Bill Hartlep stories, Page 24
New coach Bestic will try to bring success to the St. Joseph baseball team
Bradley Bestic has experience leading a Class A baseball team to success. This spring, he will lean on that experience in guiding St. Joseph. Bestic, who was named St. Joseph’s athletic director in November, enters his first season as coach of the Spartans’ baseball program. He coached Vincentian Academy from...
2022 WPIAL Class 3A baseball preseason breakdown
Last spring was a celebration as district athletes returned to the diamond after the 2020 season was canceled because of covid-19 shutdowns. Baseball thrived throughout the WPIAL as six new champions were crowned, some in dramatic fashion. That success carried over to the state playoffs as WPIAL teams captured two...
2022 WPIAL Class 3A softball preseason breakdown
Last spring was a celebration as district athletes returned to the diamonds after the 2020 season was canceled because of the covid-19 shutdowns. Softball was a success throughout as the WPIAL crowned four new champions while Laurel and West Greene remained on top in 2A and A. District softball squads...
Redeemer Lutheran’s Jesse Van Wyk named SWPAA MVP
Jesse Van Wyk wasn’t named league MVP after his freshman season. That slight motivated him in the offseason and throughout his sophomore campaign. The league voters couldn’t ignore his performance this time around. The Redeemer Lutheran sophomore basketball player averaged 24.1 points and was named MVP of the Southwestern Pennsylvania...
A-K Valley senior spotlight: Fox Chapel’s Rei Sperry
At the biggest moment of the season, Rei Sperry was at her best. The Fox Chapel senior swimmer helped the Foxes capture gold medals in the 200-yard medley relay (1:43.90) and 400 freestyle relay (3:29.23) March 3-4 at the WPIAL Class 3A championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool. “She really came...
No. 2 Villanova ousts No. 15 Delaware in NCAA Tournament
Delaware gave fans at PPG Paints Arena an early thrill Friday afternoon, but Villanova’s talent, experience and pinpoint perimeter shooting proved too much to overcome. The No. 2-seeded Wildcats used a strong inside-outside game to finish the first half and were solid at both ends of the floor in the...
No. 13 Chattanooga looking to capitalize on its ‘One Shining Moment’
David Jean-Baptiste started the madness this March. He and his Chattanooga Mocs teammates are hoping it won’t be their “One Shining Moment.” Jean-Baptiste drilled a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in overtime to defeat Furman, 64-63, in the Southern Conference championship game March 7 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C. It was...
Breaking down No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 UAB
No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 UAB 9:20 p.m. Friday, PPG Paints Arena TV: TNT Winner plays: Winner of No. 4 Illinois/No. 12 Chattanooga in second round Sunday Series history: UAB leads 18-6 Houston Cougars (28-5, 15-3 American) Coach: Kelvin Sampson How they got here: Houston earned an automatic bid...
Breaking down No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 13 Chattanooga
No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 13 Chattanooga 6:50 p.m. Friday, PPG Paints Arena TV: TNT Winner plays: Winner of No. 5 Houston/No. 12 UAB in the second round Sunday Series history: Chattanooga leads 2-0 Illinois Fighting Illini (22-9, 15-5 Big Ten) Coach: Brad Underwood How they got here: Illinois earned...
Breaking down No. 15 Delaware vs. No. 2 Villanova
No. 15 Delaware vs. No. 2 Villanova 2:45 p.m. Friday, PPG Paints Arena TV: CBS Winner plays: Winner of No. 7 Ohio State/No. 10 Loyola Chicago in second round Sunday Series history: Villanova leads 14-0 Villanova Wildcats (26-7, 16-4 Big East) Coach: Jay Wright How they got here: Villanova won...
Breaking down No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Loyola
No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Loyola Chicago 12:15 p.m. Friday, PPG Paints Arena TV: CBS Winner plays: Winner of No. 2 Villanova/No. 15 Delaware in second round Sunday Series history: Ohio State leads 4-0 Ohio State Buckeyes (19-11, 12-8 Big Ten) Coach: Chris Holtmann How they got here:...
Tickets still available for NCAA Tournament games at PPG Paints Arena
College basketball fans will flock to PPG Paints Arena this week as March Madness comes to Pittsburgh. The Uptown venue will host NCAA Tournament first- and second-round games Friday and Sunday, respectively. Tickets are still available for all three sessions. The first session begins at 12:15 p.m. Friday with Loyola...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Burrell’s Cole Clark
Cole Clark feels a responsibility to carry on the tradition of Burrell wrestling. One of the state’s most consistent programs, Burrell has built a tradition of success rivaled by very few teams in the Commonwealth. “You carry that standard with you when you wrestle, whether for team wrestling or individual,”...
PIHL Penguins Cup playoff preview: North Hills vs. Fox Chapel, Monday, March 7, 2022
Class A Quarterfinals 8-North Hills (12-8-0-0) vs. 1-Fox Chapel (19-0-0-1) 7:20 p.m. Monday, Alpha Ice Complex Winner plays: Winner of 4-Norwin/5-Westmont Hilltop in semifinals, 6:45 p.m. March 16 at Robert Morris Island Sports Center, Moon Ice chips: The Foxes led PIHL Class A in points (39), goals (128) and goals...
Mt. Lebanon captures 4th WPIAL championship with victory over rival Upper St. Clair
It wasn’t the start Mt. Lebanon was hoping for. The finish, though, was as good as gold. The top-seeded Blue Devils earned their fourth WPIAL girls basketball championship Friday night with a 55-44 victory over No. 3 Upper St. Clair in the Class 6A title game at Petersen Events Center....
2022 WPIAL Class 5A girls basketball championship breakdown: Chartiers Valley vs. South Fayette
WPIAL Class 5A girls basketball championship No. 1 Chartiers Valley vs. No. 2 South Fayette 5 p.m. Saturday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: TribHSSN.TribLive.com; Audio: WJPA-FM 95.3 WPIAL titles: Chartiers Valley 4 (2017, ‘19, ‘20, ‘21); South Fayette 1 (2016) Chartiers Valley (24-1) Coach: Tim McConnell Projected...
2022 WPIAL Class 4A girls basketball championship breakdown: Blackhawk vs. Knoch
WPIAL Class 4A girls basketball championship No. 1 Blackhawk vs. No. 3 Knoch 3 p.m. Saturday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: TribHSSN.TribLive.com; Audio: WBVP-AM 1230, WBVP-FM 99.3, WMBA-AM 1460, WISR-AM 680, FM 107.5 WPIAL titles: Blackhawk 7 (1996, ‘97, ‘99, 2000, ‘11, ‘14, ‘15); Knoch 0 Blackhawk...
2022 WPIAL Class A girls basketball championship breakdown: Aquinas Academy vs. Bishop Canevin
WPIAL Class A girls basketball championship No. 4 Aquinas Academy vs. No. 7 Bishop Canevin 11 a.m. Saturday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: TribHSSN.TribLive.com WPIAL titles: Aquinas Academy 0; Bishop Canevin 5 (2013, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18, ‘20) Aquinas Academy (14-6) Coach: Chris Lebakken Projected starting lineup No.,...
2022 WPIAL Class 6A girls basketball championship breakdown: Mt. Lebanon vs. Upper St. Clair
WPIAL Class 6A girls basketball championship No. 1 Mt. Lebanon vs. No. 3 Upper St. Clair 7 p.m. Friday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: TribHSSN.TribLive.com; Audio: WJPA-FM 95.3 WPIAL titles: Mt. Lebanon 3 (2009, ‘10, ‘12); Upper St. Clair 6 (1973, ‘93, ‘94, ‘96, 2003, ‘08) Mt....
2022 WPIAL Class 2A girls basketball championship breakdown: OLSH vs. Neshannock
WPIAL Class 2A girls basketball championship No. 1 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart vs. No. 2 Neshannock 3 p.m. Friday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: TribHSSN.TribLive.com WPIAL titles: OLSH 1 (2019); Neshannock 2 (2019, 2021) OLSH (21-4) Coach: Don Eckerle Projected starting lineup No., Name, Ht.,...
Bishop Canevin defends WPIAL Class A title with victory over Union
It was another successful crusade for the Bishop Canevin boys basketball team. The top-seeded Crusaders defended their WPIAL Class A title Thursday night by defeating No. 3 Union, 58-45, in the first of 12 championship games at the Petersen Events Center. With a suffocating man-to-man defense and strong inside attack,...
2022 WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball championship breakdown: North Catholic vs. Freedom
WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball championship No. 1 North Catholic vs. No. 3 Freedom 7 p.m. Thursday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: TribHSSN.TribLive.com; Radio: WBVP-AM 1230, WBVP-FM 99.3, WMBA-AM 1460 WPIAL titles: North Catholic 20; Freedom 0 North Catholic (18-5) Coach: Molly Rottmann Projected starting lineup No.,...
2022 WPIAL Class A boys basketball championship breakdown: Bishop Canevin vs. Union
WPIAL Class A boys basketball championship No. 1 Bishop Canevin vs. No. 3 Union 5 p.m. Thursday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: TribHSSN.TribLive.com WPIAL titles: Bishop Canevin 1; Union 1 Bishop Canevin (19-4) Coach: Gino Palmosina Projected starting lineup No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos. 3, Amari Evans,...
Dave Heavner returns to alma mater as Valley’s new football coach
Life is coming full circle for Dave Heavner. The 1989 Valley High School graduate was named the Vikings head football coach Tuesday night and is ready to guide the program where he starred as a running back and linebacker and later served as an assistant coach. “It’s a dream for...
A-K Valley senior spotlight: St. Joseph’s Sam Wygonik
Sam Wygonik finishes classes each day and heads to swim practice, but for the St. Joseph senior, it’s not as simple as walking down a few hallways to the natatorium. Wygonik is the lone swimmer at St. Joseph and does his daily workouts at Fox Chapel High School. He’s an...
