John Grupp stories, Page 12

The Hampton Athletic Hall of Fame inducted Andy DeMichiei this past summer for his exploits on the lacrosse field. This spring, the 26-year-old will look to make his impact from the sidelines. DeMichiei, a former All-American with the Talbots, is entering his first season as coach at his alma mater....

When Derek Brinkley stepped down as Hampton track and field coach after 18 seasons this offseason, a priority for athletic director Bill Cardone was keeping the staff as intact as possible. Assistant Heather Dietz, a long-time cross country coach who works with the track distance runners, offered to handle the...

Hampton swimmer Will Retsch is proof that water is the universal solvent. When he’s around, records disappear. Retsch will graduate with his name etched in the WPIAL record books and all over the Talbots’ all-time leaderboard. On his way to bringing home the school’s first PIAA swimming title since 2007,...

The Hampton softball team this season will use its battery to make up for some lost power. Senior Division I-bound catcher Bella Henzler and improved sophomore pitcher Charlotte Lomb are expected to form a potent combo for the Talbots, who graduated the program’s most prolific single-season home run hitter. Henzler,...

The Hampton baseball team was taking indoor batting practice earlier this month when players were asked to close the gymnasium doors to accommodate a meeting in the adjacent cafeteria. The Talbots are looking to make more noise this spring. Hampton return seven starters from an up-and-down WPIAL Class 5A playoff...

Former Hampton standout Laryn Edwards feared her college basketball career was over when her right knee gave out going up for a layup against Mount St. Mary’s in early December. “It was just instant pain,” said Edwards, a senior point guard for Loyola (Md.). “I didn’t know what to expect....

Hampton wrestler Alan Wolfe refused to get discouraged last season, stuck on the bench behind a two-time WPIAL qualifier. Wolfe worked hard every practice, patiently awaiting his chance. This season he is proving it was worth the wait. The 172-pound senior is 20-10 — after winning a combined 14 matches...

The Aquinas Academy girls basketball team is hitting stride at just the right time. Having overcome numerous early-season injuries, a flu bug and a five-day covid shutdown that wiped out three games, the Crusaders are pointing toward another deep WPIAL Class A playoff run. “Everyone is back and healthy and...

Hampton bowling coach Bob Wallace doesn’t stress over wins and losses with his fifth-year program. The Talbots boys and girls wrapped up the 2021-22 season against Quaker Valley on Feb. 2 with losing records — the fifth time in five years — but their enjoyment left nothing to spare. “I...

Belle Donato’s watchful parents urged her to trust them and take the plunge. But year after year, the Hampton girl was apprehensive in the pool, refusing to go below the surface. “Whenever I was 8, I had still never put my head under water,” she said. “Every summer, my parents...

Hampton sophomore Isabella McNutt began martial arts at age 4 and earned her Taekwondo black belt at age 7. But she sought something new. “I’ve always wanted to do wrestling,” she said. “I feel like it expands my knowledge in all martial arts. I thought, ‘Wow, that looks cool.’ I...

Seven Hampton athletics teams will be getting new scenery for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 sports seasons. The PIAA enrollment-based parameters, released earlier this month, will drop the programs down one classification, including boys basketball, baseball and wrestling. Four girls teams — softball, tennis, cross country and swimming — will also...

The Hampton girls basketball team was perfect in December by letting no opposing teams win and by barely allowing them to breathe. On the way to an 8-0 record, the Talbots sprinted out of the gate from the opening whistle, shell-shocking teams en route to the program’s second-best start in...

There is something special and unifying about the Hampton High School bocce team. The club offers students with intellectual or physical disabilities the opportunity to experience the camaraderie and competitiveness afforded by team sports through the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Unified Sports program. “The best part is seeing these kids be...

Hampton graduate Brooke Fuller was frustrated and struggling as a freshman at Waynesburg when she set an unimaginable goal. “I looked at her and said, ‘Brooke, do you realize if you don’t get any better than you are right now, you are on pace to score 1,000 (points)?’ ” Yellow...

Hampton swimming coach Morgan Zweygardt quickly spotted something about then-freshman Will Retsch. No matter what stroke the Talbots were working on at early season practices, Retsch went fast. “We realized he really had four solid strokes,” Zweygardt said. “It was very natural. As we are training, you realize, ‘Whoa, he’s...

When the Hampton football players turned in their equipment after the winningest season in program history, their coaches gave them something in return. The Talbots learned nine players were named first-team All-Greater Allegheny in voting by league coaches, the most of any team in the conference. Another six players also...

Hampton hockey coach Luke Leya figured Logan Scanlon was bound to break out one of these nights. Scanlon, a senior forward, was the team’s leading scorer through the season’s midpoint with 10 goals in eight games. But Leya didn’t see this coming. Scanlon scored seven goals in the Talbots’ 9-7...

The Hampton wrestling team is aiming to focus on quantity rather than quality. The Talbots, under first-year coach Nick Endres, have seen growing numbers at every level and are counting on the boost in participation to offset the losses of two PIAA qualifiers. Gone are Justin Hart, the 2021 WPIAL...

The reigning WPIAL Class 2A champion Hampton boys swimming team hopes deeper is better when it comes to the pool. The Talbots will look to defend their title with less top-end talent and more roster-wide balance. “I think we have a lot of depth,” junior Ben Sheets said. “Last year...

Hampton girls basketball coach Tony Howard has a good feeling entering the 2021-22 season. The seventh-year coach returns four starters, including his entire backcourt, from a 15-win Section 2-5A champion. Senior first-team all-section guard Sophia Kelly along with a pair of second-team all-section picks, senior Kayla Hoehler and sophomore Meghan...

The Hampton boys basketball team will try to bounce back from one of the worst seasons in program history with a bunch of players who have won a lot lately. The Talbots, coming off a 4-16 season, have a roster dotted with versatile athletes who enjoyed success in other sports...

One year after a pandemic rattled WPIAL athletics, something else proved to be contagious at Hampton — winning. The Talbots fall sports programs put together the most successful season in school history, claiming multiple WPIAL team titles, a PIAA championship and posting an 11-win football season. “It’s once in a...

The Hampton boys and girls cross country teams each have a lot to look forward to next season. For the boys, it’s where they have been, and for the girls, it’s where they are going. The boys will return five of their top runners from the most successful season in...

Following their WPIAL playoff loss to Thomas Jefferson, the Hampton senior football players gathered at midfield inside a quiet, emptied Fridley Field. “It was bittersweet,” senior tackle John Morris said. “We just talked about memories. Just the seniors.” They had a lot to talk about. The senior-heavy Talbots enjoyed the...