Ted Sarneso stories, Page 4
GCC senior putting together last fundraiser before graduation
After a successful 5K walk last year that saw her raise more than $8,000 for a worthy cause, Greensburg Central Catholic senior Sasha Hoffman said there was only one thing she would have changed for this year. “I wanted to start the planning process a lot earlier so that I...
Mars stuns No. 2 Plum behind shutout by Kyle Krause in Class 5A playoffs
All week, Mars coach Jason Thompson kept up the positive messages for his players. “Coach had our confidence up all week, and everyone in that dugout felt we were going to win today,” Planets right fielder Zach Rozman said. Mars starting pitcher Kyle Krause bought into his coach’s message and...
A-K Valley high school athletes of the week: Plum’s Mackenzie Marotta and Freeport’s Michael Hanz
Mackenzie Marotta School: Plum Class: Junior Sport: Softball Claim to fame: As Plum (14-5, 8-4) took on Burrell on Monday, Marotta had a hit and two RBIs. On Tuesday, she pitched the Mustangs to a 10-0 win over Deer Lakes. She threw five no-hit innings and struck out five while...
North Catholic, Gateway boys win WPIAL team tennis titles
The capital of WPIAL Class 2A tennis for the 2024-25 school year might be located in Cranberry Township. North Catholic defeated Valley, 4-1, in the team tennis finals Wednesday at Janet Swanson Tennis Center at Washington & Jefferson. It’s the first title in the North Catholic boys tennis program’s five-year...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Knoch’s Emersyn Jones and Plum’s Jake Dombkowski
Emersyn Jones School: Knoch Class: Freshman Sport: Softball Claim to Fame: Jones hit a home run and drove in two runs in a 7-0 win over Highlands on Monday, and she went 3 for 4 with a home run, a double and five RBIs in a 16-3 Section 1-4A win...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Kiski Area’s Gianna DeVito, Riverview’s Lukas Duncan
Gianna DeVito School: Kiski Area Class: Junior Sport: Track and field Claim to fame: DeVito won the high jump, clearing a height of 5 feet, 5 inches, at the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association track and field championships Thursday at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium. How did you get started in the high...
Plum native Justin Patton part of co-main event for Brawl in the Burgh 28
When one chooses to become a professional fighter, sacrifices have to be made. Whether it’s time, the rigid diet or the ultimate toll that it takes on the body, fighters go through a lot to achieve their goals and become a top performer. Justin “The General” Patton has made those...
Despite hurdles, Chartiers Valley track teams finding ways to improve
It’s been a challenging season for the Chartiers Valley track and field teams. Like all the other schools in the WPIAL, they have had to deal with the tumultuous early spring weather. “It’s been cold and rainy, and that has had a small effect on how our athletes perform,” said...
Chartiers Valley looking for bats to come alive for playoff push
Five days after Chartiers Valley stopped a three-game losing streak with an 11-5 win that saw the team’s bats come alive against Section 2-5A opponent Peters Township, the Colts dropped an important section game against Moon on April 14. The manner in which they lost, a passed ball in the...
New Kensington native James Threatte looking to give area girls leg up in flag football
Five years ago, amidst the covid-19 pandemic, James Threatte of New Kensington noticed an issue impacting local children. “There were no youth sports programs in the summer for the kids around the New Ken area,” Threatte said. “I knew that needed to change.” A year later, he established the Skillz...
Pine-Richland softball focuses on fundamentals, hangs tough in challenging section
Over the last two seasons, the Pine-Richland softball team committed 101 errors. Coach Sam Hartzberg’s mission this offseason was to clean up his team’s fundamentals. “Our girls weren’t throwing to the wrong base or anything of that nature,” Hartzberg said. “They just weren’t making the plays they should have.” From...
With no easy outs, Pine-Richland lineup puts pressure on opposing pitchers
For 27 years, Kurt Wolfe has been coaching baseball at Pine-Richland. His first two years were as junior varsity coach, the next five were as an assistant coach on varsity and for the last 20 seasons, he’s been at the helm for the Rams. So, when he talks of his...
Alle-Kiski Valley athletes of the week: Plum’s Lily DeLuca, Deer Lakes’ Anthony Smith
Lily DeLuca School: Plum Class: Freshman Sport: Softball Claim to Fame: DeLuca crushed a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning as Plum (8-2, 4-1) defeated Section 1-5A opponent North Hills, 12-10, on Friday. Tell me about the moment you hit the home run. I had...
Allegheny Valley YMCA swim team enjoys success at states
After a successful showing at districts, where 33 swimmers participated, the Allegheny Valley YMCA Gators sent 12 to the state competition held at the Mylan Park Aquatic Center on West Virginia University’s campus March 21-23. “Everyone did a great job,” coach Nathan Petrak said. “Some swimmers hit their best times...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Riverview’s Eli DeVita
It can be challenging to switch between the different positions on a baseball field. Each spot has its own intricacies, and it can take players a while to adapt to a new position. But for Riverview senior shortstop Eli DeVita, changing spots on the diamond was the only way he...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Apollo-Ridge’s Mikaila Ditty, Knoch’s Zane Pacek
Mikaila Ditty School: Apollo-Ridge Class: Freshman Sport: Softball Claim to fame: On the mound, Ditty threw a five-inning no-hitter, walking none and striking out 11, as the Vikings (5-1) beat Leechburg, 11-0, in a nonsection matchup. Helping her own cause, she went 2 for 3 with a grand slam, a...
Knoch baseball team relies on deep pitching staff
It wasn’t until the seventh inning when Zane Pacek started to hear whispers in the dugout. “I was like, ‘Come on guys, now you’ve jinxed it,’ ” Pacek said. Despite his teammates committing the cardinal sin of mentioning the opposing team having no hits, the 7-foot-1 junior pitcher threw a...
New Kiski School football coach Aaron Smetanka wants to build family atmosphere
A month into his stint as football coach at The Kiski School, Aaron Smetanka has set two clear objectives. First, and most importantly, he wants to help grow better men for the future, to make sure his players have a solid life path for whenever they graduate. “The academic standards...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Leechburg’s Chase Henry
He never saw it coming. As Leechburg senior pitcher/shortstop Chase Henry slid into second base in the Blue Devils’ final regular-season game last year against Highlands, the baseball came up and struck him in the face. “I knew it was going to be a close play, but the throw was...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Deer Lakes’ Laney Dineff, Highlands’ Kristian Kocon
Laney Dineff School: Deer Lakes Class: Junior Sport: Softball Claim to fame: As a starting pitcher, Dineff earned two wins this week. First, in a 6-5 win over Freeport on Monday, she gave up one run on four hits, surrendered three walks and struck out four in three innings. Dineff...
Allegheny Valley swimmers sending large contingent to state meet again
After Allegheny Valley YMCA sent 11 swimmers to the state championships in 2024, the Gators sent another 12 in 2025. “We had a really steady season with consistent improvement,” head coach Nathan Petrak said. The Gators again had a strong showing at the district championships, which were held March 7-9...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Valley’s Arianna Bernard
It was a season of great success for Valley girls senior wrestler Arianna Bernard. After beginning her wrestling journey at 7 years old and wrestling against boys from that early age — like most girls wrestlers often do — Bernard enjoyed her first experience in postseason wrestling. “It was a...
With new players in lineup, Chartiers Valley softball looks to build on last season’s success
Last season was a year of milestones for the Chartiers Valley girls softball team. The Colts finished the year with an overall record of 18-5, which was the most wins in school history. Then, they made it to the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals where they lost to Elizabeth Forward. It...
Chartiers Valley grad savoring final season in college track
It had been a long time since Charters Valley grad Caleb Nelson was able to compete in a track and field event. An injury his senior year at Saint Francis University cost him the chance to compete and go for personal records in the outdoor track and field season. “I...
Alle-Kiski Valley athletes of the week: Fox Chapel’s Jillian Haigh, Springdale’s Wyatt Warywoda
Jillian Haigh School: Fox Chapel Class: Sophomore Sport: Softball Claim to Fame: Haigh opened the season March 14 with a three-run homer in a 5-4 nonsection win for Fox Chapel (4-0) vs Norwin. On Monday, Haigh started and fanned nine batters while also going 3 for 4 at the plate...
