Jerin Steele stories, Page 8
Pine-Richland girls wrestlers take their place in history with WPIAL medals
As the public address announcer at North Allegheny was reading the names of the winners at the inaugural WPIAL girls wrestling tournament, Pine-Richland junior Tiffany Gathers heard a phrase that put the day in perspective. “As they were going through the weights, he kept saying ‘This is the first-ever WPIAL...
Deer Lakes fends off Ellwood City in chaotic final seconds of overtime
With a last-second shot, Collin Rodgers kept Deer Lakes’ hopes of defending its WPIAL Class 3A boys basketball championship alive. Rodgers scored after Nathaniel Moore stole an inbounds pass in the final seconds, and the top-seeded Lancers survived an upset bid by No. 9 Ellwood City in a 39-38 overtime...
Lincoln Park duo of Brandin Cummings, Meleek Thomas too much for young Knoch
Knoch became the latest in a long line of WPIAL basketball opponents the last couple of years to try to stop the titan that is Lincoln Park. Led by their NCAA Power 5 recruits Brandin Cummings and Meleek Thomas, the Leopards again proved to be too tough to tame. Thomas...
North Hills girls beat Plum to end 45-year playoff win drought
Every player who took the floor for North Hills on Tuesday night was playing in her first playoff game. They were also carrying the burden of breaking a postseason victory drought that dated to 1979. That could understandably lead to some nerves, but this group had ice water flowing through...
No. 1 Deer Lakes ramps up defensive pressure, rolls past Sto-Rox in Class 3A 1st round
Leading up to Monday’s first-round playoff game, the past week was all about defense for Deer Lakes coach Albie Fletcher. He felt the team had lost its identity a bit on that side of the ball, which became their calling card on their run to last year’s WPIAL Class 3A...
Deer Lakes aims to contend in PIHL Division 2 playoffs
With a 12-1 win over Trinity on Feb. 8, Deer Lakes officially clinched a spot in the PIHL Division 2 playoffs. The Lancers will be the fourth-place team out of the Gold Division, but after battling against the top three teams ahead of them — Bishop Canevin, Burrell and Neshannock...
Pine-Richland notebook: Basketball teams set for playoff openers
The Pine-Richland boys basketball team needed a tiebreaker, but the Rams will return to the playoffs after a one-year absence. The Rams received the No. 8 seed in the WPIAL Class 6A bracket and will travel to play top seed Mt. Lebanon on Feb. 23. Pine-Richland finished in a tie...
Pine-Richland celebrates winning 4th WPIAL gymnastics championship
The Pine-Richland gymnastics team brought little green foam fingers with “We’re No. 1” written on them to the WPIAL championships. After an unbeaten regular season, it was a sign of confidence that they could get the job done in the biggest meet of the year. As each team’s position was...
After close calls past 2 years, Kiski Area boys seeking elusive playoff victory
The bitter disappointment of the heartbreaking first-round loss to North Hills last season is something Isaiah Gonzalez and the rest of his Kiski Area boys basketball teammates have not forgotten. It wasn’t just that their season had ended, but it was how they lost. As a double-digit seed, the Cavaliers...
Championship experience valuable for Pine-Richland swimmer, teammates
Sarah Anne Shaffer has been fielding questions from her younger teammates about different aspects of the WPIAL swimming championships. She’s a good source for information because she was in a similar position to theirs just one year ago. Shaffer was a sophomore hoping to reach her goals and accomplished them...
Playoff-bound Pine-Richland girls embrace underdog role
Heading into the playoffs, the Pine-Richland girls basketball team has embraced an underdog mentality. That’s an understandable position to take given their circumstances. The Rams have only 10 girls on the roster, and nine that are healthy. They played the entire season without a JV team, had some injuries along...
Sullivan leads Freeport boys to playoff berth with win over Indiana
Brady Sullivan said his favorite spot to shoot from is the right wing but admitted he likes to put up shots from everywhere. He certainly proved that Friday night with Freeport’s season on the line. Sullivan sank seven 3-pointers and scored a career-high 33 points to lead Freeport past Indiana,...
A-K Valley boys basketball teams heading for thrilling conclusion on season’s final Friday
The final night of WPIAL boys basketball section play could provide a wide array of outcomes for Alle-Kiski Valley teams. Fox Chapel is playing for a share of the Section 2-5A title, and three other teams — Springdale, Freeport and St. Joseph — have win-and-in scenarios. There are also some...
Pine-Richland notebook: Rams wrestlers earn postseason win
Mac Miller and Vaughn Spencer took the final two bouts as Pine-Richland wrestling rallied to win its first playoff dual meet since 2020 with a 38-35 win over Hempfield in a WPIAL Class 3A preliminary round match Jan. 29. It was the fourth postseason win in program history. The Rams...
Knoch withstands test in victory against Indiana
On this Groundhog Day, the Knoch boys basketball team was looking to avoid a repeat of last Friday, when it was upset at home by Freeport. The Knights were dragged into a rock fight by visiting Indiana through two quarters, but, led by Jackson Bauman, they hit their stride in...
Improvement during season’s 2nd half has Freeport in playoff hunt in Section 1-4A
When reading through the local boys basketball results last weekend, seeing Freeport 61, Knoch 55 might have been a surprise to some. For the Yellowjackets, the upset win over their neighboring rival was a product of hard work and determination that’s led to improvement. It also was a boost as...
Serra Catholic staves off Springdale comeback bid to score key section win
The Donald McGhee Fieldhouse was rocking late as the Springdale boys basketball team was attempting a dramatic comeback from down double digits in the fourth quarter. But Isiah Petty went to the free throw line and made sure all the work Serra Catholic had done in the second half wouldn’t...
Pine-Richland’s Dom Ferraro, Vaughn Spencer claim county titles, look forward to postseason
For Dom Ferraro, the Allegheny County wrestling tournament was about getting over the hump. Vaughn Spencer was there to defend. Both Pine-Richland juniors achieved their goals. Ferraro won the 139-pound title to become a county champ for the first time, while Spencer successfully navigated the 172-pound bracket to win his...
Pine-Richland’s James Cardinali to play football at Navy
As a junior, James Cardinali was a 210-pound lineman on the Pine-Richland junior varsity football team who seemed like a longshot to play in college. That was before he went to work to make a massive transformation to his body and that has led to an equally big development for...
Peter Kramer hits winner as Hampton holds off Highlands in OT
Highlands gave Hampton its best shot, but it was Peter Kramer who landed the final blow. Kramer drove the lane and hit a bucket with 4 seconds remaining in overtime to propel the Talbots to a 61-59 victory Friday night at Highlands. After Cam Reigard hit a tough runner in...
Highlands’ Bradyn Foster rises to occasion for boys basketball team
Bradyn Foster has heard some trash talk on the court this season, but he welcomes it. “A lot of people have told me I’m not good enough to be where I’m going. That’s one of the biggest things,” Foster said in reference to being a Division I recruit. “I like...
Deer Lakes squeaks past upset-minded Derry
It wasn’t exactly the way Deer Lakes boys basketball coach Albie Fletcher drew it up, but down a pair of players from the starting lineup, he’ll certainly take it. Wayne Love scored 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, helping Deer Lakes erase a six-point deficit and fend...
Burrell hockey team buzzing in 2nd half of PIHL season
Aidan Petroff said the Burrell hockey team came out buzzing when the Bucs faced Deer Lakes on Jan. 11. That word is a good descriptor for how the Bucs have played recently. Burrell went on to defeat the Lancers, 7-3, in part because of a hat trick by Petroff, and...
Shady Side Academy boys take section showdown with Burrell
All Saturday afternoon the intensity was palpable between the Shady Side Academy and Burrell boys basketball teams, and it nearly boiled over after the buzzer. With both teams seemingly playing out the final seconds uncontested, Shady Side senior Eli Teslovich dribbled in and dunked the ball as time expired in...
Rupert siblings maintain family’s swimming tradition at Pine-Richland
There are five siblings in the Rupert family, and each one shares a connection that goes beyond growing up in the same household. All five are swimmers, which has helped develop their bond as brothers and sisters. Three Rupert siblings — Reece, Gavin and Brooke — currently swim together for...
