Author: Jason Black
Connellsville’s 1st season with 3 coaches lays foundation for future success
August 24, 2023
The 2022 season brought a lot of change to the Connellsville football team. Instead of going with one coach, Connellsville employed three head coaches to help facilitate the overall improvement of the program.
Frazier hoping to take next step in rebuilding process
For the Frazier football team, a few years of struggles have certainly taken their toll on a proud program.
Imani Christian boys start fast, defeat Geibel in WPIAL Class A semifinals
February 25, 2023
For three of the four quarters in Saturday afternoon’s WPIAL Class A semifinal between Geibel and Imani Christian Academy, the fourth-seeded Gators proved they could go toe-to-toe with the top-seeded Saints.
High-scoring duo sends Geibel past Neighborhood Academy in Class A thriller
February 22, 2023
Before Wednesday’s WPIAL Class A quarterfinal showdown between fourth-seeded Geibel and fifth-seeded Neighborhood Academy, Geibel coach Don Porter instinctively pointed out that the game would be decided in the final four minutes.
Mt. Pleasant girls advance to WPIAL Class 2A title game on Riley Gesinski’s OT goal
November 1, 2022
The Mt. Pleasant girls soccer team had to put in a little extra work, but it was well worth it as the second-seeded Vikings secured their spot in the WPIAL Class 2A championship by defeating third-seeded South Park, 1-0, in overtime in a semifinal Tuesday night at Peters Township.
Big games from Fulton, Wetzel carry Latrobe over Connellsville
October 14, 2022
The Connellsville football team, playing on its own field, put together a fairly strong first quarter in front of a homecoming crowd Friday night.
Franklin Regional gets off to quick start on way to rout of Connellsville
September 9, 2022
A week of practices spent on the fundamentals of football yielded few positive results for Connellsville in Friday’s non-conference home opener against Franklin Regional at Connellsville Stadium.
Frazier eager to break into win column
August 26, 2022
The Frazier football team wasn’t happy with the way things went throughout the 2021 season. The Commodores struggled from start to finish on their way to an 0-9 season.
Trio of Connellsville alumni to share coaching duties, trying to get program back on track
August 25, 2022
Times have been tough for the Connellsville football team for a number of years.
Avonworth gets its revenge, beats Mt. Pleasant in 3A softball quarterfinals
May 19, 2022
During the 2021 softball season, the Mt. Pleasant and Avonworth softball teams met twice in the playoffs, with the Vikings knocking off the Antelopes in both the Class 3A WPIAL semifinals and PIAA quarterfinals on their way to WPIAL and state championships.
Yough baseball team rallies from 6-0 deficit to edge Mt. Pleasant in 8 innings
May 17, 2022
Yough baseball coach Craig Spisak isn’t a fan of seeing his team try to play from behind. But this season, it has happened so often, he knows the Cougars aren’t fazed when facing an early deficit.
Mt. Pleasant softball team defeats Southmoreland for 4th straight win
May 2, 2022
It took a little while, but the Mt. Pleasant softball team finally appears to be rounding into form. After starting the season at 3-7, the Vikings have rattled off four straight wins, with their most recent triumph being their most impressive.
Southmoreland edges neighborhood rival Mt. Pleasant in WPIAL girls soccer quarterfinals
October 30, 2021
There weren’t many surprises during Saturday’s WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinal soccer match between crosstown rivals Mt. Pleasant and host Southmoreland.
Kiski Area girls soccer team edges Connellsville with second-half goal
October 25, 2021
The Connellsville girls soccer team came into Monday’s WPIAL Class 3A playoff home game against Kiski Area with the opportunity to make program history. It didn’t happen.
Elizabeth Forward clinches conference title with resounding win over Southmoreland
October 22, 2021
The Southmoreland football team hit visiting Elizabeth Forward with some big body blows in the early part of Friday’s Class 3A Interstate Conference game Friday at Russ Grimm Field in Alverton.
Pass-happy Penn-Trafford surprises, routs Connellsville
October 15, 2021
Connellsville prepared all week for the hard-charging rushing attack of Penn-Trafford in Friday’s Class 5A Big East Conference game at Connellsville Stadium.
Norwin blanks Connellsville in nonconference clash
September 10, 2021
Connellsville couldn’t have asked for a better start to Friday’s nonconference home game against Norwin. Unfortunately for the Falcons, the start was about the only thing that went their way as the Knights recovered from an early mistake and rolled to a 37-0 victory at Connellsville Stadium.
Southmoreland football holds on vs. McGuffey
August 27, 2021
Southmoreland had the ball on its own 20 and a 20-point lead when Anthony Govern threw a deep pass over the middle that was intercepted by McGuffey’s Ethan Dietrich and returned 45 yards for a touchdown with 19 seconds left in the first half. Josh Plants made the second of two PATs to cut the deficit to 13 points at halftime.
After close call, Frazier motivated to claim playoff spot
August 26, 2021
As the 2020 football season unfolded, the Frazier Commodores found themselves wondering what each week would hold.
New coach hopes to help Connellsville get its swagger back
When Bill Maczko took the job as the new head coach of the Connellsville football team back in February, he knew the position would come with plenty of challenges.
Avonworth softball shakes off semifinal loss, tops Southmoreland to make states
May 27, 2021
A few missed opportunities early and one golden opportunity wasted late proved to be the downfall for the Southmoreland softball team in Thursday’s WPIAL Class 3A consolation game against Avonworth at Gateway.
Connellsville rallies from 5-run deficit to beat Shaler in Class 5A softball playoffs
May 18, 2021
Having lost five of six to close the regular season, the Connellsville softball team entered the WPIAL playoffs without much momentum or swagger. But the Falcons picked the perfect time to snap out of their slump.
Waynesburg girls volleyball on top of its game in playoff win over Frazier
November 2, 2020
During the regular season, the Waynesburg volleyball team used two wins against rival Frazier to earn a section championship.
Southmoreland girls soccer backs up strong regular season with playoff win
October 27, 2020
In his first season as coach of the Southmoreland girls soccer team, Josh Pajak couldn’t have asked for a better regular season from the Scotties. Southmoreland posted a 12-1 record, which included a section title and an eight-game win streak.
Gateway, Davis too much for Connellsville
October 23, 2020
The Connellsville football team did not play poorly in terms of mistakes and effort during Friday’s homecoming game against Gateway.
Frazier shuts out Beth-Center on senior night, stays in playoff hunt
October 16, 2020
Seeking a chance to stay locked into one of the top two positions in Section 3-2A, the Frazier football team turned in a dominating performance on senior night, rolling to a 39-0 victory over visiting Beth-Center on Friday.
Latrobe makes defensive stand on game’s final play to stop Connellsville
October 9, 2020
Trailing by three points with four seconds left in the game, Connellsville had the ball at the Latrobe 5-yard line on fourth down. Instead of kicking a field goal to tie the game, Falcons coach Marko Thomas opted to go for the win.
Franklin Regional overpowers Connellsville with fast start
October 2, 2020
Seeking to build on momentum gained in its last two games, Franklin Regional scored on all four of its first-half possessions and never looked back in a 42-21 win over visiting Connellsville in a Class 5A Big East game Friday night.
Geibel boys seeking 1st PIAA playoff victory in 36 years
March 4, 2020
By the time the Geibel boys basketball team opens the PIAA Class A tournament Friday against Berlin Brothersvalley at Pitt-Johnstown, more than two weeks will have passed since the Gators last saw the floor in a competitive setting.
Polce leads Pine-Richland boys past Connellsville
February 18, 2020
Pinpoint perimeter shooting and dominant rebounding led Pine-Richland to an 81-51 victory over Connellsville in the first round of the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs Tuesday at Fox Chapel High School.
Avonworth puts quick end to Southmoreland’s playoff run
November 1, 2019
Although the Southmoreland football team accomplished a major goal of breaking a 40-year playoff drought, the Scotties were hoping that their stay in the postseason would turn out to be a bit longer.
No. 1 Washington gets 6 interceptions in rout of Southmoreland
October 18, 2019
The Southmoreland football team couldn’t have asked for a better start to Friday’s home finale against high-powered Washington.
Franklin Regional clinches playoff berth behind Zac Gordon’s 228 yards, 3 TDs
October 11, 2019
A couple of trends continued Friday night as Connellsville and Franklin Regional met in a homecoming game at Connellsville Stadium.
Charleroi rains on on Southmoreland’s playoff-clinching parade
October 5, 2019
It was a bittersweet night on Friday for the Southmoreland football team.
Latrobe feasts on Connellsville turnovers
September 20, 2019
Both the Connellsville and Latrobe football teams knew that a win on Friday night was vital to stay on the fringe of the playoff picture in Section 2-5A. With that in mind, both teams played with desperation and either team could have walked out of Connellsville Stadium with an all-important victory.
Top-ranked Penn-Trafford too much for Connellsville
September 6, 2019
Entering Friday’s game against Penn-Trafford, the Connellsville football team knew it would be tangling with the top-ranked team in Class 5A. Connellsville didn’t come away with a win, but it certainly in a better performance compared to the lopsided loss against McKeesport last week.
Connellsville’s 1st season with 3 coaches lays foundation for future success
August 24, 2023
The 2022 season brought a lot of change to the Connellsville football team. Instead of going with one coach, Connellsville employed three head coaches to help facilitate the overall improvement of the program.
Frazier hoping to take next step in rebuilding process
For the Frazier football team, a few years of struggles have certainly taken their toll on a proud program.
Imani Christian boys start fast, defeat Geibel in WPIAL Class A semifinals
February 25, 2023
For three of the four quarters in Saturday afternoon’s WPIAL Class A semifinal between Geibel and Imani Christian Academy, the fourth-seeded Gators proved they could go toe-to-toe with the top-seeded Saints.
High-scoring duo sends Geibel past Neighborhood Academy in Class A thriller
February 22, 2023
Before Wednesday’s WPIAL Class A quarterfinal showdown between fourth-seeded Geibel and fifth-seeded Neighborhood Academy, Geibel coach Don Porter instinctively pointed out that the game would be decided in the final four minutes.
Mt. Pleasant girls advance to WPIAL Class 2A title game on Riley Gesinski’s OT goal
November 1, 2022
The Mt. Pleasant girls soccer team had to put in a little extra work, but it was well worth it as the second-seeded Vikings secured their spot in the WPIAL Class 2A championship by defeating third-seeded South Park, 1-0, in overtime in a semifinal Tuesday night at Peters Township.
Big games from Fulton, Wetzel carry Latrobe over Connellsville
October 14, 2022
The Connellsville football team, playing on its own field, put together a fairly strong first quarter in front of a homecoming crowd Friday night.
Franklin Regional gets off to quick start on way to rout of Connellsville
September 9, 2022
A week of practices spent on the fundamentals of football yielded few positive results for Connellsville in Friday’s non-conference home opener against Franklin Regional at Connellsville Stadium.
Frazier eager to break into win column
August 26, 2022
The Frazier football team wasn’t happy with the way things went throughout the 2021 season. The Commodores struggled from start to finish on their way to an 0-9 season.
Trio of Connellsville alumni to share coaching duties, trying to get program back on track
August 25, 2022
Times have been tough for the Connellsville football team for a number of years.
Avonworth gets its revenge, beats Mt. Pleasant in 3A softball quarterfinals
May 19, 2022
During the 2021 softball season, the Mt. Pleasant and Avonworth softball teams met twice in the playoffs, with the Vikings knocking off the Antelopes in both the Class 3A WPIAL semifinals and PIAA quarterfinals on their way to WPIAL and state championships.
Yough baseball team rallies from 6-0 deficit to edge Mt. Pleasant in 8 innings
May 17, 2022
Yough baseball coach Craig Spisak isn’t a fan of seeing his team try to play from behind. But this season, it has happened so often, he knows the Cougars aren’t fazed when facing an early deficit.
Mt. Pleasant softball team defeats Southmoreland for 4th straight win
May 2, 2022
It took a little while, but the Mt. Pleasant softball team finally appears to be rounding into form. After starting the season at 3-7, the Vikings have rattled off four straight wins, with their most recent triumph being their most impressive.
Southmoreland edges neighborhood rival Mt. Pleasant in WPIAL girls soccer quarterfinals
October 30, 2021
There weren’t many surprises during Saturday’s WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinal soccer match between crosstown rivals Mt. Pleasant and host Southmoreland.
Kiski Area girls soccer team edges Connellsville with second-half goal
October 25, 2021
The Connellsville girls soccer team came into Monday’s WPIAL Class 3A playoff home game against Kiski Area with the opportunity to make program history. It didn’t happen.
Elizabeth Forward clinches conference title with resounding win over Southmoreland
October 22, 2021
The Southmoreland football team hit visiting Elizabeth Forward with some big body blows in the early part of Friday’s Class 3A Interstate Conference game Friday at Russ Grimm Field in Alverton.
Pass-happy Penn-Trafford surprises, routs Connellsville
October 15, 2021
Connellsville prepared all week for the hard-charging rushing attack of Penn-Trafford in Friday’s Class 5A Big East Conference game at Connellsville Stadium.
Norwin blanks Connellsville in nonconference clash
September 10, 2021
Connellsville couldn’t have asked for a better start to Friday’s nonconference home game against Norwin. Unfortunately for the Falcons, the start was about the only thing that went their way as the Knights recovered from an early mistake and rolled to a 37-0 victory at Connellsville Stadium.
Southmoreland football holds on vs. McGuffey
August 27, 2021
Southmoreland had the ball on its own 20 and a 20-point lead when Anthony Govern threw a deep pass over the middle that was intercepted by McGuffey’s Ethan Dietrich and returned 45 yards for a touchdown with 19 seconds left in the first half. Josh Plants made the second of two PATs to cut the deficit to 13 points at halftime.
After close call, Frazier motivated to claim playoff spot
August 26, 2021
As the 2020 football season unfolded, the Frazier Commodores found themselves wondering what each week would hold.
New coach hopes to help Connellsville get its swagger back
When Bill Maczko took the job as the new head coach of the Connellsville football team back in February, he knew the position would come with plenty of challenges.
Avonworth softball shakes off semifinal loss, tops Southmoreland to make states
May 27, 2021
A few missed opportunities early and one golden opportunity wasted late proved to be the downfall for the Southmoreland softball team in Thursday’s WPIAL Class 3A consolation game against Avonworth at Gateway.
Connellsville rallies from 5-run deficit to beat Shaler in Class 5A softball playoffs
May 18, 2021
Having lost five of six to close the regular season, the Connellsville softball team entered the WPIAL playoffs without much momentum or swagger. But the Falcons picked the perfect time to snap out of their slump.
Waynesburg girls volleyball on top of its game in playoff win over Frazier
November 2, 2020
During the regular season, the Waynesburg volleyball team used two wins against rival Frazier to earn a section championship.
Southmoreland girls soccer backs up strong regular season with playoff win
October 27, 2020
In his first season as coach of the Southmoreland girls soccer team, Josh Pajak couldn’t have asked for a better regular season from the Scotties. Southmoreland posted a 12-1 record, which included a section title and an eight-game win streak.
Gateway, Davis too much for Connellsville
October 23, 2020
The Connellsville football team did not play poorly in terms of mistakes and effort during Friday’s homecoming game against Gateway.
Frazier shuts out Beth-Center on senior night, stays in playoff hunt
October 16, 2020
Seeking a chance to stay locked into one of the top two positions in Section 3-2A, the Frazier football team turned in a dominating performance on senior night, rolling to a 39-0 victory over visiting Beth-Center on Friday.
Latrobe makes defensive stand on game’s final play to stop Connellsville
October 9, 2020
Trailing by three points with four seconds left in the game, Connellsville had the ball at the Latrobe 5-yard line on fourth down. Instead of kicking a field goal to tie the game, Falcons coach Marko Thomas opted to go for the win.
Franklin Regional overpowers Connellsville with fast start
October 2, 2020
Seeking to build on momentum gained in its last two games, Franklin Regional scored on all four of its first-half possessions and never looked back in a 42-21 win over visiting Connellsville in a Class 5A Big East game Friday night.
Geibel boys seeking 1st PIAA playoff victory in 36 years
March 4, 2020
By the time the Geibel boys basketball team opens the PIAA Class A tournament Friday against Berlin Brothersvalley at Pitt-Johnstown, more than two weeks will have passed since the Gators last saw the floor in a competitive setting.
Polce leads Pine-Richland boys past Connellsville
February 18, 2020
Pinpoint perimeter shooting and dominant rebounding led Pine-Richland to an 81-51 victory over Connellsville in the first round of the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs Tuesday at Fox Chapel High School.
Avonworth puts quick end to Southmoreland’s playoff run
November 1, 2019
Although the Southmoreland football team accomplished a major goal of breaking a 40-year playoff drought, the Scotties were hoping that their stay in the postseason would turn out to be a bit longer.
No. 1 Washington gets 6 interceptions in rout of Southmoreland
October 18, 2019
The Southmoreland football team couldn’t have asked for a better start to Friday’s home finale against high-powered Washington.
Franklin Regional clinches playoff berth behind Zac Gordon’s 228 yards, 3 TDs
October 11, 2019
A couple of trends continued Friday night as Connellsville and Franklin Regional met in a homecoming game at Connellsville Stadium.
Charleroi rains on on Southmoreland’s playoff-clinching parade
October 5, 2019
It was a bittersweet night on Friday for the Southmoreland football team.
Latrobe feasts on Connellsville turnovers
September 20, 2019
Both the Connellsville and Latrobe football teams knew that a win on Friday night was vital to stay on the fringe of the playoff picture in Section 2-5A. With that in mind, both teams played with desperation and either team could have walked out of Connellsville Stadium with an all-important victory.
Top-ranked Penn-Trafford too much for Connellsville
September 6, 2019
Entering Friday’s game against Penn-Trafford, the Connellsville football team knew it would be tangling with the top-ranked team in Class 5A. Connellsville didn’t come away with a win, but it certainly in a better performance compared to the lopsided loss against McKeesport last week.
