1+ week, 5+ day ago (604+ words) By: Greg Macafee Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 4:11 PM Burrell's Adam Wass shoots a 3-pointer against Deer Lakes on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in West Deer. Over the past few years, Burrell boys basketball coach Mike Fantuzzo has always had a player to lean on who could contribute 15 to 20 points a night. Brandon Coury, Macky Bennis and Tucker Bitar are all names that come to mind. But, as the Bucs prepare for the 2025-26 season, Fantuzzo said he believes his team will have a more balanced approach. "So, it could be 20 points out of this kid, and this one only has six this day, and then it flips-flops the next game." Despite losing Bitar, a first-team All-Valley News Dispatch player, the Bucs return a lot of experience from a year ago after three players graduated. Senior guard Sam Conte returns to lead the offense after running…...

1+ day, 19+ hour ago (489+ words) By: Michael Love Friday, November 28, 2025 | 5:31 PM The Apollo-Ridge girls basketball team plays against Hampton on Friday at the Leechburg tournament. Hampton and Apollo-Ridge were two of the first girls basketball teams to open the winter sports season as the Talbots and Vikings met in a Friday afternoon contest at the Leechburg Tournament. A pair of early 3-pointers had Apollo-Ridge feeling good, but the Vikings went cold from the field after that. Hampton, a WPIAL Class 4A playoff qualifier last year, closed out the first half on a 27-0 run en route to a 52-17 victory. Turnovers stalled Apollo-Ridge's momentum numerous times as the first half progressed, leading to Hampton baskets in transition and in the half court. The Vikings went 2 for 6 from 3-point range in the first quarter. Junior Arianna Hugley and senior Lauren Gamble hit shots from beyond the arc. "We weren't…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (463+ words) By: Michael Love Tuesday, November 4, 2025 | 9:09 AM Freeport's Jaisa Gaillot sets against Mars on Sept. 23, 2025, at Freeport Area Middle School. The We Serve First Foundation has released the list of senior girls volleyball players who will compete in the fourth annual all-star classic Dec. 6 at Kiski Area High School. The evening of volleyball will highlight the skills of 40 high school seniors from 30 schools in the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond. Four coaches " Sheila Mitchell from Canon McMillan, Annalise Shank from North Hills, Mary Ellen Ferragonio from Norwin and Angela Seman from Pine-Richland " will head up each of the four teams and will participate in a selection process in advance of the games to assemble the rosters. Doors for the all-star games open at 3 p.m. with player/coach introductions at 3:30. The first-round games start at approximately 4:15. Proceeds from the event will go to support…...

4+ week, 4+ hour ago (1232+ words) [Bentworth's Ryan Moessner (10) celebrates with teammates after defeating OLSH, 3-1, in the WPIAL Class A boys championship game on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, at Highmark Stadium.] The PIAA playoffs will begin Tuesday for field hockey, boys and girls soccer and girls volleyball. The PIAA released the brackets on Sunday. PIAA releases 1st round schedule for field hockey, soccer, girls volleyball playoffs Bentworth's Ryan Moessner (10) celebrates with teammates after defeating OLSH, 3-1, in the WPIAL Class A boys championship game on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, at Highmark Stadium. The PIAA playoffs will begin Tuesday for field hockey, boys and girls soccer and girls volleyball. The PIAA released the brackets on Sunday. Manheim Township (12-8-2) at Villa Maria (20-2), 3 p.m.; Downingtown West at Mechanicsburg (17-4-1), Memorial Park Stadium, 6 p.m.; Avon Grove (21-1) at Wyoming Valley West (9-8), 4 p.m.; Garnet Valley (16-7) at Emmaus (24-1); Penn Manor (19-4-1) vs. Conestoga (17-5) at Cornet Field, 7 p.m.; Methacton (17-3-2) at Parkland (17-6), 5 p.m.; Landisville Hempfield (9-14) at Central Bucs…...

1+ week, 9+ hour ago (611+ words) By: Josh Rizzo Sunday, November 23, 2025 | 9:13 AM Highlands" Troy Bielak blocks a shot by Hampton"s Luke Claus on Dec. 10, 2024. Troy Bielak heard the edict from Highlands boys basketball coach Mike Foster. The Golden Rams are going to have to be the "Running Rams" to satisfy their new coach. Bielak, a senior guard/forward, and his teammates were dripping with sweat during an early practice in a preseason that featured plenty of tempo. Bielak would like their sweat equity to result in lifting trophies and averaging 90 points per game. "We have the music bumping right now. The coach is hyping us up," Bielak said. "Everyone wants to beat each other like it"s a race. It"s competitive, so we are motivated and excited for it." The Golden Rams survived a difficult season last year to reach the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (614+ words) By: Josh Rizzo Friday, November 21, 2025 | 5:30 PM Fox Chapel's Lyla Jablon scores against Franklin Regional last season. Lyla Jablon will be presented with a different challenge for the Fox Chapel girls basketball team this season. The senior point guard will be part of a team that is short on experience. Following the graduation of Natalia Schaffer and Bella Urso, the Foxes will have to replace two of their leading scorers if they want to find a way back to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. Jablon isn't running from the changes. "There are definitely some challenges," Jablon said. "There's also a lot of advantages. They have a lot of young energy. They are willing to learn and adapt to things more." Jablon, who has verbally committed to play at Case Western, averaged around 12 points last season. The Foxes will have to replace Schaffer,…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (471+ words) By: Chris Harlan Friday, November 7, 2025 | 1:30 PM Thomas Jefferson's Deacon Kamberis (36) and Jarrett Becoate (20) take the field with their teammates before their game on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at McKeesport. One of the WPIAL's strongest football classifications is adding an 11-time champion next season when Thomas Jefferson moves up to 5A. The PIAA released updated classification parameters for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years, a key step in the realignment process that occurs every two years. The parameters list the top and bottom enrollment number for each classification, with Class 5A football to include schools having 413 to 578 boys. Thomas Jefferson has 453 boys in grades 9-11, the years used by the PIAA to determine a school's enrollment. The school district has seen an influx of new students, especially in a sophomore class that has around 180 boys, said TJ football coach and athletic director Bill Cherpak. He said other grades…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (1538+ words) By: Don Rebel Monday, November 10, 2025 | 9:05 PM Pine-Richland's Piper Vogel defends on Peters Township's Angelina Williams during the WPIAL Class 4A volleyball championship match Nov. 1. Happy Veterans Day as we offer a big-time salute to all the men and women who have or are currently serving in our country's armed forces. This holiday is also Semifinals Tuesday in the PIAA boys and girls soccer playoffs as well as the girls volleyball state postseason. Fifteen teams from the WPIAL have proven to be a different kind of force, one on scholastic pitches and courts throughout Western Pa. Now they are two victories from raising state gold. For 13 consecutive years, there has been a WPIAL team playing in the PIAA Class A boys soccer championship match. Make it 14 years in a row. District 7 will once again have a team in the Class A title…...

13+ hour, 14+ min ago (1822+ words) By: Triblive Sunday, November 30, 2025 | 12:11 AM South Fayette's Haylie Lamonde Haylie Lamonde scored 21 points to lead five players in double figures as Class 5A South Fayette defeated Class 3A Greensburg Central Catholic, 75-48, in a matchup of preseason No. 1 girls basketball teams at the North Allegheny tournament Saturday. Juliette Leroux added 13 points, Ella Vierra and Lailah Wright had 12 apiece and Kenzie Rumberger chipped in 10 for the Lions (1-0). Erica Gribble scored 16 and Jayla Peterson added 10 for the Centurions (0-1). With 1,730 points, Gribble became Greensburg Central Catholic's all-time girls basketball leading scorer, breaking Ashley Henderson's record of 1,725 from 2007. Allderdice 62, West Mifflin 42 " Bailey White scored 28 points to lead Allderdice (1-0) past West Mifflin (0-1) in the Play 4 Mae tournament at Woodland Hills. Ajah Malloy added 13 points while Rhyan Sledge tallied 12. West Mifflin was paced by A'ryah Scott's 20 points. Berlin Brothersvalley 62, Penn-Trafford 45 " Coral Prosser scored 28 points to lead Berlin Brothersvalley (1-0) to…...

1+ week, 9+ hour ago (381+ words) By: Bill Beckner Jr. Sunday, November 23, 2025 | 9:15 AM Greensburg Central Catholic senior Erica Gribble Winning three consecutive WPIAL championships is the main thing that drives Erica Gribble going into her senior season at Greensburg Central Catholic. But there are quite a few other incentives for the star point guard. She is eyeing three significant scoring marks. A 5-foot-11 Richmond commit, Gribble has 1,714 career points. She can break GCC's career scoring records for the girls and boys, and reaching 2,000 career points would put her on a short list of all-time volume scorers. Gribble needs 12 points to top Ashley Henderson's girls scoring record of 1,725 points and can break the school record of 1,751 points set by Franco Sebastiani. Henderson and Sebastiani both set the records in 2007. The plan is to get the pageantry over shortly after the season tips off at the North Allegheny…...