Through the decade of the 1990s, Kennywood Park in West Mifflin was home one of the nation’s most thrilling roller coasters, the Steel Phantom. At the time of its debut in 1991, it was the fastest and...

OK, check this out. I would never be naïve enough to say that it doesn’t take talent to win championships in high school athletics. Especially on the state level. And you don’t get there without good,...

Clairton has won so often and in such dominating fashion over the years, that sometimes when they win, it can feel like a loss. The Bears, who have been “Bad News” for the opposition for over two deca...

When Aaron Rodgers was smashed by two Cincinnati defenders and got up rubbing his left wrist, it created an interesting situation for the Steelers. The first interesting thing was he got sandwiched wa...

About a year and a half ago, Sports Stew highlighted the remarkable athletic family of John Hisiro out of Charleroi. His brothers, Tom and Carl, starred for the Cougars on both the football field and ...

I’ve come to the conclusion that the new motto for Pittsburgh sports teams should be “When is enough, enough?” There is a slight difference in two of the teams. Bob Nutting is the problem with the Pir...

A few years ago, many high schools had their own “networks” streaming scholastic sporting events for their fans to view and enjoy. It was a new experience and seemed to be a match made in heaven for b...

Not too long ago, Scott Frederick recalled a unique class project at Ringgold that turned into a memorable brush with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Around 1999, as the team planned to build a new ballpark, ...

When Frazier finished off a dominating 27--12 win over host California in a WPIAL 1A first round playoff game Friday, it was a night of many milestones for the Commodores. First off, it was the progra...

The WPIAL postseason is finally here, and it seems like the season just flew by. Here I am making plans for basketball season, which tips off in just under four weeks, while managing and scheduling co...

By JEFF OLIVER MVI Sports All too often, in today’s society, we tend to look at our youth with a jaundiced eye. And the reasons are many because a lot of kids today have just grown up in a different e...

This weekend some teams will undoubtedly be disappointed when some perennial playoff teams are on the outside looking in. It’s going to be interesting to see where some of our local teams are seeding,...

As temperatures start to dip into fall, here’s a little food for thought: • When you opened your copy of The Mon Valley Independent Saturday morning, you probably noticed how many blowouts resulted fr...

Greetings from rainy Summerville, S.C.! My first ever column written outside of the Keystone State. And it won’t be the last. Just because I chose to move south and avoid the cold weather and sometime...

WAYNE STEWART MVI Sports Mickey Bitsko of Van Voorhis became a four-sport star at Charleroi High School, but like his older brother, NFL All-Pro linebacker Myron Pottios, his best sport was football. ...

One day after the end of a too-little, too-late U.S. comeback attempt in the Ryder Cup, here’s a little food for thought: * Once again, Penn State fans are painfully reminded that their team is going ...

For the first time this season, the Steelers’ defense looked almost as good as its press clippings Sunday against New England. Five turnovers and a ton of sacks will do that for you. More important th...

After the Steelers and Pitt didn’t give fans much to smile about, maybe you will enjoy some food for thought: • It’s going to be that kind of season, Steelers fans. Nothing will come easy and my advic...

Ancient alchemists tried to turn base metal into gold— and failed. Washington & Jefferson basketball star Alan Bradstock turned a piece of paper into a golden career. That paper was a degree from W&J,...

As great as Rick Puskar was as an athlete, that’s probably the least reason why I came to love him. To be fair, it was his ability as a basketball player that allowed him to enter my life. But after t...