William Whalen stories, Page 6

Renewed optimism for Gateway boys volleyball team

Three new coaches in three seasons, temporary leadership and a lack of consistency took their toll on the Gateway boys volleyball program. With the arrival of first-year coach Phil Randolph, those days seem to be over. Couple that with Gateway dropping from Class AAA to AA, and, for the first...
It will be mom vs. son as Petruskas face off in Cager Classic All-Star game

No one ever picked up an easy win around the Petruska household, and those who were lucky enough to do so know they earned it. It didn’t matter what type of game Mars girls basketball coach Dana Petruska was playing with her sons, she never let them win and nothing...
Vincentian Academy boys ready for PIAA finals matchup against Sankofa Freedom Academy

When the ball goes up in the air at Hershey’s Giant Center at 2 p.m. Thursday for the start of the PIAA Class A boys championship game, a team from the North Hills and the other from North Philly will add to the state’s already rich sports rivalry between East...
OLSH uses 3rd quarter surge to top Ridgway in PIAA quarterfinals

The Our Lady of the Scared Heart boys basketball team has been playing with emotion all season. The Chargers found themselves in a fast-paced, up-and-down the floor game against District 9 champ Ridgway, and it hit a fever pitch in the final seconds of the first half. OSLH’s Daren DiMichele...
North Catholic routs Villa Marie, rolls into PIAA Class 4A semifinals

Even with all of its success, WPIAL Class 4A champion North Catholic girls basketball team has been in search of its most complete game of the season, and it seemed like a scare from Blackhawk on Wednesday in the PIAA second round did the trick. After 27 games, the Trojanettes...
Tough loss at WPIBL championships helped spark victory at regional for Norwin bowlers

One lousy pin. That’s how the Norwin boys bowling team ended its season last year, falling one pin short at the Western Regionals and being denied a spot in the state tournament. The Knights are tired of hearing about it and instead of leaving anything to chance, Norwin went out...
Penn-Trafford girls bowlers show improvement with regional tournament victory

Every coach wishes for the best and wants his or her team to do well, but Penn-Trafford bowling coach Bud Cummins never thought his girls bowling team would wind up being one of the best in the state when the season started. His bowlers proved the long-time coach wrong. “They...
Plum boys lacrosse to field one of most talented teams in program history

After six years of being a varsity sport, dropping in WPIAL classification, getting a feeder program in place that is starting to churn out young talent, the Plum boys lacrosse team is finally poised to deliver a little payback and start winning some matches. It’s finally the Mustangs’ time to...
Monessen softball team takes aim at return trip to WPIAL final

To say the Monessen softball team still hasn’t moved on from last season’s heartbreaking loss to rival West Greene in the WPIAL Class A championship game is a gross understatement. The wounds from that game have turned into scars, but the fire in the bellies of the Greyhounds continues to...
Monessen baseball motivated by postseason defeats

Tough losses can do one of two things, divide a team or bring a team together. After suffering consecutive postseason losses to the same team to end the last two seasons, Monessen baseball coach Bill Matush feels like the 2019 Greyhounds are galvanized and have finally bonded as a team....
Oakland Catholic girls edge rival Penn Hills in PIAA Class 5A 2nd round

No team wants to see a section rival in the postseason, but that’s what happened Wednesday night at Fox Chapel. Section 3-5A foes Oakland Catholic and Penn Hills laced them up one last time this season in a rubber match. But this time the stakes were higher. A spot in...
North Catholic girls rally past Blackhawk in PIAA Class 4A 2nd round

It wasn’t how North Catholic girls basketball coach Molly Rottmann drew it up, but she’ll take it. After seeing her team struggle in nearly every phase of the game during the first half, Rottmann marched her Trojanettes into the locker room trailing by 16 points to a hot-shooting Blackhawk team....
For Penn-Trafford’s Coy, journey to Hershey is a trip down memory lane

It’s tough not to crack a smile and imagine the possibilities when someone rolls up for a road trip driving a shiny new black Chevy Suburban, but Penn-Trafford wrestler Nick Coy jumped in anyway. The WPIAL Class AAA 138-pound champion, Warriors coach Rich Ginther, three assistant coaches and Ginther’s son,...
Franklin Regional swim team basks in WPIAL meet success

At the start of the swim season, Franklin Regional coach Vic Santoro was wondering what kind of team he had. After a strong showing at the Westmorland County Coaches’ Association championships, where the girls took first place for the second year in a row and the boys finished second, Santoro...
Allderdice boys fall short against state’s top-ranked team in Class 6A, Kennedy Catholic

Allderdice boys basketball coach Buddy Valinsky gave his team a bit of a break this past week. Light practice is hardly the conventional wisdom going into a matchup against the No. 1-ranked Class 6A team in the state. But this time of year, less is more. The six-time defending Pittsburgh...
Top-seeded Neshannock girls defeat Shady Side Academy for 1st WPIAL title

Every team needs a little luck while making a championship run. Unfortunately, for Shady Side Academy, Neshannock’s luck came in the form of a late time out by the Indians. Trailing by three points with 18.5 seconds remaining, Shady Side Academy’s Ariana Goitz brought the ball up the floor, had...

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