Defense, pitching and fundamental offensive baseball were the staples of Fran Celaschi’s Charleroi High School program for many seasons.
“He was there for the birth of the Bentworth High School wrestling program. He was there when no one else was. He was there when no one else cared. He was there to agonize over all the losses, all the frustration, all the pain. For 15 years, Tom Teagarden was there for – as he would say – th…
His bigger-than-life aura made him a constant presence on football fields across the United States.
Morgan “Bunny” Denson was one of those athletes a fan or opponent could not take their eyes off.
Shellie Cotton Smith led Charleroi to consecutive PIAA (1999 and 2000) and WPIAL championship appearances and scored 199 career goals.
What the 1980 Pitt football team is remembered for is the unprecedented individual talent it possessed – offensive and defensive lines that were as good as any constructed in college football – one bad night in Tallahasse, Fla., and a resolve and will that is rare in any level of sports.
John Bristor was a full-speed ahead football player and athlete at West Greene High School and Waynesburg College.
Forty years later, they are no longer adversaries or the leaders of crosstown rival football programs.
More than a half a century later, the legend of a pitching showdown between Richard Swinchock and Bob Clites still moves the emotions and stirs the memories of those who witnessed it.
The journey was as memorable – maybe more – than the final outcome for the 1970 Monessen Pony League World Series team.
He has seen some of the best of Pirates’ baseball and some of the worst.
As always, it seemed the New York Mets would be standing clearly in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ path to the National League East Division title in 1990.
“And there used to be a ballpark where the field was warm and green. And the people played their crazy game with a joy I’d never seen. And the air was such a wonder from the hot dogs and the beer. Yes, there used to be a ballpark right here.” –
Not every athlete gets to enjoy even one special, career-defining moment.
Kathy Knabb won 11 WPIAL gold medals in track and field and cross country, and two state indoor championships.
Hours of standing in front of the porch leading into the family home in Mather, throwing a rubber ball into the cement steps led to a discovery that changed Joe Gregula’s baseball career.
This story was edited for clarity April 6, 2020.
With stakes schedule looming, horsemen waiting word from state to resume racing.
He was the best athlete during his days at Burgettstown High School.
Coming together at the right time, the path to the 1995 PIAA Class AAAA Championship wasn't an easy one for Ringgold.
Lester Peterson was the first wrestler in the history of Canon-McMillan High School to win a PIAA wrestling championship in 1969.
To many, sports and athletics seemed to come easy to John “Bimbo” Chatman.
It is no coincidence that the basketball fortunes at Washington High School and Washington & Jefferson College reached championship levels in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the presence of Terrance Wilkins.
The values learned from his parents, collegiate baseball coach and basketball officiating mentor are held tight to his heart and his core.
A few hours before Valentine’s Day 1979, the Immaculate Conception High School boys’ basketball team had its best chance in nearly a decade to upend city rival Wash High.
The straightforward and honest approach has always seemed to work for Dan Burt and his basketball life. He admits he wasn’t a successful player at Trinity High School or at West Liberty University, where he was a walk-on.
As one of the greatest lightweights in PIAA and WPIAL wrestling history, Angelo “Butch” Marino built a legacy of excellence for himself and Canon-McMillan High School.
In the toughest moments, the most challenging circumstances, it is the truest of leaders who can provide calm and confidence.
Each time he goes out for a walk or a jog, Nick Milchovich is reminded of it. The hurt, the pain and the agony of being injured and defeated.
It was Freddie at Wembley. Tiger at Augusta. Brady in the Super Bowl. Ali in Zaire.
They came together as brothers more than teammates.
The runners Susie Schneck Koehler competed against in high school were the least of her concerns.
One win does not make a season. One defeat does not break a season.
He has long been known as the reliable one – the guy teammates, friends, family and anyone else who has come in contact with him can depend on and rely on.
Donnie Pordash has enjoyed a long, enjoyable career with the Texas Rangers.
Dayna Holston Wenger moved out of her comfort zone earlier this year, taking a job as an academic adviser after spending more than 22 years working in athletics at Penn State University.
John Chatlak went to playing tennis in Monessen's City Park to some of the biggest stages.
The endless hours in ballparks and watching baseball games and players will never be lost on Ross Vecchio.
Baseball has been a significant part of Neil Forsythe’s life for his entire life. Forsythe is spending this spring away from the game as he cares for his mother, Cherryl, who is suffering from a long-term illness.
On a rainy day in 1991, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a comeback for the ages on a rainy afternoon against the Chicago Cubs.
Jefferson-Morgan baseball and golf coach still getting it done with old-school approach.
Forty-five years ago, Pitt basketball was one win shy of the Final Four.
The 1983-84 Washington High School boys basketball team wasn’t the most spectacular outfit to look at. No one really stood out. The team wasn’t great at anything except winning. And as they won WPIAL and state championships, the Little Prexies caught the fancy of local sports fans.
Patsy Vulcano wrestled in the shadows of his father, an iconic figure on the local scene, and two of his brothers, who were WPIAL champions and PIAA placewinners at Chartiers-Houston. Vulcano never quite rose to those lofty heights — until one memorable week in Hershey.
Thrift was architect of Pirates rebuilding but his reign did not last long.
While he is known for his wrestling coaching prowess and teaching excellence, Ron Headlee owns a different designation, thanks to his most-prized pupil and now great friend.
Mary Mosley helped usher in a new era of girl’s athletics at Washington’s Immaculate Conception High School in the early 1970s.
Curtis Ellis was a two-time WPIAL wrestling champion (1976-77). He was a PIAA semifinalist in 1977. And he was never outworked.
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