Michael Love stories, Page 93
Plum blanks Armstrong in return from covid pause
The Plum softball team hadn’t played a game in two weeks before Monday’s crucial Section 1-5A matchup at Armstrong. The Mustangs defeated Franklin Regional on April 26, but then went on a covid pause. But they didn’t let the layoff affect them as they scored early and rode the pitching...
WPIAL boys volleyball teams make push for playoffs; final week begins with coaches rankings
With one final week remaining in the regular season, boys volleyball teams in both WPIAL Class AAA and Class AA are making final cases for section titles and playoff berths. The Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association released its Week 7 WPIAL rankings Monday morning. In Class AAA, North Allegheny, Seneca...
Apollo-Ridge senior Weightman excels doing double duty
Casey Weightman is no stranger to success at the WPIAL-championship level. As a freshman at Belle Vernon, she earned WPIAL softball gold. Two years ago, as a sophomore, she again represented the Leopards and captured WPIAL track and field silver in the javelin. While she was a one-sport standout in...
Riverview alum Molly Collins makes impact for PSNK softball
Riverview graduate Molly Collins has been a key factor this season for the Penn State New Kensington softball team. The Lions freshman outfielder went 2 for 3 with two doubles and four runs batted in as PSNK rolled past Penn State Beaver, 9-0, on May 1 in the first round...
Gateway hurdlers to be well represented at WPIAL meet
Jayson Jenkins is known in athletic circles at Gateway as a talented place kicker who will head to Robert Morris in August and join the Colonials football team. But this spring, the Gators senior is making strides one leap at a time as one of the WPIAL’s top hurdlers. He...
All-Kiski Valley campus clippings: Plum grad Dedert shines for PS-Behrend volleyball
Plum graduate Colin Dedert fared well this season with the Penn State Behrend men’s volleyball team. The 6-foot-3 senior outside hitter earned Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference first-team honors. He ranked third in the AMCC in kills (156), fourth in service aces (16) and seventh in kills per set (3.2). Dedert...
Wet weather cancels Friday’s Lernerville racing schedule
Lernerville Speedway officials announced Friday that because of overnight rain that continued into the morning they have canceled the Fab4 racing schedule for Friday evening. In addition to the safety concerns for the competitors, the pit area and spectator parking lots were determined to be too wet to be used...
Valley tennis program braces for WPIAL team postseason
The Valley and North Catholic boys tennis teams both were undefeated at 7-0 when they met April 23 to decide the Section 3-AA team title. The Trojans, led by the WPIAL singles champion in Nicholas Scheller, had their sights set on a clean sweep of the section. But the Vikings,...
Plum backstop Ethan Kircher comes through in the clutch
The Plum baseball team has fashioned a strong record this spring, overall and in Section 2-5A, and senior catcher Ethan Kircher has been at the center of the action. In a come-from-behind 12-9 win at home over section foe Hampton on May 4, Kircher helped lead the comeback with a...
Alle-Kiski Valley softball notebook: Plum hopes to continue streak after covid pause
Plum has been off the field for more than a week, but the Mustangs wrap up a covid pause with a return to practice Friday. “We haven’t been allowed any contact with (the players), but I imagine they are ready to go,” Plum coach Phil DiLonardo said. “I am sure...
Highlands softball stalking long-awaited playoff win
The last time a Highlands softball team won a WPIAL playoff game, most of the current team members were just learning to walk and talk. The Golden Rams scored a 9-3 win over Greensburg Salem in a Class AAA first-round game May 21, 2005. Franklin Regional got the better of...
Burrell sprinter Rusiewicz has sights on continuing Bucs’ tradition of strong sprinters
While moving through junior high, Ava Rusiewicz made sure to watch the Burrell girls sprinters closely, including the groupings on the annually successful 400-meter relay. “Last summer, I was able to train with Nikki (Scherer) a little bit, and I really got to see how Burrell and the coaches got...
Few changes this week with WPIAL boys volleyball coaches rankings
There was slight movement but no big changes in the WPIAL Class AAA and Class AA top 10 boys volleyball lists released Monday morning by the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. North Allegheny, which hosted and won a five-team tournament Saturday and remains undefeated in section play at 8-0, stayed...
Penn State New Kensington softball advances to final four of conference tournament
The Penn State New Kensington softball team is set to compete in the final four of the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs May 9 and 10 at Heindl Memorial Park in DuBois. The Lions (13-12) advanced to the double-elimination tournament with a 9-0 victory over West Division rival Penn...
Fox Chapel tennis team confident, motivated heading into WPIALs
Will Ernharth likes where the Fox Chapel boys tennis team is positioned heading into Monday’s WPIAL Class AAA first-round matchup with Sewickley Academy at the Fox Chapel High School courts. “I definitely think we have a good draw (as the No. 6 seed),” said the senior, who has played No....
Future Gateway swimmer Hunter Raymer shines at Keystone Classic meets
Hunter Raymer will be a freshman on the Gateway varsity boys swim team for the 2021-22 season, and in building toward that time, he has been making the most of his recent in-pool opportunities. Representing the Fox Chapel Killer Whales club team, the eighth grader posted several personal-best times and...
Quaker Valley hockey players head to USA Hockey nationals
Two members of the Quaker Valley varsity hockey team earned a trip to the 2021 USA Hockey Youth Tier II National Championships last week with their respective North Pittsburgh Wildcat travel teams. Sophomore Luke Flowers joined the 16U team in Grand Rapids, Mich., and freshman Will Watson is representing the...
After limited early schedule, Gateway volleyball expects busy stretch to end season
The Gateway boys volleyball team has been looking for consistency to its 2021 spring season, but with covid stoppages and postponed games, it has been a challenge. But junior setter Ryan Bozicevic sounded positive and optimistic recently as the Gators, who had played just two matches through April 29, hope...
Alle-Kiski Valley Campus Clippings: Thimons honored at Westminster
Brayden Thimons, a Highlands graduate and junior defensive lineman at Westminster, earned selection to the All-Presidents Athletic Conference first-team defense after a strong spring season as a pass rusher for the Titans. In five games, the transfer from Robert Morris led the PAC and tied for second in NCAA Division...
Strong start has Fox Chapel girls lacrosse in WPIAL playoff contention
An experienced Fox Chapel girls lacrosse team hoped to do big things last year, but the PIAA’s concerns over the growing covid pandemic cut short plans for the Foxes to defend their 2019 section title, win their fourth section title overall and challenge for a WPIAL championship in Class AAA....
Plum baseball looks to finish strong
The Plum varsity baseball team fashioned an unblemished Section 2-5A record through a pair of victories over Penn Hills on April 26 and 27. That put the Mustangs at 6-0 heading into a scheduled home-and-home section series against Woodland Hills. Plum was to pay a visit to the Wolverines on...
Riverview’s Patsey excels in baseball, track during sophomore season
Before his freshman year at Riverview, John Patsey assured himself and his teammates and coaches that he wanted to pursue both baseball and track and field at the varsity level during the spring competition season. Now, as a sophomore, the Raiders standout is making his mark in both sports with...
Fox Chapel softball gives up big lead before winning in 7th inning
After three innings of Friday’s Section 3-5A matchup with Mars, the Fox Chapel softball team held a six-run lead and hoped to add on. However, the visiting Planets mounted a comeback and tied the score in the top of the seventh. But the Foxes prevailed as pitcher Mackenzie Borkovich delivered...
Penn State New Kensington softball team eager for postseason
The Penn State New Kensington softball team needed a sweep of Penn State Fayette in its conference finale Sunday to secure its place in the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs. The Lions did just that as they scored 9-0 and 12-1 victories to finish the regular season 12-12 overall...
A-K Valley softball notebook: Highlands set for showdown with Burrell
When the Highlands softball team suffered a 14-4 loss to Freeport in its Section 1-4A opener at home April 9, the Golden Rams could have looked ahead to the next matchup with the Yellowjackets. But the focus for the team, coach Jen Koprivnikar said, stayed in the short term. As...
