Michael Love stories, Page 75
Gateway wrestlers cap season at WPIAL championships
Arontay Heningcamp’s debut match at the WPIAL/Southwest Regional Class 3A wrestling tournament didn’t exactly go the way he had hoped. The Gateway junior suffered an 8-0 major decision loss to Chartiers Valley junior Brady Joling in the first round. But instead of folding his tent, Heningcamp bounced back and scored...
Gateway’s Hunter Raymer swims to WPIAL gold medal, eyes success at PIAA meet
Hunter Raymer was no stranger to big swim meets before the WPIAL Class 3A championships March 3 and 4 at Pitt’s Trees Pool. But the Gateway freshman still marveled at the spectacle that is the WPIAL meet, with its packed pool deck, boisterous spectator section and intense races over the...
Plum’s Kaley Simqu commits to play soccer at Pitt
Kaley Simqu helps form the defensive nucleus for the Plum girls soccer team and has been a part of a strong run of success the past three seasons. The junior said she is looking forward to her final season with the Mustangs as they hope to make another run to...
Plum swimmers look forward to PIAA championship meet
Sam Schohn knows all about swimming at the PIAA Class 2A championships. But last year, the state meet was moved to a high school because of covid logistical issues with Bucknell. Now, Schohn is ready to test his mettle back at Bucknell on Friday and Saturday as the state championships...
Como earns spot in AK Valley Hall of Fame after helping to build Burrell’s wrestling success
Chris Como lives and breathes Burrell wrestling. It has been that way since he started in the sport in junior high close to four decades ago. As a competitor through high school and college and continuing as a coach with the Bucs for the past 25 years, Como has promised...
A-K Valley PIAA playoff capsules for March 12, 2022
Today’s games Boys Class 6A Second round Allderdice (20-7) vs. Fox Chapel (25-1) 2 p.m. Saturday, AHN Arena, Peters Township High School Coaches: Zach Skrinjar, Fox Chapel; Devin Crummie, Allderdice Winner plays: Winner of Northampton (20-7)/Warwick (21-6) on Tuesday in quarterfinals (Site and time TBD) Layup lines: Fox Chapel won...
Alle-Kiski Valley PIAA playoff capsule: Highlands vs. Laurel Highlands, Friday, March 11, 2022
Friday’s game Boys Class 5A Second round 7-3 Highlands (19-7) vs. 7-1 Laurel Highlands (26-0) 7 p.m. Norwin High School Coaches: Corey Dotchin, Highlands; Rick Hauger, Laurel Highlands Winner plays: Winner of 3-3 Hershey (21-6)/7-4 Gateway (16-6) Layup lines: After a week away from game action following the loss to...
Knoch girls win 1st PIAA playoff game in program history
Three was the magic number for the Knoch girls basketball team in its PIAA Class 4A first-round home game Wednesday evening against District 9 champion St. Marys. The Knights, playing in the program’s first PIAA game, hit 15 3-pointers, including 10 in the first half, and took control early en...
Mt. Pleasant enters PIAA swimming event on a roll
The Mt. Pleasant girls swim team captured five WPIAL championships and had numerous other medal-winning and point-producing performances last Thursday and Friday at Pitt’s Trees Pool. It all added up to the program’s first WPIAL Class 2A title. Now, they will join dozens of other swimmers from throughout the Westmoreland...
Plum grad Ryan Loebig, other local players lead Pitt club hockey to nationals
Ryan Loebig is confident. The Plum graduate and senior defenseman on the Pitt club hockey team likes the way the Panthers are shaping up heading into the 20-team American College Hockey Association Division I national tournament set for Thursday through March 20 in St. Louis. “It’s all about embracing the...
Highlands opens PIAA playoffs with rout of Brashear
Brashear scored the first two points of Tuesday night’s PIAA Class 5A first-round game at Highlands. But the Golden Rams scored the next 13 to establish themselves on their court. Highlands led by 12 at the end of the first quarter and at halftime, then extended it to 22 at...
A-K Valley PIAA basketball playoff capsules: Games for Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Boys Class 6A 3-7 Cumberland Valley (19-7) at 7-1 Fox Chapel (24-1) 6 p.m. Wednesday Coaches: Zach Skrinjar, Fox Chapel; David Vespiognani, Cumberland Valley Winner plays: Winner of 8-1 Allderdice (19-7)/7-3 Central Catholic (18-6) Saturday in the second round (site and time TBD) Layup lines: Cumberland Valley earned a spot...
Alle-Kiski Valley PIAA basketball playoff preview: Games of Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Tuesday’s games Boys basketball Class 5A First round 8-1 Brashear (8-10) at 7-3 Highlands (18-7) 7 p.m. Winner plays: Winner of 7-1 Laurel Highlands (25-0)/3-9 Elizabethtown (16-10) on Friday in the second round (site and time TBD) Layup lines: Brashear’s postseason run began with an upset victory over Obama in...
Apollo-Ridge’s Bartha to step down as athletic director, stay on as girls basketball coach
As Ray Bartha prepares his Apollo-Ridge girls basketball team for Tuesday’s PIAA Class 2A first-round playoff game at District 10 champion West Middlesex, he also is moving forward with his plans to transition away from the school’s athletic director position after 14 years. The Apollo-Ridge School Board accepted and approved...
Fox Chapel girls soak in silver-medal performance at WPIAL championships
The Fox Chapel girls 400-yard freestyle relay finished Friday what the Foxes’ 200 medley relay started Thursday. The quartet of junior Sophie Shao, senior Ariana Pasquella, junior Payton O’Toole and senior Rei Sperry won the WPIAL Class 3A championship meet-closing relay in a school-record time of 3 minutes, 29.23 seconds...
Mt. Pleasant girls capture 1st WPIAL swimming championship
The Mt. Pleasant girls swimming and diving team took home a runner-up trophy from the 2020 WPIAL Class 2A championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool. Last year, it was third behind Northgate and Quaker Valley at Upper St. Clair. But the Vikings, in the return to Trees Pool on Thursday and...
Fox Chapel’s Sophie Shao breaks 38-year-old record, wins 100 fly title at WPIALs
A 38-year WPIAL record is no more. Fox Chapel junior Sophie Shao captured the Class 3A girls 100-yard butterfly title — her third in as many years — Thursday at the WPIAL swimming championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool. Her time of 53.85 seconds — her personal best for high school...
Franklin Regional, Hempfield, Mt. Pleasant swimmers shine during Day 1 of WPIAL championships
It was the best of feelings and the worst of feelings for the Franklin Regional boys relays Thursday on Day 1 of the WPIAL Class 3A championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool. The Panthers’ 200-yard medley relay of sophomore Holden Thomas, junior Aiden Bunker, senior Owen Holm and junior Jason Tosh...
Valley freshman Sidnie Shirey won’t let disability keep her from swimming, inspiring othersVideo
Sidnie Shirey stands on the pool deck beside the starting block. She is confident. She dives in the water and her core muscles and legs go to work, helping her cut through the water. She is strong. As she approaches the wall to make each turn, she hopes to gain...
WPIAL’s swimming best ready to do battle in return to Pitt’s Trees Pool
Levi Hansen won three medals in four individual races at WPIALs over the past two seasons. While the Kiski Area junior loved bringing home that hardware, he is shooting for loftier goals this year. He is the No. 1 seed for Thursday morning’s WPIAL Class 3A boys 200-yard freestyle as...
Knoch girls hold off Southmoreland, reach WPIAL title game for 1st time
The Knoch girls basketball team reached the WPIAL semifinals last year for the first time in program history, but it fell one win short of its goal of reaching the championship game and an opportunity to play for the gold. But the Knights weren’t going to be denied in their...
Freeport’s Schrecongost, Fox Chapel’s Shao lead strong A-K Valley contingent into WPIAL swimming championships
Lexi Schrecongost’s swimming future is at Toledo. The Freeport senior’s swimming present is preparing for some unfinished business Thursday and Friday as the WPIAL Class 2A and 3A championships return home to Pitt’s Trees Pool. “This meet will definitely hit close to home as it will be my last (WPIAL)...
Kiski Area swim coach Lisa Pepka resigns days before WPIAL meet
Kiski Area boys and girls swimming coach Lisa Pepka resigned from the position Monday, just three days before the WPIAL championships. Pepka declined to comment on her decision, but she confirmed she is no longer the head coach. Kiski Area athletic director John Peterman on Tuesday confirmed Pepka’s resignation, but...
Aquinas Academy fends off upset-minded St. Joseph, rolls into Class A title game
The St. Joseph girls basketball team held a great deal of momentum entering Monday’s WPIAL Class A semifinal against Section 3 rival Aquinas Academy at North Hills High School. The No. 9 Spartans took down No. 1 Rochester on Thursday, and they hoped to do the same against the No....
AK Valley WPIAL basketball playoff preview capsules: Games for Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Boys Class 6A Semifinals 2-Fox Chapel (22-1) vs. 3-Central Catholic (18-5) 8 p.m. Tuesday, AHN Arena, Peters Township High School Winner plays: Winner of 1-North Hills (23-0)/4-Mt. Lebanon (16-8) Saturday at 7 p.m. in championship game at Petersen Events Center Layup lines: Fox Chapel turned away Pine-Richland, 77-67, in the...
