John Phillips stories

Freeport and Derry entered Friday night’s matchup coming off impressive season-opening wins. Something had to give. And it was Derry that buckled, as the Yellowjackets prevailed 49-6. It didn’t take long for Amos Glenn to continue his strong start to the season, scoring from 25 yards out 1 minute, 11...

Brendan Blair knows the grind of football in Western Pennsylvania. Having grown up in Stowe Township, Blair played for Sto-Rox, graduating in 2014. After attending Cal (Pa.), where he earned a business degree, he returned to the area and got involved in coaching. Before long, Blair was announced as the...

The winds of change swept into Green County this past offseason, and Waynesburg was in the path of much of it. The Raiders graduated four all-conference starters, including starting quarterback Jake Stephenson, who led the team to back-to-back playoff appearances. Waynesburg also welcomed a new coach. Aaron Giorgi had been...

With an overflow crowd of 6,115 on hand, the second largest in Highmark Stadium history, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds came out fast and confident Saturday against their oldest rivals, the Charleston Battery. The Palmetto 11 came into the game with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship...

When your football program boasts 122 years of tradition, not to mention six WPIAL football titles, you can consider yourself among the elite programs in Western Pennsylvania’s storied history. Despite a winless 2024 season that included six shutouts and a scoring disparity of 306 points, things are trending up for...

There is an old saying that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. And in the case of Kim Niedbala, his coaching legacy starts with his father Rich, who spent 31 years in charge at Western Beaver. The road traveled for Kim was paved mostly in the college...

Rob Magnifico returns for a second season as head coach at Riverside in 2025 after leading the Panthers to the WPIAL playoffs last season. The story of how Magnifico came to be coach of Riverside, given the fact that he’s an Ellwood City native who played and then coached the...

The long summer days that lead to the start of a football season are where many coaches feel wins and losses will be determined, based on the effort put in. Mohawk coach Tim McCutcheon is no different, logging hours that go into the evening most days. But to build a...

When it comes to telling the story of the 1976 Pitt Panthers national championship football team, the tales usually begin and end with the kid from Hopewell Township, Tony Dorsett. The story that doesn’t get told is that a lanky, talented offensive lineman from the Alle-Kiski Valley named Joe Stone...

The dream of being a play-by-play baseball announcer is a passion many young broadcasters have. With only 30 jobs available, becoming part of that field is truly rarefied air. Shaler native and 1991 graduate Tim Grubbs was among those with that goal. And his path to getting a shot at...

Getting the first goal in any soccer game is always a big advantage when it comes to winning games and getting three points. When that goal comes from your big offseason free-agent signing who’s struggled all season, it’s even better. Pittsburgh Riverhounds forward Augi Williams took a poorly defended ball...

With July heat and a Wicked (promotion of the night) second-half run to the USL Championship playoffs underway, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds hosted Miami FC on a very rare Tuesday evening game on the Mon. The visitors came into the contest clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot in the...

The road to the majors in baseball can be a long and arduous course. For some, they are gifted to the point that getting to the big leagues is merely a question of how fast. For others, that road can be much longer, one that may never lead to the...

Dirt track racing is alive and well in America. But as an outdoor sporting event, the weather can throw the proverbial monkey wrench into the best planning. In 2025, Lernerville Speedway has been treated to one rainout after another, having just five live events so far. Rain has canceled quite...

It was muggy and overcast at the ‘Mark on the Mon for Sunday’s USL Championship Eastern Conference match between the host Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Loudoun United. The visitors sat six points ahead of the local 11 entering play with 26 points off eight wins so far this season. If there...

On the Fourth of July, the word “fireworks” tends to be used in a loose and abundant manner. With USL Western Conference foe New Mexico United in town for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ annual Independence Day home game at Highmark Stadium, the use of “fireworks” would be understated. New Mexico United...

With the end of June on the horizon, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds closed the books on the first half of 2025 with a USL Jägermeister Cup contest Saturday at Highmark Stadium, hosting Westchester SC of the USL’s League One. Having suffered a pair of losses in their first two Group Cup...

The conditions for Saturday’s USL match between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and host Pittsburgh Riverhounds couldn’t have been better, even if Joe Denardo was still around. Against a clear blue sky and 90-degree weather at kick, the pitch was perfect for the host club, which walked away with a convincing...

For those who enjoy motorcycles, mixed with a bit of mud, then Saturday’s racing scheduled for High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Greene County, will serve as a main course of sorts as the top drivers descend on the Pennsylvania, West Virginia border for stop No. 4 in the 2025...

With May coming to a close, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds played Rhode Island on Saturday at Highmark Stadium in a Group 4 USL Jagermeister Cup match. The teams faced each other a week prior at the Pawtucket’s new 10,500 seat Centreville Bank Stadium. The Hounds handed Rhode Island a loss, the...

CHESTER — Along the banks of the Delaware River on Wednesday, a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match between the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and host Philadelphia Union unfolded. The location itself, Subaru Park in Chester, would have made George Washington nod in approval of this first matchup between the state’s two...

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have had very little to get excited about since the 2025 USL Championship season began in early March. The team has won just twice, registering its most recent victory March 29. However, when it comes to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the Riverhounds have shown a...

An overflow crowd at Highmark Stadium on a picture-perfect Friday night came to witness the debut of the Pittsburgh Riveters pre-professional women’s soccer club. A standing-room-only crowd of 6,077 witnessed the Riveters play the Cleveland Force to a scoreless draw in a USL W League game. It was the fourth-largest...

Women’s Professional Soccer makes its debut Friday at Highmark Stadium as the Pittsburgh Riveters take on the Cleveland Force, with a kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. This will be the inaugural USL W League match for both teams. The ramp up to this has been a calculated one by the...