Bill Hartlep stories, Page 12

Rayla Smith Class: Junior School: Plum Sport: Lacrosse Report card: Midfielder Rayla Smith scored seven goals and added an assist Monday in an 18-10 victory over North Hills. On Wednesday, she had five goals and four assists in helping the Mustangs to a 15-4 victory over Ellis School. She broke...

The Pittsburgh Maulers looked to be in line for a second straight victory Sunday night. It took 11 seconds for that to change. Deon Cain’s highlight-­reel 91-yard kickoff return with 6 minutes, 52 seconds remaining gave the defending USFL champion Birmingham Stallions a 23-20 win over the Maulers at Tom...

Taylor Lorish Class: Senior School: Plum Sport: Softball Report card: Lorish hit a grand slam and had five RBIs to help Plum earn a 9-2 win over Fox Chapel in a Section 1-5A game Thursday. Lorish is batting over .450 this season for the Mustangs, who are in third place...

A pair of Pittsburgh Maulers were recognized Monday for their roles in helping their team to its first victory of the season Sunday afternoon. Linebacker Reuben Foster was named the USFL’s Defensive Player of the Week, while newly signed kicker Chris Blewitt was the USFL’s Special Teams Player of the...

Chris Blewitt made quite an impact in his debut with the Pittsburgh Maulers on Sunday. But the former Pitt kicker had some help leading the Maulers to their first victory of the season. Blewitt connected on a USFL-record five field goals, and wide receiver Bailey Gaither scored the team’s first...

Katie Armstrong Class: Senior School: Burrell Sport: Softball Report card: Burrell senior pitcher Katie Armstrong struck out 30 batters in two victories this week to help the Bucs improve to 8-4 overall and 4-2 in Section 1-3A. The 2022 Valley News Dispatch Softball Player of the Year who had 257...

Kadi Bauer Class: Senior School: Burrell Sport: Track and field Report card: Distance running Bauer set a school record in the 1,600-meter run (5 minutes, 20.34 seconds) as the Bucs locked up second place with a 6-1 record in Section 4-2A and a spot in the WPIAL team playoffs. They...

The PIHL’s second season sponsoring a girls division begins Tuesday night. Here are five things to know: East ready to defend title The PIHL’s inaugural girls hockey season culminated with East defeating Central, 2-1, in the championship game on an overtime goal by Penn-Trafford’s Kylie McKenzie, at UPMC Lemieux Sports...

Reuben Foster walked the sideline with a black and gold sledgehammer late in the first half of the Pittsburgh Maulers’ season-opening game Sunday night. A first-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, the linebacker forced a fumble near the goal line that fellow linebacker Kyahva Tezino recovered for...

Sydney Selker Class: Junior School: Freeport Sport: Softball Report card: Selker played a key role in two victories this week. She hit a walk-off RBI double in the seventh inning to lead Freeport to a 3-2 victory over Burrell in Section 1-3A softball Wednesday and also held the Bucs to...

Reese Skiba Class: Senior School: Freeport Sport: Track and field Report card: Freeport’s Reese Skiba won a pair of events Thursday at the Butler County Track and Field Invitational held at Freeport. She threw 33 feet, 6 inches in the shot put and 119-10 to set a personal and meet...

Hannah Hill Class: Freshman School: Kiski Area Sport: Softball Report card: Kiski Area’s softball team is off to a 3-0 start, and second baseman Hannah Hill has been a major catalyst. The freshman went 3 for 3 with four RBIs in Tuesday’s 15-0 win over Woodland Hills. She then was...

PIAA Class 4A girls basketball championship Lansdale Catholic vs. Blackhawk Noon Saturday, at Hershey’s Giant Center On the air: TV: PCN; Radio: WMBA-AM 1460, WBVP-AM 1230, WBVP-FM 99.3 Streaming audio: TribHSSN.TribLive.com PIAA titles: Lansdale Catholic 0; Blackhawk 4 (1999, 2000, ‘14, ‘15) Lansdale Catholic (27-2) Coach: Eric Gidney Probable starting...

PIAA Class 3A boys basketball championship West Catholic vs. Deer Lakes 2 p.m. Saturday, Hershey’s Giant Center On the air: TV: PCN PIAA titles: West Catholic 0; Deer Lakes 0 West Catholic (19-10) Coach: Miguel Bocachica Probable starting lineup No., Name, Ht., Yr., Pos. 0, Adam Clark, 5-10, sr., G...

Coach Miguel Bocachica says he’s just a guy who opens the gym at West Catholic Preparatory High School. He credits his players’ hard work as the primary reason the Burrs earned their first District 12 boys basketball title earlier this month and are set to play Deer Lakes at 2...

PIAA Class A girls basketball championship Our Lady of Lourdes Regional vs. Union Noon Friday at Hershey’s Giant Center On the air: TV: PCN. Streaming audio: TribHSSN.TribLive.com PIAA titles: Lourdes 1 (1994); Union 0 Lourdes Regional (22-7) Coach: Mike Klembara Probable starting lineup No., Name, Ht., Yr., Pos. 0, Masie...

Chants of “We want chocolate” were music to the ears of the Deer Lakes boys basketball players Tuesday as they finished off a 61-56 victory over Penn Cambria in the PIAA Class 3A semifinals. The win earned the WPIAL champion Lancers (21-8) a trip to Hershey for their first appearance...

Kira Schrecongost Class: Sophomore School: Freeport Sport: Swimming Report card: Schrecongost earned a bronze medal in the 100-yard butterfly (56.16 seconds) and finished sixth in the 200 individual medley (2:07.31) at the PIAA Class 2A swimming championships Wednesday and Thursday at Bucknell. The Freeport sophomore also helped the 200 medley...

Union edged West Greene, 3-2, to capture its first WPIAL Class A softball title last season. The Scotties ended West Greene’s run of five straight WPIAL championships. Both teams advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals and are again expected to contend for the district title. Here is a rundown of the...

PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 3A Deer Lakes (19-8) vs. Neshannock (20-7) Noon Saturday, North Allegheny Senior High School, McCandless District-place: Deer Lakes 7-1; Neshannock 7-4 Winner plays: Winner of 6-1 Penn Cambria (23-5)/10-1 Franklin (23-4) Tuesday in PIAA semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Bryce Robson, Deer Lakes;...

Neshannock’s perfect 2022 season will be tough to match, but the Lancers have their sights set on defending their section, WPIAL and PIAA Class 2A softball titles this season. Coach Jackie Lash likes her lineup’s speed and power as well as the Lancers’ experienced pitching. Several teams hope to challenge,...

Avonworth’s softball team enters the 2023 season with a lot of targets on its proverbial back. The Lopes won section, WPIAL and PIAA championships last season, rolling to an 8-1 win over Deer Lakes in the district final and beating Lewisburg, 7-2, for the state title. They certainly will be...

Beaver’s softball team has won two straight WPIAL Class 4A championships in addition to capturing the 2021 PIAA title and finishing last season as state runners-up. Things will look a bit different without dominating pitcher Payton List in the circle for the Bobcats. She is now at Virginia Tech after...

PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 3A Second round Loyalsock Township (16-11) vs. Deer Lakes (18-8) 7 p.m. Wednesday, Altoona High School, Altoona District-seed: Loyalsock Township 4-3; Deer Lakes 7-1 Winner plays: Winner of 7-4 Neshannock (19-7)/9-1 Brookville (23-2) Saturday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Jaylin Andrews, Loyalsock...