William Whalen stories, Page 4

Franklin Regional softball vows to be back in contention next season

Last Tuesday was a wild day. Torrential downpours, lightning and even tornado warnings all made the day much more unpredictable. Another thing that seemed a little off was the Franklin Regional softball team’s bus ride from the Murrysville campus to Seton Hill — the site of the WPIAL Class 5A...
Knoch takes down Thomas Jefferson to reach PIAA Class 4A softball playoffs

There was plenty of weather swirling around Seton Hill’s softball field Tuesday afternoon. Spotty showers showed up for a few minutes, and a random lightning strike suspended play for 30 minutes. What proved to be more disrupting were the straight-line winds created from the pitcher’s circle by Knoch’s Amanda Fischer...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Freeport’s Zach Allen, Deer Lakes’ Kiera Cutright

Zach Allen School: Freeport Class: Junior Sport: Baseball Report card: Allen has provided big-time offense for Freeport (14-6) this season, but it was his work on the basepaths that has made a difference this postseason. Allen scored the game’s only run on a Joe Hotalski squeeze bunt in the fourth...
Despite loss in WPIAL quarterfinals, Gateway baseball celebrates successful season

There are 20 baseball teams in WPIAL Class 5A, and if all but one those teams measured success by winning a championship, there wouldn’t be much to play for. Gateway fell short of its goal of bringing home a WPIAL title, but overall, the Gators had one of the program’s...
North Allegheny sweeps Bethel Park for 20th WPIAL Class AAA volleyball championship

Bethel Park marched into Fox Chapel gymnasium Thursday night feeling confident that after three cracks at North Allegheny in past Class AAA title games, the Black Hawks might come out victorious against the two-time defending WPIAL and reigning state champion Tigers. That was not the case. Top-seeded North Allegheny played...
Ambridge tops Seton LaSalle to win 10th WPIAL Class AA volleyball title

It’s tough to buck a trend when that trend is a 6-foot-6 outside hitter and sends high-speed laser-like kills across the net. Ambridge junior Liam Buck set the tone early for the Bridgers with aggressive play at the net that was too much to handle as No. 4 seed Ambridge...
Valley’s Odrey hopes experience pays off at PIAA singles tournament

After two years, the list might be getting longer but the candy orders have been placed. Mom, Lori, is a big fan of Almond Joy. Dad, Michael, and older sister, Rachel, have a sweet tooth for the classics and prefer the traditional Hershey bar. And for Valley tennis standout Michael...
Blackhawk baseball advances to Class 4A final with walk-off win over New Castle

With the score tied at 3-3 and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, Blackhawk baseball coach Bob Amalia offered some words of advice to junior infielder Marco Borello before he left the dugout. “I just said, ‘Don’t be anxious. Hit your pitch, and we’ll go from...
A-K Valley high school athletes of the week: Logan Parker and Kelli Galbraith

Logan Parker School: Plum Class: Sophomore Sport: Track and field Report card: Parker (5-foot-9, 220 pounds) will make his first appearance in the PIAA Class AAA championships this weekend after finishing third in the WPIAL in shot put with a throw of 51 feet, 4 3/4 inches. Parker finished sixth...
Beaver shuts out No. 14 Highlands in Class 4A quarterfinals

Monday’s WPIAL playoff game won’t go down as one of the best games Highlands played this season, but the 2019 season will go down in the record books as the best season of the new millennium. Beaver broke open a tight game with a five-run fourth inning, and Bobcats starting...
Freeport boys lacrosse going ‘crazy’ in WPIAL Class AA playoffs

The Freeport football team has had its share of success. The soccer and basketball programs are postseason regulars and not enough can be said about the girls volleyball team with its four WPIAL titles and 2017 state championship. While nearly every sport at Freeport was flourishing, one team was laying...
Alle-Kiski Valley Hall of Fame enshrines 50th class on emotional night

The empty seat at the dais was about the same size as the hole in everyone’s hearts Saturday night as the 50th class of the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame was enshrined at the New Kensington Quality Inn. The rich and familiar voice that echoed through the air waves...
Ligonier Valley softball energized after ‘long cold wait’ for this year’s playoffs

With laser-like focus and precision, the Ligonier Valley softball team did exactly what they set out to do in the Heritage Conference this season — beat everybody. A conference title was all part of the plan. Sure, there was some celebration. But for a team driven by the pain of...
P-T grad Common leaves Pitt-Greensburg as one of baseball program’s best

Thumb, or scroll, through the Pitt-Greensburg baseball program’s record book and one might notice something in common among the career statistical leaders: Chris Common. The 2015 Penn-Trafford grad recently put the finishing touches on his standout career with the Bobcats as the owner of a half dozen school records. “I...
Plum baseball team misses playoffs for 1st time in 13 seasons

It was a matter of when, not if, and everyone knew it had to end some day. Nobody wanted it to happen on their watch. But for the first time in 13 seasons, the Plum baseball team did not show up in a WPIAL postseason bracket. “It was a disappointing...
Ligonier Valley baseball looks to steal win against perennial power Mount Union

Success can be measured a number of different ways in baseball. Of course, there’s wins and losses. Batting average, RBIs and runs scored are others. The Ligonier Valley baseball team measures success 90 feet at a time. “We’ve forced some bases this year,” first-year Ligonier Valley coach Brett Marabito said....

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