TribLive stories, Page 669

Marcus McCullough played his final football game at Ringgold in 1987, losing to New Castle in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals. Now he’s in charge of restoring the Rams’ program into the force that it once was, and he’s relishing that chance in his first season at the helm. “It’s...

Elizabeth Forward has heard all the rumblings about certain Interstate Conference newcomers. But as far as the Warriors are concerned, they’re still the top dogs. The Warriors have won the Interstate four out of the last five years, and with a talented lineup coming back, coach Mike Collodi thinks his...

As Bentworth football coach JJ Knabb enters his fourth year with the Bearcats, he is faced with a team that may not have a lot of experience but has tremendous upside. The Bearcats entered the preseason with 28 players on their roster, but only four are seniors. “As a coaching...

Confidence isn’t lacking inside the football locker room at Serra Catholic. A year after winning WPIAL gold and playing in a state championship game in Hershey, the Eagles are faced with the tall task of trying to replicate last season’s success. Can they do it? They surely believe so. “We...

Soon after he was hired as head coach at Charleroi, Mark Gambino reached out to a former coach to get a little inside information on the team he was taking over. “He told me, ‘They will work hard for you,’” Gambino said. “He said, ‘Set the tone and they’ll work.’”...

I must disagree with letter-writer Dr. Marti Haykin’s logic (“Vote to make Pa. more welcoming,” Aug. 21, TribLIVE). In a free society, people choose where they want to live for various reasons. No one has forced anyone to move in or out of Westmoreland County, and thankfully we’re not planning...

For months, the issue of WNBA star Brittney Griner’s release from captivity in Russia has eclipsed the cases of others. Her fame has garnered her more attention than the case of Paul Whelan, an American held for espionage. It has definitely attracted more attention than the case of Marc Fogel,...

To celebrate the launch of a new Little Free Library shaped like an ice cream cone, Millie’s Wexford welcomed children for a storytime on Aug. 13. The event featured actors portraying Beauty and the Beast, who took photos with the kids and read “Noodles and the No Bones Day” and...

Sewickley Public Library is at 500 Thorn Street. It is open seven days a week. For a complete list of library programs, visit sewickleylibrary.org. Fall book sale The Friends of the Sewickley Public Library host the annual Fall Book Sale Sept. 9-11. Shop gently used books, children’s books, movies, music...

Publicize your community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least a week in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15068. Please include a daytime telephone number. Back-to-school bash set Saturday in Arnold park A back-to school bash will...

Pennsylvania Rep. Eric Nelson’s piece “Pennsylvania is Exhibit A for why election integrity matters” (Aug. 11, TribLIVE) repackages voter suppression as ‘election integrity’ in a coordinated Republican disinformation campaign. See the same talking points from Sen. Kim Ward (“A step toward election integrity in Pa.,” July 24, TribLIVE) Coincidence? Nelson...

Times have been tough for the Connellsville football team for a number of years. The Falcons have endured back-to-back losing seasons and haven’t tasted victory since defeating Albert Gallatin to close out the 2019 season. Connellsville, which enters the season riding a 17-game losing streak, hasn’t qualified for the WPIAL...

New coaching staff, new schemes, new defense and new uniforms. The Valley Vikings hope they’ve found a new way to move up in the Allegheny 6 Conference standings. After a 1-5 record in 2021 conference play, 2-8 overall, Valley is seeking a new winning formula. “We’re working hard, and we’ll...

Each Friday throughout the high school football season, the Valley News Dispatch will take a look at the players, coaches and events that shaped our scholastic legacy. Joe Signorella passed for a touchdown and scored another as Highlands came from behind to defeat Freeport, 14-10, on Aug. 29, 1997, at...

High schools WPIAL Golf Wednesday’s results Boys Class 3A Section 1 Latrobe 202, Indiana 205 Medalists: PJ Germano, Jack Sacriponte (L) 38, Trevor Todd, Harrison Martineau (I) 39 Penn-Trafford 192, Norwin 202 Medalist: Nick Turowski (PT) 34 Hempfield 201, Armstrong 232 Medalists: Nick Eberhardt, Caleb Prola (H) 39 Section 2...

Penn State may have found a new revenue stream. The university is exploring selling alcohol on the concourse in Beaver Stadium this season, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told the Centre Daily Times. The current plan is to have sales for the team’s second home game of the...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 59-58) lost to Rochester (Nationals), 3-1. RF Cal Mitchell (.330) went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. 1B Mason Martin (.210) was 2 for 3. SS Diego Castillo (.278) was 1 for 4 with a double. RHP Jerad Eickhoff (4.30) started and went five innings,...

Two schools that are in contrast to each other will open the season Friday. Plum will return an experienced team, while Kiski Area has plenty of key players to replace due to graduation. “They had a pretty good senior-led team last year; I know they’re replacing a lot,” Plum coach...

In these volatile times, the Birdie spent the offseason becoming radicalized. No longer will he stand by on the sidelines and watch the very fabric of our American way of life be threatened. “Don’t tell me to stick to sports,” our favorite fierce, feathered political activist sneered. “These are life-or-death...

Friday Chambersburg Peach Bowl Showcase Bishop Canevin vs. Steelton-Highspire at Chambersburg, 5:30 p.m. Freedom Bowl at Hall of Fame Stadium, Ohio Central Catholic vs. St. Edward, Ohio, 8:30 p.m. Nonconference Allderdice at North Allegheny, 7:30 p.m. (HSSN) Armstrong at Valley, 7 p.m. Beaver Falls at Blackhawk, 7 p.m. (HSSN*, 1230...

WPIAL football rankings Preseason Class 6A Rank, Team, W-L 1. Central Catholic, 9-3 2. Seneca Valley, 7-4 3. North Allegheny, 7-5 4. Mt. Lebanon, 15-0 5. Canon-McMillan, 4-7 Class 5A 1. Gateway, 7-4 2. Penn-Trafford, 13-2 3. Penn Hills, 8-4 4. Pine-Richland, 7-5 5. Upper St. Clair, 6-5 Class 4A...

Nonconference Burrell at Jeannette 7 p.m. Friday, McKee Stadium, Jeannette Burrell has dropped from Class 3A to 2A for the next two-year enrollment cycle. The Bucs return six starters on each side of the ball. Typically a pass-first team under coach Shawn Liotta, the Bucs will concentrate more on the...

The Birdie has been called a lot of things (never late for dinner), but when he heard a coach refer to him as a “hodgepodge of nothingness” at a recent media day, his ears perked up. “You stole that from Dennis Eckersley! You’re caught, coach!” the Birdie told the culprit,...

Ja’Juan Seider has a good idea who will take Penn State’s first carry of the season next Thursday at Purdue. He’s not going to say who, of course. It could be Keyvone Lee, last year’s top rusher. It could be veteran Devyn Ford. It could be freshmen Nick Singleton or...

Good news for motorists who cross the Allegheny River to get to northbound Route 28. The ramp carrying traffic from the Highland Park Bridge to Route 28 North opened to traffic at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The ramp has been closed since late March to enable crews to do reconstruction work,...