Bill Hartlep stories, Page 23
After trip to PIAA playoffs, future remains promising for Highlands boys basketball
Members of the Highlands boys basketball team wanted a second chance. After having their WPIAL playoff run stalled in the semifinals with a 61-44 loss to Laurel Highlands, the Golden Rams turned their focus to the PIAA tournament. They rebounded with a PIAA first-round victory over Brashear and earned another...
A-K Valley senior spotlight: Highlands’ Carter Leri
All basketball teams need leaders, someone to motivate and encourage as well as to provide a steady calmness when things get intense. Carter Leri was a sophomore reserve when Highlands won the 2020 WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball title. He watched and learned from others before him and became a...
Burrell’s Cooper Hornack named 2022 Valley News Dispatch Wrestler of the Year
There is room for one wrestler to stand atop the podium in Hershey’s Giant Center. Hundreds of wrestlers in each weight class start the season with hopes of being that person, having their name called on the PA system as their coach drapes a gold medal around their neck at...
2022 PIAA Class 6A girls basketball championship breakdown: Mt. Lebanon vs. Plymouth Whitemarsh
PIAA Class 6A girls basketball final Mt. Lebanon vs. Plymouth Whitemarsh 5 p.m. Saturday, Giant Center, Hershey On the air: TV: PCN; Audio: TribLive HSSN; Radio: 95.3 FM PIAA titles: Mt. Lebanon 3 (2009, ‘10, ‘11), Plymouth Whitemarsh 0 Mt. Lebanon (27-1) Coach: Dori Oldaker Probable starting lineup No., Name,...
2022 PIAA Class 2A girls basketball championship breakdown: Neshannock vs. Southern Columbia
PIAA Class 2A girls basketball final Neshannock vs. Southern Columbia Noon Friday, Giant Center, Hershey On the air: TV: PCN PIAA titles: Neshannock 0, Southern Columbia 0 Neshannock (28-2) Coach: Luann Grybowski Probable starting lineup No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos. 1, Neleh Nogay, 5-6, sr., G 11, Addilae Watts, 5-7,...
2022 PIAA Class 5A girls basketball championship breakdown: Chartiers Valley vs. Cardinal O’Hara
PIAA Class 5A girls basketball final Chartiers Valley vs. Cardinal O’Hara 5 p.m. Friday, Giant Center, Hershey On the air: TV: PCN; Audio: TribLive HSSN; Radio: 95.3 FM PIAA titles: Chartiers Valley 1 (2019), Cardinal O’Hara 1 (2021) Chartiers Valley (28-2) Coach: Tim McConnell Probable starting lineup No., Name, Ht.,...
2022 PIAA Class A boys basketball championship breakdown: Bishop Canevin vs. St. John Neumann
PIAA Class A boys basketball final Bishop Canevin vs. St. John Neumann 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Giant Center, Hershey On the air: TV: PCN PIAA titles: Bishop Canevin 0, St. John Neumann 0 Bishop Canevin (24-4) Coach: Gino Palmosina Probable starting lineup No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos. 3, Amari Evans, 6-3,...
2022 WPIAL Class 2A baseball preseason breakdown
Last spring was a celebration as district athletes returned to the diamond after the 2020 season was canceled because of covid-19 shutdowns. Baseball thrived throughout the WPIAL as six new champions were crowned, some in dramatic fashion. That success carried over to the state playoffs as WPIAL teams captured two...
2022 WPIAL Class 2A softball preseason breakdown
Last spring was a celebration as district athletes returned to the diamonds after the 2020 season was canceled because of the covid-19 shutdowns. Softball was a success throughout as the WPIAL crowned four new champions while Laurel and West Greene remained on top in 2A and A. District softball squads...
St. Joseph softball team will rely on players’ ability to play multiple positions
Position flexibility is key for any softball team but even moreso for those in Class A. St. Joseph enters the 2022 season with 12 players on its roster and just one senior. Though the small roster might provide some challenges, it also will offer opportunities for players to show their...
New coach Bestic will try to bring success to the St. Joseph baseball team
Bradley Bestic has experience leading a Class A baseball team to success. This spring, he will lean on that experience in guiding St. Joseph. Bestic, who was named St. Joseph’s athletic director in November, enters his first season as coach of the Spartans’ baseball program. He coached Vincentian Academy from...
2022 WPIAL Class 3A baseball preseason breakdown
Last spring was a celebration as district athletes returned to the diamond after the 2020 season was canceled because of covid-19 shutdowns. Baseball thrived throughout the WPIAL as six new champions were crowned, some in dramatic fashion. That success carried over to the state playoffs as WPIAL teams captured two...
2022 WPIAL Class 3A softball preseason breakdown
Last spring was a celebration as district athletes returned to the diamonds after the 2020 season was canceled because of the covid-19 shutdowns. Softball was a success throughout as the WPIAL crowned four new champions while Laurel and West Greene remained on top in 2A and A. District softball squads...
Redeemer Lutheran’s Jesse Van Wyk named SWPAA MVP
Jesse Van Wyk wasn’t named league MVP after his freshman season. That slight motivated him in the offseason and throughout his sophomore campaign. The league voters couldn’t ignore his performance this time around. The Redeemer Lutheran sophomore basketball player averaged 24.1 points and was named MVP of the Southwestern Pennsylvania...
A-K Valley senior spotlight: Fox Chapel’s Rei Sperry
At the biggest moment of the season, Rei Sperry was at her best. The Fox Chapel senior swimmer helped the Foxes capture gold medals in the 200-yard medley relay (1:43.90) and 400 freestyle relay (3:29.23) March 3-4 at the WPIAL Class 3A championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool. “She really came...
No. 2 Villanova ousts No. 15 Delaware in NCAA Tournament
Delaware gave fans at PPG Paints Arena an early thrill Friday afternoon, but Villanova’s talent, experience and pinpoint perimeter shooting proved too much to overcome. The No. 2-seeded Wildcats used a strong inside-outside game to finish the first half and were solid at both ends of the floor in the...
No. 13 Chattanooga looking to capitalize on its ‘One Shining Moment’
David Jean-Baptiste started the madness this March. He and his Chattanooga Mocs teammates are hoping it won’t be their “One Shining Moment.” Jean-Baptiste drilled a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in overtime to defeat Furman, 64-63, in the Southern Conference championship game March 7 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C. It was...
Breaking down No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 UAB
No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 UAB 9:20 p.m. Friday, PPG Paints Arena TV: TNT Winner plays: Winner of No. 4 Illinois/No. 12 Chattanooga in second round Sunday Series history: UAB leads 18-6 Houston Cougars (28-5, 15-3 American) Coach: Kelvin Sampson How they got here: Houston earned an automatic bid...
Breaking down No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 13 Chattanooga
No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 13 Chattanooga 6:50 p.m. Friday, PPG Paints Arena TV: TNT Winner plays: Winner of No. 5 Houston/No. 12 UAB in the second round Sunday Series history: Chattanooga leads 2-0 Illinois Fighting Illini (22-9, 15-5 Big Ten) Coach: Brad Underwood How they got here: Illinois earned...
Breaking down No. 15 Delaware vs. No. 2 Villanova
No. 15 Delaware vs. No. 2 Villanova 2:45 p.m. Friday, PPG Paints Arena TV: CBS Winner plays: Winner of No. 7 Ohio State/No. 10 Loyola Chicago in second round Sunday Series history: Villanova leads 14-0 Villanova Wildcats (26-7, 16-4 Big East) Coach: Jay Wright How they got here: Villanova won...
Breaking down No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Loyola
No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Loyola Chicago 12:15 p.m. Friday, PPG Paints Arena TV: CBS Winner plays: Winner of No. 2 Villanova/No. 15 Delaware in second round Sunday Series history: Ohio State leads 4-0 Ohio State Buckeyes (19-11, 12-8 Big Ten) Coach: Chris Holtmann How they got here:...
Tickets still available for NCAA Tournament games at PPG Paints Arena
College basketball fans will flock to PPG Paints Arena this week as March Madness comes to Pittsburgh. The Uptown venue will host NCAA Tournament first- and second-round games Friday and Sunday, respectively. Tickets are still available for all three sessions. The first session begins at 12:15 p.m. Friday with Loyola...
A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Burrell’s Cole Clark
Cole Clark feels a responsibility to carry on the tradition of Burrell wrestling. One of the state’s most consistent programs, Burrell has built a tradition of success rivaled by very few teams in the Commonwealth. “You carry that standard with you when you wrestle, whether for team wrestling or individual,”...
PIHL Penguins Cup playoff preview: North Hills vs. Fox Chapel, Monday, March 7, 2022
Class A Quarterfinals 8-North Hills (12-8-0-0) vs. 1-Fox Chapel (19-0-0-1) 7:20 p.m. Monday, Alpha Ice Complex Winner plays: Winner of 4-Norwin/5-Westmont Hilltop in semifinals, 6:45 p.m. March 16 at Robert Morris Island Sports Center, Moon Ice chips: The Foxes led PIHL Class A in points (39), goals (128) and goals...
Mt. Lebanon captures 4th WPIAL championship with victory over rival Upper St. Clair
It wasn’t the start Mt. Lebanon was hoping for. The finish, though, was as good as gold. The top-seeded Blue Devils earned their fourth WPIAL girls basketball championship Friday night with a 55-44 victory over No. 3 Upper St. Clair in the Class 6A title game at Petersen Events Center....
