Local Sports

Pie Festival, Panther Night On Thursday!

Both Ellwood City and Riverside school districts will kick off their respective back to school seasons with community events on Thursday, August 22nd. Ellwood City will host its annual Lincoln High School Marching Blue Band Pie Festival at Helling Stadium in Ewing Park. Tickets are $5.00 to redeem for an Amish hand pie and bottle of water. Gates open at 6:00. Show starts at 7:00. Blue Band Boosters will serve pie 6:00-7:00 and will resume serving after the show so everyone can celebrate the athletes and enjoy the show. Tickets for the Pie Festival are available from band students prior…


Keller Crowned Champion Of 64th Annual Delmar Golf Course Club Championship

The 64th Annual Delmar Golf Course Club Championship was held August 10th and August 11th, 2024. This season’s championship field was comprised of 62 members of Delmar Golf Course. Ellwood City golf team junior and co-captain, Jordan Keller outlasted the field to be crowned the champion golfer of the year with a two stroke play total of 141 (-3). Keller’s even par 72 Sunday was good enough to hold off Zach Buben’s closing 69, as well as Michael Pope who both finished the event at 145. In other flight action, 2024 LHS graduate Mitchell Covert capture the A-flight title by…


Wolverines Boys Golf Team Improve To 2-0 On Young Season

The Ellwood City boys golf team is off to a quick start, earning victories in their first two matches of the fall golf season. Junior Jordan Keller fired a match-low 32 on Friday to help Ellwood City earn a 205-213 victory over Ambridge at Fox Run Golf Course. Nate Kennedy finished with a round of 41, Braden Roberts a round of 42, and Andy Lin and Jaxon Rozanski rounded out the scoring with rounds of 45 for the Wolverines. On Monday, Kennedy joined Keller with sub-40 rounds as Ellwood City knocked off Union at Sylvan Heights. Keller finished with a…


Justin Hand End College Golf Career With 2nd Straight Academic All-American Honor

Justin Hand was among five golf standouts from Tiffin University to be named Cobalt Golf All-America Scholars for the 2023-24 season. The 6’0″ senior and Riverside High School graduate earned a major in Accounting at Tiffin. He graduated from Tiffin University on May 4th Magna Cum Laude and started his MBA Program in Data Analytics at Tiffin University on May 14th. He is the son of Bill and Michelle. Hand turns in a decorated collegiate golfing career, finishing as a two-time Academic All-American and was a four-year starter on the Dragons men’s golf team. Hand tied the Tiffin University school…


Free Basketball Camp Draws 42 Participants

The free co-ed basketball camp at Ewing Park for 6 to 12-year-olds was held Monday, July 29th through Friday, Aug. 2nd from 10 a.m. to Noon. Forty-two campers were taught ball handling, dribbling, passing, defense, foul shot and layup shooting form and some rules of the game. The camp concluded Friday with games of knock out, horse, a shooting competition and games of five versus five. They were also treated to a pizza party. The pizza was donated by Johnny’s Pizza owner Joe Desanzo. Coach and organizer of the camp was Bob Rak. Coaches included Al Campman, Joe Fisher, Herman…


Ellwood City Falls Short In 73rd Little League Tournament; Zito Earns Homerun Derby Crown

After collecting an opening round win on Tuesday in the 73rd Annual Little League Tournament, Ellwood City squad could not advance any further, falling twice on Saturday, first to Laurel and again to Neshannock, each by a 5-2 count that eliminated the tournament host. Neshannock earned the tournament championship with two victories over Laurel on Sunday. Ellwood City’s Joey Zito won the the 23rd Ellwood City Little League Tournament Home Run Derby at Freidhoff Field. Zito launched eight home runs to defeat 29 other contestants from the tournament. Ty Cook of Neshannock was the runner-up with four home runs. On…


Ellwood City Rallies To Defeat Shenango In Its Little League Tournament Opening Game

Ellwood City rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to defeat Shenango, 5-2, in the 73rd Ellwood City Little League Tournament on Tuesday night. Ben Sukits smacked the key hit of the game with a three-run triple which erased a 2-1 deficit. Joey Zito and Luca Smith combined for a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts to lead Ellwood City on the mound. Shenango took an early lead in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Luca Fiore drew a base on balls and moved around the bases on three wild pitches to score to give Shenango…


FREE Co-Ed Basketball Camp To Be Offered At Ewing Park Courts

A free, five-day co-ed basketball camp is scheduled to begin at the Ewing Park Basketball Courts from Monday, July 29th thru Friday, August 2nd. Coaches Al Campman, Bob Rac, Herm Petti and Joe Fisher will host the camp that will run from 10 a.m. till noon during the week. Any boy or girl ages 7–11 are welcome to participate. The cost is FREE – just bring your own basketball and drinks. Coaching includes: ball handling, passing, dribbling, defense, shooting and games. Please note: participants must have their own insurance or must sign a waiver. Maximum camp attendees are twenty five…


BC3 Coach To Lead Team USA Seeking Gold Medal in 3×3 Men’s Basketball

(Butler, PA) Joe Lewandowski will open his luggage in a hotel in Paris, set aside his Team USA athletics wear and select one of his Butler County Community College polo shirts embroidered with the Pioneers’ logo near his heart to wear on his walk through an Olympic Village housing 15,000 athletes, coaches and staff. “That’s a big part of who I am,” said the head coach of the BC3 men’s basketball team and of the Team USA 3×3 men’s basketball squad debuting in the 2024 Summer Games. “That is standard for me. You always represent where you are from. That’s…


Gabe Lilly Among Three Area Athletes Competing At Fargo Nationals This Month

Ellwood City wrestler Gabe Lilly is among three area athletes competing out of Ellwood City High School’s Wrecking Crew Wrestling Club competing in the US Marine Corps Junior & 16U Nationals in Fargo, N.D. this month. The Fargo Nationals is the most elite national tournament for high school athletes and the tournament runs from July 13-20th, featuring both boys and girls brackets in a variety of weight classes and styles. As a soon-to-be Ellwood City senior student-athlete, Lilly finished in 6th place in Freestyle and finished as runner up in Greco Roman also qualifying for the PA wrestling team participating…