North Allegheny notebook: Tigers wrestlers clinch share of section title

By: Tribune-Review
Saturday, January 20, 2024 | 11:01 AM

North Allegheny’s boys wrestling team locked up at least a share of the Section 2-3A title on Jan. 17 with a 40-12 win at Seneca Valley.

Evan Schomburg (107 pounds) and Kellen Buggey (172) earned pins for the Tigers, who improved to 15-3 overall and 4-0 in section matches.

Travis Stipetich scored a 14-0 tech fall win at 152 pounds, and Charlie LaQuatra (114) and Griffen Reid (139) won major decisions.

Casey Walker (127), William Bentrim (133), Gabriel Hernandez (145), Aidan Buggey (215) and Bradyn McConneha (285) won by decision.

• North Allegheny beat Frazier, 63-11, and Connellsville, 28-25, and lost to Latrobe, 34-28, at the Connellsville Duals on Jan. 13.

McConneha (heavyweight) and Aidan Buggey (215 pounds) each went 3-0 on the day for the Tigers.

Bentrim (133), Gus Stedeford (121), Hernandez (145), Stipetich (152), Kellen Buggey (172), Mason Hartung (189), McConneha and Aidan Buggey all had pins.

Alualu commits to Temple

North Allegheny senior Tyree Alualu, an all-conference linebacker whose father played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, committed to Temple on Jan. 11.

Alualu announced his decision on social media.

A 6-foot, 215-pound inside linebacker and running back, Alualu received more than a dozen Division I offers. He chose Temple from a list that included Toledo, Marshall, Navy, Coastal Carolina, Bowling Green, Delaware, San Diego State, Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio), James Madison, Kent State, Ohio, Eastern Michigan and Liberty.

Alualu was a two-way standout this past season for North Allegheny, which won a second consecutive WPIAL title and reached the state finals. He rushed for nearly 900 yards and scored 16 touchdowns.

His father, Tyson, played six seasons on the defensive line for the Steelers.

Girls wrestlers take 2nd at Mt. Lebanon

Led by three champions the North Allegheny girls wrestling team battled to a second-place finish at Mt. Lebanon’s Blue Devils Girls Winter Classic on Jan. 13.

Audrey Morrison finished first at 142 pounds after posting four pins. Leyna Rumpler also won a title, earning a 4-2 victory over Hickory’s Avry Ryhal, ranked No. 1 in the state, in the final at 155 pounds. At 235, Kaylee Dean finished first after pinning Southmoreland’s Zoey Murphy in 1:09.

Maya Scott had three pins before losing in the finals and taking second at 148 pounds.

Ava Frailey was fourth at 170, Hannah Williams took fifth at 118, and Brenna Collery (136) and Heidi Radford (190) took sixth.

Hickory placed first with 195 points, while North Allegheny (157), Seneca Valley (137), Connellsville (125.5) and Trinity (111) rounded out the top five.

Boys basketball team falls to Central Catholic

Vernon Settles scored 14 points and Payton Wehner followed with 11 as Central Catholic (8-5, 4-1) defeated North Allegheny (5-9, 2-2) in Section 1-6A boys basketball Jan. 16.

Ben Lukitsch led the Tigers with nine points.

Tags: North Allegheny