Matthew Purucker stories, Page 3
Brownsville seeks to spark program revival with new coach after breaking losing streak
One win can mean everything. When Brownsville left the WPIAL to play an independent schedule for the 2022 season, the program was in dire straits. After back-to-back campaigns without a win, leaving the WPIAL was its only hope. However, now the Falcons can do more than hope. They emerged from...
Albert Gallatin building toward WPIAL return
There is nothing quite like Friday night lights. However, there seems to be something missing from action at Georges Athletic Field as of late. It is an absence of contending for the WPIAL postseason. “Definitely the end game is to get back. We want to compete and get playoff wins,...
Matt Sieg leads championship-caliber team at Fort Cherry
Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Friday. Due to production schedule conflicts, the Serra Catholic preview will be published later in the week. The moment the clock hit zeroes at the PIAA Class A...
New coach means new opportunity for Chartiers-Houston
No one said being a high school football coach was easy. From restructuring the playbook to keeping team morale high, newly minted Chartiers-Houston coach Dan Lis has been presented with many tasks to help revive his alma mater’s football program. “It’s how much I have to do outside of football....
Cornell looking to take program to new heights despite tough conference schedule
Not too long ago, the Cornell football program was shut down. From 2012-15, it was part of a co-op with Quaker Valley. Since then, Cornell coach Ed Dawson has been along for the ride. After a breakthrough 9-2 campaign in 2019, the football program was on the rise. In three...
Irwin’s Calahan Young driven to climb goalball medal stand at Paralympics in Paris
With the Olympics concluded and competitors having returned home, it is time for a new set of athletes to represent their countries in Paris. The Paralympic games give a chance for athletes around the globe to represent their local communities and countries on the world’s biggest stage, conveying that a...
Urban-Bennett Memorial Classic highlights Robert Morris’ nonconference schedule
Robert Morris men’s basketball will embark on its 49th season at the Division I level in Morgantown to take on West Virginia on Nov. 4, marking its first clash with the Mountaineers since 2010. It will be the first of 11 nonconference games for the Colonials. On Nov. 10, just...
West Virginia University to pay tribute to basketball legend Jerry West
West Virginia athletics plans to honor the late Jerry West throughout the 2024-25 school year. The greatest Mountaineer in history was the inspiration for the NBA logo and left behind a legacy few could match. He played at WVU from 1957-60 before playing 14 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers...
With drop to Class 3A, Highlands prepares for playoff push
A change in classification can serve as a reset for a football program. With Highlands moving from Class 4A to 3A, the team can reignite rivalries in the A-K Valley. Now, matchups with Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport and Valley will impact the Allegheny 7 Conference standings. Highlands players are particularly...
Notable changes to WPIAL swimming, diving alignment for 2024-25, 2025-26 seasons
The WPIAL released new section alignments for the next two-year cycle in all sports, and changes will be implemented starting this fall. This summer, the Tribune-Review will break down changes for each of the WPIAL sports. Here is a look at the upcoming WPIAL 2024-25 and 2025-26 swimming and diving...
Westmoreland County teens compete at Clay Target League national championships
It takes dedication to be a clay target shooter. Every shot demands focus and accuracy to ensure the target is hit, and right after the shot is taken, the shooter needs to be ready to take down the next target. That dedication allowed members of the Hempfield, Yough and Latrobe...
Sewickley’s Charlie Knoll seeking to take next step in racing career
Dedication is one word that can be used to describe how Sewickley’s Charlie Knoll feels about racing. However, it does not fully address his love for the sport. “It’s something I’m really passionate about, how much I love racing. I hope to do it until I die,” Knoll said. From...
2024 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Westinghouse’s Kyshawn Robinson
Players like Kyshawn Robinson don’t come along often. From leadership and athletic ability to grit and football IQ, he checks all of the boxes. The four-star defensive back who also plays running back only has improved as his high school career has progressed. His workouts over the summer have made...
Liverpool FC, Real Betis attract fans from across the soccer world to Acrisure Stadium
The lengths diehard fans go to support their team should not be understated. It was not an everyday occurrence that saw two of the most popular teams from their respective European countries take the pitch in the United States. However, what made this matchup particularly intriguing was the team playing...
Duquesne pegged to repeat as NEC champion in preseason coaches poll
Football coaches of the Northeast Conference voted Duquesne to defend its conference title in their preseason poll Wednesday during NEC media day at MetLife Stadium. This is the Dukes’ 14th consecutive season ranked in the top three in the preseason coaches’ poll, which includes earning at least one first place...
North Allegheny grad Michael Komara helps U.S. fly fishing team to 3rd-place finish at world championships
Regardless of the sport, it is an honor for athletes to represent their country at an international competition. For Michael Komara that was especially true. Komara, a North Allegheny graduate, competed in the 43rd World Fly Fishing Championships at four sites in the Occitanie administrative region in France, which contains...
2024 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Central Valley’s Brendan Alexander
There are no shortage of Division I schools where Brendan Alexander can begin his collegiate career. The Central Valley junior offensive and defensive lineman has shown outstanding growth throughout his high school career and is excited for the future and also understands the dedication required to achieve his goals. Being...
2024 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Central Valley’s Jance Henry Jr.
A breakout season might be in the making for Jance Henry Jr. in 2024. It has been a nearly nonstop grind this offseason for the sophomore Central Valley running back. Going from workout to workout, he has been a workhorse. “Summer training (has) been going well,” Henry said. “Just been...
Heading into final year of college hockey, Penguins prospect Chase Yoder still proving himself
For 22-year-old forward Chase Yoder, another year at Penguins development camp was another chance to prove the team made the right choice by picking him in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL draft. “It’s good to get here in front of management, in front of the coaches. I’m trying...
New coach Kirk MacDonald has big plans for Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins
It is important to win games at the AHL level, but it also is crucial to develop young players so they can make an impact in the NHL. With many players on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ roster growing older and nearing retirement, the impetus is on Kirk MacDonald to shepherd the...
Inaugural America’s Mile welcomes runners of every ability to North Shore
A new one-mile race is coming to Pittsburgh, which promises to feature some elite runners sprinting across the North Shore. The inaugural America’s Mile seeks amateur and accomplished runners to test themselves on the roads of the Steel City and vie for several substantial cash prizes. The event takes place...
High school girls rugby gaining popularity in Western Pennsylvania
Rugby is not a universally beloved sport in America, but that does not mean it is devoid of athletes who cherish the game. The uptick in girls playing rugby in the greater Pittsburgh area and across the state has encouraged Rugby Pennsylvania to launch the Emerging Girls Rugby campaign. It...
Pitt basketball alum Marcedes Walker to compete in Paris Olympics for Azerbaijan
After an accolade-filled Pitt women’s basketball career, Marcedes Walker was officially named to the Azerbaijan Olympic roster Wednesday. Walker helped propel Azerbaijan to the FIBA 3x3 Qualifying Tournament title in April, clinching the country’s first spot in the Olympics for the 3x3 basketball event. “It’s an honor to represent Azerbaijan...
Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes gives back through youth baseball, shopping events in Monroeville
With music pulsing, bats swinging and gloves at the ready, it was a busy morning of baseball at Gateway High School. For the youth in attendance, it was an opportunity to take part in an event that does not come around too often. Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes hosted a...
Mt. Lebanon native, other local swimmers to dive into Mon to fight pancreatic cancer
The covid pandemic put an end to many athletic competitions and uprooted the lives of most everyone around the world. For 63-year-old Judy Caves of Mt. Lebanon, it was the start of something special. “During covid, when all of us couldn’t swim in pools, we started swimming in rivers,” Caves...

