Jerin Steele stories, Page 14

The Pine-Richland baseball team doesn’t mind playing in tight games. In fact, the Rams thrive on grinding out wins. They proved that in taking two out of three games against previously unbeaten Seneca Valley during a series April 17-20. A formula of good pitching, defense and solid fundamental offense secured...

The Plum baseball team has everything right in front of it. Over the next two weeks, the Mustangs will play the two teams they are currently tied with atop the Section 1-5A standings. They meet Franklin Regional on Monday and Tuesday and Fox Chapel the following Monday and Tuesday. All...

Pittsburgh Riverhounds coach Bob Lilley used Tuesday’s U.S. Open Cup match as an opportunity to get a look at some of the players who have been reserves in the early part of the season. He was pleased with their efforts, and it took a while, but they finally broke through....

Gianna Rotelli was excited going into her junior season, because she was the top ranked javelin thrower in the WPIAL after a second-place finish as a sophomore, but she never got the opportunity to showcase her talent. She suffered a serious knee injury while playing volleyball, which sidelined her the...

Doolin Stober has a unique name and an equally distinct skill set on the volleyball court. Standing at 6-foot-6, he provides a major presence in the middle of the net for the Pine-Richland boys volleyball team. He had a big performance that helped the Rams secure their first win of...

When the gates open at Lernerville Speedway to begin the 56th year of racing Friday night, the drivers entering them will have a little more incentive. Track officials announced Tuesday there will be a purse increase for 2023 Fab 4 weekly racing. The 410 sprint car and Super Late Model...

As the halfway point of a 16-game Section 1-6A slate neared, the Pine-Richland softball team put itself in the mix for a top-six section finish and a spot in the playoffs. If the Rams find their way in, it’ll likely be with the powerful aluminum sticks they carry to the...

Pine native Ty Voit has gained a reputation as the best passer in the Ontario Hockey League, tallying a league-leading 81 assists in 56 regular season games. He’s continued setting up his teammates at an astounding rate in the postseason. Voit, 19, had six assists to help the Sarnia Sting...

Albert Dikwa has scored plenty of goals with his right foot in his two-plus years with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, but Saturday he used a different area of his body. In the 49th minute, Dikwa finished off a nice cross from Luke Biasi by using his chest to direct the ball...

Leechburg baseball coach Heath Shimer looked at his roster coming into the season and knew the potential was there for success. “I have seven seniors that start and I’m thankful, but I also realize that we have to make noise this year,” Shimer said. “When you have seven seniors that...

The Pine-Richland track teams have accomplished plenty of goals over the last few years, but one thing they’ve been chasing is a berth in the WPIAL team playoffs. With a win over Seneca Valley on March 30, the Rams girls have put themselves in position to cross the team-playoff goal...

Shannen Drennon’s first goal after moving from an assistant to varsity head coach of the Pine-Richland girls lacrosse team this season was to create a team-centric environment. She’s been thrilled with how the team has embraced the message, and the results on the field have been superb. The Rams are...

First-year Kiski Area baseball coach Michael Manning’s initial impression of his players was they were ready and willing to learn. At the same time, Manning also was learning, and he is starting to see the areas where the Cavaliers can have success. They have two top starting pitchers, Jake Smith...

Youth will be serving for the Pine-Richland boys volleyball team this spring. It’ll also be hitting, digging, setting and doing pretty much everything on the court. The Rams will have a lineup made up entirely of freshmen and sophomores who have shown potential as they are adjusting to the speed...

It took a bit for the Pine-Richland boys lacrosse team to achieve results last year, but once the Rams got going, they went on a heater before ultimately falling in the first round of the playoffs to Penn-Trafford. Second-year coach Dave Offner believes the Rams can take another step forward...

Here are the 2022-23 Valley News Dispatch boys basketball all-stars: Player the year Bryce Robson Deer Lakes, 6-0, Sr., Guard Bryce Robson had a couple of goals going into this season. He wanted to be a go-to scorer and, as the most experienced player for Deer Lakes, become an extension...

Freeport baseball coach Ed Carr sensed this could be the year the program bounced back. It wasn’t that long ago that the Yellowjackets made the WPIAL semifinals and state playoffs, but the last two seasons have been a rebuild. They only won one section game last year, so this week’s...

In 2015, Anders Bordoy served as a ball boy on the sidelines of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ US Open Cup match with DC United. Eight years later, he’s training with the Hounds’ senior team. Bordoy, a senior at Kiski Area, signed a USL Academy contract with Pittsburgh for the 2023 season...

Melaina DeZort’s favorite spot on the basketball court to shoot is the corners. In the second half of the Cager Classic, she found her happy place and started hitting to help Team West overcome a double-digit deficit. DeZort, a senior at Freeport, had 11 of her game-high 14 points in...

Pine-Richland softball coach Sam Hartzberg was looking out at the field during Monday’s season opener against Chartiers Valley and it hit him how different the team looks this season. The Rams return four starters, but they are a youthful group that will look to build off a 12-5 season where...

When Pine-Richland baseball coach Kurt Wolfe reminisced about the 2022 season and earning a share of the Section 1-6A title, what stood out to him most was how the team did it. It was a young roster coming together, believing in one another, that surprised many across the WPIAL by...

Fans were treated to a postgame light show for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ home opener at Highmark Stadium Friday night, but before everything went dark for the festivities, Burke Fahling produced a laser beam with his right foot. And it helped the Riverhounds earn a point. Fahling’s goal, a rocket into...

Butler girls basketball coach Mark Maier got a taste of the Cager Classic when his oldest daughter, Makenna, played in the event last year. Now Maier is getting his first opportunity to participate in the long-standing All-Star game. Maier will coach the East girls team at the 26th Cager Classic...

Kassie Potts is listed at 5-foot-4 on the Blackhawk roster, but Cougars coach Steve Lodovico said she plays with the heart of a 7-footer. At times, Potts’ performance Tuesday night seemed larger than life. Potts scored a game-high 19 points and combined with a superb defensive effort, Blackhawk avenged its...

Following Saturday’s quarterfinal win over Neshannock, Deer Lakes boys basketball coach Albie Fletcher got in his car and drove to Armstrong to scout the two potential opponents in the semifinals. What he saw was a tough, sharpshooting Penn Cambria team — which the Lancers met in the first round of...