Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Penguins are misusing Ben Kindel, Ville Koivunen
Ben Kindel, 18, is a center. That’s where he should play. Ville Koivunen, 22, is a top-six winger. That’s how he should be deployed. The Pittsburgh Penguins got caught up in their hot start, and who can blame them? (That’s disintegrated, by the way. They’ve lost five of their last...
Penguins rookies Joel Blomqvist, Rutger McGroarty activated, assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Two of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top prospects, rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist and forward Rutger McGroarty, were activated from the team’s injured non-roster list and assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Saturday. Both players entered the regular season with undisclosed ailments. Blomqvist appeared in the team’s preseason...
Report: Former Penn State coach James Franklin in ‘talks’ with Virginia Tech about opening
Former Penn State football coach James Franklin may be closing in on his next job. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on “College GameDay” on Saturday morning there is interest between Franklin and Virginia Tech regarding its open coaching position. “Former Penn State coach James Franklin and Virginia Tech are engaged in...
ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ brings buzz to Pitt–Notre Dame showdown
The “good times” Pitt fans sing about in the third quarter’s iconic “Sweet Caroline” rendition weren’t so good Saturday. The Pitt-Notre Dame showdown at Acrisure Stadium ended in a lopsided loss for the Panthers, 37-15. What was still good, though, according to fans, were the vibes. Fans packed into Pittsburgh’s...
Steelers 4 Downs: Jaylen Warren among NFL’s toughest to tackle
1. Tough to tackle The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Jaylen Warren ranks only 21st in the NFL in rushing yards. But there are some metrics that suggest he’s among one of the best running backs in the NFL. Warren’s 2.7 yards after contact per attempt ranks fourth in the league according to...
Scouting the Bengals: Steelers opponent has won 3 of its past 4 in Pittsburgh
SCOUTING THE BENGALS Last meeting Bengals beat Steelers, 33-31, on Oct. 16, in Cincinnati Key matchup Steelers secondary vs. Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase It was only four weeks ago that Ja’Marr Chase was targeted a ridiculous 23 times and had 16 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown. According to...
Big-school rivals Central Catholic, North Allegheny clash in WPIAL finals for 4th consecutive year
As Central Catholic tries to defend its WPIAL title, the Vikings lineup taking the field Saturday night will be notably different than last year’s. There’s a new starting quarterback, a different leading rusher and the team’s top three receivers have changed. In those areas and some others, it’s a new-look...
Relentless Peters Township defense shuts down Upper St. Clair, earns 5A finals rematch
Reston Lehman maybe felt sick as a dog earlier this week, but the Peters Township senior found the strength Friday night to make Upper St. Clair feel terrible. A Pitt-bound linebacker, Lehman accounted for three of his team’s nine sacks, forced a fumble and caught a touchdown pass in a...
Hempfield grad Jasmine Jones joins list of former track athletes competing in bobsled, eyes 2026 Winter Games
A bathtub going down a roller coaster. Getting inside a trash can and rolling down a hill. Those are just a couple of metaphors Hempfield grad Jasmine Jones uses to describe riding in a bobsled. This winter, Jones has her sights set on riding at the 2026 Winter Olympics in...
Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon finds value as Erik Karlsson’s partner
Generally speaking, there is little value in tracking line combinations and defensive duos during the early days of NHL training camp. It is a completely nugatory endeavor. Remember the line of Josh Archibald, Radim Zohorna and Jason Zucker that offered a potentially sophomoric — but wonderfully risible — nickname based...
Minor league report: Penguins come back to beat IslandersVideo
Defenseman Phil Kemp had two goals and an assist for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-3 comeback win against the Bridgeport Islanders at Mohegan Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. Forwards Tristan Broz and Aidan McDonough, as well as defenseman Sebastian Aho, all had a goal and an assist for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton...
Avonworth secures 4th straight trip to WPIAL 3A football final with win over North Catholic
Defending champion Avonworth jumped out to a two-touchdown lead and saw North Catholic close the gap to four points after one quarter. The slight turbulence was nothing to the top-seeded Antelopes, who barely flinched. They were hard to stop from there in a WPIAL Class 3A semifinal as they batted...
Shaw, Rivière carry West Virginia in win over 15th-ranked Duke women in game featuring 6 ejections
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Sydney Shaw scored 16 points, and reserve Célia Rivière scored 12 as West Virginia overcame the ejection of six players just before halftime to beat 15th-ranked Duke, 57-49, on Friday night. The undefeated Mountaineers (4-0) finished the game with just five players. West Virginia lost...
No. 1 Pine-Richland holds off Moon in semifinals, will face Peters Township in rubber match
Those who thought that No. 1 Pine-Richland would cruise into the WPIAL Class 5A championship game forgot to tell members of the Moon football team. The No. 5-seeded Tigers gave the Rams all they could handle in the first half of Friday’s semifinal until a roughing the passer penalty sent...
Burrell falls to Archbishop Wood in PIAA girls soccer championship OT heartbreaker
MANCHESTER — Intensity, physicality, dangerous scoring chances, high-level defensive plays. That is what one would expect from two high school girls soccer teams going after a PIAA championship. Burrell and Archbishop Wood delivered on all of those Friday night as both came to Northeastern York High School seeking their first...
Duquesne men’s basketball picks up pair of commitments
Duquesne coach Dru Joyce III has received his first official commitments for the 2026-27 men’s basketball season. Dimitrios Ntapsis, a 6-foot-11, 268-pound center, and Jackson Williams, a 6-4, 180-pound guard, on Wednesday signed to play for the Dukes. Both players made verbal commitments to Duquesne in September. ???????????????????????? ✍️Welcome to...
Riverhounds relish chance at historic win in conference finals
The wild ride that has been the 2025 Pittsburgh Riverhounds season continues to play out like a trip on the Phantom’s Revenge at Kennywood. Some big hills, a few valleys and thrills and screams abound. There was a slow start followed by a rather good run during the summer at...
Some say the Steelers need to give him more touches. Jaylen Warren takes it in stride
He has been the Pittsburgh Steelers’ most consistent offensive producer this season, particularly in recent weeks. But while fans and onlookers might be sweating that Jaylen Warren’s snap counts and touches could or should be more plentiful, Warren is content going with the flow. “I just make sure that every...
Cam Heyward poised to move into 2nd place on Steelers all-time games played list
It’s a significant milestone for someone so associated with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But Cameron Heyward isn’t preoccupied by the idea that Sunday will be game No. 221 for him. “No,” the longtime Steelers captain said this week. “I’m trying to get above that; Game (No.) 24 of the 2025 season...
Land Grant Trophy up for grabs as Penn State visits Michigan State
Maybe both teams are done with losing. Or maybe it’s something bigger as Penn State finishes preparations for its Big Ten meeting with Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing. Perhaps emotions are running high with the Land Grant Trophy at stake. Let’s play it safe and say it’s...
Penguins fall to Predators in overtime
The Pittsburgh Penguins understand they are in Sweden to conduct business for the NHL as ambassadors of the league this weekend. With a pair of contests against the Nashville Predators, all parties involved are hoping to spread the NHL’s version of ishockey to Sverige. But the Penguins haven’t lost sight...
Alex Highsmith, Darius Slay out, Isaac Seumalo questionable for Steelers vs. Bengals
Four weeks after the Cincinnati Bengals pummeled them for 470 yards in a win, the Pittsburgh Steelers will enter the rematch without two of their starters on defense. Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and cornerback Darius Slay were officially ruled out for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati, according to the league-mandated injury...
Pat McAfee’s plan to stream ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ no long needed after YouTube TV, Disney reach deal
For the third straight Saturday, ESPN personality and Plum native Pat McAfee planned to livestream ESPN’s “College GameDay” on his personal X account, @PatMcAfeeShow. He’s been offering the alternative feed in previous weekends because of Disney’s dispute with YouTube TV. But Disney and YouTube TV reached a deal Friday evening...
After week of little food, activity, lost weight, Steelers LB Cole Holcomb back from illness
After going through a 22-month ordeal that followed a significant, career-threatening knee injury, Cole Holcomb didn’t need any further adversity to prove his resilience. An illness serious enough it confined the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker to his home for a few days and will cause him to miss at least three...
Big stage, big stakes: How Pitt football went from down and out to the national spotlight
Greatness is within grasp for the Pitt football program. When No. 23 Pitt hosts No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium, the Panthers will be vying to stay in contention for the College Football Playoff and ACC title game. It’s been quite a journey for the Panthers this...
