Jerin Steele stories, Page 18
Plum girls mount double-digit 4th-quarter rally to beat Franklin Regional
It’s rare a team wins a basketball game after making one field goal in an entire half. Not every team has Megan Marston, however. After a difficult first half when nothing would fall for anyone, Marston found a rhythm and her Plum teammates followed. And they pulled off an epic...
After sweeping defending champion Norwin, Kiski Area hockey team continues rise in standings
The Kiski Area hockey team already was trending in the right direction, but after the heist pulled off against Norwin on Jan. 10, the group should galvanize even more. The Cavaliers trailed 3-2 late in the third period but received a power play and took full advantage. Ethan Bombalski scored...
Pine-Richland linebacker Max Heckert gets green light to commit to Slippery Rock
Max Heckert got a look at the rings in the Slippery Rock trophy case during his visit to the school and it reminded him of what he accomplished at Pine-Richland, winning two WPIAL and state championships in four years. That was just one of the similarities between his high school...
After battling multiple injuries, Pine-Richland wrestler ready to ‘break some brackets’
Vaughn Spencer soaked in the moment after recording a pin in his first varsity match last week. It’ll likely be the first of many pins in his Pine-Richland career, but it will always have a special place for the sophomore after what he’s gone through to get back on the...
Shady Side boys rally past Burrell in matchup of Section 3-3A leaders
At halftime, Shady Side Academy coach David Vadnais told his team it was a gift that they were still within striking distance after only scoring 12 points in the first half. He challenged his group to shoot the ball with confidence. Standout junior guard Eli Teslovich stepped up, and the...
In middle of breakthrough season, Burrell boys get ready for key section showdown
At the halfway point of the season, Burrell boys basketball finds itself in a first-place tie in Section 3-3A with Deer Lakes and Shady Side Academy. Considering the Bucs only had one returning starter, it’s a pretty good spot to be in, and now they are looking to make good...
New practice room, strong start have Highlands wrestlers optimistic for rest of 2022-23 season
There’s plenty of positivity surrounding the Highlands wrestling program. The team has a place to call home after moving into a new wrestling room at Grandview Elementary in Tarentum. They also are off to a strong start on the mat. The Golden Rams are 5-1 overall and already have scored...
Pine-Richland swimmers look to build on last season’s success
Pine-Richland girls swimming reached plenty of goals with a young team last year. The Rams had a pair of relay teams — the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay — qualify for the PIAA championship meet, and Sarah Shaffer placed 10th in the state in the 100 breaststroke as...
All-stars help Pine-Richland hockey put slow start in rearview mirror
Josh Folmer was in the middle of his school day when he got a text message from his parents that told him he had made the PIHL All-Star game. Zach Howard clicked on the PIHL website to check where Pine-Richland was in the standings when he noticed the all-star rosters...
Riverhounds’ 2023 schedule includes heavy dose of midsummer dates
It will be a summer of soccer at Highmark Stadium. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds, along with the entire USL Championship, announced their full 2023 schedule Monday and the bulk of the home games will be in June, July and August. Pittsburgh opens the season on the road against Birmingham on March...
Pine-Richland girls, junior Madison Zavasky enjoying breakout season
Madison Zavasky made the tough decision to end her soccer career and put her full sports focus into basketball. The returns on that investment have been high. Zavasky, a junior, scored in double digits in each of Pine-Richland’s first eight games and averaged 20.5 points per game in that span....
After solid start, Freeport boys look to tighten up defensively for section games ahead
As the Freeport boys basketball team gets ready to dive into the heart of section play, second-year coach Sean Devinney is looking for a more consistent commitment to defense. It’s no surprise with Devinney’s background as a former assistant to Zach Skrinjar at Fox Chapel, a team known for its...
North Catholic runs away from Plum in victory
Max Hurray and North Catholic got off to a sizzling start and didn’t slow down. Hurray, a junior, scored 14 points in the first quarter with a trio of 3-pointers and helped the Trojans build an 18-point lead on their way to an 89-47 win over Plum in a nonsection...
Banner fall season for Pine-Richland athletics
There will be quite a few updates to the banners in the Pine-Richland gym. Pine-Richland’s win in the state football championship game Dec. 2 closed the book on a fall sports season for the ages for the school. Four teams won WPIAL titles, to go along with the Rams’ football...
Burrell wrestling team snaps Kiski Area’s winning streak
In a sense, it was a welcome-to-varsity-wrestling moment for Julian Bertucci. The freshman 121-pounder found himself in a spot to clinch the match for Burrell and end a 10-match winning streak for Kiski Area in the battle of Alle-Kiski Valley rivals. Bertucci said there were some nerves, but he dug...
New-look Pine-Richland boys basketball team learning ropes
The Pine-Richland boys basketball has a much different look this season. All five starters from last year – Luke Shanahan, Joey Dudowski, Andrew Alexander, Andy Swartout and Jameson O’Toole — graduated, as did sixth man Nate Zavasky, from a team that made the WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinals before losing to...
Riverhounds bring back Upper St. Clair’s Robbie Mertz, work to shape roster in free agency
One of Pittsburgh’s own will be back with the Riverhounds for 2023. Robbie Mertz, an Upper St. Clair grad, was one of seven players that the club announced will be returning for next season. Mertz, a midfielder, came to the Hounds via transfer from Atlanta United 2 in July. It...
Pine-Richland seniors aim to cap careers as state champions
The seniors on the Pine-Richland football team have an opportunity to complete their story arc in grand style. They were sophomores when the Rams won the 2020 state title. Since then they’ve gone through coaching changes in back-to-back offseasons, but under the direction of Jon LeDonne they’ve found their footing....
New coach excited to see how Pine-Richland girls progress
The first goal Gabby Baldasare wanted to achieve after taking the Pine-Richland girls basketball job in May was to establish what she wants the culture to be in the program. She’s been pleased with the response and is looking forward to seeing how the team continues to progress now that...
Burrell wrestling team aims to start new streak of WPIAL titles
The Burrell wrestling team is determined to get back on the top step of the podium. The Bucs’ incredible streak of 15 consecutive WPIAL titles came to an end last year with a 30-28 loss to Quaker Valley in the Class 2A final, but the goal is to start a...
Kiski Area, A-K Valley Class 3A teams look to add to wrestling trophy cases
The road will be a bit different, but the goal remains the same for Kiski Area wrestling. It wants to be competitive, have a solid bond within the team and win another section title. It’ll be a smaller roster than normal because of graduation and a few non-wrestling-related injuries, but...
Excitement builds for St. Joseph girls after playoff stunner
The St. Joseph girls basketball team pulled off one of the most stunning upsets across all sports in the WPIAL last season when it knocked off three-time defending Class A champion Rochester in the quarterfinals. It did so with a really young team and returns four starters, so there’s excitement...
St. Joseph boys motivated by last year’s brush with playoffs
St. Joseph coach Hart Coleman doesn’t have to look too far to find a way to motivate his group. He can point to one game against Neighborhood Academy last February. The Spartans led for most of the way only to see it slip away late and end in a 61-59...
Pine-Richland notebook: XFL comes calling for Ben DiNucci
Former Pine-Richland quarterback Ben DiNucci is getting another shot at pro football. DiNucci was drafted by the Seattle Dragons during the quarterback portion of the 2023 XFL Draft on Nov. 15. The XFL is scheduled to return to play in February after the league was put on pause for two...
From 2 wins to reaching the state playoffs, Latrobe girls soccer team reflects on success
The Latrobe girls soccer team had a historic season, winning the first two WPIAL playoff games in program history and qualifying for the state tournament for the first time. It was a year of major accomplishments, but the feeling around the program is that they are just getting started. “We...
