Dave Mackall stories, Page 14

It was a date circled on the calendar at Greensburg Central Catholic, a chance to avenge its only section loss in boys basketball. On Friday night at GCC, the first-place Centurions evened the score with Riverview, erupting in the second half to erase a six-point deficit and beat the Raiders,...

Plum wrestling coach Mike Supak rolled out a few last-minute changes to his lineup Wednesday night and the plan paid off as the visiting Mustangs halted Kiski Area’s dominating run of six WPIAL section titles in impressive fashion. “This win puts us in a better position” a happy Supak said...

Looking the part of an established vet, the swagger of promising swimmer Lily King was evident as she emerged from the Mt. Pleasant locker room and headed toward an exit. Just a sophomore, the 5-foot-11 King already is a Pennsylvania high school champion in three events. “She’s fast, and she...

Freeport trailed host Greensburg Salem by a point at the end of the first quarter Friday night before the Yellowjackets erupted with back-to-back 25-point outbursts in the second and third and went on to bury the Golden Lions, 72-27, in a WPIAL Section 1-4A boys basketball game. A running clock...

Gateway wasted no time setting the ground rules for its fifth consecutive boys basketball victory, racing to a 21-point lead against homestanding Kiski Area and rolling to an overwhelming 65-43 victory Tuesday night. While Gateway coach Alvis Rogers was delighted with the scenario, Kiski Area’s Corey Smith watched helplessly as...

It’s been a lot of fun for the Greensburg Salem hockey team to quite often assemble and break bread. The guys seem to enjoy gathering at the conclusion of a spirited practice. A tight-knit group, with most players having been together since middle school, this dogged bunch has mostly craved...

Kiski Area extended its recent dominance of Armstrong on Wednesday night in a high school wrestling series involving neighboring rivals along the border of Westmoreland and Armstrong counties. The Cavaliers completed their third consecutive no-doubt victory over the visiting River Hawks, handing Armstrong its first loss, 48-21. “It was a...

Duquesne’s Atlantic 10 home opener on New Year’s Eve brought out a second layer of hoops fans to The Bluff as the Dukes played host to their largest home crowd of the season Saturday afternoon at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. And, while there were some anxious moments, the Dukes didn’t disappoint...

Bethel Park came into Latrobe’s two-day holiday girls basketball tournament having won just once in its first seven games. The Black Hawks came away with a pair of victories to stretch their winning streak to three after the latest success Thursday, a 41-36 decision over short-handed Plum. The Mustangs, who...

Happy Holidays, Deer Lakes. The Lancers received an early present leading to the Christmas weekend when, on Thursday, they ended the nation’s longest winning streak in high school boys basketball by defeating two-time PIAA champion Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The celebration of their decisive 70-55 victory, said their...

Robert Morris met its longest-running rival in men’s basketball Wednesday at UPMC Events Center, and the Colonials for most of the night had their hands full with St. Francis (Pa.). But, after sleep-walking through the first half and falling behind early in the second, Robert Morris finally came together and...

Excitement is building on The Bluff, and with good reason. Duquesne notched its 10th men’s basketball victory of the season Wednesday in its final nonconference game to carry a double-digit win total into Atlantic 10 play for just the fourth time in program history. Dae Dae Grant scored 21 points,...

Duquesne’s sudden case of cold shooting continued Sunday, contributing to another underwhelming loss after an encouraging 7-1 start to the men’s basketball season. The Dukes came up empty for a second time in four days at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, losing 73-60 to New Mexico State. Duquesne’s leading scorer, Dae Dae...

Greensburg Salem ushered in the start of another girls basketball season Friday night on its home court by racing past Mt. Pleasant on the first day of the Greensburg Salem Tip-Off Tournament. Kaitlyn Mankins, playing in her first high school game in nearly 11 months, scored 17 points, and Ashlan...

Aelan Wyley has plans to be an architect someday. For now, she’d like to win more basketball games. With the start of the girls regular season approaching, the Valley senior guard good-naturedly laughed off the Vikings’ inability to score points and post victories, acknowledging it’s been much longer since the...

After a 1-21 season in his first year as a high school head basketball coach in 2021-22, Valley’s John Stone was undeterred, even as he bid farewell to four senior starters. Incidentally, the Vikings’ fifth starter since has transferred out, leaving them with an overhauled lineup this season. “I love...

If Southmoreland’s current run of WPIAL playoff appearances in girls basketball is to continue, the Scotties likely will need to reach deep down for a little something extra this season. It’s one thing to lose to graduation three starters from a 19-5 team that reached the second round of the...

After missing out on the WPIAL playoffs last season, Southmoreland boys basketball coach Frank Muccino is predicting the Scotties will be better this year. Good enough for a return to the postseason, where Southmoreland recently was a staple before last season? Muccino thinks so, if … “The big issue will...

When coach Keith Dambrot predicted that Duquesne’s basketball game Wednesday night against winless Alabama State would be “a hard game,” he wasn’t kidding. “They beat us up on the boards,” Dambrot said following the injury-riddled Dukes’ 75-57 victory at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. “We haven’t really gotten crushed up like that....

Brett Marabito gazed into the stands and grinned at the site of the assembled crowd inside the Ligonier Valley High School gymnasium for the first Westmoreland County Coaches Association All-Star Volleyball Match. The event Tuesday night showcased some of Westmoreland County’s top high school girls volleyball players and was the...

LORETTO — He just might have received the most rousing ovation of anyone on the team when Justin Sliwoski heard his name announced over the public address system as among the seniors on the St. Francis (Pa.) football team being honored. A host of players smiled broadly and held out...

There have been some lean years during the past decade in girls basketball at Kiski Area, but a 9-13 record a year ago represents the most victories since the team went 16-7 during the 2011-12 season, the most recent time the Cavaliers reached the WPIAL playoffs. Armed with four starters...

Every time he’s in the gym at Kiski Area High School, Corey Smith looks up at banners representing the Cavaliers’ WPIAL section championships in boys basketball and feels the pride of being a member of those title teams in 2000 and ’02. For Smith, there’s just something about being a...

AKRON, Ohio — Duquesne remains unbeaten in the Keith Dambrot coaching era in games played in Dambrot’s hometown of Akron. But just barely. In gut-wrenching fashion, the Dukes made it 4-for-4 on Friday night at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, where Dambrot once coached LeBron James, by holding off Colgate,...

Deer Lakes has only one thing in mind as another girls basketball season approaches — to come away with a winning record for the first time in three years. Perhaps the time is ripe? “We have the potential to be as good as anyone in the section,” said coach Sam...