William Whalen stories, Page 2
Springdale girls basketball team ready to make noise in playoffs
There’s an air of quiet confidence and cautious optimism that surrounds the Springdale girls basketball team, and there should be. Coming off their first postseason appearance since the 2012-13 season, Springdale feels like it has all the necessary pieces. Simply put, it’s postseason or bust. “We built this from the...
Strong 2nd half defines Freeport football season
It was gut-check time in the locker room following Freeport’s tough 14-3 loss to Class 2A No. 2-ranked Serra Catholic to round out the September schedule. The Yellowjackets had no sting. They were flat, and it showed. With a 1-3 record, the season could have gone in either direction. “After...
Strong finish provides optimism for future of Burrell football
The Burrell football season changed in a flash — literally. In the middle of a gusty downpour, Burrell scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2 minutes remaining against rival Deer Lakes. The moment senior kicker Ethan Croushore’s extra point sailed through the uprights, lightning struck and the game went into a...
No. 2 North Catholic shuts out No. 3 Avonworth to advance to WPIAL Class 3A final
It wasn’t easy but North Catholic is back in the WPIAL championship game. Backed by a stout defensive effort and a second-half touchdown, the No. 2 seeded Trojans downed No. 3 Avonworth, 7-0, in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals Friday night at Fox Chapel. “It was just a classic football...
Highlands football season highlighted by early winning streak, late-season surge
When the No. 8-seeded Highlands Rams fell to No. 9 New Castle in the first round of the WPIAL Class 4A football playoffs, it might have marked a disappointing ending to the season. It also gave a glimpse into a promising future. “I feel like we changed the narrative at...
Pine-Richland shakes off slow start, beats Peters Township in Class 5A quarterfinals
With a sputtering offense, miscues on defense and his team trailing at halftime, Pine-Richland coach Steve Campos didn’t need to do much to inspire his team in the locker room, just a reminder was all that was needed. “It was simple and we talked about it all week,” said Campos....
After early playoff exit, Deer Lakes boys soccer team turns attention to next season
The ink wasn’t even dry on the 2021 season and a disappointed Deer Lakes boys soccer team was eager to dive right into offseason workouts. “They said they wanted to get started, and they said they wanted to start ‘yesterday,’ ” said Deer Lakes coach Aaron Smith, who just finished...
Big plays from QB Hood lead New Castle past Highlands in Class 4A playoffs
New Castle senior quarterback Chris Hood led the Red Hurricanes on the field and through the air. Hood ran for 218 yards and threw two touchdown passes as No. 9 seed New Castle rolled into Golden Rams Stadium on Friday night and upset No. 8 Highlands, 31-19, in the first...
Young Burrell boys soccer team made strides during ’21 season
The story of the 2021 Burrell boys soccer team could be summed up in one game: the Bucs’ 5-1 loss to No. 2-seeded Quaker Valley in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. The inexperienced, and out-gunned, Bucs, played Quaker Valley tough for nearly two thirds of the...
Highlands runs past Knoch in season finale
Knoch couldn’t stop the bleeding Friday at Golden Rams Stadium. The Knights defense hemorrhaged 445 yards rushing to Highlands as the Golden Rams rolled to a 33-13 Class 4A Allegheny Conference win over the Knights to close out the regular-season schedule. “Halftime, we went in and looked at what was...
Highlands scores in bunches for homecoming win vs. Armstrong
The WPIAL postseason doesn’t begin for a few more weeks, but for the Highlands Golden Rams, the playoffs began Friday night. Backed by quarterback Chandler Thimons’ performance on the ground and in the air, the Golden Rams clipped Armstrong in a 41-27 Class 4A Greater Allegheny Conference win in front...
Burrell spoils Deer Lakes homecoming with Allegheny Conference win
Trailing by three points, Burrell was facing a fourth-and-4 at the Deer Lakes 26-yard line. It had been Burrell’s “Caden DiCaprio show” all night, and that’s what the Lancers were expecting. DiCaprio took the handoff from Devin Beattie, rolled right and hit Kamden Marmo for a 25-yard pass down to...
Plum edges Highlands for conference victory
It was Military Appreciation night Friday at Highlands’ Golden Rams Stadium, night but Plum showed up for a car show. The Mustangs started fast and needed a kick at the end from freshman Angelo Baleno as Plum outlasted Highlands to pull out a thrilling 23-21 Class 4A Allegheny Conference win....
Deer Lakes golfers make school history at section qualifiers
Deer Lakes golf coach Sam Sack knew almost immediately that this season could shape up to be a special one. “When we started practice, I said, ‘Hey, who golfed over the summer?’ ” said Sack, who is in his 10th season as the Lancers’ coach. “This team said they golfed...
Deer Lakes makes lone TD count in win vs. Valley
It was a game that had more twists and turns than Crawford Run Road and offered more turnovers than a fall bake sale, but the Lancers pulled it off. Backed by senior running back Cody Scarentine’s 122-yard, one-touchdown performance, Deer Lakes pulled out a 6-0 win over Valley on Friday...
Team-first mentality helps Highlands football to 4-0 start
The Highlands football team fans cheer for on Friday nights isn’t the product of just a week’s worth of practice. They Golden Rams are the product of a year-long commitment and an attitude that fifth-year coach Dom Girardi has instilled from the moment he took over the program. “Every day...
Second-half surge pushes undefeated Highlands past winless Mars
Highlands rolled into conference play Friday night undefeated, but some in the football world felt the Golden Rams hadn’t been challenged and had a soft 3-0 record. The Golden Rams accepted that challenge and raised a few eyebrows as well. Backed by two second-half touchdown passes and a swarming defense,...
Freeport golf team adjusting to facing Class 3A competition
It doesn’t take much to think back to the days when the Freeport golf team was a member of Class 2A. It was only two years ago. But those days are over. Because of the swell in enrollment, Freeport got bumped up to the WPIAL’s highest classification, Class 3A, last...
Highlands easily dispatches rival Burrell
During pregame walk-throughs, Highlands coach Dom Girardi had a worried look about him. His Golden Rams were about to face a bruised and battered Burrell team. But that’s not what he was worried about. What concerned Girardi the most was the rivalry between the schools. Girardi’s worries quickly were put...
Victory at historic Oakmont Country Club boosts confidence for Burrell golfers
The Burrell boys golf team dropped anchor at Oakmont Country Club last week. Having lost three starters from last season and playing one of the top golf courses in the world, the Bucs arrived with more questions than answers going into their Section 1-2A match against rival Riverview. “It was...
Indiana grounds Burrell, sails to decisive victory
With 100 yards of plush two-tone green field turf surrounded by a bright cosmic blue track, Buccaneer Stadium’s new makeover gives the illusion the Burrell football team is playing on an island. The Bucs’ ship never set sail Friday night and stayed grounded as Indiana put up 22 second-quarter points...
Senior-heavy Leechburg expects to take next step after .500 campaign
There was a ton of positive energy and momentum surrounding the Leechburg when last season wrapped up. The Blue Devils closed with convincing wins over Springdale and Cornell. The Blue Devils were playing their best ball of the season during the back half of the schedule, but it was too...
Steel Valley adjusts to new coach, shorthanded roster
Maroon and gold is the new blue and gold for new Steel Valley coach Ray Braszo as the long-time coach will once again walk the home sideline at Ironmen Stadium. Braszo isn’t concentrating on the past and how he got there, he’s more focused on trying to lead Steel Valley...
Leechburg searching for right combination at middle linebacker
The human heart has two ventricles. One side pumps blood into the lungs, and the other pumps blood into the aorta. With expectations running high after the Blue Devils’ most successful season in almost three decades, and the team returning all but three starters on defense, there’s a gaping hole...
Woodland Hills focused on fast start to season
There’s an old saying among WPIAL coaches when it comes to playing Woodland Hills during the season: You never want to get the Wolverines late, you want them early. Last season, Woodland Hills proved that to be true. The Wolverines had an unflattering start to the season with four straight...
