High school roundup for Feb. 20, 2021: Trinity girls stun North Allegheny

By: Tribune-Review
Saturday, February 20, 2021 | 10:45 PM

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In a battle of the top-ranked girls basketball teams in the WPIAL’s top two classes, Alyssa Clutter hit five 3-pointers and scored 21 points to lead Class 5A No. 1 Trinity past Class 6A No. 1 North Allegheny, 59-56, on Saturday.

Courtney Dahlquist added 17 points for Trinity (15-1), which stopped North Allegheny’s 30-game winning streak. On Jan. 24, the Hillers ended Chartiers Valley’s state-record 56-game winning streak with a 49-42 victory. Trinity’s only loss this season was a 54-43 setback at Norwin on Jan. 16.

Paige Morningstar scored 17 points and Lizzy Groetsch added 13 for North Allegheny (17-1).

It was the second matchup against a top Class 5A team in a little over a week for the Tigers. They defeated Chartiers Valley, 61-59, on Feb. 12.

Avonworth 41, Shady Side Academy 9 – Maggie Goetz scored a game-high 21 points to lead Avonworth (8-4, 7-3) to a Section 3-3A win over Shady Side Academy (1-9, 1-9). Grace O’Brien scored 18 points in the win.

Baldwin 62, Fox Chapel 53 – In nonsection play, Kayla Radomsky scored 24 points to lead Baldwin (6-7) to victory over Fox Chapel (9-7). Megan Dryburgh and Morgan Altavilla added 14 points each for Baldwin. Domenica Delaney led Fox Chapel with 18 points while Ellie Schwartzman and Elsie Smith added 14 and 10 points.

California 63, Seton LaSalle 41 – Makayla Boda scored 26 points and Kendelle Weston added 16 to lead California (7-3) to a nonsection win. Kiara Cerminara led Seton LaSalle (5-4) with 11 points. Kyleigh Donnelly had 10.

Chartiers Valley 51, Norwin 39 – Aislin Malcolm scored 20 points to lead Chartiers Valley (15-3) to a nonsection win against Norwin (11-3). Hallie Cowan added 12 points for Chartiers Valley while Brianna Zajicek and Danielle Rosso scored 12 points each for Norwin, which had its five-game winning streak snapped.

Elizabeth Forward 41, Belle Vernon 24 – Brooke Markland had 12 points on four 3-pointers as Elizabeth Forward (5-5, 4-4) beat Belle Vernon (7-7, 4-4) in Section 3-4A. Presleigh Colditz had eight points for Belle Vernon, which led by seven after the first quarter but scored only 12 points the rest of the game.

Franklin Regional 48, Hempfield 32 – Maria Brush scored 13 points as Franklin Regional (4-8) defeated Hempfield (3-7) in nonsection play. Brooke McCoy scored a game-high 15 points for Hempfield.

Freeport 51, Kiski Area 40 – In nonsection play, Melaina DeZort had 18 points as Freeport (8-2) beat Kiski Area. Leah Hartman and Ava Soilis added 15 and 13 points for Freeport while Abbie Johns led Kiski Area (3-15) with 16 points.

Hampton 49, Plum 35 – Kayla Hoehler had 14 points as Hampton (13-4, 9-2) overcame a slow first quarter to beat Plum (6-6, 6-5) in Section 2-5A. Sophia Kelly added 13 points for Hampton, which trailed after the first quarter, 20-7, before outscoring Plum the rest of the way, 42-15. Kennedie Montue paced Plum with 18 points.

Indiana 79, Uniontown 27 – Hope Cook scored 20 points and Katie Kovalchick added 17 to lead Indiana (7-8) to a nonsection win. Summer Hawk had 12 for Uniontown (3-14).

Latrobe 40, Southmoreland 28 – Anna Rafferty had 11 points as Latrobe (10-2) held Southmoreland (13-3) to just nine second-half points in its nonsection win. Gracie Spadaro scored 14 points Southmoreland, which had its nine-game winning streak come to an end.

Moon 49, Montour 40 – Emma Theodorsson scored 25 points and Moon (6-10) built a big first-half lead and held on for a nonsection win. Olivia Lyscik had 16 for Montour (10-9).

Mt. Pleasant 57, South Allegheny 52 – Tiffany Zelmore scored a game-high 25 points to lead Mt. Pleasant (8-6) to a nonsection win over South Allegheny (1-16). With the win, Mt. Pleasant extended its win streak to four games. Jamie Riggs led South Allegheny with 28 points, while Angelina Cortazzo added 11 points in the loss.

Penn Hills 61, Greensburg Salem 29 – In Section 4-5A, Jasmyn Golden scored 20 points to lead Penn Hills (8-6, 3-3) to victory over Greensburg Salem (6-10, 2-9). Amoni Blackwell added 15 points for Penn Hills, which led at halftime, 26-6.

Serra Catholic 48, Carmichaels 19 – Rylee Campbell was the lone player to reach double-figures as Serra Catholic (11-0, 7-0) defeated Carmichaels (2-7, 2-4) in Section 2-2A action.

St. Joseph 29, Riverview 24 – Ally Swierczewski and Julie Spinelli scored seven points each as St. Joseph (6-9, 5-2) defeated Riverview (5-6, 4-6) in Section 3-A. Riverview’s Lola Abraham led all scorers with 12 points. St. Joseph trailed by four heading into the fourth quarter.

Union 58, Sharon 34 – Zoe Lepri had 16 points and nine rebounds as Union (7-10) beat Sharon in nonsection play. Kayla Fruehstorfer added 14 points for Union, which hit 19-of-22 free throws. Jaysina Sellers and Thoneice Ripley scored 11 points each for Sharon.

Winchester Thurston 55, Sto-Rox 25 – Maya Roberts scored 20 points and Nadia Moore added 16 as Winchester Thurston (8-3) defeated Sto-Rox (5-12) in a nonsection game.

Boys basketball

Apollo-Ridge 78, Ligonier Valley 76 (OT) – Klay Fitzroy scored 25 points to lead Apollo-Ridge (7-3, 5-3) to an overtime win over Ligonier Valley (3-9, 3-6) in Section 3-3A. Jake Fello and Keighton Reese added 23 points apiece in the win. Matthew Marinchak led Ligonier Valley with 32 points. Isaac Neidbalson scored 21 points, while Jaicob Hollick added 13 in the loss.

Armstrong 68, Freeport 33 – Cadin Olsen scored 33 points to lead Armstrong (5-6) over Freeport (4-6) in nonsection play. Cole Charlton scored 11 points for Freeport.

Beaver 61, Hopewell 26 – Sawyer Butler had 17 points to lead Beaver (1-14, 1-11) to a Section 2-4A win over Hopewell (1-12, 1-10). Tyler Ziggas added 16 points for Beaver and teammate Charlie Higgs contributed 12 points.

Belle Vernon 81, Elizabeth Forward 53 – Devin Whitlock recorded a double-double with 26 points and 10 assists to lead Belle Vernon (11-1, 9-0) to a Section 3-4A win over Elizabeth Forward (8-4, 8-2). Jake Haney scored 20 points, while Tyler Kovatch added 10 points in the win. Zach Boyd led Elizabeth Forward with 19 points. Matt Dnaiels scored 13 points, while Vernon Settles added 12 points in the loss.

Bishop Canevin 88, Propel Montour 25 – KeVaughn Price scored 16 points to lead Bishop Canevin (12-3, 8-0) past Propel Montour (2-10, 2-7) in Section 2-A. Kai Spears added 12 and Mark Ingold 10.

Butler 74, Pine-Richland 71 (OT) – Devin Carney scored a game-high 47 points to lead Butler (9-7, 4-6) to a Section 1-6A win over Pine-Richland (9-5, 6-4). Mattix Clement added 16 points in the win. Joey Petcash (23 points) was one of three to reach double-figures for the Rams. Petcash hit five 3-pointers. Joey Dudkowski (15) and Andrew Alexander (12) also reached double-figures.

Carmichaels 77, Bentworth 29 – Chris Barrish scored 26 points and Drake Long added 21 points as Carmichaels (8-4, 4-3) beat Bentworth (1-11, 0-8) in Section 4-2A. Barrish and Long each hit five 3-pointers. Landon Urcho led Bentworth with 18 points.

Central Catholic 58, Greensburg Salem 15 – Randy Wilkerson hit seven 3-pointers on way to scoring 22 points as Central Catholic (11-7, 4-4) downed Greensburg Salem (0-11, 0-9) in Section 3-6A. Matt Aulicino added 15 points for the Vikings, which led at halftime, 30-8.

Ellwood City 58, Beaver Falls 46 – Steve Antuono scored a game-high 24 points to lead Ellwood City (7-4, 5-3) to a Section 1-3A win over Beaver Falls (9-4, 7-3). Isaiah Sharp scored a team-high 14 points, while Mike Conley added 13 points in the loss.

Fort Cherry 64, South Side 60 (OT) – Owen Norman hit for 26 points to lead Fort Cherry (10-6) to a nonsection win. Dylan Rogers added 14 and Maddox Truschel 12. Aden Almashy scored 31 points and Aidan Roach added 10 for South Side (5-10).

Fox Chapel 69, Baldwin 45 – Eli Yofan scored 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Fox Chapel (15-2) over Baldwin (5-11) in nonsection play. Russell Fenton chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds for Fox Chapel, which won its 13th straight game. Teammate J.P. Dockey contributed six points, 10 assists and four steals. Joey Starzynski led Baldwin with 15 points.

New Castle 81, Montour 63 – Mike Wells scored a game-high 25 points to lead New Castle (15-2) to a nonsection win over Montour (10-6). Sheldon Cox (16), Isiah Boice (15) and Jonathon Anderson (10) also reached double-figures in the win.

OLSH 67, South Allegheny 51 – Jake DiMichele scored a game-high 33 points to lead OLSH (17-0) to a nonsection win over South Allegheny (11-4). Dante Spadafora added 17 points in the win. Antonio Epps led South Allegheny with 20 points, while Bryce Epps added 14 points in the loss.

Penn Hills 80, Westinghouse 45 – Daemar Kelly and Wes Kropp scored 19 points each as Penn Hills (9-4) defeated Westinghouse (2-2) in nonsection play. Ed Daniels added 16 points while George Mitchell scored 13 points. Amiri Richardson paced Westinghouse with 14 points and Darius Bruce added 11 points.

Penn-Trafford 73, Chartiers Valley 66 — Ben Meyers scored 24 points and Josh Kapcin added 20 points as Penn-Trafford snapped Chartiers Valley’s 10-game winning streak with a nonsection victory. Noah Wright added 12 points for Penn-Trafford (10-5). Brayden Reynolds led Chartiers Valley (17-2) with 34 points while teammate Carter Mastovich added 14 points.

Plum 43, Hampton 32 – Connor Moss had 13 points as Plum (7-5, 5-5) beat Hampton (4-12, 3-6) in a Section 4-5A matchup. Brennan Murray scored 10 points in the loss.

Quaker Valley 63, Mt. Lebanon 54 – Markus Frank scored 23 points, Adou Thiero added 22, and Quaker Valley (11-3) came back from eight points down at halftime for a nonsection win. Evan Sentner and Jake Reinke had 17 points apiece for Mt. Lebanon (8-7).

Riverside 66, Mohawk 61 – Sean Falk scored 19 points, including five 3-pointers, as Riverside (3-14, 2-8) beat Mohawk (3-15, 1-10) in Section 1-3A. Madden Boehm added 15 points for Riverside while teammate Sam Hughes contributed 14 points. Mohawk’s Jay Wrona scored 25 points and Jackson Miller had 24. Each hit six 3-pointers.

South Fayette 56, Albert Gallatin 50 – Brandon Jakiela scored 18 points, Jake Dunay added 16, and South Fayette (7-8) used an 18-8 surge in the third quarter to pull away for a nonsection win. Nate English led Albert Gallatin (9-5) with 12 points.

Trinity 55, West Allegheny 42 – Michael Dunn recorded a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead Trinity (8-7, 4-6) to a Section 2-5A victory over West Allegheny (6-6, 2-6). Conner Roberts added 11 points in the win. Nodin Tracy (12) was one of three West Allegheny players to reach double figures. Scott Bilovous (11) and Joe Pustover (10) were the other two to reach double figures.

Uniontown 54, South Park 50 – Damarr Lewis scored 21 points as Uniontown (5-9, 5-6) rallied in the second half to upset South Park (8-3, 6-3) in Section 3-4A. Uniontown trailed by nine at halftime before outscoring South Park in the third quarter, 15-3. Harper Conroy led South Park with 15 points.

Upper St. Clair 79, Nazareth Prep 23 – Luke Gensler and Tanner O’Grady each scored 12 points to lead Upper St. Clair (13-1) to a nonsection victory over Nazareth Prep. Luke Banbury added 10 points in the win.

Upper St. Clair 66, Franklin Regional 55 — Luke Gensler scored 18 points as Upper St. Clair (14-1, 3-0 Section 2-6A) defeated Franklin Regional (6-6, 6-2 Section 3-5A) in a nonsection game. It was the second game of the day for both teams. Upper St. Clair beat Nazareth Prep, 79-23, in the afternoon. Franklin Regional fell to Hempfield, 48-36.

Winchester Thurston 83, Cornell 55 – Jackson Juzang scored 40 points to lead Winchester Thurston (6-4) to a nonsection win over Cornell (0-13). Lance Nicholls added 16 points for Winchester Thurston while Drew Lopez paced the Raiders with 15 points.

Wrestling

Section 1-AAA – Franklin Regional sent eight wrestlers through to the WPIAL tournament, including five consecutive section champs from 126 to 152 pounds. Winners were Carter Dibert, Dalton O’Neille, Finn Solomon, Mario Sarnic and Garrett Thompson. Penn-Trafford advanced four wrestlers to WPIALs, including first-place finishers Troy Hohman (113) and Hayden Coy (120). Kiski Area sent six wrestlers through to WPIALs, including champions Enzo Morlacci (160) and Sammy Starr (172). Plum freshman Antonio Walker (106) recorded a pair of first-period pins.

Section 2-AAA – Heavyweight Billy McChesney recorded a 4-3 decision over his nemesis, Hempfield’s Isaiah Vance, to claim a section title for Greensburg Salem. Vance was one of six Hempfield wrestlers to advance to the WPIAL tournament, including champs Ethan Lebin (120), Ethan Berginc (126), Briar Priest (132) and Lucas Kapusta (138). Latrobe had four qualifiers, including 113-pound champ Vincent Kilkeary, who had two first-period pins. Norwin’s John Altieri (145) and Chase Kranitz (16) won section titles, as did Belle Vernon’s Logan Hoffman (189) and Cole Weightman (215) and Connellsville’s Jake Layton (106) and Jared Keslar (152).

Section 3-AAA – North Allegheny sent eight wrestlers to the WPIAL tournament and crowned three section champions – Dylan Coy (120), Nick Gorman (126) and Brady Leczo (215). Seneca Valley also had three section champs – Tyler Chappell (106), Dylan Chappell (132) and Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (152) – and sent six wrestlers to WPIALs. All three of Pine-Richland’s qualifiers are section champions – Anthony Ferraro (113), Kelin Laffey (145) and Cole Spencer (160).

Section 4-AAA – In a dominant performance, all 12 Waynesburg wrestlers entered in the section tournament came away with championships Saturday afternoon. Joseph Simon (113), Rocco Welsh (152) and Eli Makel (189) won by fall in the finals. Wyatt Henson (145) won by major decision. Ky Szewczyk (106), Mac Church (120), Zander Phaturos (126), Colton Stoneking (132), Cole Homet (138), Nate Stephenson (160), Luca Augustine (172) and Ryan Howard (285) also finished first. The lone section title not claimed by a Raider went to Trinity’s Ty Banco (215).