Trib HSSN’s Top 22 Stories of 2022

By: Tribune-Review
Saturday, December 31, 2022 | 12:12 PM

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The year 2022 brought plenty of success for Western Pennsylvania high school sports teams, whether it was on the field, court, mat, ice or pool.

There were state championship triumphs, WPIAL championship upsets and numerous other tales of success.

As has become a year-end tradition, Trib HSSN winds down the year with a look back at the top 22 stories from the year 2022.

22. Southmoreland mourns Ron Frederick

The Southmoreland community mourned the death of incumbent head football coach Ron Frederick, who died of a heart attack the day after he learned he was the recommended candidate for the job.

Frederick, 40, was honored throughout the season by the Scotties and neighboring programs. The school hired the Scotties’ alum posthumously.

21. Bethel Park defends PIAA baseball title

Bethel Park became only the fourth WPIAL baseball team to win consecutive PIAA titles when junior Evan Holewinski pitched a three-hit shutout in the Class 5A final.

“Doing it again with the same guys and all being out here again, it just feels great,” Holewinski said. “It’s dreams to reality, to be honest.”

Bethel Park became the fourth WPIAL team to win consecutive state baseball titles, joining Moon (2001-02) and Riverside (2005-06 and 2011-12), which accomplished the feat twice.

The Black Hawks have now reached the state finals six times overall. Their first state title came in 1988, a year after losing in the finals in ‘87.

20. North Allegheny cross country teams sweep PIAA again

It was status quo for the North Allegheny cross country teams, as the girls won their fifth straight PIAA title and the boys claimed their third in a row in Hershey on Nov. 5.

Led by sophomore Wren Kucler’s third-place finish, the NA girls had 60 points. North Allegheny sophomore Jack Bertram was third to lead the boys to their 85-point performance.

It was a strong effort from WPIAL athletes overall, as Brownsville’s Jolena Quarzo (2A) and Pine-Richland’s Natalie McLean (3A) won individual gold medals.

19. Kasperowicz heads to Mars

A year after his controversial ouster at Pine-Richland, football coach Eric Kasperowicz was hired to lead the Mars football program.

“It was an extremely tough year for myself and my family and all of our friends,” Kasperowicz said. “I’ve got nothing but love for the entire Pine-Richland community … but it’s on to the next phase.”

He spent the year as a volunteer assistant at Pitt before taking the new position at Mars, where he had the chance to coach his son, Eric Jr., and the Planets to a 6-5 record and trip to the Class 4A playoffs.

Kasperowicz went 85-18 in eight seasons at Pine-Richland with four WPIAL championships and two state titles, but his contract there was not renewed in April 2021 following a district investigation into the football program.

Pine-Richland raised accusations of bullying and hazing in the football program, allegations that Kasperowicz has strongly denied.

He filed a defamation lawsuit against the school district and several top officials claiming they damaged his reputation. He later dropped that lawsuit and reapplied there to be head coach.

18. Change of WPIAL leadership

WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman announced her resignation in April after two years as the league’s top administrator. The WPIAL board later hired Chartiers Valley assistant superintendent Scott Seltzer as her replacement.

17. Butler football appeals WPIAL, PIAA rulings

A Butler County judge ruled that the Butler football team could compete in the District 10 playoffs over objections from the WPIAL and PIAA hours before a game Oct. 28.

Butler County Common Pleas Judge Robert Yeatts said “the conduct of the PIAA amounts to arbitrary and capricious discrimination” and cleared Butler to participate in the District 10 playoffs this season and next.

Butler is a WPIAL member school but has played football in District 10 as an associate member since 2020 in hopes of turning around a long-struggling program. However, after the Golden Tornado took part in the District 10 playoffs in 2021, the WPIAL insisted that wasn’t permitted and the WPIAL board voted to officially ban Butler from qualifying for the D10 postseason in future years.

Butler took its fight to court after the PIAA upheld the WPIAL’s position.

Butler (4-7) lost to McDowell, 62-7, in the District 10 Class 6A championship.

16. Quaker Valley upsets Burrell in WPIAL wrestling finals

Quaker Valley, a school in just its fifth year of wrestling, defeated Burrell, 30-28, on Feb. 15 in the WPIAL Class 2A championship match at Chartiers-Houston High School, ending the Bucs’ streak of 15 straight district championships.

“Honestly, we just ran out of time,” Burrell coach Josh Shields said. “From where we started back in October, this team made a tremendous amount of progress throughout the entire year. The kids did everything they could to put ourselves in this position to win a WPIAL title. We never gave up that fight. We just ran out of time to get better. In a match like this, it always comes down to bonus points.”

The championship was won in Quaker Valley coach Mike Heinl’s final season.

“The boosters created this and paved the way for us,” Heinl said. “They did it correctly. They started with the youth. They went to the junior high, then the high school team. I was just blessed to have the opportunity to coach with the Quaker Valley School District. The administrators have given us all the tools to be successful. I couldn’t be happier.”

In Class 3A, Waynesburg claimed its third straight WPIAL team title.

15. PIAA football, soccer championships move to Cumberland Valley

In February, the PIAA board voted to move the state football and soccer championships to Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field for at least the next four seasons.

The state football and soccer championships were played exclusively in Hershey since 1998.

“There was quite a host of things there that were very attractive,” PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said, “as well as their involvement with the (Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau) in making a very nice financial package.”

14. Soccer success for Moon girls, Seneca Valley boys

Moon’s girls soccer team scored twice in the final 18 minutes to win the PIAA Class 3A final, 2-1, over previously unbeaten Upper Perkiomen on Nov. 18, finishing off a perfect season.

It was the second straight PIAA title for Moon (24-0), which won the Class 4A title last year.

The title was the fifth in Moon program history.

The Tigers also captured the WPIAL championship with a thrilling 1-0 victory that ended Mars’ 80-game unbeaten streak. Mars had won the past three PIAA Class 3A titles.

On the boys’ side, Seneca Valley (22-1-1) won its second state title in three years with a 6-0 victory over Lower Merion at Cumberland Valley. The Raiders tied the third-most goals scored in a state championship.

“We’ve had a balanced offense all season,” Raiders coach George Williams said. “Our top scorers are within one or two goals of each other. They couldn’t shut everyone down.”

13. NA girls volleyball wins another PIAA title

North Allegheny’s decorated girls volleyball program added another award to the trophy case by claiming a sixth straight PIAA Class 4A title with a 3-0 win over Garnet Valley on Nov. 19, at Cumberland Valley.

It was North Allegheny’s ninth title overall.

“This is so special, to be able to win again with this group of seniors,” said senior setter Mia Tuman, who is heading to Ohio State to play volleyball in the Big Ten. “We didn’t play well in the first game, but a bit of motivation from losing (to Pine-Richland) in the WPIAL championship was a reminder to us that we don’t like losing.

“We just kept talking about relaxing and playing our game. Once we did, we played well. The third game might have been our best game all season.”

Freeport also found success at the PIAA girls volleyball championships, capturing its second state title with a 3-0 win over York Catholic.

12. Mars becomes first WPIAL team to win state boys lacrosse title

The Mars boys celebrated as the first WPIAL lacrosse team to win a PIAA title by defeating Marple Newtown in the Class 2A final.

Behind three goals from Austin Cote, two apiece from Enzo Grieco and Jack Durham, a score each from Kyle McEwen and Wes Scurci and a critical last-minute save from goalkeeper Jonathan Grieco, the Fightin’ Planets won 9-6 on June 11, at West Chester East High School.

“It’s in our head all the time,” Cote said. “That’s what kind of pushes us here, the chip on our shoulders. So we’ve just proven that the west is just as good as the east.”

11. Neshannock girls teams celebrate state titles

Neshannock’s girls basketball team returned to Hershey’s Giant Center 12 months after losing in the state final and redeemed itself March 25, defeating Southern Columbia, 62-56, to claim its first PIAA Class 2A girls championship.

“We were definitely ready at the beginning of the season,” junior forward Mairan Haggerty said. “When we were blowing teams out, we just were waiting for the playoffs to come.”

Neshannock also celebrated competitive spirit and softball titles in 2022.

The softball team went 26-0 after beating Conwell-Egan, 4-1, in the PIAA Class 2A championship game June 17, Penn State’s Beard Field.

It was the second state title for Neshannock softball.

“It’s been so much more than I could ever dream for,” said senior Neleh Nogay, who was also on the state championship basketball team. “Great ending, great senior year. It was perfect.”

In addition, the Neshannock hockey team won the PIHL Varsity II title.

The traditionally strong Lancers baseball team reached both the WPIAL and PIAA title games, finishing as runner-up in both.

10. Successful basketball coaches on the move

Two of the WPIAL’s most successful basketball coaches were on the move following the 2021-22 season.

Tim McConnell, synonymous with Chartiers Valley basketball, resigned in May after 29 years to become boys coach at Bishop Canevin.

“When I went to meet with my team and I walked through the doors and I walked in the gym, it sort of hit me a little bit,” McConnell said, “like, wow, I’ve been doing this for 29 years and I’m not going to do this in this gym anymore. It was breathtaking. I got a little emotional to be honest with you.”

Last summer, Mt. Lebanon girls coach Dori Oldaker resigned after 19 years to watch her daughters play at South Fayette. Oldaker led the Blue Devils to the WPIAL Class 6A title last season, capping her career with an overall record of 495-139. She led Mt. Lebanon to four WPIAL championships and three PIAA titles.

“Winning a WPIAL and runner-up at the state championship was tremendous in my final year of coaching,” she said. “I feel blessed that I was able to be a part of the Mt. Lebanon basketball family for 19 years. I love Lebo and I am so grateful to the Mt. Lebanon athletic department and administration, parents, players, past and present, coaches and the community. This was an extremely tough decision, but it’s the right one.”

9. Westinghouse football makes City League history

Westinghouse’s storybook football season had everything but a perfect ending.

The City League champion Bulldogs fell short against powerhouse Southern Columbia, 37-22, in the PIAA Class 2A championship Dec. 9, at Cumberland Valley.

Westinghouse (15-1) was the first City League team to reach the state finals in 25 years and was trying to win just the second PIAA championship in league history.

“I’m hurting for my guys, but this is football,” said coach Donta Green, who was named the state’s Class 2A coach of the year. “There has to be a winner. There’s got to be a loser. They were the better team today.”

No City League team had reached the state finals since Perry in 1997, and the Bulldogs’ run this season captivated fans from beyond the school’s Homewood neighborhood.

On Thursday, quarterback Keyshawn Morsillo, running back Khalil Taylor, wide receiver Sincere Smith and defensive lineman Donte Taylor were recognized on the all-state team.

8. OLSH basketball sets state consecutive wins record

The OLSH boys finished off their second consecutive undefeated basketball season by winning the PIAA Class 2A title March 25 in Hershey. In doing so, the Chargers tied the state’s longest winning streak (68 games) and became the first boys team in nearly 60 years to win back-to-back undefeated titles.

The Chargers now hold the record on their own after beating Albert Gallatin to open the 2022-23 season.

Deer Lakes ended OLSH’s record run at 74 games on Dec. 22 with a 70-55 victory.

7. Moon’s Cochran claims three PIAA gold medals, team title

Moon distance runner Mia Cochran finished her decorated high school career with an unprecedented feat by winning the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter titles at the PIAA Class 3A track championships May 28, at Shippensburg.

The Arkansas recruit claimed the team title in the process despite competing alone.

“I hope I leave a legacy that everyone knows of,” she said. “That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to make a statement. I came here and made one.”

6. Aliquippa wins another WPIAL title, falls in PIAA final

Aliquippa’s year began with a victory — winning an appeal with the PIAA to remain in Class 4A instead of being forced to 5A by the competitive-balance rule — and nearly ended with another.

A team playing up three enrollment classes, the Quips won plenty of games on the field, including a 19th WPIAL championship.

Playing in an unprecedented 15th straight WPIAL championship game, the Quips defeated rival Central Valley, 34-7, on Nov. 25, at Acrisure Stadium.

Aliquippa rushed for 249 yards and Central Valley had just 1 yard.

“We brought that physicality and mental toughness to the field,” senior lineman Jason McBride said, “and let our running backs do what they do.”

“We knew we had to dominate them up front and that’s what we did,” lineman Neco Eberhardt said.

On Dec. 8, the Quips lost two fumbles, threw two interceptions and lost to Bishop McDevitt, 41-18, in the PIAA Class 4A final at Cumberland Valley. A year before, Aliquippa defeated the Crusaders in the state title game.

Senior offensive linemen Neco Eberhardt and Naquan Crowder, senior defensive back D.J. Walker, junior linebacker Cameron Lindsey and sophomore running back Tiqwai Hayes were honored Friday with selection to the Class 4A all-state team.

The Quips played all of their games away from “The Pit” this season as renovations are underway for a new stadium.

The aging Carl A. Aschman Stadium was torn down and is being rebuilt. The school received a $250,000 grant from the NFL Foundation and secured $3.5 million in financing to make the construction project a reality.

5. Pine-Richland wins WPIAL, PIAA football titles under first-year coach

Behind the state’s Class 5A player of the year, the Pine-Richland football team captured its third PIAA title Dec. 9, at Cumberland Valley.

Senior quarterback Ryan Palmieri rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns, threw for another and returned an interception to the end zone as Pine-Richland (13-3) stunned Philadelphia’s Imhotep Charter, 28-14.

“He’s one of the greatest individuals as a high school kid that I’ve ever met,” said first-year coach Jon LeDonne, who was named the state’s coach of the year. “What he does for our program off the football field first is just significant. And then there’s who he is on the football field, what he does. Teams try to key him but they can’t stop him.

“I put him up there with some of the best in Western Pennsylvania.”

Palmieri was a 1,000-yard passer as a junior, but started this season as Pine-Richland’s top running back. When the Rams stumbled to a 1-3 start, coaches moved him back to quarterback in Week 5, and the team won 12 straight games.

4. Gallagher leads Laurel Highlands to double-OT win in WPIAL final

Laurel Highlands’ Rodney Gallagher made two free throws with less than a second left in double overtime to win the WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball title over New Castle, 60-58, on March 4 at the Petersen Events Center.

The matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2 lived up to the hype as the Mustangs won their second title in three seasons.

“I’ll tell you this, I definitely wasn’t as nervous as I was my freshman year,” Gallagher said. “I felt actually comfortable.”

Tied at 58, Gallagher held for the last shot as lights from cell phone cameras dotted the crowd. The 6-foot guard spun into the lane and tossed up a runner that touched the front of the rim and missed. Officials called a foul on New Castle’s Mike Wells, sending Gallagher to the line with three-tenths left.

3. Belle Vernon wins 1st PIAA football title

Belle Vernon won its first PIAA football title just weeks after capturing its first WPIAL title since 1995.

The Leopards had a one-point lead and Neumann-Goretti had first and goal from the 2-yard line at Cumberland Valley.

The Leopards forced a fumble on third down from the 1, and Aiden Johnson ripped the ball away for the game-sealing fumble recovery.

“You can’t make this (stuff) up. It’s a storybook ending,” coach Matt Humbert said. “The defense has been phenomenal all year. We have such a calm confidence with our defense. … I just felt like it was our year and our time and we’d find a way, and by God, we found a way.”

The Leopards also had three interceptions, standout Quinton Martin ran for a touchdown, and Willie Schwerha kicked a field goal in the victory.

The Leopards ran past Avonworth in the WPIAL final at Acrisure Stadium, 24-7, as Martin put on a show. The five-star prospect caught a touchdown, ran for another and added a brilliant, 51-yard punt return score for the Leopards.

2. NA’s Cole Young drafted in 1st round

North Allegheny shortstop Cole Young was selected 21st overall by the Seattle Mariners in the MLB Draft on July 22.

Young became the sixth WPIAL baseball player drafted in the first round in the past eight years.

“It’s such a crazy feeling, it’s hard to describe,” said Young, who watched the draft on television at home with family and friends. “I was super anxious the whole time, wanting to know what was happening. Whenever I got my name called, it was awesome.”

In his high school career, Young batted .428 with a .554 on-base percentage and a 1.320 OPS. He scored 73 runs and drove in 64 RBIs in 73 career games with 17 doubles, nine triples and 11 home runs.

As a senior, he struck out four times in 78 plate appearances.

1. PIAA approves NIL policy

The impact has yet to be felt but is likely coming after the PIAA board of directors voted Dec. 7 to approve an NIL policy.

Pennsylvania high school students can maintain their amateur status and accept money for use of their name, image and likeness under a groundbreaking policy.

The board voted 25-4 in favor of the new guidelines, which let athletes receive compensation for commercial endorsements, product advertisement, promotional activities and social media presence.

“The board should be proud of what they did to help kids,” PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said. “It mirrors 18 to 20 other states that have found success, and I think it really helps protect our student and their families.”

Hours after the approval, Laurel Highlands senior football and basketball standout Rodney Gallagher, a West Virginia football recruit, announced the first NIL deal for a Pennsylvania prep athlete.

The four no votes all came from the WPIAL.

WPIAL president Dave McBain said the league was concerned with the management of NIL deals and the unknown expectations for athletic departments and schools. A student entering into an NIL deal must notify the school’s athletic director or principal within 72 hours.