MICHAELA KISSELL

SCHOOL: Latrobe.

WHO IS SHE?: PIAA Class AAA girls' tennis champion. At 15, she is the youngest AAA champion since Vinnie Seiverling of Hershey in 1995.

THE PAST WEEK: Kissell was a cut above Julie Raezer of Lower Merion in the final, winning 6-2, 6-4. Kissell was a straight-sets winner in all four of her matches in Hershey, dropping only 11 games overall.

UNDAUNTED: Despite her youth, Kissell showed a lot of savvy. "I always think I have a chance, no matter who I play," she said. "You are playing the ball and not the person, so age doesn't really matter. My thinking is, if I play my best, anything could happen."

DESTINY'S CHILD: Kissell practically was destined to play tennis. Her mother, Kim Storkel Kissell, played at Greensburg Salem and is a pro at Greensburg Racquet Club. "She's my year-round coach," said Michaela, a hard hitter who started playing at age 2 1/2.

COURT DUTY: Being at the racquet club is her mother's vocation. It is Michaela's avocation, but one she embraces. She is on a court every day. "There's always room for improvement in everything," she said. "There is no such thing as a perfect match, but you work to try to get as close as you can."

-- By Rick Shrum, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

KEVIN MATHEWS

SCHOOL: Upper St. Clair

WHO IS HE?: A 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior running back-defensive back who has helped Upper St. Clair (10-0) to a perfect season so far.

LAST WEEK: Mathews rushed for a career-high 236 yards on 17 attempts as Upper St. Clair defeated Indiana, 44-13, in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs. He scored on an 89-yard run and an 84-yard kickoff return. He also made a tackle in the end zone for a safety and intercepted a pass.

SEASON: Mathews' performance against Indiana helped him surpass 1,000 yards for the season. He has 1,002 yards on 140 carries and has scored 21 touchdowns.

GETTING HIS KICKS: Although Mathews returns kickoffs, teams always kicked away from him. "I didn't even realize this, but he told me last week that he had not caught one kickoff this year," said Upper St. Clair coach Jim Render. "Indiana finally kicked to him and he took it back all the way."

HIGH PRAISE: "He's probably the quickest kid I've ever had here," said Render.

That's saying a lot, considering Render has been Upper St. Clair's coach since 1979.

THE OTHER SPORT: Mathews also is a talented outfielder in baseball. He had a team-high .524 batting average last season.

"I would think that a lot of small colleges and maybe even Division II schools would love to have him for football," Render said. "Whether he gets more opportunities in baseball remains to be seen.

-- By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette