Michael Love stories, Page 37
Gateway sports notebook: Boys basketball team earns pair of early-season wins
The Gateway and Allderdice boys basketball teams played close throughout their nonsection game Dec. 5 at Allderdice High School. The Gators led by three at halftime and by two at the end of the third quarter before holding on for a 56-51 victory over the Dragons. The win moved Gateway...
A-K Valley high school athletes of the week: Plum’s Megan Marston and Kiski Area’s Isaiah Gonzalez
Megan Marston Class: Senior School: Plum Sport: Basketball Report card: Marston had a hot hand for the Mustangs as they jumped out to a 3-0 start. She kicked off the season with 22 points in a 67-43 victory over Freeport at the Freeport Tip-Off. About 12 hours later, she poured...
After strong WPIAL performance, expectations remain high for Plum girls swimmers
Last year’s WPIAL Class 3A championship meet was one to remember for the Plum girls swim team. The Mustangs earned five medals — two in individual events and in all three relays — and placed 10th in a deep team standings. While seven seniors were lost to graduation from the...
Megan Marston’s hot hand helps Plum girls start 3-0
Megan Marston got off to a hot start for the Plum girls basketball team. The senior guard had a pair of 22-point efforts in wins over Freeport and Highlands at the Freeport tip-off tournament the weekend of Dec. 1. Marston then hit for 31 in helping the Mustangs (3-0) roll...
First official season for girls wrestling in Pennsylvania getting started
The date May 17, 2023, will not soon be forgotten by those who follow and have an affinity for girls wrestling locally and throughout Pennsylvania. That day, the PIAA officially sanctioned the sport, making good on its promise that if schools in the state came through and 100 or more...
Springdale continues search for new football coach
Springdale continues its search for a new football coach, and the deadline for applications, according to a post on the WPIAL website, is Wednesday. Ryan Tempalski stepped down shortly after the season concluded, ending a two-year tenure with the Dynamos. In explaining his decision, Tempalski said it was best he...
Kiski Area basketball standout finding ways to help team after 2nd torn ACL
When Kiski Area senior Isaiah Gonzalez slashed to the basket or pulled up for a mid-range jumper in Tuesday’s 58-45 victory over New Castle, Jason Flemm got excited. When Cavaliers junior Colin Keller drained one from beyond the arc or made a standout defensive play, Flemm felt the energy. When...
WPIAL well-represented on Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association girls all-state teams
WPIAL players were well-represented on the all-state girls volleyball teams released Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. North Allegheny placed four on the Class 4A team — senior libero Avery Butcher, senior outside hitter Marin Dunaway, senior right side Jamie Frisco and senior outside hitter Kyra Schmidt. The Tigers...
Kiski Area girls hold off late push by St. Joseph to bounce back from loss
The Kiski Area girls basketball team bounced back from a tough loss to Armstrong Saturday and handed St. Joseph its first loss of the young season with a 44-35 victory Tuesday in a nonsection clash at Kiski Area High School. “It was nice to come back and get a good...
Plum girls basketball team starts season with victory over Freeport
Last year’s girls basketball season opener between Plum and Freeport at the Freeport Tip-Off Tournament went down to the wire with Mustangs combo guard/forward Riley Stephans hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer in her freshman varsity debut. Plum didn’t need any late-game heroics in Friday’s rematch with the Yellowjackets at...
Burrell’s 1st girls wrestling team ready to debut
With high school girls wrestling growing at such a rapid rate in Pennsylvania and throughout the country, Burrell didn’t want to be left on the outside looking in. Burrell is the latest area school to give an affirmative vote to sponsor a girls wrestling program, having finalized the decision at...
Riverview boys basketball rolls past Valley in opener behind Jack Loughren’s 18 points
Jack Loughren missed all of last year’s basketball season with a leg injury. The Riverview senior guard felt good in his return to game action Friday at the Freeport Tip-Off at Freeport Middle School. Loughren scored 18 points and added eight rebounds to help pace a balanced effort as the...
Starting 5: A primer for 2023-24 boys basketball season in the A-K Valley
The WPIAL boys basketball season opens Friday. Here are some of the top storylines, teams and players to watch this season in the Alle-Kiski Valley 5 Storylines New faces at the top: Four teams — Freeport (Rich Macura), Leechburg (Andrew McDermott), St. Joseph (Logan Acri) and Valley (Ed Jenkins) —...
Starting 5: A primer for 2023-24 girls basketball season in the A-K Valley
The WPIAL girls basketball season opens Friday. Here are some of the top storylines, teams and players to watch this season in the Alle-Kiski Valley” 5 storylines New bench leaders: Apollo-Ridge (Jeff Zelonka), Freeport (Mallory Ketterer), Knoch (Shane McGraw), St. Joseph (Geoff Dutelle) and Springdale (Mike Dudjak) begin the season...
Loaded St. Joseph girls basketball team has eye on WPIAL finals
For the second straight year, the St. Joseph girls basketball team reached the WPIAL Class A semifinals. Two years ago, the Spartans pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, taking down No. 1 Rochester, a three-time defending WPIAL champion, in the quarterfinals. Last year, St. Joseph didn’t...
Underdog status doesn’t keep St. Joseph boys basketball team from aiming high
Charlie Ross hopes to be a central figure in St. Joseph boys basketball’s attempt this season to return to the WPIAL Class A playoffs. The only player back with varsity experience from last year’s Spartans squad which went o 8-14 overall and 2-8 in Section 3-A, Ross said he sees...
Gateway wrestling team bolstered by deep collection of athletes
When Ryan Sula looked out on the mat in the Gateway wrestling room during an early-season workout, he saw more than two dozen wrestlers taking part in drills, the most in his eight years as the Gators’ coach. The numbers and the enthusiasm for Gateway wrestling encourages Sula who hopes...
Riverview’s Lola Abraham named Valley News Dispatch girls soccer player of year
Player of the year Lola Abraham Riverview, senior, forward Not often during the 2023 season did an opposing team slow down Riverview senior forward Lola Abraham. Teams thought they had the Pitt soccer commit contained, but she then would erupt and damage their chances at victory. Abraham finished her final...
Kiski Area girls raring to go after snapping playoff drought
Abbie Johns has her plans set for next season as the Kiski Area senior recently signed a National Letter of Intent to join the women’s basketball team at Shippensburg. A Section 1-5A first-team all-star and Valley News Dispatch first-team selection, Johns is one of four starters back from a team...
Kiski Area boys look to build off near-upset in WPIAL playoffs
As the No. 14 seed for last year’s WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball tournament, Kiski Area was a decided underdog against a North Hills team searching for its first WPIAL title. On paper, that is. The Cavaliers didn’t back down from the formidable challenge. They led North Hills into the...
Plum’s Jamie Seneca helps Gannon soccer advance in PSAC Tournament
The Gannon women’s soccer team’s potent offense was on display in a 4-2 victory over Slippery Rock in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference quarterfinal game Nov. 6, and Plum graduate Jamie Seneca played a big part in the Golden Knights’ victory. Seneca, a junior midfielder, capped off the scoring for...
Gateway girls ready to turn corner after challenging seasons
Senior Anayla Jordan had an optimistic tone when asked about the prospects for this year’s Gateway girls basketball team. The lone starter back from a team that fought through challenges last year and finished with a 4-18 overall mark and an 0-12 record in Section 1-5A, Jordan said the players...
Gateway boys aim to continue trend of PIAA playoff appearances
Members of the Gateway boys basketball team were outdoors on the football stadium track last week for a series of conditioning runs just a couple of days before the start of official preseason practices. Gators coach Alvis Rogers said endurance in games will be key for his players as they...
Plum, Riverview athletes ink plans for college careers
For many high school seniors throughout the WPIAL, Nov. 8 was the culmination of years or hard work, dedication and determination. It also was a celebration as those athletes were able to finalize their decisions to continue on in their chosen path to the next level. National letter of intent...
Delco Christian stops Charleroi in Class A state title game
Something had to give when Charleroi and District 1’s Delco Christian met to decide the PIAA Class A boys soccer championship Saturday afternoon at Cumberland Valley’s Eagle View Middle School in Mechanicsburg. Both the Knights and the Cougars came in seeking their first state title. The teams also reached the...
