William Whalen stories, Page 7
Mars girls persevere in 1st-round win over Woodland Hills
The postseason has a way of exposing both the good and bad in teams, and Tuesday night was no exception for Mars girls basketball. All season, the Fightin’ Planets have been inconsistent. Starting games slow, falling into shooting ruts and, at times, just flat-out disappearing. All of that was on...
A-K Valley Athletes of the Week: Leechburg’s Connor McDermott, Burrell’s Carlee Hummel
Connor McDermott School: Leechburg Class: Junior Sport: Basketball Report card: McDermott put up a game-high 17 points to help guide No. 9 seed Leechburg (13-9) to a 59-40 win over No. 8 Bishop Canevin in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs. A first-year starter for the Blue...
Franklin Regional’s Smith bowls pair of 300 games in 879 series
Alex Smith knows how to draw a crowd. The Franklin Regional High School junior and standout bowler figured out all he needs to do is roll strikes. Smith showed up at Nesbit’s Lanes in Plum on Saturday morning to compete in his youth bowling league, having never bowled a perfect...
PSNK women complete trying resurrection season
The quarters slipped by, and the minutes and seconds ticked off the clock during Thursday’s Penn State New Kensington women’s basketball game with Penn State Beaver. Once the clock hit zero, it marked the end of a forgettable season that almost didn’t happen and a new beginning for a program...
Leechburg boys pull away from Bishop Canevin after halftime
Leechburg boys basketball coach Corey Smith walked his team onto the floor after halftime, turned around, removed his charcoal gray sport coat and said, “I’m feeling it.” Smith knew his Blue Devils were on fire. Backed by a stellar defensive performance and 17 points from junior Connor McDermott, No. 9...
Norwin swimmers ready to cash in at WPIALs
All season, first-year Norwin swimming coach Doug Watson told his swimmers they were making money. With each lap, turn and stroke in the pool, the Knights were investing in their future. “I like to tell them they’re putting money in the bank, and we’re not going to withdraw it until...
Franklin Regional swim team enjoys surprise success
Longtime Franklin Regional swimming coach Vic Santoro was expecting this season to be a rebuilding year. Until it wasn’t. “At the beginning of the season, if you would have told me that we would win both sections and the girls would’ve repeated (as) WCCA (champs), I would said that wasn’t...
Franklin Regional boys edge North Allegheny for WPIBL title
Spares win championships, and it came down to the arm of Franklin Regional junior anchor Alex Smith. Smith made his approach, rolled a strike and came back to pick up a spare to cap the 10th frame and lead the top-seeded Panthers to a 2-0 win over No. 3 North...
Norwin grad Hall earns All-American honors at Geneva
Geneva football standout Zach Hall remembers his first interception of the 2018 season like it was yesterday. But it’s what happened on the sideline afterward that sticks out the most. After the senior cornerback stepped in front of Bethany quarterback Carlin Bason’s pass and returned it 36 yards to give...
