Dontae Giddens' return from the Hank Aaron Invitational was a proud one. The Penn Hills shortstop found an easy way to show his improvement year-over-year.

Last summer, Giddens was unable to produce a hit in eight at-bats while he was at the Jackie Robinson Complex in Vero Beach, Fla. When Giddens went back earlier this month, he hit .667 (6-of-9).

"It was great to see that improvement," Giddens said.

The Hank Aaron Invitational was founded in 2015 and is the premier diversity-focused baseball development experience for high school-aged baseball players in the United States. The four-day event mixes on-field development and games in addition to providing opportunities for learning and a chance to hear speakers talk about what baseball is like at the next level.

Current MLB players who came through the program including Taj Bradley, Lawrence Butler, Justin Crawford, Hunter Greene and Michael Harris II, among others. There are more than 30 current minor leaguers and more than 150 college players who have played in the event.

"Being selected for the Hank Aaron Invitational for the second straight year was an honor," Giddens said. "It showed me the work I've put in is paying off. Competing against some of the best players in the country pushed me to get better and gave me a lot of confidence."

Giddens helped Penn Hills halt a 34-game losing streak last spring when the Indians beat Carrick in April. Penn Hills struggled with numbers and finished 1-15.

Giddens hopes to continue to build his profile during his senior year.

"Being part of an event like this means a lot because it gives me the chance to compete at a high level and continue growing as a player," Giddens said. "My goal is to play Division I baseball, keep developing my game, and make an impact wherever I end up."

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.

There will be a new event for wrestlers in Pennsylvania to test themselves. This one, however, won't come after the battles waged falling a long winter season.

The inaugural Ohio vs. Pennsylvania Wrestling All-Star Duals on set to take place on Oct. 10-11 at Venue 18 in Fostoria, Ohio.  One of the event organizers, Caden Crawford, set he expects to see a lot of strong matches.

"Both days will have a high school all-star dual and an open division all-star dual," Crawford said. "The inspiration behind it was wnating to create something different for the wrestling community. Ohio and Pennsylvania both have strong wrestling cultures, and I felt like an all-star dual between the two states could give athletes a bigger stage, more excitement and something that feels more meaningful than a normal offseason match."

There has been a real push to find opportunities for wrestlers outside of their typical high school and college careers. Real American Freestyle has held a number of events over the past year that have provided more mat time for a number of former Olympians, NCAA champions and even UFC fighters.

On the WPIAL front, Franklin Regional graduates Spencer Lee and Nico Megaludis and Kittanning graduate Jason Nolf have all competed in Real American Freestyle.

"I do think events like Real American Freestyle show that people are interested in wrestling when it is presented in a bigger, more exciting way," Crawford said. "I think there is room for more showcase style events that make wrestling feel like a real event, not just another tournament."

The Pennsylvania vs. Ohio All-Star event has seen a number of commitments already from Pittsburgh-area wrestlers, including Seneca Valley's Kaleigh Tuell and Pine-Richland's Giada Campanella. One of the challenges with filling the upper weights on the boys' side will come with a few one of the top wrestlers also playing football.

Crawford believes the event will see a good turnout. The wrestler announcements have been posted on Instagram under the State Pride Wrestling Series account.

​"I think it could create some challenges with certain athletes, especially upper weights, but I also think the right wrestlers will want to compete in something like this," Crawford said. "Since it is an all-star dual and not a full tournament, the goal is quality matchups and strong representation from both states."

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

Jaquan Brisker announced he will be holding a fourth annual youth football camp July 18 at Gateway High School. Brisker, a Gateway graduate, signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract to join the Steelers this season after spending his first four seasons with the Chicago Bears.

While in Chicago, Brisker started all 52 games that he appeared in. Brisker intercepted four passes and recorded seven sacks during his time with the Bears. Brisker took the junior college path to the NFL.

He started his collegiate career with Lackawanna College and transferred to Penn State after his freshman season. He was named a second-team all-American while playing for the Nittany Lions in 2021. Brisker would end up being drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Bears.

James Armstrong chose to get his college commitment out of the way early. The Hopewell junior chose to announce his commitment to play at Penn State. Armstrong passed for 2,217 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. He also piled up 739 yards on the ground and scored 17 times.

​Hopewell finished 6-4 and returned to the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

The accolades for Shaler graduate Bria Bosiljevac have continued to pile up as he career wound down. Bosiljevac was recently named the Pennsylvania Softball Player of the Year by MaxPreps.

Bosiljevac led Shaler to the WPIAL and PIAA titles by compiling a 19-0 record with a .5 ERA and 243 strikeouts. During Bosiljevac's career, she led the Titans to two WPIAL championships and twice reached the state title game. Shaler beat up Abington Heights 10-0 in the PIAA final this seaoson.

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.

The annual summer battle over athletes transferring schools has commenced. According to an article by Don Rebel of TribLive, a number of athletes were ruled ineligible for next school year. This has drawn the ire of many in the Western Pennsylvania school committee.

Charlie Batch, a former Steel Valley standout who later played in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers, posted on X Wednesday night asking if there is any way he could serve on a board with the WPIAL. He has posted on social media this week that he feels the rules in place are unfair to students.

The transfer rules aren't 100 percent up to the WPIAL. The PIAA has a set of rules that set guidelines in order to try and level the playing field. There have been plenty of accusations in the past that not every district enforces the rules the same way.

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.

Gateway quarterback Mayson Mitchell was forced into action last year due to injury. The Gators quarterback built some confidence playing in the Big East conference. This weekend on Instagram, Mitchell announced he received his first Division I offer from the University of Akron.

Mitchell passed for 2,036 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season. Gateway missed the playoffs due to the WPIAL's tiebreaking system and weren't awarded a Wild Card.

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.

The Penn Hills football program is going through some turbulence. Indians head coach Charles Morris and a majority of his staff recently resigned. Morris was 24-20 in his four seasons with the program and made the playoffs twice.

The district released a statement Thursday emphasizing the lifting program would start again and they are committed to making the best hire for the athletes. The letter, signed by Principal Bernard Taylor, Jr., emphasized that character was going to be a major consideration for who they pick next.

"As we think about the future of this program, we are committed to selecting a coach who not only builds a competitive team, but also develops young men of character," Taylor wrote. "We want leadership that helps all players grow both on and off the field. The central focus in this process, as it is with any staff hiring decision, is to find the individuals whose number one priority is student achievement and student well being."

The offseason has been unkind to the Indians.

Carter Bonner, who committed to West Virginia in April, transferred to Maryland powerhouse St. Frances Academy. Penn Hills graduate Drew Schifino recently reported for Sayless Media that running back Doryan Peay is transferring from to Imani Christian.

Last season, the Indians finished 3-7 overall, losing three of its final four games. The most devastating defeat came in the season finale to Plum, where the Mustangs returned a field goal Penn Hills blocked for a touchdown to seal a 20-14 win.

Before last season started, Penn Hills issued a statement online saying Morris' job wasn't in jeopardy after rumors were floated online that he had been let go by the school. 

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.

PLUM - Things often get weird with amateur sports.  Plum outside hitter Bryce Nabozny saw something Tuesday night that he may not likely see again. Fox Chapel boys volleyball coach Phil O'Keeffe protested a ruling by the officials. They dug into their bag, pulled out a rulebook and looked for an interpretation.

Turns out he was right. It didn't help the Foxes chances much.

"That was the first and I'd be shocked if I see it again," Nabozny said. "The funny part is that it killed their momentum completely because they were worried they were going to lose a point."

Plum ​shook up the race in Section 4-3A by sweeping the Foxes. I will have a few stories coming up in the Plum Advance Leader and Fox Chapel Herald.

The Fox Chapel girls flag football team knocked off North Catholic, 21-20, Wednesday night at home.