Latest news with #PIAAStateChampionships
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Longtime Upper St. Clair coach heading to National High School Football Hall of Fame
Longtime Upper St. Clair football coach Jim Render's accolades are numerous: two PIAA State Championships, five WPIAL Crowns and a career record of 406-141-6, which puts him 25th all-time nationally. Not to mention, he's the winningest football coach in WPIAL history. Advertisement 'I was very fortunate,' Render said. 'I had some great victories, especially here at Upper St. Clair.' Yet earlier this year, he was almost in disbelief when he found out he was set to be inducted into the National High School Football Hall of Fame. 'It wasn't something I was really anticipating happening,' Render said. On June 14, he'll join 32 other inductees in Canton, including Steel Valley's Charlie Batch, Pitt's Louis Riddick and Michael Vick. 'Everybody from Danny Marino to Jerome Bettis was nominated,' Render said, 'and I thought, well, they're probably gonna, it'll be a while till they get to the high school coach level.' Advertisement Render's head coaching career began in Carrolton, Ohio, in 1970. Less than a decade later, after a stop in Uniontown, he found himself at Upper St. Clair. 'I thought, well, I'll go down there to Uniontown for two years, and I'm getting my fanny back to Ohio,' Render said. 'Well, that was 60 years ago, or whatever it is, 40 of which I spent at Upper St. Clair.' All the victories, of course, are memorable. 'If I started naming things, I would probably slate some of the former players, and I don't want to do that,' Render said. 'Let's just say, there was a lot of great thrills.' But it's the journey that's been the most memorable for Render, especially the two years the Panthers won the State Title. Advertisement 'When I think about those things, I remember the journey, and, of course, the final game is the culmination,' Render said 'But, you know, the togetherness and the hard work and all the things that, and you got to have some luck.' His advice to young coaches just beginning their careers? 'Emphasize the fundamentals and don't get away from what made this game great,' Render said. And as he looks back ahead of his induction, the most important thing Render learned comes from all those he met along the way. 'The players make the difference,' Render said. 'You know, coaches get awards and coaches get credit, and I understand that, I guess. But the doggone players are why we're all here, you know, and I was very fortunate to have some marvelous players over my career.' Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kennedy Catholic girls advance to the State Quarterfinals
NEW CASTLE, Pa (WKBN) – Kennedy Catholic girls basketball downs Neshannock 50-36 in the Second Round of the Class 2A PIAA State Championships Tuesday night. Watch above for extended highlights! 'What we take away is that you never give up and if you defend, you have a chance to win every game. Offense wins games, defense wins championships,' said Kennedy Catholic head coach Justin Magestro. 'I love to see the red-sea out there. We were supported by our whole community and I love them.' Golden Eagle's senior Madison Pfleger scored a game-high 19 points with four successful three-point shots. Also, senior Layke Fields scored 12 points and sophomore Tori Harvey posted nine. Neshannock's Payton Newman scored 19 and Sophia Bonner 10 points in the loss. The Lancers end the season with a record of (22-3). The Golden Eagles advance to a season record of (20-5). Kennedy Catholic plays next against Bishop McCort in the PIAA State Quarterfinals on March 14. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
