Greg Macafee stories, Page 42

Penn State football coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions got another Class of 2020 recruit when Superior Collegiate Academy’s Keyvone Lee made his announcement official Monday night. #BREAKING: 4⭐️ RB Keyvone Lee (@KeyvoneL) has committed to #PennState. #WeAre #PSUnrivaled @247Sports @Rivals @BN9 @SpecSports360 pic.twitter.com/uBgw61VB6X— CHRIS TORELLO (@TorelloSports) August 27,...

Fox Chapel native Jack Kartsonas pitched on the biggest stage of his career earlier this month. Things started when Kartsonas played in a summer league with college-bound players who are 18 and under called the Youngstown “B” league. He pitched in seven games, threw 37 2/3 innings, recorded a 0.56...

Over the past few years, Drew Karpen has been waiting for the right opportunity to run an athletic department. On Monday, he was approved by Highlands School Board as the district’s athletic director. “It’s been a long road, but it’s definitely something that I am loving right now,” Karpen said....

Kiski Area senior Billy Perroz has been playing so much baseball this summer that, at times, coach Aaron Albert has told him he has been playing too much. “But he loves it,” Albert said. “I go with the flow really, but there are certainly weekends where he plays way too...

Since he took over the Burrell football program last year, coach Shawn Liotta has been waiting for an opportunity to showcase his fast-paced, high-octane offense. On Friday night, with Central Catholic transfer quarterback Alex Arledge at the helm and a myriad of offensive weapons surrounding him, Liotta finally got his...

Throughout the history of the “Battle of the Bypass,” Burrell and Valley have traded winning streaks. On Friday, Burrell ended Valley’s six-game win streak that started in 2013. Mike Scherer led the way on the ground, rushing for 124 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, and Central Catholic transfer...

Midway through last season, the Kiski Area boys soccer team hit its stride. After a 6-2 win over Armstrong at the end of September, the Cavaliers went on a three-game winning streak that moved them from a game under .500, to two games over. Then, they won five of their...

With a talented group of underclassmen, the Kiski Area girls soccer team made significant strides last season. They stitched together multiple win streaks throughout the season and captured a first-round playoff victory for the second time in as many years. It was also their first year playing against new opponents...

Leadership is a quality every coach looks for in his players. They look for players who can step up when the game is on the line or someone who leads with his voice and actions, a player who holds teammates to higher standards. Valley’s Vaun Ross is ready to step...

In an effort to revamp his team, Kiski Area football coach Sam Albert dug into the depths of the high school to recruit student-athletes he believed could help improve their chances this season. When he did, he came out with a large target for his new quarterback this season. After...

There’s never a lack of excitement when Burrell and Valley get together for the “Battle of the Bypass.” “Man, we are looking at it like it’s Burrell week,” Valley’s Vaun Ross said excitedly. “What week is it? It’s Burrell week! We’re excited, man. All of us, we’re hyped, and we...

Even before the 2018 season started, the Brownsville football team was facing an uphill battle. Coach Scott Fichter didn’t take over the program until June, and the Falcons weren’t fully staffed until around August. Because of the late start, Fichter’s ability to develop a program was hampered. After a full...

The Deer Lakes girls soccer team won’t be short on fire power in 2019. A year after winning their first section title and advancing to the WPIAL semifinals for the first time in a decade, the Lancers return nine starters and two all-WPIAL selections, including 2018 Valley News Dispatch Player...

Deer Lakes boys soccer made a historic run last season. The Lancers captured their first section championship in 15 years, reached the PIAA tournament for the first time in school history and then came up just short of a state championship, falling to Fleetwood, 1-0, in the finals. After a...

West Allegheny’s Austin Hendrick has had an impressive summer. He’s made a name for himself by participating in national showcases, home run derby contests and he even played in MLB’s High School All-Star game at Progressive Field in Cleveland. He hasn’t just competed either; he’s proven to be one of...

Graduation can hit high school athletic programs. Valley knows that feeling. After losing 13 seniors from last year’s team, Valley will have a young roster this season that only returns one starter on offense and four on defense. Some coaches might be deterred by fielding a young group, but longtime...

When the Burrell offense takes the field this season, don’t blink, because you might just miss the entire offensive series. Second-year coach Shawn Liotta wants to light up the scoreboard and “play fast,” a saying that has been established as this year’s team motto. “We want to push the tempo,”...

When Knoch tennis coach Nance Conlon first saw Laura Greb during a summer clinic a few years ago, she quickly noticed the player’s potential. “She showed up, and I immediately talked to her dad and told him she was too good for it,” Conlon said. “You could immediately see the...

Quarterback is one of the most complicated positions in football, and it takes a special type of player to bear all of the responsibilities that make an offense successful. Throughout the offseason, nine coaches from the Alle-Kiski Valley were tasked with finding a new player to fill those needs in...

Every week in WPIAL’s Class 4A Northwest Eight Conference is a grind, and Highlands coach Dom Girardi would have it no other way. “We’re going to go out and compete every single week, and that’s how it’s going to be,” Girardi said. As the season wore on last year, the...

After winning three of its first four games last season, the Kiski Area football team was ready to make a strong move in the right direction. But several injuries left the Cavaliers hampered, and a slew of underclassmen were thrown into the starting lineup. One of those underclassmen was Peyton...

The Pitt men’s basketball team kicked off its 2019-2020 season in a special way. During a 10-day trip, the Panthers toured Italy with stops in Rome, Florence, Bologna, Vicenza and Venice. Coach Jeff Capel said he and his team built a bond that will be crucial this season. “The trip...

Kiski Area coach Sam Albert is no stranger to building a football program. He has done it with success at four schools in Western Pennsylvania. Heading into his third year at Kiski, Albert is starting to see a culture change. “I think each year the kids buy more and more...

Before last season began, Highlands coach Dom Girardi had high hopes for a freshman running back who displayed a lot of potential throughout summer and training camp. But when the Golden Rams took the field in their Week Zero matchup against Plum, those high hopes quickly changed to positive thoughts...

Throughout his nine years of coaching at Fox Chapel, golf coach Bryan Deal has built a strong program that has produced two individual WPIAL champions. But a team title always has eluded Deal. This year might be different. The Foxes return four starters from a WPIAL runner-up team that finished...