Greg Macafee stories, Page 29

As seasons carry on, teams start to gain experience, learn from mistakes and reach their full potential when the postseason approaches. After losing their top four hitters and top two pitchers from a year ago, Knoch will hope that experience builds up a young roster filled with potential. “I like...

Last season didn’t go as expected for the Kiski Area softball team, which battled a lot of adversity along the way. The Cavaliers lost their starting pitcher, Megan Andree, at the beginning of the season and other injuries hampered their ability to be successful. The end result was a disappointing...

In his first year at the helm of the Kiski Area baseball program, coach Aaron Albert led the Cavaliers to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. In year No. 2, they are looking to take another big step. “We’re more confident after making the playoffs and everything last...

The United Soccer League has announced the USL Championship has temporarily suspended the 2020 season for a minimum of 30 days because of health concerns surrounding the coronavirus. USL Championship Temporarily Suspends Play pic.twitter.com/lUwfXvnIbl— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) March 12, 2020 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC was set to begin its season this...

Aliquippa did all it could to derail WPIAL Class 3A champion North Catholic on Wednesday night at North Hills. The ‘Quips played physical and had the Trojans running on an empty gas tank. They erased a 10-point third-quarter deficit and pulled within one point on multiple occasions throughout the final...

All seasons must come to an end. For the Highlands boys basketball team, its storybook season concluded Tuesday night against Grove City in the second round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs. After the Golden Rams led 10-2 through the first 5 minutes, the Eagles (18-9) slowly gained momentum over...

Just a few weeks after winning its first WPIAL championship since 1995, Highlands’ postseason run came to an end Tuesday night at North Allegheny High School. After scoring 14 points in the first quarter behind a 10-2 run to start the game, it looked like the Golden Rams’ historic postseason...

On the way to becoming the WPIALs all-time wins leader this weekend in Hershey and capturing his second straight state title, Canon-McMillan’s Gerrit Nijenhuis was dominant. He went 4-0 in the 182-pound bracket, winning two matches by decision, one by major decision and one by pin. His final win of...

Throughout its playoff run, opponents have tried to throw Highlands off its game. Whether that means slowing the game down to a laborious, drawn-out pace, or face guarding top shooters Korry Myers and Luke Cochran, the Golden Rams have seen it all since the end of February. But no matter...

When Burrell football coach Shawn Liotta speaks at coaching clinics across the country, he always seems to get asked a certain question. “Someone will always come up to me and ask ‘Coach, how do you play so fast?’ and there are definitely little secrets to that,” Liotta said. So, to...

Last weekend, the Golden Rams lifted gold at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center, celebrating Highlands’ first WPIAL boys basketball championship since 1995. Highlands (22-3) enjoyed its title, but its mission isn’t done. The next chapter begins Friday when the Golden Rams open the PIAA Class 4A playoffs against District 10 third-place...

The Highlands boys basketball team relied on its trio of seniors this season. Johnny Crise, Luke Cochran and Korry Myers are averaging at least 14 points apiece, with Cochran leading the way at 17.2 points. They also have acted as coaches on the court, guiding their younger teammates. It showed...

In its 14 years of existence, the Knoch wrestling program never sent a wrestler to the PIAA tournament. Until now. When senior Guy Deleonardis (23-3) placed fourth in the 160-pound bracket at the WPIAL Class AAA championship this past weekend, he became the first Knights wrestler to qualify for the...

Ian Oswalt already has placed himself among some of the best wrestlers who have been part of the prestigious Burrell program. He is a three-time WPIAL Class AA champion, he has more than 130 wins and two weekends ago he fell just short of winning his second Southwest Regional title....

The road to an individual state championship begins Thursday in Hershey, and 10 Alle-Kiski Valley wrestlers will face three days of competition to bring home a state title. In Class AA, Burrell is sending four wrestlers. Juniors Ian Oswalt and AJ Corrado finished fifth at Hershey last season. Ricky Feroce,...

Controversy arose last week on Twitter when the WPIAL Class AAA brackets were released for the 126-pound weight class. Norwin’s Kurtis Phipps, a three-time WPIAL champion and a two-time PIAA runner-up was given the No. 3 seed. He came in behind Franklin Regional’s Finn Solomon at No. 2 and Waynesburg’s...

During the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs, top-seeded Highlands has shown the capability to win in a multitude of ways. Whether it be the post presence of Johnny Crise or the perimeter shooting of Korry Myers and Luke Cochran, the Golden Rams take whatever their opponents give them. On Saturday, at...

Kiski Area’s Jack Blumer has racked up pins throughout his entire wrestling career. On Friday, he reached a milestone not many have. With a pin of Hempfield’s Trevor Verkleeren in 55 seconds, Blumer earned career pin No. 106 and tied the Cavaliers career pin record set by Shane Kuhn. “Junior...

Since his two losses at the WPIAL Class AAA tournament last season as a freshman, Plum’s Vince Citrano has been looking for redemption. In his second appearance at WPIALs, Citrano got off to a good start Friday night at Canon-McMillan. The 113-pound sophomore earned a gritty win in his first...

At this point in the season, every team is playing its best basketball, and over the past two weeks, Highlands and Belle Vernon boys have played better than anyone in WPIAL Class 4A. At 1 p.m. Saturday, the teams will clash at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center for the WPIAL championship....

It seems like Max Matolcsy’s football recruitment is just getting started. On Friday, Matolcsy announced an offer from Harvard via Twitter after he visited campus. After a great day on campus, I’m blessed to have recieved an offer from Harvard University @CoachKKennedy @ScottLarkee pic.twitter.com/4G2UOLguAW— Max Matolcsy (@MaxMatolcsy) February 28, 2020...

Earlier this week, just a few days before the boys basketball team was set to play for a WPIAL Class A championship, Vincentian Academy announced that it would be closing its doors at the end of the school year for financial reasons. The Royals were stunned. Players texted coach Tim...

In Highlands’ quarterfinal win Saturday against Ringgold, senior guard Korry Myers got hot from deep, making seven 3-pointers and scoring 25 points. So, naturally, heading into its WPIAL Class 4A semifinal matchup Wednesday, fifth-seeded Blackhawk tried to take away Highlands’ perimeter shooting. “I don’t think people realize how good of...

Suzanne and Brian Krug remember when their son John was just a young boy. They would take him to his older brother’s soccer game and while Joseph was playing on the field, John would play in the sand or occupy his attention in other ways — anything that wasn’t soccer....