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2024 Fall Sports 

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By: Ari Case

The 2024 fall sports season held many challenges and successes for GS teams.  

Fall sports include football, girls’ tennis, golf, boys’ soccer, girls’ soccer, boys’ cross country, girls’ cross country and volleyball. 

FOOTBALL 

The varsity football team had its best start since 1999. 

“We did exactly what we wanted to do, coming out of the gate 4-0,” defensive coordinator Mr. Matthew Boe said. 

The team finished 7-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play, placing fourth overall in the conference. Unfortunately, they lost in the first round of playoffs against the Avonworth Antelopes on Nov. 1. 

After several difficult seasons, the seniors were very happy with their success. 

GS clashes with members of the Valley High School football team.

Photo Courtesy: Brad Skero, Kryptic Media

“We’re kind of going out with a bang,” senior captain Cooper Dann said. “It feels good to win.” 

This year, Dann was recognized for his efforts on and off the field. He was invited to be a part of the Steelers All-Peer Team, for which he will be honored at the Acrisure Stadium. 

“He’s just a really good person,” Mr. Boe said. “I think it’s definitely earned.” 

Boe explained that the return of several varsity starters, like Dann and fellow senior Kai Brunot, allowed the team to work from a better starting point.  

For the game against Ligonier Valley on Sep. 30, Brunot was voted the PennLive state player of the week for his touchdown and 142 rushing yards. He received nearly 50% of the votes cast and contributed a lot to the team’s success.  

Boe said that despite good plays like Brunot’s, there are a lot of things the team can improve on. He believes that the team can “absolutely control our destiny.” 

He and Dann both expressed that the season held a lot of energy and optimism.  

“Every single year, there’s an excitement for it,” Boe explained. 

GIRLS’ TENNIS 

Most of the team this fall was completely new to the sport.  

The now graduated Class of 2024 filled six of seven varsity starters, leaving the team at a huge disadvantage this season. 

They finished the season with a record of 1-10, but there was incredible improvement and individual successes. 

“The record doesn’t indicate how much we progressed or how evenly matched the rounds were,” coach Mr. Christopher Gazze said.  

Mr. Gazze went into the season with the hope of growth and improvement for the team to set up for next year. 

“I feel like I learned a lot, and I ended up making really good friendships,” senior Anna Spigarelli said.  

Spigarelli has been playing for three years and was a varsity starter this season.  

Despite the record, the team is optimistic looking toward next year with the possibility of competing for playoffs. 

“I think they have really good foundations,” Spigarelli shared about the underclassmen. “As long as they put in the work, they’ll do really well.” 

GOLF 

Having lost a large group of seniors last year, the season didn’t come with the highest expectations.  

It was a welcome surprise when three freshmen made an incredible impact that led the team to an overall record of 9-6 with a section record of 8-4. Their section record resulted in third place in the section, only missing playoffs because of a loss in their final match against Mt. Pleasant. 

One freshman in particular, captain Luke Sikora, was “a consistent contributor to the team,” according to coach Mr. Erik Doran. 

Sikora, along with sophomore Bryce Ferace, qualified as individuals for WPIALs. 

Only Sikora made the cut for finals, just missing the cut for round three. He tied for 18th, the cut for the round, but lost in the second playoff hole—resulting in a final placement of 19th. 

“I didn’t play how I usually do, but it was fun,” Sikora explained. 

He earned the WCCA Tournament Co-Champion title as well as the WPIAL AA Section 2 Champion title during the season.  

“I’m excited for next year,” he said. 

With many consistent players returning next year, the team hopes for another good season. 

“Heading into next year, we are one of the favorites to make playoffs and win our section,” Mr. Doran said. 

Sikora at the WCCA Tournament.

Photo by: Erik Doran

BOYS’ SOCCER 

With many difficulties in a new section, the boys’ soccer team finished with a record of 3-17. 

The season started with the loss of five varsity starters and a lot of uncertainty. Injuries constantly impacted the lineup, but the team still made many games closer than anticipated. 

“[We] are learning that in order to play a complete match, we have to give maximum effort in practice as well as games,” coach Rich Christeleit explained.  

Many players have improved individually, and the team put up a good fight in their new section. 

“I think we’ve grown as a team,” junior captain Alex Swatchick said. “We’ll be looking forward to improving over the summer.” 

GIRLS’ SOCCER 

With a slow start to the season, the team pulled through with a 7-9 overall record and were 3-7 in section play.  

Senior captain Alice Wilkinson said she was excited for her senior season but had been “hoping to do better.” 

Much of the team, including Wilkinson, were optimistic about a shot at playoffs—which they fell just short of. 

“We felt like we were in a good place to be successful,” coach Jess Melodia explained. “Over the last four years, the team has gotten stronger, faster and more resilient.” 

Wilkinson expressed that regardless of game results, her favorite part was spending time with her team.  

Most of the team share strong bonds that have only grown with them over the years. These connections have resulted in a lot of growth and success as a team. 

Hopefully, in the next season it will pay off not only in team morale, but in their record as well. 

“We are at a point where we are starting to consistently recognize the results of all the hard work we have put in,” Melodia said. 

CROSS COUNTRY 

Even with dwindling numbers, the cross country teams this season were very successful. 

“It says a lot, to come out and have the record we have after losing who we lost,” coach Mr. Nathan Snider expressed. 

The girls’ team had an overall record of 10-3, and the boys’ team had a record of 3-10.  

With only four runners for the boys by the end of the season, they didn’t have enough to make a full team—their estimated record, if they would have had a fifth runner, is 9-4. 

“It’s very disappointing to not be able to score as a team when you have four good runners,” Mr. Snider said. 

The girls won the AA County title and placed 8th at WPIALs. 

“We’ve had a lot of success this season,” senior Ksena Spencer said. 

Senior captain Nick Reinhart had a positive outlook moving into the individual season.  

Reinhart, along with fellow seniors Owen Noel and captain Regan Kerr, placed top 12 at the TSTCA Cross Country Championship Oct. 17 and advanced to the State Meet after qualifying at WPIALs. 

Noel and Reinhart placed 80th and 90th respectively, out of 249 runners. Kerr placed 63rd out of 250 runners.  

“It went well,” Reinhart said. “We all ran well, and it was definitely a good time.” 

VOLLEYBALL 

This season the team worked as hard as they could to see success—and it certainly paid off.  

With an overall record of 15-4, they made it to the first round of the playoff season against Hampton on Oct. 23. Unfortunately, they were swept, losing the first three of five sets. 

“These girls have worked so hard to get to this point,” coach Mrs. Rachel Brannigan said. “They showed up in the off season and show[ed] up at practice every day to work harder than the day before.” 

They were excited for playoffs after placing second in the section. 

“I have never been part of a team that has such an incredible bond and works so hard,” sophomore Patricia Redinger explained. 

After placing last in the 2023 season, the success may be unexpected, but it was certainly earned. 

“This is such an amazing group of girls all around,” Mrs. Brannigan said, “They lift each other up and work hard both on and off the court.” 

— 

As seasons end and new sports begin, school spirit at GS is one of the most important things for students to focus on. 

“We have to continue to grow as a school [and] come together as a community to succeed,” Mr. Drake D’Angelo, Athletic Director, said. 

Dancing with the Stars 

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By: Emma Helmick 

Fans of Dancing with the Stars continue to watch on the edge of their seats as celebrities become dancers and waltz towards the Mirrorball trophy. 

After the 500th episode on Nov. 12, NBA player Dwight Howard and pro Daniella Karagach were eliminated after scoring a 26/30 in their Argentine Tango and a 48/60 on their instant dance.  

Nov. 19 was the semi-finals. 

Along with the judges, fans across America can also vote by texting their favorites to a number up to ten times. 

Four couples remain, Chandler Kinney and her partner Brandon Armstrong, Joey Graziadei and his partner Jenna Johnson, Stephen Nedoroscik and his partner Rylee Arnold and Ilona Maher and her partner Alan Bersten. 

“I would like to see Ilona go home because while I like her, I don’t think she is as strong as the other competitors,” Chorus Director Ms. Maurissa Auer said. 

But after the semi-finals, Ms. Auer changed her mind about the Rugby Olympian. 

“I think after watching the semi-finals, I can tell she seemed a lot more confident and more sure of herself,” Auer said. 

When it came to eliminations, fans were shocked to see that all couples survived. 

“Rylee and Stephen are my favorites because Stephen was on the national gymnastics team, and I feel like they dance really well together,” junior Reese Price said. 

Price re-watches an episode in her free time.

Picture by: Emma Helmick

Nedoroscik is a two-time Olympic medalist, and this is Arnold’s second year as a Dancing with the Stars professional dancer. 

“Even though Jenna and Joey are my favorite couple, I think Chandler is really good and deserves to win,” senior Sloane Potter said. 

Kinney has managed to be a fan favorite of both viewers and judges by having the best score from the semi-finals. She has been in several shows and movies. 

“I expect Joey and Jenna to end up winning, though,” Potter said. 

Graziadei was on season 20 of the Bachelorette and was the season 28 Bachelor and this is his partner Jenna Johnson’s 8th season dancing as a pro. 

“The competition has been very high for a few years and this year has been full of very talented couples,” Price said. 

Homecoming Recap 

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By: Rubee Stillwagon 

Homecoming is much more than just a dance at GS. There were so many more activities that came along with it, such as Homecoming Court, the Homecoming Bonfire, the pep rally, the white out football game, the daily themes and lastly the dance. 

The first big thing that happened was naming the 2024 Homecoming Court. This is where the senior class voted for seven senior girls who they thought would be the best fit for the Court. Then sophomores, juniors and seniors voted on who they thought should be Queen. This year’s Homecoming Queen is senior Lauryn Swierczynski. 

The homecoming court and their escorts during halftime.

Photo By: Rubee Stillwagon

“I’m really pumped that I won and thankful I get to celebrate with my friends and family,” Swierczynski said. 

The girls on this year’s Homecoming Court, other than Swierczynski, were Greta Hagofsky, Sloane Potter, Katie Shea, Anna Shevchik, Anna Spigarelli and Grace Sybesma. 

“I would say my involvement throughout the school, like being part of sports teams, SCA, the Salem Psychos and just talking with lots of different people around the school helped with my votes,” Swierczynski said. 

Homecoming Queen is a title given to a senior girl who is a respected and liked representative of their school and community. Swierczynski is a two-year Varsity Soccer Captain, has done Flag Football for two years, Senior Class Vice President, SCA’s Secretary for last school year, leader of the Salem Psychos and plans to attend a four-year college. 

“It’s super exciting to know that so many people voted for me,” Swierczynski said. “I’m very blessed to have that kind of support.” 

This year the annual Homecoming Bonfire was on Wednesday, September 18 at the high school.  

This was an opportunity for students and their families to visit different clubs’ booths, participate in activities and see who was on the Homecoming Court. 

“The bonfire has been around for years,” SCA Advisor Mr. Christopher Gazze said. “It used to be a Senior Night Bonfire many years ago and it was huge; there would be hundreds of people there. It then switched to a Pink Out Bonfire for a few years. And then Mini-THON had it for a year or two before we got it back and decided to make a full homecoming week.” 

The bonfire gives clubs the opportunity to get more attention from students and the community. Most clubs set up booths with fun activities to add more fun to the bonfire. But the Homecoming Court announcement is what draws in most people.  

“When we got the bonfire back, we decided to make a full Homecoming week,” Gazze said. “With the change of the pep rally format, bringing in the club festival, and having it more community based really makes it a full week of events.” 

The Homecoming Pep Rally is a popular activity among the students. It is an opportunity for friendly school rivalry. 

“I’ve been a part of the team for two years along with eight other juniors,” junior Maxim Topper said. “Being back-to-back winners for the pep rally is huge and it’s awesome to be a part of that school history.” 

This year’s pep rally winners were the juniors, making this their second win in a row. To win, the class teams competed in a series of activities, but they aren’t the only ones that are put up to a challenge. 

One of the competitions doesn’t require teams, but their entire class section. The competition is to see which section can be the loudest. This is a way to involve the students who aren’t on the team and keep the crowd interested. 

“I think the best part was the spirit event at the end with the student sections,” Topper said. “It’s awesome to see my entire class join in and yell and chant altogether.” 

The pep rally brings together students and is a way to show some school spirit and get everyone ready for the whiteout Homecoming football game. 

The Junior class celebrates their win.

Photo courtesy: gslionssca on Instagram

Every year, Homecoming is represented at the Friday night football by a white out. To support this, Mini-THON sells annual White Out shirts. Mini-THON is a senior project that helps raise money for pediatric cancer and this is one of their many fundraising opportunities. 

“I came up with a couple of designs for the shirts and then we discussed what was going to be the most popular among the students,” senior leader Grace Sybesma said.  

The shirts are not only sold to high school students, but also the elementary school and middle school students.  

“The shirts have always been a good way for Mini-THON to make money for the kids, but it also gives students something to wear for the white out game,” Sybesma said. “It’s great seeing everyone wear them during the game especially since it helps support Mini-THON’s mission.” 

Another thing that students could participate in for Homecoming week were the themes.  

“We had about eight themes presented,” Gazze said. “A couple of them overlapped and then we did a blind vote. There was actually a discussion on two and then they decided that one was better suited for prom, and one was better for Homecoming.” 

These themes allowed students to wear something fun for the day and branch out from their normal attire. Monday’s theme was Wear Blue, Tuesday was Twin Day, Wednesday was Anything but a Backpack, Thursday was Surfers vs. Bikers and Friday was Class Colors. 

“I enjoy doing the themes even if people look at me weird when I go all out,” Topper said. “It gives me the opportunity to add some fun to the school day.” 

And lastly, the final activity was the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 21. The dance started at 7pm and went on until 10pm. 

“We had somewhere around 390 students show up to the dance,” Gazze said. “Since we’ve started it it’s the biggest one we’ve had.” 

The dance was held in the high school cafeteria and gym. In the gym students could listen to music provided by a DJ as well as play cornhole. In the cafeteria, food and tables were set up for students who wanted a break. There was also an area outside for students to get fresh air and cool off. 

“I think it was super fun,” Sybesma said. “I liked the fact that there were cornhole boards in the gym so you could take a break but still listen to the music.” 

Last year’s Homecoming Dance was the first one in four years at GS. Last year, SCA got feedback from the students so they could ensure they included everything they could to make it a memorable night. 

“I think compared to last year’s dance this year was awesome,” Topper said. “I liked the DJ and although it was really hot, I still had a good time with my friends.” 

Winter Sports Wrap-up  

Posted on by gshslionsdenadmin

By Samarah Guy  

The Greensburg Salem winter sports season has come to an end.  

The winter sports include boys’ and girls’ swim, boys’ and girls’ bowling, wrestling, boys’ and girls’ basketball and hockey. 

Boys’ Swim  

The boys’ swim team didn’t have winning in their favor this season, but they tried to beat the odds to win.  

“The guys usually lose because there are only five of us,” sophomore Austin Flora said.  

The average high school swim team usually has 15-20 members, so the GS team didn’t have as great of a chance of winning.  

The biggest issue the boys’ swim team has ran into was the quantity. Gaining more members could help the team majorly, and they could even win more meets next year.  

Girls’ Swim 

The GS girls’ swim team has done well this season, and they’ve pulled their weight when they couldn’t win.  

“In the athletic aspect we’re doing really well,” senior Emily Lehman said.  

After a long journey of working hard and trying their best, Lucy Giovannelli, Emily Lehman, Riley Reese and Allison Stinnett made WPIALs.                     

“We were very close all season and we couldn’t get it until our very last meet, and we surpassed the qualifying time by like 4 or 5 seconds,” Lehman added.  

Boys’ Bowling  

The GS bowling team had an amazing season, winning almost every match they’ve had, but they did face a few challenges in the process.  

“Hempfield has been our biggest challenge this season,” junior Dylan Megliorino stated.  

Trying to beat your biggest rival is very gut wrenching, but the bowling team didn’t stop. During their practices, each member tried to beat their last score and become better so they could beat the challenging opponents.  

The boys’ bowling team qualified for regionals. Dylan Megliorino, Justice Payne, Brandon Semoni and Anthony DeMine qualified individually for WPIBLs, but only Dylan made it to states placing 9th.  

“We all can work on our spares and mental games,” Megliorino said.  

Girls’ Bowling  

The GS girls’ bowling team placed third in sectionals, and they went to regionals as well this season.  

“The girls have improved a lot as a whole by bringing our average up to around 680,” senior Shelby Frick said. 

Trying to achieve better spares is something the team had worked to overcome.  

The whole bowling team made it to regionals, while Paige Gaughan and Shelby Frick qualified individually.  

“For me, bowling isn’t just about high averages and wins, it’s about the connections, friends, and support you make along the way,” Frick added.  

Wrestling  

The GS wrestling team tried their best to win each tournament and become better wrestlers all round.  

“Individually yea, each one of us is doing well,” freshman Elijah Miller said.  

Each wrestler did well individually, but that doesn’t always mean they win each tournament.  

Ethan Miller, David Peters and Keegan Young qualified individually for WPIALs.  

“There is always room for improvement, you never reach perfection, but that’s what you aim for,” Elijah added.  

Boys’ Basketball  

The boys’ basketball team had a bit of a rough season, but they were still optimistic and tried to find ways to better themselves to win.  

The biggest issue that the team had to overcome is their communication according to sophomore Lucus Collins.  

Basketball is a team sport that requires everyone to talk and understand what they will be doing in the game. Teamwork was another issue preventing the boys from winning.  

“Our players need to work together better,” sophomore Lucas Collins said.  

The greatest win was a 59-50 victory against Indiana Area Senior High School on January 26th.  

Photo Courtesy: Adison Poole

Girls’ basketball  

The girls’ basketball team was 16-9.  

“We had a really hard section and I think we competed well against every team,” junior Blessing Gantt said.  

The girls had a 43-20 victory against Hopewell in the first playoff game, but they had a 62-36 loss against Highlands in the second game.  

“We just have to work hard and stay consistent in order to win next year,” sophomore Mya Heasley said.  

 Hockey  

The GS hockey team was 13-5 this season.  

“This year we are doing pretty good, but we can always do better,” freshman Jacob Fink said. 

The hard work the team put in this season took them to the playoffs. The boys had a 5-1 victory against Plum during the first playoff game, and they had a 2-0 victory against Quaker Valley during the second game. After advancing to the Penguins’ Cup Final, they lost a hard-fought game to Chartiers Valley.  

“Our goal is to become the team that Greensburg deserves to have,” Fink added.