Michael Love stories, Page 57
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Highlands’ Shelby Wojcik, Kiski Area’s Isaiah Gonzalez
Shelby Wojcik Class: Junior School: Highlands Sport: Basketball Report card: Highlands junior forward Shelby Wojcik had a team-high 20 points in helping the Golden Rams defeat rival Freeport, 55-44, in a Section 1-4A contest Thursday night. It was the third win in a row for Highlands (6-4, 2-1). Wojcik, who...
Plum’s girls wrestling team shows improvement in early-season matches
The Plum School District sanctioned girls wrestling in June — the 47th district to do so in Pennsylvania — and since then, the program has made significant strides. Its wrestlers, coach Dave Miller said, are making progress both in the practice room and on the competition mat. “I first saw...
Plum basketball finding its way
Rich Mull saw ups and downs from a youthful Plum girls basketball team in his first season as head coach last year. The Mustangs finished outside of the playoff mix for the first time in six seasons. The still young team, with just forward Dannika Susko and guard Cam Rogers...
Franklin Regional keeps Kiski Area in check, leans on Rowell in 4th to pull out win
Franklin Regional boys basketball coach Jesse Reed said Friday’s Section 3-5A home contest with Kiski Area wasn’t the prettiest of performances from his team, but he was pleased the Panthers were able to produce a 43-36 victory over the Cavaliers. “You have to win ugly sometimes,” Reed said. “Our guys...
3 players score in double digits as Highlands girls hold off Freeport for 3rd straight win
The Highlands girls basketball team went three for three Thursday in a Section 1-4A matchup at Freeport. Three players scored in double figures as the Golden Rams won their third game in a row with a 55-44 victory over the Yellowjackets at Freeport Middle School. “We just had to execute...
Young Plum girls team might be finding way in new year
Rich Mull saw ups and downs from a youthful Plum girls basketball team in his first season as coach last year. The Mustangs finished outside of the playoff mix for the first time in six seasons. The still young team, with just forward Dannika Susko and guard Cam Rogers as...
Shady Side Academy coach Jonna Burke hits 500 career wins with victory over Apollo-Ridge
Not too often do opposing basketball coaches combine to own nearly 1,100 career victories. That was the case Tuesday as Shady Side Academy’s Jonna Burke and Apollo-Ridge’s Ray Bartha guided their teams into the Section 3-3A girls opener at Shady Side Academy’s Mellon Gym. Bartha has 568 victories in nearly...
Pittsburgh Passion releases 2023 schedule
The Pittsburgh Passion women’s semi-pro football team on Monday released its 2023 season schedule. The Passion will play six games — three at home and three on the road — in the Women’s Football Alliance Pro National Division. They will open their season April 22 at longtime rival D.C. Divas....
Alle-Kiski Valley’s top 10 sports stories of 2022
The year 2022 will long be remembered for many monumental happenings, from A-K Valley athletes’ accomplishments to championship performances and teams bringing home gold at the district, regional and state levels. Athletes again were able to pay off many hours of dedication and determination to not only reach but to...
Julie Spinelli sparks St. Joseph girls to statement win over Freeport
There’s something about playing Freeport that sparks St. Joseph junior Julie Spinelli. Last year, she scored 33 points to lift the Spartans past the Yellowjackets in a three-point nonsection victory. Spinelli was at it again Wednesday evening in the championship game of the St. Joseph holiday tournament at Walter Dlubak...
Leechburg’s Braylan Lovelace, Apollo-Ridge’s Nick Curci carry A-K Valley flag on signing day
Braylan Lovelace and Nick Curci may be headed to different colleges, but the two Alle-Kiski Valley football standouts on Wednesday shared a similar celebratory atmosphere. They finalized their college decisions to Pitt and Duquesne, respectively, along with friends, family, teammates and coaches on the first day of the NCAA’s National...
Win over nemesis Knoch gives Highlands girls basketball team shot of confidence
The Highlands girls basketball team was back at it in practice Tuesday afternoon, one day after a big Section 1-4A victory over Knoch and one day before a nonsection clash with undefeated Armstrong. Six games into the season, the Golden Rams are optimistic about what they have done and where...
Second-half surge powers Plum girls past Franklin Regional
With 2 minutes, 2 seconds left in the third quarter Monday night, the Franklin Regional girls basketball team held a three-point lead over Section 1-5A rival Plum and hoped to extend its advantage. But the Mustangs then went on a 14-0 run that lasted until two minutes were left in...
Gateway JV hockey team shattering expectations
The Gateway junior varsity hockey team registered eight points in 15 regular-season games last year. The Gators own that many points through their first eight games this year, and coach Shawn Jesih said his experienced team continues to improve as it closes out 2022. “The development of the boys has...
Gateway boys basketball has date with Laurel Highlands circled on calendar
The Laurel Highlands boys basketball team won its second WPIAL Class 5A title in three years last season and had high hopes for a run in the PIAA tournament. But Gateway, which made a run to the WPIAL semifinals and qualified for states, played spoiler in the quarterfinals. The Gators...
After successful run in Japan, Plum native Scott McGough making return to MLB
Scott McGough is coming home. The 33-year-old Plum native who got his start in professional baseball in 2015 after being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers will return to Major League Baseball for the 2023 season. McGough, a reliever who helped the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League...
Big things ahead for Plum bowling team
Mareana Pilyih stands head and shoulders above the girls East section in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League after four games. The Plum junior, last year’s Western Regional champion and state qualifier, rolled games of 211, 211 and 226 for a 648 series Dec. 14 in her team’s 7-0 victory...
2022 Valley News Dispatch Defensive Player of the Year: Freeport’s Jacksen Reiser
Jacksen Reiser was focused on making the most of his senior season with the Freeport football team. Preseason practices provided promise and potential. But a torn ACL suffered in the Yellowjackets’ scrimmage with Slippery Rock put a halt to his gameplan. The outlook was bleak. Reiser’s season appeared to be...
2022 Valley News Dispatch Football All-Stars
Here’s a look at the Valley News Dispatch’s 2022 football all-stars: First team Devin Beattie Burrell, RB/DB, jr. Beattie broke out as a workhorse this year with 1,441 yards and 18 touchdowns on 222 carries as the Bucs earned a trip to the WPIAL playoffs in Class 2A. He rushed...
Lernerville Speedway to host high-paying sprint car race as part of 2023 season
Lernerville Speedway will host a high-stakes sprint car evening race late in the 2023 season that will pay out $50,000 to the winner. The Commonwealth Clash on the High Limit Sprint Car Series schedule is set for Tuesday, Sept. 26, and is the highest-paying sprint car event ever held at...
Furious fourth-quarter rally lifts Mars girls past Kiski Area
With 5 minutes, 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s nonsection girls basketball game between Kiski Area and Mars, the Cavaliers led by nine and had designs on putting the game away. But the Planets had other ideas. Mars regrouped with a timeout and proceeded to outscore Kiski...
Class 2A Burrell values longstanding wrestling rivalry with 3A Kiski Area
The Burrell wrestling team last beat neighboring rival Kiski Area in 2011. The Bucs hope this year’s clash — the teams meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Kiski Area High School — can be the end of the decade-long winning streak by the Cavaliers. “This is always a highlight of...
Lernerville Speedway sets 2023 schedule
Four months from now, fans will hear the firing of motors at Lernerville Speedway as the 2023 season gets rolling. Lernerville officials over the weekend released the upcoming season’s schedule of events. The slate is highlighted by additional Fab4 Revved Up with Marburger Farm Dairy events on Friday nights. That...
Fox Chapel girls add to win streak, hand Plum its first loss
The Fox Chapel girls basketball team lost its season opener, falling by seven to Highlands at the Freeport Tip-Off on Dec. 2. The Foxes have reeled off four straight since then. The latest triumph came Monday evening at Plum. Led by a balanced effort where five players had at least...
Freeport girls volleyball players go from young fans to state champions
At a gathering at Freeport Middle School shortly after the Yellowjackets girls volleyball team captured the 2017 PIAA Class 2A championship, then-sixth graders Josie Russo and Grace Beach posed for photos holding the title trophy. Five years later, the duo, now juniors on the Freeport team, again took photos together...
