Michael Love stories, Page 15

The Plum boys basketball team entered the new year with the momentum of a three-game winning streak. The team averaged nearly 70 points in victories over Freeport, Brentwood and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. That momentum took somewhat of a hit in subsequent Section 2-5A losses to Shaler, Fox...

The Riverview boys basketball team knows there still is time to make a move and get into playoff contention in Section 3-2A. But the room for error is dwindling. The Raiders (6-9, 1-5) can make hay in a big way Friday night as they host section leader Greensburg Central Catholic....

After five weights of Wednesday’s Section 1-3A match between Kiski Area and Plum at Plum High School, the visiting Cavaliers owned a sizeable lead thanks to a technical fall, two decisions and two forfeits. But Plum, starting at 121, mounted a rally. And when senior Charlie Campbell earned a 9-4...

The Highlands girls basketball team trailed Section 1-4A leader North Catholic by just two points early in the third quarter of their matchup Dec. 14 at Highlands. But the Trojanettes limited the Golden Rams down the stretch and pulled away for a 44-24 victory. It was Highlands’ lowest point output...

First place in Section 1-5A was on the line Monday evening when the Plum and Indiana girls basketball teams matched up in the first of two meetings this season. Both the Mustangs and Indians came in 5-0 in section, so something had to give. Indiana rallied in the fourth quarter...

Karcy Fennell attended last year’s WPIAL gymnastics championship at Moon High School. The current Burrell freshman took it all in as an observer, looking to the future when she would be a competitor at the meet. Fennell and her Bucs teammates are in the mix to make their mark at...

The WPIAL performance lists for individual swimmers, relays and divers were released for the first time Jan. 9, and it was a welcomed sight for Plum competitors. It gave them a chance to see where they ranked in several events in Class 3A (girls) and Class 2A (boys) after the...

Plum senior Mareana Pilyih came into the season with clear goals, both for her own game and the fortunes of her team. They are being in the mix for Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League titles next month and also finishing off her decorated varsity career at states in March. So...

The youthful Gateway wrestling team is on the cusp of a midseason measuring stick known as the Allegheny County Wrestling Tournament, and coach Ryan Sula said he hopes to see his wrestlers make the most of the opportunity to see where they stand. It is the Gators’ third tournament of...

Gateway swim coach Glenn Raymer said getting healthy and staying healthy is a main focus for team members as they move into the heart of their section meet schedule. Raymer said it’s been a grind the past couple of weeks as several have missed practices or meets recovering from illnesses....

With a monster battle for first place in Section 1-5A looming against Indiana on Monday, the Plum girls basketball team hoped to stay focused Friday at Kiski Area against a Cavaliers team seeking a win to stay even with three other teams in the race for the WPIAL playoffs. The...

Ahead by 15 points in the second quarter of Thursday’s Section 3-3A matchup at Apollo-Ridge, the Burrell girls basketball team had designs on widening its lead and running away with a victory. The Vikings didn’t make it easy on the Bucs and rallied to within three in the early stages...

Highlands maintained its unblemished record in Section 5-2A Wednesday with victories in nine of the 13 contested bouts with rival Knoch at a packed Highlands Middle School gym. It all added up to a 45-24 triumph for the Golden Knights, which lifted them to 11-4 overall and 4-0 in the...

A quartet of the Alle-Kiski Valley’s top basketball scorers this season reached the 1,000-point milestone. Kiski Area senior Isaiah Gonzalez and Plum senior Megan Marston accomplished the feat in games Jan. 2. Marston delivered a 3-pointer in the second quarter of the Mustangs’ 53-43 victory at Woodland Hills to hit...

Big games and big performances have filled the first three months of the PIHL regular season. Now, many of those standout players will have the chance to come together at the end of this month to show their stuff in a series of all-star games. The 2024 PIHL all-star rosters...

Kira Schrecongost again was an iron woman at the WPIAL and PIAA swimming championships. The Freeport junior last season swam four events — two individual and two relays — on the first day of the WPIAL Class 2A meet at Pitt’s Trees Pool. She earned four medals that day —...

Like many elite swimmers at the high school level, Katie Jackovic is versatile in what she can do in the water. That again is evident by the fact that the South Park senior already has qualified for WPIALs in every individual event. What she will swim at WPIALs in early...

Patton Graziano gained a second home in November as he signed a national letter of intent to swim at Division I West Virginia. His first home, Penn-Trafford, is where he hopes to continue to make his mark in a senior season filled with high expectations. The defending WPIAL Class 3A...

Daryn Freedman entered his fourth season as Penn State Greater Allegheny men’s basketball head coach in the fall, and his team had its sights set on making its mark in the Penn State University Athletic Conference and beyond. So far, things have gone well for the former boys head coach...

The Gateway boys basketball team kicked off 2024 in winning fashion Jan. 2 with a 62-46 victory over McKeesport in its Section 3-5A opener. It continued what has been a strong start for the Gators, who improved to 8-1 overall. While coach Alvis Rogers is happy with the way his...

Antonino Walker’s summer of wrestling competition and also his preparation for the 2023-24 high school season came to a halt when he suffered a broken ankle at a tournament with Young Guns in Nashville, Tenn. The injury required surgery and the standout Plum senior was off the mat for nearly...

The Highlands girls basketball team carried a lot of momentum from a pair of wins at its holiday tournament into a Section 1-4A matchup with Freeport on Thursday at Highlands High School. The Golden Rams’ senior-laden lineup came out strong on both ends of the court and began to overwhelm...

The Riverview girls basketball team got a later jump into the season than some others as several players who enjoyed a run to the state soccer finals in mid November didn’t get onto the court until two days after official practices began. Playing catch-up in a number of areas, the...

The Plum girls basketball team entered the New Year hoping to get back on the winning track after three straight losses to close out 2023. The Mustangs got what they were looking for as they improved to 3-0 in Section 1-5A on Tuesday with a 53-43 victory at Woodland Hills....

The year 2023 will long be remembered for many monumental happenings, from a landmark announcement by the PIAA to A-K Valley athletes’ accomplishments and championship performances and teams bringing home gold at the district, regional and state levels. Athletes again were able to pay off many hours of dedication and...