Michael Love stories, Page 117
Seton LaSalle girls get revenge on Deer Lakes
For the second year in a row, the Deer Lakes and Seton LaSalle girls basketball teams met in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. The Lancers hoped for a repeat performance of last year’s 15-point victory while the Rebels hoped for a measure of revenge. The game...
Alle-Kiski Valley basketball playoff preview capsules: Games of Feb. 20, 2020
Today’s games Girls Class 4A quarterfinals No. 2 Southmoreland (22-0) vs. No. 7 Freeport (17-6) 8 p.m. at Penn-Trafford Winner plays: No. 3 Central Valley (17-3) or No. 6 Knoch (17-6) on Monday in semifinals Coaches: Brian Pritts, Southmoreland; Fred Soilis, Freeport Points scored/allowed: Southmoreland 57.7 ppg/29.9; Freeport 55.3/44.1 Players...
A-K Valley girls basketball notebook: Scrimmages keep Fox Chapel sharp
When the Fox Chapel girls basketball team plays No. 1 Bethel Park on Friday in the WPIAL 6A quarterfinals at North Hills, 11 days will have passed since its regular-season finale, a 49-31 victory over Armstrong on Feb. 10. Coach Marty Matvey said he’s not concerned about the layoff as...
Penn Hills girls pull away from Plum late to advance in Class 5A playoffs
The Penn Hills and Plum girls basketball teams, longstanding section rivals in the old Class AAAA, hadn’t played in more than four years until the WPIAL brought them together Tuesday for a Class 5A first-round game at Fox Chapel. Numerous games in the series between the Mustangs and Indians were...
A-K Valley basketball playoff preview capsules: Games of Feb. 19, 2020
Girls Class 3A First Round No. 8 Seton LaSalle (14-7) vs. No. 9 Deer Lakes (13-9) 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at North Allegheny Winner plays: No. 1 Beaver (19-3) Saturday in the quarterfinals Coaches: Jordan Giles, Seton LaSalle; Dave Petruska, Deer Lakes Points scored/allowed: Seton LaSalle, 51.2/47.7; Deer Lakes, 44.7/37.9 Players...
Top bowlers to compete for WPIBL individual titles
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League crowned its team champions last week as the Central Catholic boys and Greensburg Salem girls took home top honors. Now, individual bowlers are in the spotlight as the WPIBL singles titles will be decided Wednesday and Thursday. The boys tournament is Wednesday at Sims...
Knoch girls use defense, free-throw shooting to hold down New Castle
It wasn’t easy for the Knoch girls basketball team in its WPIAL Class 4A first-round game against New Castle on Monday at Fox Chapel. The No. 11 Red Hurricane gave the Knights all they could handle before the No. 6 seed held on for a 43-35 victory and punched its...
A-K Valley basketball playoff preview capsules: Games for Feb. 18, 2020
Tuesday’s games Girls First round Class 5A No. 8 Penn Hills (11-11) vs. No. 9 Plum (14-6) 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Fox Chapel Winner plays: No. 1 Chartiers Valley (22-0) on Saturday in the quarterfinals Coaches: Robert Cash, Penn Hills; Steve Elsier, Plum Points scored/allowed: Penn Hills 44.6/37.7; Plum: 47.5/42.1...
Alle-Kiski campus clippings: WVU’s Pierson dazzles for gymnastics teams
Abbie Pierson is making her mark in her first season with the West Virginia women’s gymnastics team. The St. Joseph graduate and Mountaineers freshman has four podium finishes: two on balance beam, one on vault and one on floor. Three are event wins. In her collegiate debut Jan. 11 against...
A-K Valley girls basketball playoff capsules: Games for Monday, Feb. 17, 2020
Monday’s games Girls Class 4A First round No. 7 Freeport (16-6) vs. No. 10 Belle Vernon (16-6) 6:30 p.m. at North Hills Winner plays: No. 2 Southmoreland (22-0) on Saturday in quarterfinals Coaches: Fred Soilis, Freeport; Ronnie Drennen, Belle Vernon Points scored/allowed: Freeport, 55.8/44.4; Belle Vernon, 50.5/39 Players to watch:...
Riverview girls rally past Burgettstown, end playoff losing streak
Despite a 10-point deficit at the end of the third quarter, the Riverview girls basketball team would not be denied its first WPIAL playoff victory since 2016. The No. 10 Raiders ended a three-game WPIAL playoff losing skid and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 32-28 victory over No. 7...
Plum swimmers ‘can’t wait’ for WPIAL championships
With the WPIAL Class AAA swimming championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool fast approaching, Plum coach Shawn Haupt has double vision. He looks back over the past two months of the season and sees numerous impressive swims, including WPIAL-qualifying performances from 11 individuals and all six relays. The veteran Mustangs coach...
Trib HSSN girls swimmer of the week: Brooke Welling, Freeport
Brooke Welling ranks among the top swimmers in the girls 100-yard freestyle in WPIAL Class AA. The Freeport junior recorded her season-best time in the event – 54.37 seconds – last weekend at the Mark Hess Memorial Invitational at Indiana High School. The time earned Wellling a gold medal as...
Trib HSSN boys swimmer of the week: John Guilinger, Central Catholic
John Guilinger began his final varsity swim season at Central Catholic with both peace of mind and added energy after finalizing his decision to attend Penn State during the signing period in November. Now, three months later, the senior standout, after posting several top swims in numerous individual events and...
A-K Valley basketball playoff capsules: Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
Friday’s games Boys Class 3A First round No. 1 Lincoln Park (18-4) vs. No. 16 Deer Lakes (12-9) 8 p.m. Friday at Fox Chapel Winner plays: No. 7 Washington (15-6) or No. 10 Neshannock (15-7) on Thursday in the quarterfinals Coaches: Mike Bariski, Lincoln Park; Terence Parham, Deer Lakes Points...
Central Catholic tops Hempfield to win WPIBL boys team title
Central Catholic outdueled Hempfield in the championship match to capture the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League boys team title Wednesday evening at Nesbit’s Lanes in Plum. The Vikings, the No. 1 seed after the three-game qualifying round, defeated the No. 3 Spartans, 2-1, in the best-of-three Baker finals. Central Catholic...
Alle-Kiski Valley girls basketball notebook: Plum faces old foe Penn Hills
The last time the Plum and Penn Hills girls basketball teams met was Jan. 29, 2016, when the Indians stymied the Mustangs, 45-23, in Section 2-AAAA. For Plum, it was the most recent season it missed the WPIAL playoffs. Penn Hills went undefeated that season to win the section title...
Young Deer Lakes girls basketball team hopes to continue growth in playoffs
Playoff expectations were high when the Deer Lakes girls basketball team opened camp. Despite losing four senior starters to graduation, the young Lancers, with just one senior, felt confident the pieces were in place to make a run at the program’s 10th playoff berth in the past 11 years. “Day-in...
Knoch draws highest seed among A-K Valley girls basketball playoff teams
Last year at this time, Knoch girls basketball coach Chris Andreassi and the Knights faithful were still exhaling from a WPIAL Section 1-4A playoff chase that went down to the final day of the regular season. Knoch ended a hectic last couple of weeks in a three-way tie with Apollo-Ridge...
McKeesport’s Swin Cash selected to Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
Swin Cash, a basketball standout who won championships in high school, college, the WNBA and the Olympics, has been selected to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. The McKeesport native’s upcoming enshrinement, as well as the names of the other members of the Class of 2020, were revealed during Monday’s...
Freeport girls honor seniors, tune up for playoffs with win over Deer Lakes
Former and most likely future section foes met Monday in a nonsection tuneup for the WPIAL girls basketball playoffs. Behind a game-best 20 points and nine rebounds from senior Sidney Shemanski, Freeport earned its sixth straight victory over Deer Lakes, 57-38 at Freeport Middle School. “It was pretty emotional,” Shemanski...
Fox Chapel diver hopes to take next step at WPIALs, reach states
Two years ago, five members of the Fox Chapel boys diving team earned qualifying marks for the WPIAL Class AAA championships at North Allegheny. However, that created a problem for the Foxes and then-coach Vernon Yenick. Qualifying policy states a maximum of four from one team are permitted to dive...
Bowling teams turn attention to WPIBL championship tournaments
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League regular season has concluded, and the top individual bowlers and teams are shifting their focus to championship opportunities at the local, regional and state levels. The WPIBL boys and girls team championships take center stage this week. Eighteen boys and eighteen girls teams —...
Shegog’s buzzer-beating layup lifts Gateway over Plum for Section 2-5A titleVideo
The winner-take-all game Friday between Gateway and Plum for the girls Section 2-5A championship wasn’t the prettiest, but the Gators gladly accepted the outcome. Junior forward Dynasty Shegog converted a layup at the buzzer, completing a full-court rush coming out of a timeout, to lift Gateway to a 31-29 victory...
Quartet of Knoch divers hope to make ripple at WPIALs
Aryanna Napora set a goal at the beginning of her high school career to qualify for the PIAA Class AA diving championships all four years. After earning trips to states as a freshman and sophomore with fourth- and sixth-place finishes, respectively, at the WPIALs, the Knoch diver placed eighth last...
