Michael Love stories, Page 11
Riverview rallies but comes up short in PIAA baseball playoffs
ERIE — The Riverview baseball team had to battle from an early deficit in Monday’s PIAA Class 2A first-round game against Mercyhurst Prep at Mercyhurst University in Erie. Trailing by four runs after one inning, the Raiders cut the Lakers lead to one with a three-spot in the third. But...
A-K Valley PIAA baseball playoff preview capsule: Game for Monday, June 2, 2025
PIAA baseball playoffs Class 2A First round 7-3 Riverview (15-7) vs. 10-1 Mercyhurst Prep (22-1) 4:30 p.m. Monday at Mercyhurst Winner plays: Winner of 5-1 Tussey Mountain (13-10) and 7-2 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (15-8) Thursday in quarterfinals (site/time TBD) Players to watch: Zack Kruszewski, Mercyhurst Prep; Johnny...
Gateway thrower Dino Nadarevic closes high school career with pair of state titles
Dino Nadarevic entered the PIAA Class 3A track and field championships at Shippensburg confident in his opportunity to bring home PIAA gold. “I knew I was one of the top-seeded people there and had a good chance at winning both events,” he said. “I knew it was my last state...
WPIAL champion Gateway tandem again returns home with PIAA medals
Gateway’s Logan Memije and Zidaan Hassan again carried the mantle of WPIAL champions into the PIAA Class 3A doubles tournament May 23-24 at the Hershey Racquet Club. And for the second time in as many years, the Gators duo — Hassan a senior and Memije a junior — brought home...
Pitching, defense help Riverview play June baseball
The Riverview baseball team’s pitching and defense surrendered just six runs over four games in the WPIAL Class 2A baseball tournament. That is a surefire recipe for postseason success. While the Raiders didn’t reach their goal of playing for a WPIAL championship, they were able to parlay three victories in...
Plum, Riverview track and field athletes cap season on PIAA medals podium
Plum junior Owen Proskin took a big-meet understanding into the PIAA Class 3A track and field championships May 23-24 at Shippensburg. Having competed at states last year as a sophomore and also at several prestigious USA Track and Field meets, Proskin was ready to go after it in the 110-...
Seniors get final chance to don high school softball uniforms at Western PA All-Star Game
Bella Stewart and Pyper Ferres played a lot of softball together the past four springs as Burrell teammates. They shared numerous victories and took part in three playoff trips with the Bucs. The seniors will have one more opportunity to take the field together before they head off to college,...
Arnold high school, Lower Burrell Legion baseball teams won titles 60 years ago
This week, the WPIAL crowned baseball champions in six classifications. But 60 years ago, only one WPIAL titlist reigned supreme. With no classifications at the time, the team from Arnold had to go through a number of bigger schools to earn WPIAL gold. With no fear, the 1965 Lions took...
Strong pitching, clutch hits keep season alive for Riverview with 3rd-place win over Laurel
WASHINGTON — With its season on the line, the Riverview baseball team stood tall against Laurel in a WPIAL Class 2A third-place game Wednesday afternoon at Washington & Jefferson’s Ross Memorial Park. Raiders sophomore pitcher Lukas Duncan again was effective in a complete-game effort, and Riverview got just enough offense...
Big inning helps Eden Christian top Greensburg Central Catholic in WPIAL Class A consolation game
Eden Christian Academy erupted for five runs in the bottom of the third to cap a nine-run uprising over the first three innings as the Warriors cruised to a 10-2 victory in the WPIAL Class A third-place consolation baseball game Wednesday afternoon against Greensburg Central Catholic at Washington & Jefferson’s...
Trip to state playoffs on the line when Riverview baseball takes on Laurel in 3rd-place game
Eli DeVita is ready to do whatever he can to help make sure Wednesday’s WPIAL Class 2A third-place consolation is not his final high school game. “We know Laurel is a playoff team and they made it as far as we did,” said DeVita of the No. 12 Spartans who...
After tough playoff assignment, Gateway volleyball reflects on banner season
When the Gateway boys volleyball team defeated Fox Chapel on May 8 to wrap up an 8-2 Section 4-3A slate and clinch the section championship outright, players, coaches, administrators and many others at the school were excited and expected to see the Gators presented with a first-round home game when...
Gateway’s tennis run comes to close in PIAA quarterfinals
The Gateway boys tennis team had its sights set on a run to the PIAA Class 3A championship match when it kicked off its tournament May 13 against District 3 third-place finisher Manheim Township at Pure Athletex in Marshall Township. The Gators, led by the singles trio of seniors Adam...
Plum sprinter Gabrielle Layne signs with Pitt
Gabrielle Layne stood in the library at Plum High School last Wednesday with a smile on her face from ear to ear. She spent a small part of her afternoon celebrating a decision that will shape the next four years of her life. The Plum senior track and field standout...
After unexpected playoff exit, Plum coach reflects on 18-win season
Last year, the Plum baseball team entered the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs as the No. 5 seed and hoped to make a strong postseason run. But No. 12 Trinity had other ideas and outlasted the Mustangs in 11 innings to crush Plum’s postseason desires. The sting of a playoff upset...
Freeport distance runner Michael Braun locked in on gold during last trip to PIAA meet
As a freshman, Michael Braun placed 10th in the 3,200-meter run at the WPIAL Class 2A championships. He didn’t reach his goal of qualifying for the PIAA meet, but he took note of the top performances in Shippensburg from area athletes, including the 1,600-meter state title by Deer Lakes senior...
A-K Valley high school baseball playoff preview capsules for May 22, 2025
WPIAL baseball playoffs Class 2A Semifinals 6-Riverview (14-6) vs. 2-Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (14-7) 4 p.m. Thursday at Peterswood Park Winner plays: Winner of 8-Freedom (12-7)/12-Laurel (10-10) in the championship game May 27 or 28 at EQT Park (time TBA) Players to watch: Rece Sempfer, Riverview; Dean Douglass,...
Riverview sophomore keeps composure, leads Raiders past Burgettstown in 2A quarterfinals
Lukas Duncan plunked Burgettstown third baseman Sam Elich to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning of Tuesday’s WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinal at North Allegheny. But the Riverview sophomore, pitching with his team holding a one-run lead, didn’t let that blemish get to him. He retired the next three...
Top-seeded South Park knocks off rust, shuts out Deer Lakes in Class 3A
Twelve days went by between the South Park softball team’s final regular-season game and Monday’s WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals against Deer Lakes at Fox Chapel. The Eagles’ high-powered offense took a couple of innings to get going against the Lancers. If it was a little rust, South Park hitters shook...
After claiming 2 WPIAL gold medals, Gateway’s Dino Nadarevic turns attention to state meet
Dino Nadarevic had already claimed one WPIAL title last Wednesday at the Class 3A track and field championships before he went for more. With a gold medal in the shot put already placed around his neck, Nadarevic, a Gateway senior, smashed the school record in the discus and dominated the...
Alle-Kiski Valley softball playoff preview capsules: Games for May 19, 2025
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 2A Quarterfinals 1-Neshannock (19-0) vs. 8-Apollo-Ridge (14-4) 5 p.m. Monday at North Allegheny Winner plays: Winner of 13-Shenango (11-8)/12-Bentworth (9-9) on Wednesday in semifinals (site/time TBD) Players to watch: Mikaila Ditty, Apollo-Ridge; Addy Frye, Neshannock Extra bases: The Section 2 runner-up Vikings outlasted No. 9 Our...
Riverview, Plum athletes earn trips to PIAA track and field championships
Riverview senior Matt Orbin was seeded fourth entering the Class 2A boys javelin at last Wednesday’s WPIAL track and field championships at Slippery Rock. Orbin didn’t let the fact that it was his first appearance at the WPIAL finals get to him as he stayed consistent from his season-best of...
Plum softball reflects on power-packed season after WPIAL playoff exit
The Plum softball team had designs on breaking a tough playoff losing streak when it took on Chartiers Valley at West Mifflin in a WPIAL Class 5A first-round game May 12. The Mustangs were the No. 8 seed as they hoped to snap a six-game playoff skid. The game with...
Longtime coach Joe Lafko hired to lead Knoch boys basketball team
Joe Lafko looked to the future and also the past for motivation to return to coaching high school boys basketball. Lafko, who was hired at Knoch on Wednesday, said his upcoming retirement in June after 35 years of teaching social studies at Hampton helped him in his decision. The WPIAL...
Apollo-Ridge’s Jaden McCray, Freeport’s Mackenzie Magness among A-K Valley champs at WPIAL meet
Apollo-Ridge junior Jaden McCray earned a fifth-place medal in the javelin at last year’s WPIAL Class 2A track and field championships. That came with an automatic trip to states. But in his return to WPIALs on Wednesday at Slippery Rock University, McCray was shooting for more. And more is what...
