BVA boys enjoy stellar stretch

Belle Vernon Area boys basketball enjoyed an incredible week, as the Leopards won four games. In a span of six days, BVA defeated Uniontown Area, Yough, Derry Area, and Greensburg Central Catholic. Last Monday, the Leopards claimed an 83-77 overtime win against the Red Raiders, as Curty Wade poured in 32 points and Luca Ghilani netted 20 points. The next day, the Leopards smashed the homestanding Cougars 74-25 in Class 4A Section 3 action, as Wade, Cam Jenko, and Elijah Majors all scored in double figures. On Friday, Belle Vernon claimed an 81-61 home win against the Trojans, as Ghilani produced 20 points, offsetting Brayden Robinson’s 21 points for Derry Area. The Leopards capped their stellar stretch on Saturday by defeating the Centurions 70-50 at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Showcase at Jeannette. In that triumph, Majors notched 17 points and Jenko scored 16, while Luke Semelka paced GCC with 17 points. As a result, BVA sits at 6-3 overall, including 3-0 in the section.

Kiski Area edges Burrell on the mat

A highly-anticipated wrestling showdown in Westmoreland County last week went in favor of Kiski Area, as the Cavaliers edged host Burrell 30-27 last Tuesday. Kiski Area rallied from a 24-11 deficit, capped by a pin courtesy of freshman Gavin Litz in the decisive match. Additionally, the Cavaliers received a fall from Mario Hutcherson (189), a major decision by Cooper Roscosky (215), and a decision by Alex Akerley (285). Capturing pins for the Bucs were Julian Bertucci (139) and Liam Jones (160), while Cam Baker, Cadyn Crawford, Jacob Stewart, Antonio Perkins, and Carl Thomas secured decision. As a result, the Cavs moved to 12-0 on the season, while the Buccaneers dropped to 0-1.

Spartans hockey extends winning streak

Hempfield Area pushed its winning streak to five games courtesy of a 5-3 victory against Greater Latrobe last Thursday. Playing as the visitors at the Kirk Nevin Arena in Greensburg, the Spartans overcame a two-goal deficit by scoring four unanswered between the second and third periods. Mats Martz and Jonathan Holtzman each tallied a pair of goals for Hempfield, while Kevin Sabie also scored and Evan Saltzgiver made 20 saves in the win. Preston Miller tallied two goals for the Wildcats, while Reese Myers made 42 saves in the defeat. With the victory, the Spartans moved to 10-2-1-0, and with 32 points, trail Penn-Trafford by one point for the top spot in the PIHL Class AA standings.

Southmoreland’s Pritts named AD of the year

Southmoreland athletic director Brian Pritts was selected as the 2025 WPIAL Athletic Director of the Year last Thursday. Pritts, who started in the role in 2023, previously served as a girls basketball and football coach in the district. As a result, Southmoreland will receive $500 for its athletic department. The other finalists for the honor were Plum’s Drew Karpen, Rich Evans from Connellsville Area, Charley Kiss at McKeesport Area, and Highlands’ Katie Jo Stobert.

Griffins’ Kalich notches triple-double

Mia Kalich achieved a rare feat in Seton Hill University’s win on Sunday, as she posted a triple-double. In the Griffins 85-49 win at Mansfield University, Kalich posted 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 steals, along with five assists and a block. Moreover, Hallie Cowan paced SHU with 20 points, while Helene Cowan also scored 18. With the win, Seton Hill improved to 4-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), and 8-2 overall on the campaign.