Jerin Steele

Cabot

Sports Writer at Observer-Reporter

Contributor to Trib HSSN/Valley News Dispatch/Trib Sports and @thedirtnetwork.

Featured in: Favicon

triblive.com Favicon

tribdem.com Favicon

dailyamerican.com Favicon

bloombergnewstoday.com Favicon

trenddetail.com Favicon

techjaun.com Favicon

observer-reporter.com Favicon

news.trenddetail.com

Articles

Wetzel ends stellar career at PT as O-R Player of Year

3 weeks ago | observer-reporter.com | Jerin Steele

By Jerin SteeleStaff [email protected] Peters Township’s final regular season game against Mt. Lebanon, five days before the playoffs began, Natalie Wetzel injured her left ankle and had to be helped to the bench. She knew right away it wasn’t a typical sprain and plenty of emotions ran through her brain. “I was thinking ‘Is this the end of my high school basketball career?’,” Wetzel said. It turned out to be a moment that would add to her legend at Peters Township.
Fort Cherry girls basketball rolling during 12-game winning streak

2 months ago | observer-reporter.com | Jerin Steele

By JERIN STEELEStaff [email protected] temperatures in the area have been frigid lately, but the Fort Cherry girls basketball team is feeling warmth. Not only are the Rangers on fire on the court as winners of 12 consecutive games and atop the Class 2A Section 2 standings, but they’ve played like a tightly connected team. It’s got them aiming toward winning a second straight section title. “The closeness within this group is tremendous,” Rangers coach Clarence Edwards said.
Versatility, Tenacity help Char-Houston girls become one WPIAL’s best defenses

Jan 19, 2025 | observer-reporter.com | Jerin Steele

By JERIN STEELEStaff [email protected] Laura Montecalvo was a high school basketball player she always valued defense, so naturally she holds it in high regard as a coach. So far, her Bucs have been a lockdown unit. At the midpoint of the season, they are statistically one of the best defensively in the WPIAL. Chartiers-Houston has yielded only 26 points per game, which is the second fewest behind Winchester Thurston (24.8).
McGuffey uses 4th-quarter comeback to down KO

Jan 6, 2025 | observer-reporter.com | Jerin Steele

1 / 5Highlander Aydan Cunningham lays in two points on a breakaway that cut Keystone Oaks' lead to three points with five minutes left in the January 7 game at McGuffey. 2 / 5McGuffey's Aydan Cunningham works past Keystrone Oaks' Tulio Watts (11) to put the Highlanders up 66-64 in the final minutes of the January 7 game at McGuffey. 3 / 5McGuffey's Sam Stout (23) battles Keystone Oaks' Carmen Pellarin for a rebound in the first half of the January 7 game at McGuffey.
Dunkle’s dunk sparks Trinity

Dec 9, 2024 | observer-reporter.com | Jerin Steele

1 / 4Trinity's Jacob Dunkle (11) puts in a rebound that gave the Hillers a 7-0 lead in the first quarter of the December 10 game against Fort Cherry at Hiller Hall. 2 / 4Fort Cherry defenders Tyler Wolfe (11) and Jack Kitzmiller (4) close in on Trinity's Chase Kostlenik (5) as the Rangers tightened up on the Hillers offense in the second half of the December 10 game at Hiller Hall.
Gold Rush: Canon-Mac senior chasing PIAA title

Dec 4, 2024 | observer-reporter.com | Jerin Steele

By Jerin SteeleStaff [email protected] senior Natalie Rush has accomplished pretty much everything in her wrestling career, but there’s still one major prize on the list. A PIAA gold medal. Rush, the reigning 192-pound WPIAL champion, has finished as the runner-up at the state tournament each of the last two years and was third as a freshman. This season she’s aiming to break through and win state gold in her final try.
‘One of the best teams in the state’

Dec 2, 2024 | observer-reporter.com | Jerin Steele

1 / 5Faye Saunders (left) and Lauren Borella (13) battle Jordyn Welsh (21) for the rebound during girls basketball action. 2 / 5Lauren Borella (13) puts up a shot against Danielle Radulovich during Canon-McMillan’s 60-42 loss to Peters Township. 3 / 5Dylan Donovan (25) of Peters Township puts up a shot despite the efforts of a Canon-McMillan defender during boys basket ball action.
A-K Valley Class 2A wrestling preview: 'Nothing has really changed' for defending champ Burrell

Nov 26, 2024 | triblive.com | Jerin Steele

After a two-year hiatus, Burrell wrestling returned to the top of the WPIAL Class 2A mountain by winning its 18th district championship last season. In the offseason, there was a shuffling of the coaching staff with longtime assistant Steve Ansani becoming the head coach and Josh Shields stepping down to an assistant role, but the goals are the same. With nine WPIAL individual placewinners returning, the Bucs are well-stocked to defend their title.
A-K Valley Class 3A wrestling preview: Fox Chapel a dual threat

Nov 25, 2024 | triblive.com | Jerin Steele

Fox Chapel wrestling coach Michael Frank watched his group work to master the art of the dual last season. As a team, the Foxes worked together to win their first section title since 1971 and with 10 wrestlers returning who won at least 15 matches, expectations are high once again. “For the outsider to understand how each wrestler plays a vital role in a dual meet … it’s a complicated matter,” Frank said. “Most people see wrestling as an individual sport and at the heart of it, it truly is.
Knoch girls look to keep meeting program's high standards

Nov 18, 2024 | triblive.com | Jerin Steele

In the last seven years, the Knoch girls basketball program has built itself into a consistent contender. The Knights have been in the playoffs every season during that span, made a WPIAL Class 4A championship appearance in 2022 and have qualified for the state playoffs three consecutive seasons. With three returning starters and some intriguing newcomers, the goal is to keep that streak going. “That’s the baseline for where we expect to be,” Knoch coach Shane McGraw said.