Bill Hartlep stories, Page 11

Aaran Randolph had quite an introduction to A-K Valley football fans. When they opened their newspaper Saturday morning Oct. 1, 2022, the Game of the Week headline read: “RUNNING RAM: Randolph’s 5 scores lead Highlands past Mars.” What the Golden Rams faithful already knew, many across Western Pennsylvania then discovered...

It’s unlikely Isaac “Ickey” Woods will score a touchdown this season. The Freeport lineman doesn’t get carries in the backfield, won’t catch any passes and isn’t going to take snaps at quarterback. He doesn’t return punts or kicks and probably isn’t going to be deep enough in the secondary to...

Freeport doesn’t have the largest linemen in Class 3A. The Yellowjackets don’t have a bevy of skill players committed to Power 5 programs. With 39 players, they also don’t have the biggest roster in the Allegheny 6 Conference. None of that matters to veteran coach John Gaillot as long as...

Luke Bombalski had a simple response when asked about goals for the Highlands football team this season. “Win that first playoff game,” he said. There was no mention of rushing yards, a number of touchdowns or how many tackles or interceptions the senior running back/linebacker wants to accumulate. Nothing about...

Paul Skenes made his professional baseball debut Thursday afternoon, and it was a quick one. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ No. 1 overall pick out of LSU, Skenes started for the FCL Pirates in their game against the FCL Twins at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. He tossed a 1-2-3 inning with...

There’s one giant benefit when a high school football team has a small senior class — experience for the underclassmen. Peters Township’s youngsters got plenty of it last season, and the Indians’ coaching staff is hoping those reps pay dividends this season. “We’re a lot more experienced than we were...

The Robert Morris football team is looking to bounce back from a winless 2022 season, and the Colonials will face several new opponents in their quest for improvement. The new-look Big South-OVC Football Association released its inaugural preseason poll for the 2023 season Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn. The league’s head...

The Pittsburgh Maulers will try to complete their quest to go from worst to first when they meet the the Birmingham Stallions at 8 p.m. Saturday in the 2023 USFL Championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The game will be broadcast on NBC. Here’s...

The Pittsburgh Maulers’ stingy defense held its own for much of Saturday’s USFL contest against the Houston Gamblers. But one of the league’s top running backs proved too much to deny. Mark Thompson scored on a 33-yard touchdown run with 4 minutes, 51 seconds to play to give the Gamblers...

WPIAL Class 2A softball championship 1-Neshannock (19-0) vs. 2-Laurel (16-2) 4:45 p.m. Thursday at Lilley Field, PennWest University, California On the air: Trib HSSN (video) How they got here: Neshannock had a first-round bye and then defeated No. 8 Burgettstown, 10-0, in the quarterfinals and No. 5 Greensburg Central Catholic,...

WPIAL Class 5A softball championship 1-Armstrong (19-1) vs. 3-Trinity (18-2) 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Lilley Field, PennWest University, California On the air: Trib HSSN (video) How they got here: Armstrong defeated No. 16 Upper St. Clair, 10-0, in the first round, No. 8 Thomas Jefferson, 5-3, in the quarterfinals and...

WPIAL Class 6A baseball championship 5-Mt. Lebanon (12-10) vs. 2-North Allegheny (16-6) 7 p.m. Wednesday at Wild Things Park On the air: Trib HSSN (video) How they got here: Mt. Lebanon defeated No. 4 Seneca Valley, 2-1, in the quarterfinals and beat No. 1 Pine-Richland, 3-0, in the semifinals; North...

WPIAL Class 3A baseball championship 1-Riverside (20-0) vs. 6-Neshannock (18-4) 4 p.m. Wednesday at Wild Things Park, 4 p.m. On the air: Trib HSSN (video) How they got here: Riverside defeated No. 16 Valley, 9-0, in the first round, No. 8 Freeport, 9-1, in the quarterfinals and No. 4 East...

WPIAL Class A baseball championship 4-California (14-7) vs. 6-Bishop Canevin (14-3) 1 p.m. Wednesday at Wild Things Park On the air: Trib HSSN (video) How they got here: After a first-round bye, California defeated No. 5 Carmichaels, 3-0, in the quarterfinals and No. 1 Union, 9-6, in the semifinals; Bishop...

WPIAL Class A softball championship 1-Union (16-3) vs. 2-Carmichaels (18-0) 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lilley Field, PennWest University, California On the air: Trib HSSN (video) How they got here: After a first-round bye, Union defeated No. 9 Jeannette, 16-1, in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Chartiers-Houston, 13-5, in the semifinals;...

WPIAL Class 5A baseball championship 1-Shaler (18-4) vs. 2-Bethel Park (17-4) 7 p.m. Tuesday at Wild Things Park On the air: Trib HSSN (video) How they got here: Shaler had a first-round bye and beat No. 8 Fox Chapel, 11-1, in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Plum in the semifinals,...

WPIAL Class 2A baseball championship 1-Serra Catholic (19-2) vs. 2-Seton LaSalle (16-4) 1 p.m. Tuesday at Wild Things Park On the air: Trib HSSN (video) How they got here: After a first-round bye, Serra Catholic beat No. 9 OLSH, 8-3, in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Burgettstown, 6-1, in the...

WPIAL baseball playoffs Class 5A Quarterfinals 1-Shaler (16-4) vs. 8-Fox Chapel (13-8) 4 p.m. Monday at Plum Winner plays: Winner of 4-Plum (13-7)/5-South Fayette (16-4) in semifinals at 4 p.m. Tuesday at North Allegheny Players to watch: Miguel Hugas, Shaler; Jeremy Haigh, Fox Chapel Extra bases: Shaler earned a first-round...

Eliza Miller Class: Junior School: Kiski Area Sport: Track and field Report card: Miller added to her medal collection Wednesday when she claimed the 800-meter title in 2 minutes, 14.71 seconds at the WPIAL championships at Slippery Rock. The junior also placed sixth in the 1,600 (5:00.76) and will compete...

The Pittsburgh Maulers committed three turnovers and allowed a length-of-the field touchdown return en route to a 22-0 loss to the Memphis Showboats on Saturday afternoon in Memphis. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the Maulers, who fell to 2-4 in the USFL season. Former Pitt kicker Chris...

Advocates for high school girls wrestling in Pennsylvania had their collective arms raised Wednesday. The PIAA board of directors voted unanimously to sponsor girls wrestling as a sport, starting next winter. Members of SanctionPA have been working toward official sponsorship for the past three years, and after reaching the benchmark...

WPIAL baseball playoffs Class 3A First round 1-Riverside (17-0) vs. 16-Valley (11-10) 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Seneca Valley Winner plays: Winner of 8-Freeport (14-5)/9-South Allegheny (12-7) in quarterfinals (time, date, site TBD) Players to watch: Ashton Schlosser, Riverside; Jacob Staraniec, Valley Extra bases: Behind 55th-year coach Dan Oliastro — the...

WPIAL baseball playoffs Class 5A First round 8-Fox Chapel (12-8) vs. 9-Mars (9-9) 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Plum Winner plays: Winner of 4-Plum (13-7) and 13-Trinity (6-9) in quarterfinals (time, date, site TBD) Players to watch: Jeremy Haigh, Fox Chapel; Jacob Maple, Mars Extra bases: The Foxes finished third in...

WPIAL baseball playoffs Class 3A Preliminary round 16-Valley (10-10) vs. 17-Burrell (7-9) 6 p.m. Tuesday at Highlands Winner plays: 1-Riverside (17-0) Thursday in quarterfinals at Seneca Valley, 6:30 p.m. Players to watch: Wesley Schrock, Valley; Isaac Lasinski, Burrell Extra bases: The Section 3-3A rivals finished in a three-way tie for...