James Dotson stories, Page 2
Hickory ousts New Castle from PIAA playoffs
One word kept sounding over a standing room only crowd at Slippery Rock University’s Morrow Field House on Friday night. Patience. Hickory delivered on coach Chris Mele’s orders in attacking the New Castle defense en route to a 58-48 victory in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs....
Hempfield takes down Plum in overtime in PIHL Penguins Cup opening round
Hempfield kept firing shots at the net at Pittsburgh Ice Arena, but the Spartans could not get the rebounds and put back attempts in front of the net. Then, in overtime, Jacob Holtzman threw a shot off the pads of Plum goaltender Sam Pine. The puck bounced to Aiden Dunlap,...
Longtime Neshannock baseball coach Mike Kirkwood resigns
After 32 years, baseball is about to look very different in Lawrence County. Longtime coach Mike “Bubba” Kirkwood announced he will be resigning as Neshannock’s head coach. He broke the news in a team meeting Friday evening. “It’s a sad day for Neshannock baseball,” longtime assistant John Quahliero said. “It’s...
Baldwin, South Park, Laurel win WPIAL spirit championships
The new year also marked the potential beginning of a new era for competitive cheer in Western Pennsylvania. Baldwin, South Park, and Laurel were big winners at the eighth WPIAL competitive spirit championships Saturday at Hempfield. It is the first WPIAL championship for each of the three spirit squads. “They...
Thiero’s 30 points guides No. 2 Quaker Valley past No. 5 New Castle
It did not take Quaker Valley long to say adieu to New Castle on Friday night. In fact, the Quakers said it three times in the first three-and-a-half minutes. Quaker Valley sophomore Adou Thiero drained three 3-pointers in the opening 3:23. He finished with 30 points as the No. 2-ranked...
Brentwood defense denies Neshannock in Class 2A quarterfinal
Bend but don’t break. Brentwood’s defense lived up to the old saying as the fifth-seed Spartans blanked fourth-seeded Neshannock 20-0 at Freedom Bulldog Stadium in the WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinals Friday night. Neshannock traveled inside the Brentwood 30-yard line on three of its four second-half possessions, but the Lancers turned...
Jeannette blanks Springdale in battle of unbeatens
Offense wins games, but defense wins championships. Jeannette showed its strength on both sides of the ball, defeating previously unbeaten Springdale, 43-0, on the road in a Class A Eastern Conference football game Friday. The top-ranked Jayhawks outgained Springdale, 402-36, in total yards. It was the third straight shutout victory...
Turnovers fuel Shenango in victory over Western Beaver
Points off turnovers proved to be the difference in Shenango’s home opener Saturday at Glenn “Pop” John Stadium. The Wildcats took advantage of two second-half interceptions that led to points and held on to beat Western Beaver, 21-14, in a Class 2A Midwestern Athletic Conference game. Leading 7-0 at halftime,...
Laurel’s defense, running game overwhelm Rochester
Championship football teams are often built around a solid running game or a stout defensive unit. Laurel’s team has both. Laurel rushed for 309 yards and pitched their second straight shutout as the third-ranked Spartans won 42-0 on the road over fourth-ranked Rochester in the Class 1A Big 7 Conference...
Central Catholic defense strong in rout of York William Penn
After losing the final two games of the 2018 season, Central Catholic saw its 2019 season start off a little rocky. After a three-and-out to start the game Friday night, the Vikings gave up a long scoring drive to fall behind early. Central Catholic responded with 42 unanswered points to...
Union small in numbers but big on talent
Another year, another common scenario for coach Stacy Robinson and the Union Scotties. One of the smallest schools in the WPIAL, Union had just 20 kids arrive for the first day of camp. While those numbers are small, the veteran head coach knows that the effort of his players, especially...
Experienced Laurel motivated for big season
Ten starters back on offense. Nine starters back on defense. And a team that feels like it should have been in the postseason last year. That’s a dangerous combination for opponents of Laurel, which went 6-4 a year ago. The Spartans only two Big Seven Conference losses coming to the...
New Mohawk starters carry torch into new season
Mohawk’s 2018 season was one of the best in program history. The Warriors were co-champions of the Class 2A Midwestern Conference and won a home playoff game before falling in the quarterfinals to Charleroi. The conference championship and playoff victory were the first for the squad from Bessemer since 2005....
Riverside to rely on veteran QB Ben Hughes
For most teams, a winning record and a trip to the playoffs would be seen as a successful season. Not for Riverside. The Panthers finished 2018 with a 6-4 overall record, falling to Charleroi in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs. However, after finishing 6-1 in the Midwestern...
Shenango roster young but experienced
A quality football team usually has a good combination of youth and experience on its roster. For Shenango, after a season where at times seven or more freshmen were starting, youth and experience come as a package deal. “We have a lot of experience,” second-year coach Jimmy Graham said. “It’s...
Daily improvement, consistency are keys to success for Ellwood City
Four head coaches in four seasons can certainly lead to a lot of inconsistencies in a program. Joe Lamenza hopes he’s the right man for the job. The 1996 Ellwood City graduate was hired in December to coach his alma mater. The veteran coach has eight years of head coaching...
McKnight moves to tailback to bolster New Castle running game
Most high school coaches would be excited to have a first-team all-conference quarterback returning behind center. Joe Cowart is no different, although the New Castle coach’s excitement is with his signal-caller moving to a new position on the field. Demetris McKnight, who started the final seven games last season at...
Quaker Valley takes down Blackhawk in Section 3-4A
Growing pains. Tough words to live by as a high school coach, but for Blackhawk’s Jim Riggio, it’s a statement he hopes can take to heart after suffering a 17-2 loss to Quaker Valley in Section 3-4A softball action Wednesday. The game was called after four innings because of the...
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