Greg Macafee stories, Page 16

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...

Having one Burrell wrestler in a college program is enough to make an impact, but now the Brown Bears will have two on their roster in 2021. After senior AJ Corrado committed to the Rhode Island school earlier this fall, classmate Ian Oswalt also decided to join in on the...

For the last two years, Deer Lakes has been looking to get back to Hersheypark after coming up just short in 2018. On Tuesday night, on a snow-covered field at Lancers Stadium, the Lancers (17-1) accomplished that goal with a dominating 3-0 victory over District 10 champion Fairview (19-1-1) to...

Two years ago, the Deer Lakes boys soccer team made an improbable run to the 2018 PIAA Class AA championship game, and the Lancers have been looking to get back ever since. After a 2-0 win over District 9 champion Karns City on Saturday in the state quarterfinals, the Lancers...

For a majority of the 2019-20 PIHL season, Sewickley Academy was on the losing end of things. The Panthers were 0-16, losing only three of those by two goals or fewer. But, as the season neared its end, the Panthers started to settle into a rhythm and won two of...

From the first whistle of its PIAA Class 2A boys soccer quarterfinal against District 9 champion Karns City on Saturday, Deer Lakes’ confidence never wavered. The WPIAL champions controlled the pace of play and created scoring opportunities throughout the first half with tactical passing. A goal seemed inevitable. Seniors Ronan...

Since the Shady Side Academy field hockey team first began WPIAL competition in 1993, it has been one of the most successful programs around. The team has captured 17 WPIAL titles, winning at least three straight championships on five occasions. Shady Side also won WPIAL titles the first four years...

The Fox Chapel hockey team may have lost five solid seniors, but with a young team that plays together, third-year coach Cam Raidna is confident in what his team can do. “We feel pretty good about our team this year, and we felt good about it going into the season...

As the Deer Lakes boys soccer team took the field for practice earlier this week at Lancers Stadium, players were still buzzing from capturing the first WPIAL title in school history. They had a few days off to rest, celebrate and relish in what they had accomplished Nov. 5 at...

Over the past two years, Deer Lakes sophomore goalkeeper Nick Braun has had a strong defense in front of him, led by senior captain Colton Spence. Together, the Lancers have 19 shutouts and have allowed only 28 goals in the two-year span — with only seven of those coming this...

No. 1 Central Valley vs. No. 3 Elizabeth Forward 7 p.m. Friday, North Allegheny’s Newman Stadium On the air: Streamed exclusively on TribHSSN.triblive.com Winner plays: Winner of Bedford vs. Hickory in PIAA semifinals Nov. 20-21. WPIAL titles: Central Valley 3 (2010, ‘14 ‘19), Elizabeth Forward 0 Central Valley (9-0) Player...