Matthew Purucker stories, Page 3

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...

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,...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...