Greg Macafee stories, Page 7
A-K Valley boys baseball notebook: Hot bats, solid pitching boost Deer Lakes
With a few big bats and some dominant pitching from juniors Justin Brannagan and Jacob Danka, the Deer Lakes Lancers have gotten off to a hot start in 2021. Two of their four wins have come by 10 runs and their other two victories came by a combined nine runs....
Valley baseball winning arms race in season’s opening weeks
In 2021, pitching will come at a premium as teams will be forced to dive deep into their rotations for back-to-back section games each week. While some teams may not have the depth to keep up with the demand, the Valley Vikings (5-1, 2-0) have showcased they’ll have plenty of...
Walk-off double pushes Highlands baseball team past Knoch
One close game is nice, but back-to-back tight wins is even better. Thanks to junior middle infielder Seth Helgert, Highlands earned its second straight Section 1-4A triumph Wednesday, rallying for a 3-2 walk-off victory over Knoch. Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Helgert stepped to the plate...
Valley’s John Luke Bailey twirls gem in section win over Derry
Valley senior John Luke Bailey didn’t find himself in many tough situations Tuesday as the Vikings hosted Derry in their first Section 3-3A game of the season. When he did, though, his defense had his back. The Vikings (4-1, 1-0) battled out of two tough spots against the Trojans (1-1,...
Freeport tops McDowell in PIHL quarterfinals to avenge early season loss
Kelly Mason took over the Freeport hockey program three years ago, and the Yellowjackets have been searching for a playoff win ever since. On Monday, in the quarterfinals of the Class A Penguins Cup Playoffs, No. 5 Freeport (15-3-1) finally broke through. Sophomore Caleb Hoffman scored in the second period,...
Sewickley Academy softball focused on development
The Sewickley Academy softball team will look to build in 2021. After losing four-year starting pitcher Alexis Barlock, along with four other starters, the Panthers won’t have any seniors this season and co-head coaches Heather Border and Shannon Rankin are looking to build the program back up. “We’re just focusing...
Quaker Valley boys lacrosse looking to improve with inexperienced team
Two years ago, with a team that was filled with experienced talent, Quaker Valley boys lacrosse earned a third-place finish in the WPIAL tournament and punched its ticket to the PIAA playoffs. But after a canceled season due to the coronavirus pandemic and the graduation of a talented group, the...
Burrell’s Dynamic Duo, Ian Oswalt and AJ Corrado cap off high school careers at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic
Throughout their high school wrestling careers, Burrell’s AJ Corrado and Ian Oswalt often have been intertwined. As teammates, they’ve helped the Bucs capture four straight WPIAL team titles and led them to a third-place finish at the PIAA team tournament this season. They combined to win six WPIAL individual titles...
Valley News Dispatch Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Fox Chapel’s Eli Yofan
Valley News Dispatch Boys Basketball Player of the Year Eli Yofan, Fox Chapel 6-2, Jr., Guard Heading into this season, the Fox Chapel boys basketball team was set to replace four senior starters from a team that went 21-2 the previous year and earned the No. 2 seed in the...
Shady Side Academy girls lacrosse ready to rewrite story
Two years ago, the Shady Side Academy girls lacrosse program won its first WPIAL championship in historical fashion. In a game that stretched over 24 hours because of weather conditions, Shady Side Academy’s Molly Walsh scored with three minutes left in the second overtime of their WPIAL championship match with...
Shady Side Academy’s Melissa Riggins ready to end high school career on high note
Shady Side Academy senior Melissa Riggins had her sights set on becoming the first girl to win state medals in the 800- and 1600-meter races in four straight years. She was halfway there heading into her junior season when the coronavirus pandemic brought an end to that goal after the...
WPIAL wrestlers shine at Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic as Team PA knocks off Team USA
Western Pennsylvania is known for its wrestling, and Friday night at the 47th annual Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic, WPIAL wrestlers showed they can stack up against some of the best in the country. In the first match of the evening, a team made up of WPIAL all-stars dominated a Maryland all-star...
Deer Lakes defender Colton Spence commits to Robert Morris
For the past two seasons, Deer Lakes senior defender Colton Spence has been the backbone of the Lancers defense on the soccer field and now he’s taking his talents to Robert Morris. Earlier this week, Spence announced he was signing with the Colonials to continue his soccer career after helping...
WPIAL legends come together for Stop the Violence Shootout
It’s not often WPIAL legends have the opportunity to get together and give back to their respective communities, but since 2018, Wilkinsburg alum Taz Williams and co-organizer Drew Schifino have brought some of the best basketball players in WPIAL history together. In 2018, an alumni game between Wilkinsburg and Penn...
Dan Yates resigns as Deer Lakes boys soccer coach after successful 2-year run
After leading the Deer Lakes boys soccer program to its first WPIAL title, back-to-back WPIAL championship game appearances, and its second PIAA championship game in three years, coach Dan Yates is moving on to the collegiate level. Since coming to the U.S. from England, Yates has had the goal of...
Lernerville Speedway delays Test & Tune session because of weather
Mother Nature has struck again. Because of saturated grounds and a cold weather forecast, Lernerville Speedway canceled Friday night’s scheduled Test & Tune session, which was set to kick off the 2021 season. According to the Weather Channel, temperatures are supposed to reach a low of 21 degrees Friday night...
After busy offseason, Riverhounds getting acclimated to new teammates
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are just over a month away from their first regular season game of the 2021 season and are looking to use every day to come together after a busy offseason. After a covid-19 shortened season, where they finished 11-5-1 and lost to Louisville City FC in the...
With athleticism and versatility, Quaker Valley baseball confident heading into season
In the year before Dean Owrey took over the Quaker Valley baseball program, the Quakers won just five games. In his first season, Owrey and the Quakers captured 11 games and punched their ticket to the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs before losing to South Park, 2-1, in the first round....
With small roster, Quaker Valley softball to rely on versatility
The Quaker Valley softball team will be young in 2021, but the Quakers aren’t going to let that stop them from building something special for the future. With just one senior and 11 total players, the Quakers will lack some senior leadership and depth, but coach Nicole Olson is looking...
Waynesburg routs Central Dauphin to capture 1st PIAA wrestling title
MECHANICSBURG — A year ago, Waynesburg made a run to the PIAA Class 3A team wrestling championships and came up just short of capturing the first PIAA title in any sport in Waynesburg history. Although it was a devastating loss for the Raiders, 172-pound senior Luca Augustine also called it...
2021 Valley News Dispatch wrestling all-stars
Cooper Hornack Burrell, fr., 106 pounds 2020-21 record: 29-3 In his first season of varsity wrestling, Hornack captured a WPIAL title and also took second at states. He had 14 pins and two of his three losses came via decision. Antonino Walker Plum, fr., 106 pounds 2020-21 record: 22-4 In...
Valley News Dispatch wrestler of the year: Burrell’s AJ Corrado
When Burrell senior AJ Corrado first started wrestling in fifth grade, he used to be mesmerized by the state wrestling brackets, often wondering if he’d ever have a chance to stand on top of the PIAA podium one day in Hershey. “I would always look at brackets and stuff like...
Burrell takes 3rd at PIAA team tournament for first time since 2014
Since his seniors were younger, Burrell wrestling coach Josh Shields knew he would have a special team when 2021 came around. Adding a talented freshman in Cooper Hornack and a few other pieces who fit the Burrell mold provided a big boost, too. On Saturday afternoon at Cumberland Valley High...
Moon native Khama Worthy set to step back into octagon at UFC 260
Moon Area native Khama Worthy stepped into the octagon seven months ago and suffered the first loss of his UFC career, now “The Deathstar” is looking to right the ship. On Saturday, Worthy (16-7) will take on Australian Jamie Mullarkey on the UFC 260 Main Card before heavyweights Stipe Miocic...
Knoch softball eager to be tested by tough competition in 2021
Two years ago, the Knoch softball team put together one of the best runs in program history. The Knights went 18-3, finished third in the WPIAL Class 4A tournament and made their first PIAA playoff appearance. Now, as the Knights prepare for the 2021 season, third-year head coach Gary Coe...
