A-K Valley high school week ahead: March 26-31

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, March 25, 2018 | 7:27 PM

Monday

• Weather permitting, Freeport and Burrell will meet for a nonsection baseball game at Huston Middle School. The Yellowjackets and Bucs are coming off playoff appearances. For Burrell, it was the 18th playoff berth in coach Mark Spohn's 19 seasons, and the Bucs advanced to the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals. Both teams are replacing key pieces, most notably Freeport's heavy hitter James Flemm and Burrell ace Dean Edwards.

• St. Joseph and Apollo-Ridge continued their softball rise last spring by making the playoffs, and the two will meet in a nonsection game. St. Joseph won the first playoff game in its history and returns top producers Anna Swierczewski, Serena Edgar and Shelby Gogal. Apollo-Ridge's key returners include ace Molly Charlton and center fielder Teresa DeSimone.

• Deer Lakes boys volleyball finished second in WPIAL Class AA last season, and the Lancers opened 2018 with a nonsection win over Armstrong. They will visit Plum for a nonsection match. The Mustangs have a new coach in Keith Nonnenberg, who previously led them to six WPIAL playoff appearances in his first tenure (2000-06).

Tuesday

• A WPIAL Class A semifinalist last season, Leechburg softball has championship aspirations and will look to get off to a strong start in Section 3-A play when it visits Riverview. Senior ace Morgan Pierce will lead the way for the Blue Devils. Riverview brings back eight starters from its 2017 playoff team.

• Kiski Area softball broke through to the postseason last year for the first time since 2010 and is looking for more this spring. The Cavaliers begin Section 1-5A play against another returning playoff team, Plum. A pair of star shortstops headline this matchup: Kiski Area's Alexa Nagy and Plum's Mackenzie Lake.

Wednesday

• Fresh off a trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., Valley baseball returns for a nonsection game at Riverview. The Vikings won two of their three games down south, rallying from a 7-1 deficit in one to post a 13-10 victory. Riverview has its third coach in as many seasons, with Bill Gras leading the way for the Raiders this season.

• Plum went south to St. Petersburg, Fla., and the WPIAL title-hopeful Mustangs return with a nonsection game at Kiski Area. The Cavaliers won just two games in coach Kyle Morrow's first season but look for more success in 2018.

• A pair of successful local softball programs meet in a nonsection game as Freeport hosts Leechburg. The Yellowjackets, a Class 3A quarterfinalist last season, return eight starters. Leechburg has five starters back.

Thursday

• Kiski Area dropped both its Section 1-5A meetings to Franklin Regional last season. The Cavaliers will see if 2018 is different as they travel to face the Panthers in an important early section contest.

• Highlands qualified for the WPIAL softball playoffs last season but is striving for more in 2018. The Golden Rams will host another team with big aspirations as Burrell visits for a nonsection game. The Bucs had eventual WPIAL champion Ellwood City on the ropes in last season's playoffs before falling short. Two strong pitchers take the stage: Burrell's Brittany Dunn and Highlands' Emma Cochran.

• Burrell's girls track and field team ended Freeport's 55-meet section winning streak last season on its way to winning the WPIAL Class AA title, and the schools will face off in a Section 7-AA opener at Freeport. The meet features another recent WPIAL team champion in the Freeport boys, which claimed the title in 2016.

Saturday

• Freeport boys lacrosse travels to West Virginia for a doubleheader against Morgantown and Fairmont. The Yellowjackets qualified for the WPIAL Class AA playoffs last season, losing in overtime to Chartiers Valley in the first round.