Ted Sarneso stories, Page 9
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: St. Joseph’s Veronica McCarthy
All her life, Veronica McCarthy has been around volleyball. When she was little, her mother, who was still an active volleyball player, brought her along. “When she was born, I was still playing volleyball, so she traipsed all over Ohio and that helped her to understand the game,” Ann McCarthy...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Fox Chapel’s Emily McKee, Riverview’s Chris O’Toole
Emily McKee School: Fox Chapel Class: Sophomore Sport: Soccer Claim to fame: Scored her team’s only goal in a 1-0 win over Norwin on Thursday. The goal was her 20th on the season. On Monday, McKee scored four goals in the Foxes’ 5-1 win over Shaler. What position do you...
Woodland Hills gets better of Latrobe in battle of ground games
The Big East Conference matchup between Latrobe and Woodland Hills had nearly everything in a football game. There was just one big piece missing for the Wildcats: Coach Ron Prady made the decision late in the week to sit star running back/linebacker Alex Tatsch. “It was something we let play...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Riverview’s Micah Ivy
Riverview senior cross country runner Micah Ivy knew he needed to make changes after a 2023 season that saw him compete at a high level but at a cost to his body. “Last year, I was pushing myself a little too hard trying to keep up with my teammates,” said...
Revitalized Chartiers Valley girls volleyball program rockets up section standings
When the Chartiers Valley girls volleyball team beat South Fayette in a three-set sweep Sept. 10 to match its win total from last year, coach Mackenzie Greene was not on the bench. She was in Louisiana tending to some family matters but was sent video of the entire match and...
Chartiers Valley boys soccer winning while overcoming adversity
The Chartiers Valley boys soccer team was cruising through the early part of its schedule, going 4-0 overall and 3-0 in Section 4-3A. Then came a 4-0 shutout loss to West Allegheny on Sept. 12, when the team gave up two own goals and made mistakes allowing for the other...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Riverview’s Mary Quinlan, Freeport’s Stephen Evans
Mary Quinlan School: Riverview Class: Sophomore Sport: Soccer Claim to fame: Quinlan scored four goals and added an assist for Riverview (6-1, 5-1) in a 10-1 Section 4-A win over Jeannette on Wednesday. On Friday, Quinlan scored a pair of goals and had an assist against Valley. On the year,...
Franklin Regional gets running game going in 2nd half, holds off Gateway
The only thing stopping Franklin Regional senior tailback Kyle Dupill was cramps. The running back was pulled halfway through the fourth quarter but not until he had rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries in Franklin Regional’s 36-34 Class 5A Big East Conference win over Gateway at...
Early 2nd-half goal, big saves by Solomon help Penn-Trafford to girls soccer victory over Norwin
Penn-Trafford and Norwin came into Monday night’s girls soccer game allowing just over a goal a game apiece. Offensive chances would be scarce, but the players needed to be ready for any slipup from the opponent and look to capitalize. Penn-Trafford senior Alexis Brown made the most of her opportunity,...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Plum’s Mia Nardo
Plum girls soccer coach Jamie Stewart is pleased with the growth he has seen from senior forward Mia Nardo over the course of her four years. “I am so pleased about the type of player she is,” Stewart said. “From where she was as a freshman to where she is...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Burrell’s Makiah Buchak, Kiski Area’s Max Mottura
Makiah Buchak School: Burrell Class: Sophomore Sport: Soccer Claim to fame: Buchak scored both goals in Burrell’s 2-0 win over Knoch in a Section 2-2A matchup Wednesday evening. Buchak has five goals and three assists through the Bucs’ (4-1-1, 2-1) first six games. When did you get started with soccer?...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Burrell’s Billy Kowalkowski
Coming into the 2024 season, the Burrell boys soccer team was going to be young. After last season, the Bucs saw eight seniors graduate from a roster that had 18 total players. They came into this season with only four seniors on the roster. But thanks to the efforts of...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Kiski Area’s Ellie Arnold, Freeport’s Angelo Porco
Ellie Arnold School: Kiski Area Class: Freshman Sport: Soccer Claim to fame: Arnold scored both of Kiski Area’s goals in a 2-0 win over Elizabeth Forward in a Section 4-3A showdown Wednesday. After an 0-2 start, the Cavaliers are 2-1 since section play began. How long have you been playing...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Freeport’s Ryan Sutara, Springdale’s Bri Ross
Bri Ross School: Springdale Class: Senior Sport: Soccer Report card: After scoring 51 goals in 2023, Ross continued where she left off. On Monday, she scored four goals and had two assists in Springdale’s 9-0 win over The Ellis School in Section 4-4A. Then Wednesday, the outside winger buried two...
Mt. Pleasant wins high-scoring, OT affair against Greensburg Central Catholic
It was another high-scoring affair between Mt. Pleasant and Greensburg Central Catholic, and this year’s iteration took double overtime. Vikings quarterback Cole Chatfield found sophomore running back Stephen Predajna wide open in the right flat for a touchdown, and Predajna punched in the 2-point conversion for a 36-35 Mt. Pleasant...
New faces on North Allegheny girls tennis team aim for another successful season
The North Allegheny girls tennis team had a successful 2023 season, finishing as WPIAL runners-up and advancing to the quarterfinals in the PIAA playoffs. The season started with 12 straight wins, and the Tigers finished with a 19-3 overall record and went an undefeated 7-0 in Class 3A Section 2....
Ligonier Valley rides ground game to win over Derry in ‘Riot on the Ridge’
From the start, this year’s rendition of “Riot on the Ridge” looked more like a whimper. Derry Area and Ligonier Valley seemed to have a good bit of nerves in the first game as the teams had mental lapses leading to turnovers and penalties. “We have to clean up communication,”...
With improved passing game, Raidon Kuroda hopes to be a dominant force for Yough
The football hung in the air for about three seconds. It was thrown without too much arc and wasn’t a bullet pass. It was on a perfect line. Off of play action, the receiver broke away from his defender at the 50-yard line, caught the ball in stride and coasted...
Carmichaels seeks more toughness in bounce-back season
Coach Ryan Krull returned to coach Carmichaels football last year after a four-year hiatus. He brought with him an intensity he’s known for and expects from his players. “We’re very demanding of our players here, but from an intensity standpoint,” he said. “If we want to accomplish the goals we...
After huge turnaround in 2023, Waynesburg looking to sustain success
Waynesburg football went into last season with one goal in mind: to remain healthy throughout the season. The Raiders went 0-10 in 2022. Quarterback Jake Stephenson was lost for the whole year with an elbow injury and starting running back Breydon Woods missed a lot of time with nagging injuries....
After trimming offensive playbook, Freedom looks to improve
Ron Balog’s whirlwind beginning as head football coach at Freedom last year opened with the most important task when starting fresh in a new locale. “The biggest expectation for me was to get here and build relationships,” said Balog, who was the offensive coordinator at North Catholic before coming to...
Ellwood City looks to build on first .500 season in more than a decade
It was a hard, long road for the Ellwood City football program the past decade and change, but for the first time since 2011, the Wolverines posted a record of .500 or better and made the playoffs last year. After going 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the Midwestern Athletic Conference...
Riverside searching for stability under 3rd coach in 3 years
Nerve-wracking. That’s how Riverside’s Rob Magnifico described taking the reins for the first time as a head coach. “I coached at Ellwood for 17 years. The last year there I was their interim coach. I’ve been at Riverside the last five years as an assistant coach,” Magnifico elaborated. “Trying to...
New Brighton hopes new mindset will bring 1st win in 2 years
The New Brighton Lions are entering a new era of football and would love to distance themselves from the last two years, where they won zero games. New coach John Macuga has the experience to bring winning football back to New Brighton. Last year, Macuga shared the offensive coordinator duties...
South Park to ride running game against new opponents in Class 2A
Every football team, no matter what level, counts on the strength of the team to be the focal point. The strength of the South Park Eagles has been, more often than not, the running game and star ball carrier Eric Doerue, a senior who was a first team all-conference selection...
