OREM — From the first day of preseason, Maple Mountain boys’ volleyball coach Napoleon Galang knew his team had something special.

The Golden Eagles weren’t just defending 5A champions from the first-ever UHSAA-sanctioned state tournament. They wanted to double their tally, too.

“They knew what they wanted,” Galang said, “and they worked so hard every day in practice for that.

“Our senior captain Manase is the best middle in the state. Taft is the best setter in the state. We have the two best freshmen in the state, and some of the best players in general in our program. And they support each other in whatever moment.”

It’s hard to argue against it.

BYU signee Trey Thornton had 17 kills, and Taft Hillman dished out 27 assists as top-rated Maple Mountain cruised to back-to-back 5A titles, 25-16, 25-15, 25-15, Saturday evening over Wasatch at the UCCU Center at Utah Valley University.

Matheus Borges added five kills and five block touches for the Golden Eagles (29-1), who capped a dominant follow-up campaign to last year’s inaugural sanctioned state title by not losing to an opponent from the state of Utah.

“That’s a credit to Taft; he runs a great offense. And our passing is the best in the state,” said Thornton, the 6-foot-6 outside hitter and opposite who also had offers from USC, Ohio State, Lewis, Pepperdine, UC San Diego and Penn State.

“Every single game, I think we out-perform in the passing category,” he added. “Having the pass in the set really sets up our offense to go hammer balls.”

Any good volleyball team’s standout hitting always starts with serve-receiving and passing, and the Golden Eagles were no different. But just how dominant was Maple Mountain, though?

The Eagles lost just nine total sets against in-state opponents, the last of which in a 3-1 win over Alta in Saturday’s semifinals. The lone loss came back on March 29, a 2-1 tournament setback to Windward from Los Angeles, California.

Since then, life’s been coming up Maple, including a perfect 12-0 ascension through Region 7 play and the No. 1 overall seed in the state tournament.

But it’s not just Thornton, who plays for BYU coach Shawn Olmstead with Club GSL in the summer.

Hillman, the 6-foot-7 setter who jokes who took up the position in sixth grade after playing with his dad and friends while being “the only one who couldn’t hit,” has become adept at finding openings.

That includes Thornton, who put down five kills from among Hillman’s eight assists as the Golden Eagles jumped out to a 16-8 advantage and never looked back.

But it also means distributing the ball from a back row that includes freshman McKay Beattie for Hillman to distribute to Thornton, Borges and middle hitter Manase Storey, who had four block touches, and the rest of the attack.

“Obviously, I’ve got to feed our big hitters, which are Manase and Trey,” Hillman said. “But every team is always so focused on them, and they don’t realize we have a lot of great weapons that are ready for every set.

“I’ll go to Manase and Trey a lot, but I know that my other hitters are ready and can put a ball down when I need them to.”

Hillman got it done on defense, too.

The 6-foot-7 junior recorded his second block of the match to lift Maple Mountain to an 11-7 advantage in the second set. The Eagles didn’t slow down until they won the second set, 25-15 on a service error.

Story gave Maple Mountain a dominant 18-8 lead in the third set, and Abe Hawkins and Thornton sealed the win with a block up the middle to give the Golden Eagles their first championship.

JJ Serre put down seven kills to lead Wasatch (21-9), which got 13 assists from Brody Hulme.

Madisen Noll stands on deck as Anna Sanders takes an at-bat against Tennessee State.

Lindenwood softball (24-25) season came to an end on Thursday after a heartbreaking loss to rival SEMO (26-18) by the score of 4-3. Lindenwood was one out away from knocking off their arch rival and eliminating them from the OVC tournament when the Redhawks rallied in the bottom of the seventh to win. 

Avery Wapp was once again brilliant for the first six innings before things unraveled in the seventh and she was tagged with the loss, finishing the season 9-9, as her final line read 6.2 innings, four runs on 10 hits, four walks and two strikeouts.  

Hanna Johaninng was once again the star at the plate going 3/3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.  

SEMO got on the board first in the second as Gracie Luna tattooed a 0-0 delivery from Wapp for a solo homer to put the Redhawks up 1-0.  

The Lions offense would be kept quiet through the first five innings as Willow Van Haren only allowed two hits and a walk through the first five innings before the Lions finally struck in the sixth.  

After Van Haren retired the first two Lindenwood hitters in the sixth Jolie McMinn stepped up to the dish and whalloped a 1-1 pitch over the fence in left field tying the game at 1-1. The homer was McMinn’s sixth of the season. 

The bats stayed hot for Lindenwood in the top of the seventh. After Madison Noll flew out to open the inning, Dallis Darnell sparked the rally with a sharp single, putting the go-ahead run on base. That brought up Johanning, who delivered in the clutch, ripping a 2-1 fastball down the left field line for a stand-up double. Darnell raced around the bases, and a perfect relay from SEMO made it a bang-bang play at the plate. Initially called out, the play went to review, and the call was overturned, giving the Lions a 2-1 lead. 

Johanning advanced to third on a wild pitch, and Lauren Pelton stepped in and added to the momentum. On a 2-1 pitch, she laced an RBI single down the left field line to plate Johanning and give Lindenwood a crucial insurance run, pushing the lead to 3-1 heading into the bottom half. 

Just three outs away from moving on, the Lions turned to Wapp to close the door. She got the first batter to foul out to third, but SEMO wouldn’t go quietly. A double and a single put runners on the corners with one out. Hailey Burnett lifted a shallow fly to center for the second out, and Lindenwood stood one out away from advancing. 

Then came the collapse. 

Three straight singles from the Redhawks,including a heartbreaking blooper that dropped just inside the left field line — drove in three runs and handed SEMO a shocking 4-3 walk-off win. Johanning and Noll both converged on the final ball but neither made the play, and with it, Lindenwood’s season ended in dramatic, gut-wrenching fashion. 

The Lions will now return to St. Charles with a bitter taste in their mouths — but also a renewed fire. This tough ending could very well fuel next year’s campaign as they look to turn postseason heartbreak into motivation. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Big West champion and No. 2 seed Hawai’i couldn’t overcome the early firepower of third-seeded and defending champion UCLA, falling in the semifinal round of the 2025 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship at the Covelli Center on Saturday night.  

The Bruins improve their record to 22-6 on the season after sweeping the match with set scores of 25-14, 25-23, and 25-23. Meanwhile, UH closes their campaign at 27-6 in their return season to the national stage after a one-year hiatus.   

UCLA now advances to meet No. 1 seed Long Beach State in the championship, in a highly anticipated rematch of the 2024 finale. The Beach will be looking for their fourth title and a first since 2019, while UCLA is eyeing three straight victories to continue their dominant run. 

The Rainbow Warriors were led by freshman Adrien Roure’s 12 kills on .333 hitting with two service aces. Sophomore Tread Rosenthal tallied 19 assists to go along with five digs and four kills. Justin Todd added four blocks and a pair of kills in the loss. Statistically, the ’Bows were outhit .370 to .188 and outblocked 11 to four, and UCLA’s sweltering start proved too much to handle.  

The Rainbow Warriors opened up the match with the first point of the day off the hand of Finn Kearney and an ace for Roure set the score at 3-1. A notable run of eight consecutive points powered by Cooper Robinson on the serve handed the Bruins the 10-4 advantage and UCLA was able to keep stretching the lead. It was 18-9 after a block for Sean McQuiggan and Andrew Rowan, and Zach Rama’s strike off a Rowan assist finished the frame with a commanding 25-14 win.  

In the second, UH again eased uut to the 3-1 lead, but the Bruins got the next points three capped by an ace for Rowan to again edge out in front. A big out of system point after hustle dig for ‘Eloy Choy resulted in a kill for Roure to knot the frame at four apiece. A Kearney ace after a successful challenge by UH gave the ’Bows a 10-8 advantage, but the momentum was thwarted by five straight for the Bruins.  

UH kept fighting to knot the set at points 18 through 22 and a kill for Kainoa Wade off a Kearney pass put Hawai’i up 23-22. Unfortunately, that was their last point of the set as the frame ended 25-23 in favor of UCLA after Sean Kelley and McQuiggan finished it out with the denial at the net.  

UCLA led for the duration of the third set, but the ’Bows again fought to the final point, pulling within one at 22-21 after an ace for Roure was followed by kill for Louis Sakanoko. Back-to-back service errors followed to keep it a one-point margin but the Bruins scored the final two points on the court to win the frame. A UCLA red card after the action ended resulted in a final third-set score of 25-23.  

UCLA’s offense was paced by 13 kills on .435 hitting for Kelly and a 10-kill outing for Rama. Rowan recorded a match-best 34 assists with McQuiggan finishing the night with seven total blocks including two solo stuffs.  

The Bruins now play for their 22nd national championship in program history. UCLA has won the last two titles, after a 15-year drought.  

Meeting up with LBSU in the finals for consecutive seasons, 2025 will mark the third time since 2018 that the Beach and Bruins compete for the trophy. In 2018, LBSU came away with the five-set win at ULCA and last season’s four-setter was contested at Walter Pyramid. Monday will see a neutral site matchup between the two for the rubber match in recent history, since The Big West began sponsoring men’s volleyball. LBSU and UCLA also tussled for superiority once before, in 1970’s inaugural championship won by the Bruins. 

29 North Avenue — the small saltbox jutting into the sidewalk near Staples High School — is one of the most admired homes in Westport.

Now the entire state knows about it.

On Thursday owner Annette Norton received a Connecticut Preservation Award, for her loving rehabilitation of the c. 1820 Mills house.

At just 930 square feet of low-ceilinged space — and vacant through 7 years of bankruptcy proceedings — it could well have been another teardown.

But the Savvy + Grace owner, working with contractor Javier Pasato, restored, rehabilitated and preserved the historic dwelling. (And the adjacent 19th-century barn, too.)

Congratulations, Annette. Your dedication to Westport — both residential and retail — is greatly appreciated! (Hat tip: Bob Weingarten)

29 North Avenue, after restoration.

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Happy Mothers Day!

And Wreathing for Community — the non-profit that creates gorgeous wreaths, then gives them to non-profits and lucky residents — has a Mothers Day winner.

Pamela Tinoco nominated her mom.

Wreathing’s Faith Sargent says that Pamela’s mom’s “love, resilience and presence have left a lasting impression on her family. The nomination was heartfelt and full of admiration — a beautiful reminder of the quiet strength so many mothers carry. I’m honored to gift this wreath in her honor.”

Pamela Tinoco, her daughter and the wreath to be delivered to Pamela’s mom.

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No one wants to hear “DNR.”

Unless they playing.

Doctors know the initials stand for “Do Not Resuscitate.”

Music lovers know it stands for one of Fairfield County’s favorite rock bands.

And — surprise! — nearly all the musicians are physicians.

On Saturday, June 14 (7 p.m.), they take their show to the Westport Library. It’s a fundraiser, for the Library’s great community programming.

Get your tickets ($40) here. There is also a cash bar.

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Some Staples High School sports get more recognition than others.

In the spring, baseball and lacrosse are big.

But hundreds of other athletes play a dozen other sports.

One of the most overlooked is girls water polo.

Today Ryan Allen — the sophomore whose photos and videos of a variety of subjects have impressed many “06880” readers — gives it the attention it deserves.

He stopped by the pool the other day, and created this video. Game on!

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Speaking of swimming (sort of): The Westport Country Playhouse celebrates the 50th anniversary of “Jaws” on June 2 (7 p.m.).

The classic film will be shown, along with a talk and trivia before and after with artistic director Mark Shanahan. Get your tickets ($25) here.

Not scared? Want more? A Script in Hand play reading of “The Shark Is Broken” — a witty, revealing play about the making of the film (directed by Shanahan) is set for June 9 (7 p.m.). Monday, June 9, at 7 p.m. Get tickets and more information here.

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More than 5 dozen students were inducted into 6 Language Honor Societies recently. Felicidades to:

Società Onoraria Italica (Italian): Cooper Brundige, Sofia DiLeo, Uzi Greenman, Gabriel Hellmann, Carly Mulhern, Benjamin Peterson, Isabellal Pirkl, Myla Saperstein, Riley Sklar.

Delta Epsilon Phil (German): William Enquist, Thomas Nowak, Skye Selva, Matthewe Tybur.

Zhōngwén Róngyù Xuéhuì (Chinese): Danie Arava, Lila Boroujerdi, Ben Esser, Natalia Garment, Jay Hari, Miles Khan, Olivia Morgeson, Stella Nguyen, Olivia Saw, Rebecca Schachter, Rajan Sekhar, Andreson Seo, Brooke Shaughnessy, Michael Wang, Andersen Ye, Connor Yuan.

Associatonem Ad Promovendum Studium Latinum (Latin): Tanush Arora, Annie Bowman, Catherine Campagnino, Ava Carter, Samantha Hermus, Drew Hill, Nelly Kaminski, Olivia Kuliga, Mina Leon, Dhilan Patel, Jake Shufro, Sophie Smith, Oliver Vynerib.

Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish): Isabel Alfageme, Emma Asiel, Kevin Cano, Sofia Donroe, Kate Finger, Owen Goldfarb, Abigail Kane, Christian Michaels, Sydney Minervini, Sophia Novello, Devyn Peffer, Rei Seltzer, Taylor Serotta, Isabelle Wasserman.

Société Honoraire de Français (French): Kate Bulkeley, Penelope Eisenberger, Gunnar Eklund, Andi Jacobs, Isabel Jo, Souleye Kebe, Graysen Peters, Daniella Sacchetti, Maria Stiber.

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You may not have heard of the “J vs. K Book Tour.”

But your kid sure has.

The other day, it took the Library by storm. Best-selling authors and Newbery Award winners Kwame Alexander (“The Crossover”) and Jerry Craft (“New Kid”) took over the Trefz Forum to celebrate comics, creativity, and the magic of collaboration.

“J vs. K” is the latest book project from Alexander and Craft. The illustrated story features 2 talented 5th graders — one a writer, the other a drawer — going head to head in a creative competition for the ages.

As part of the book launch, the writers are traveling the country in a special van, talking to elementary and middle school students.

The crowd of 300 at the Library came from Dunbar School in Bridgeport, ESL students from Central High School in Bridgeport, Marvin Elementary in Norwalk, and Wooster Middle School in Stratford.

The J vs. K Tour comes to the Library.

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The public is invited to the Westport Police Department’s promotional ceremony (May 23, 4 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).

David Farrell will be sworn in as police chief. Also on stage for promotions: deputy chief David Wolf, captains Jillian Cabana and Eric Woods, and detective Rachel Hall.

Westport’s next police chief: David Farrell.

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Jack Krayson opened his pool opened on Friday.

It will be cleaned tomorrow.

In the meantime, it’s the perfect algae-ridden environment for this guy.

And his photo is the perfect image for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.

(Photo/Jack Krayson)

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And finally … Johnny Rodriguez — one of country music’s first Hispanic stars — died Friday, at 73. Here’s his obituary. (Hat tip: Amy Schneider)

(Happy Mothers Day, to all who celebrate. To celebrate my late mother, or my 2 sisters who are great mothers, please support their son/brother’s blog by making a contribution here. Thank you!)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the second straight season, the Long Beach State and UCLA men’s volleyball teams will square off with a national championship at stake.

Third-seeded UCLA, chasing its 22nd national crown and looking to become the first program to win three straight in more than 40 years, will have to get past the team that spent the majority of the 2025 season atop the rankings. For top-seeded Long Beach, Monday’s 4 p.m. PT title match represents a chance to secure its fourth NCAA title and avenge a bitter defeat in last year’s final, when the Bruins beat LBSU in four sets on its home court.

Both teams took care of business in Saturday’s semifinals. Long Beach (29-3) shook off a first-set loss to defeat fifth-seeded Pepperdine, 20-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23. UCLA (22-6) swept second-seeded Hawaii, 25-14, 25-23, 25-23.

Freshman setter Moni Nikolov, the newly minted national player of the year, broke the NCAA single-season aces record while leading LBSU into its 11th NCAA final. Nikolov came into the match just three aces shy of tying the record of 100. The 6-foot-10 Bulgarian tied and broke the mark on a pair of back-to-back aces in the third set and finished the match with five aces, a season-high 52 assists, six kills and 10 digs while quarterbacking his team to a .482 hitting percentage.

Senior opposite hitter Nato Dickinson and freshman outside hitter Alex Kandev each had 19 kills for Long Beach, with Kandev hitting a team-best .533 to go with eight digs. Dickinson hit .485 while recording five blocks, four assists and three digs. Junior opposite hitter Skyler Varga added 11 kills on a .381 clip.

The closely contested match saw 37 ties and 14 lead changes over the four sets, with both teams hitting over .400.

The first set was tight early, but Pepperdine used a 5-1 run to open a 22-17 advantage before closing out the set, 25-20. Neither team led by more than two points in a brilliant second set. The Waves used a 4-0 run to grab an 18-16 lead, but Long Beach scored three straight points after a timeout. LBSU eventually won the set, 25-23, on a Dickinson kill.

Long Beach hit an absurd .720 in the third set, with Nikolov’s record-setting ace providing a 12-8 lead. A 3-0 LBSU run capped by a kill from Connor Bloom provided a 24-18 lead and Kandev secured the set with a kill.

Long Beach hit .552 in the decisive fourth set, but Pepperdine hit .412 as the teams staged another tight battle. After 13 ties, LBSU got a few big plays from Isaiah Preuitt for a 16-15 edge. The Big West Conference regular-season champions extended their lead to 21-18 with a 5-1 run. Pepperdine answered to get within one point at 22-21, but Dickinson gave Long Beach a set point at 24-22 and his 19th kill ended the match, 25-23.

Sophomore outside hitter Ilay Haver had 14 kills and four digs while hitting .545 for Pepperdine (21-10), which put together one of its most impressive offensive performances of the season with its .421 hitting percentage.

Junior outside hitter Ryan Barnett had 13 kills on .536 hitting and freshman outside hitter Cole Hartke had 13 kills on .333 hitting to go with four digs and two aces. Graduate setter Gabriel Dyer added 48 assists and eight digs, while junior libero Jacob Reilly led the team with nine digs, and sophomore middle blocker James Eadie had a team-best four blocks.

UCLA hit .370 while holding a short-handed Hawaii (27-6) squad to a season-worst .188 mark in its semifinal.

Freshman outside hitter Sean Kelly had a match-high 13 kills while hitting .435 to pace the Bruins, who had the advantage from the service line (six aces) and at the net (11 blocks). Junior outside hitter Zach Rama added 10 kills, junior setter Andrew Rowan had 34 assists and junior middle blocker Sean McQuiggan recorded seven blocks.

UCLA used an eight-point run to open a 10-4 lead in the first set with junior outside hitter Cooper Robinson contributing two aces and a pair of kills. The Bruins’ third ace extended their lead to 16-8. They remained in control through the end of the set while hitting .417 to Hawaii’s .048 and closed it out on a Rama kill.

UCLA used a 5-0 run to take a 13-10 lead in the second set. The Rainbow Warriors tied the score at 17-all and there were five more ties before a diving save from Adrien Roure gave Hawaii a 23-22 lead. UCLA answered to reclaim the lead and closed out the set with its seventh block.

Hawaii kept shuffling its lineup searching for the right combination, but UCLA surged to a 12-6 lead in the third set. The Warriors got within 15-13, but UCLA went ahead 20-15 on back-to-back blocks. Hawaii got within 22-21 on a kill by Louis Sakanoko, but the teams traded service errors then UCLA scored the next two points, with Rowan setting up Robinson for his ninth kill to secure the match.

Roure led the Warriors with 12 kills with two aces while hitting .333.

Long Beach won both of its regular-season matches against UCLA, though both were played early in the season. LBSU won a four-set match at home on Feb. 7 then swept the Bruns five nights later at Pauley Pavilion.

By: Michael Love


Sunday, May 11, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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A couple of postponements created a busy scenario for the final week of the regular season for the Gateway boys volleyball team.

Four matches in four days, starting with a crucial Section 4 clash with Central Catholic and continuing with matches against Plum, Penn Hills and Fox Chapel, decided the Gators’ fate in regards to their goal of capturing the section championship.

“I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t physically and emotionally taxing at this point in the season to take on such a demanding schedule,” Gateway coach Phil Randolph said.

“While the expected signs and looks of fatigue were in place on the faces of the kids when I saw them in the hallways for school, we were spry and eager on the court, which is a testament to the work that these guys have put in both in and out of the gym since the conclusion of last season. I fervently believe that one of the big reasons that we have been able to make this program into a perennial playoff contender since I’ve taken the reins of this program is because we work year-round to ensure we are physically ready to perform in season.”

Gateway started the four-game stretch with three wins — a 3-1 triumph over Central Catholic, a 3-2 thriller over Plum, and a 3-0 shutout of Penn Hills on senior night at the Furrie Sports Complex.

That put the Gators at 7-2 in the section and clinched at least a tie for the section championship in their first season back in Class 3A after several seasons in Class 2A.

Gateway hoped for revenge against Fox Chapel last Thursday in a rematch of a 3-2 loss to the Foxes from April 15.

The Gators then were to find out their playoff fate Friday when the WPIAL boys volleyball playoff committee was set to assemble and release the Class 3A brackets.

The severe storms from April 29 knocked out power to several areas in the region, including Monroeville, and with Gateway schools being closed several days, Randolph said it created challenges for the team.

“We did miss a few days of practice last week before getting back to practice on Friday,” he said.

“Following the SATs on Saturday, we were able to get back in for a few hours and get a healthy run going. Even though it was only a few days of missed time, there was rust that needed to be shaved off before our marathon week, so this was certainly time well spent. We were able to take a closer look at what we needed to specifically tailor for each of our opponents.”

The game plan for the rematch with Central Catholic — moved to May 1 from May 5 because of the power outage — worked well as Gateway bounced back from an epic 31-29 Vikings win in Game 1 to capture the final three games — 25-23, 25-17 and 25-20.

“That match was a blast,” Randolph said. “If we matched up 10 times, you could have 10 different outcomes because there is a lot of parity with these squads. I loved that it was a clean, competitive contest. There wasn’t any trash talking or complaining about calls or drama from kids or coaches. It was just good, competitive volleyball between two squads with guys who love the game. I have a ton of respect for Grant Heckmann and the manner in which he runs his crew, and I have some imaginings that he and I have some similar manners in which we are both trying to play chess with hopes that others are playing checkers.”

Randolph said middle hitters Chase Lewandowski, a junior; and Donovan Shaeffer, a sophomore; senior libero Owen Echegaray; senior defensive specialist Ethan Nguyen; senior setter Tommy Nikou; outside hitters Darious Farrar, a senior, and Daniel Bozicevic, a junior; and junior utility player Tokyo Kubanychbekov, were able to execute the game plan with speed, mobility, power and efficiency.

Randolph also said junior opposite side hitter Aiden Coughran had a breakout game with his quick-strike swings.

“Aiden is apt to let his play do the talking, so I was super excited to see him have the spotlight deservedly shone on him following Monday’s big win,” Randolph said.

Gateway completed a sweep of rival Plum, but it wasn’t easy the rest of the way after the Gators seemed to breeze through a 25-14 win in Game 1.

Plum rebounded in Game 2, 28-26, and Game 4, 25-23, but the Gators prevailed, closing out the match with a 15-11 win in the deciding fifth game.

“Plum definitely was a different team (May 6) than they were when we saw them earlier in the season,” Randolph said.

“It was impossible not to come away from (that) night impressed with how efficiently Plum was able to have their outside hitters — Max Grice and Adam Smith — become threats from all six spots. They have some really talented and hard-working kids on that roster. For us to earn that hard-fought win, we had to hit reset a few times and take a few deep breaths so that we could get back on the same page. Once we restored our positive energy and made some strategic moves with regard to trying to exploit their blocks and serve-receive, we looked like our old selves again.”

Gateway celebrated senior night with a quick 3-0 win over Penn Hills with scores of 25-16, 25-13, and 25-16. Farrar, Nguyen, Echegaray, Nikou, middle hitter Brandon Maldonado and defensive specialist Cam Pawlowski were celebrated before the match.

“For the guys who’ve been here for all four years — Darious, Ethan, Owen and Tommy — it’s been like watching my own kid grow up,” Randolph said.

“All four of these young men have left big and lasting fingerprints on this court and this program, and while they will certainly be missed next year, they and their contributions to our ‘volleyball family’ will not be forgotten any time soon. And while I haven’t been able to spend as much time with (first-year seniors) Brandon and Cam, they’ve both been very welcomed additions to the squad, and it’s been really special to see how far they’ve grown in just a few short months’ time. I wish that they’d have been around for all four years.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Gateway