Ethan Morrison, Special to the Times

USA TODAY NETWORK

DORMONT — On a very cold and damp evening at Dormont Memorial Stadium, both offensive attacks for Shady Side Academy and Quaker Valley were on fire with a spot in the WPIAL Championship on the line. 

After trailing in the middle stages of the second half, Quaker Valley’s Bennett Haas delivered two unanswered goals as the Quakers secured their spot in the WPIAL 2A Championship game defeating the Bulldogs 4-3.

With 25 minutes left in the match, Amir Awais found the back of the net for his second goal of the match which gave Shady Side Academy its first lead of the contest. 

But for Quaker Valley head coach J.J. Veshio and his squad, there weren’t many nerves on the sideline as they found themselves in unfamiliar territory trailing in a match. 

“We knew that we still had opportunities based on the way that we played so we had to continue to do what we do in a positive manner and sometimes it takes a little extra effort but we knew that we could still generate some offense and put another goal away," Veshio said.

Just three minutes later, Haas was the difference maker as took the ball up the far side of the field as he moved the ball into the box and finished it off beating the keeper Noah Levitt low to even the game up at three goals apiece. 

Quaker Valley continued to push forward after tying the match as they looked for yet another goal that would put them ahead in the match.

After a few missed opportunities, Jack Karwoski took a shot going low to Levitt’s far side. But Levitt only got a piece of the shot as he collided with one of his defenders on the back line which allowed Haas to capitalize on a wacky play to give the Quakers the lead in the late stages of the match. 

Quaker Valley has dominated its opponents during the regular season and throughout the first two rounds of the WPIAL Class 2A championships outscoring its opponents 105-10 coming into the match this evening. 

Veshio enjoyed the back-and-fourth affair Monday evening as it gave his team a chance to play in a battle instead of always playing ahead of their opponents. 

The Quakers return to the WPIAL Championship for the second time in three seasons under Veshio after falling just one game short last season. Even though Quaker Valley has enjoyed success throughout its program’s history winning the WPIAL title 10 times, being in the title game never gets old for this Quaker program. 

“It doesn’t matter how many times that we have been there as a program or as me individually, it never gets old,” Veshio said. “You cannot call yourself a competitor unless you want to play for a championship and we put ourselves in position to play for a championship for the past 11 months and we are looking forward to it.”

Ethan Morrison, Special to the Times

USA TODAY NETWORK

PITTSBURGH — The opening match of the WPIAL Conference Championships kicked off Thursday night with Quaker Valley vying for its 11th conference championship and first since the 2021 season. 

After a scoreless stalemate throughout most of the match, the Eagles scored the lone goal of the contest late in the second half defeating the Quakers 1-0 Thursday night at Highmark Stadium. South Park won its fourth conference championship overall and first since the 2014 season. 

With just around 10 minutes to play in full-time, Quaker Valley committed a foul which set up a free-kick opportunity for the Eagles. Kaiden Fischer sailed a perfect ball into the box and Jack Ozimek put the lone shot on net for South Park as he headed it home past the Quaker keeper Nathan Pribik. 

“I could not really see from our end but I am going to assume that one of our guys did not go up strong on their mark. Credit to Jack Ozimek, he played a very tough game and he got on the end of it and we did not.” Quaker Valley head coach J.J. Veshio said after the game. 

Throughout a majority of the match, the Quakers were the aggressors offensively possessing the ball 59 percent of the time around midfield and deep in the South Park zone. 

Quaker Valley put up a number of chances throughout both halves putting up a total of 25 shots with 13 of those shots landing on target. But even with the number of chances that the Quakers had throughout the match, they could not find the back of the net as Cooper Hochendoner made 13 saves to seal the deal for the Eagles. 

Bennett Haas and Jack Karwoski had a number of chances for Quaker Valley throughout the match as Haas fired six shots on target, while Karwoski was active in the South Park box throughout the match but could not capitalize on any of the chances. 

Not even a minute after Ozimek found the back of the net off of the header, Haas and Karwoski fired off a flurry of three shots on the South Park keeper Hochendoner creating chances off an abundance of rebounds. But even with a number of chances in close in the box, the Eagles' back line and keeper held strong as they did all night long. 

“We have seen this from them throughout the entire season,” Veshio said. “We can see from their leadership and their ability to possess the ball even under duress down a goal and to be able to generate the chances that they did but they just didn’t put those chances away.”

Other than the one goal that the back line let up, the Quaker Valley defense was strong all match long not allowing the Eagles to break its line down throughout the full 80 minutes of play. The Quakers faced just three shots overall in the match with two of those shots not providing any sense of harm for the keeper Pribik. 

Even though Quaker Valley fell in the WPIAL Championship, Veshio and his team are looking forward to next week in the PIAA tournament as the team looks to avenge its loss in the conference championship match. 

“It is a brand new tournament,” Veshio said. “We have been in this position plenty of times before where we have lost WPIAL Championships and won State Championships so we are going to regroup and get ready to go. If we can play the way that we did tonight, and put the ball in the back of the net, I think that it is going to be a really good tournament.”

The Quakers will await its opponent in the first round of the 2023 PIAA 2A Boys Soccer Championship as first-round action is set to begin on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Ethan Morrison, Special to the Times

USA TODAY NETWORK

MCKEES ROCKS — Even though it was the PIAA quarterfinals, Quaker Valley and Shady Side Academy are no strangers to one another as both teams have had storied battles over the past several seasons. 

Just over two weeks ago, Quaker Valley defeated Shady Side Academy to punch its ticket to the WPIAL Championship. Much of the same occurred Saturday afternoon as the Quakers closed the next chapter on the rivalry as they defeated the Bulldogs at Thomas J. Birko Memorial Stadium, 2-1. 

“Both teams just knew one another a little bit more,” Quaker Valley head coach J.J. Veshio said after the match. “Both sides had chances during the match and a couple of those chances that went in the last game did not go in this game and both goalkeepers came up with big saves.”

With just 12 minutes to play in full time and the match all tied at one goal apiece, Quaker Valley was set up with yet another golden opportunity to break the scoreless tie as Nick Allan lined up for a corner kick. After a missed header in the box, defender Tanner Schultz — who was playing up — found the ball and finished it putting it past Shady Side Academy goalkeeper Noah Levitt to score the game-winning goal of the match. 

The match was tight throughout the 80 minutes of action with Quaker Valley flexing its offensive prowess during the match as the Quakers were the aggressors during most stages. 

With chances still flowing in the second half of play, a handball was called on the Bulldogs and was spotted in the box by the officials. After being held scoreless the whole match, Quaker Valley finally broke through as senior captain Nick Allan rifled a penalty kick past Levitt to break the scoreless draw. 

“We had a gameplan for the first half of attack,” Veshio said following the game. “As the first half was coming to an end we began to switch a few things up and then we were able to begin to create some more chances.

"I think even when we look at being able to generate an opportunity off of a handball in the box, it goes from us trying to change the way that we play, and we were able to do that and generate some more shots and eventually were able to generate another goal.”

"It is a high-level playoff game and it is a game of soccer,” Veshio said after the match. “I know that we call things a little bit tighter in high school to protect the kids but it is a physical game and I think that we came into this one mentally and physically prepared, because it is easy to get rattled when you get knocked around a little.

"So I think that we did a great job preparing for that.”

Defensively the Quakers stood tall for just allowing one goal in the second half of play as Drew McKim launched a missile past Nathan Pribik. 

The backline did wonders for Quaker Valley setting up the offense with chances that would later allow the team to push forward and break the draw of one goal apiece in the second half. 

Pribik came up strong on multiple occasions during the match as he played a ball way out of the box and tried to clear it down the field into the Shady Side zone with the game still tied. 

He later came up with the save of the match off a Bulldog corner kick as he leaped up and snared a Shady Side header that could have been destined for the back of the net to tie up the game. 

“It is always scary because you want your goalkeeper to come up clean and there was a ton of traffic when he went up after the corner, but that is what a leader does and he is a leader on our team,” Veshio said. “He took control in that situation and did it to the best of his ability and he got the ball.”

With its win on Saturday, Quaker Valley will now face Central Columbia on Tuesday night with a berth in the PIAA Championships on the line. The first-touch time and location for the match have yet to be determined. 

By: David Bohr 
Friday, November 17, 2023 | 4:01 PM

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MECHANICSBURG — Quaker Valley held a lead in the PIAA Class 2A boys soccer final for 57 minutes, but in a game that would ultimately last 108 minutes, that was not enough.

Camp Hill scored in the eighth minute of the second overtime to defeat the Quakers, 2-1, for the third state championship in the Lions’ program history. Quaker Valley had been aiming for a 10th championship.

“We have very high expectations at our program,” Quaker coach J.J. Veshio said. “We have goals to win the district championship and the state championship. We came in second in both. I know there’s other programs where that would be the greatest thing they’ve ever done. It’s disappointing to us, but I’m still proud of what the boys did. Losing in overtime in the state final…only one team can come out on top.”

The winning goal for the Lions (21-2-2) was scored by Richard Lutkins on a corner, assisted by Jack Kennedy, who started the set play from the left side.

“It’s the back and forth, and it’s the cruelty of soccer that it’s not what happens in the back and forth but on those ultimate type of plays that decides who wins,” Veshio said.

In the extra periods, the Quakers (20-5) had more opportunities. There was a corner midway through the first overtime, a shot on frame by Bennett Haas in the opening seconds of the second overtime, and a header just high of the net by Matteo Castellini a minute later.

However, Quaker Valley only had a few chances overall, with two corners and five shots on net.

“You want to avoid that one little mistake that could cost you,” Veshio said.

That said, the Quakers were protecting the lead much of the game.

Nick Allan put the Quakers on the scoreboard early. With a free kick from 31 yards out, Allen put the ball on frame and above the reach of Camp Hill goalie Mac Sarff, settling it into the top right of the net. That put Quaker Valley ahead 1-0 just 3:50 into the contest.

For the remainder of the first half, the Quakers had more sustained opportunities, while the Lions had a few quick chances, but it remained 1-0 at the break. At the midway point of the half, Camp Hill got a touch in the box on a corner, but the tip went off to the left instead of on the net. Jack Karwoski had a line drive kick on net for the Quakers in the last five minutes of the half, but this time Sarff was in position and caught the ball in his midsection.

Camp Hill picked up the equalizer with 22:35 left in the second half. After a failed corner, the Lions swiped the ball away in the Quakers’ defensive third. Cole Nelson set up Ty Kirchoff with a cross to the left, and Kirchoff shot it back right to get it past Quaker Valley goalie Nathan Pribik to make it 1-1.

Quaker Valley had two good opportunities in the last 10 minutes to settle the issue in regulation.

With six minutes left, Allan took a free kick from right of the box. Tanner Schultz put a header on net, but Sarff punched the ball away from danger.

Two minutes later, Allan had another free kick, this from 25 yards out. Bennett Haas turned it into a header, but it flew wide of the left post.

Pribik had four saves, including one diving to his right, to keep the game going with 16 minutes left in the second overtime.

Camp Hill, which won championships in 2016 and 2017, had six shots on goal and four corners. Sarff had four saves.

Quaker Valley last won the state title in 2021 with a 1-0 (5-4 penalty kick) win over Lewisburg.

By: Ray Fisher 
Sunday, November 26, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review 

Quaker Valley’s Andrew Vescio (left) and Tanner Schultz celebrate after Nick Allan scored during the PIAA Class 2A state championship game against Camp Hill on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, at Cumberland Valley.

Quaker Valley boys soccer is one of the most renowned programs in WPIAL history, thanks to 10 WPIAL and nine PIAA championships.

The Quakers have won the most state titles in soccer among WPIAL schools.

And the program’s irrefutable reputation wasn’t tainted a bit in 2023 as the Panthers advanced to the championship rounds of both the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs.

QV’s preeminent coach J.J. Veshio had mixed emotions.

“This was a bittersweet season because we lost Gene Klein this summer,” Veshio said. “I wanted to win a state championship for him and while we came up just short, I know he would be proud of the work we did this year.

“Quaker Valley soccer may not always win gold, but I believe we play the best brand of soccer, and I think we did that this year. It was another fantastic season. Our standards are very high, so it can feel ‘less than’ when we do not win gold, but our players have improved the game in how we played this year and it’ll only benefit future QV players.”

Quaker Valley (20-5) lost a gut-wrenching 2-1 decision in double overtime to District 3 runner-up Camp Hill (21-2-2) in the PIAA Class 2A finals Nov. 17 at Eagle View Middle School Field in Mechanicsburg.

The Quakers had advanced to the championship round by beating Bedford, 7-0, Shady Side Academy, 2-1, and Central Columbia, 1-0.

Junior forward Jack Karwoski scored the winning goal against Central Columbia, lifting QV to the PIAA final for the 15th time.

“I am very proud of our players and staff in our pursuit of PIAA gold,” Veshio said. “I feel we played a fantastic brand of soccer that helped elevate the game and soccer in general in the WPIAL and PIAA.

“While I am very sad that we were unable to win after going ahead by a goal (against Camp Hill), I am not disappointed in our effort. Our boys battled until the last second and just came up short.”

Quaker Valley captured state titles in 1985, ‘91, ‘93, ‘95, ‘96, 2000, ‘17, ‘19 and ‘21.

The Quakers edged Lewisburg 1-0 (5-4 penalty kicks) in 2021 in a classic. Nick Allan, then a promising sophomore defender, cashed in on the winning goal.

Now a well-established senior midfielder, Allan netted QV’s lone goal against Camp Hill just 3:50 into the first half.

With a free kick from about 30 yards out, Allen lofted his shot above the reach of goalkeeper Mac Sarff and into the top right side of the net.

QV protected the 1-0 lead until Camp Hill tied it with 22:35 left in the second half as Cole Nelson set up Ty Kirchoff for a goal.

The game’s winning goal was scored by Richard Lutkins on a corner, assisted by Jack Kennedy.

The Quakers enjoyed an advantage in scoring chances in the exciting game’s extra sessions until Lutkins’ heroics in the eighth minute of the second OT.

Camp Hill, which moved up from Class A last year, captured its third PIAA crown in its fifth finals appearance. The Lions won their first two in 2016-2017.

Another WPIAL championship also wasn’t in the cards for Quaker Valley as South Park edged the No. 2 seed Quakers, 1-0, to win the title Oct. 2 at Highmark Stadium.

It was No. 1 South Park’s first WPIAL championship in boys soccer since 2014.

The Quakers were district champs in 1985, ’91, ’92, ’93, ’96, ’99, 2012, ’16, ’19 and ’21.

“I was very proud of our team,” Veshio said. “We played soccer the right way and did everything right but score. Ultimately, that’s what matters most, but I take pride in knowing that our players tried their best to elevate the game and engage in a brand of soccer that is proper.”

QV gained a spot in the finals by defeating No. 15 Jeannette, 9-1, No. 10 Elizabeth Forward, 7-0, and No. 6 Shady Side Academy, 4-3.

“We had a great run in the WPIAL playoffs,” Veshio said, “and I believe our style of play set us up for the PIAA tournament.”

South Park remained unbeaten at 22-0 and kept its goals-against total at just nine. It was the 13th shutout for the Eagles, who outscored their opponents 89-9 and the seven other Section 1 teams 67-4 prior to the state playoffs.

South Park defeated No. 16 Yough, 2-0, No. 8 Keystone Oaks, 3-1, and No. 4 Avonworth, 4-2, in reaching the WPIAL finals.

During the regular season, QV and Avonworth tied for first in Section 4 with 11-1 records.

The Quakers were one of the highest-scoring teams in western Pennsylvania during the WPIAL season and playoffs with a 109-14 advantage in goals scored.

Karwoski accounted for two goals and two assists in the WPIAL semifinal round, then recorded a hat trick against Bedford in QV’s first-round PIAA playoff win.

Senior forward Kiril Grin (14 goals) and Allan (13 goals) proved to be an imposing one-two threat offensively in the regular season.

Allan collected two goals and three assists against Bedford. Grin and junior defender Carter Turk chipped in with a goal apiece.

“I thought we played well,” Allan said following the WPIAL playoffs. “We started off strong with (two) big wins. In the semifinals, we played a very tough team in Shady Side Academy. We won in a very emotional 4-3 game, and we were playing great at the right time.

“We knew it was going to a very tight game against South Park. Even though the result doesn’t show it, I thought we played great. We had a good number of chances but just couldn’t finish.”

Allan repeated as an All-WPIAL selection and was joined as WPIAL stars by QV senior forward Bennett Haas and senior midfielder Matteo Castellini.

“There have been a lot of great players honored with this achievement, and I’m grateful to be alongside them,” Allan said. “I found out I was selected after a practice. J.J. announced that Matteo, Bennett and I made it, and I think we all had the same reaction: We were all happy for each other.” 

Junior goalkeeper Nathan Pribik posted both clean sheets in the PIAA tournament — the Quakers’ 14th and 15th of the year.

“Nathan has been wonderful for us,” Veshio said. “He’s very composed in goal, and we can rely on him to help organize the defense end of the team, which is always helpful.”

QV’s postseason lineup consisted of Grin, Haas and Karwoski as strikers; Allan, Castellini and senior Cameron Diggins at midfield; sophomores Sutton Hoehl and Tanner Schultz, junior Andrew Vescio and Turk on defense; with Pribik at goalkeeper.

The 6-foot-1 Pribik started 20 times this season; sophomore Xander Vescio was QV’s starting goalkeeper for five games.

Top subs included junior MF Colin Benge, sophomores Levi Carter (D), Isaac Williams (F) and Liam Miller (MF) and freshman Charlie Pyle (MF).

Grin, Haas and Allan were chosen to play for Class 2A at the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association all-star games Nov. 25 at Pine-Richland.

Allan, Castellini (second year), Grin, Haas and Diggins were chosen all-section. Allan was an all-section pick for a third time and was a two-time section player of the year. He also was a team captain for two years.

Allan finished with 18 goals and 16 assists this season, giving him exactly 100 points (63 goals, 37 assists) for his career.

“Nick has been a versatile player for us and was asked to do a lot throughout his high school career,” Veshio said. “He played right wing his freshman year and center and right back his sophomore year. He played right back, center back, center midfield and striker last year. This year, he again played right back, center back and center midfield.

“It’s a lot to ask of someone, and he did it without hesitation.”

Veshio has been named section coach of the year three times and was honored as the PIAA Class 2A Coach of the Year in 2021.

QV racked up a 120-17 scoring advantage this season, averaging 4.8 goals and allowing 0.6 goals per game. The Quakers gave up just four goals in 12 section games.

After starting out with two close losses in the East-West Classic, QV won 17 of its next 18 in a stretch that included eight- and nine-game winning streaks.

The Quakers were 18-2 against WPIAL opponents in 2023, outscored their WPIAL playoff foes 20-5 and held an 11-3 scoring edge in the PIAA tournament.

Karwoski (20 goals, 13 assists), Haas (19, 17), Allan (18, 16) and Grin (17, 13) led the squad offensively. Benge also finished in double figures with 10 goals and 7 assists.

“I want to thank all of our players, parents, administrators, fans and alumni,” said Veshio, who was assisted by Sean Ryan and former QV players David Lipton and Dom Lagnese.

Veshio competed at QV and for Klein from 1999-2002 on squads that won PIAA and WPIAL titles and added a state runner-up finish.

As the Quakers’ coach, Veshio won WPIAL and PIAA championships in 2021, beating Lewisburg in the state tournament after Allan’s dramatic game-winning goal.

Veshio is 72-13-1 in his four seasons as coach starting with the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His teams have finished 11-1-1, 23-2, 18-5 and 20-5 since 2019.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE

OCT 23, 2023

4:32 PM

Jeannette’s Jordan Taylor finished fourth in the WPIAL in goals scored during the 2022 regular season. This year, he finished on top of the list.

Taylor, a senior, scored 56 goals this season to give him the scoring title after netting 34 last season. Taylor has 161 career goals heading into Monday’s playoff game against Quaker Valley.

Below is a list of reported boys who scored 10 or more goals in the WPIAL regular season:

Name, school goals

Jordan Taylor, Jeannette 56

Trevor Kovatch, Belle Vernon 47

Amir Awais, Shady Side Academy 34

Jack Billick, Seon LaSalle 33

Luke Fiscus, Hampton 32

Ryan Moessner, Bentworth 26

Arlo McIntyre, Charleroi 24

Brayden Miller, Thomas Jefferson 24

Collin Rodgers, Deer Lakes 24

Ryan Colbert, Bentworth 22

Austin Emery, Jeannette 22

Daniel Maddock, Norwin 22

Jack Ozimek, South Park 22

John Scott, Bentworth 22

Mike Walenchok, Moon 22

Billy Lawrence, Springdale 21

Jordan Callipare, Armstrong 20

Peyton Kushon, Deer Lakes 20

Cameron DeVincentis, Central Valley 19

Chris O'Toole, Riverview 19

Angelo Porco, Freeport 19

Joe Connors, East Allegheny 18

Coleman Docherty, Hampton 18

Darryl Ray, California 18

Roman Agostoni, Latrobe 17

Chase D'Antonio, Sewickley Academy 17

Kaiden Fischer, South Park 17

Sean Kelsch, Bishop Canevin 17

Dylan Klinger, Charleroi 17

Bryce Large, Charleroi 17

Jared Vincent, Jeannette 17

Chris Colonna, Hopewell 16

Nick Evans, Ringgold 16

Jayson Ireland, Burrell 16

John Krug, Chartiers Valley 16

A.J. Mejalli, Serra Catholic 16

Peter Myrianthopoulos, Allderdice 16

Ben Rice, Eden Christian 16

Dylan Wudkwych, Washington 16

Grant Brewer, Greensburg C.C. 15

Sam Caldwell, Knoch 15

Joe Donnelly, Upper St. Clair 15

Logan Gabriel, Mohawk 15

Ryan Galicic, Canon-McMillan 15

Mason Nebel, Knoch 15

Joey Rodriguez, Beth-Center 15

Ryan Rupert, East Allegheny 15

Tomer Tuti, Winchester Thurston 15

Jackson Vacanti, Greensburg C.C. 15

Marco Anselmino, Aquinas Academy 14

Collin Barner, Yough 14

Brennan Borbonus, Derry 14

Mack Byrnes, Penn Hills 14

Jaxon Camp, Montour 14

Austin Friedline, Knoch 14

Kiril Grin, Quaker Valley 14

Davi Jansson, Moon 14

Will Sinay, Elizabeth Forward 14

Nick Allan, Quaker Valley 13

Danny Bourgeois, O.L.S.H. 13

Kyle Carlsen, Beaver 13

Danny Christafano, Franklin Regional 13

Zayden Herb, Neshannock 13

Collin Holmes, Serra Catholic 13

Luke Kost, Trinity Christian 13

Michael Miller, Winchester Thurston 13

Michael Plasko, South Fayette 13

Matt Price, O.L.S.H. 13

Andrew Prunier, Montour 13

Ray Schrello, Thomas Jefferson 13

Kasey Stanton, Connellsville 13

Warren Agostoni, Latrobe 12

Landon Barcus, Charleroi 12

Nekoda Bundy, Beth-Center 12

Jordan Delon, Freedom 12

Henry Gaston, Bethel Park 12

Cole Kamarec, Seneca Valley 12

Aiden Kramer, Hopewell 12

Cody Lubinsky, Butler 12

Drew McKim, Shady Side Academy 12

Jacob Orseno, Deer Lakes 12

Isaac Pacacha, Yough 12

Tyler Prex, Seneca Valley 12

Nate Witt, Kiski Area 12

Joey Bayne, Franklin Regional 11

Mateo Carrasco, Carlynton 11

Aedan Costa, Moon 11

Bennet Haas, Quaker Valley 11

Xavier Jackson, Bethel Park 11

Jack Karwoski, Quaker Valley 11

Tyler Kovalcik, Seton LaSalle 11

Carson Krushansky, Fox Chapel 11

Zack Nash, North Allegheny 11

Jackson Quigley, Sewickley Academy 11

Tristan Ralph, Plum 11

Jan Sames, Upper St. Clair 11

Jake Shoemaker, Thomas Jefferson 11

Adam Thompson, Bethel Park 11

Xavier Ware Hampton 11

Joey Whippo, Mohawk 11

Brandon Yeschenko, Belle Vernon 11

Parker Amos, Beth-Center 10

Russell Crane, Indiana 10

Carlos Duran, Brentwood 10

Owen Haywood, Ringgold 10

Brady Hernandez, O.L.S.H. 10

Tyler Holloway, Seneca Vallet 10

Pablo Linzoain, Fox Chapel 10

Nick LoCoco, Gateway 10

Calder Mahan, Avonworth 10

Ryan Maloney, Highlands 10

Andy Palm, Trinity 10

Ryan Policiccihio, Aquinas Academy 10

Owen Shearer Central Valley 10

First Published October 23, 2023, 4:32pm

KEITH BARNES

Tri-State Sports & News Service

AUG 22, 2023

12:31 PM

Seneca Valley ended the 2022 season with a historical bang.

It wasn’t that the Raiders won their second state title in three seasons. It was how they did it.

Seneca Valley scored the most goals in a state championship match in the highest classification in 26 years and rolled to a 6-0 victory against Lower Merion in the PIAA Class 4A final. That match secured the Raiders’ status as the top soccer program in the state the past few years, with two WPIAL and two PIAA titles in three years and appearances in six title games over those years.

“That match seems like a long, long time ago,” Seneca Valley coach George Williams said. “But what a way to finish.”

During this three-year run, Seneca Valley’s program proved it can reload. Although the team had and lost its share of all-WPIAL, all-state and All-American selections in recent years, it has pushed through to maintain its status atop the pack. In 2021, coming off a season in which it won both the WPIAL and PIAA crowns, the Raiders returned only one starter and still repeated as WPIAL champions and made it back to the state final.

This year, the reloading process won’t be quite as dramatic as 2021, but the expectations remain exactly where they were at the end of last year. That’s why Seneca Valley is the Post-Gazette’s preseason No. 1 team in WPIAL Class 4A again. The high school soccer season starts Friday in Pennsylvania.

Cole Kamarec has already proven himself as the person who could replace All-American graduate Beaux Lizewski in the lineup. He scored the first two goals in the state championship game against Lower Merion and has a knack for finding the back of the net.

In addition, the Raiders have some solid up-and-coming talent, including junior midfielder Tyler Prex, who may be ready for a breakout year. Senior defender D.D. Leech also returns.

It isn’t as if the newer players haven’t seen varsity action. Seneca Valley does an outstanding job of substitution, which has allowed these players to get much-needed experience so they are ready to step in at any time.

Still, the one thing that may help Seneca Valley in its state title defense is the competition it will face in its own section. The Raiders will have to contend with a solid Pine-Richland team that pulled off a 1-0 victory against Seneca Valley in the 2022 WPIAL championship match.

Pine-Richland graduated quite a bit from that team but will rebuild from the backline out, as the Rams return senior all-WPIAL goalkeeper Cadan Bennett.

Here is a look at some other top teams in the other three WPIAL classifications:

Class 3A

It doesn’t happen all that often that a school claims both the boys and girls WPIAL titles, but that was the case at Moon last season.

This year, the Tigers boys come into the season as defending champions with a new head coach in Tyler Blake, a Moon alumnus who was an assistant on Earl Pannebaker’s staff last season.

“Honestly, I don’t feel like it’s too different,” Blake said. “Between Earl and myself, we established a pretty good stability back to the program in 2018 and just had such a good rapport that it’s just the next stage in the process for us.”

Moon graduated Ryan Kopay, who is now at Akron, but the team also returns several key starters from last year, including senior forward Davi Jansson and senior Cooper Nickles.

Ambridge, which lost to Moon in the WPIAL championship, could also be a contender this year, but the team has a new head coach in Matthew Purtell, who takes over the program after Ben Fiore took over at his alma mater, Kiski Area.

But the Post-Gazette’s preseason No. 1 team is Hampton, which won the WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A titles in 2021. The Talbots were knocked out in the first round by 11th-seeded Ambridge last year but have a solid core returning up top, led by seniors Luke Fiscus, Conner Killmeyer, Oliver Spinola and Coleman Docherty.

Class 2A

South Park was undefeated in the 2022 regular season, the top seed in the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs and lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Deer Lakes and in the consolation match to Quaker Valley.

But the thing with the Eagles is last year may have been something of a trial run for 2023.

South Park was extremely young last year and, with another year of experience, could be the team to beat in the WPIAL this season. The Eagles have a strong group, led by all-state senior midfielder Kaiden Fischer and all-WPIAL midfielder Cam Loveland.

Junior midfielder Ryan Wesolowski may be ready to take that next step playing with Fischer and Loveland, and senior striker Jack Ozimak can put the ball in the net.

Deer Lakes is the defending champion and lost leading scorer Ryan Hanes, but the team also has sophomore Peyton Kushon, who had 17 regular season goals in 2022 and will be relied upon to pick up some of the slack.

Belle Vernon won its section last season and has a lot of youth with junior midfielders Trevor Kovatch and Brandon Yeschenko, as well as junior goalkeeper Bryce Burkhart. But the Leopards were only 1-3-0 outside their section last season, including a loss to No. 12 West Mifflin in the playoffs, and have to take that next step if they are to contend.

But the No. 1-ranked team is Quaker Valley. The Quakers feature Nick Allan, who was the WPIAL’s seventh-leading scorer in the 2022 regular season with 30 goals. The Quakers won titles in 2019 and 2021.

Class 1A

Winchester Thurston hasn’t been perfect over the past few years. But the Bears have been perfect when it counted, as they enter the season as the two-time defending WPIAL champions and are the only boys team to have won titles each of the past two years.

This year, the team enters the season following the loss of a pair of key performers in Alex Hauskrecht and Oliver Daboo. So the team will have to rely on the scoring talents of senior midfielder Tomer Tuti.

Springdale is two years removed from a finals appearance and has a few starters back and will get playoff tested in section against Winchester Thurston and a Trinity Christian team that is always a sleeper.

Charleroi lost two of its three meetings against Greensburg Central Catholic last year, but the Centurions may be down this season and the Cougars could be a team on the rise. They also won the final meeting between the two in the WPIAL quarterfinals. 

Seton LaSalle has a lot back and could make a run at its first title in eight years.

Rankings

(2022 record in parentheses)

Class 4A

1. Seneca Valley (22-1-1)

2. Pine-Richland (15-5-1)

3. Fox Chapel (13-4-2)

4. Butler (13-5-2)

5. Norwin (11-7-0)

Class 3A

1. Hampton (12-7-0)

2. Moon (21-1-1)

3. Montour (12-6-4)

4. Plum (19-3-1)

5. Mars (10-7-0)

Class 2A

1. Quaker Valley (18-5-0)

2. South Park (19-2-0)

3. Shady Side Academy (14-4-0)

4. Belle Vernon (13-5-0)

5. Deer Lakes (20-3-0)

Class 1A

1. Winchester Thurston (19-3-1)

2. Springdale (13-5-0)

3. Greensburg Central Catholic (15-3-0)

4. Charleroi (18-4-0)

5. Seton LaSalle (13-4-1)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nick Allan, Quaker Valley, Sr., Forward

Cadan Bennett, Pine-Richland, Sr., Goalkeeper

Owen Christopher, Norwin, Sr., Midfielder

Coleman Docherty, Hampton, Sr., Forward

Kaiden Fischer, South Park, Sr., Midfielder

Aldi Flowers, Plum, Jr., Midfielder

Blake Gabelhart, Peters Township, Sr., Forward

Henry Gaston, Bethel Park, Sr., Defender

Cody Lubinsky, Butler, Sr., Forward

Arlo McIntyre, Charleroi, Sr., Forward

Drew McKim, Shady Side Academy, Sr., Midfielder

Cooper Nickles, Moon, Sr., Defender

Anthony Powell, Ambridge, Jr., Forward

Jordan Taylor, Jeannette, Sr., Forward

Tomer Tuti, Winchester Thurston, Sr., Midfielder

Keith Barnes: kbarnes.pg@gmail.com and Twitter @kbarnes_pghsprt

FROM LOCAL DISPATCHES

OCT 23, 2023

10:37 PM

Jordan Taylor’s run up the WPIAL all-time goal-scoring list ended in the first round of the playoffs.

Taylor who led the WPIAL in goal scoring with 56 during the regular season for Jeannette, picked up a late tally when the game was out of reach late in the second half. Prior to that, Quaker Valley got a hat trick from Jack Karwoski as the second-seeded Quakers (15-3-0) romped to a 9-1 victory Monday against the Jayhawks (10-8-1), who were playing in only their second-ever postseason match.

Taylor finished his career with 162 career goals and is third all-time in WPIAL history in scoring. If Jeannette had some playoff success, he possibly could’ve moved into second place. Current Pitt player and Charleroi alumnus Eben McIntyre is No. 2 on the list at 166. No. 1 is Sean Shapert of Moon, who graduated in 1984 with what was, at the time a National Federation of High Schools record 213.

Rachael Kriger, Special to the Times

USA TODAY NETWORK

Hat tricks aren’t entirely uncommon in the sport of soccer. However, a hat trick entirely made up of goals with a player’s head? Now that’s something to behold.

Jack Karwoski scored three goals in Quaker Valley’s 9-1 victory over Jeannette to open up the WPIAL Class 2A Playoffs. All three came off set piece plays, with assists from Kiril Grin and Nick Allan.

“A hat trick of headers, you don’t see that too often,” Karwoski said post-game. “I have to thank my teammates for setting me up. It’s 50 percent or more their contribution to a goal. I was in the right spot. I’m happy to score as many as I can, and fortunate to get three. All headers are fun and unique. Nothing was going through my head. I just wanted to get my head to the ball.”

It was Karwoski’s second goal in particular that turned heads. The junior forward leaped high in the air, almost doubling his height, to make contact with the ball, sent in by senior Allan.

“It was a great ball. Nick, he’s always good with the corner kicks,” Karwoski said. “I kind of saw it, judged the flight and followed my coach’s instructions to snap through. I connected with it and got lucky.”

Quakers head coach J.J. Veshio said that he was not expecting three-straight headers from his junior striker.

“We have really tried to work on diversifying how we finish and score,” Veshio said. “We had one path to scoring as the season went along, but in the last few weeks we’ve tried to change it up and be multifaceted in scoring. I think we showed that tonight.”

Quaker Valley had multiple goal scorers, including seniors Grin, Matteo Castellini and Allan, along with junior Colin Benge.

“Overall, I really like that our boys stayed classy throughout the entire game and were able to keep going for the entire 80 minutes and play our game,” Veshio stated. “I think it showed in the result of the score, but also the diversity of who scored, and how we prevented shots.”

Castellini added that Quaker Valley stuck with the aggressive game plan, laid out by his coach.

“I think coming into this game, we were prepared for our opponent,” the senior midfielder said. “We didn’t underestimate our opponent. I think we played well as a team. It got a bit chippy at the end and the middle, so we made sure not to get any injuries. We wanted to stick with our game plan.”

Allan agreed with his classmate, saying a big part of the game plan was neutralizing the fast Jeannette forwards.

“I thought we played really well. We settled into the game well, scored early,” Allan said. “We kept going, and going, and going. We knew that they were going to drop a lot defensively. We had to plan our game around that. We had to neutralize their striker, Jordan Taylor.”

Quaker Valley were unable to keep a clean sheet, though. Taylor – who finishes his high school career with 162 goals in the WPIAL (third all-time) – found the back of the net with minutes left in the match. At that point, the Quakers substituted younger players to get them meaningful minutes in a playoff match.

“Even though we put in some of our JV guys at the end, I never like conceding goals,” Veshio said. “That goal could have been prevented a little bit better. We want to make sure that everyone is playing at a high level, in case they need to get minutes in a tighter game.”

The road will only get tougher, as Quaker Valley knows well. Last year, the Quakers fell in the semifinals of the Class 2A bracket, a stunner to Beaver. This year, Quaker Valley used that loss as motivation. They wanted to open up the playoffs with a big statement.

“The Beaver game was very hard for us. Coming into this game, we worked so hard in the offseason that the Beaver game kept us motivated the whole season,” Allan said. “Tonight, we wanted to send a statement to the WPIAL that we are here.”

Krawoski agreed with his teammate, saying that Jeannette even played similarly to Beaver.

“The Beaver loss was tough. With the way they played it was hard to score against them. This team played similar to Beaver,” Krawoski explained. “They had a lot of guys in the back. A 9-1 win, with the creation of all the chances and the goals we scored, is a big boost to the confidence, especially with our finishing getting better. We can ramp up the score in these games, and it helps with our confidence and creativity. We know what to improve on as well.”

Veshio said that, going into the next round against Elizabeth Forward — who defeated Knock, 3-1 — the Quakers are going to relish hosting one more home game for their seniors. And, on top of that, do anything they can to win.

“It’s all about winning in the playoffs, no matter how you do it, but I thought we did it with a lot of quality and class,” he said.

Around the WPIAL in Class 2A

Quaker Valley will host Elizabeth Forward on Thursday, Oct. 26.

Hopewell defeated Deer Lakes, the reigning WPIAL Class 2A champions, with a final of 4-0. Hopewell’s goals were scored by Chris Colonna (2) and Tommy Armour (2). They will now hit the road to take on Shady Side Academy on Thursday, Oct. 26.

Beaver Area fell to Shady Side Academy, 3-0. Beaver made the WPIAL Final last season.

Ethan Morrison, Special to the Times

USA TODAY NETWORK

LEETSDALE — Coming off a masterful offensive showing in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs putting up nine goals, Quaker Valley looked to continue its dominant offensive attack in its quarterfinal matchup against Elizabeth Forward Thursday night.

The Quakers did just that as after capitalizing off of key chances in the first half of play they rolled past the Warriors 7-0.

There was no shortage of offense from the Quakers Thursday night as after Jack Karwoski registered a hat-trick Monday evening, Bennett Hass recorded a hat-trick and a four-goal evening of his own Thursday night in Quaker Valley’s quarterfinal victory over the Warriors as he took on a roll he is not known for most of the time.

“Bennett [Haas] is typically an assist man and you can just see the leadership on the field and just a full-on desire to take control of the game and to do the right things to score and he got a hat-trick out of it,” Quaker Valley head coach J.J. Veshio said after the game.

Haas found the back of the net twice over the course of the first 40 minutes of offense and set the tone for the Quakers over the rest of the match.

With 28 minutes to go in the first half, Haas collected his first goal of the game as he picked up a nice pass from Kiril Grin and shot the 10 yards out past a diving Matthew Johnston to put the Quakers ahead early.

“Their wide-back was giving me a lot of space and I knew that he was stepping up a little too high and I knew that my teammates could give me the ball when I needed it and I could just tap it in at that point,” Haas said. 

Even after the opening goal for Quaker Valley, the pressure from the offensive attack did not let down as the Quakers continued to keep the offensive intensity high throughout the first half of play.

Pressure from the Quaker Valley front line continued to open up chances for the offense as the Quakers pressed forward on Elizabeth Forward.

“We have been trying a lot in practice to diversify what we do in practice and try to not be a single type of scoring team and I think that we showed that tonight,” Veshio said. “We try and recognize the weaknesses of the other team and we try and exploit that and we didn’t even have to adjust at halftime it is just our players being knowledgeable enough and take advantage of the chances that they have and we saw that by the types of goals that we scored.”

After netting his first goal, Haas found the back of the net for the second time of the match after Grin took a shot close off of the keeper Johnston which allowed the ball to bounce right into his feet as he tapped it to extend the Quakers lead.

Haas then took advantage of some poor play by Johnston near the end line as the keeper tried to play the ball instead of picking it up. Haas rushed Johnston, gained possession and easily tapped it home to complete the hat trick.

Along with the hat-trick, Haas also recorded an assist which moved him to 10th all-time in the school's program history in assists, a milestone the senior midfielder will relish.

“It is a historic program,” Haas said. “There are a lot of historic names up on that list so it really means a lot to be up there. I wouldn’t be up there if there weren’t players finishing the job it is all because of my teammates.”

Even with high offensive output from Haas, the work of Grin did not go unnoticed in the WPIAL quarterfinal match as he picked a goal and three assists in the victory.

Coming into this game, Grin paced the Quakers in goals with 15, tonight he took a step back from his goal-scoring prowess and connected with Haas three different times over the course of the match recording one goal and three assists.

“We have a really good connection with one another,” Haas said. “We both have a fair amount of pace out on the wing and are able to cut in from behind and are always able to find each other consistently throughout the season and one of us will be on the scoresheet.”

With a win this evening, Quaker Valley will now move onto the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals on Monday as they will look to avenge its loss from last season and make the trip back to Highmark Stadium after falling one game short last season.

By: Ray Fisher 
Sunday, June 25, 2023 | 10:45 AM

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Quaker Valley has established a staunch winning tradition over the years.

Propelled by another talented group of senior athletes, the Quakers stayed in the WPIAL limelight throughout the 2022-23 school year.

“Our student-athletes’ dedication and work ethic both in and out of season allows us to maximize our potential in all sports,” said Mike Mastroianni, QV’s athletic director. “Congrats to our student-athletes and coaching staffs on another outstanding year of Quaker Valleyathletics.”

A glance at Trib HSSN headlines from 2022-23 recognizes that fact.

Take a look:

• Quaker Valley runs it back with WPIAL girls team championship repeat

• Surging sophomore (Jay Olawaiye) leads Quaker Valley track team at states

• Going the distance: Quaker Valley’s success continues in 3,200 relay (Kate Hines, Elizabeth Szuba, Ellie Cain, Cecilia Montagnese)

• Quaker Valley track teams set gold standard in WPIAL postseason

• Led by record-setting performances (by Olawaiye, Sarah Minard), Quaker Valley girls defend WPIAL team track title

• Quaker Valley boys lacrosse heats up at right time to earn playoff berth

• Quaker Valley girls lacrosse eyes postseason run

• QV girls repeat (as WPIAL Class 2A track and field champions)

• QV boys, girls track teams run away with section titles

• WPIAL scholar-athlete award shines spotlight on Nora Johns’ remarkable QV career

• Four QV volleyball players (Annica Kagle, Molly MacDonald, Vanessa Pickett, Nora Hammond) headed to national tournaments

• QV hockey players (Jacob Keisel, Max Modrovich, Colin York, Jace Vasbinder, Sawyer Krotine) to play in national championships

• QV sees pair of wrestlers (Logan Richey, Jack Kazalas) hit 100-win milestone

• QV boys (basketball team) will bring plenty back after second straight section title

• Senior scorer (Maria Helkowski) steps up during QV playoff run

• Ruby Olliffe, QV divers have strong showing at WPIAL meet

• QV boys see remarkable (basketball) season end with playoff loss to Belle Vernon

• Seniors help QV girls swim team capture fourth straight section title

• QV girls keep Knoch offense in check, advance to WPIAL (basketball) semis

• QV wrestler Logan Richey joins elite company

• Junior sharpshooter Joey Coyle helps keep QV boys (basketball team) among WPIAL elite

• Returning coach (Becca Kirby) helps QV divers reach new heights

• QV boys (basketball) exceed expectations to challenge for section title

• Behind two Allegheny County champions (Brandon Krul, Kazalas), QV wrestlers continue strong season

• QV swimmers off to strong start, look forward to championship meets

• Five all-stars (Ben Carlson, Braeden Steffey, Keisel, Will Watson, Landon Buterbaugh) have QV hockey firing on all cylinders

• QV soccer standouts (Nick Allan, Ben Henry, Isaac Waller, Matteo Castellini) pick up postseason honors

• QV senior WR Jakub Pickett recognized for strong season

• QV senior (Ellie Graham) commits to storied Brown rowing program

• QV wrestlers (Bruce Anderchak, Isaac Maccaglia, Krul, Richey) learn from Powerade experience, set sights on WPIAL repeat

• QV thrower’s dedication carries him (Alex MacDonald) to Amherst track team

• Phenomenal 6-4 freshman Oumou Thiero carries on family tradition with QV girls basketball

• Emily Connors, QV swimmers set goals high

• QV (wrestling team) plans encore after breakthrough season

• QV boys (basketball team) flying under radar after massive graduation losses

• Returning contributors have QV girls (basketball team) in position to make noise

• QV gridders (Gavin Eshinbaugh, Troy Kozar) hit milestones

• Junior midfielder (Allan) develops knack for clutch goals

• State playoff berth caps solid season for QV girls volleyball

• QV girls volleyball parlays talent, hard work into playoff berth

• QV’s Eva Bulger overcomes challenging set-up to claim fourth WPIAL girls golf title

• Brother-sister combo (Isaac Waller, Grace Waller) patrols net for QV soccer

• QV’s Eva Bulger repeats as WPIAL girls golf champion

• QV girls volleyball lays groundwork for special season

• Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy golfers dot WPIAL leaderboards

• QV senior (Graham) makes waves on national rowing scene

• QV cross country team shines at White Oak Park

• Jakub Pickett’s record-setting effort lifts Quaker Valley (football team) to victory

• Veteran lineup makes QV a team to beat in WPIAL Class 2A golf

• QV boys soccer reloading after championship season

• Competitive fire burns bright for QV’s three-sport star Nora Johns

What does it all spell out?

Resounding achievement.

By: Don Rebel 
Monday, August 28, 2023 | 11:17 PM

On Monday, it was the girls’ turn to open up section play on a new soccer season. Now on Tuesday, the boys hit the pitch for section openers.

All four 2022 WPIAL boys soccer champions are in action Tuesday.

In Class 4A, defending champion Pine-Richland visits Butler in Section 1-4A. This is a rematch of a 2022 semifinal won by the Rams, 1-0.

In 3A, last year’s winner, Moon, is also on the road as it opens up Section 2-3A play at Blackhawk.

Deer Lakes is the only defending champion to begin section play at home as the Lancers host Knoch in a Section 2-2A opener.

Finally in a Section 3-A lid lifter, two-time defending champion Winchester Thurston visits Aquinas Academy.

More success on the pitch?

There are five WPIAL boys soccer matches Tuesday pitting teams that at least reached the second round of the district postseason last fall.

Seneca Valley visits Fox Chapel in a Class 4A semifinal rematch from 2022. The Raiders edged the Foxes, 3-2, to earn a spot in the WPIAL title match.

In Class 3A, Ambridge hosts Montour in Section 2 while Thomas Jefferson visits Bethel Park in Section 3.

Ambridge and Montour both reached the 3A semifinals a year ago where the Bridgers beat Plum while the Spartans lost to Moon. Ambridge fell to Moon in the title match.

Quaker Valley visits Beaver in a Section 4-2A opener. Last fall, these two met in the WPIAL semifinals where the Bobcats stunned the Quakers, 1-0. Beaver lost to Deer Lakes in the district finals.

Finally, Sewickley Academy visits Eden Christian Academy. A year ago, the teams reached the Class A final four with both teams coming up short of the title match. The Panthers lost to eventual champion Winchester Thurston while the Warriors fell to Charleroi.

By: Ray Fisher 
Sunday, September 17, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Two of the stars on last year’s boys soccer team at Quaker Valley are back for their senior season.

Defensive specialist Nick Allan, the reigning player of the year in Section 4-2A, and midfielder Matteo Castellini were named section all-stars in 2022.

The 5-foot-9 Allan is third-year starter, second-year captain and two-time all-section player who accounted for 45 goals and 21 assists in the first three seasons of his career.

“We all have high expectations for the team as we do every year,” Allan said. “One thing I know for sure is that we will work hard every day.”

QV’s fourth-year coach J.J. Veshio has been impressed by Allan’s dedication and work ethic. He talked about Allan’s abilities following the 2022 season.

“Nick leads by example and is always one of the hardest workers, pulling the rest of the team up to his high standard,” Veshio said. “A lot has been asked of Nick throughout his high school career, and he has played numerous positions, but has always done so with a positive attitude and a willingness to help the team.

“Nick is a game-changer. He is very relentless in his determination to progress the ball upfield, support his players and generate goal-scoring chances.”

Allan is a three-year starter as a QV wrestler and a three-year letterman as a center fielder on the baseball team.

“Nick is a model for others in how to achieve at a high level,” Veshio said.

Allan, senior midfielder Cameron Diggins and senior forward Bennett Haas are serving as QV captains this season.

“I don’t necessarily have any personal goals,” Allan said. “I’m just trying to be a good leader for the rest of the team.”

Three other returning starters are Kiril Grin, a senior defender, Carter Turk, a junior midfielder, and Andrew Vescio, a junior defender.

Key players in the lineup also include sophomore defenders Sutton Hoehl and Tanner Schultz, junior midfielders Colin Benge and Jack Karwoski, junior goalkeeper Nathan Pribik and sophomore goalkeeper Xander Vescio.

“Our expectations for this season are the same as they are every season — to win a section, WPIAL and PIAA championship,” Veshio said. “We feel we have the tools in place to make those goals happen but must work each day to improve ourselves in order to get there.

“We are returning a good number of players from last season, which will hopefully help us get there.”

The Quakers had the toughest of acts to follow in 2022, as Quaker Valley won PIAA, WPIAL and section titles and finished with a 24-2 record the previous season. Last year, QV finished first in Section 4, advanced to WPIAL semifinals and PIAA first round and ended up 18-5 overall. Also, Veshio repeated as coach of the year in the section.

The Quakers lost in shootouts in both the WPIAL and PIAA tournaments last season.

“We know we should have won but just didn’t produce a complete game,” said Veshio, who racked up a 52-8-1 record in his first three seasons as QV’s field boss.

This year, Quaker Valley started out 0-2 with losses to Wilson and Fleetwood in the East-West Classic.

The Quakers rebounded with consecutive wins against Beaver, 5-0, Avonworth, 3-1, Riverside, 9-0, and Mohawk, 10-0, to improve to 4-0 in the section and 4-2 overall.

“When we went out east to play in the East-West Classic, we lost to two of the best teams in Pennsylvania,” Allan said. “However, I believe we needed those two tough games to start the season.

“So far, we are undefeated in our section. We still have some areas to improve, but we are taking positive steps to reach our goals this season.”

The Quakers held a 27-1 cumulative scoring edge in league play and a 29-6 advantage through six games.

“Even though we struggled in our games during the East-West Classic,” Veshio said, “we have done well so far with two strong scrimmages against Mt. Lebanon and Pine-Richland, as well as starting out 4-0 in our section.”

The lopsided victory against Mohawk began a stretch of four consecutive section games at home for QV, which was trailed by Avonworth (4-1), Beaver (3-1), Hopewell (2-2) and Mohawk (2-3) in the section standings. Ellwood City and Riverside were 0-4.

Quaker Valley held onto the third spot behind South Park and Deer Lakes in the Trib HSSN’s WPIAL boys weekly soccer rankings. Beaver and Shady Side Academy rounded out the top five.

Grin was all smiles Sept. 12 when he led the way against Mohawk with a hat trick. Haas, Castellini, Diggins, Benge, Allan and sophomores Liam Miller (MF) and Isaac Williams (F) all added a goal apiece.

By: Bill Beckner Jr. 
Wednesday, October 18, 2023 | 3:09 PM

Here’s a closer look at the 2023 WPIAL boys soccer playoffs:

Class 2A

Favorite: Undefeated South Park (18-0) has a good shot at its first WPIAL title since 2014. The high-powered Eagles have produced 79 goals and have given up six.

Contenders: Deer Lakes (14-2), the champion in 2022 and ‘20, has scored 117 goals and allowed 17. The Lancers do not have a loss in October. … Avonworth (14-2-1) and Quaker Valley(14-3) tied for the Section 4 title. The Antelopes’ losses are to Quaker Valley and South Park. Quaker Valley has pumped in 89 goals. … A team with 100 goals, Shady Side Academy (12-4-1), has four losses, but three of them are against Deer Lakes, Plum and Fox Chapel.

Don’t overlook: Belle Vernon (14-2) features Trevor Kovatch, who is second in the WPIAL with 47 goals.

Top players: Nick Allan, Quaker Valley; Amir Awais, Shady Side Academy; Danny Batista, South Park; Rowan Carmichael, Avonworth; Joe Connors, East Allegheny; Kaiden Fischer, South Park; Trevor Kovatch, Belle Vernon; Peyton Kushon, Deer Lakes; Jack Ozimek, South Park; Collin Rodgers, Deer Lakes; Dylan Stewart, McGuffey; Jordan Taylor, Jeannette

Prediction: South Park over Deer Lakes

By: Ray Fisher 
Sunday, October 22, 2023 | 11:01 AM

The numbers 42 and 28 stand out for the Quaker Valley boys soccer program this season.

The Quakers qualified for the postseason for the 42nd consecutive year (starting in 1982) and earned their 28th section championship in school history.

QV finished 11-1 in Section 4-2A, tied for first with Avonworth, and secured a 79-4 scoring edge in league play. The Quakers won 14 of 17 regular season games by outscoring the opposition by a convincing 89-9 margin.

“I am quite happy with how we performed this season,” coach J.J. Veshio said. “We finished tied for first place in the section and while we were not happy with the loss to Avonworth, it will help us get better and ensure we are properly prepared for the playoffs. Nonsection wins against Moon and Thomas Jefferson will also help us in our pursuit for a WPIAL and PIAA championship.”

After opening the season Aug. 25-26 with two close losses in the East-West Classic, the Quakers were 14-1 against WPIAL competition this season.

QV racked up 12 shutouts and attained clean sheets in their final six games, not allowing a goal since Sept. 26.

And with averages of 5.2 goals for and 0.5 goals against, the Quakers ranked among the team leaders in Class 2A in both categories.

The QV scoring was spread out among several players. Kiril Grin, a senior forward, led in goals with 12 while Bennett Haas, a senior forward, paced in assists with 11 to go along with 10 goals.

Heading into the WPIAL playoffs, QV’s starting lineup consisted of Grin, Haas and junior Jack Karwoski as strikers; seniors Cameron Diggins, Nick Allan and Matteo Castellini at midfield; sophomores Sutton Hoehl and Tanner Schultz and juniors Andrew Vescio and Carter Turk on defense; and junior Nathan Pribik at the goalkeeper position.

“Our lineup changes a lot,” Veshio said. “We had numerous injuries this season that forced us to move players around. It’s also common practice to try some players in different spots to see what is most effective as we move into the playoffs.

“Our expectations are always the same — to win a WPIAL and PIAA championship — and we will work to achieve them again. We hope the community will come out and support the program. It always helps us succeed when we have large crowds.”

By: Ray Fisher 
Sunday, October 29, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Eight varsity sports teams.

Four section championships.

Quaker Valley has had a flourishing fall athletic season, to say the least.

Section titles were won in boys golf and soccer and girls tennis and volleyball.

The league championship in girls volleyball was the first in school history.

Coached by Mike Vavrek, the Quakers racked up a 14-0 record in Section 4-2A.

“Offensively, we have been very good,” Vavrek said. “We’re hitting at a good percentage as a team. Also, we are winning the serving and passing game in our matches.”

The team’s starting rotation in the regular season consisted of seniors Katelyn Clark (MH), Annica Kagle (RS) and Lucy Auth (DS), juniors Molly MacDonald (OH), Nora Hammond (OH), Vanessa Pickett (S) and Carmen Forsythe (DS), and sophomore Mia Gartley (MH).

Tennis title

It had been more than a decade since Quaker Valley won a section crown in girls tennis, but the Quakers, coached by Christi Hays, rolled through league play to claim their first league championship since 2012.

“To say this season from the very beginning back in August to now has been a surprise and a delight would be a complete understatement,” Hays said.

Kirsten Close, a junior and Sewickley Academy transfer, junior Joyce Olawaiye and senior Taylor Martin have served as the team’s co-captains.

Olawaiye, a three-year starter, also is a top athlete on the QV girls track and field team that won the WPIAL Class 2A championship last season.

“I really enjoy playing both sports,” she said.

The Quakers also welcomed back from last year the likes of sophomores Livia Jobbins, Jane Lenhard and Parker Barnes, and juniors Emaan Ashfaq and Keira Cowher, a distant relative of former Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

Jobbins and Barnes also were on the girls track and field team in the spring.

Newcomers to the varsity squad included freshmen Hannah Stein and Noor Ashfaq plus junior Mae Kruawangmon.

“The ladies have all gotten significant playing time, and I would say all of them have shown significant improvement since last season” Hays said. “One of my challenges has been to find enough playing time for each girl and also to find their right roles.”

Soccer success

The boys soccer team captured the 28th section title in school history and qualified for the postseason for the 42nd consecutive year (starting in 1982).

The Quakers finished 11-1 in Section 4-2A, tied for first with Avonworth, and held a remarkable 79-4 scoring edge in league play. The Quakers won 14 of 17 regular-season games by outscoring the opposition 89-9.

“Our lineup changes alot,” coach J.J. Veshio said. “We had numerous injuries this season that forced us to move players around. It’s also common practice to try some players in different spots to see what is most effective as we move into the playoffs.

Heading into the WPIAL playoffs, QV’s starting lineup consisted of senior Kiril Grin, senior Bennett Haas and junior Jack Karwoski as strikers; seniors Cameron Diggins, Nick Allan and Matteo Castellini at midfield; sophomores Sutton Hoehl and Tanner Schultz and juniors Andrew Vescio and Carter Turk on defense; and junior Nathan Pribik at the goalkeeper position.

“Our expectations are always the same,” Veshio said, “to win a WPIAL and PIAA championship, and we will work to achieve them again.”

Golf greatness

In boys golf, the Quakers tied for first place with Eden Christian in Section 9-2A with an 8-2 record.

QV juniors Ethan Dai and Nolan Wagoner competed at the top two positions in the lineup and both repeated as WPIAL qualifiers.

Dai and Wagoner led the way for sophomores Will Newlin, Ryan Dusch and Makenna Kamnikar and newcomers Michael Ponzo, a senior, Henry Zubanc, a sophomore, and El Folabit, a junior.

“The team this year did amazing,” Dai said. “Honestly, everyone performed above expectations, and I believe everyone can improve even more.”

QV posted an 8-2 section and overall record.

“I was so happy for our team to finish tied at the top of our section,” coach Greg Vecchi said. “After losing four terrific golfers (to graduation) after last year, I really didn’t know what to expect from the new and younger starters. They seemed to have worked hard in the offseason.

“We started out slowly (in 2023) but ended up having two of our best rounds late in the season, so that was a big positive.”

Running rewards

And one other note, QV’s boys cross country squad finished as a section runner-up this season. The QV boys logged a 9-1 record to take second place at the all-section meet.

Juniors Clark LaLomia and Jackson Pethel, sophomores Tyler Bell and River Capek and freshman Jonah Montagnese were the Quakers’ top five runners.

15-Jeannette (10-7-1) at 2-Quaker Valley (14-3)

By: Bill Beckner Jr. 
Sunday, October 22, 2023 | 4:53 PM

Boys

Class 2A

First round

7 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of 10-Elizabeth Forward (10-6-1)/7-Knoch (11-7) on Thursday in quarterfinals

Players to watch: Jordan Taylor, Jeannette; Nick Allan, Quaker Valley

Throw-ins: Jeannette made the playoffs for just the second time in program history. It has not won a game in the postseason. Taylor leads the WPIAL with 54 goals and has 159 for his career. … Quaker Valley tied Avonworth for the Section 4 title while leading the section with 89 goals. The Quakers ended the regular season with six straight victories, all by shutout.

By: Don Rebel 
Sunday, October 29, 2023 | 9:28 PM

Re-writing history in 2A?

In the 2022 WPIAL Class 2A boys soccer playoffs, South Park was the No. 1 seed and Quaker Valley was the No. 2.

They both won their first two games to advance to the semifinals, but their hope for district gold ended there.

The Eagles lost to eventual champion Deer Lakes, 1-0, while the Quakers were ousted by Beaver, also by a score of 1-0.

South Park and Quaker Valley return to the Final Four here in the 2023 postseason and once again they are the favorites as the 1 and 2 seeds.

Top-seeded South Park (20-0) will face No. 4 Avonworth (16-2-1) at Dormont Stadium at 8 p.m. while second-seeded Quaker Valley (16-3) takes on No. 6 Shady Side Academy in the first match at 6 p.m.