Michael Love stories, Page 40

The Plum softball team found itself in a hole at Shaler in a Section 1-5A game April 12. The Titans led 7-0 after two innings and threatened to blow out the youthful Mustangs. But Plum didn’t fold its tent and mounted a rally, drawing to within four in the sixth...

Last year, the Plum baseball team lost seven games. Five of the seven were decided by two runs or less, including a two-run setback to Shaler in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. The Mustangs also won four of their 12 games by one run. Plum has...

Angelo Marziale began his journey in martial arts competition more than 40 years ago, and, since those early days, the 50-year-old Creighton resident and fifth-degree Shorin Ryu black belt has captured many championships near and far. A former student of Lower Burrell martial arts legend Frank Caliguri, Marziale continues to...

The Deer Lakes softball team got back in the win column Friday, two days after suffering its first loss of the season. The Lancers, who fell to Section 1-3A leader Avonworth on Wednesday, returned to the field at section rival Valley and collected 10 hits en route to a 5-0...

Aidan Herman has his track and field future in his sights. The Deer Lakes senior middle distance standout expects to run at the Division I level next year, and Eastern Kentucky is a likely landing spot. “I am talking with them a lot right now,” said Herman, a PIAA qualifier...

A senior playing his third WPIAL tournament and a freshman making his WPIAL debut took home boys tennis singles championships Wednesday afternoon at Bethel Park High School. Moon senior Anthony Lounder, the No. 2 seed in the Class 3A bracket, claimed WPIAL gold with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over No....

The Valley boys tennis team already has clinched a spot in the WPIAL Class 2A team playoffs, which are set to begin May 1. But veteran coach Rachel Link said her Vikings players, who improved to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in Section 1 on Monday with a 3-2 victory over...

Alanna Miller said the Burrell softball players, two weeks into the season, are not where they want to be. And the Bucs senior outfielder said that is OK. Despite a strong start — the Bucs are 4-2 overall and 2-0 in Section 1-3A heading into a section contest at rival...

Teams in both Class 3A and Class 2A continue to jockey for position as the WPIAL boys volleyball spring season continues in the first cycle of section play. Shaler (Class 3A) and Latrobe (Class 2A) remain atop their respective classification rankings in the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association polls revealed...

Kiyara Sawyers is making the most of her freshman season on the Point Park women’s track and field team. At the Tim Weaver Invitational at West Liberty State (W.Va.) on April 1, the 2022 Gateway graduate placed fourth overall in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 5 minutes, 25...

Kiki Pitts and Daniella Gardner form a formidable 1-2 hurdles punch for the Gateway girls track and field team, and both hope to make an impact over the next several weeks leading up to the WPIAL Class 3A championship meet. Both say the support and push each gives the other...

It’s been quite a positive last couple of weeks for Riverview senior distance runner Amberson Bauer. Last month, Bauer finalized his recruiting process by committing to run at Division I William & Mary. He then began April with a standout performance in the 800- and 1,600-meter runs at the season-opening...

The Plum girls lacrosse team hopes to continue its upward trend this spring, a year after the program captured its first WPIAL playoff victory. With a strong nucleus back from last year’s team which went 14-4 overall and 8-2 in section play, optimism abounds as the Mustangs get in to...

Tory Verdi officially was introduced as Pitt’s 10th women’s basketball coach Friday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center, and he celebrated his arrival surrounded by family, friends, Panthers players, Pitt’s athletic administration, and other university athletics dignitaries. Verdi said he is ready to hit the ground running and is optimistic...

Valley has a new head football coach. The New Kensington-Arnold School Board voted 7-2 on Tuesday evening to hire Leechburg graduate and former Blue Devils and Southmoreland head coach Mark Adams. “He was very impressive in the interview process,” said board member Scott Bussard, the head of the athletic committee....

Franklin Regional pitcher Carli Ramchandran didn’t give up any hits through five innings of Monday’s Section 2-5A opener at Kiski Area. The Panthers senior surrendered a first-inning walk, but the runner was eliminated attempting to steal second. Cavaliers catcher Isabella Delia led off the bottom of the sixth with a...

Shaler and Latrobe maintained their spots at the top of the Class 3A and 2A boys volleyball rankings, respectively, as the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association released its Week 3 polls Monday. There wasn’t a great deal of movement in either poll. But the biggest jump this week came from...

The Gateway boys volleyball team accomplished big things last spring with the program’s first section title since 1986 and also getting to within an eyelash of making the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals. The Gators led 10-time WPIAL champion Ambridge 2-1 in their quarterfinal contest at North Allegheny. But the Bridgers...

Gateway ruled the bracket for the WPIAL Section 1-3A singles tournament last week at Franklin Regional High School. Sophomores Adam Memije and Zidaan Hassan are no strangers to tennis tournament competition, having grown up in the sport for the better part of the past decade. But both are new to...

The Plum volleyball team’s final Class 2A match last year was a close five-set contest against Thomas Jefferson in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs. The No. 8 Jaguars edged the No. 9 Mustangs, 3-2, to advance to the quarterfinals. Suddenly, Plum’s season was over. The Mustangs left Class...

Here are the 2022-23 Valley News Dispatch girls basketball all-stars: Player the year Julie Spinelli St. Joseph, 5-11, Jr., G/F In St. Joseph’s season opener against Belle Vernon at the Play For Mae Tournament at Woodland Hills, Julie Spinelli went off for 29 points to lead her team to a...

Plum track and field coach Stephanie Kennedy saw a growth in numbers for both the boys and girls teams from last year to this spring, and the mix of veteran and new talent has her excited for what can be accomplished between now and the championship events in the latter...

Michael Williams and Brian Mowry know each other well as boxers who train at Boyce Gym in Plum. On Saturday, they will put friendship and camaraderie aside for 15 to 20 minutes as they face each other for the 203-plus pound open division championship as part of the Western PA...

Valley jumped on Highlands for three runs in the first inning of a nonsection softball game Tuesday. The Vikings scored just one more run in the matchup, but the early outburst proved to be the difference in a 4-2 victory over the Golden Rams. “This is a nice win for...

LEWISBURG — The North Allegheny girls swimming and diving team had a distinct points advantage even before the swimming consolation and championship finals began Friday afternoon at the PIAA Class 3A championships Bucknell University. Christina Shi, Lola Malarky and Juliet Hood placed first, third and seventh in the diving completion...