Peters Township rising senior Natalie Wetzel, one of the WPIAL’s top girls basketball recruits, had college offers that stretched from New England to the Southwest.
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Peters Township’s Natalie Wetzel commits to Miami (FL) for basketball
Armstrong’s Emma Paul named Trib HSSN Girls Athlete of the Year
Emma Paul was named by the TribLive High School Sports Network as their Girls Athlete of the Year! Paul led Armstrong to championship appearances in both girls basketball and softball. She was also a Big 56 first-team selection in both sports.
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2023-2024 WPIAL Champions
FOOTBALL
CLASS 6A – North Allegheny (2 in a row)
CLASS 5A – Peters Township
BOYS SOCCER
CLASS 4A – Norwin
GIRLS SOCCER
CLASS 4A – Fox Chapel
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
CLASS 4A – North Allegheny
BOYS BASKETBALL
CLASS 6A – Upper St. Clair
CLASS 5A – Moon
GIRLS BASKETBALL
CLASS 6A – Norwin
CLASS 5A – South Fayette (3 in a row)
BASEBALL
CLASS 6A – North Allegheny
CLASS 5A – Penn-Trafford
SOFTBALL
CLASS 6A – Seneca Valley
CLASS 5A – Armstrong
WPIAL releases updated basketball sections
The WPIAL released the boys and girls basketball sections for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 season. The WPIAL went with some larger sections this season.
BOYS BASKETBALL
CLASS 6A
Section 1: Butler, Fox Chapel, New Castle, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Woodland Hills
Section 2: Canon-McMillan, Central Catholic, Connellsville, Hempfield, Imani Christian, Mt. Lebanon, Norwin, Upper St. Clair
CLASS 5A
Section 1: Albert Gallatin, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Latrobe, Laurel Highlands, McKeesport, Penn-Trafford, Uniontown
Section 2: Armstrong, Hampton, Indiana, Kiski Area, Penn Hills, Plum, Shaler
Section 3: Baldwin, Bethel Park, Peters Township, Ringgold, South Fayette, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity
Section 4: Blackhawk, Chartiers Valley, Lincoln Park, Mars, Montour, Moon, West Allegheny
GIRLS BASKETBALL
CLASS 6A
Section 1: Butler, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Woodland Hills
Section 2: Canon-McMillan, Connellsville, Hempfield, Mt. Lebanon, Norwin, Upper St. Clair
CLASS 5A
Section 1: Armstrong, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Penn Hills, Plum, Shaler
Section 2: Latrobe, Greensburg Salem, Indiana, Kiski Area, McKeesport, Penn-Trafford, West Mifflin
Section 3: Chartiers Valley, Mars, Montour, Moon, New Castle, South Fayette, West Allegheny
Section 4: Albert Gallatin, Baldwin, Bethel Park, Peters Township, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity, Uniontown
Pine-Richland hires Hailey Zeise as Girls Basketball Head Coach
Hailey Zeise was an assistant coach at George Washington last season. This upcoming season she will return to Western Pennsylvania where she will take over as the Head Coach for Pine-Richland’s girls basketball team.
Zeise played at North Allegheny and led them to a WPIAL Championship seven years ago. She takes over for Gabby Baldasare who resigned after two seasons. Zeise’s father, Paul, has been a longtime AAU coach.
After a successful career at North Allegheny, Zeise went to play at Stony Brook and started coaching AAU and working different basketball skill camps. She then became an assistant coach at Oakland Catholic in 2022 for Eddie Benton.
North Allegheny’s Spencer Stefko steps down as Girls Basketball Head Coach
Photo Credit: North Allegheny Sports Network
by: Don Rebel
One of the most successful and unique coaches in WPIAL girls basketball history has resigned.
For complete story, click here.
6 Big 56 Players named to the Girls Basketball All-State Team
CLASS 6A
First Team
Anna Azzara – Spring-Ford
Kailah Correa – Lebanon
Joanie Quinn – Cardinal O’Hara
Molly Rullo – Cardinal O’Hara
Brooke Wilson – Archbishop Carroll
Reese Zemitis – Neshaminy
Second Team
Haylie Adamski – Garnet Valley
Alexis Eberz – Archbishop Carroll
Grace Galbavy – Perkiomen Valley
Mackenzie Pettinelli – Spring-Ford
Natalie Wetzel – Peters Township
Talia Zurinskas – Parkland
Third Team
Ava Byrne – Manheim Township
Quinn Boettinger – Perkiomen Valley
Evelyse Cole – Easton
Amber Howard – Bensalem
Lol Ibarrondo – Neshaminy
Megan Ngo – Upper Dublin
Lauren Palangio – Norwin
Caleigh Sperling – North Penn
Player of the Year – Molly Rullo – Cardinal O’Hara
Coach of the Year – Ed Ohlson – Parkland
CLASS 5A
First Team
Addie Biel – Cathedral Prep
Emily Knouse – Archbishop Wood
Jayden McBride – Cathedral Prep
Ava Renninger – Archbishop Wood
Zya Small – Scranton
Second Team
Schuyler Coles – Susquehanna Township
London Creach – Oakland Catholic
Cici Hernandez – Bethlehem Catholic
Gianna Johnson – George
Meghan Murray – Hampton
Emma Paul – Armstrong
Faith Walker – West York
Lena Walz – Cathedral Prep
Third Team
Riley Davis – Notre Dame de Namur
Lily Fatool – Shikellamy
Daniela Ranieli – Pittston
Grace Reedy – Exeter
Janay Rissmiller – York Suburban
Elle Snyder – Latrobe
Player of the Year – Ava Renninger – Archbishop Wood
Coach of the Year – Mike McDonald – Archbishop Wood
Big 56 gets 5 players on Trib HSSN girls Terrific 10
Photo Credit: TribLive HSSN
GIRLS BASKETBALL
TERRIFIC 10
Name: London Creach
School: Oakland Catholic
Height: 5’8″
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
Oakland Catholic was 24-0 with Creach in the lineup
13.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.9 spg
Handful of Division I offers
–
Name: Rachael Manfredo
School: McKeesport
Height: 6’0″
Class: Senior
Position: G/F
Edinboro commit
14.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg
Scored 12 points in 7 of 8 playoff games
22-point scoring outing in state quarterfinals
–
Name: Lauren Palangio
School: Norwin
Height: 6’2″
Class: Senior
Position: F
13.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg
12 points, 15 rebounds in WPIAL Championship against North Allegheny
23-4 record, state quarterfinals
Holy Family commit
–
Name: Emma Paul
School: Armstrong
Height: 5’5″
Class: Senior
Position: G
Led Armstrong to first WPIAL finals appearance and first state tournament appearance
22.2 ppg, 5.6 apg, 4.0 rpg, 2.1 spg
45 point performance in early January (single-game school record)
36-point game in the WPIAL Championship
1,721 career points
–
Name: Natalie Wetzel
School: Peters Township
Height: 6’3″
Class: Junior
Position: F
Around 24 college offers
17.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 7.3 apg
30-point game in WPIAL Quarterfinals
Trib HSSN names girls basketball Players/Coaches of the Year
Photo Credit: North Allegheny Sports Network
GIRLS BASKETBALL
CLASS 6A PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Natalie Wetzel – Peters Township
17.3 ppg
30-point performance against Pine-Richland in WPIAL Quarterfinals
CLASS 6A COACH OF THE YEAR
Brian Brozeski – Norwin
Won first WPIAL Championship in 8 years
State Quarterfinalists
CLASS 5A PLAYER OF THE YEAR
London Creach – Oakland Catholic
15 ppg
Team was 24-0 in games Creach started
17 points in WPIAL first round win over Penn Hills
CLASS 5A COACH OF THE YEAR
Bryan Bennett – South Fayette
Won WPIAL Championship as a 6 seed
PIAA Semifinals, Day 2: Offensive struggles doom McKeesport in PIAA Semifinals
McKeesport, known to be one of the better defensive teams in the WPIAL, was able to live up to the hype again in the state semifinals against District 10 champion Cathedral Prep. The problem was, Cathedral Prep’s defense was better and the Tigers offense could never get going in a 35-20 loss on Tuesday night at Slippery Rock University.
McKeesport was only able to muster 6 points in the first half, including getting shut out in the second quarter, and was never able to get back into the game. Cathedral Prep’s Addie Biel had a phenomenal night scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for the Ramblers. She was really the only player on either side that was able to get it going offensively.
This is a McKeesport team that will lose a majority of its core but it was a great run for the Tigers as the senior class won 85 games, got to the WPIAL semifinals three times and to the PIAA semifinals twice.
Cathedral Prep – 8 8 7 12 – 35
McKeesport – 6 0 4 10 – 20
McKeesport (24-5)
Brooke Evans – 6 points
Rachael Manfredo – 6 points