Greg Macafee stories, Page 15

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...

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...

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....

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...

The Sewickley Academy boys basketball team is coming off its first losing season since 2012-13 but with a lack of size, and experience, it could’ve been worse. “These are really good kids and we actually overachieved to have the record that we did,” Sewickley Academy coach Win Palmer said. “We...

Wayne Greiser and the Freeport boys basketball team are looking to change their ways this season. Even though the Yellowjackets lost eight seniors to graduation, they still could go 10 deep and have a starting five that could interchange at any position. With depth and athleticism on their side, the...

Valley News Dispatch Boys Soccer Player of the Year Michael Sullivan Sr., F, Deer Lakes When Deer Lakes senior Mike Sullivan stepped onto a soccer field, he typically drew the attention of two or three defenders. Anytime an opposing coach revealed a gameplan, either going into a game or afterward,...

The Freeport girls basketball team is set to face a tough challenge. After posting an overall record of 17-8 and making a run to the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals and PIAA first round last season, the Yellowjackets will have to replace five seniors, including leading scorer Sidney Shemanksi (12.5 ppg.)...

In Marty Matvey’s first year at the helm of the Fox Chapel girls basketball program, the Foxes saw a glimpse of success they are hoping to build on in Year 2. They finished with an overall record of 13-10 and went .500 in a section that included eventual WPIAL champion...

The Fox Chapel boys basketball team put together a historic season last year. The Foxes won their first 20 games of the season, put together an overall record of 21-2 with their two losses coming in their final three games of the season, limited teams to a WPIAL-low 43.1 points...

In Marty Matvey’s first year at the helm of the Fox Chapel girls basketball program, the Foxes saw a glimpse of success that they are hoping to build on in year two. They finished with an overall record of 13-10 and went .500 in a section that included eventual WPIAL...

Deer Lakes girls basketball coach Dave Petruska is excited about what the 2020 season might hold for his Lancers, and rightfully so. A year after going 13-10 (9-5 in section), Petruska’s team returns four of five starters and lost only one senior. Reese Hasley, Nikki Fleming, Jenny Butler and Cameron...

After losing nine seniors to graduation, the Deer Lakes boys basketball team will be young in 2020, but the Lancers don’t lack experience. A season ago, the Lancers recorded an overall record of 12-10 and sneaked into the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs as the No. 16 seed. They earned a...

Around the WPIAL, schools have delayed the start of winter sports season. Whereas teams were set to begin practice last Friday, some schools pushed their start dates to Dec. 7. On Monday, the Highlands School District announced it was postponing winter sports until Jan. 15, though athletic director Drew Karpen...

This season didn’t end the way the Quaker Valley boys soccer team wanted it to. After winning WPIAL and PIAA titles last season, the Quakers were motivated to repeat this season. After a solid regular season, where they went 11-1-1 and outscored opponents 114-8, they were ready to head into...

The Sewickley Academy boys soccer team was on the brink of a berth into the WPIAL Class A championship for the first time since winning it all in 2016. The Panthers ran into No. 2 seed Winchester Thurston in the WPIAL Class A semifinals and took the defending PIAA Class...

Throughout the 2020 season, the Deer Lakes boys soccer team has taken pride in forcing its style of play on opponents. On Saturday, in the PIAA Class 2A championship game at Hersheypark Stadium, it was Lewisburg (22-0) that dictated how the game would flow. From the first whistle, Lewisburg dominated...

North Catholic goalie Andrea Bean did everything she could during the Trojans’ first PIAA championship appearance on Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium. But with just under 20 minutes remaining in their contest against Bloomsburg, Panthers forward Rylee Klinger drew a penalty and Bucknell commit Paige Temple buried her attempt into the...

The Shady Side Academy field hockey team has made its fair share of PIAA playoff appearances since winning its first WPIAL title in 1993. But SSA could never find its way out of the quarterfinals and into the semifinals. Actually, not many WPIAL teams have been able to do so...

Throughout the 2020 high school soccer season, the Fox Chapel boys soccer team had a player to rely on when a goal was desperately needed. Senior forward Nate Lazzara fit that role perfectly for the Foxes, who finished 11-4 and fell just short against No. 1 Peters Township, 2-1, in...

All season long, the Mars boys soccer team was led by its defense. Mars had only allowed eight goals in 20 games, but when District 3 champion Northern scored the ninth in the first half of the PIAA Class 3A championship on Friday at Hersheypark Stadium, the Fightin’ Planets knew...

For the past month, the Deer Lakes boys soccer team has been playing some of its best soccer. It has resulted in seven straight wins, a WPIAL Class 2A championship and a berth in the PIAA finals. The Lancers (17-1) have been treating every game like a championship, and Saturday’s...

For the third time in program history, the Mars girls soccer team is leaving Hersheypark Stadium with PIAA gold in hand and big grins on their faces. Purdue commit Gracie Dunaway scored a goal three minutes into their PIAA Class 3A championship match, and senior midfielder Samantha King shouldered in...

Making a trip to Hersheypark Stadium on a weekend in mid-November can leave a lasting impact on any high school team. It can give players a sense of satisfaction after getting a PIAA gold medal placed around their neck or a sense of disappointment after losing on the biggest stage....

The Central Valley Warriors are coming off their second straight WPIAL title and are preparing for their PIAA semifinal matchup with District 5 champion Bedford on Friday. For the Warriors, it’s just like any other day. Since losing to Wyoming Area, 21-14, in the PIAA Class 3A state title game...