Bill Hartlep stories, Page 32
Senior Spotlight: Plum lacrosse player spending spring as ‘essential worker’
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight a WPIAL spring athlete whose senior year has been cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the world might be shut down, but Carli Chini has never been busier. The Plum senior might not be able to take the field with...
Senior spotlight: WPIAL high jump gold medalist had more championship aspirations
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight a WPIAL spring athlete whose senior year has been cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Sami Taoufik was supposed to be standing atop a podium in his home stadium Friday night. The Butler senior and reigning WPIAL Class AAA high jump champion...
Scholarship offers start flowing in for Kiski Area defensive end Dilts
College football coaches aren’t saddled with leading spring practices or monitoring workouts or even attending daylong meetings on campus during the coronavirus pandemic. Many are stationed at home, hunkered over a computer screen, scouring highlights of high school athletes from around the country. Apparently, a junior defensive end from Kiski...
Area freshmen garner offers from Michigan
A pair of Western Pennsylvania freshmen have stepped into the recruiting spotlight this week. After receiving football scholarship offers to Pitt and Penn State earlier this week, Laurel Highlands’ Rodney Gallagher and Brashear’s Ta’Mere Robinson received offers from Michigan on Friday. Robinson, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound safety, reported offers from Syracuse,...
BeeGraphix Great 38 football all-star game canceled
A day after Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association officials called off the annual Big 33 Football Classic and East-West all-star football game, another all-star contest was canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak. The BeeGraphix Great 38 game, scheduled for June 13 at Trinity, has been canceled. The inaugural game was...
WPIAL board welcomes new members, bids farewell to 3 others
The WPIAL board of directors bid farewell to three members Wednesday during its annual meeting. WPIAL associate executive director Amy Scheuneman and board president Scott Seltzer met with area athletic directors and principals via a Zoom conference call, and they announced new board members while recognizing those who are leaving...
McKeesport’s Deamontae Diggs signs with Youngstown State
One of the most talented senior athletes in Western Pennsylvania has decided where he will be competing next fall. And also what sport he will be playing. McKeesport senior Deamontae Diggs signed an official letter of intent to play football at Youngstown State on Wednesday. Officially Signed ✍️Deamontae Diggs |...
WPIAL announces James Collins Scholar-Athlete scholarship award winners
The WPIAL announced the 20 winners of its annual James Collins Scholar-Athlete scholarship awards during its annual meeting Wednesday. WPIAL associate executive director Amy Scheuneman and board president Scott Seltzer met with area athletic directors and principals via a Zoom conference call. The WPIAL annually awards 20 scholarships of $1,000...
Aliquippa great Darrelle Revis headlines 14th annual WPIAL Hall of Fame classVideo
Darrelle Revis was one of the NFL’s all-time great cornerbacks for the Jets, Patriots, Bucs and Chiefs. He was a Super Bowl champion, four-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection. He was a dynamic college football player at Pitt, earning All-American honors as a freshman and All-Big East recognition as...
Big 33, East-West all-star football games canceled
Organizers for the Big 33 Football Classic and East-West Game hoped the annual all-star games could be played over Memorial Day weekend. On Tuesday, those plans were canceled. Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association executive director Garry Cathell announced both all-star games and the events surrounding them will not be held...
WPIAL announces 14th Hall of Fame class inductees, award winnersVideo
The 14th annual class of the WPIAL Hall of Fame is unlike any that came before it. Eight athletes, two coaches, two teams, one official, two contributors, one Heritage Award honoree and a Courage Award recipient will be honored … just not this year. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this...
American Legion baseball season canceled by state commander
American Legion baseball season officially was canceled across Pennsylvania on Monday, but Jason Bush isn’t ruling out playing games later this summer. The Region 7 director and president of District 31 in Westmoreland County is trying to organize a one-year league that could provide the players a welcomed return to...
Senior spotlight: WPIAL pole vault champ takes talents into kitchen
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight a WPIAL spring athlete whose senior year has been cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Jo-Michelle Huczko can’t pole vault in her living room. There’s no landing mat in her driveway or space for a 15-foot pole in the kitchen. Perfecting her...
Senior spotlight: Mt. Lebanon’s Emelia Krakora looks forward to future in lacrosse
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight a WPIAL spring athlete whose senior year has been cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. Emelia Krakora will play competitive lacrosse again. It just might not be until next spring. A Mt. Lebanon senior bound for Division III Bowdoin College in Maine,...
Pair of young stars join senior-heavy Trib 10 boys basketball all-star team
This year’s Trib 10 boys basketball all-star team is a senior-heavy group, with two young and talented exceptions. Freshman Rodney Gallagher opened his high school career by scoring nearly 600 points in leading Laurel Highlands to its first WPIAL championship since 1968. Sophomore Jake DiMichele helped lift OLSH to a...
PIAA officials cancel spring sports season, winter sports championships
For nearly a month, high school student-athletes held out hope they could return to normalcy on the fields, courts and track. On Thursday, those hopes were dashed. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced all schools in the state will remain closed for the remainder of the school year as people all...
Senior spotlight: North Allegheny’s Isaiah Davis hopes to lead Tigers to title
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight a WPIAL spring athlete whose senior year has been put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic. The North Allegheny boys lacrosse team advanced to the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals last season before losing to runner-up Mt. Lebanon. Isaiah Davis was a major...
Butler’s Ethan Morton named Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Player of the Year
Ethan Morton just wants to play basketball. Whether it’s in the PIAA tournament or on a playground court. The coronavirus pandemic has taken away that competition, the camaraderie, the memories and, well, basketball in general. When the coronavirus outbreak quarantine ends, Morton says he will “Probably go play basketball, even...
Scholarship offers rolling in for Elizabeth Forward’s Chase Whatton
It’s been a pretty productive offseason for Elizabeth Forward junior Chase Whatton. Not many football players can say that given the restrictions of the coronavirus outbreak that has rendered team workouts and activities forbidden. While he has continued to lift weights and build strength, Whatton has seen the most growth...
Former Cal (Pa.), Slippery Rock standouts named to All-Decade team
A quartet of former WPIAL football players are in elite company. Cal (Pa.) products Rontez Miles and Eric Kush, along with Slippery Rock’s Brandon Fusco and Marcus Martin, were selected to the D2Football.com All-Decade Team on Tuesday. Miles, a 2012 grad, was a first-team selection at defensive back. Kush, also...
Peters Township’s Donovan McMillon adds LSU offerVideo
Donovan McMillon announced his top 15 schools late last month, narrowing a growing list of football scholarship offers. He might have to add another team or two to the group. National champion LSU offered the Peters Township junior safety on Tuesday afternoon. The LSU Tigers brought some needed ☀️ to...
Hempfield’s Christian Gorscak becomes junior hockey star, wins NAHL MVP in Johnstown
Johnstown Tomahawks coach Mike Letizia had plenty of words to describe Hempfield product Christian Gorscak. Humble, determined, talented, confident, consistent, coachable, leader. Now you can add two more words — most valuable. Gorscak was named MVP of the North American Hockey League last week, capping off a coronavirus-shortened season where...
Plum’s Kennedie Montue named Valley News Dispatch Girls Basketball Player of the Year
Valley News Dispatch Girls Basketball Player of the Year Kennedie Montue Plum, 5-11, Jr., Forward Kennedie Montue is one of the most dominant interior players in the WPIAL. At 5-foot-11, the Plum junior also has the range to play around the perimeter and can defend all over the court. Her...
Highlands’ Johnny Crise named Valley News Dispatch Boys Basketball Player of the Year
Valley News Dispatch Boys Basketball Player of the Year Johnny Crise Highlands, 6-7, Sr., Forward Every coach wants players to improve as the season progresses so they are hitting their peak in time to compete for championships. Highlands’ Tyler Stoczynski saw that improvement with senior forward Johnny Crise. His continued...
Senior spotlight: All-American girls lacrosse player aims to give Mt. Lebanon shot at WPIAL title
Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight a WPIAL spring athlete whose senior year has been put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic. Maddie Reisinger and members of the Mt. Lebanon girls lacrosse team want a chance to play for a WPIAL title. After finishing fourth in Class AAA...
