George Guido: WPIAL playoffs could use home-court advantage
The WPIAL is looking at using home floors for at least the initial round of the upcoming 110th basketball tournament. The league office is expected to send out a list of requirements to contending schools this week outlining what needs to be done to host a game. This will be...
Plum, Riverview fall sports teams look forward to new, current rivalries
Whether they’re joined in the same conference or separated in the same or a different classification, the Plum and Franklin Regional football teams usually find themselves on the same field each season. This fall, the Mustangs and Panthers will be together again in one of three Class 5A conferences as...
Riverview’s Fichte finds success with new bowling program
Gwyn Fichte has had quite the year so far in terms of sports success. In October, the Riverview sophomore placed 16th overall in the Class A girls race at the WPIAL cross country championships at Cal (Pa.). The finish also earned Fichte a berth to the state meet in Hershey....
2021 Valley News Dispatch Football All-Stars
First-team all-stars Luke Bombalski Highlands, RB/LB, so. The Golden Rams’ offensive standout had a breakout season with 210 carries for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 51 yards and a score. He made 71 tackles and produced seven sacks. Logan Brooks Plum, WR/DB, sr....
Guido: Highlands boys basketball team staying closer to home for holiday tournament
Highlands boys basketball players and fans can unpack their bags: The Golden Rams will not be heading East for holiday tournament week. Instead, Highlands, No. 5 in the Trib HSSN Class 5A rankings, will be playing in the Montour Tournament. The Golden Rams were set to go to Trinity High...
Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame unveils class of 2022
After two years of covid-related postponements, the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame is determined to have its 51st induction banquet May 21. The event will be held at the Quality Inn of New Kensington ballroom with 10 new inductees going into the hall. Here is the class, listed alphabetically:...
Alle-Kiski Valley boys and girls cross country honor rolls announced
The Alle-Kiski Valley Cross Country Honor Roll for the 2021 season was released Wednesday. Jack Lorence, a senior from Fox Chapel, was named the boys runner of the year. He capped his final season with a ninth-place finish at the WPIAL Class 3A championships Oct. 28 at Cal (Pa.). He...
Citrano, Plum wrestling team motivated to reach goals
Vinnie Citrano has great expectations for his final varsity wrestling season. The Plum senior is eyeing section gold after a third and two runner-up finishes and is hoping to place at WPIALs and make a run at states. He also is hoping to join the exclusive 100-win club at Plum....
Eastern: Leechburg, Clairton earn top individual awards on all-conference team
Leechburg quarterback Thomas Burke finished fifth among all WPIAL passers this season, earning the senior Offensive Player of the Year honors in the Eastern Conference. Burke finished with 2,232 passing yards and 18 touchdowns for the Blue Devils, who also had senior Eli Rich named the conference’s top lineman. Both...
Burrell must retool to keep streak of 15 straight WPIAL Class 2A championships going
Burrell wrestling is looking to celebrate a “Sweet 16” this winter. If the 15-time defending WPIAL Class 2A champions are to continue their dominance, they’re going to have to replace a trio of talented wrestlers who graduated: champ A.J. Corrado, state runner-up Ian Oswalt and 24-match winner Aaron Edwards. With...
Plum’s Kaitlyn Killinger chosen as Valley News Dispatch Girls Soccer Player of the Year
The Plum girls soccer team surrendered two goals in a game just three times in the 2021 season. One was in the WPIAL Class 3A championship game against Mars, and the other two came against Section 3 rival Oakland Catholic. The second matchup between the Mustangs and Eagles, the section...
Plum’s Luke Kolankowski selected as Valley News Dispatch Boys Soccer Player of the Year
Luke Kolankowski has always seen himself as a facilitator in the offense for the Plum boys soccer team. “I feel that a nice assist and getting a teammate a goal is better than getting a goal yourself,” Kolankowski said. “No matter who scores, the win is the most important thing.”...
With new coach, experienced backcourt, Riverview boys look to climb section ladder
When Phil McGivney took the reins of the Riverview boys basketball program over the summer, he saw strong potential in a group of players hungry for a turnaround. The Raiders were 3-12 overall in a truncated 2020-21 season and finished 1-9 in Section 1-2A. “I came in with a clean...
Nothing but positive vibes emanate from Riverview girls basketball teams
Maddie Deem is on an island, so to speak. She is the lone senior on the Riverview girls basketball team. But rather than wallow in the fact she isn’t able to share her final high school season with any classmates, Deem is energized by the youth and talent that dot...
After 3rd-place finish at PIAA meet, Riverview bids farewell to decorated senior runners
The Riverview boys cross country team was situated high in the PIAA Class A state rankings through the entirety of the fall season. The Raiders were ready to prove themselves in that capacity at the state championships in Hershey on Nov. 6. Riverview and Winchester Thurston battled again, and they...
Injuries allow young players to gain experience for Riverview
The Riverview football team took its lumps on the scoreboard throughout the 2021 season, but coach Trevor George said the mix of veterans and young talent never wavered in their attitude and dedication to pushing past any adversities they faced. “Whatever happened on game day, win or lose, they approached...
Through the years: With heavy hearts, Knoch topped West Allegheny in 2011
Each week throughout the high school football season, the Valley News Dispatch will take a look back at the games, players and events that are part of local scholastic history. Knoch’s Ky Kenyon passed for three touchdowns and Andrew Rumburg-Goodlin ran for 109 yards in a 28-7 victory over West...
A-K Valley senior spotlight: Riverview’s Parker Steele
Parker Steele Riverview cross country Parker Steele will run his final high school cross country race Nov. 6 in Hershey as he and his Riverview teammates, the newly crowned WPIAL Class A team champions, go after the best in the state at the PIAA championships. While he acknowledged the soon-to-be...
Springdale clinches playoff spot with shutout win over rival Riverview
Springdale had to wait until the final day of the regular season to qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. But the Dynamos made the most of their opportunity, converting three short drives into touchdowns en route to a 35-0 victory over Riverview on Saturday at Oakmont’s Riverside Park. Springdale (6-4, 3-4)...
Riverview boys finally grab WPIAL cross country team championship
The Riverview boys cross country team was stuck in a scene from the movie “Groundhog Day” for the past several years. The Raiders, from 2016 through last year, had finished runner-up to Class A team champion Winchester Thurston. That changed Thursday at Cal (Pa.). Riverview, led by an experienced group...
The Birdie writes the perfect pregame speech before making A-K Valley Week 9 picks
Last week: 12-1 (92.3%) Overall: 70-26 (72.9%) This is a big week in high school football. No point denying it. For many teams, it’s win or go home. A playoff spot hangs in the balance. For others, it’s about momentum heading into the playoffs. For still others, it’s the last...
A-K Valley don’t miss high school football matchups for 2021 Week 9
Class 5A Northeast Conference Penn Hills (5-3, 3-1) at Kiski Area (6-3, 1-3) 7 p.m. Friday, at Richards Dilts Stadium, Allegheny Township Penn Hills can clinch a share of the conference championship with a win Friday. The Indians put themselves in position last Friday with a 40-3 victory over Shaler....
Alle-Kiski Valley WPIAL soccer playoff capsules: Games of Oct. 23, 2021
Saturday’s games Boys Class 3A 11-Gateway (10-8) at 6-Kiski Area (14-3) at 6:30 p.m. 3 p.m. at Shawn L. Kuhn Memorial Stadium, Vandergrift Winner plays: Winner of 14-Trinity (10-5-2)/3-Franklin Regional (13-3) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (site TBD) The Gators are in the postseason for a second consecutive season after placing...
Ringgold sophomore repeats, runners get WPIAL preview at Tri-State cross country meet
Cross country runners competing in the WPIAL championship on Oct. 28 were able to preview the Cal (Pa.) course Thursday at the annual Tri-State Track Coaches Association meet. Because covid-19 forced the WPIAL to find a new home — White Oak Park — in 2020, many underclassmen got to test...
The Birdie sees a doozy of an A-K Valley playoff tiebreaker on the horizon
Last week: 9-1 (90%) Overall: 58-25 (69.9%) The Birdie doesn’t want to alarm anyone, but there’s a potential doozy of a playoff tiebreaker brewing that involves local teams. “I’m not entirely sure,” Birdie said, rifling through his dog-eared copy of WPIAL football tiebreaking procedures. “but I think it might come...
