Players from Montour and Moon high schools received accolades in the Big 56 Conference for Class 5A baseball and softball. Montour’s Matteo Webber and Emily McClean were named players of the year in baseball and softball, respectively, while Moon's Andrew Cross also was named player of the year in Section 2 baseball.
At the PIAA Track and Field Championships, Moon Area sophomores Rachel Stepp and Nathan Kustra excelled, winning multiple medals. Stepp earned silver in the girls 400 meters and placed seventh in the 200 meters, while Kustra secured gold in the wheelchair 400 meters and silver in both the 100 and 200 meters.
West Hills high school athletic teams are set for significant changes next winter, with several boys and girls basketball, swimming and wrestling teams altering classifications or section membership. Increased competition is anticipated, particularly in boys basketball, as local schools face new opponents and challenges.
At the PIAA Track and Field Championships Friday, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart's Tre Moses and Owen Wasko won medals in the Class 2A boys javelin. Rachel Stepp from Moon Area excelled, qualifying for Saturday's finals in the Class 3A 200 and 400 meters, while other athletes competed without medals.
Rachel Stepp entered last year’s PIAA Track and Field Championships with low expectations, yet secured a fifth-place finish. Now a standout sophomore, she’s among the top contenders in both the 400 and 200 meters, competing alongside eight other Moon athletes at this year’s meet. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart also will have six athletes competing at the state meet.
Matteo Weber led Montour to a 3-2 upset over top-seeded Pine-Richland in the WPIAL Class 5A baseball quarterfinals, yielding only three hits. Montour scored all of its runs in the third inning. In another playoff matchup, Upper St. Clair edged Moon, 10-9, advancing to face Montour in Thursday's semifinals.
August Lichtner's RBI single led Western Beaver to a 7-6 walkoff victory against Bishop Canevin in the WPIAL Class 1A baseball playoffs, ending Bishop Canevin's season. Meanwhile, Moon Area and Montour prepare for their quarterfinal matchups Tuesday in Class 5A. And in boys volleyball, three West Hills athletes were named to an all-section team.