Michael Love stories, Page 26

With about four minutes left in the third quarter of Thursday’s Section 1-4A opener between Highlands and North Catholic, the host Golden Rams trailed by two points. Moments before, senior sharpshooter Kate Myers had drained a 3-pointer from the left wing to draw Highlands to within one possession and energize...

The final score of the history-making girls wrestling match between Kiski Area and Burrell — the first-ever in the Alle-Kiski Valley — was won by the Cavaliers, 30-12. But the wrestlers, coaches and spectators who witnessed the match know both Kiski Area and Burrell were winners Wednesday night. “This is...

The Burrell wrestling team waited 10 years to get back into the win column against rival Kiski Area. The Bucs ended the decade-long losing streak to the Cavaliers in a match last season at Kiski Area High School that went down to the wire. Julian Bertucci’s pin at 121 pounds...

Will Kromka was somewhat behind the 8-ball when he began his collegiate basketball career in the fall of 2022. The Pitt-Johnstown sophomore guard and Gateway graduate suffered an ankle injury in the spring that required significant surgery. That put him on the shelf for several months and slowed his growth....

The Gateway and Allderdice boys basketball teams played close throughout their nonsection game Dec. 5 at Allderdice High School. The Gators led by three at halftime and by two at the end of the third quarter before holding on for a 56-51 victory over the Dragons. The win moved Gateway...

Megan Marston Class: Senior School: Plum Sport: Basketball Report card: Marston had a hot hand for the Mustangs as they jumped out to a 3-0 start. She kicked off the season with 22 points in a 67-43 victory over Freeport at the Freeport Tip-Off. About 12 hours later, she poured...

Last year’s WPIAL Class 3A championship meet was one to remember for the Plum girls swim team. The Mustangs earned five medals — two in individual events and in all three relays — and placed 10th in a deep team standings. While seven seniors were lost to graduation from the...

Megan Marston got off to a hot start for the Plum girls basketball team. The senior guard had a pair of 22-point efforts in wins over Freeport and Highlands at the Freeport tip-off tournament the weekend of Dec. 1. Marston then hit for 31 in helping the Mustangs (3-0) roll...

The date May 17, 2023, will not soon be forgotten by those who follow and have an affinity for girls wrestling locally and throughout Pennsylvania. That day, the PIAA officially sanctioned the sport, making good on its promise that if schools in the state came through and 100 or more...

Springdale continues its search for a new football coach, and the deadline for applications, according to a post on the WPIAL website, is Wednesday. Ryan Tempalski stepped down shortly after the season concluded, ending a two-year tenure with the Dynamos. In explaining his decision, Tempalski said it was best he...

When Kiski Area senior Isaiah Gonzalez slashed to the basket or pulled up for a mid-range jumper in Tuesday’s 58-45 victory over New Castle, Jason Flemm got excited. When Cavaliers junior Colin Keller drained one from beyond the arc or made a standout defensive play, Flemm felt the energy. When...

WPIAL players were well-represented on the all-state girls volleyball teams released Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. North Allegheny placed four on the Class 4A team — senior libero Avery Butcher, senior outside hitter Marin Dunaway, senior right side Jamie Frisco and senior outside hitter Kyra Schmidt. The Tigers...

The Kiski Area girls basketball team bounced back from a tough loss to Armstrong Saturday and handed St. Joseph its first loss of the young season with a 44-35 victory Tuesday in a nonsection clash at Kiski Area High School. “It was nice to come back and get a good...

Last year’s girls basketball season opener between Plum and Freeport at the Freeport Tip-Off Tournament went down to the wire with Mustangs combo guard/forward Riley Stephans hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer in her freshman varsity debut. Plum didn’t need any late-game heroics in Friday’s rematch with the Yellowjackets at...

With high school girls wrestling growing at such a rapid rate in Pennsylvania and throughout the country, Burrell didn’t want to be left on the outside looking in. Burrell is the latest area school to give an affirmative vote to sponsor a girls wrestling program, having finalized the decision at...

Jack Loughren missed all of last year’s basketball season with a leg injury. The Riverview senior guard felt good in his return to game action Friday at the Freeport Tip-Off at Freeport Middle School. Loughren scored 18 points and added eight rebounds to help pace a balanced effort as the...

The WPIAL boys basketball season opens Friday. Here are some of the top storylines, teams and players to watch this season in the Alle-Kiski Valley 5 Storylines New faces at the top: Four teams — Freeport (Rich Macura), Leechburg (Andrew McDermott), St. Joseph (Logan Acri) and Valley (Ed Jenkins) —...

The WPIAL girls basketball season opens Friday. Here are some of the top storylines, teams and players to watch this season in the Alle-Kiski Valley” 5 storylines New bench leaders: Apollo-Ridge (Jeff Zelonka), Freeport (Mallory Ketterer), Knoch (Shane McGraw), St. Joseph (Geoff Dutelle) and Springdale (Mike Dudjak) begin the season...

For the second straight year, the St. Joseph girls basketball team reached the WPIAL Class A semifinals. Two years ago, the Spartans pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, taking down No. 1 Rochester, a three-time defending WPIAL champion, in the quarterfinals. Last year, St. Joseph didn’t...

Charlie Ross hopes to be a central figure in St. Joseph boys basketball’s attempt this season to return to the WPIAL Class A playoffs. The only player back with varsity experience from last year’s Spartans squad which went o 8-14 overall and 2-8 in Section 3-A, Ross said he sees...

When Ryan Sula looked out on the mat in the Gateway wrestling room during an early-season workout, he saw more than two dozen wrestlers taking part in drills, the most in his eight years as the Gators’ coach. The numbers and the enthusiasm for Gateway wrestling encourages Sula who hopes...

Player of the year Lola Abraham Riverview, senior, forward Not often during the 2023 season did an opposing team slow down Riverview senior forward Lola Abraham. Teams thought they had the Pitt soccer commit contained, but she then would erupt and damage their chances at victory. Abraham finished her final...

Abbie Johns has her plans set for next season as the Kiski Area senior recently signed a National Letter of Intent to join the women’s basketball team at Shippensburg. A Section 1-5A first-team all-star and Valley News Dispatch first-team selection, Johns is one of four starters back from a team...

As the No. 14 seed for last year’s WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball tournament, Kiski Area was a decided underdog against a North Hills team searching for its first WPIAL title. On paper, that is. The Cavaliers didn’t back down from the formidable challenge. They led North Hills into the...

The Gannon women’s soccer team’s potent offense was on display in a 4-2 victory over Slippery Rock in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference quarterfinal game Nov. 6, and Plum graduate Jamie Seneca played a big part in the Golden Knights’ victory. Seneca, a junior midfielder, capped off the scoring for...