Jonathan Bombulie stories, Page 4

The announcement that the WPIAL will bring some of its championship games back to Heinz Field this season after a one-year pandemic-related hiatus was greeted by many as good news. For a select few football programs, though, it’s more than good news. It’s motivation. “Absolutely,” Beaver Falls coach Nick Nardone...

Pretty much everyone is glad 2020 is over. Nowhere is that truer than inside the Washington football program. Trying to replace one of the most successful senior classes in school history, the Prexies came into last season needing a little bit of time to reload. Instead, offseason workouts and preseason...

Few teams in the history of WPIAL football, if any, have come as close to making the playoffs without getting in as New Brighton did last year. New Brighton and Laurel tied for second place in the Midwestern Athletic Conference at 5-2. The Spartans got in thanks to a victory...

Neshannock senior Cam’Ron Owens has become one of the most dangerous running backs in the WPIAL. The route he took to that distinction had plenty of zigs and zags. At the start of preseason camp last year, the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder was competing for the Lancers’ starting quarterback job. Community spread...

With coach Brian Cooper planning to add heavy doses of spread offense to his usual Wing-T attack, opposing defenses won’t know exactly what they’ll be getting from Laurel this season. Opposing ballcarriers know precisely what to expect, however. Pain. Courtesy of senior linebacker Luke McCoy. “He’s a special player,” Cooper...

There’s one particular stat coach John Rosa would like to see Freedom lead the WPIAL in this season. Touchdowns? Yards? Turnovers? Sacks? Well, yeah, sure. What coach wouldn’t want that? But what Rosa really wants his team to lead the district in is smiles. “This game is about these kids...

If he wanted to, Beaver Falls coach Nick Nardone could have written his offensive game plan on a matchbook cover last season. Plan A: Hand the ball to 240-pound Syracuse recruit Josh Hough or 250-pound Edinboro recruit Shileak Livingston. There was rarely need for a Plan B. Add in Tyler...

When a new player steps into the Western Beaver huddle for the first time, there’s a good chance coach Ron Busby has met him before. Just not necessarily recently. “Sometimes I don’t recognize them at first,” Busby said with a laugh. “They’re a lot bigger.” Busby is an elementary school...

South Side coach Luke Travelpiece has turned into a big believer in the law of averages. After the way last season went, his team’s injury luck has to even out, doesn’t it? Thanks to some season-ending injuries, some week-to-week injuries and covid testing, the Rams started six offensive line combinations...

Hockey nights in Pittsburgh will never be the same. After 46 years in the broadcast booth, the legendary Mike Lange has called his last Penguins game. The team announced Monday that Lange, 73, will not return to play-by-play duties when the season begins in the fall. Lange will continue to...

It’s hard to imagine a college football team in America that dealt with the challenges the 2020 season presented worse than Penn State. A preseason top 10 selection, Penn State lost its first five games for the first time in school history before steadying the ship and finishing 4-5. The...

The Tribune-Review and the TribLive High School Sports Network are profiling each member of the 25-player Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star team. The players will be recognized July 22 during HSSN Media Day at Kennywood Park. Mt. Lebanon quarterback Joey Daniels vividly remembers every interception he threw last season. That’s...

Softball Class 6A 1-Bethel Park (17-0) vs. 7-Canon-McMillan (9-9) Noon Thursday at Cal (Pa.) Road to the finals • Bethel Park — The Black Hawks haven’t been tested all that much this season. They’ve scored at least nine runs in each of their last six games, hitting that mark 13...

Softball Class 2A 5-Shenango (16-4) vs. 2-Laurel (16-1) 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Cal (Pa.). Road to the finals • Shenango — The Wildcats advanced to the finals in an unusual way, defeating top-seeded Ligonier Valley 3-1 despite not recording a hit. They scored three runs on one play, a dropped...

Softball Class A 1-West Greene (17-2) vs. 3-Union (12-7) Noon Wednesday at Cal (Pa.) Road to the finals • West Greene — The four-time defending WPIAL champs don’t often play close games, let alone fall behind, so a semifinal matchup against South Side was a notable stop on the road...

It’s been almost two years since the WPIAL last crowned softball champions, but for at least two teams, seemingly little has changed. A pair of 2019 champions — Elizabeth Forward in Class 4A and West Greene in Class A — received top seeds when the 2021 WPIAL softball brackets were...

Local baseball fans watched Neil Walker grow from a superstar high school athlete at Pine-Richland to an important contributor for the Pittsburgh Pirates as they returned to the playoffs after a two-decade absence in 2013. On Tuesday, Walker announced his retirement after 12 years in the major leagues. “Officially retired,...

In the wake of Major League Baseball’s decision to pull the All-Star Game from Georgia as a reaction to that state’s sweeping new voter regulations, a pair of Pennsylvania state senators have touted PNC Park as a replacement venue. State Democratic leader Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, and Chariman of the...

PIAA Class 3A girls basketball championship No. 1 Mohawk vs. No. 2 West Catholic 5 p.m. Thursday at Giant Center, Hershey On the air: PCN (video); TribHSSN.TribLive.com/WKST-AM 1200 (audio) How they got here: District 12 champion West Catholic defeated District 4 champ Loyalsock Township, 62-52, in the quarterfinals, and District...

PIAA Class 2A girls basketball championship No. 1 Neshannock vs. No. 2 Mount Carmel Noon Thursday at Giant Center, Hershey On the air: PCN (video); TribHSSN.TribLive.com/WKST-AM 1200 (audio) How they got here: District 4 champion Neshannock defeated District 5 champion Windber, 51-48, in the quarterfinals and District 6 champ Penns...

Freeport’s Mark Livingston turned in a tremendous performance Friday at the North Versailles Bowling Center. One stubborn 10 pin stopped it from being a perfect performance. Livingston defeated North Allegheny’s Dylan Scheidler 299-193 in the finals of the Western Regional Boys Singles Bowling Championships. After 11 consecutive strikes, Livingston left...

Duquesne men’s basketball coach Keith Dambrot isn’t sure why one person in Allegheny County — a voter from Baldwin — chose him as a write-in candidate for president in November’s election. He is sure, however, that he doesn’t want the job. “I have enough problems,” Dambrot said with a laugh....

The Penn State wrestling team shut down because of positive coronavirus tests within the program just days before its scheduled season opener, the school announced Wednesday. The Nittany Lions were set to open the season Saturday at Rutgers. The schools and Big Ten will work to reschedule the match. Penn...

Because of positive covid-19 tests within its program, the Robert Morris men’s basketball team has canceled games against IUPUI scheduled for this weekend, the school announced Wednesday. The Colonials were supposed to play at IUPUI on Friday and Saturday afternoon. RMU also called off a home game with Milwaukee last...

Having already postponed its past two games, the Penn State men’s basketball team is shutting down through at least Jan. 12, the school announced Wednesday. Games against Michigan on Saturday and Rutgers on Tuesday have been postponed. The Big Ten will make an attempt to reschedule, Penn State said. Penn...