Michael Love stories, Page 56
WPIBL releases qualifiers for team, singles championship tournaments
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League’s regular season wrapped up Feb. 1, and after examining all of the scores, stats, averages and records, the league has released who will be competing in the team and singles championships over the next two weeks. The WPIBL team championships at Sims Lanes in...
Gateway grad John Paul Kromka piling up honors in final season at Pitt-Johnstown
John Paul Kromka is in the twilight of his collegiate basketball career, but he is making the most of the time he has left. The Gateway graduate and senior forward on the Pitt-Johnstown men’s basketball team again is a leading force for the Mountain Cats, who, after a spirited Pennsylvania...
Gateway seniors sign on to continue football careers
Leonard Sherrod, Racari El, Anez Jordan and Malachi Moore shared in the celebration of senior football teammates Matt Brooks and Dallas Harper when they finalized their decisions to attend Division I Duquesne and Youngstown State, respectively, on the first day of the National Letter of Intent early signing period in...
Burgettstown wrestlers get vengeance, win WPIAL team title
Burrell had gotten the better of Burgettstown four times in the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs over the past decade. That included wins in the 2020 and 2021 championship matches. But Saturday at Chartiers-Houston, Burgettstown turned the tables and captured its first WPIAL Class 2A team-tournament title 31-24. “That was a...
Plum’s Moore-Watkins, Thomas sign on to continue football careers
Needing 151 yards to become Plum’s all-time leader in career rushing yards, senior tailback Eryck Moore-Watkins exploded in the 2022 season finale against Indiana. In his final varsity game, he rushed 22 times for a career-best 356 yards and six touchdowns as the Mustangs scored a 46-27 victory. Moore-Watkins finished...
After battling injuries, Plum’s Miller relishes chance to finish high school career on the ice
Zach Miller hasn’t taken lightly the opportunity to suit up this year for the Plum varsity ice hockey team. The Mustangs senior captain led the team in goals with 11 through a tough 5-2 loss to Indiana on Jan. 30. The day before, he was one of several area skaters...
Burrell wrestling seeks revenge against Quaker Valley in WPIAL semifinals
The last time the Burrell wrestling team didn’t make it to at least the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals was in 2000. While that two-decades-long streak remains intact — Burrell is in the final four with Quaker Valley, Burgettstown and Frazier — the goal, as it always has been for the...
Burrell wrestlers open WPIAL team tourney with 2 victories
The WPIAL wrestling pairings committee slotted Burrell as the No. 3 seed for the WPIAL Class 2A tournament. Junior Cooper Hornack said the Bucs used that to their advantage in the opening two rounds Wednesday at Burrell High School. Burrell overwhelmed Knoch, 71-3, in the first round and topped Laurel,...
A-K Valley girls basketball teams jockeying for playoff position
It is crunch time with one week left in section play, and several girls basketball teams in the Alle-Kiski Valley have either safely secured their spot in one of the six WPIAL tournaments or are fighting to join the party over their final section games. Several key section matchups Thursday...
Deer Lakes boys avenge earlier loss to Burrell
When the Burrell and Deer Lakes boys basketball teams met Jan. 6, neither escaped the 40s as the Bucs held on for a one-point victory in overtime. In Tuesday’s rematch at Deer Lakes, the Lancers were able to exact a measure of revenge and stay on course for at least...
Professional rugby franchises to begin play in Pittsburgh in 2023
Premier Rugby Sevens, a top-tier women’s and men’s rugby organization in North America, has announced that the Pittsburgh Steeltoes Rugby Club will begin operation in 2023. The expansion franchise will host the PR7s 2023 Eastern Conference Finals at Highmark Stadium on July 23. The Steeltoes also will host an open...
Allderdice girls remain undefeated in Pittsburgh Interscholastic Fencing Association competition
The Allderdice girls fencing team remained undefeated in Pittsburgh Interscholastic Fencing Association meets with a pair of wins last Friday during competition at Peters Township. The Dragons improved to 4-0 with a 6-3 win over Peters Township and an 8-1 victory over Pine-Richland. Peters Township rebounded to beat Pine-Richland, 7-2,...
After medal-worthy performance at Allegheny County tournament, Gateway’s Heningcamp focused on postseason
Last year, Arontay Heningcamp fell short in his bid to claim a medal at the Allegheny County tournament. He went 2-2 at 113 pounds and bowed out in the third round of consolations. But this time around, at Fox Chapel on Jan. 21, the Gateway senior wrestler made sure he...
Gateway’s 1st-year unified bocce program providing ‘positive, uplifting’ experience
Gateway athletic director Don Holl first saw what a unified bocce program was all about while at Seneca Valley, and he felt it would be something to consider at Gateway. “I thought it was a really cool thing, so we investigated it and spoke to the school board about it...
Riverview’s Anthony Tigano displays improvement with medal at Allegheny County tournament
With a medal on the line at the Allegheny County tournament Jan. 21 at Fox Chapel, Riverview sophomore Anthony Tigano got the job done. The first-year varsity wrestler at Riverview scored a 2-0 victory over Hampton’s Nate Glock at heavyweight to secure the fifth-place spot on the podium. “He looked...
Hampton boys earn season sweep of Highlands in key section matchup
The Highlands boys basketball team scored 23 points in the first half of Friday’s clash with Hampton, a matchup of the top two teams in Section 1-4A. The Golden Rams usually have a higher point total after 16 minutes of play, but their defense was strong as they held the...
Freeport ace wastes no time in committing to St. Francis (Pa.)
Sydney Selker has two more softball seasons to play at Freeport, but the Yellowjackets standout also is looking further down the road at an opportunity she’s wanted for a long time. Selker on Thursday gave a verbal commitment to join the softball team at Division I St. Francis (Pa.). “My...
Kiski Area, Burrell swimmers, divers excited to leave mark at WCCA meet
Ten records fell at last year’s Westmoreland County Coaches Association swimming championships at Derry. Swimmers and divers from 14 county schools hope to produce records and reach the medals podium as they gather Friday and Saturday at Derry for the late-January tradition that sets the stage for WPIAL championship meets...
Apollo-Ridge girls look forward to rematch with Shady Side Academy
Sydney McCray feels that the Apollo-Ridge girls basketball team didn’t show its best in the first meeting with highly ranked Shady Side Academy on Jan. 2. The Bulldogs won 66-34 in the matchup of the top two teams in the Section 3-3A standings. McCray, a senior guard, said the Vikings...
A-K Valley girls basketball notebook: Plum closes in on return to WPIAL playoffs
Plum’s girls basketball team has been on a roller-coaster ride throughout the 2022-23 season as it seeks to return to the WPIAL playoffs after missing out a year ago. After a tough 30-point loss to Section 1-5A Indiana (12-5, 8-0), the Mustangs responded by defeating Gateway, 42-29, before winning another...
Pittsburgh Interscholastic Fencing Association teams busy with regular-season matches
The Pittsburgh Interscholastic Fencing Association is nearing the heart of its 2023 season, and competitions continued this past weekend at the Corsair Fencing Club in Etna. Two-time defending PIFA girls champion Shady Side Academy improved to 3-0 with a 6-3 victory over Fox Chapel (0-1). The Allderdice girls also remained...
Knoch girls avenge earlier loss to Highlands as Shaw scores 22
When the Highlands and Knoch girls basketball teams met at Highlands on Dec. 19, the Golden Rams prevailed by 10. Knights senior guard Nina Shaw was held under 10 points that night. But Shaw was on point in the rematch Monday. She scored 22 points, including 10 in a difference-making...
Plum gymnast Sarah Kvortek suffers season-ending foot injury
Plum senior Sarah Kvortek hoped for one final solid performance at the WPIAL individual gymnastics championships Feb. 11 to close out her high school career. But those hopes came to a sudden halt last Friday at a high school meet at Premier Gym and Cheer in Baldwin. While preparing for...
Jennifer Bruce Scott honored to have jersey retired at Pitt
Jennifer Bruce Scott has worn several hats in the game of basketball over the years, from a high school and collegiate competitor to high school coach at Winchester Thurston, Penn Hills, Gateway and Plum and now as a high school referee. Her standout four years on the hard court at...
Gateway swimmers eye WPIAL cut times as season kicks into high gear
Gateway swimming and diving coach Glenn Raymer said his boys and girls teams jumped into a busy January ready to work and compete after a challenging series of practices between Christmas and New Year’s Day. “They definitely put some extra work in,” he said. “The kids were here ready to...
