Michael Love stories, Page 54
Oakland Catholic’s Alexa Washington aims to cap high school career on high note
Alexa Washington felt a tinge of emotion rise to the surface last week when talking about the inevitable conclusion of her high school basketball career levied against the excitement of her Oakland Catholic team’s opportunities in the WPIAL playoffs. “I know it’s coming, but right now, all I am thinking...
Fencing develops into tight-knit community for high school athletes
Sophomore Jake Burgos scored a big victory in the Allderdice boys fencing team’s 5-4 victory over rival Fox Chapel on Feb. 10 at Allderdice High School. The defending Pittsburgh Interscholastic Fencing Association champion Dragons clinched a spot in the league playoffs with that win and a victory later in the...
Highlands girls beat Elizabeth Forward, clinch program’s 1st PIAA spot
The Elizabeth Forward girls basketball team averaged 60.5 points during the regular season en route to a Section 3 title, 17 victories and the No. 3 seed for the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs. But No. 6 Highlands limited the potent Warriors offense throughout Friday’s quarterfinal matchup at Gateway’s Furrie Sports...
Golden Gloves tournament kicks off Saturday with bouts at Monroeville Mall
The road to the Golden Gloves state and national finals begins Saturday with a loaded card at Gloria’s Gym in the Monroeville Mall. Both eliminations and championships will be a part of the 14-bout card and will feature Golden Gloves veterans and others new to the amateur tournament. Eleven of...
Highlands boys make good on third shot at Hampton, advance to semifinals
The third time was the charm for the Highlands boys basketball team. After a pair of losses to rival Hampton in section play, the Golden Rams had payback on their plate Thursday in a WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal game at a packed North Allegheny High School. Three Highlands players led...
A-K Valley basketball playoff capsules: Games for Feb. 24, 2023
WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoffs Class 4A Quarterfinals 6-Highlands (15-7) vs. 3-Elizabeth Forward (17-5) 6 p.m. Friday at Gateway High School, Monroeville Winner plays: Winner of 7-Beaver Area (14-8) at 2-North Catholic (19-3) on Tuesday in semifinals (site/time TBD) Players to Watch: Kalleigh Nerone, Highlands; Julia Resnik, Elizabeth Forward Layup lines:...
St. Joseph coach Dennis Jones continues recovery from series of medical issues as team reaches quarterfinals
Dennis Jones watched St. Joseph girls basketball’s first-round playoff victory over Geibel on the team’s Hudl account. Monday’s triumph propelled the Spartans into the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals Thursday at Monessen. Jones, in his fifth year as St. Joseph’s coach, said he is grateful to be able to follow the...
A-K Valley WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023
WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 4A Quarterfinals 4-Hampton (21-2) vs. 5-Highlands (20-3) 8 p.m. Thursday at North Allegheny High School, McCandless Winner plays: Winner of 1-Lincoln Park (22-1)/8-South Allegheny (19-4) in semifinals Monday (site, time TBD) Players to watch: Robert Coll, Hampton; Cam Reigard, Highlands Layup lines: These Section 1...
Kiski Area grad Ben Fiore to lead boys soccer team at alma mater
Ben Fiore is coming home. The 2015 Kiski Area graduate and former Cavaliers soccer player is the new boys coach at his alma mater. Fiore was hired Monday by the Kiski Area School Board to take over for Sean Arnold, who stepped down after the 2022 season, concluding nine years...
Oakland Catholic firing on all cylinders in Class 5A first-round win over Kiski Area
Senior-laden Oakland Catholic didn’t waste any time in taking control of its WPIAL girls basketball Class 5A first-round game against Kiski Area on Tuesday at Fox Chapel. The second-seeded Eagles, with four senior starters, opened a double-digit lead just five minutes into the game and rolled from there. Senior Alexa...
St. Joseph’s girls storm to dominant first-round victory over Geibel
Junior Julie Spinelli hit a 3-pointer for St. Joseph just 14 seconds into Monday’s WPIAL Class A first-round girls basketball game with Geibel Catholic at St. Joseph’s Walter Dlubak Athletic Center. It was the start of a dominant performance by the fifth-seeded Spartans who rolled to a 64-26 victory over...
A-K Valley WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023
Girls WPIAL Basketball Playoffs Class 5A First Round 16-Plum (13-10) at 1-South Fayette (20-2) Tuesday, 8 p.m. at South Fayette High School, Bridgeville Winner plays: Winner of 9-Shaler (16-6) at 8-Penn-Trafford (15-7) on Friday in quarterfinals (site/time TBD) Players to watch: Pascale Olczak, Plum; Maddie Weber, South Fayette Layup lines:...
Pittsburgh Interscholastic Fencing Association regular season concludes Friday
The Fox Chapel boys fencing team scored two wins during Friday’s Pittsburgh Interscholastic Fencing Association matches at Allderdice High School, and the Foxes moved into a second-place tie with Peters Township and Shady Side Academy. Fox Chapel (5-2) beat North Allegheny, 6-3, and Winchester Thurston, 7-2. Aquinas Academy (3-4) was...
Cager Classic all-star festivities return, scheduled for March 23-25
The WPIAL boys and girls basketball playoffs are in full swing, but officials with the Cager Classic have been planning ahead for when the postseason concludes. The 26th all-star games will be March 25 at Highlands High School, and the East and West rosters for the boys and girls contests...
A-K Valley basketball playoff preview capsules for games of Feb. 20, 2023
WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 4A First round 12-Elizabeth Forward (8-13) at 5-Highlands (19-3) 7 p.m. Monday, Highlands High School, Natrona Heights Winner plays: Winner of 13-Blackhawk (11-11)/4-Hampton (20-2) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Andrew Cook, Elizabeth Forward; Bradyn Foster, Highlands Layup lines: Elizabeth Forward...
Gateway grads Shelly Jones, Sarah Corrie continue to find success as college throwers
Shelly Jones and Sarah Corrie shared the bright lights of the WPIAL throwing stage several times as track and field teammates at Gateway. The duo capped their high school careers with PIAA-qualifying performances at the 2019 WPIAL Class AAA championships at Baldwin High School. Jones took third in the shot...
Gateway bowlers earn trip to regional championships
The youthful Gateway boys bowling team collected 2,561 pins through three games and finished 15th out of 24 teams at the WPIBL boys team championship tournament Feb. 15, at Sims Lanes in Beaver Falls. Junior Alex Keeling-Oliver led the Gators with games of 165, 210 and 168 to finish with...
No. 11 Mohawk upsets No. 6 Apollo-Ridge in 1st round, gets rematch with Neshannock
The Mohawk girls basketball team had a long ride home from Apollo-Ridge after a WPIAL Class 3A first-round game Saturday afternoon. But the nearly 90-minute trip back to the New Castle area was a joyous one. Three players landed in double figures as the No. 11-seeded Warriors came away with...
A-K Valley basketball playoff preview capsules for games of Feb. 18, 2023
WPIAL basketball playoffs Girls Class 3A First round 11-Mohawk (14-8) at 6-Apollo-Ridge (19-3) Noon Saturday at Apollo-Ridge High School, Spring Church Winner plays: Winner of 14-Charleroi (11-9) at 3-Neshannock (16-6) in quarterfinals Wednesday (site and time TBD) Players to watch: Erynne Capalbo, Mohawk; Brinley Toland, Apollo-Ridge Layup lines: Mohawk is...
Plum girls oust Montour in preliminary round, advance to face No. 1 South Fayette
Before the Plum girls basketball team could focus on No. 1, it had to make sure it took care of business against No. 17. The 16th-seeded Mustangs got double-figure scoring performances from juniors Megan Marston and Pascale Olczak as they punched their ticket to a first-round matchup against top seed...
Senior grabs starting spot, makes impact in paint for Highlands girls
Ava Nitowski scored 14 points and added 11 rebounds Jan. 4 as the Highlands girls basketball team topped rival Freeport by 11. The double-double was a memorable performance and a strong start to the new year for the 6-foot senior first-year starter, who helped the Golden Rams win 14 games...
A-K Valley basketball playoff preview capsules for games of Feb. 16, 2023
WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 4A Preliminary round 17-West Mifflin (9-12) at 16-Knoch (8-14) 7 p.m. Thursday at Knoch High School, Saxonburg Winner plays: 1-Lincoln Park (21-1), 7 p.m. Monday at Lincoln Park Players to watch: Jordan Lucas-Johnson, West Mifflin; Teegan Finucan, Knoch Layup lines: West Mifflin tied for fourth...
Plum hires former Mars football coach, athletic director Scott Heinauer as interim AD
The Plum School Board on Tuesday appointed former Mars athletic director and football coach Scott Heinauer as interim athletic director and coordinator of student activities. Heinauer is expected to begin his duties soon and work with outgoing athletic director Brian Miller to guide the Plum athletes still involved in the...
Freeport Area swimmers in good position to make waves at WPIALs
The Freeport Area girls swim team earned a fifth-place finish at last year’s WPIAL Class 2A championship meet at Pitt’s Trees Pool. A major piece from that team, Alexis Schrecongost, graduated and now is swimming for Division I Toledo. But many of the other key members of the team return...
Handful of A-K Valley basketball teams get No. 5 seeds in WPIALs
The WPIAL boys and girls basketball “second season” now is set as the 12 brackets were revealed Monday afternoon. The Highlands and Deer Lakes boys and St. Joseph and Knoch girls lead the Alle-Kiski Valley qualifiers as all four drew No. 5 seeds in their respective tournaments. “We definitely have...
