South Hills notebook: Baldwin pitcher Tagg competing for Pittsburgh Spirit travel team

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, August 3, 2018 | 10:39 PM

Notebook items from around the South Hills:

• Addie Tagg, who will be a senior pitcher on the Baldwin softball team in 2018-19, has participated in travel ball programs for eight years.

She competed this summer with the Pittsburgh Spirit 18U Gold squad.

“We won a huge showcase up at Ohio State,” said Tagg, who played for the Pittsburgh Spirit 16U Gold team in 2017, and for the Renegades from 2011-2016.

At Baldwin, Tagg has a 3.74 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society, French Club, Highlander Choir, Gifted Program and Special Olympics Club.

She is a three-year starter for the Highlanders and was a first-team all-section selection in 2017 and 2018. She also was named MVP at the Queen of Diamond North showcase event.

• Several Baldwin soccer players were Big 56 conference all-star selections last year — seniors Alina Stahl (F) and Haley Huber (MF) on the girls team; seniors Launthar Eh (MF) and Janvier Ramson (F) and junior Jackson Brandwene (GK) on the boys team.

Stahl, a West Virginia recruit, also was named All-WPIAL and all-section. Eh and Ramson were chosen to WPIAL AAAA section “Finest Fifteen.”

Sophomore midfielder Raymond Thomas received WPIAL AAAA honorable mention plaudits.

• Ryan Kelly was a four-year starter on the boys soccer team at Brentwood.

Kelly netted 11 goals and 11 assists last season from his midfielder position, and was an all-section selection in both 2016 and 2017.

“Ryan was one of the most skilled players we’ve had in recent years,” coach Ron DiNardo said.

Kelly and junior defender Dominic Dudiak were first-team all-section selections. Shashak Gurung, a sophomore forward, and Biren Biswa, a junior midfielder, received honorable-mention plaudits.

• Seton LaSalle running back Lionel Deanes ended his high school career with a school-record 5,280 yards on the ground and 56 touchdowns.

Deanes, nicknamed “The Train,” rambled for 2,112 yards and 25 touchdowns last season. He ranked third in the WPIAL in rushing and scoring.

Other area gridders who finished among the WPIAL’s regular-season leaders were Brentwood QB Michael Trent, who hit on 132 of 248 passes for 1,748 yards and 17 touchdowns; and WR Austin Veatch, with 52 receptions for 843 yards and 12 scores; plus Thomas Jefferson RB Justin Vigna, with 1,364 yards and 20 touchdowns; and WR Garret Fairman, who nabbed 40 passes for 742 yards and nine scores.

• Student-athletes from more than 100 high schools in Western Pennsylvania attended the WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit last year at the Sen. John Heinz History Center and Sports Museum.

Baldwin was represented by seniors Taylor Dadig (softball), Carly Santillo (softball), Gehrig Hutchison (wrestling) and Stahl (soccer, track).

Former Steeler Will Allen and State Sen. Jay Costa were guest speakers. Several students also talked about the importance of sportsmanship.

• There were three kicking specialists on the Fighting Highlanders football team last season — senior Jake Monroe, junior Jackson Brandwene and sophomore Emma Brandwene.

The Brandwene siblings also were soccer goalkeepers.

• Hanna Kalwarski signed a letter of intent last year with West Liberty, where she will continue her gymnastics and track and field careers.

Kalwarski was a four-year gymnast and a pole vault specialist in high school. She plans to study to be a physician’s assistant.

• Senior Morgan Dryburgh (MH) and two juniors, Anna Betz (MH/DS) and Abby Wolf (S), served as co-captains of the Bentwood girls volleyball team last season.

• Aidan Barker qualified for the PIAA cross country championships as a junior runner at Brentwood last fall.

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

Tags: Baldwin, Brentwood