Greg Macafee stories, Page 15
Quaker Valley swimmers ready to show up for work, contend for championships
In his first year at the helm of the Quaker Valley swimming and diving program, John Nemeth wants athletes to put in the work that will enable them to compete at their highest level. Despite limitations resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, that is exactly what the Quakers were doing until...
Fox Chapel wrestling looks to lean on work ethic in 2020
After losing four seniors to graduation, the Fox Chapel wrestling team is going to go through a transition process in 2020. Eddie Farrell, Josh Miller, Luke O’Connor and Alex Wecht all left a lasting impact on the program after combining for 101 wins last season. They all recorded double-digit pins....
Fox Chapel swimming set to have best team in recent history
The Fox Chapel swimming program is on the rise. With an influx of young talent on both the girls and boys side and state champion Sophie Shao returning, the Foxes are in position to have one of the best seasons in recent history. “We feel really confident; we had one...
Valley News Dispatch Defensive Player of the Year: Springdale’s Logan Dexter
Alle-Kiski Valley Defensive Player of the Year Logan Dexter S, Junior, 6-2, 165 pounds, Springdale In Springdale’s first scrimmage of the season, Imani Christian sent two receivers toward junior safety Logan Dexter in hopes they would force him to make a difficult decision about who to cover. Dexter found himself...
Fox Chapel gets a win over Hampton before three-week shutdown
Before his team met Hampton on Friday for its only game in the next three weeks, Fox Chapel boys basketball coach Zach Skrinjar wrote a message on the whiteboard. It was a simple question mark. Big and bold. “We always have a last word before the game, and our last...
After a down year, Kiski Area wrestling looking to prove it belongs among Class AAA elite
The Kiski Area wrestling team might have fallen short in many areas last season, and the Cavaliers might have lost a ton of talent, but don’t expect them to be anything short of motivated entering a season like no other. They might be battling a pandemic while battling their opponents,...
Highlands girls basketball excited about prospects for new season
The Highlands girls basketball team is ready to surprise people this season. With a young roster featuring just one senior, coach Courtney Udanis is excited about what her team might be able to do. “We have a really good group of freshmen coming up, and we’re pretty ecstatic, especially after...
Boys basketball preview: Highlands ready to take on challenges
The Highlands boys basketball team is ready for the challenge. Multiple challenges actually. On Monday night, Highlands School District reversed a decision it made earlier this month and approved winter sports to move forward after recently delaying them until mid-January. So the Golden Rams are behind in terms of preparing...
In year like no other, Burrell wrestlers look to capture 15th straight WPIAL title
Even during a pandemic, there’s not a year that goes by when the Burrell wrestling program isn’t in the mix for a WPIAL Class AA championship. It’s no secret the Bucs have won 14 straight WPIAL titles, and if they are able to complete their season this year, they are...
Highlands’ Gabe Norris commits to Robert Morris University
Gabe Norris’ recruitment has dragged on for the past two years, but when it came down to it, the Highlands midfielder found his collegiate home in about two weeks. On Sunday, Norris announced his commitment to continue his soccer career at Robert Morris. “It’s weird because I’ve been doing this...
Loaded Sewickley Academy girls roster includes 5 returning starters and then some
The excitement in coach Mark Gaither’s voice was through the roof. Just one year after achieving an overall record of 14-12 and earning a berth into the WPIAL Class A semifinals, the Sewickley Academy girls basketball team is returning all five of its starters and then some. “We have a...
Quaker Valley girls basketball, a program on the rise, sets championship goals
The Quaker Valley girls basketball team got a nice taste of success last season, and now it’s ready for more. After recording an overall record of 17-7 and earning a blowout first-round victory over No. 9 West Mifflin, the Quakers got a shot at No. 1 seed North Catholic. While...
New coaches bring excitement, confidence to Springdale girls basketball
There’s a new-found energy surrounding the Springdale girls basketball program. Jerry Clark and assistant coach Meredith Cooper are in their first year running things after spending time at the junior high level, and they are ready to erase the stigma that has surrounded the program for so many years. “We’re...
With newfound focus and depth, Springdale boys ready to make deep playoff run
The Springdale boys basketball team came out of nowhere last season. Led by junior guard Demitri Fritch, who scored 24.7 points per game, the Dynamos cruised to a 20-4 record, scoring 63.6 points per game, and were on the verge of making their first WPIAL semifinal appearance since 1991. It...
Shady Side Academy girls basketball returns full roster from last season
Not many WPIAL teams can boast about returning their entire roster. The Shady Side Academy girls basketball team can, and coach Caroline Fitzgerald is excited to see what they can do this season. With a young lineup last season, the girls took their bumps and bruises and limped to a...
Behind mixture of youth, experience, Shady Side Academy boys ready to compete
The Shady Side Academy boys basketball team lost eight seniors to graduation, but coach David Vadnais is excited about what his young players bring to the program. “For everybody, it’s going to be a weird year, but it’s going to be an interesting year for us because those seniors that...
Highlands alum Dale Shaw part of 1st all-Black officiating crew in NFL history
Nov. 23 was a historic day for the NFL, and Highlands alum Dale Shaw was a part of it. When the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers played on “Monday Night Football,” an all-Black officiating crew took the field for the first time in the history of the league....
Plum girls looking to take next step with experienced, talented roster
The Plum girls basketball team was on the brink of the first section title in school history last season but fell a game short. After a loss in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs to Penn Hills, the Mustangs finished their season 14-7. It was their first...
Plum boys looking to develop consistency, return to playoffs
The Plum boys basketball team just missed out on a playoff appearance last season. The Mustangs were hovering between fourth and fifth place in Section 3-5A and needed crucial wins down the stretch to secure their first playoff berth since the 2015-16 season. They dropped three of their final five...
Leechburg girls coach shares special bond with team as they build for future
Leechburg girls basketball coach Andre Carter has a special bond with his team. When he was named varsity coach in 2018, Carter also coached the junior high team. Now, he has a roster full of players he watched come up through the system. “This year is my first year that...
Run-and-gun Leechburg boys looking to keep pedal to the floor
Last season, the Leechburg boys basketball team loved to run, play fast and create as many scoring opportunities as possible. “The more chances the better,” Leechburg coach Damian Davies said. They did so successfully, too. The Blue Devils averaged 70 points per game, which was tied for the second-highest in...
Trib HSSN WPIAL boys soccer all-stars: Dane Beller came through in clutch for Mars
Player of the Year Dane Beller Mars, Sr., F The Mars Fightin’ Planets were pressing. They were down a goal in a physical PIAA championship game with a state title at their fingertips. Senior forward Dane Beller was issued a yellow card midway through the second half, and while his...
Girls basketball preview: With top scorers back, excitement grows at Knoch
It’s a new year for the Knoch girls basketball team, and the Knights have a lot to be excited about. After going 17-7 a year ago and making a trip to the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals, the Knights return four of their top six scorers and have a ton of...
Boys basketball preview: With new head coach, Knoch might look a little different
The Knoch boys basketball team will look a lot different in 2020. After former coach Ron McNabb stepped down in the offseason, Freeport grad Alan Bauman took over the program for his first varsity head coaching job and is looking to continue the success Knoch has had in recent years....
Boys basketball preview: Quaker Valley looking to run with experienced roster
By this point in the year, the Quaker Valley boys basketball team is used to having close to 60 offseason games under its belt, and although they may not matter in the grand scheme of things, those games are crucial. From spring shootouts to summer team camps and leagues, along...
