(File Photo of a Football)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Imperial, PA) West Allegheny School District is set to hire Bob Palko to be the head coach of its high school football program in 2026, pending a vote at its next school board meeting today, per the agenda of that district’s board meeting. If the vote is approved, this will be the 25th season that Palko has led a West Allegheny program, with his first twenty-four coming to an end in 2018 when he announced that he would be stepping down from that position. Palko led West Allegheny to each of its eight WPIAL championships, including three straight titles from 1999-2001 and back-to-back championships in 2012-13 during those twenty-four seasons. Palko has a career record of 248-84 across 28 seasons with West Allegheny and Mt. Lebanon. This also comes after former West Allegheny head football coach Dave Schoppe resigned last month. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods (2) walks back to the locker room after an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals Oct. 3, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Los Angeles, CA) Former Steelers wide receiver Robert Woods will retire from football after the Los Angeles Rams announced yesterday that he signed a one-day contract to retire as a Ram. Woods signed a one-year contract with the Steelers in 2025 and was briefly a member of the team’s practice squad. The thirty-three-year-old Woods was a 2013 second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills and he appeared in 171 NFL games with four teams. Those teams were the Bills, the Rams, the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans. Woods finishes his career with 38 touchdowns and 683 catches for 8,233 yards. 

(File Photo: Credit for Photo: Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings celebrates after walking it off against the Marlins in the 12th inning Saturday, June 5, 2021 at PNC Park (Matt Freed/ Post Gazette)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Former Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings is now with the team at the start of Spring Training, but he is not on the roster. Stallings is a part of the baseball operations department for the Pirates. Stallings was drafted by the Pirates in the seventh round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of the University of North Carolina, where he slashed .294/.388/.445 for an OPS of .834 over his career in college baseball. The Pirates traded Stallings to the Miami Marlins on November 29th, 2021 for right-handed pitchers Kyle Nicolas and Zach Thompson as well as outfielder Connor Scott.

(File Photo of the Special Olympics Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) The 2026 edition of the annual Beaver County Polar Plunge will take place at the Bridgewater Landings Marina in Beaver this Saturday, February 21st with registration beginning at 9 a.m. and the plunge starting at 12 noon. Hosted by Special Olympics of Pennsylvania, over 600 participants of all ages will jump into the cold Beaver River for a good cause to support local athletes. The full schedule for this event and the link to register for it can be found by clicking here.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: (File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Atlanta Braves’ Marcell Ozuna in action during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Sept. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, file)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna officially became a Pittsburgh Pirate yesterday on his one-year deal with the team as the Pirates held their first full-team workout at spring training in Bradenton, Florida. Outfielder Jack Suwinski was designated for assignment by the Pirates that same day to give Ozuna a spot on the Pirates’ roster. A source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that terms of the deal for Ozuna were not announced, but it’s for $12 million and includes a $16 million mutual option for 2027 and a $1.5 million buyout. 

(File Photo of Riverside High School)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) Fran Ramsden was rehired as the head football coach for Riverside High School for the 2026 high school football season after a school board meeting at the Beaver County school last month. Ramsden was a former head coach and a longtime assistant coach at Riverside, which is where he served as a volunteer assistant coach and later the offensive coordinator during the 2025 high school football season. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Jack Suwinski (65) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Monday, May 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Bradenton, FL) The Pittsburgh Pirates designated outfielder Jack Suwinski for assignment today, as the team held its first full-team workout at spring training in Bradenton, Florida. The move clears a roster spot for veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna, who signed a one-year deal with the Pirates with a mutual option for the 2027 season. The 27-year-old Suwinski slashed .147/.281/.253 with an OPS of .534 last year, as well as hitting three home runs while striking out 57 times in 150 at bats. Suwinski started that season on the opening day roster for the Pirates, but played in only 59 games and had two stints at Triple-A Indianapolis. Suwinski has struggled at the plate after hitting 19 home runs as a rookie in 2022, and 26 the following season.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Steelers offensive tackle Zach Banner heads to the line against the Dolphins in the first quarter Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, at Heinz Field. (Matt Freed/Post Gazette)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Zach Banner announced his retirement from football on social media yesterday. Banner was drafted out of USC in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts and then joined the Steelers in 2019, appearing in 22 games for them from 2019-2021. Banner most recently played for the Houston Roughnecks in the United Football League in 2025. 

(File Photo of State Representative Rob Matzie)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Ambridge, PA) According to a release in Ambridge from State Representative Rob Matzie’s office, Matzie announced on Friday that Beaver County is one step closer to having a new, state-of-the-art indoor track and field facility for spectator sports, thanks to new funding of $175,000. Matzie confirmed that the funding to M7 Sports Inc., which is located in Hopewell Township, will support a major expansion project to allow the venue to host bigger spectator events at all levels. In addition to that funding, Matzie stated that another grant of $120,000 would allow Visit Pittsburgh in Allegheny County to construct additional facility installations, which would support the city’s bid to host the Rugby World Cup in the years of 2031 and 2033. The funding was awarded through the Department of Community and Economic Development under the Sports Marketing and Tourism Program and this program was created to attract high-quality, amateur, and professional sporting and e-sports events to Pennsylvania.

(Credit for Photo: Courtesy of Visit Pittsburgh)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Tickets are on sale now for The Football Town, a film which explores the storied football tradition of the region as part of the celebration of Western Pennsylvania’s rich football history leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh and they can be purchased on the Kamin Science Center website by clicking here. NFL Films, in partnership with VisitPITTSBURGH, the Pittsburgh Steelers and U. S. Steel will present this film, which premieres on Saturday, February 28th at Kamin Science Center’s Rangos Giant Cinema, right next door to Acrisure Stadium, and it will run exclusively for two months leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh taking place on April 23rd-25th. The first-ever immersive format documentary produced by NFL Films, The Football Town, is an approximately 50-minute film that focuses on the unique history of football in Western Pennsylvania, which is a region defined by grit, steel, hard work, three rivers, the Appalachian hills and its community. Pittsburgh area native Pat McAfee will narrate the film and it will feature appearances by Steelers legends Jerome Bettis, Bill Cowher, James Harrison, Joey Porter Sr. and others. The Football Town is presented by U. S. Steel to celebrate its 125th anniversary and its deep roots in Pittsburgh.