Michael Love stories, Page 45
Springdale ready to show improvement after winless campaign
The graduation of 16 seniors from Springdale’s 2021 Class A quarterfinal-qualifying team left a void from which it was tough to recover. The 2022 Dynamos battled through youth and inexperience — only three seniors dotted the roster — and the season ended with the Dynamos at 0-10. But many of...
Energy, enthusiasm, winning help Riverview grow roster
Riverview won four games in 2022, the most victories for the program since 2015 when it also won four times. The mission for a veteran group of Raiders players — only four seniors graduated from last year’s team — is to take that next step. Energy, enthusiasm and optimism, coach...
St. Joseph standout hoopster Spinelli picks Frostburg State
Julie Spinelli has one more high school basketball season remaining at St. Joseph, and she has set expectations high herself and her team, which returns every player from last year’s WPIAL Class A semifinalist. She also has her eyes focused on her future beyond high school as she now knows...
Battle within the battle: A-K Valley defenses have challenge of facing various schemes, formations
Legendary Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant once said, “Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships.” There are many examples in the history of football at all levels where a balanced offense and defense is key to bringing home a title. But one needs not look any further than last year’s...
2023 WPIAL Class 4A football breakdown: Aliquippa begins quest for 3-peatVideo
No team has three-peated as WPIAL champion in Class 4A since the WPIAL went to six classifications in 2016. Thomas Jefferson won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017, but South Fayette stopped the Jaguars’ attempt for a third straight in 2018. TJ again won titles in 2019 and 2020, but...
Isaiah Gonzalez relishes role as quarterback of Kiski Area defense
Isaiah Gonzalez earned a baptism by fire as a freshman when he stepped into the varsity lineup at cornerback against Penn Hills when then-senior and one of Kiski Area’s top players that year, Kenny Blake, was out with injury. “That was a challenging game for him to be put in...
Burrell ready to run back into WPIAL playoffs
While some WPIAL offensive attacks look to incorporate both ground and air assaults, Burrell often loads up its tanks with the hopes of steamrolling opponents. The Bucs rushed for more than 3,000 total yards last year as they battled through Allegheny Conference play to a berth in the WPIAL Class...
Apollo-Ridge aims to gain experience in a hurry
When asked to appraise his team’s expectations for this season, Apollo-Ridge coach John Skiba didn’t pull any punches. “We will be young and inexperienced,” he said. But he was quick to add that the future is bright as several talented newcomers, he said, will join the few returning starters from...
Plum youth football community mourns, honors Keegan ClontzVideo
Keegan Clontz’s No. 40 football jersey hung from one of the goalposts during the Plum Little Mustangs 12U scrimmage Wednesday evening against Franklin Regional at the Plum Midget Football Association fields along Ross Hollow Road. His initials also were painted on the field at the 40-yard line. They were two...
Deer Lakes aims to build off playoff berth in Allegheny 6
Deer Lakes finished fourth in the Allegheny 6 Conference last year and earned a berth to the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2015. The Lancers, as the No. 10 seed in the Class 3A bracket, traveled to No. 7 Beaver hoping to pull the first-round upset, but they...
Alle-Kiski high school football teams begin march toward playoffs
Rocco Cecere felt a ton of positive energy in the minutes and hours leading up to the Riverview football team’s first two-a-day practice Monday at Riverside Park in Oakmont. The Raiders senior quarterback and defensive back is part of sizeable group of returning starters who hope to lift Riverview to...
Seniors Cochran, Love lead Deer Lakes receiving corps
Ryan Cochran caught 31 passes last year in a Deer Lakes uniform. Wayne Love added 19 grabs in what turned out to be a balanced Lancers offense. The duo, both seniors coming into the 2023 season, combined for more than 850 yards and seven receiving touchdowns last year to help...
Big RB Beattie ready to carry load again for Burrell
Devin Beattie hopes to have another big season for the Burrell football team. Connected to that goal is the bruising 200-pound running back’s desire to help lead the Bucs to a third consecutive WPIAL playoff appearance. “Devin is a perfect fit for our type of run-heavy offense,” Burrell coach Shawn...
Young Kiski Area roster looks for bounce-back season
Kiski Area hoped to fare better last season in its Greater Allegheny Conference debut. The Cavaliers broke into the win column just once — a 50-13 nonconference rout of Fox Chapel — in Week 8 and went winless (0-6) in conference play. But veteran coach Sam Albert said the returning...
Apollo-Ridge lineman Spencer Sells making up for lost time
Spencer Sells didn’t come out for the Apollo-Ridge football team his freshman and sophomore seasons. He said he was 50/50 with football at the time, weighing wanting to play with other factors, including the covid pandemic his freshman year in 2020. “I do have regrets about that looking back, 100...
Participation, excitement growing within Gateway Midget Football and Cheerleading Association
Last fall was a banner season for the Gateway Midget Football and Cheerleading Association. All four of its football teams — flag (ages 5-6), Termites (7-8), Mites (9-10) and Midgets (11-12) made the Big East Youth Football League playoffs. The Termites, Mites and Midgets advanced to the semifinals. “We’re not...
Leechburg hires Angela Franke as new athletic director
Angela Franke said the past couple of days have been a whirlwind since the Leechburg School Board voted to officially hire her as athletic director Wednesday evening. “I am really excited to have this great opportunity at Leechburg,” said Franke, who served the past two academic years as the athletic...
Freeport softball standout Sydney Selker headed to Akron after recruiting plans change
St. Francis’ loss is Akron’s gain. Freeport senior Sydney Selker verbally committed to the Red Flash softball team in January, but a coaching change in June restarted the recruiting process for the Yellowjackets standout. After a whirlwind three-week process to find a new collegiate home, Selker settled in with the...
Former Valley player Carlisle will coach Vikings boys soccer team, which returns this fall
Ben Carlisle is no stranger to the experience of representing the Valley boys soccer team. He enjoyed a standout career with the Vikings before graduating in 2015. For the past several seasons as a coach with the Valley junior high co-ed program, he has shared the frustration of not having...
Monroeville Junior Legion team completes best season in program history at state tournament
After league and regional tournaments where it won six of nine games, the Monroeville Junior Legion team set its sights on making some noise at the Pennsylvania state tournament in Berwick. Things started well with a win in its first game, but a pair of losses in the double-elimination event...
Plum grad excited to take over alma mater’s hockey program
Jon Gratton’s first foray into ice hockey coaching came three seasons ago when the 2009 Plum graduate accepted a varsity assistant coaching position on college teammate Cam Raidna’s staff at Fox Chapel. “I can’t say right off the bat that coaching was a goal of mine,” said Gratton, a four-year...
Summer youth basketball program enlivens New Kensington
There have been shoot-arounds and pickup games on the new basketball courts at the Barnes Street Playground for a couple of months since they officially opened in the spring. Ian Benson said he believes the current Kings & Queens of the Court summer youth basketball program at the park is...
2023 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Central Catholic’s Cole Sullivan
Cole Sullivan received several dozen Division I offers during the college recruiting process. In the end, Michigan won out as he verbally committed to the Wolverines in May. “I am really happy with my decision,” Sullivan said. “I did what’s best for me. Now, it’s great to see a bunch...
International field lined up for PONY League World Series in Washington
Eight teams have qualified with two more to be decided this week as anticipation grows for the 71st Dick’s Sporting Goods PONY League World Series on Aug. 11-16 in Washington, Pa. The world will be watching as four U.S. Zone winners, the host team from Washington County, the host area...
Weather can’t cloud success of Freeport International; 2024 plans already in works
The Freeport International Baseball Invitational wasn’t immune to Mother Nature’s adverse weather conditions as lightning Friday and rain Saturday dampened the momentum of a week’s worth of youth baseball at a half-dozen fields in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Chuck Sarver, president of the Freeport International, said despite the temporary rough weather,...
