Jerin Steele stories, Page 11
After sluggish start, Pine-Richland found grove to make playoff push
It’s important for coaches to have the pulse of their team, and Pine-Richland girls volleyball coach Angela Seman could sense something wasn’t quite right. After a 2-4 start, Seman noticed her girls were pressing a bit and worried more about defending their WPIAL title than focusing on the present. “We...
New gym worth wait for Pine-Richland athletes
Pine-Richland girls volleyball coach Angela Seman kept hearing that it would be worth the wait as her team waited for their opportunity to play in its newly renovated gym. As construction was wrapping up, the Rams were vagabonds of sorts, playing a road-heavy schedule and select home matches in an...
South Park scores 5 unanswered goals to top Freeport in WPIAL quarterfinals
What started out as a chance for Freeport to increase its lead turned into the spark South Park needed to catch fire. In the 19th minute, the Yellowjackets had a free kick just to the right of South Park’s 18-yard box, and Camryn Woods put in a strong cross, but...
Montour knocks off unbeaten Plum to earn spot in WPIAL semifinals
Montour was the only team that didn’t lose to Plum in the regular season. Now the Spartans can say they’ll be the only team that beat the Mustangs in 2023. Behind a pair of goals from Grace Bannon and a sterling performance by goalkeeper Allison Armitage, No. 7 Montour upset...
Rare call helps South Fayette boys upset Plum in boys soccer playoffs
It was one of the rarer calls rarely seen in a soccer match. In the 56th minute, Plum keeper Owen Zalewski was punting the ball away when the whistle blew and officials deemed he handled the ball outside the 18-yard box before he kicked it and awarded South Fayette a...
Montour girls finally solve Franklin Regional with seconds left in overtime
Between overtimes, Montour girls soccer coach Alex Hobbs told his players to imagine the moment they would be celebrating. It took nearly the entire length of play, but that moment finally came to fruition. Marin Torrens scored on a header with 13 seconds remaining in double overtime, and No. 7...
Pine-Richland notebook: Basketball standout Madison Zavasky picks IUP
Pine-Richland standout basketball player Madison Zavasky has made her college decision. Zavasky, a senior, will continue her career at IUP. Zavasky made the announcement on social media on Oct. 12. She also had offers from Pitt-Johnstown and Clarion. Zavasky was one of the top players in Class 6A last season,...
Pine-Richland grad jumps into Slippery Rock starting lineup as freshman
Slippery Rock football coach Shawn Lutz has seen the landscape of college recruiting change over the last few years with the transfer portal and NIL becoming prominent parts of the process. It has made it more of a challenge for high school seniors to find a college home, let alone...
Dream season for Riverhounds ends in 1st-round playoff nightmare
Pittsburgh Riverhounds coach Bob Lilley said Saturday’s stunning 1-0 loss to Detroit City in the first round of the USL Championship playoffs will not define the season, but it will sting for a very long time. The Hounds had home-field advantage sitting ahead of them for the duration of the...
East Allegheny blocks extra-point attempt in OT, edges Knoch to clinch conference title
East Allegheny football coach Dom Pecora admitted he wasn’t sure it would ever happen. But after 11 long years and a blocked kick in overtime, he and his Wildcats can say they are conference champions. Brandon Penn blocked Knoch’s extra-point attempt in overtime to secure a 14-13 victory and the...
Riverhounds plan to use home field to their advantage in playoff opener
It’s been five years since the Pittsburgh Riverhounds hosted a playoff game in front of fans, so a fervent atmosphere is expected Saturday night when Detroit City FC comes to Highmark Stadium for a USL Championship first-round game. That’s an element that Hounds coach Bob Lilley wants to use as...
Burrell boys soccer ready for shot at playoff redemption
The Burrell boys soccer team has had to wait a full year for a chance to erase the sting of last year’s first-round playoff loss at home. The Bucs grinded their way through the regular season, earning a share of the Section 3-A title and will get the opportunity they...
Deer Lakes hockey aims to take next step after reaching PIHL semifinals
The excitement in Deer Lakes hockey coach Jonathan Merlo’s voice for the upcoming season was easy to discern. A former hockey player with the Lancers, Merlo guided his alma mater to the PIHL Division 2 semifinals, and now the goal is to get a couple steps further. The Lancers lost...
Pine-Richland girls cross country looks to return to states … and bring the boys team along this time
Every year, the Pine-Richland cross country teams ramp up to be in peak condition for the WPIAL championships. It’s a formula that’s worked well lately as the Rams girls team has been one of the best in the district, making trips to the state meet each of the last three...
Buzzatto runs for 400 yards, but Leechburg tops Riverview
It was a sight Sebastian Mason and the Leechburg defense had seen all afternoon. Carlo Buzzatto running right at them. The Riverview back had rolled up 418 yards on the ground, but this time Mason was determined to make a play. Mason stuffed Buzzatto on a potential winning 2-point conversion...
East Allegheny holds off Deer Lakes in 2nd half to preserve 17-13 win
Dom Pecora said when you turn on the film to watch his East Allegheny football team, it won’t be the prettiest footage, but it will show toughness. The Wildcats defense certainly had grit when it mattered Friday night. Deer Lakes got inside East Allegheny territory four times in the second...
Knoch boys soccer hopes to create another memory in postseason
At Knoch boys soccer’s senior night Tuesday, a popular choice for most memorable moment was the most recent one. It was a 3-2 double-overtime win over Shady Side Academy just a few days earlier. “I think one of our seniors actually said it, but they all were thinking it,” Knoch...
Pine-Richland hockey heads into season with soaring confidence after tournament win
Coach Jordan Yoklic enters his team in the St. Margaret’s tournament every year because it gives Pine-Richland an opportunity to play some good competition in the preseason. It can also provide a confidence boost, and that’s exactly what happened this year. The Rams won the annual preseason event and will...
Pine-Richland junior finishes WPIAL tournament strong to qualify for states
Walking to the 18th tee box, Will Hilton knew he was in position to qualify for the state tournament and some nerves started to set in. Then he hit his tee shot into the rough. But Hilton describes his scrambling ability as the strongest part of his game, and he...
Michael Cahill, Brennen Rutledge combine to lead East Allegheny over Freeport
Michael Cahill threw high-arching spirals, and Brennen Rutledge was there to make over-the-shoulder catches. They were quite the dynamic duo who helped East Allegheny secure an important Allegheny 6 Conference win. Cahill threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns, and Rutledge had 173 yards receiving and three scores in a...
Highlands grad Gabe Norris adds scoring touch to resume at Robert Morris
With a new coaching staff this year, Gabe Norris knew he would have to prove himself all over again. He wound up playing the same defensive midfield position he had the previous two years at Robert Morris, but a tactical change has helped unlock the goal-scoring ability he had when...
Pine-Richland notebook: Jon LeDonne gets call to Robert Morris Athletic Hall of Fame
Before Jon LeDonne became a two-time state champion high school football coach, he had quite a playing career at Robert Morris. Now he’s going to be enshrined in his alma mater’s hall of fame. LeDonne, who currently coaches Pine-Richland, was announced as a member of 2023 RMU Athletic Hall of...
Pine-Richland freshman powers through postseason to earn spot at states
When asked what traits a tennis player needs, Caroline Prisk gave a detailed answer and never mentioned anything about hitting a ball. That’s not to discount the physical mechanics needed to thrive on a court, but she’s more focused on the psychological part of the sport. “You have to be...
Knoch finds winning formula in conference victory over Deer Lakes
Sometimes when things are working, there isn’t a need to change anything. That’s the philosophy Knoch coach Tim Burchett put to use Friday night for Knoch’s offense. And that led to five straight possessions with a touchdown and a 41-21 victory over Deer Lakes in the Class 3A Allegheny 6...
Plum’s Aldi Flowers chasing professional dream with FC Cincinnati development academy
Aldi Flowers’ story is a case study in a phrase that has been told to young athletes over and over again. Always be at your best because you never know who’s watching. For Flowers, it was a scout from FC Cincinnati who was watching, and he had no idea until...
