Paul Schofield stories, Page 43
Hopewell baseball’s magical playoff run ends in state semifinals
HOMER CITY – Hopewell’s magical baseball season came to an end Monday in the PIAA Class 4A playoffs, one game shy of a trip to State College for the championship game. District 6 champion Bellefonte rallied with a five-run fifth inning to spoil Hopewell’s run, 6-5, at First Commonwealth Bank...
Bushy Run Legion baseball season delayed by Penn-Trafford run to state tournament
The Bushy Run American Legion season was supposed to begin June 5, but the success of Penn-Trafford’s varsity baseball team has delayed the start. Penn-Trafford not only reached the WPIAL semifinals and qualified for the PIAA Class 5A playoffs, the team defeated the No. 1-ranked team in the state —...
Former WPIAL pole vault champion Tim Tray’s facility offers vaulters a chance to improve
When Tim Tray was in high school at Norwin, the school didn’t have an indoor facility to practice the pole vault. Tray, who cleared 15 feet and was a WPIAL champion in high school in 2003 and was in the mid 16s while winning a conference title at Slippery Rock...
Top college golfers compete at Laurel Valley as Palmer Cup comes home
The 27th Arnold Palmer Cup came home this year, and it might be back again. The Ryder Cup-style competition that features some of the top men’s and women’s collegiate golfers from the United States versus an international team is being played at one of the late Arnold Palmer’s favorite courses:...
Freshman slugger, sophomore ace power Hempfield into state semifinals
MECHANICSBURG — Hempfield rode the hot bat of freshman Lauren Howard and the spinning pitches of sophomore Riley Miller to a win Thursday in the PIAA Class 6A quarterfinals. Howard hit a solo home run in the third inning and doubled and scored in the sixth inning to help the...
After knocking off state’s No. 1-ranked team, Penn-Trafford baseball stares down WPIAL champs
Penn-Trafford coach Lou Cortazzo was a second baseman for the Warriors in 1981 when his team upset Greensburg Salem in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs. In that game, Greensburg Salem coach Dale Hassinger decided to rest his ace left-hander, the late Curt Zucco, to face powerful Connellsville in...
Franklin Regional wrestling alum Finn Solomon transfers to Pitt from NC State
When Finn Solomon was at Franklin Regional, he never considered wrestling for Pitt. But after spending one season at North Carolina State, where he competed in open tournaments and posted an 18-3 record, Solomon decided to put his name in the transfer portal. The first school of many to contact...
Zach Snyder resigns as Mt. Pleasant wrestling coach
Mt. Pleasant is looking for a new wrestling coach after Zach Snyder resigned last week to spend more time with his family. Snyder coached the Vikings the past four years and leaves a team returning 10 seniors and two PIAA qualifiers — Jamison Poklembo and Dylan Pitzer. His record with...
Westmoreland PIAA baseball capsules: Games for Thursday, June 8, 2023
PIAA baseball playoffs Class 5A First round Penn-Trafford (16-6) vs. Shaler (20-4) 2 p.m. Tuesday at Gateway District seeds: Penn-Trafford 7-3; Shaler 7-1 Winner plays: Winner of 7-2 Bethel Park (18-5) vs. 12-1 Monsignor Bonner (16-7) on Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Coaches: Lou Cortazzo, Penn-Trafford; Brian Junker, Shaler...
Rick Stimmel wins Tri-State PGA Open in playoff
Rick Stimmel admitted he started thinking about last year’s Tri-State Open during the final few holes of this year’s tournament Tuesday at Southpointe Golf Club. And while he let his three-shot lead trickle away in 2022, the 55-year-old did enough to hold on and win this year’s title in a...
Latrobe’s furious rally comes up short in 1st round of PIAA baseball playoffs
BELLEFONTE — Oh so close. The Latrobe baseball team came a few feet short of pulling off a dramatic comeback in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs Monday at Governor’s Park. The Wildcats’ rally came up one run short as they lost to District 6 champion Bellefonte,...
Greensburg Central Catholic softball team ready to take on District 9 champ Cranberry in state playoffs
Greensburg Central Catholic softball coach Mike Gaffney has been coaching the Centurions for 12 seasons. He doesn’t allow things to bother him that he can’t control. His focus is on his team and how it is performing. So, after the Centurions (14-3) were beaten by No. 1 Neshannock, 15-0, in...
Penn-Trafford has unfinished business, opens state playoffs against Central Mountain
When Lou Cortazzo was named interim baseball coach at Penn-Trafford two weeks before the season began, people around the district were stunned at the timing. Cortazzo replaced Dan Miller as coach, and despite the sudden change the goals stayed the same: make the WPIAL playoffs, win the section, qualify for...
Westmoreland PIAA baseball capsules: Games for Monday, June 5, 2023
PIAA baseball playoffs Class 5A First round Penn-Trafford (15-6) vs. Central Mountain (20-1) 4 p.m. Monday at Lock Haven District seeds: Penn-Trafford 7-3; Central Mountain 6-1 Winner plays: Winner of the 7-1 Shaler (19-4)/3-5 Muhlenberg (15-8) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Ryan Grabowski, Penn-Trafford; Brady...
Penn-Trafford’s Matt Sarnowski caps season with 3rd-place finish at PIAA meet
It doesn’t happen often, but two of the top discus throwers in Pennsylvania reside in Westmoreland County and live less than 10 miles apart. So when the 2024 track season begins, Hempfield junior Peyton Murray and Penn-Trafford junior Matt Sarnowski, who finished first and third, respectively, at the 2023 PIAA...
North Allegheny AD Bob Bozzuto looking to revive Murrysville American Legion baseball
Bob Bozzuto loves baseball. He’ll talk all day about the game he loves. He also loves to teach. The WPIAL baseball committee chairman wants to see players develop into stars and enjoy the game. Why else would the Hempfield Township native and North Allegheny athletic director return to coaching American...
Belle Vernon senior’s memorable day helps team dedicate WPIAL-title win to coach
Belle Vernon senior Alexa Daniels had quite an eventful WPIAL Class 4A softball championship game Wednesday. It began with a fastball to the foot and ended by jumping into teammate Ava Zubovic’s pool with her uniform on. In between, she took a glove to the face, a fastball to the...
Trinity outhits Armstrong to win 1st WPIAL softball title
Trinity found the right formula to defeat one of the best hitting teams in the WPIAL: outhit them. That’s what the Hillers did Thursday in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game at Cal (Pa.)’s Lilley Field. Trinity (19-2) won its first softball title by outhitting and outscoring No. 1 Armstrong,...
Belle Vernon holds off Montour to win WPIAL Class 4A softball title in wild finish
It might have been the wildest finish to a WPIAL softball championship game in years. No. 4 Belle Vernon won its fifth WPIAL title by holding off No. 2 Montour, 8-7, in the Class 4A championship game that featured some shaky baserunning and a chaotic finish Wednesday at PennWest University...
Seton LaSalle beats defending champion Serra Catholic to claim 3rd WPIAL baseball title
Seton LaSalle pitcher Brian Reed was asked if he knew his record was this season. He didn’t know, and neither did his coach Brad Besti. “I guess five or six (wins),” Besti said. The senior right-hander sure looked like Cy Young to the Serra Catholic batters, no matter what he...
After deep playoff run, Penn-Trafford boys lacrosse continue to grow
Before the season, Penn-Trafford coach Charlie Hach and his players set goals of making the playoffs, winning a playoff game and reaching the Final Four. Mission accomplished. The Warriors (15-6) completed their finest season, finishing 9-1 in the section, won their first home playoff game and reached the semifinals in...
Biondi Gymnastics competitors add to medal collection during successful season
When Alison Biondi began Alison Biondi Gymnastics, LLC in Penn Township, she had five gymnasts. Boy, has the program grown under her watch. She has now more than 300 boys and girls competing. This year, 26 athletes from the club competed in the Pennsylvania state championship and many finished in...
OLSH’s Antonio Votour claims state gold in 110 hurdles
SHIPPENSBURG – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart senior Antonio Votour came into the PIAA track and field championships coming off a record performance at the WPIAL championships May 17. He showed the others in the state he wasn’t joking around. Votour broke his own personal record in winning the...
Waynesburg’s Andrew Layton fights through pain to win PIAA Class 2A pole vault
SHIPPENSBURG – Talk about a gutsy performance at the PIAA track and field championships Saturday at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium. Waynesburg senior Andrew Layton should be wearing a walking boot to protect his injured left foot. But Layton said he wasn’t about to miss trying to win a gold...
Hempfield’s Peyton Murray gives dad a special gift, a gold medal in PIAA discus
SHIPPENSBURG — Father’s Day isn’t until June 18, but Peyton Murray gave his dad and coach the best present ever. The Hempfield junior threw a personal record of 185 feet, 9 inches to win the Class 3A discus Saturday at the PIAA track and field championships at Shippensburg’s Seth Grove...
