Central Valley star commits to Pitt football
Another local lineman is staying in Pittsburgh.
Central Valley star Sean FitzSimmons committed to Pitt Friday, joining the Panthers’ 2022 recruiting class and picking the program he grew up rooting for.
“They were my team growing up. They’re right here; I’m right here. I naturally cheered for them,” FitzSimmons said. “One year, my pap had season tickets to Pitt and I went to basically every home game they had. ... This just all worked out perfectly.”
FitzSimmons is a threestar prospect who was named first-team all-state in 2020. The Fab 22 selection was a key cog in Central Valley’s 12-0 march to the PIAA Class 3A championship, logging 112 tackles, 36 tackles for a loss and 18 sacks, according to MaxPreps. He was also a teammate of defensive back Stephon Hall, a 2021 Pitt signee.
FitzSimmons is the third member of Pitt’s 2022 recruiting class. Aveon Grose, a three-star defensive back from Ohio, kicked off Pitt’s cycle when he committed in September. Three-star defensive tackle Elijah Statham, the younger brother of Pitt offensive lineman Michael Statham, was the second to commit in January.
FitzSimmons chose Pitt over offers from Syracuse, Duke and Wake Forest, as well as Air Force, Army, Navy and a cluster of MidAmerican Conference programs. Pitt was FitzSimmons’ first Power Five conference offer in October.
The Central Valley standout said that Pitt’s offer was “a big thing” to him. So was the constant communication he had with head coach Pat Narduzzi, offensive line coach Dave Borbely and defensive line coach Charlie Partridge. FitzSimmons’ growing relationship with Partridge was especially crucial to his commitment.
“He told me he already knows what he needs to do to develop me and make me the best I can be. All the phone calls and the texts and all that, he’s a really great guy and great coach, and he made me want to go to Pitt,” the 6-foot-3, 274pounder said. “He’s developed so many guys into dominant All-American players who get drafted. He’s one of the best, if not the best d-line coach in the country.”
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• The No. 1 Pitt men’s soccer team (13-2, 9-1 ACC) shut out Virginia, 5-0, at Ambrose Urbanic Field and claimed its first ACC Coastal Division championship. Pitt joined the ACC in 2013.
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Basketball
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Hockey
The Colorado
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• The Nashville Predators placed forward Filip Forsberg on injured reserve in just one of their updates on an injury list that keeps growing longer.
• Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is out for the rest of the season and scheduled for sports hernia surgery.
Tennis
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• Third-seeded Lorenzo Sonego rallied past Yannick Hanfmann, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3, for a spot in the Sardegna Open semifinals in Sardinia.