Fox Chapel notebook: Clarion’s Jacob Patterson earns All-PSAC honors

Josh Rizzo TribLive Sat, May 16, 2026 • 11:01 AM

Fox Chapel grad Jake Patterson hit .324 with six home runs and 32 RBIs for Clarion in 2026. (Courtesy of Jim Patterson)

Jacob Patterson missed out on the 2025 Clarion baseball season because of an injury. But the redshirt sophomore and Fox Chapel graduate made the most of his return to the diamond this spring with the Golden Eagles.

Patterson hit .324 and drove in 31 runs to earn second-team All-PSAC West honors. Patterson also had a .930 OPS and hit six home runs and nine doubles. Patterson’s 31 RBIs produced a top 10 mark in program history.

Patterson became the first Clarion third baseman to earn All-PSAC West honors since Alex Ficorilli, a Shaler graduate, was picked for the second team in 2019.

SSA duo chosen for showcase

The Shady Side Academy hockey program had a pair of juniors selected to represent the Mid-Am District at the USA Hockey National Camp from July 7-13 in Amherst, N.Y. The two players will be attempting to earn selection to the Hlinka Gretzky Cup Camp.

Players from that camp will represent Team USA on the U.S. Under-18 Select team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Samuels, a goaltender, was the only goalie chosen to represent the Mid-Am. Yingst, a forward, was chosen for the second straight season.

Fox Chapel bows out in first round

The Foxes boys volleyball team was bounced from the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs by Penn-Trafford, 3-1.

Fox Chapel, which was seeded 11th, finished in second place in the section and ended the season 9-8 overall.

Foxes flag football loses in first round of playoffs

Fox Chapel’s flag football team impressed during its first season by making the playoffs. The Foxes’ reward ended up being running into a buzzsaw in the first round.

Shaler, which went on to dominate en route to a win in the first WPIAL championship game, beat the Foxes, 39-0.

Fox Chapel wrapped up its first season 12-4.

Bulldogs tripped up by Riverside, again

Shady Side Academy had another difficult matchup with Riverside in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. The Bulldogs lost 3-2 in nine innings at North Hills. Shady Side Academy, which finished 11-9, won seven of its final eight games this season to build steam heading into the postseason.

Last season, Riverside beat Shady Side Academy in the first round of the district playoffs before going on to win the program’s sixth PIAA crown.