Mark Nitowski stories, Page 2

Senior trio has Plum girls in position to take step forward

Plum is counting on the senior trio of Megan Marston, Pascale Olczak and Rayla Smith to set the tone for a successful girls basketball season. “I’m most looking forward to their positive leadership,” coach Rich Mull said. “I think that’s really something they bring to the table that’s important for...
With fun factor restored, Plum boys look to continue rebuilding process

Justin Walther focused on more than X’s and O’s in his first season as Plum’s boys basketball coach. “Last year, we tried to instill some fun in everything we were doing,” he said. “We brought some enthusiasm and tried to show the players that we really care about them.” Walther...
7-foot center, super sophomores make Knoch a team to watch

In basketball, there are big men, and then there are really big men. At 7-foot, 260 pounds, Knoch sophomore Zane Pacek certainly falls into the latter category, especially at the high school level. Knights coach Alan Bauman said Pacek reminds him, in appearance, of former Oklahoma State All-American center “Big...
Talented roster should help ease transition for new Knoch girls coach

At first glance, Shane McGraw looks to be stepping into a tough situation as the new Knoch girls basketball coach. After Knights coach Chris Andreassi resigned in September, Knoch hired McGraw as his replacement in October, only about a month before practice kicked off for the season. However, McGraw served...
It’s back to the future for Burgettstown, coach Mark Druga

Burgettstown has a new head coach, but he’s no stranger to the Blue Devils sideline. Mark Druga is back after a two-year absence. He led Burgettstown to a 38-21 record from 2015-20. “I resigned the last time when my mother passed away, and I was the executor (of her estate),”...
New West Greene coach Beau Jackson spreading youthful enthusiasm

Beau Jackson is taking a rather philosophical approach to being the new West Greene football coach at the tender age of 26. “I think I’d be a little nervous, regardless of the age,” said Jackson, with a chuckle. Jackson replaces Brian Hanson, who left to become South Allegheny’s head coach....
Mapletown preparing to defend conference crown

The Mapletown Maples are looking to feed off the mojo from a memorable 2022 season. And who could blame them? Last year, the Maples posted their first undefeated regular season (10-0) since 1968. They recorded the school’s first football playoff victory, defeating Leechburg, 41-28, in their WPIAL Class A opener....
Shenango looks to amp up offense to return to top of loaded Big 7 Conference

After back-to-back trips to the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals, Shenango missed the postseason in 2022. Coach Jimmy Graham attributed the 2-8 overall record, including a 2-4 mark in the Big Seven Conference, to a “perfect storm” of factors. “We thought we had a pretty good team, but we had injuries...
Indiana looks to carry momentum from positive offseason

If a winning football team is built in the offseason, Indiana coach Brad Wright saw evidence of his squad’s progress during a recent linemen challenge at Burrell High School. “We finished second in the competition. That wouldn’t have happened last year,” said Wright, whose team posted a 3-7 overall record...
WPIAL, Pa. Sports Hall of Fame inductee Robert ‘Tick’ Cloherty dies at 88

Robert “Tick” Cloherty exuded one quality more than any other, according to long-time friend Paul Palmer. “He was a leader in whatever he did,” said Palmer, who played football with Cloherty at what was then Clarion State College. “If there was an award for being big man on campus, he...
Mark Lamendola, A-K Valley Hall of Famer from Leechburg’s past, admires current Blue Devils

After a more than a three-decade absence, the Leechburg Blue Devils qualified for the WPIAL football playoffs during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The star of those teams, Braylan Lovelace, accepted a scholarship to Pitt, becoming Leechburg’s first Division I football recruit since his father, David, in 1993. Keeping close...
Deer Lakes’ McKinney goes into A-K hall as multifaceted athlete

West Deer native Kerry McKinney Mills lives near Toronto with her Canadian-born husband, Bryan, and their three children. While the Maple Leafs are playing in the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs, the real hockey allegiance in the McKinney Mills household is to Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. “Hockey is incredibly...
Hall of Fame induction a happy homecoming for Valley, North Carolina wrestling standout

Joe Galli didn’t lose many matches while wrestling at Valley High School in the mid-1970s. But, when he did, the people around New Kensington took notice. Regardless of the time of day or weather, Galli responded to a setback on the mat by embarking on a 7-mile run up and...
Soccer took Kiski Area’s Lundberg to Duquesne, pros, now A-K hall of fame

As a youngster, Stefan Lundberg gravitated toward the sport of soccer for a simple reason. “T-ball was a little too slow-paced for me,” Lundberg said with a laugh. “Soccer is a fast game, and you have to keep moving. I picked it up pretty well and kept playing the rest...
Longtime basketball official in A-K Valley Joe Discello remembered for energy, passion for the game

When he stepped onto the hard court, Joe Discello brought an unbridled enthusiasm to officiating basketball. “He was really energetic and enjoyed the game,” veteran official Mike Jarosinski said. “He liked being out there with the players and the coaches.” A familiar face to Alle-Kiski Valley basketball followers, Discello missed...
Senior-heavy Deer Lakes boys volleyball aims to compete in talent-laden section

Even with a senior-laden lineup, Deer Lakes boys volleyball coach Kody Putirka considers his Lancers squad a work in progress. “We have a lot of seniors, and we’re trying to get them on the same page and playing to where I know they can,” Putirka said. “We have a lot...

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