Michael Love stories, Page 101

Ian Shahan hopes for big things in his senior swimming season. Like many others throughout the WPIAL, the Belle Vernon senior who is the defending WPIAL Class AA champion in the 100-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly, is keeping his fingers crossed that when the calendar turns to 2021, the season...

Summer Raymer’s name already is on the swimming record boards in the natatorium at Gateway High School. The Gateway junior standout is part of the 200-yard medley relay team that set the record last year with graduate Olivia Livingston and sophomores Ayva Harris and Morgan Holmes. Raymer, the runner-up last...

The Gateway boys and girls soccer teams and the Gators football team each earned WPIAL playoff berths in a fall season dominated each week by covid concerns, cancellations and delays. The teams overcame a week-long practice and competition stoppage in pursuit of postseason opportunities. Several individual standouts helped fuel the...

Alle-Kiski Valley Offensive Player of the Year Logan Harmon RB, Senior, 5-8, 215 pounds, Apollo-Ridge Logan Harmon saved one of the best rushing performances of his career for Apollo-Ridge’s WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinal game against Washington on Oct. 30 at Owens Field. The 215-pound senior running back helped dash the...

St. Joseph girls basketball coach Dennis Jones said there was no question his team wanted to take the court Friday to open its season less than 24 hours after Gov. Tom Wolf announced high school sports would shut down for four weeks as part of covid-19 mitigation efforts. “The girls...

More than three dozen from the WPIAL have earned all-state girls volleyball recognition by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. The four lists were released Monday and honor the top players from each of the 12 districts for accomplishments during a season unlike any other. Seneca Valley senior setter Sarah White...

After three straight trips to the WPIAL playoffs, the Valley boys basketball team was not as fortunate last season as it skidded to a 4-17 overall record and a 3-9 mark in Section 3-3A. But veteran coach Mark Faulx sees a different path for the Vikings this year with several...

Jada Norman is ready to take that next step, both in her personal game and for the team overall. The Valley sophomore forward feels this year’s team can raise its level of success higher than in recent seasons. The Vikings won just one game a year ago. “We’re working hard...

Father and son will be honored together for their contributions to karate in a virtual awards ceremony Saturday. Bill Viola Sr. and Bill Viola Jr. are inductees into the 2020 American Martial Arts Alliance’s Who’s Who Legends Hall of Honors with martial arts legend Chuck Norris. They also are featured...

The St. Joseph girls basketball team won just three games a year ago, but an opportunity to take part in the WPIAL Class A playoffs was a positive end to a season of growth for a team that lost just two to graduation. “I think we played as good as...

Andrew Sullivan remembers the feeling two years ago when the St. Joseph boys basketball team won 18 games and advanced to the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Class 1A playoffs. Eight seniors graduated from that team, and a younger and less experienced Spartans squad slipped to six wins last season. With...

The last time Gateway swimmers competed in a high school meet, coronavirus impacted the proceedings. In the initial stages of what would become a pandemic, PIAA officials shortened the second day of March’s Class AAA state championship event at Bucknell University. Several Gators competitors were affected. Covid concerns have again...

The Gateway boys basketball team made strides last season, going from just three wins in section and five victories overall the year before to 10 wins and a return berth in the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. The Gators, junior Will Kromka said, now are ready to take the next step....

The Gateway girls basketball team opened its season with a practice Nov. 20, the first day winter sports teams were permitted to do so in the WPIAL and throughout Pennsylvania. Then things came to a halt as Gateway suspended all athletic activities for two weeks — through Friday — as...

The Riverview boys basketball team missed the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs last season, but it was within a few points of forging a different outcome. The Raiders finished section play with a 4-10 record, but three games were decided by two points or less. Learning from those experiences, veteran head...

Last season was one to remember for the Riverview girls basketball team. With a group of six seniors leading the way, the Raiders compiled a 15-10 overall record with several key section victories down the stretch in the regular season. A high-pressure, emotional win over Burgettstown followed in the first...

Opportunity was a main theme as the Kiski Area boys basketball team began preseason practices Nov. 23. Three starters from last season — 6-foot-7 forward Jason Baker (Legacy Early College charter school in South Carolina), and guards Kyrell Hutcherson (North Allegheny) and Joe Lukas (Kiski Prep) — transferred in the...

Lexi Colaianni made the most of her freshman season with the Kiski Area varsity girls basketball team. Colaianni averaged 8.5 points through 22 games last year, tops among all underclassmen on the team. Cavaliers coach Nick Dizon said she worked hard in the offseason with hopes of raising her game...

The day after Thanksgiving, Highlands junior Jett Slepak gave thanks for the opportunity to make a verbal commitment to the baseball program at Division I Mount St. Mary’s. “This is a great opportunity for me,” Slepak said of the Maryland school, which is a member of the Northeast Conference and...

Anticipation for the Plum boys and girls swim teams always is at a high level this time of the year. The swimmers, coach Shawn Haupt said, ramp up training efforts to meet team and individual goals and expectation. Covid safety concerns delayed the start of Plum’s winter athletic seasons —...

The Springdale football team took on California to open the 1999 football season. It was the first game for any Dynamos team or individual that fall, and it also marked the first game in the tenure of athletic director Ray Davis. It was a special time for the 1977 Springdale...

Valley News Dispatch Girls Soccer Player of the Year Gina Proviano Sr., MF, Plum Gina Proviano remained hopeful there would be a fall high school sports season amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but the Plum senior girls soccer standout knew nothing was for sure as many athletic teams throughout the...

After a fall season like no other, area cross country coaches came together recently to celebrate the athletes who competed on some of the biggest stages in the WPIAL and beyond with the sixth edition of the Alle-Kiski cross country all-star teams. The coaches review selection criteria such as performances...