Faith Academy turned to a former high school star from the Birmingham area for its newest boys basketball coach.

The Mobile school announced the hiring of former Homewood star Joseph “Luke” Touliatos late Friday night.

He replaces Butch Case, who resigned at the end of the school year and took an assistant position at Fairhope. The Rams announced the hire of Touliatos in an email to the Faith Academy family.

“Coach Touliatos brings a wealth of basketball knowledge, a sharp eye for player development, and a strong foundation in team values,” athletic director Rae Lynn Dennis said. “We are excited for the confident and fearless Christian culture he will bring to our program.”

Touliatos led Homewood to the Class 6A state title in 2016. He scored 31 points in a semifinal win over Huffman, and the Patriots followed that with a win over Muscle Shoals in the championship game.

According to the Faith release, Touliatos has more than seven years of coaching experience and has “made a lasting impact in the basketball world through his work with AAU programs, high school teams and his own athlete development business.”

Faith junior varsity and varsity players are encouraged to an open gym and meat the coach event from 4 p.m. to 5:30 Monday. Parents will meet the coach at 6 p.m. in the main gym.

At 10 a.m. Mountain Time (Noon Eastern), the 2025 Idaho All State Game will kickoff LIVE on the All State Game’s website. The game, featuring the top 6th, 7th and 8th grade players in the state, will be streamed from Idaho State University in Pocatello.

Chicago Bears first round draft pick Colston Loveland, who played in the game as a youth, will be on-hand for a cermony retiring his number from the game. The tight end played his high school football at Idaho’s Gooding High School.

About the 21st annual Idaho All State Game

This football event showcases the best 6th, 7th and 8th grade football players in a Treasure Valley vs. rest of the state (Team Idaho) format. In the high school division, the best 8 man high school players in the East (district 4,5,6) compete versus West (district 1,2,3).

Our mission is to celebrate the accomplishments of youth across the state through the annual games.  Through celebrating these extraordinary young athletes, we hope to reward and motivate a lifetime of achievement.  

Additionally, the All State Game believes in the importance of charitable activities and we have partnered with Fostering Idaho, a program that holds significant importance to event organizer (& multi-foster parent) Barry Tarter.  Since 2004 the Idaho All State Game has raised $250,000 in backpacks, clothes, and gift cards that go directly to foster kids in need.  Thank you to our 2024 families for raising over $40,000 this past year.

By: Bill Beckner Jr.


Saturday, June 21, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Norwin will remember the 2025 spring sports season for its impressive wins, highlight performances and gold medals.

There was plenty to talk about at year-end banquets.

Track and field was the standard bearer after a banner season.

The boys and girls teams won WPIAL Class 3A championships, the boys celebrating a title for the first time since 1977 and the girls for the first time since 2009.

A plethora of talent carried the Knights, who also produced a WPIAL individual champion in Ryan Schiller, who won the Class 3A 110-meter hurdles.

Runner-up finishers were Brandi Brozeski (triple jump, 100 hurdles) and Annie Czajkowski (1,600, 3,200), while Daniel Maddock (200), Melani Schmidt (400, 200) and the boys’ 400 relay all placed third.

At the PIAA championships, Schiller took second in the 110s while Annie Czajkowski took fifth in the 3,200-meter run.

Norwin’s track and field athletes broke 11 school records this spring, and 12 athletes will continue competing in college, including six at the Division I level.

Other highlights:

• The Knights baseball team also made a deep run in the postseason, reaching the WPIAL Class 6A championship game before finishing second to Seneca Valley.

Nate Silberman and Tristyn Tavares had hits in the WPIAL final, and Ethan Culbertson gave up just four hits in six innings a 1-0 loss to the Raiders.

Norwin, the No. 4 seed, beat Butler, 5-4 in nine innings, in the quarterfinals. The Knights defeated Hempfield, 7-4, in the semifinals.

With only the WPAL champion advancing to the PIAA playoffs in 6A, Norwin had to settle for a 14-9 season, coach Craig Spisak’s third with the team.

Nine seniors will leave the program, including Ben Geissler, Brayden Wardzinski, Culbertson, Silberman, Jake Sincak and others.

• The Norwin softball team reached the WPIAL 6A semifinals.

The Knights finished 10-12 with a team that will lose three seniors in Izzy Deering, Rachel Minteer and Kendall Dudley.

Top returning players will include Maddie Kugler, Diem Wardzinski, Abbie Telli, Miley Harrison, Addison Grimes and Makenna Black.

• Girls lacrosse made a surprising run to the WPIAL 3A quarterfinals.

The 12th-seeded Knights upset No. 5 Fox Chapel in overtime in the first round, 11-10.

They fell to No. 4 Moon in the quarterfinals, 13-7.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Norwin

The Indiana high school baseball season will come to an end this weekend at Victory Field with the IHSAA state finals.

Here’s who will match up with trophies on the line Friday and Saturday night:

HIT REFRESH FOR UDPATES.

2025 IHSAA baseball state finals scores, schedule

Class 3A: Andrean 4, Jasper 3, final

• W: Ivan Mastalski (And) 4.1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 7 Ks, 1 hit allowed
• Steven Mack (And) 1-2, 2 RBIs, Charles Sollars (And) 1-3, RBI, SB

• W: Ryan Redding (Luth), 7.0 IP, 7 Ks, 2 hits, 0 ER
• Gage Meaney (Luth) 2-5, 5 RBIs, 2 2B; Owen Lecher (Luth) 1-3, 2 RBIs

Saturday’s IHSAA baseball state finals schedule

Class 2A: Boone Grove (25-6) vs. Evansville Mater Dei (23-7), 4:30 p.m.

Class 4A: Valparaiso (25-5) vs. Evansville North (25-8), 8 p.m.

How to watch IHSAA baseball state finals

All four state championship games will stream exclusively on IHSAAtv.org via pay-per-view for $15 per game or $20 for all games. 

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Recently he best 6th, 7th and 8th grade football players enjoyed taking part the 2025 Mississippi All State game. The 3-day event celebrated the top middle school athletes in the state while opening up elite training and play opportunities.

The All State Game, a partner with High School Football America is a “best in state” event designed for middle school athletes who have demonstrated exceptional talent, hard work, and dedication to the game. Unlike traditional camps, ASG is an exclusive invite-only event where the best players from each state are selected to compete against top talent from across the nation. The experience not only helps young athletes sharpen their skills but also introduces them to a competitive environment that mirrors what they will face at the high school and college levels.

A community effort

“I’m super-excited for the Long Island high school football community, especially because it’s a great opportunity,” said Len Genova, president of the Suffolk County chapter of the National Football Foundation. “My younger son played in the (Boomer) game back in 2015, so I saw up close and personal just how special it was to those young men and their families.”

The road to a comeback wasn’t easy. Rising costs for helmets and insurance made organizing the game nearly impossible — until a group of sponsors stepped in.

Thanks to lead sponsor Orlin and Cohen Orthopedic Group, along with contributions from the New York Jets, New York Giants, and a partnership with Riddell to outfit all 100 players with Axiom helmets, the game is back.

Barclay Insurance Brokers CEO Marc Hudak also helped secure insurance for the event. Hudak has a proven track record organizing large-scale college games, including the Cortaca Jug at MetLife and Yankee Stadiums.

“Ever since it got shut down in 2020 due to COVID, I’ve been asked every year if we’re bringing the game back,” said Peter Blieberg, the game’s executive director and longtime organizer of the Empire Challenge. “The excitement has been there, so everybody is excited about it coming back.”

What to know for Saturday

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., with gates opening at noon. General admission tickets are $20, while children in youth football jerseys can get in for $10. Tickets are available here.

This year’s game will feature several rule adjustments:

• Quarters will be 15 minutes, not the usual 12
• The clock will stop on incomplete passes and plays out of bounds
• The last four minutes of each half will follow standard clock rules
• Defenses must line up in a 4-3-4, with no blitzing or stunts
• Offenses must have at least one running back in the backfield
• Fake punts are not allowed, and teams can only punt twice per half
• Onside kicks are only allowed in the final four minutes

It’s been a long time coming, but Long Island and New York City will finally meet again on the field.

Bragging rights — and some great youthful memories — are on the line.

Top: Scene from the 2011 Empire Challenge game at Shuart Stadium. (Credit: Jeffrey Holmes)