Greg Macafee stories, Page 4
Highlands baseball continues hot streak, edges Belle Vernon in 1st round
Highlands has been playing some of its best baseball in recent weeks, so heading in to its WPIAL Class 4A first-round game Wednesday against Belle Vernon, coach Jeff Campbell said his team just needed to do one thing. Believe. So the sixth-seeded Golden Rams dug deep and earned a 3-0...
Alle-Kiski Valley WPIAL baseball playoff capsules for May 20, 2021
Today’s games Class 3A First round 8-Deer Lakes (9-6) vs. 9-Yough (7-7) Noon at Highlands Coaches: Josh Tysk, Deer Lakes; Craig Spisak, Yough Winner plays: Winner of 1-Hopewell (13-5)/16-Waynesburg (5-9) on Saturday in quarterfinals Players to watch: Justin Brannagan, Jr., P/OF, Deer Lakes; Vinny Martin, Sr., P/OF, Yough Extra bases:...
Aaron Epps ousted as Springdale boys basketball coach
After leading the Springdale boys basketball team to three straight playoff appearances, its first section championship since 1993, and 42 total wins, Aaron Epps was informed Wednesday the Allegheny Valley School District was opening his position. Springdale athletic director Pete Simpson confirmed the decision. In three years at the helm,...
Alle-Kiski Valley WPIAL baseball playoff capsules for May 19, 2021
Wednesday’s games Class 5A First round 5-Plum (11-6) vs. 12-Latrobe (11-8) 4:30 p.m. at Norwin Coaches: Carl Vollmer, Plum; Matt Basciano, Latrobe Winner plays: Winner of 4-South Fayette (15-3)/13-Peters Township (8-10) Friday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals. Players to watch: Ethan Kircher, Sr., C, Plum; Chase Sickenberger, Jr., INF, Latrobe...
Former Valley standout holding basketball camp, tournament at alma mater
Former Valley standout BJ Flenory is looking to give back to the area and honor the legends who came before him. On Saturday and Sunday, Flenory will hold a free basketball skills camp and ensuing tournament for fourth graders from around the area at the basketball gym at Valley. The...
Sewickley Academy girls lacrosse soars into WPIAL playoffs
The Sewickley Academy girls lacrosse team has put together a special season heading into the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs. With an overall record of 13-1 and a Section 2 mark of 9-1, the Panthers sit in second place in their section with their only loss coming against defending WPIAL champion...
Quaker Valley rallies for 1st WPIAL title since ’03
Two years ago, the Quaker Valley boys tennis team came up just short of winning its first WPIAL title since 2003, falling to Indiana, 3-2, in the WPIAL final. Ever since, the Quakers have been looking for redemption. On May 12, after earning the No. 1 seed in the WPIAL...
Fox Chapel grad Abby Pitcairn helps North Carolina win 3rd straight NCAA field hockey title
When Abby Pitcairn was a senior at Fox Chapel, she never envisioned the type of success she’d have when she set off to continue her field hockey career at North Carolina. But here she is, three years later, with three NCAA championships under her belt. “Coming into North Carolina, I...
Brothers-in-law face off for Riverview, Leechburg baseball
A few years ago, Bill Stoops and William Gras, who are brothers-in-law, were sharing the same bench as the head and assistant coach of the Gateway baseball program. On April 30 and May 6 though, the two coaches found themselves in opposite dugouts as Leechburg and Riverview faced off in...
Shady Side Academy boys tennis celebrates 1st WPIAL title since ’14
All season, Shady Side Academy senior Colin Gramley was hoping at least one tennis match would come down to him. Turns out, on May 12, in Shady Side’s biggest match of the season, Gramley got his wish. The Bulldogs were ahead of Franklin Regional, 2-1, in the WPIAL Class AAA...
Pitt’s NCAA College Cup run ends with semifinal loss to Indiana
No. 3 Indiana has been to the NCAA College Cup 21 times, winning eight national titles, and although No. 2 Pitt put up a fight in the semifinals Friday night in Cary, N.C., the Hoosiers showed why they’ve had so much success. In the 79th minute, Indiana sophomore Herbert Endeley...
9 A-K Valley baseball teams learn playoff fate; Plum earns No. 5 seed in Class 5A
This season has been full of ups and downs for baseball teams throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley, but on Friday afternoon, nine teams found out their fate for the WPIAL baseball playoffs. First-round games will begin Wednesday at neutral sites with WPIAL championship games being played at Wild Things Park in...
Highlands baseball warming up as WPIAL playoffs approach
Highlands is starting to hit its stride, and with the WPIAL baseball playoffs right around the corner, the timing couldn’t have been better. Since a 12-5 loss to Freeport on May 4, the Golden Rams have been on a tear. They took two from Section 1-4A champion North Catholic, 7-0...
A-K Valley baseball notebook: Riverview heading to playoffs for first time since 2015
For the first time since 2015, the Riverview baseball team is heading to the WPIAL Class A playoffs. With a record of 8-5 (7-3 Section 3-1A), the Raiders finished second in their section behind Eden Christian. Though his team has won three of its past four games, Riverview coach William...
Shady Side Academy, Quaker Valley, earn redemption and capture WPIAL boys tennis team titles
It was a year of redemption at the WPIAL boys tennis team championships on Wednesday at North Allegheny High School. Two years after coming up short on the same stage, Shady Side Academy and Quaker Valley captured WPIAL titles by a 3-2 score. After losing to Fox Chapel 3-2 in...
Derry captures first section title since 1992 with a 2-1 victory over Deer Lakes
The last time Derry won a section title in baseball, current coach John Flickinger was a senior in high school. The Trojans brought that drought to an end Tuesday. After scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday to earn a come-from-behind victory, the Trojans got to...
Fox Chapel upends Plum and keeps section title hopes alive
For four innings Monday, the Fox Chapel baseball team couldn’t find a way to produce a run. They left two runners on base in the first, one on in both the second and third and one on in the fourth while tallying two hits. Meanwhile, senior right-hander Dante DiMatteo threw...
Sewickley Academy grad Luke Ross to begin next chapter after tennis career comes to an end
Tennis has always been a main focus for former PIAA and WPIAL singles champion Luke Ross. During his time at Sewickley Academy, between 2014-17, Ross won three WPIAL singles titles, two PIAA singles titles, and was a PIAA runner-up his freshman year. He could’ve won an additional title but took...
Sophomore Adin Zorn helps lead Sewickley Academy to baseball playoffs for 1st time since ’16
Before the coronavirus pandemic canceled Sewickley Academy’s baseball season last year, Panthers coach Anthony Garofalo saw then-freshman Adin Zorn hitting in the cage and knew he would play a big part in the team’s future. “Obviously, we didn’t get to play, but just seeing him in the cages and stuff,...
After battle with covid-19, Deer Lakes’ Carson McCoy has his eyes set on WPIAL gold
Two years ago, Deer Lakes track and field coach Justin Mech took his core group of runners to a meet out in Altoona and came away impressed by a youngster who had joined his squad. “I took this skinny little red-headed freshman, and he did awesome,” Mech said about current...
Fox Chapel to honor 6 inductees in 24th annual Hall of Fame class
The Fox Chapel Area Schools Hall of Fame will induct six new individuals and a championship team as part of the 24th annual class during a banquet June 5, at the Harmar House in Cheswick. Each inductee excelled at Fox Chapel and solidified a legacy throughout decorated high school careers....
Fox Chapel’s Dante DiMatteo throws 2 no-hitters in 5-day span
Not many WPIAL pitchers have been as hot as Fox Chapel’s Dante DiMatteo. In his final starts of April, the hard-throwing right-hander allowed zero hits in 11 innings while striking out 24 batters and walking eight. On April 23, DiMatteo threw a five-inning no-hitter against Section 2-5A opponent Woodland Hills...
Riverhounds set to debut new ‘dynamic’ attack in season opener against Tampa Bay Rowdies
Two years ago, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds were the talk of USL Championship as they captured the Eastern Conference title with 68 points. The Black and Gold have changed a lot since that season. Defender Jordan Dover and USL Championship all-time assists leader Kenardo Forbes are the only two players who...
A-K Valley baseball notebook: Freeport rallies past Highlands for first section win
The Freeport Yellowjackets haven’t had too many bright spots this season, but at times, coach Ed Carr’s team has shown exactly what it might be capable of in the future. On Wednesday, the Yellowjackets turned in one of their best performances of the season with a 12-5 victory over Highlands,...
Hampton holds off Plum to punch ticket to playoffs for 4th straight year
After multiple late-inning comebacks this season, including against Hampton on Tuesday, the Plum baseball team finally ran out of magic Thursday. Trailing by three in the bottom of the seventh, the Mustangs (9-4, 9-1) pushed a run across and put the tying run on second. But Hampton junior Cam Marshalwitz...
