Legendary coach Kalp dies at 80

One of the best coaches in WPIAL softball history passed away over the weekend, as Bob Kalp died at the age of 80. Kalp led Hempfield Area to seven WPIAL and four PIAA titles during his tenure, racking up a record of 431-111-1 in 25 years at the helm. He began his storied coaching career in 1967, which also included a lengthy tenure as an boys basketball assistant, and stepped away from the softball diamond in 2021. The following year, he was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame.

PT hockey wins state crown

After claiming the first PIHL Penguins Cup Championship in program history last Monday, Penn-Trafford hockey capped off an incredible week with a state title on Saturday. The Warriors bested North Penn 3-1 in West Chester to win the Class AA Pennsylvania Cup Championship. Zach Grkman opened the scoring in the first, and Brock Bienemann extended the PT lead to 2-0 in the third. After North Penn trimmed the deficit to within one in the final minute, Ben Zierski sealed the championship with an empty-net goal. Meanwhile, Tyler Funk recorded 32 saves between the pipes for the Warriors.

Breen tabbed to guide Norwin boys soccer

One of the best players in Norwin boys soccer history is now tasked with leading the program, as Carter Breen was approved as the new coach last week. Breen, a 2019 Norwin grad, served as an assistant to head coach Scott Schuchert for the past four campaigns. Earlier this offseason, Schuchert stepped away, ending a successful 13-year tenure that saw him amass a record of 177-70-18, including a WPIAL Class 4A Championship in 2023. That championship victory came with Breen patrolling the sidelines, however, as he was the acting coach with Schuchert serving a suspension. After tallying a school record 68 goals in his Knights career, Breen played at Duquesne University.

Knights baseball notches pair of wins

Norwin baseball opened the 2026 campaign in impressive fashion last week, as the Knights secured home victories against Fox Chapel Area and Pittsburgh Central Catholic. In a 4-3 triumph against the Foxes on Thursday, Caden Sivrich and Derek Berger each had two hits and an RBI, while Tristyn Tavares also provided a run batted in. On Saturday, Sivrich went the distance on the bump, racking up 14 strikeouts, as Norwin ousted the Vikings 6-1. Tavares collected a pair of hits and two RBIs, while Jake Knight and Berger also each had two hits and an RBI.

SVC volleyball continues winning streak

Saint Vincent College men’s volleyball continued its winning ways last week, as the Bearcats claimed a pair of victories to extend their winning streak to 13 games. On Wednesday, SVC notched a straight-sets win at Grove City College, and then followed with a home triumph in straight sets against Hiram College. Against the Wolverines, Shawn McSwiggaen racked up 21 kills, Jack Ryan dished out 35 assists, and Braeden Artman had five blocks. Three days later, Zebediah Wyant paced the Bearcats with 14 kills, and Jackson Genicola had 10 digs. As a result, the Bearcats moved to 13-2 overall, including 9-0 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC).