Bentworth’s softball roadblock sparks Monessen memories
High school, Sports, Sports Columns
SPORTLIGHT
By By JEFF OLIVER MVI Sports 
May 27, 2025
Ayear ago, Bentworth’s softball team was denied a WPIAL title when the Bearcats lost in the 2A championship game to powerhouse Neshannock, 4-1. This season, the Lancers, who have won 47 straight games...
‘Tybo’ is the right man for BVA boys
High school, Sports, Sports Columns
I’M JUST SAYIN’
May 22, 2025
It’s not like the Belle Vernon Area School Board hasn’t made good hires in the past. But I will say that I commend it on making the right choice whne it comes to the boys basketball job. I know who th...
Picking champions
High school, Sports, Sports Columns
I’M JUST SAYIN’
May 10, 2025
Well, the brackets have been released and the WPIAL baseball and softball playoffs are ready to get underway. Not to be used for any shady or non-official betting purposes, here are the ways I think t...
Pirates need to use Skenes while they still have him
MLB, Pittsburgh, Sports, ...
SPORTLIGHT
By By JEFF OLIVER MVI Sports 
May 5, 2025
When I was a kid, my grandmother used to tell me, “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.” Now, my gram was the most saintly, kindest person I ever knew and I tended...
Steelers’ draft performance was better than predictions
Pittsburgh, Sports, Sports Columns
SPORTLIGHT
By By JEFF OLIVER MVI Sports 
April 28, 2025
Maybe I’m just getting old. I dunno. But I can’t remember a time when I was so wrong all the way around on a Steelers draft. No matter what it was, over the three-day event I missed it. There were pla...
Tartt honored as ‘Legendary Pioneer’ of Pgh. Black Softball
Pittsburgh, Sports, Sports Columns
SPORTLIGHT
By By JEFF OLIVER MVI Sports 
April 22, 2025
Iwas a little young to have followed Dane Tartt’s athletic career during his days at Donora High School, where he graduated in 1967. However, I really got to know him well during our careers in softba...
Fans express anger at Pirates’ home opener
MLB, Pittsburgh, Sports, ...
By By JEFF OLIVER MVI Sports 
April 7, 2025
Here’s a little food for thought after an Opening Day and Final Four weekend: • Seriously, how many of you expected the Pirate fans to roundly boo manager Derek Shelton like they did when he was annou...
Loss won’t define Gladiators’ season
High school, Sports, Sports Columns
SPORTLIGHT
By By JEFF OLIVER MVI Sports 
March 31, 2025
The greatest basketball season in South Allegheny history ended on a sour note in a 60-51 loss to West Catholic in the PIAA 3A championship game Saturday. However, losing a championship game in which ...
Musial looks back on his time in Donora
Local Sports, Sports, Sports Columns
By By WAYNE STEWART For MVI Sports 
March 29, 2025
Some time ago, a column in the Mon Valley Independent featured letters Stan Musial wrote back home, mainly from 1939-1946, to Joe Barbao. During that span, Musial was making sure to keep in touch with...
Pirates will be better in 2025
MLB, Sports, Sports Columns
I’M JUST SAYIN’
March 27, 2025
It’s finally one of my favorite days of the year. A day that SHOULD be a national holiday, where kids are off school, businesses are closed and we just all get to enjoy America’s pastime. It’s finally...
DeUnger is perfect fit as new Charleroi football coach
High school, Sports, Sports Columns
SPORTLIGHT
By By JEFF OLIVER MVI Sports 
March 24, 2025
Iremember vividly when Scott “Scooter” DeUnger wore the various uniforms of Charleroi’s baseball, football and basketball teams. He stood out to me from the rest of the players for various reasons. Th...
Wash. County DA probing youth football finances
Local Sports, Sports, Sports Columns
By By PATRICK VARINE & JEREMY SELLEW TribLive jsellew@yourmvi.com 
March 15, 2025
WPYFL president Bill Spencer tendered his resignation March 11. The largest youth football league in Pennsylvania is part of a police probe as officers investigate accusations of financial impropriety...
Hostetler reflected on playing days at Clemson and Charleroi
Local Sports, Sports, Sports Columns
SPORTS STEW
By By WAYNE STEWART MVI Sports 
March 13, 2025
Editor’s note: We are rerunning Part 1 of our Sports Stew feature on Charleroi’s John Hostetler. Below is Part 2. John “Hoss” Hostetler was featured in a 2021 MVI story, but his story is so rich, ther...
Local Sports, Sports, Sports Columns
By By WAYNE STEWART For MVI Sports 
March 13, 2025
Part 1 of the Hostetler story featured him discussing select Charleroi High stars. He continued, moving on to the highly successful Jeff Petrucci. “I didn’t see too much of him during my senior year b...
High school, Sports, Sports Columns
SPORTLIGHT
By By JEFF OLIVER MVI Sports 
March 10, 2025
By now, sports fans throughout the tristate area are aware of the wild melee that broke out during Friday night’s Uniontown-Meadville PIAA playoff game. With just over three minutes to play and Meadvi...
Catching up; talking Salvino & DiCenzo
High school, Sports, Sports Columns
March 6, 2025
After a few days off I still find myself struggling to get back into the swing of things. It’s First Pitch time, we have new basketball champions and we’re about 8 days away from the start of baseball...
Kukrak was by Salvino’s side for six WPIAL titles
High school, Sports, Sports Columns
SPORTLIGHT
By By JEFF OLIVER MVI Sports, AMANDA SEITZ Associated Press 
March 3, 2025
John Kukrak remembers that day in 1995 perfectly. He was in his driveway washing his vehicle when his neighbor and friend, Nick Mahalko, pulled up. Mahalko had been the scorekeeper for Monessen’s boys...
Will Salvino be forced to return to Leopards’ bench?
High school, Sports, Sports Columns
SPORTLIGHT
By By JEFF OLIVER MVI Sports 
February 25, 2025
a little food for thought to help Here’s start your week: • Over the many years of his legendary coaching career, Joe Salvino and I had this little moment we used to enjoy. Often times, when I was int...
More to the recipe of destroying a program
Sports, Sports Columns
I’M JUST SAYIN’
February 20, 2025
Here we go again with more parent drama plaguing a successful athletic program in the Mon Valley. And while the Frazier wrestling program has seen a lot of success since it’s creation in 2015, it’s se...