Paul Schofield stories, Page 52
Penn-Trafford junior swimmers set for big season
Penn-Trafford’s swimming teams opened the season by defeating Greensburg Salem, getting off to a strong start to a season coach Dave Babik considers pivotal for the future of the program. The boys breezed to a 91-50 victory as juniors Patton Graziano and Conner Alexander each qualified for the WPIAL meet...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Hockey team hands South Fayette its 1st loss
Xavier Solomon scored three goals, and Penn-Trafford handed South Fayette its first loss of the season in PIHL Class 2A action Dec. 5. The Warriors got goals from Jack Blank and Solomon in the first period to grab a 2-1 lead. They extended the lead to 5-2 after two periods...
Once healthy, Franklin Regional wrestling should be a team to beat
It may not happen in the month of December, but the Franklin Regional wrestling team could be a tough team to beat in early 2023. That’s when Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe sees his team being fully healthy. The No. 5-ranked Panthers are expected to challenge for the WPIAL Section...
WPIAL Team Wrestling Rankings for Dec. 6, 2022
Here are this week’s WPIAL team wrestling rankings. Teams are listed with overall record. Class 3A 1. Waynesburg (0-0) 2. Latrobe (0-0) 3. Canon-McMillan (0-0) 4. Connellsville (0-0) 5. Franklin Regional (0-0) 6. North Allegheny (0-0) 7. Hempfield (0-0) 8. Bethel Park (0-0) 9. Butler (0-0) 10. Penn-Trafford (0-0) Teams...
WPIAL wrestling notebook: Bethel Park, Plum headline Eastern Area Invitational
Bethel Park had one champion and 10 placewinners to grab the team title at the Eastern Area Invitational on Saturday at Gateway High School. The Black Hawks finished with 212 points. Plum followed with 195 and Penn-Trafford was third with 174.5. Bethel Park’s champ was Mason Kernan (133 pounds). Placing...
Penn-Trafford wrestlers in good position with mix of youth, experience
When A.J. Brentzel took over the Penn-Trafford wrestling program in 2019, his goal was to rebuild the program. And now he leaves the program in better shape than he got it. Brentzel passes to coaching torch to assistant coach Travis McKillop this season, and the 30-year-old looks to continue the...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Loughner stars for hockey team
Senior Nate Loughner scored two goals and had an assist as Penn-Trafford rallied to a 5-2 victory against Mars in a PIHL Class 2A game on Nov. 28. Garrett Rechtorik and Xavier Solomon added second-period goals to break a 1-1 tie. Loughner and Chase Bonson added goals in the third...
Ryan Palmieri accounts for 4 TDs, leads Pine-Richland back to state championship game
ALTOONA — Pine-Richland football coach Jon LeDonne changed his philosophy for Friday’s PIAA Class 5A semifinal. Instead of putting his defense on the field if he won the toss, he decided to see how his offense would respond. LeDonne won the toss, sent his offense on the field and the...
Mt. Pleasant wrestlers plan to reload, compete for section title
Mt. Pleasant wrestling team missed its goal last season of winning a WPIAL Class 2A title. But fourth-year coach Zach Snyder said reaching the final four in the WPIAL was something the 2022-23 squad can build on. With the change in section alignments moving Mt. Pleasant to Section 2, the...
WPIAL Class 2A wrestlers to watch in 2022-23
WPIAL Class 2A wrestlers to watch: Rune Lawrence, Frazier The junior (67-4) earned his second WPIAL and PIAA titles at 172 pounds last year. He was 37-3 as a sophomore and has 40 career pins. His brother Thayne was a PIAA two-time champion. Grant MacKay, Laurel The senior (119-18) was...
WPIAL Class 2A wrestling preview: Burgettstown takes preseason favorite role
For the first time in 15 years, Burrell isn’t necessarily the wrestling team to beat in WPIAL Class 2A. That honor goes 2022 third-place finisher Burgettstown. The Blue Devils are the pick because they return 10 starters, including five PIAA qualifiers, from a squad that finished 15-3. Two of the...
Latrobe looking to take next step in quest for WPIAL Class 3A wrestling title
Latrobe wrestling coach Mark Mears had high hopes for his Wildcats in 2021. He knew if things worked out right, the Wildcats would be in the running for a WPIAL Class 3A team title, challenging No. 1 Waynesburg for a championship. And while the Wildcats (15-3) didn’t get a chance...
Greensburg Salem football, baseball coaches resign
Being a high school coach has its rewards and drawbacks. There is the thrill of victories and the building of relationships with student-athletes. Those are some of the good things. Some of the difficult thing for coaches is not being there for the sons and daughters as they grow up....
WPIAL Class 3A wrestlers to watch in 2022-23
WPIAL Class 3A wrestlers to watch: Vinny Kilkeary, Latrobe The senior captured his second PIAA title by dominating Mason Leiphart of Dover, 12-3, in the 120-pound finals last season. He was the 106-pound champion in 2020. Kilkeary (102-12, 46-2) was the WPIAL champion in 2021 and placed third at the...
WPIAL Class 3A wrestling preview: Waynesburg still the team to beat
Waynesburg is looking for its fourth consecutive WPIAL Class 3A team title after overcoming numerous obstacles last season. A serious arm injury kept senior Cole Homet from competing in all but three matches, and weight problems kept the Raiders from having their strongest lineup. Still, they found a way to...
Coach Ron Prady doesn’t want Latrobe football to be 1-hit wonder
Things couldn’t have gone much better for Latrobe football coach Ron Prady during his first season. The Wildcats finished 7-5 and reached the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals. The remarkable season included the program’s first seven-win season since 2001, the first winning season since 2011, the first playoff win since 1968...
Penn-Trafford girls shooting for more consistency on offense
Making open shots. That’s one of the biggest things the Penn-Trafford girls basketball team will be working on this season, veteran coach John Giannikas said. “Last year, we were hot and cold from the outside,” he said. “If we shoot better, we’ll be pretty good.” The Warriors graduated only one...
Young Penn-Trafford boys roster ready to tackle new challenges
Just because the Penn-Trafford boys basketball team dropped from Class 6A to Class 5A this season, it doesn’t mean things will be easier. In fact, third-year coach Doug Kelly said he knows the Warriors’ new section, which includes McKeesport, Latrobe, Gateway, Franklin Regional and Kiski Area, will be tough. “All...
Instant offense from Cruce Brookins leads Steel Valley past Beaver Falls in WPIAL Class 2A title gameVideo
Steel Valley football coach Ray Braszo got the proverbial monkey off his back Friday at Acrisure Stadium. For the first time in his 34-year career, a Braszo-coached team defeated Beaver Falls. And by doing so, Braszo got his first Gatorade dousing at the former Heinz Field. Steel Valley quarterback Cruce...
Mt. Pleasant boys need to overcome big loss of top scorer
If the Mt. Pleasant boys basketball team wants to improve on its dismal 2021-22 season, it must do so without leading scorer Dante Giallonardo. The junior forward who averaged 12 points per game will be sidelined this season with a knee injury sustained during football season. And while the loss...
After regrouping, Mt. Pleasant girls ready to make inroads in Class 3A
Scott Giacobbi is beginning his 18th season as girls basketball coach at Mt. Pleasant. He called last season a regrouping year. The Vikings were sometimes overmatched in Section 4-4A, but with a drop in classification, Giacobbi is looking forward to the new challenges his squad will face. Instead of playing...
Ligonier Valley girls basketball looks to take a step forward
When Emily Daugherty was hired as the Ligonier Valley girls basketball coach, she inherited a program that was a mess. It barely had enough players to field a team, and the district thought it would be good to play in Class 4A instead of Class 2A. The Rams went 0-24...
Ligonier Valley boys to lean on Sierocky and Pleskovich
It could be an interesting season for the Ligonier Valley boys basketball program. The Rams were hit hard by graduation and return only two starters from a team that finished 8-4 in Section 3-3A and 12-11 overall. The Rams lost to Avonworth in the first round of the playoffs. But...
Pitt-Greensburg men’s basketball coach Klimchock excited about promising season
Chris Klimchock’s second season as head men’s basketball coach at Pitt-Greensburg is underway, and the Greensburg native is excited about the future. Like every college basketball team, the ultimate goal is to reach the NCAA Tournament. In the Bobcats’ case, it would be the Division III Tournament. Klimchock is a...
Penn-Trafford seniors sign on with college programs
Three baseball players and a bowler from Penn-Trafford took advantage of the NCAA early signing period to ink their letters of intent Nov. 9. Senior bowler Alyssa Balest, who took home the girls individual honor at last year’s Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association competition, signed with Mount St. Mary’s from the...
