Paul Schofield stories, Page 63

It took Southmoreland 40 years to make its second appearance in the WPIAL football playoffs. That was two years ago when the Scotties qualified for the Class 2A postseason and met eventual champion Avonworth. The Scotties lost, 41-0. The first appearance was against perennial power Penn Hills in 1979, and...

Hunter Dean Mt. Pleasant, sr., OL/DL The senior lineman has helped pave the way for the Vikings’ solid ground attack led by Robbie Labuda, Aaron Alakson and quarterback Tyler Reese. The 5-4 Vikings look to ground out a playoff win against Burrell. Nate Dlugos Greensburg Central Catholic, jr., QB The...

California had No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic on the ropes Tuesday in the WPIAL Class A girls volleyball semifinals at Norwin. The seventh-seeded Trojans, fresh off their upset of No. 2 Mapletown, were set to deliver the knockout blow, but the Centurions wouldn’t let it happen. It was like they...

There is a good reason for the buzz surrounding the Penn-Trafford hockey team. The 2021-22 Warriors are looking to make a run at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League Class 2A title. Penn-Trafford dropped a 2-0 decision to eventual champion Baldwin in 2021, but the Warriors return seven of their top...

Ligonier Valley’s football team will open a new chapter in its school’s history. The ninth-seeded Rams will play their first WPIAL playoff game when they travel to Beaver County to take on No. 8-seeded South Side in a Class 2A first-round contest. Ligonier Valley rejoined the WPIAL prior to the...

Penn-Trafford’s field hockey team reached the WPIAL Class 2A finals again by defeating Latrobe, 1-0, in the semifinals Oct. 26. The Warriors were to face Fox Chapel on Oct. 30 at Washington & Jefferson College for the title. Delaney Shusko scored in the first quarter on an assist by Delaney...

Franklin Regional came up a little short in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League Class 2A finals in 2021. The Panthers fell 2-0 to Baldwin. But with 10 starters returning, including their top seven forwards, the Panthers have their eye on the title that eluded them. “I hope we continue to...

It was a fun night for the Ligonier Valley football team Friday. The Rams had three players throw touchdown passes, including 300-pound center Jude Grzywinski, and rolled over Apollo-Ridge, 48-22, at a rainy and damp Weller Field. The victory clinched a berth in the WPIAL playoffs, the Rams’ first since...

NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Seton Hill (4-4, 2-3 PSAC West) vs. No. 4/14 Cal (Pa.) (7-0, 4-0 PSAC West) 4 p.m., Saturday at Adamson Stadium, California Series: Cal (Pa.) leads, 8-0. Last meeting: Cal (Pa.) 28, Seton Hill 14 (2019) About Seton Hill: The Griffins blanked winless...

NCAA Division III Presidents’ Athletic Conference Carnegie Mellon (5-2, 5-1 PAC) vs. Saint Vincent (4-3, 3-3 PAC) 1 p.m., Saturday, Chuck Noll Field, Unity Series: CMU leads, 7-5-1 Last meeting: Sept. 28, 2019: CMU 49, Saint Vincent 14 About Carnegie Mellon: The Tartans have won four consecutive games and outscored...

When people talk about which team will win the Big Eight Conference, the conversation usually is centered on Thomas Jefferson, which has won the past two WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A titles. But that’s not the case this year. The conference title will be decided by the winner of Friday’s...

Kory Ansell Southmoreland, sr., OL/DL Ansell has 54 tackles, 10 tackles for losses, five quarterback sacks and three fumble recoveries this season. The senior also has received interest from numerous colleges. He will try and help the Scotties lock up a playoff berth at South Park on Friday night. Dan...

Silver was popular medal for three WPIAL golf teams Monday at the PIAA team championship at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York. Fox Chapel boys (3A), Peters Township girls (3A) and Greensburg Central Catholic girls (2A) each collected second-place medals. The Fox Chapel boys lost in a playoff to District...

If the PIAA the ran its team tournament the way teams compete during the season, counting the top four scores, the Greensburg Central Catholic girls golf team would be shooting for a fourth consecutive title. The Centurions won back-to-back titles in 2018 and ‘19. But the PIAA counts only the...

Penn-Trafford sophomore Ava Hershberger scored four goals Oct. 19 and became the team’s all-time single-season record holder in field hockey. Hershberger added two assists as Penn-Trafford defeated Latrobe, 9-0. She now has 35 goals and 10 assists, breaking the goal mark of Amanda Steffey (34) in 2012. Delaney Shusko chipped...

A cold front blew through Western Pennsylvania on Friday morning, cooling the unusually warm temperatures. What it didn’t do was cool the red-hot Penn-Trafford football team. The No. 2-ranked Warriors (7-2, 4-0) won their fifth consecutive game, scored on their first six possessions and blew out neighboring rival Franklin Regional,...

NCAA Division III Presidents’ Athletic Conference Saint Vincent (3-3, 2-3 PAC) vs. Waynesburg (1-5, 1-4 PAC) 1 p.m., Saturday, Wylie Stadium, Waynesburg Series: Waynesburg leads, 20-15-34 Last meeting: April 17, 2021: Saint Vincent 56, Waynesburg 26 About Saint Vincent: The Bearcats look to snap a two-game losing streak and push...

NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Seton Hill (3-4, 1-3 PSAC West) vs. Clarion (0-6, 0-3 PSAC West) Noon, Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Clarion Series: Clarion leads, 5-2. Last meeting: Clarion 42, Seton Hill 16 (2019) About Seton Hill: The Griffins dropped a 14-10 decision to Gannon at home....

Cross country runners competing in the WPIAL championship on Oct. 28 were able to preview the Cal (Pa.) course Thursday at the annual Tri-State Track Coaches Association meet. Because covid-19 forced the WPIAL to find a new home — White Oak Park — in 2020, many underclassmen got to test...

It was a great day to be a Panther at the WPIAL girls team tennis championship. That’s because Upper St. Clair in Class 3A and Sewickley Academy in Class 2A captured titles with impressive 4-1 wins Wednesday at the Washington & Jefferson College Tennis Center. Upper St. Clair defeated 2020...

If the Penn-Trafford football team was thinking this year’s battle with neighboring rival Franklin Regional was going to be an easy one, the Panthers’ impressive come-from-behind win last week definitely caught their eye. Franklin Regional, under first-year coach Lance Getsy, rallied from a 26-point deficit in the first half to...

Conlan Greene Penn-Trafford, jr., TE/DE Greene has recorded eight sacks, six tackles for losses and has forced three fumbles. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound junior has four catches for 60 yards and is a solid blocker. Chase Ruokonen Belle Vernon, jr., WR/DB The junior has rushed for 39 yards and is the...

WPIAL golfers were shut out of any gold medals at the PIAA golf championship this year. After three Class 2A golfers earned silver medals during day one Monday at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York, the best finish of the Class 3A WPIAL golfers Tuesday was a tie for fourth...

Hempfield Area School District’s board hired Tina “Skelly” Madison as the school’s new softball coach. Madison was approved 7-0. She replaces legendary coach Bob Kalp, who retired after 25 years as coach of the Spartans. He compiled a 431-111-1 record. The Spartans won seven WPIAL championships and four PIAA titles....

A couple of shots separated three WPIAL golfers from winning gold medals at the PIAA Class 2A championships Monday at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York. Greensburg Central Catholic senior Meghan Zambruno came close to joining her sister Olivia as a PIAA champion in the girls tournament. Camp Hill’s Paige...