Greg Macafee stories, Page 36

In her first year at the helm of the Highlands girls basketball team, Courtney Udanis, a former Golden Ram herself, set out to adjust the mentality of the program, something that had changed significantly since her time in Natrona Heights. “It was definitely a transition year,” Udanis said. “Just kind...

For the past three years, senior Ben Andrews and his Gannon men’s soccer teammates have been working towards playing in the NCAA Division II men’s soccer tournament. Earlier this week, the Knights got the news that not only did they earn a bid, but they received the No. 2 seed...

Whether it’s on a soccer pitch or a football field, when the game is on the line, Central Catholic’s Johnathan Opalko wants the ball on his foot. For the second straight week, Opalko drilled a game-winning field goal. Last week, it was a 40-yard kick at Heinz Field to capture...

Fox Chapel golfer Scott Bitar is headed south. Bitar will play in the Rolex Tournament of Champions, one of the most prestigious events in junior golf, starting Saturday at the PGA National Resort and Spa’s Champion and Fazio courses in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The 2019 WPIAL Class AAA champion...

The Mars girls soccer team has had an exciting past couple of days. On Saturday, the Fightin’ Planets defeated Villa Joseph Marie 1-0 in the PIAA Class AAA state championship game and captured their first state title since 2011. Three days later, they found themselves among the top 15 teams...

The President Athletic Conference released its’ All-PAC team’s on Tuesday and six former WPIAL players received first-team honors, while nine received second-team honors and 18 received honorable mentions. Just two former WPIAL players were named to the All-PAC first-team offense squad. Former South Fayette signal-caller and current Case Western Reserve...

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds had one of the best defenses in the USL Championship this year, and Joe Greenspan was at the center of it. On Tuesday, Greenspan was awarded for his efforts and was named the USL Championship Defender of the Year. The Westfield, N.J. native was crucial to Pittsburgh’s...

HERSHEY — At the beginning of the season, the Winchester Thurston boys soccer team set out on a journey to make an appearance in the state championship game and bring home the title. They accomplished half of that goal Saturday, but District 11 champion Moravian Academy denied the second as...

HERSHEY — The Shady Side Academy girls soccer team was on a mission to capture a second PIAA title in school history, but when the Indians stepped onto the field at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday, they were met by a team equally as motivated. In search of the perfect season...

Villa Joseph Marie (21-2-1) vs. Mars (21-0-1) 4 p.m. Saturday, Hersheypark Stadium Coaches: Rich Finneyfrock, Villa Joseph Marie; Blair Gerlach, Mars Players to watch: Katie Sullivan, Villa Joseph Marie; Ellie Coffield, Mars How they got here: WPIAL champion Mars defeated District 10 champion Warren, 6-1; WPIAL third-place finisher West Allegheny,...

Moravian Academy (23-1) vs Winchester Thurston (19-2) 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Hersheypark Stadium Coaches: Bob Hartman, Moravian Academy; Adam Brownold, Winchester Thurston Players to watch: Austin Recinos, Moravian Academy; Beck Buchanan, Winchester Thurston How they got here: WPIAL runner-up Winchester Thurston defeated District 6 champion Bishop Carroll, 7-0; District 3 third-place...

Camp Hill (24-0) vs. Shady Side Academy (20-1) 11 a.m. Saturday, Hersheypark Stadium Coaches: Jared Latchford, Camp Hill; Mary Lynch, Shady Side Academy Players to watch: Ava Brackett, Camp Hill; Melissa Riggins, Shady Side Academy How they got here: District 3 champion Camp Hill defeated District 4 runner-up Bloomsburg, 4-1;...

Last Saturday, Slippery Rock demolished Gannon by a score of 56-7 en route to becoming the first football team in school history to produce an undefeated record of 10-0. The undefeated record wasn’t the only accomplishment, though. With his sixth extra point of the game, former Plum kicker Jake Chapla...

The Backyard Brawl is no joke. Sophomore guard Au’Diese Toney got to experience it first-hand when the Pitt basketball team made the trip to Morgantown, W.Va. “You could feel the heat. You could really tell that they didn’t like the other team,” said Toney, whose team lost 69-59. “Some people...

For the 11th year in a row, the WPIAL hosted its annual Sportsmanship Summit at the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum on Thursday morning. Close to 600 area student-athletes and athletic directors attended the event as keynote speakers such as Bernie Colbert, the Lead Educator for Coaching Boys into Men; Karen...

The Quaker Valley boys soccer team is heading back to the PIAA Class AA state championship and they are starting to develop quite a sweet tooth. “We love that Hershey chocolate,” senior forward Dom Reiter said. With a 3-0 win over District 10 champion Mercyhurst Prep, the Quakers punched their...

As his team surrounded him during their postgame meeting, Villa Maria girls soccer coach Pete Wagner repeated the goal his team had set at the beginning of the season. They wanted to win a state championship. “Now we are one step closer,” Wagner screamed as his team cheered. The District...

Since he was a little kid, Fox Chapel’s Will Carnevale has dreamed of playing soccer at the next level. Carnevale played for the Foxes as a freshman and a sophomore, but after a few sessions with the PA Classics, which is one of only three clubs in Pennsylvania that participates...

South Fayette had six players named to the Northwest Eight all-conference team and coach Joe Rossi was tabbed as the conference Coach of the Year. Knoch and Montour both had five players named to the team. Blackhawk’s Marques Watson-Trent was named as the Offensive Player of the Year and Montour’s...

Derry’s Justin Huss, Gavin Adams and coach Tim Sweeney all won individual awards in the Class 3A Big East Conference. North Catholic and Derry led the conference with seven first-team all conference selections, which were voted on by coaches. Huss was named the Most Valuable Offensive Player, while Adams was...

Over the course of the past three seasons, the Springdale boys soccer team has proved itself to be one of the best in WPIAL Class A. The Dynamos made a WPIAL playoff appearance in all three years and were on the cusp of a WPIAL championship in 2017 before losing...

After coming up just short in the PIAA Class AA state championship last season, the Deer Lakes boys soccer team came into 2019 with unfinished business. They set a goal for themselves to not only get back to the state championship, but to reach their first WPIAL championship and bring...