Paul Schofield stories, Page 82
A closer look at 2021 Westmoreland County Scholar-Athlete honorees
BELLE VERNON Grace Henderson Sports: Cross country, soccer and track and field Parents: Scott and Denise Henderson Class rank: 34 of 193 GPA: 4.3 College: Akron Extracurricular activities and honors: Highest honors, National Honor Society, Youth Summer Track volunteer Ian Christopher Shahan Sport: Swimming Parents: Christopher and Lisa Shahan Class...
Former Kiski Area coach Chuck Tursky to get Ferrante award
Chuck Tursky dedicated his life to helping high school students and athletes. It’s something he learned from his high school coaches — football coach Chuck Wagner and wrestling coach Randy Taylor — at Riverview. “They did a lot for me,” Tursky said. “It’s my time to pay it forward.” Tursky...
Franklin Regional grad Matt Busche wins A-10 title, sets Duquesne record
Matt Busche missed qualifying for the NCAA Division I Regional Track and Field championships by a second. But the Duquesne sophomore and 2018 Franklin Regional graduate has put the disappointment behind him and is already looking forward to the 2022 season. What takes away the hurt a little is the...
Westmoreland high school baseball playoff capsules for May 22, 2021
Class 6A Saturday 2-Norwin (13-3) vs. 7-Seneca Valley (11-8-1) Noon at West Mifflin Coaches: Mike Liebdzinski, Norwin; Eric Semega, Seneca Valley Winner plays: Winner of 3-Hempfield (13-7)/6-Central Catholic (10-8) 4 p.m. Monday at Fox Chapel in the semifinals Players to watch: Jake Bazala, Sr., P, Norwin; Carter Beneigh, Sr., C/P,...
Derry blanks New Brighton to win first baseball playoff game in 17 years
Derry ended a 17-year drought Thursday in the opening round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. And the No. 5 Trojans did it impressively by posting a dominant 10-0 victory over No. 12 New Brighton. Derry (12-4) jumped on the young Lions for five runs in the first inning, kept...
Westmoreland high school baseball playoff capsules: Friday, May 21, 2021
Today’s games Class 5A No.1 Franklin Regional (16-1) vs. 8-Mars (13-6) 7 p.m. at North Allegheny Coaches: Bob Saddler, Franklin Regional; Jason Thompson Mars Winner plays: Winner of 13-Peters Township (9-10)/12-Latrobe (12-8) Monday at a site and time to be determined in the semifinals Players to watch: Louis Kegerreis, Sr.,...
Westmoreland County CC looks to stay hot at regional tournament
Westmoreland County Community College baseball coach Mike Draghi said he knew his team was better than its record. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many National Junior College Athletic Conference Division III teams in Region XX opted not to play this spring. That left WCCC scrambling to find opponents; the result...
Hempfield has 5 champions at WPIAL track meet
It was another solid day for the Hempfield track and field program Wednesday at the WPIAL championships. The Spartans had five champions, five second-place finishes and two thirds. Hempfield coach Ron Colland said he was more than pleased with his team’s performance. Winning two titles each were senior throwers Dan...
Westmoreland WPIAL baseball playoff capsules for May 20, 2021
Today’s games Class 3A First round 2-Avonworth (13-7) vs. 15-Ligonier Valley (7-11) 4:30 p.m. at West Mifflin Coaches: Christopher Baradakos, Avonworth; Brett Marabito, Ligonier Valley Winner plays: Winner of 7-Valley (12-4)/10-Mohawk (12-6) on Saturday in quarterfinals Players to watch: Jordan Kolenda, Jr., SS/P, Avonworth; Nick Beitel, Jr., C, Ligonier Valley...
Greensburg native Goetz sets WVU scoring record
Mark Goetz played one of his best rounds in his collegiate career at West Virginia on Tuesday at the NCAA Division I Regional at Noblesville,Ind. The WVU senior and Greensburg native shot a 6-under-par 66, the lowest round ever by a WVU golfer in an NCAA Tournament, during Round 2...
Zimmerman sisters lead Indiana to stunning win over No. 2 Latrobe
Indiana senior Sara Zimmerman said she wasn’t ready for her high school softball career to end. Thanks to her sister Olivia, her season continues. Freshman pitcher Olivia Zimmerman launched a two-run homer in the top of the sixth inning, and then shutdown No. 2 Latrobe over the final two innings...
Westmoreland WPIAL baseball playoff capsules for May 19, 2021
Wednesday’s games Class 5A First round 5-Plum (11-6) vs. 12-Latrobe (11-8) 4:30 p.m. at Norwin Coaches: Carl Vollmer, Plum; Matt Basciano, Latrobe Winner plays: Winner of 4-South Fayette (15-3)/13-Peters Township (8-10) Friday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals. Players to watch: Ethan Kircher, Sr., C, Plum; Chase Sickenberger, Jr., INF, Latrobe...
Wrestling notebook: Powerade wrestling tournament will be loaded with talent
The 55th Annual Powerade Holiday Wrestling Tournament continues to get bigger and better, and this year’s event might end up being the toughest in the country. The tournament grew to 59 teams and will be held Dec. 29 and 30 at Canon-McMillan High school. The newcomers include Akron St. Vincent-St....
Hempfield throwers looking to dominate at WPIALs, PIAAs
Not everyone’s yard has a throwing circle in it. Dave Murray’s does, and he thanks his wife, Amanda, for allowing it. It has paid dividends over the years as Hempfield has produced top-notch throwers year after year. This season has a chance to be the best of all. Murray has...
Penn-Trafford Star notebook: Volleyball team avenges Hempfield loss
The Penn-Trafford boys volleyball team turned in quite a performance in its Section 3-AAA rematch against Hempfield on May 4. Jarred Schoffstall had 38 assists as Penn-Trafford won its ninth consecutive match by defeating the Spartans, 3-0, by the scores of 25-14, 26-24 and 25-23. Hempfield won the first meeting,...
Penn-Trafford’s Whipkey sets new goals after winning county title
Joe Whipkey has already reached his main goal of his senior season. Now the Penn-Trafford athlete set some new goals. After winning the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association 800-meter title in 2 minutes, 3.94 seconds May 1, he turned his focus to success at the WPIAL Class AAA meet and earning...
Golf notebook: A third Peters Township grad advances to U.S. Open sectional
A third Peters Township graduate has qualified for the U.S. Open Sectional on June 7. Connor Schmidt joined Jimmy Ellis and Jake Sollon on the list of golfers hoping to qualify for the 121st U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Schmidt, a senior at Drexel, earned his berth at the Country...
Ligonier Valley junior Higgins turning heads in the javelin
Ligonier Valley junior Miles Higgins turned some heads recently. When Higgins won the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association javelin with a throw of 180 feet, 4 inches, it became the top throw in either classification in the WPIAL. Higgins goes into Wednesday’s WPIAL Class AA track and field championship at Slippery...
Playoff seeds sit well with Norwin, Franklin Regional baseball teams
Nothing seems to bother baseball coaches when it comes to pairings. So it was no surprise to see North Allegheny (17-3) seeded No. 1 in Class 6A despite a nonsection loss to No. 2 Norwin (13-3). All three Tigers losses were by a run. “Class 6A was pretty straightforward,” Hempfield...
Young Yough baseball team has grown up fast this season
Yough baseball coach Craig Spisak called his team young and inexperienced when the 2021 season began. After plodding through the regular season, which included some interruptions and quarantines because of covid-19, Spisak has changed that from inexperienced to experienced. Yough clinched second place in Section 4-3A on Tuesday by sweeping...
Riverside boys, Mohawk girls claim WPIAL Class AA team track titles
It takes a complete team effort to win a track and field meet. Every point is important. That’s what occurred Wednesday in the WPIAL Class AA Championship at Peters Township. The Riverside boys reversed an earlier defeat to Shenango to capture their fourth consecutive team title and eighth in school...
Yough baseball sweeps Southmoreland in doubleheader
It has been a wild baseball season for the teams from Yough and Southmoreland. Weather and the coronavirus have postponed or canceled games and forced players to sit. The teams ended section play headed in opposite directions. The two-game series between the neighboring rivals a week ago was wiped out...
Hempfield defeats Canon-McMillan in possible playoff preview
Hempfield softball coach Bob Kalp spent time over the weekend mapping out the WPIAL 6A playoff pairings. He had his Spartans facing Canon-McMillan in the first round. Kalp got a firsthand look at the Big Macs on Monday during his team’s Senior Day. Hempfield won the nonsection meeting 4-2 behind...
Penn-Trafford grad Hannah Dobrinick ends college career on high note
Hannah Dobrinick played her final collegiate softball game May 9. The senior first baseman at Otterbein could have played one more season after the NCAA allowed an extra year of eligibility because of the coronavirus pandemic, but Dobrinick said she’s ready to pursue her career. “We’re going to miss her,”...
Local golf notebook: Ellis, Li, Huber qualify for U.S. Open Sectional
Peters Township’s Jimmy Ellis shot a 3-under-par 67 to take medalist honors Wednesday at the USGA local qualifier May 5 at Butler Country Club. Ellis and three others qualify for the U.S. Open Sectional on June 7. Others to qualify were Carnegie Mellon teammates Jason Li and Benjamin Huber, both...
