Jerin Steele stories, Page 21
Burrell tops Valley on fourth-quarter field goal in rivalry thriller
Burrell coach Shawn Liotta had no doubts about calling upon his junior kicker Ryan Croushore with a potential game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter. And a week after missing a potential winner from the exact same distance, Croushore got his redemption Friday night. Croushore booted a 31-yard field...
Pine-Richland volleyball ready to return to title contention
Pine-Richland girls volleyball has a unique mix, and it’s one that could be very dangerous. The Rams have experience, depth and a pair of dynamic freshmen who figure to be key players right away. They came close to making the semifinals a year ago, losing a five-set heartbreaker to Moon....
3-time defending champion Pine-Richland field hockey team determined to maintain winning culture
The Pine-Richland field hockey team is still hungry for more. The Rams have won three straight WPIAL championships, and if they are going to win a fourth this fall they’ll have to replace seven graduates, including All-American Rylie Wollerton, who is now at Louisville. Rams coach Donna Stephenson said her...
Inconsistent Riverhounds settle for scoreless draw at home
One thing the Pittsburgh Riverhounds have been consistent with this season is being inconsistent. A grind-it-out style win on the road over Atlanta on Saturday was a positive step for the Riverhounds, but they did not build on it at Highmark Stadium on Wednesday night, settling for a 0-0 draw...
Pine-Richland golf team looking to get back to top of section
The Pine-Richland boys golf team was a young group last year, and the Rams saw their streak of five consecutive section titles come to an end. Through it all, each player gained experience and is looking for continued improvement this fall. The Rams have four seniors in their starting lineup,...
Pine-Richland boys soccer has pieces in place to end playoff drought
The Pine-Richland boys soccer team has the right ingredients for a promising fall. The Rams are experienced with eight returning starters and have depth in every part of the field. Coach Jordan Wiegand is entering his fourth year working with the team, so there’s familiarity with the system. With all...
A-K Valley boys soccer preview: Plum sets sights on breakthrough season
The Plum boys soccer team has been agonizingly close to breaking through the last few seasons. Last year, a pair of 2-1 losses — to West Allegheny in the semifinals and Franklin Regional, on penalty kicks, in the consolation game — denied the Mustangs a shot at WPIAL gold and...
New Jefferson-Morgan coach focused on creating competitive culture
Shane Ziats will be tasked with trying to turn around a Jefferson-Morgan football program that has won three or fewer games the last six seasons and hasn’t qualified for the playoffs in a decade. He’ll start the process with a culture shift for 2022. “I want to instill a competitive...
Despite graduation losses, Carmichaels expects to be right in thick of Tri-County South race
Losing a quarterback who passed and rushed for more than 1,000 yards and a player who set the program’s all-time scoring record to graduation would be a lot for any high school team, let alone one in Class A. That’s the situation Carmichaels finds itself in in 2022, but Mighty...
Riverhounds stumble to disappointing draw with last-place New York Red Bulls II
Pittsburgh Riverhounds coach Bob Lilley opened his postgame press conference after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with last place New York Red Bulls II in which his team squandered a two-goal lead with a poignant sentence. “It was one of the worst performances we’ve had in the four and a half years...
Experienced lineup returns for Pine-Richland girls golf
Two years ago the Pine-Richland girls golf team had only six players and Jared Slimm was worried about the program’s future. In a short time however, participation has picked up and the program is the healthiest it’s been in Slimm’s time as the Rams coach. A total of 14 girls...
Pine-Richland grad Molly Rottinghaus kicks off career with Wisconsin football program
Molly Rottinghaus grew up in a football family and spent many Friday nights watching games in the bleachers dreaming that one day she’d be involved in the sport. Her great grandfather and grandfather were high school football coaches and her dad and uncles played collegiately. Now she’s on the frontier...
Eryck Moore eyes rushing record for confident Plum football team
Eryck Moore has lived in a few places in his life, including overseas in Spain, but he’s certainly found a home in the backfield for Plum. And after consecutive 1,000-yard seasons he has his sights set on breaking the school rushing record. He’s done the math, so he knows his...
Cadin Olsen, Armstrong aim to build off 1st WPIAL playoff victory
The Armstrong River Hawks are ready for one last ride with their standout quarterback Cadin Olsen at the helm. Olsen eclipsed 2,500 yards passing and threw 28 touchdowns last fall coming off a year in which he led the WPIAL in passing yards. He’s committed to Penn, but first he...
Riverhounds shut out at home vs. Memphis
One thing Pittsburgh Riverhounds coach Bob Lilley made clear in the postgame press conference is his team will be working on runs in the box this week. He also said his team’s effort was solid, but the execution was lacking and it led to a rare home defeat, a 2-0...
Pittsburgh Aces qualify for USTA National Championships
A team of eight local youth tennis players came together in May to compete this summer on the USTA junior circuit and they needed a name. The group decided on calling themselves the Pittsburgh Aces and that turned out to be a perfect choice. The Aces blitzed through local competition...
New Pine-Richland coach wants to play ‘Western Pa. football’
As the Jon LeDonne era begins at Pine-Richland, one element that he wants to add into the program is more physicality. With an experienced offensive line and running back, the Rams will be looking to win the battle in the trenches this fall. “They’ve had success the last eight to...
Plum hoping to carry momentum from strong finish into new season
Plum football coach Matt Morgan watched a young group of players mature on the fly to win three of their last five games and earn a playoff berth last season. Now a year older, they’ll have a new challenge ahead of them as the Mustangs bump up from Class 4A...
St. John’s checks all boxes for Pine-Richland soccer standout Stephanie Cornelius
A couple of years ago, the coaching staff at Beadling SC told Stephanie Cornelius and her parents that she had the potential to be a future NCAA Division I soccer player. “At the time, we were blown away and really didn’t believe it,” said Cornelius, an incoming senior at Pine-Richland....
Dikwa continues resurgent season, scores winner for Riverhounds
Albert Dikwa doesn’t have any issue using his powerful right leg to drill shots on target, but Saturday night he used a little finesse to score the goal the Riverhounds needed. Dikwa got a pass from Alex Dixon in front of goal and slipped a shot into the bottom left...
Pine-Richland grad reaches for the stars on Embry-Riddle rowing team
Kristen Vigna wanted to do two things in college: study astronomy and astrophysics and be on a rowing team. She wasn’t quite sure that the two together would be possible. But an internet search revealed a perfect match in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. “There aren’t many schools...
Strong season at Penn State puts Pine-Richland grad Matt Wood on radar for MLB teams
Matt Wood did everything he could on the diamond this spring to open the eyes of Major League Baseball scouts, and soon he’ll see if he’ll get the chance to play professionally. Wood, a Pine-Richland grad, slashed an impressive .379/.480/.667 with 15 doubles, a dozen homers and 53 RBIs this...
Defenders score in bunches as Riverhounds rout Miami FC
Jelani Peters and Shane Weidt earn their paycheck with their defending on the back line, but Saturday night they gave the Riverhounds a big boost on offense in an area that had been lacking this season. Peters netted a pair and Weidt had one, with all three goals coming on...
NASCAR champ Kyle Larson rallies to win dirt track race in Western Pa.
Brent Marks chased down Kyle Larson and passed him for the win twice during PA Speedweek last week in Central Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, it was Larson who was the hunter, and he was able to get by Marks on his way to a $25,000 payday at the Don Martin Memorial...
Apollo native Flick rides hot streak into Don Martin Silver Cup at Lernerville
AJ Flick has been on a tear this season at Lernerville Speedway, and that hasn’t happened by chance. A year after going winless, Flick and his team went to work over the winter to make improvements, and they seemed to have figured out the right combination. Flick, an Apollo native...
