Another Franklin Regional graduate will competing on Real American Freestyle. Former Panther Nico Megaludis competed on the card last month in State College, losing by technical fall.

Now, Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee is listed for the next card on Nov. 29 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Lee is listed as competing at bantamweight (135 pounds) against Ukraine's Andrii Yatsenko. Yatsenko was originally supposed to compete at RAF 02 against Megaludis, but the opponent was changed during fight week.

Megaludis instead faced off against Austin DeSanto, the opponent who upset Lee in the state title match his senior season of high school to prevent Lee from becoming a four-time champion. The main event is set to feature Chad Mendes and Michael Chandler, two UFC alums who have strong amateur wrestling backgrounds.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

Riverview beat Greensburg Central Catholic 26-7 Saturday at Riverside Park.

​Check out all of my coverage in the Tribune Review.

PENN HILLS - Jamie Montini received an emphatic hug from her daughter, Zakeira, in the middle of a swarming crowd.

Zakeira made a beeline for her mom, who was sitting in the front row, after scoring the point that snapped a 14-game section losing streak in section play Tuesday night in home. It was a night of high emotions for Zakeira, who also earned a bouquet of flowers and an invitation to homecoming after the match.

"That's the one thing I was thinking about after I scored that point," said Montini, a senior outsider hitter for the Indians. "'Cause I knew she was watching. I saw her screaming and I ran right to her and everybody started coming in. She was the main focus."

Penn Hills had to use every bit of creativity it had to beat Woodland Hills, 3-1. The Indians (2-7, 1-4) don't have a powerful offensive attack and rely on tips and misdirection to score points.

Penn Hills coach Raymond Ager III was happy to pick up his first Section 4-4A win since he took over the program in 2024.

​"It feels great, especially finding out it's been since 2023," Ager said. "It feels great to beat a rival who was trolling us on social media all week."

The Wolverines (0-8, 0-5) got off to a solid start behind the serving of senior setter/right-side Becca Busch. Woodland Hills scored the first three points and were in control for the entire first set.

Wolverines assistant coach Joey Cunningham said they were able to effectively utilize their serve.

"Honestly, I feel like with our team right now, we are good at utilizing our utility players," Cunningham said. "We have a lot of utility players right now that we could just very easily move around and pop around. I would say when we get it ruts, we can move someone up a little bit. they do very well with that."

Ager said that Penn Hills made a tactical change by switching liberos. The Indians leaned on Layla Smedley after the first set.

"She's an all-around athlete," Ager said. "She's like a ninja on the court. She really flies around and brings big energy."

The Indians won the second set, 25-14. In the third set, Penn Hills built a 23-9 lead before allowing Woodland Hills to roll off seven consecutive points.

"I feel like we like to into a little bit of a rollercoaster where we do really good and then it just kind of drops," Cunningham said. "I think we're getting used to and getting really good at getting ourselves out of that rollercoaster."

The Wolverines rallied in the fourth set to even things at 19 points. Woodland Hills leaned on Niyah Brown and Jayla Brown to help carry the attack. The Wolverines couldn't maintain the momentum, dropping three consecutive points that allowed Penn Hills to get some seperation and close out the match.

The Indians won the final set 25-21. Montini said she believed Penn Hills would find a way to break through this season.

"I was thinking about the ending, like I knew we were going to win and I felt that in my heart and God's presence," Montini said. "I felt that in the whole game that we were going to win and the student section carried us through that with our energy."

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

PENN HILLS - Fox Chapel girls volleyball coach Diana Andreyko isn't afraid to take chances. When the Foxes' coach didn't feel their attack was effective enough, she called 5-foot-6 freshman outsider hitter Sasha Pechersky up to varsity to add punch.

Fox Chapel played an imperfect match Tuesday night at Penn Hills High School, but was able to walk away with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-5 sweep in Section 4-4A action. Andreyko said that her team, which reached the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs last season, is still trying to determine what kind of team they will be.

"Right now, unfortunately, we are struggling with girls stepping into their roles." Andreyko said. "We have a lot of inexperienced players and youth. Last week against Woodland Hills, I had a JV player who I have on my varsity roster come up and step in. If it comes to that, the ninth graders will have to step in. I will pull the ninth graders to come up and do the job."

Fox Chapel (2-3, 2-1) leaned on the DiRocco sisters against Penn Hills. Emma DiRocco, who finished with eight kills and seven service aces, led the Foxes attack. Lucy DiRocco had a team-high nine kills.

Andreyko said she would like to see the Foxes developed a consistent second option to support Emma, who has committed to play at Old Dominion.

"A second offensive player that's consistent would be a God send," Andreyko said.

Penn Hills (1-4, 0-2) appeared it may take a set for the first time in section play. The Indians leaned on setter KJ McGee's energy to take an 18-13 lead.

"We played tough," Penn Hills coach Raymond Ager III said. "They stuck together. We've been trying to learn how to sticker together and play more. Cohesively, it's something that we're getting used to."

Lucy DiRocco smashed a kill to halt the Indians' momentum in the second set. When Emma DiRocco took over serving not much later, Penn Hills had a hard time regaining its footing. The Foxes surged past Penn Hills 25-22.

McGee said that the Foxes did a good job of cutting off where the Indians hoped to push the ball.

"We were hoping to find those spots again," McGee said. "We found them in the second set and I guess we got a little bit unlucky in the third because they were able to hide those sets or those spots."

Andreyko was happy with her team didn't allow a lapse to drop a seat.

"Having them step up in the third set showed a lot of resilience," Andreyko said. "So I am happy with the fact that, you know, they didn't go down to the level of a play that obviously we don't wanna be at. I was proud of them for that, but certainly it's stressful."

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be sent to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

MONROEVILLE - Gateway football coach Don Holl didn't care how the Gators won Friday night. He knew they needed a lift. Gateway avoided a four-game losing streak by making two key stops on defense in the fourth quarter at Antimarino Stadium.

The Gators saw their lead shrink from 15 to three points over a six-minute stretch. But Gateway's defense forced a three-and-out and a turnover on downs to seal a 34-31 Big East Conference win over Kiski Area.

"You gotta find a way to win," Holl said. "People talk about complimentary football. Tonight, sometimes the defense had issues. Sometimes, the offense and special team had issues. You have to find a way to win a game. I think our defense said this is going to be us if the offense can't put it away."

The Gators (1-3, 1-0) helped themselves by getting off to a fast start. Gateway scored 28 points in the first half. The Gators recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff and scored three plays later. Gateway quarterback Mayson Mitchell made several big plays for the Gators.

Mitchell scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal early in the fourth quarter to stretch the lead to 34-19. He also threw three touchdown passes. Mitchell was also intercepted three times.

Mitchell said he wanted to move on quickly from mistakes.

"You have to talk to your coaches," Mitchell said. "You have to flush it you know. You gotta go to the next play and just keep going. You have a whole game."

Shaler snaps losing skid
The Titans had lost each of their first three games by eight points or fewer. Shaler threw its hat in the ring for the Northeast Conference playoff race by picking up a 27-20 win over Plum. The Titans forced six turnovers and made life miserable for the Mustangs.

Penn Hills blows by Fox Chapel
The Indians (1-3, 1-0) struggled to score during the first three weeks of the season. All of Penn Hills' scoring issues went out the window during a 49-14 win. Doryean Peay led the Indians with 180 rushing yards.

Putting the work in
Aliquippa's J.J. Work helped pull the Quips out of the Flames Friday night. Aliquippa won 19-6 over Mars, but the game was closer than the score may indicate.

The Planets were ahead 6-0 after three quarters. But Aliquippa rallied behind two touchdowns from J.J. Work. Qalil Goode iced the win with a 43-yard pick-six with 6 seconds remaining.

Josh Rizzo is the editor of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be sent to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

Deer Lakes couldn't stop shooting itself in the foot during a 24-21 loss to Derry last week. Despite that, the Lancers were only 8 seconds away from knocking off the Trojans to improve to 2-1 on the season. Deer Lakes now has to figure out how to turn things around.

Luca Mangieri was one of the bright spots for the Lancers last week, catching touchdown passes of 79, 55 and 25 yards. Deer Lakes will need more of that in their Allegheny Conference opener against Freeport. The Yellowjackets are off to a 3-0 start, outscoring their opponents 119-13.

Freeport beat Derry 49-6 in Week 1. The Yellowjackets lean on running back Amos Glenn, who has been piling up rushing yards this season. The Lancers will need to be sharp to put a scare into Freeport.

Freeport beat Derry 49-6 in Week 1. The Yellowjackets lean on running back Amos Glenn, who has been piling up rushing yards this season. The Lancers will need to be sharp to put a scare into Freeport.

Snake-bitten Shaler looks for relief
Titans coach Jim Ryan has to wonder which of the football Gods he upset this offseason. Shaler has started the season 0-3 with an overtime loss to Butler, an eight-point loss to South Fayette and a one-point loss to Hampton on its resume.

The Titans have yet to play a Northeast Conference game, so their is still plenty to play for. Shaler will have its hands full with an excellent Plum (2-1) team. The Mustangs have looked like a dynamic offensive team that will give all of their opponents issues.

Plum exorcised some demons last week by tripping up Gateway for the first time in 13 years. The Titans have scored 24 or more points in the previous three weeks, will Shaler find the same success against the Mustangs?

Penn Hills, Fox Chapel in search of leg up
The Indians have talented defensive back/wide receiver Carter Bonner, who Division I offers from Pitt, Penn State, Rutgers and Tennessee among others. Penn Hills hasn't been able to figure things out on offense. The Indians have only scored seven points in the first three weeks.

Penn Hills (0-3) has played tough competition in Woodland Hills and North Allegheny, but were likely hoping for a faster start. Fox Chapel improved to 2-1 with a 20-18 win over Knoch last week. Both of the Foxes' wins came against teams with a combined record of 0-6.

This is a must-win game for both sides if they want to make the postseason. Plum and Pine-Richland appear to be the best two teams in the conference, while its hard to tell what to make of the rest of the slate. North Hills, Penn Hills and Shaler are all winless.

Warriors ready for Wolvarena
Penn-Trafford is the only unbeaten team in the Big East Conference. But the Warriors won't be favored when they head to Turtle Creek to play Woodland Hills on Friday. The Wolverines are 1-2, but have played a brutal schedule. Woodland Hills took on Central Catholic and North Allegheny, two strong 6A teams, during the first three weeks.

Scoop Smith and Ziggy Moore give Woodland Hills dynamic playmakers on each side of the ball. The Warriors have won two of their three games on the road, but have been playing with fire. Penn-Trafford scored the game-winning touchdown in a 25-24 win over Moon last week in the final 20 seconds.

The Warriors recovered a fumble last to beat Norwin Week Zero.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

FOX CHAPEL - A pair of sophomore quarterbacks made a strong impression during the Burrell and Shady Side Academy game Friday night at Michael J. Farrell Field. Buccaneers quarterback Antonio Perkins dazzled on the ground, while Javon Johnston had a strong overall performance during a 56-26 win by Shady Side Academy.

Perkins, who transferred in from Valley, ran for 174 yards and scored four touchdowns. He also passed for 53 yards, including a 43-yard connection with Trey Coury. Shady Side Academy coach Andrew Geisler said the Bulldogs had to adjust to slow down Perkins' running.

"Honestly, they did a tremendous job," Geisler said. "They exploited where we were a helmet short."

Johnston threw four touchdown passes and ran for four more. Cam Mallory was Johnston's top target, finishing with 142 yards and two touchdowns. BJ Mallory also caught two touchdown passes and finished with 147 yards through the air.

First-year Burrell coach Dom Girardi said it was hard to slow down Shady Side Academy's offense. The Bulldogs were a threat to score every time they touched the ball.

"It's just that," Girardi said. "They have some great athletes. (BJ Mallory) is a real legitimate receiver threat. () is quick and shift. (Cam Mallory is phenomenal. It was a tough matchup for us."

Burrell led briefly in the second quarter, 20-16, following a touchdown run by Johnston. The Buccaneers ended up giving the ball away on three possession with fumbles. Shady Side Academy converted all of them into touchdowns and led 38-20 at the half.

"I think our mentality changed," Johnston said. "We doubted them in the beginning. Then we focused up and went from there. We got better and better."

Girardi said Shady Side Academy wanted to pressure Johnston, but he was able to thwart their pressure.

"Johnston throws a nice ball," Girardi said. "If we did get some pressure, he was able to make plays."

The Bulldogs have started slow in consecutive games. Geisler said he would like to see that improve as the season rolls on.

"We've been sluggish our first two games out," Geisler said. "It's something we need to break habit wise. They've risen to the occasion and they understand we are never out of the ball game."

Central Catholic gets revenge on Pine-Richland
There was some thought Pine-Richland may be the best team in the WPIAL regardless of class. But the Vikings got revenge on their northern rival Friday night. Central Catholic took the lead just before halftime on a 13-yard touchdown catch by Maceo Watkins from Owen Herrick.

The Vikings never gave the lead back. Central Catholic benefitted from three touchdowns from Roman Thompson. The Rams (2-0) were shut out after halftime.

There was no magic in McKeesport
Kemon Spell let the news leak out Thursday night in a post that was quickly deleted off X. The Penn State recruit didn't play after suffering an ankle injury. McKeesport didn't fare well without its top running back, who is a junior. 

Peters Township's defense exploited the Tigers, handing McKeesport a 35-0 shutout defeat. 

Mars finds way to beat Bethel Park
The Black Hawks offense steamrolled Seneca Valley in Week Zero, putting up more than 50 points in a win. Bethel Park came back down to Earth this Friday, allowing Mars running back Liam Corcoran to score on a 2-yard run with 15 seconds remaining in a 17-13 defeat.

The Planets improved to 2-0.
​
Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.

Apollo-Ridge was the smallest of the three schools at the Fox Chapel Big Man Challenge. The Vikings were able to hold off larger opponents Fox Chapel and Knoch to win the event.

With football season quickly approaching, several schools have worked on events to get linemen included in the summer workout fun. Seven-on-seven competitions are focused on skills competitions.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be emailed to [email protected] or I can be reached on X @J_oshRizzo

Thursday night in the middle of July isn't the time any high school administrator wants to be working. An anonymous account on X started a rumor that Penn Hills had dismissed coach Charles Morris.

Morris, a Penn Hills alum, is set to lead the Indians for the fourth year this fall. He is 21-13 during his first three seasons, which included a Northeast Conference championship in 2023. Penn Hills finished 7-5 last season and reached the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals. The Indians beat Moon in the first round before falling to Upper St. Clair.

The district made it clear in the above statement, that Morris had not been dismissed. Media is changing and people now like to rush to post a rumor without even making a phone call to verify the information. It's reckless, especially considering people's livelihoods are at stake.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.