2023 a year of firsts
2023 a year of firsts
2023 marked a significant calendar year for scholastic sports. Area teams accomplished feats never performed in their high school’s history. In compiling The Almanac’s annual sports year in review, that theme emerged. 2023, indeed, was a year of firsts.
No school flashed the No. 1 symbol and hoisted championship trophies more than Peters Township as the Indians achieved milestones in football, golf and boys basketball. Peters Township sports, thus, ranked at the top when rating the past year’s highlights.
1. MUSCLE & FINESSE
Under TJ Plack, the Indians powered their way to their first ever WPIAL championship in football. After ripping through the conference competition, Peters Township blasted Pine-Richland, 43-17, on Nov. 18 at Norwin High School stadium and captured the Class 5A title. Almanac MVP Nolan DiLucia completed 14 of 25 passes for 184 yards and three scores while also running for a 39-yard touchdown in the triumph.
The Indians went on to win their first PIAA playoff games, beating Cathedral Prep, 33-14, in the quarterfinals and Cocalico, 14-9, in the semifinals. Peters Township made its first appearance in a state championship game when the Indians faced Imhotep Charter in the final played Dec. 8 at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg.
Though the Indians succumbed to the Panthers, 38-13, they compiled their best record ever. Their 15-1 campaign featured five shutouts and the best defense in the WPIAL, allowing just 10 points per game.
On the links, Peters Township crafted championships in record fashion as both the girls and boys squads captured their first PIAA titles on Oct. 18.
After three consecutive runner-up performances, the Lady Indians won the Class AAA title, carding a score of 231 on the 5,201-yard par 72 Blue Course at Penn State. Ellie Benson led the way, carding a 1-over 73, one shot away from medalist honors, as the Indians edged Manheim Township by four strokes. Brooke Vowcheck followed with a 78. Amelia Severns and Gabby Catalogna also contributed to the victory.
The PT boys fired a record 284 on the 6,141-yard course and that 4-under par score enabled them to slip past LaSalle College, which shot a collective 286.
One day after finishing fourth in the individual state finals, junior Colton Lusk earned medalist honors with a record 7-under par 65 in the team competition. Griffin Hansberry (71), Shane Williams (74), Nick Haught (74) and Ryan Watterson (75) also contributed to the triumph.
At the district level, the Indians dominated as the boys won their seventh WPIAL team title by seven strokes over runner-up Butler, 371-378, and the girls won their second straight banner by posting a 322 score, 29 strokes ahead of runner-up Seneca Valley during the Class AAA championships played Oct. 12 at Cedarbrook Golf Club in Belle Vernon.
While Peters Township celebrated its second straight PIHL hockey championship after thumping Upper St. Clair, 8-1, in the Class AAA final played March 20 at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the Indians dominated the basketball arena. For the first time in 14 years, they returned to the WPIAL finals. Though the top-seeded Indians battled tooth and nail, they fell to Penn Hills, 70-65, in the Class 5A title game played March 2 at the Petersen Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Brendan McCullough fired in 19 points while Jack Dunbar, and Nate Miller chipped in 15 and 11 tallies.
While the PT icers finished runner-up, losing to LaSalle, 7-3, in the state finals played March 25 at the RMU Island Sports Center, the PT netters reached the state quarterfinals in basketball for the first time since 1997. In overtime, the Indians lost to Exeter, 75-72, on March 17 at Bald Eagle High School and finished the season at 24-5 overall.
2. SMASH HITS
Bethel Park dominated the scholastic scene in 2023 with record-breaking performances on the tennis courts.
The Lady Hawks captured their first WPIAL team title when they blanked North Allegheny, 5-0, in the Class AAA match played Oct. 18 at the Janet L. Swanson Tennis Center on the Washington and Jefferson College campus. Cami Fisher, Katie Peterson and Lily Sierka swept their singles matches while Emma Smith and MacKenzie Smock combined for a straight set victory, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 1 doubles and Julia Gobbie and Cassie Sierka won at No. 2 doubles, 7-6 (3), 6-4.
After going undefeated during the regular season and capturing a section title, Bethel Park earned the No. 1 seed in the Class AAA tournament and dispatched Norwin, 5-0, Upper St. Clair, 4-1, and Shady Side Academy, 3-2, to reach the finals.
The best season in the history of BP girls tennis came to an end Oct. 28 when the Lady Hawks lost, 3-2, to Conestoga in the PIAA team tournament played at the Hershey Racquet Club.
Individually, Lily Sierka and Cami Fisher became the first doubles duo in school history to capture a WPIAL title when they paired up to beat Elana Sobol and Rachel Nath from Shady Side Academy, 7-6 (3), 6-2 in the Class AAA final played Oct. 5 on the North Allegheny High School courts.
Sierka and Fisher breezed through the tournament. They opened action with pro set wins, 10-2, against the Baldwin duo of Gabrielle Moder and Olivia Garofalo and the Moon pairing of Ria Khazanchi and Kiera Wise. Fisher and Sierka reached the finals by sweeping Abby Santora and Mollie Schlicter from Oakland Catholic in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0. The pair were eliminated in the quarterfinal round of the PIAA tournament held Nov. 3-4 at the Hershey Racquet Club.
On the boys side, Devin Collier made BP tennis history when he reached the finals in the WPIAL AAA singles tournament. The Bethel Park sophomore dropped a 6-2, 6-0 decision to Anthony Lounder of Moon in the finals played April 12 on his home courts. Collier also qualified for the PIAA championships played May 26-27 at the Hershey Racquet Club.
Lacey Hartman also put Bethel Park on the map when the freshman finished third all-around during the state gymnastics championships held Feb. 17-18 at AHN Arena on the Peters Township High School campus. Individually, she won the floor exercise, took bronze on the balance beam and placed eight on bars. She just missed placing in the vault.
Hartman also was the third-place finisher in the all-around in the Intermediate II Division during the WPIAL championships held a week prior at Moon. Hartman posted a 33.3 score, one tenth off second place and a shade off the winning pace (34.125) set by Moon’s Lila Van Arsdale.
3. DEUCES WILD
History came in pairs at Chartiers Valley High School as the Colts produced two state wrestling medalists and a championship tandem in tennis.
For the first time in school history, the Colts welcomed home a two-time state champion in Dylan Evans and a PIAA fourth-place medalist in Brady Joling.
Evans, who is currently a freshman at Pitt, won his second straight title with an ultimate tiebreaker decision, 3-2, against Shawn Taylor of West Allegheny in the finals held March 11 at the Giant Center in Hershey. Joling, who is wrestling at Davidson, earned a spot on the podium with a fourth-place finish, giving the Colts two PIAA medalist in one year for the first time.
Evans finished his scholastic career as the all-time winningest wrestler in school history with a 139-28 mark. He was a four-time WPIAL medalist and four-time Southwest Regional place winner.
Meanwhile, Liam Pedersen and Brendan Hallisey combined for CV’s first tennis title when they defeated Josh Havrilla and August Lawrence from Greater Latrobe, 6-2, 6-3, in the WPIAL Class AA doubles finals played April 26 at the Bethel Park High School courts.
Even though they have been a doubles team for only two weeks and drew a No. 9 seed in the two-day event, Pedersen and Hallisey opened action with 10-6 pro set wins against North Catholic’s tandem of Alex Garvey and Justin Kontul then toppled the top-seeded duo of Sebastian Tan and Alex Quigley from Sewickley Academy to reach the semifinals, where they outlasted the South Park pair of Jonah Jasek and StevenDuing.
The duo, which competed in the PIAA championships held May 25-26 at the Hershey Racquet Club, helped the Colts finish fourth in the WPIAL Class AA team tennis tournament and earned a berth in the PIAA competition. It was the farthest a CV tennis team had advanced in tournament action.
4. DIAMOND DARLINGS
After losing its first eight games, Mt. Lebanon turned the baseball season around and captured a WPIAL title and finished runner-up in the PIAA.
On May 30, the Blue Devils and their ace David Shields etched their names into the record books when they blanked North Allegheny, 4-0, at Wild Things Park in Washington in the Class 6A championship game. The Blue Devils used a no-hit pitching performance by Shields and a two-run triple by Tanner Donati to secure their second straight District VII banner and sixth in school history. A southpaw and Miami recruit, Shields needed just 71 pitches to topple the Tigers.
The Blue Devils then defeated Manheim Township, 4-1, Spring-Ford, 5-2, and Cedar Cliff, 7-2, to reach the PIAA finals where they dropped a 4-1 decision to Father Judge on June 17 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on the Penn State University campus. Shields, who could be drafted in June of 2024, scattered six hits, struck out eight and walked two before reaching the 100-pitch limit.
At the Class 5A level, Bethel Park’s quest for a record third straight state baseball championship ended when the Black Hawks dropped a 3-1 decision to Bonner-Prendergast in the quarterfinal round of the PIAA playoffs on June 8 at Big Spring High School in Newville. The Black Hawks won back-to-back PIAA titles in 2021 and 2022.
In 2023, Bethel Park captured a section banner and finished runner-up in the WPIAL after falling to Shaler, 10-1, in the Class 5A final on May 30 at Wild Things Park in Washington. The Titans went on to win the state championship.
Though Bethel Park hasn’t won a WPIAL baseball championship since 1987, the Black Hawks continued to leave a mark at the professional ranks.
On April 19, Mason Miller became the first Bethel Park product to compete in the major leagues. He started on the mound for the Oakland A’s against the Chicago Cubs, who ironically boast local product in Mt. Lebanon’s Ian Happ. In 4 and ⅓ innings,Miller struck out five, including the side in the first frame. He scattered four hits, including an RBI-double to Happ, and allowed two earned runs. Of his 81 pitches, 51 were strikes and 16 were clocked at 100 mph or faster.
On July 21, Magdiel Cotto, who pitched briefly at Bethel Park High School, signed a MLB contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
5. LIONS ROAR
It was a banner year at South Fayette as the Lions won team championships in soccer, ice hockey and girls basketball.
The Lions blanked Armstrong, 2-0, on March 21 at the UPMC-Lemieux Sports Complex then defeated Pennsbury, 7-4, on March 25 at RMU Island Sports Center to complete a season of firsts. The win over Armstrong earned the Lions their first PIHL banner and the triumph over Pennsbury netted them their first-ever state title in ice hockey.
Tyler Brandebura and Trevor D’Alesandro scored the goals in the win over Armstrong. With under three minutes to play, the Lions scored three, even-strength goals to beat Pennsbury. Wes Schwarzmiller scored the go-ahead goal before Nolan Murphy and Brayden Imler tacked on insurance tallies.
In soccer, South Fayette swept the Class 3A division when the Lions captured WPIAL titles on Nov. 4 at Highmark Stadium. Mia Deramo scored the game-winning goal with 1:55 remaining in double overtime to lift the girls to victory, 1-0, against Moon. Luke Gillen scored a hat trick as the boys breezed to victory, 4-2, against Hampton.
While the win marked the 19th time the boys hoisted the trophy, the triumph over the Tigers marked the first banner on the girls side.
In girls basketball, South Fayette celebrated its second straight WPIAL championship. On March 4, the Lady Lions defeated Oakland Catholic, 64-49, at the Petersen Events Center to win the Class 5A trophy.
Ava Leroux led the Lions with 17 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Maddie Webber fired in 16 markers and Lainey Yater followed with 12 tallies, including a 5-for-5 performance from the free-throw line.
South Fayette’s most successful seasons came to an end on March 25 when the Lions lost to Archbishop Wood, 61-54, in the PIAA Class 5A championship game played at the Giant Center in Hershey. It was the first appearance in a state final for the Lady Lions, who finished the season at 28-3 overall. In the state final loss, Eria Hall fired in a team-high 17 points followed by Leroux’s 10 markers.
6. MAKING A SPLASH
Sylvia Roy of Mt. Lebanon dominated the district, state and national swimming scene. The University of Virginia recruit qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials to be held June 15-23 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. She will race in the 100 backstroke.
Her signature swim has also made her a champion on the local circuit as she won her second WPIAL title in that race as well as the 50-yard freestyle at the Class AAA championships held March 2-3 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool. Roy went on to win the 100-yard back with a 53.28 time at the state meet held on March 18 at Bucknell University.
While North Allegheny won both the district and state team titles, Roy’s showing helped the Lebo ladies capture the runner-up trophy in the WPIAL. The Lebo boys placed third in the team standings and produced a gold medal in the 400-yard freestyle relay with the team of Andrei Tudorascu, William Stilley, Sangay Lama and Chase Dustevich.
Other individual standouts included Zoe Poe of South Fayette and Kaitlyn Connors of Upper St. Clair.
Connors won her third straight WPIAL title in the 100 free with a time of 50.64. Poe toppled the defending champion in winning the 500 free. She dropped 13 seconds off her seeded time and won the race in 4:58.27, ahead of Lexi Sundgren from North Allegheny, who clocked a 5:01.35.
Meanwhile, Josh Matheny excelled on the world-wide level. The Upper St. Clair native earned a spot on the United States swim team that participated in the 2023 World Aquatics Championships held July 14-30 in Japan. By securing second places in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke races, he clinched his position on the national roster.
Matheny contributed to Team USA’s medal counts with preliminary performances in the top three finishing relays. Matheny took gold in the men’s 4×100-meter medley relay and bronze in the mixed 4×100-meter medley relay. Individually, he was seventh in the 100 with a 59.45 time and sixth in the 200 with a 2:09.04 mark.
7. FLEET FEET
Logan St. John Kletter of Mt. Lebanon dominated in both cross country and track on a local, regional and national level this year. A North Carolina recruit, she placed in both the regional and national Foot Locker cross country championships after winning the PIAA state title as well as her second consecutive WPIAL crown.
On Nov. 4, the senior clocked an 18:13 time to win the Class AAA division in the state championships at Penn State. On Oct. 26 at White Oak Park, she finished first in the WPIAL championships with a 17:47.4 time. The performance helped contribute to Lebo’s second-place showing in the team standings.
St. John Kletter’s triumphs came on the heels of a stellar spring in which she grabbed the gold and lowered the PIAA record in winning the 3,200-meter race in 10:12.86. She also medaled, taking sixth place in the 1,600 event. St. John Kletter was a double winner in those races during the WPIAL track and field championships held May 17 at Slippery Rock University. She sailed through the 1,600 with a personal best time of 4:47.09 and won the 3,200 in 10:34.49, finishing the second half of the race in 5:02.41.
Dani Prunzik from Upper St. Clair was also a double winner at the WPIAL track and field finals. The Penn State freshman won her third straight title in the 100-meter dash with a personal-best time of 11.7, which ranks ninth on the district’s all-time list. Prunzik also won the 200 dash in 24.53.
Other individual WPIAL champions included South Fayette’s Grace Howard, who claimed her second straight high jump title, and Chartiers Valley’s Derek Armfield, who won the javelin throw.
South Fayette’s boys 3,200 relay team of Roman Galio- to, Alaa-Eddine Guetari, Tim Danziger and Jake Borgesi set a blistering pace in winning the Class 3A title in 7:57.22 while Lebo’s foursome of Tim Calvetti, Rocky Fennel, Matt Nyugen and Connor Rychcik breezed to victory in the 4×100 relay with a new school record time of 42.14.
Mt. Lebanon captured runner-up honors during the WPIAL Class AAA boys track and field team championships held May 9 at West Mifflin. North Allegheny won the title, its 14th overall in the sport for a WPIAL best. The Tigers defeated Lebo, 84.5-65.5.
8. SILVER STICKS
The Mt. Lebanon girls and the South Fayette boys took home silver medals in lacrosse while the Lebo boys captured their fifth WPIAL title in program history.
On May 25 at Robert Morris University’s Joe Walton Stadium, the Blue Devils defeated Shady Side Academy, 10-8, in the Class AAA boys championship match. Fred Lasota dominated the stat sheet. The junior scored Lebo’s first four goals.
A five-goal run gave the Blue Devils the lead for good, 9-7, with 5:22 to play. Luke Prezioso and Joseph Hetz had a pair of goals in the stretch while Brady Westbrook sandwiched in the other tally. Miles Halter recorded two assists during the scoring spree. Keegan Green, Sullivan Kish and Westbrook also chalked up assists.
The Blue Devils finished 19-4 overall after falling to Radnor, 15-8, in a PIAA quarterfinal game played on June 10 at Frederick Field in Memorial Park in Mechanicsburg.
Meanwhile, the Lebo ladies dropped a 13-12 decision to Pine-Richland in their championship match. In the losing effort, Addie Murdoch scored five times and collected two assists. Tegan Hoover had a hat trick while Quinn Murdoch supplied two tallies. Morgan Daniels completed the goal scoring.
South Fayette lost its first match of the season in the Class AA boys’ final played May 24. The Lions were vying for their first WPIAL title in program history but succumbed to Mars, 16-7. Drew Welhorsky led the South Fayette attack with a hat trick. Spence Hondru (2), Dom Oliastro and Raj Sainani completed the goal scoring.
Cooper Hillebrand, Owen Makar, Josh Nugro and Oliastro each dished up assists for the Lions, who finished 18-1 on the season.
In girls AA play, Chartiers Valley lost its bid for a PIAA berth when the Lady Colts fell to Quaker Valley, 15-11, in the WPIAL third-place consolation game. CV was the 2022 district champion.
9. WRESTLING GREAT
Nino Bonaccorsi made history when the Bethel Park native became an NCAA wrestling champion. On March 18 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. He defeated Tanner Sloan from South Dakota State, 5-3, to win the 197-pound title.
Bonaccorsi became the first NCAA champion in the University of Pittsburgh’s history since Kevin Gavin won the 174-pound weight class in 2008. Gavin serves as the current coach of the Panthers.
A three-time ACC champion and two-time NCAA finalist, Bonaccorsi finished the season at 21-0. His NCAA tournament wins also included triumphs against Max Shaw from North Carolina, 10-1; Owen Pent from North Dakota State, 8-2, Silas Allred from Nebraska, 5-3, and Ethan Laird from Rider, 10-4.
10. PANTHER PRIDE
Upper St. Clair added hardware to its trophy case in 2023 as the Panthers produced a champion in frisbee, a runner-up in girls basketball and a runner-up in golf.
USC edged North Allegheny, 12-11, in overtime to win the ultimate frisbee championship match held at Duquesne University. This marked the first team title for the Panthers in its nearly two-decade history. USC boasted a 10-1 overall record.
For the third year in a row, USC lost its bid for a basketball banner, falling to North Allegheny, 71-45, in the Class 6A final played March 3 at the Petersen Events Center. USC, which posted a 70-21 record during that span, was the undefeated section champion and finished 23-4 overall after falling to undefeated Cedar Cliff, 39-22, in a PIAA quarterfinal game played March 17 at Altoona. It was the farthest any USC team advanced since the Lady Panthers won a state crown in 1999.
In golf, Connor McKenzie finished runner-up in the WPIAL AAA division during the final round of action played Oct. 2 at Valley Brook Country Club. The 16-year-old sophomore carded a two-day total of 147 to finish five strokes off the winning pace set by two-time champion Nick Turowski from Penn-Trafford.