored a team-high 14 points to lead North Allegheny to a 61-42 girls basketball win over Oakland Catholic at the Hoops for a Cure event Saturday at North Allegheny. Paige Morningstar and Jasmine Timmerson each scored 10 points for Class 6A No. 1 North Allegheny (11-0). Rachel Haver...
New Castle no longer unbeaten, loses to Belle Vernon in semifinal rematchVideo
Belle Vernon point guard Devin Whitlock is short in height, quick with the basketball and confident against a trapping defense. That combination caused big trouble for New Castle, which was baffled by the 5-foot-9 junior for the second time in two years. Whitlock scored a game-high 21 points Saturday night...
WPIAL girls basketball rankings: Week ending Feb. 7, 2021
Class 6A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. North Allegheny, 11-0, 1 2. Upper St. Clair, 8-1, 2 3. Bethel Park, 7-2, 4 4. Mt. Lebanon, 9-2, 3 5. Norwin, 8-2, 5 Out: none Class 5A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Trinity, 10-1, 1 2. Chartiers Valley, 12-1, 2 3. Armstrong,...
Burrell’s Corrado wins showdown; Kiski Area’s Roscosky wins 3rd Westmoreland wrestling title
When Kiski Area junior Enzo Morlacci won the Powerade Tournament on Jan. 30, he was disappointed Burrell senior A.J. Corrado couldn’t wrestle because the coronavirus had shut down the Buccaneers’ program for 10 days. Morlacci got his shot in the finals of the Westmoreland County Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at...
WPIAL boys basketball rankings: Week ending Feb. 6, 2021
Class 6A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. Upper St. Clair, 9-1, 1 2. North Allegheny, *9-2, 2 3. Fox Chapel, 10-2, 3 4. Hempfield, 6-3, 4 5. Penn-Trafford, 7-4, NR Out: Mt. Lebanon (5-5, 5) Class 5A Rk., Team, W-L, Last 1. New Castle, 12-1, 1 2. Chartiers Valley, 13-1,...
Franklin Regional wrestlers win 4 county titles; Panthers take team championshipVideo
In an event that featured several marquee matchups, Franklin Regional stole the show during Saturday’s finals at the Westmoreland County Wrestling Tournament. The effort helped the Panthers capture the title for the first time since 2015. It was their fourth and ended Kiski Area’s five-year reign. The Panthers finished with...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Team Bounce AAU team recalled fondly
They were called Team Bounce, and that’s just what they did to teams that took them lightly — bounced ‘em straight out of the gym. A one-hit wonder that swept through the AAU basketball circuit in 2014, locally operated Bounce had a plethora of talent and found cohesion over a...
Guido: Finalists announced for first Willie Thrower Award
It is a privilege to announce the five finalists of the first Willie Thrower Award, created to recognize the top quarterback in the WPIAL/City League. The finalists in the voting were determined by a panel of 68 coaches and media members who covered high school football this past season. The...
