George Guido: Alle-Kiski Valley softball teams down to Final 4

By: George Guido
Saturday, May 21, 2022 | 6:07 PM

And then there were four.

We started with 17 baseball and softball teams from the Alle-Kiski Valley to begin the WPIAL playoffs last Tuesday: six baseball and 11 softball.

At the end of the week, we were down to four, all in softball.

Burrell and Freeport will be active Monday in the Class 4A quarterfinals. The Bucs will play Belle Vernon at 5 p.m. at Norwin, and Freeport takes on top-ranked Beaver Area at Mars.

The Bobcats have won 37 consecutive games and are led by Virginia Tech recruit Peyton List, sporting an 0.22 ERA and a .583 batting average.

On Tuesday in the semifinal round, Class A Springdale will square off against No. 1 West Greene, and Class 3A Deer Lakes will face South Allegheny. Both of those games have sites or times determined.

Busy Patsey

It was another busy week for Riverview’s John Patsey.

On Tuesday, the junior was part of the the baseball team’s 13-6 upset over No. 7 Bishop Canevin.

Bishop Canevin was trying to become the first school in WPIAL history to win titles in football, basketball and baseball in the same school year.

At the WPIAL track finals Wednesday, Patsey took third in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 41.99 seconds. Then, as part of Riverview’s 1,600 relay team with Amberson Bauer, Micah Black and Jack Betler, the 13th-seeded Raiders finished fifth with a time of 3 minutes, 34.78 seconds.

Things didn’t go quite as well though for Riverview in Thursday’s baseball quarterfinals as the Raiders dropped a 5-1 decision to Union.

Facing facial hair

Facial hair has been taboo in high school wrestling for some time, except for moustaches that don’t dip below the lip corners.

Starting next season, however, any facial hair trimmed to a length so that skin is visible for medical examinations will be allowed.

Facial hair that is in the way of a potential examination by a medical professional will be trimmed to conform to the guidelines.

In such cases, the wrestler may not compete until the facial hair is trimmed and the medical examination is completed.

Also, hair control devices and other adornments in the hair that are securely fastened and do not present an increased risk to the wrestler, teammates or opponents will be allowed.

It brings to mind a time in the early 1970s when Freeport was hosting a state American Legion baseball tournament.

The late Sonny Westerman, chair of the tournament, had a barber’s chair stationed behind home plate. At the time, a player’s hair couldn’t touch the top of the uniform collar.

If it did, Sonny was there to do his own barbering until the player satisfied the guidelines.

Coincidence or not, the rule was changed the following season.