Michael Love stories, Page 97

Bethel Park and Fox Chapel were locked in a low-scoring struggle through three quarters of Friday’s WPIAL 6A first-round game at North Hills. But the No. 1 Black Hawks made the plays and got the points they needed in the fourth quarter to pull out a hard-fought 33-29 victory over...

With 2 minutes, 4 seconds left in the third quarter of its WPIAL Class 5A first-round game against Penn Hills at Fox Chapel, the Plum girls basketball team held a four-point lead and hoped to expand it toward the program’s first playoff victory since 2002. However, the Indians went on...

Maeve Kelley has made the most of her freshman swim season representing Winchester Thurston as an independent. The distance freestyler, also a member of the Fox Chapel Killer Whales club team, made her mark throughout the season at Fox Chapel and Ellis dual meets. Kelley will be looking for big...

For most of this winter high school sports season, Henry Miller pulled double duty, representing Southmoreland both as an independent swimmer and as a member of the wrestling team. “He’s driven with a great work ethic,” said Barry Miller, Henry’s father and a coaching representative for the freshman’s swimming efforts....

After coming from behind to pull off a mild upset of No. 7 Burgettstown in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs last week, the Riverview girls basketball team hoped to keep its winning ways intact Thursday against No. 2 Bishop Canevin at Hampton. The Raiders entered the...

Boys Class 2A Quarterfinals No. 4 Springdale (20-3) vs. No. 12 Winchester Thurston (11-10) 8 p.m. Friday at Shaler Winner plays: No. 1 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (21-1) or No. 9 South Side Area (12-11) in semifinals Coaches: Aaron Epps, Springdale; Jordan Marks, Winchester Thurston Points scored/allowed: Springdale,...

For the second year in a row, the Deer Lakes and Seton LaSalle girls basketball teams met in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. The Lancers hoped for a repeat performance of last year’s 15-point victory while the Rebels hoped for a measure of revenge. The game...

Today’s games Girls Class 4A quarterfinals No. 2 Southmoreland (22-0) vs. No. 7 Freeport (17-6) 8 p.m. at Penn-Trafford Winner plays: No. 3 Central Valley (17-3) or No. 6 Knoch (17-6) on Monday in semifinals Coaches: Brian Pritts, Southmoreland; Fred Soilis, Freeport Points scored/allowed: Southmoreland 57.7 ppg/29.9; Freeport 55.3/44.1 Players...

When the Fox Chapel girls basketball team plays No. 1 Bethel Park on Friday in the WPIAL 6A quarterfinals at North Hills, 11 days will have passed since its regular-season finale, a 49-31 victory over Armstrong on Feb. 10. Coach Marty Matvey said he’s not concerned about the layoff as...

The Penn Hills and Plum girls basketball teams, longstanding section rivals in the old Class AAAA, hadn’t played in more than four years until the WPIAL brought them together Tuesday for a Class 5A first-round game at Fox Chapel. Numerous games in the series between the Mustangs and Indians were...

Girls Class 3A First Round No. 8 Seton LaSalle (14-7) vs. No. 9 Deer Lakes (13-9) 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at North Allegheny Winner plays: No. 1 Beaver (19-3) Saturday in the quarterfinals Coaches: Jordan Giles, Seton LaSalle; Dave Petruska, Deer Lakes Points scored/allowed: Seton LaSalle, 51.2/47.7; Deer Lakes, 44.7/37.9 Players...

The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League crowned its team champions last week as the Central Catholic boys and Greensburg Salem girls took home top honors. Now, individual bowlers are in the spotlight as the WPIBL singles titles will be decided Wednesday and Thursday. The boys tournament is Wednesday at Sims...

It wasn’t easy for the Knoch girls basketball team in its WPIAL Class 4A first-round game against New Castle on Monday at Fox Chapel. The No. 11 Red Hurricane gave the Knights all they could handle before the No. 6 seed held on for a 43-35 victory and punched its...

Tuesday’s games Girls First round Class 5A No. 8 Penn Hills (11-11) vs. No. 9 Plum (14-6) 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Fox Chapel Winner plays: No. 1 Chartiers Valley (22-0) on Saturday in the quarterfinals Coaches: Robert Cash, Penn Hills; Steve Elsier, Plum Points scored/allowed: Penn Hills 44.6/37.7; Plum: 47.5/42.1...

Abbie Pierson is making her mark in her first season with the West Virginia women’s gymnastics team. The St. Joseph graduate and Mountaineers freshman has four podium finishes: two on balance beam, one on vault and one on floor. Three are event wins. In her collegiate debut Jan. 11 against...

Monday’s games Girls Class 4A First round No. 7 Freeport (16-6) vs. No. 10 Belle Vernon (16-6) 6:30 p.m. at North Hills Winner plays: No. 2 Southmoreland (22-0) on Saturday in quarterfinals Coaches: Fred Soilis, Freeport; Ronnie Drennen, Belle Vernon Points scored/allowed: Freeport, 55.8/44.4; Belle Vernon, 50.5/39 Players to watch:...

Despite a 10-point deficit at the end of the third quarter, the Riverview girls basketball team would not be denied its first WPIAL playoff victory since 2016. The No. 10 Raiders ended a three-game WPIAL playoff losing skid and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 32-28 victory over No. 7...

With the WPIAL Class AAA swimming championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool fast approaching, Plum coach Shawn Haupt has double vision. He looks back over the past two months of the season and sees numerous impressive swims, including WPIAL-qualifying performances from 11 individuals and all six relays. The veteran Mustangs coach...

Brooke Welling ranks among the top swimmers in the girls 100-yard freestyle in WPIAL Class AA. The Freeport junior recorded her season-best time in the event – 54.37 seconds – last weekend at the Mark Hess Memorial Invitational at Indiana High School. The time earned Wellling a gold medal as...

John Guilinger began his final varsity swim season at Central Catholic with both peace of mind and added energy after finalizing his decision to attend Penn State during the signing period in November. Now, three months later, the senior standout, after posting several top swims in numerous individual events and...

Friday’s games Boys Class 3A First round No. 1 Lincoln Park (18-4) vs. No. 16 Deer Lakes (12-9) 8 p.m. Friday at Fox Chapel Winner plays: No. 7 Washington (15-6) or No. 10 Neshannock (15-7) on Thursday in the quarterfinals Coaches: Mike Bariski, Lincoln Park; Terence Parham, Deer Lakes Points...

Central Catholic outdueled Hempfield in the championship match to capture the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League boys team title Wednesday evening at Nesbit’s Lanes in Plum. The Vikings, the No. 1 seed after the three-game qualifying round, defeated the No. 3 Spartans, 2-1, in the best-of-three Baker finals. Central Catholic...

The last time the Plum and Penn Hills girls basketball teams met was Jan. 29, 2016, when the Indians stymied the Mustangs, 45-23, in Section 2-AAAA. For Plum, it was the most recent season it missed the WPIAL playoffs. Penn Hills went undefeated that season to win the section title...

Playoff expectations were high when the Deer Lakes girls basketball team opened camp. Despite losing four senior starters to graduation, the young Lancers, with just one senior, felt confident the pieces were in place to make a run at the program’s 10th playoff berth in the past 11 years. “Day-in...

Last year at this time, Knoch girls basketball coach Chris Andreassi and the Knights faithful were still exhaling from a WPIAL Section 1-4A playoff chase that went down to the final day of the regular season. Knoch ended a hectic last couple of weeks in a three-way tie with Apollo-Ridge...