Alle-Kiski Valley high school notebook: Fox Chapel’s Tom Loughran named coach of year

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, November 13, 2017 | 9:09 PM

Tom Loughran led the Fox Chapel football team from a 1-4 start to a WPIAL Class 5A playoff berth, and the Allegheny Nine conference rewarded him by naming him its coach of the year.

The Big 56, encompassing conferences in 5A and 6A, recently announced all-conference teams and awards.

Loughran, a two-time WPIAL and PIAA champion at South Park, received top coach billing in the Allegheny Nine after he led Fox Chapel to a five-game winning streak to end the regular season and clinch the school's first playoff berth since 2014 and first under Loughran. The Foxes pushed top-seeded Penn-Trafford to the brink in the first round before falling, 28-21.

Fox Chapel's first-team all-conference picks included offensive tackle Jesse Cohen, center Riley Michael, running back Micah Morris and linebacker Chase Villani.

The Big East Conference, which includes Kiski Area and Plum, also released its all-conference picks. Kiski Area's first-team selections included punter Jared Custer and linebacker Drew Dinunzio-Biss.

McKillop's record broken

Dinunzio-Biss, a junior at Kiski Area, quietly had one of the most productive seasons in the WPIAL. The middle linebacker was credited with 111 solo tackles, which raised his career total to 181. That mark broke former standout Scott McKillop's mark of 161.

McKillop went on to play at Pitt and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers.

Dinunzio-Biss, a starter since halfway through his freshman season, still has a season to go.

All-WPIAL girls soccer

The all-WPIAL teams recently were released for girls soccer.

Fox Chapel, which won Section 3-AAAA and advanced to the WPIAL semifinals, led Alle-Kiski Valley schools with four all-WPIAL selections: Kate Feczko, Greta Lazzara, Katie Livingston and Sarah Sinnott.

Other all-WPIAL picks included Apollo-Ridge's Mayce Anthony and Breanna Murray, Burrell's Leesha Wagner, Deer Lakes' Hannah Irvine, Freeport's Kaylee Comperatore, Kiski Area's Lexi Moyer and Plum's Jordyn Huemme.

Recruiting updates

• Five Plum baseball players made their college commitments official when the early signing period opened Nov. 8. Ryan Kirchner signed a National Letter of Intent with Kent State, as did Markus Cestra to IUP, Tanner Froehlich to Seton Hill and Logan Simmons to Cal (Pa.). Jackson Rogers also committed to La Roche.

• Highlands senior softball player Emily Cochran committed to Mount Aloysius. Cochran was a second-team Valley News Dispatch All-Star last season after she pitched the Golden Rams to a WPIAL Class AAAA playoff berth. She also plays for the Pittsburgh Predators travel team.

• Burrell junior Alex Bellinotti took a second unofficial visit to Buffalo last week. The tight end/linebacker first visited the Bulls in October.

Bill Beckner Jr. contributed. Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Fox Chapel, Highlands, Kiski School, Plum