A-K Valley athletes of the week: Springdale’s Briana Ross, Kiski Area’s Sammy Plazio

By: Bill Hartlep
Saturday, October 14, 2023 | 5:03 PM

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Briana Ross

Class: Junior

School: Springdale

Sport: Soccer

Report card: Ross scored five goals as Springdale beat Steel Valley, 8-0, in a Section 1-A game Monday and then added two goals and two assists in the Dynamos’ 8-0 victory over Jeannette on Wednesday. Springdale (11-2, 9-2) won five straight games before losing to Greensburg Central Catholic, 4-1, on Saturday. On Monday, the Dynamos play Riverview, which beat them, 4-0, on Sept. 21. Ross, a first-team Valley News Dispatch all-star the past two seasons, scored 19 goals and had 17 assists last year.

What led to the five goals you scored against Steel Valley on Monday?

At the beginning of the game, we were really frantic. The first goal was kind of what set off everyone to get more calm and start passing to each other and moving around a bit.

Was that the most you’ve had in a game?

I think I’ve had five before in one game.

What does it take to do that?

It was more determination to get them. It was 30 minutes into the half. It was more ‘If you get the goals, if they will let you go and get them, just keep going.’ If they give you the opportunity to score, why not take it?

What’s the been the key to the five-game winning streak?

After our loss (to Riverview), we’ve been looking at things to try and build and know what went wrong and make things go more smoothly than it has been. We talked about how we should be playing more to our wings and to the middle instead of forcing it to places where it won’t work. Try to think more about what we’re doing in the moment instead of after the fact.

Is the team looking forward to playing the rematch with Riverview on Monday?

A little bit. It’s our chance to prove what we can show against them.

What are your goals for the playoffs?

Try to get as far as we possibly can. Last year, we went pretty far. We want to keep it going and keep the season running.

How many goals do you have this season?

I think 30.

What position are playing primarily?

Left wing or right wing.

How many miles do you think run in a game?

Maybe 3-4.

How do you prepare for that?

It’s all about what you do in the offseason to help you prepare yourself going into the regular season. If you don’t do anything in the offseason, you will be very ill prepared for all the running. That way you aren’t falling behind.

Have you looked into playing in college?

I looked into a few colleges and visited some.

Who is the toughest player you’ve faced?

Antonia (Stickle) from GCC. She’s a defender. I’ve struggled with her since my freshman year.

Do you have a nickname?

We talk about this so much on our team. Some girls call me Brey. My coach will say my full name sometime, Briana Ellen.

Do you have a favorite TV show?

I liked “The Simpsons.”

Do you guys listen to music before games?

My favorite style is hip hop so I listen to that. We’re trying to get a new sound system at the school. Everyone on the team listens to rap.

Will you see the Taylor Swift movie?

No, I don’t really listen to Taylor Swift. A lot of my teammates are really excited for that, though.

Sammy Plazio

Class: Sophomore

School: Kiski Area

Sport: Cross country

Report card: Plazio won his second straight Westmoreland County Coaches Association cross country championship Wednesday when he ran a personal-record 16 minutes, 20.4 seconds at Westmoreland County Community College’s course in Youngwood. He led the Kiski Area boys team to the team title.

How did you run on Wednesday at the county meet?

I think I ran a pretty good race. I knew it was going to be a tough one.

What’s the toughest part of the course at Westmoreland County Community College?

I feel like the course isn’t that hard. It’s just the competition. Nathan (Kociela) from Franklin, I knew he was going to be a tough one to beat.

How did it feel for the boys to win the team title?

It felt pretty good. We’ve all been working hard for this. Some hard work and team coordination.

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

I’m hoping to make states again and place top five at the WPIAL meet. I think our training is pretty good where it’s at. We’re going to taper it a little bit. I’m going to go out there and give it my all.

Do you have a certain time you want to reach for the Tri-State meet?

I would like to go sub-16. I ran 16:20 at counties, which is my PR.

What is your goal for WPIALs?

My goal would be to place in the top 10.

What goes through your mind during meets?

Nothing specific. I honestly couldn’t tell you what I thought about during that race.

What’s the furthest distance you’ve run?

Fourteen miles. It was a training thing.

How many miles do you run in a week at the peak of training?

We do long runs on Saturdays, which are usually 8-12 miles.

How did you get started in distance running?

I ran cross country for the diocese of Greensburg through the church. I just loved the competition from it.

Are you involved in any other sports/activities at Kiski Area?

I do track and winter track.

What’s your favorite home-cooked meal?

Probably salmon.

Do you have a favorite local restaurant?

I like Big Shot Bobs. I like the Big A(ristotle). It’s a bacon cheeseburger, and the bread is like two grilled cheese sandwiches.

Do you have a favorite TV show?

“Yellowstone.”

Do you listen to music while running?

I listen to a combination of country and rap.

What’s something people might not know about you?

I love to fish and hunt.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Kiski Area, Springdale