Don Rebel stories, Page 34

Whether it was called Falconi Field, Consol Energy Park or now Wild Things Park, the home for the Washington Wild Things independent baseball team for more than two decades has now hosted 20 years of WPIAL baseball championship games. There have been some incredible moments packed in those many title...

In sports, the term consolation is described as a round or contest for tournament entrants who have been eliminated before the finals, often to determine third and fourth place.There are 20 WPIAL baseball and softball teams that will get a second chance coming up Tuesday and Wednesday with the district...

For the final time this school year, the district playoffs conclude on the diamond with baseball and softball championship and consolation action this week on the TribLive High School Sports Network. Trib HSSN has plenty of gold and state playoff berths to be had between Tuesday and Thursday with the...

The 2024 WPIAL diamond playoffs concluded the final-four round this past week, and it was the end of golden road for four baseball and four softball teams. It also ended their stay in the HSSN power rankings … for now. Four baseball and four softball teams ranked last week in...

The top softball teams across the state are taking care of business in the district playoffs with the win-and-advance mentality with just over a week left before the state softball playoffs. There were only four changes to the Trib HSSN state softball rankings with most of the district playoffs heading...

A couple of classes shuffled the deck with some district baseball postseason upsets from this past week. Seven teams vanished from the weekly Trib HSSN state baseball rankings from last week, one week before the start of the 2024 PIAA playoffs. Class 4A and A both saw two teams drop...

Between 2008 and 2019, Ambridge ruled WPIAL 2A boys volleyball. The Bridgers won nine district championships in 12 years. However, since the lost 2020 season to covid-19, the WPIAL has crowned three different Class 2A winners. A fourth one will claim gold on Friday. Top seed and undefeated Mars (19-0)...

Twenty years ago, North Allegheny successfully defended its WPIAL Class 3A boys volleyball championship. Since then, the Tigers have been the defending champion every year except four times. This is one of those four seasons. North Allegheny (13-1) will try to retrieve its crown Thursday when it battles 3A defending...

Bethel Park proved it had the pitching and defense throughout its WPIAL semifinals playoff game against top-seeded West Allegheny. However, if you blinked, you may have missed a unique offensive explosion. The Black Hawks manufactured the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning and then held on to...

Four WPIAL softball semifinals games are in the books from Tuesday, as the Class 3A and 2A title games are set for PennWest-California University next week. Now the other four classifications take to the final-four stage to determine which teams will play for district gold at Lilley Field next week....

Last year, Mt. Lebanon fell into a deep crevice after losing its first eight games of the season but rebounded to win a second straight WPIAL title. In the Class 5A semifinals Tuesday, Mt. Lebanon found itself in another big hole, trailing No. 5 seed Seneca Valley by five runs...

Welcome to Semifinals Tuesday in the WPIAL baseball, softball and boys volleyball playoffs. It is a quick turnaround for the 22 winners of district baseball quarterfinals Monday. The quickest turnaround is for Burgettstown. The Blue Devils edged Greensburg Central Catholic in the 2A quarterfinals in a game that ended shortly...

Franklin Regional had to scratch and claw for offense in the opening round of the WPIAL Class 5A baseball playoffs last week, coming back to edge Connellsville. On Monday, the hits and runs came in bunches as the Panthers offense carried the day in a 13-1 six-inning quarterfinal victory over...

Welcome to quarterfinals Monday in the 2024 WPIAL baseball playoffs. For most teams, it’s a second taste of postseason baseball following a victory in the opening round last week. However, for 19 district teams, it is the second-season opener after a long layoff. Which begs the question, rest or rust?...

The 2024 WPIAL spring sports postseason kicks into full gear with quarterfinals and semifinals contests on the diamonds, the courts and the stadiums around the district leading up to a holiday weekend this week on the TribLive High School Sports Network. We have plenty of postseason action between Monday and...

Trib HSSN baseball player of the week — Dylan Smith School — Blackhawk Class — Junior Position — Pitcher, left field #Earned — There are eyebrow raisers, and then there are double eyebrow raisers. A No. 16 seed beating a top seed in the first round is a monumental diamond...

Trib HSSN softball team of the week – Latrobe Wildcats Coach: Bob Kovalcin (fourth season in second term, 13th season overall) Record: 8-2 in Class 5A Section 2, 12-5 overall #Earned: Latrobe did not have a lot of momentum coming into the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. The Wildcats finished in...

Trib HSSN softball player of the week – Alivia Lantzy School: Avonworth Class: Senior Position: Pitcher #Earned: One of the top pitchers in the district enjoyed a big week with a couple of playoff victories, moving Avonworth two steps closer to a WPIAL Class 3A three-peat. On Tuesday in the...

The 2024 WPIAL diamond playoffs are through the first round in baseball and halfway through the softball postseason with two rounds down and two remaining. It makes sense, then, that there was move movement in the softball power rankings as three teams were bounced, leaving the door wide open for...

With the exception of one classification, the elite softball teams across the state did what they needed to do to remain part of the Trib HSSN state rankings heading into the district playoffs. The one classification that was in full shuffle mode was Class 5A. Three teams fell and three...