Bill Hartlep stories, Page 4

Trinity captured its first WPIAL softball title last season by outslugging top-seeded Armstrong, 11-7. Shaler made a run through the PIAA tournament to finish as the state runner-up. All three teams again have some firepower in the lineup and should challenge for the district championship and possibly beyond. Here is...

Hempfield climbed back to the top of the pack in WPIAL Class 6A softball last season. The Spartans had won five straight championships in the highest classification from 2015-19 and added their eighth district crown last spring. They return a loaded lineup and Division I pitcher for another run at...

Leah McCandless Class: Senior School: Burrell Sport: Bowling Report card: McCandless won the girls singles title at the Western PA Regional bowling tournament Friday at AMF Noble Manor Lanes. She defeated Conneaut’s Lexi Potts in the championship match 211-182. McCandless, who was 11th at regionals and 24th at states in...

Andrew McCutchen continues to check boxes in his return from an Achilles injury that ended his 2023 season early last September. The 37-year-old designated hitter belted his first home run of the spring 418 feet to center in the bottom of the sixth inning Friday in helping the Pirates to...

PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 5A First round Fox Chapel (15-11) vs. Cathedral Prep (15-10) 7 p.m. Friday at Hagerty Family Events Center, Erie District seeds: Fox Chapel 7-5; Cathedral Prep 10-1 Winner plays: Winner of 3-2 Hershey (21-3)/7-6 Bethel Park (13-13) on Tuesday in second round (time, site TBD)...

It’s been nearly a month since Burrell’s boys basketball team played a home game. After their 58-44 win over rival Valley on Feb. 9, the Bucs were expected to be road warriors for the remainder of the season. As the No. 11 seed for the WPIAL playoffs, they upset No....

WPIAL Class 5A girls basketball championship No. 5 Armstrong vs. No. 6 South Fayette 5 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Audio broadcast: Trib HSSN; Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Armstrong 0, South Fayette 3 (2022-23, ‘16) Armstrong (21-4) Coach: Jim Callipare Projected starting lineup No.,...

WPIAL Class 4A girls basketball championship No. 1 Blackhawk vs. No. 2 North Catholic 3 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Audio broadcast: Trib HSSN; Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Blackhawk 8 (2022, ‘14-15, ‘11, ‘00, 1999, ‘96-97), North Catholic 22 (2023, ‘22, ‘17-20, ‘11, ‘09,...

WPIAL Class A girls basketball championship No. 1 Union vs. No. 3 St. Joseph 11 a.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Union 1 (2023), St. Joseph 0 Union (18-5) Coach: Rob Nogay Projected starting lineup No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos. 1,...

WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball championship No. 1 Avonworth vs. No. 2 Shady Side Academy 3 p.m. Friday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Audio broadcast: Trib HSSN; Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Avonworth 7 (2023, ‘05, 1992-94, ‘79, ‘76), Shady Side Academy 0 Avonworth (22-1) Coach: Nick...

WPIAL Class 3A boys basketball championship No. 1 Deer Lakes vs. No. 11 Burrell 5 p.m. Friday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Audio broadcast: TribLive HSSN; Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Deer Lakes 1 (2023); Burrell 0 Deer Lakes (20-4) Coach: Albie Fletcher Probable starting lineup No.,...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 4A Seventh-place game 8-Knoch (15-10) at 3-Montour (20-4) 7 p.m. Tuesday Winner: Earns seventh place in the WPIAL and a PIAA playoff berth Coaches: Alan Bauman, Knoch; Bill Minear, Montour Players to watch: Zane Pacek, Knoch; Jake Wolfe, Montour Layup lines: Knoch lost to North...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 3A Semifinals 1-Deer Lakes (19-4) vs. 4-Neshannock (20-3) 6 p.m. Monday at Fox Chapel Winner plays: Winner of 2-Mohawk (17-7)/11-Burrell (15-7) at 5 p.m. Friday in WPIAL championship at Petersen Events Center Coaches: Albie Fletcher, Deer Lakes; John Corey, Neshannock Players to watch: Billy Schaeffer,...

Fox Chapel, Gateway and Peters Township will host WPIAL semifinal doubleheaders Tuesday night. Games are scheduled that night for Class 6A and 2A boys and Class 5A and 4A girls. WPIAL basketball Tuesday’s semifinals Class 6A boys 1-Mt. Lebanon (20-4) vs. 4-Baldwin (17-6) at Bethel Park, 7 p.m. 2-Central Catholic...

Veronica Flanagan Class: Junior School: Kiski Area Sport: Bowling Report card: Kiski Area junior Veronica Flanagan captured the WPIBL girls singles championship Thursday at AMF Mt. Lebanon after she defeated Freeport’s Mackensie Livingston, 222-183, in the final. Flanagan, the WPIBL runner-up last year, was fourth after the qualifying round when...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 5A Consolation tournament 12-Kiski Area (16-8) at 8-Fox Chapel (13-11) Noon Saturday Winner plays: Winner of 7-Gateway (17-7)/11-Bethel Park (12-12) in fifth-place game Wednesday (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Colin Keller, Kiski Area; Jefferson Moorefield-Brown, Fox Chapel Layup lines: Kiski Area dropped a 73-57...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 5A Quarterfinals 1-Moon (20-3) vs. 8-Fox Chapel (13-10) 8 p.m. Thursday at North Hills Winner plays: Winner of 4-Thomas Jefferson (20-3)/12-Kiski Area (16-7) Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Coaches: Gino Palmosina, Moon; Zach Skrinjar, Fox Chapel Players to watch: Elijah Guillory, Moon; Jefferson Moorefield-Brown,...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 4A Quarterfinals 1-Lincoln Park (20-3) vs. 8-Knoch (15-8) 8 p.m. Wednesday at North Allegheny Winner plays: Winner of 4-Uniontown (20-3)/5-North Catholic (14-8) Saturday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Coaches: Mike Bariski, Lincoln Park; Alan Bauman, Knoch Section finish: Lincoln Park 1st, Section 2; Knoch 2nd,...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 5A First round 9-North Hills (12-9) at 8-Fox Chapel (12-10) 8 p.m. Monday Winner plays: 1-Moon (19-3)/17-Woodland Hills (9-13) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Section finish: North Hills 3rd, Section 4; Fox Chapel 2nd, Section 2 Players to watch: Eric James, North Hills;...

Isabella Thomas Class: Freshman School: St. Joseph Sport: Gymnastics Report card: St. Joseph freshman Isabella Thomas finished fourth out of 37 competitors in the all-around with a score of 34.850 in the Intermediate I division at the WPIAL gymnastics championships Feb. 10. Thomas placed eighth in bars (8.600), fourth in...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 4A First round 16-Freeport (7-14) at 1-Lincoln Park (19-3), 7 p.m. 7 p.m. Friday Winner plays: Winner of 8-Knoch (14-8)/9-Beaver (12-10) Wednesday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Section finish: Freeport 4th, Section 1; Lincoln Park 1st, Section 2 Players to watch: Brady Sullivan, Freeport; Meleek...

Jeff Capel expressed complete confidence in his team’s ability to shoot the basketball after Tuesday’s 74-63 upset win at No. 21 Virginia. In the process, Pitt has shot back into the NCAA Tournament discussion. Winners of four straight conference games, the Panthers (16-8, 7-6 ACC) have climbed into a tie...

Alaina Claassen Class: Sophomore School: Plum Sport: Wrestling Report card: Plum sophomore Alaina Claassen won the North Allegheny girls invitational title Feb. 3, scoring a 4-0 decision over Cumberland Valley’s Aja’nai Jumper, the top seed, in the finals. The WPIAL’s top-ranked girls wrestler at 235 pounds, Claassen is 14-2 this...

Eliza Miller Class: Senior School: Kiski Area Sport: Swimming Report card: Kiski Area senior Eliza Miller won a pair of gold medals for the third straight season at the WCCA swimming championships Jan. 27. The two-time Valley News Dispatch athlete of the year won the 500-yard freestyle (5:04.80) and 100...

Abbie Johns Class: Senior School: Kiski Area Sport: Basketball Report card: Abbie Johns surpassed 1,000 career points in Friday’s 48-17 win over Gateway as the Kiski Area senior combo guard drained all 5 of the 3-point attempts and finished with 20 points. Johns also had 18 points in a 49-37...