Boys Basketball
3/12
Shaler Area advanced to the PIAA 5A Quarterfinals with the win over Mechanicsburg Tuesday night 68-48. In the first half, it was a back-and-forth game that saw Keegan Smetanka injure his ankle, but the Titans added on to their six point halftime lead by clamping down defensively on their way to a twenty point victory. Many players stepped up when it mattered most after Smetanka’s injury. Kaden Orga and Julian Vizzoca paced the Titans with 16 points, and Brandon London also reached double figures with 14 points.
3/15
The boys basketball team’s season came to an end on Friday with a loss to Franklin Regional, 57-50. In a rematch of the WPIAL 5A Semifinals, the Titans went stride for stride with the Panthers in the 1st half, trailing by three at halftime. Then, the Titans hit a three-pointer early in the 3rd quarter tying the game, 24-24. However, Franklin Regional responded with a 13-0 run, which proved to be the game-decider. With the four minute scoring drought suffered during that run, Shaler Area could not get the game back to a one-possession deficit, cutting it as close as four points down in the 4th quarter.
Ultimately, missed layups and missed open shots doomed the Titans to lose Friday night. Nevertheless, the best player on the court that night, Brandon London, had the best game of his career with a 26 point double-double. The Panthers had trouble stopping him all night long despite getting the ball to London being Shaler Area’s game plan for several stretches of the game.
Brandon London as a forward, Keegan Smetanka as a guard, and Joey Desabato as a guard, were all named 1st Team All-Section by the Big 56 Athletic Conference. Joey Miller and Kaden Orga received Honorable Mentions as guards and Coach Rob Niederberger was awarded Coach of the Year.
For the girls basketball team, Bayleigh Perez was named 1st Team Guard, Jorja Bernesser was named 2nd Team Forward, and Reese Smetanka was named Honorable Mention Guard.
Hockey
3/13
The Hockey team lost a heartbreaker to Greensburg Salem in the semifinals of the Penguins Cup Playoffs, 2-1. The Titans started off strong as they opened up the scoring with a Dylan Marsden goal in the 1st period. The Golden Lions got a couple breaks by scoring a goal off the skate of a Titan player and a penalty shot goal to take the lead 2-1. The Titans had many a ton of shots that hit the iron but could not get one in the back of the net.
Even with the tough loss, the Hockey team had an amazing season. The Titans finished with a regular season record of 17-3-1-1 and in second place in the Varsity A Gold division. Along with a great regular season, Shaler Area picked up two victories in the playoffs. Great season Titans!
Baseball
3/15
Baseball opened up the season with a victory over Fox Chapel, 5-2. The Titans kicked off the scoring early when Ben Yeckel singled in Brady McGuire in the first inning. The Foxes would respond with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to take the lead 2-1. The scoring would be stalled for both teams until the top of the 6th inning where the Titans had back-to-back-to-back doubles from Landon Shiffhauer, Colby McGuire, and Logan Bauer to take the lead 5-2. The Titans would close the game out with two-scoreless innings from Dante Deleonibus. The winning pitcher for the Titans was Colby Weber who went five innings and struck out six batters while only giving up four hits and one walk.
Boys Tennis
3/11
The Titan tennis team lost its inaugural game of the season 3-2 against Butler. Sophomore Roman Vizzoca and freshman Jack Rios won 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1 doubles. At No. 2 doubles, sophomore Justin Frantz and freshman Tyler Bal also prevailed. All four boys earned their first varsity victories during the match. Senior Will Nebiolo (No. 1), Junior Liam Creagh (No. 2), and Junior Donny Gill (No. 3) all lost.
3/14
The boys tennis team dropped Thursday’s match against North Hills 3-2. The Titans played competitively on all courts with Liam Creagh picking up an impressive win at No. 2 singles and Donny Gill and sophomore Justin Franz earning another win at No. 2 doubles. No. 1 Will Nebiolo lost to one of the best players in the WPIAL and Tyler Bal lost his season debut at No. 3 singles. Shaler’s No. 1 doubles team of Roman Vizzoca and Jack Rios could not overcome a slow start in their loss.
3/15
Shaler Area grabbed its first win of the season 3-2 over Central Valley. No. 1 and team captain Will Nebiolo cruised to a victory and Liam Creagh continued his undefeated season at No. 2. The boys’ singles victories paved the way for Shaler’s No. 2 doubles pairing of Justin Franz and Donny Gill to secure the team victory, the doubles team winning its second straight match. Tyler Bal lost at No. 3 singles and Roman Vizzoca and Jack Rios split sets before falling in the tiebreak at No. 1 doubles.
Boys Track and Field
3/15
The boys track and field team dropped its opener 127-23 to Seneca Valley at Titan Stadium. In the 100-meter dash, senior Daniel Presto claimed first place with a time of 11.50 seconds. Presto also finished second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.96. In the field, Mark Povich excelled in the pole vault, with a vault of 11′ 6″. Mark also triumphed in the triple jump event with a jump of 40′ 6 “. Alex Martin-Adler finished in 3rd place in the pole vault with a vault of 10 feet. Finally, Austin Gaetano clinched second place in the triple jump with a jump of 39 feet and 7 inches.
