Paul Schofield stories, Page 85
2021 Trib HSSN wrestling all-stars
Mac Church Waynesburg, so., 120 pounds 2020-21 record: 29-2 Career record: 76-8 Church was upset in the WPIAL Class AAA 120-pound final, but undaunted, he came back to win a PIAA title. He defeated Chambersburg junior Karl Shindledecker in overtime. He was the WPIAL champion at 106 in 2020. Church...
Trib HSSN Wrestler of the Year: Seneca Valley’s Herrera-Rondon dominates like no other
Early on in Alejandro Herrera-Rondon’s wrestling career at Seneca Valley, he was content to win low-scoring matches. Many of them ended up 1-0 or 2-1 victories. Herrera-Rondon frustrated opponents with his dominance in the top position. If opponents didn’t get off the bottom, they didn’t win. But as the Oklahoma...
With ace injured, 5-time defending WPIAL champion Hempfield faces obstacles
Veteran Hempfield softball coach Bob Kalp is facing a daunting task this season. The coronavirus continues to put up numerous obstacles in front of his teams, and an injury to his star pitcher, senior Callie Sowers, has him scrambling. “We have 30 players on the roster, and I only know...
Hempfield baseball ready to tackle new challenges
There is a new challenge facing the Hempfield baseball team in 2021: a new section with four new opponents. Class 6A in the WPIAL went from 18 teams to 12 teams for the next two seasons. Section 1 stayed intact with Allderdice, Butler, Central Catholic, North Allegheny, Pine-Richland and Seneca...
Penn-Trafford’s Hohman continues to show improvement after reaching PIAA podium
Penn-Trafford junior Troy Hohman finished the 2021 season with a PIAA medal. It wasn’t quite the medal he wanted. He’ll look for golden one during his senior season. Hohman (26-6, 68-30) finished fourth at the PIAA Class AAA wrestling championships March 13 by going 2-2 in the tournament. He lost...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Warriors skate past Hempfield, Latrobe
Penn-Trafford’s hockey team is looking to finish strong after going through a six-game losing streak. The Warriors improved to 9-8 with wins over Southeast Division rivals Hempfield, 1-0, on March 11 and Latrobe, 3-2, on March 15. Penn-Trafford won three of its last four games heading into its final regular...
Spencer Lee becomes 3-time NCAA wrestling champion
Iowa senior Spencer Lee is used to beginning a wrestling match. He’d rather set the tone for his Iowa teammates. But the NCAA wrestling championships had other ideas. They decided to put the 125-pound final at the end Saturday at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The ESPN broadcast team called...
District 31 American Legion baseball to field 11 teams
While practice for the start of the high school baseball season is underway, Westmoreland County District 31 teams are holding sign-ups for the start of their season May 20. There will be 11 teams participating in the league this summer, after the league held an unofficial season in 2020 because...
Franklin Regional’s Solomon wins gold, Dibert takes silver at PIAA wrestling tournamentVideo
Sometimes it’s better not to poke the bear. Waynesburg junior Cole Homet found out the hard way against Franklin Regional junior Finn Solomon. After Homet defeated Solomon, 4-2, in the WPIAL Class AAA final Feb. 27, the wrestlers exchanged words. The phrase was uttered, “See you next time.” Solomon sure...
2 Pitt wrestlers, 2 Franklin Regional grads advance to NCAA finals
A pair of Franklin Regional graduates and a pair of Pitt teammates from WPIAL schools will wrestle for national championships Saturday night. Spencer Lee and Michael Kemerer, both top seeds for Iowa, and Panthers wrestlers Jake Wentzel from South Park and Nino Bonaccorsi from Bethel Park won their semifinal matches...
Swimmers gear up for busy weekend of PIAA, YMCA competition
Penn-Trafford’s Patton Graziano and Mt. Pleasant’s Reegan Brown will have a busy weekend. The two are competing in the PIAA swimming championships on Friday and Saturday with their high school teams and then will represent the Greensburg YMCA in the West Regional Championship. The duo is among the 23 swimmers...
Local wrestlers at NCAAs: Iowa’s Lee, Kemmerer among WPIAL grads in quarters
A handful of Westmoreland County wrestlers advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships with a pair of wins Thursday in St. Louis. Iowa’s Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional) and Michael Kemmerer (Franklin Regional), Pitt’s Micky Phillippi (Derry), Ohio State’s Ethan Smith (Latrobe) and Bucknell’s Zach Hartman (Belle...
6 WPIAL wrestlers headline state team for Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic
The Pennsylvania and WPIAL teams were announced for the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic and six WPIAL wrestlers were named to the state team. The Classic will be April 2 at the Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe. The WPIAL team will face the Maryland All-Stars at 4 p.m. and the Pennsylvania team...
Pitt wrestling sending 5 to NCAA Tournament
It was about a year ago when the NCAA shut down its championships because of the coronavirus. Wrestlers, basketball players, swimmers and hockey teams were able to complete their winter seasons, and spring sports were stopped before they got going. The National Wrestling Coaches Association honored wrestlers as All-Americans in...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Austin Prokopec, 2 relay teams qualify for state swim meet
Penn-Trafford senior Austin Prokopec and two boys relay teams qualified for the PIAA swimming championships at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg. Prokopec, who finished third in the WPIAL 200 freestyle, was chosen because of his time of 1:42.81. The relay teams that qualified were the 200 freestyle and 400...
Penn-Trafford basketball teams look to build on 2020-21 success
Late-season shooting woes cost the Penn-Trafford girls basketball team a longer WPIAL playoff run. Competing in Class 6A, the Warriors (10-7, 9-5) ended the season with a 46-43 loss to Baldwin in the opening round of the WPIAL playoffs. Penn-Trafford lost five of its final six games after starting 9-2....
Franklin Regional notebook: Spencer Lee, Michael Kemerer help Iowa win Big Ten
Franklin Regional graduates Spencer Lee and Michael Kemerer won Big Ten wrestling titles to help Iowa to its 37th conference championship March 7 at Penn State. It was the Hawkeyes’ second consecutive conference title. But neither is satisfied, their work not done. They want NCAA titles. Lee already owns two...
Seneca Valley’s Herrera-Rondon becomes 3-time PIAA champion; Waynesburg crowns 3
HERSHEY – Waynesburg proved why it is ranked No. 1 in the state at the PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships Saturday at the Giant Center. The Raiders had five finalists and three champions in running away with the team title. It wasn’t, however, the most wrestlers that the Raiders ever...
Kiski Area’s Sammy Starr goes out on top with pin in 5th-place match at states
HERSHEY – Kiski Area senior Sammy Starr ended his high school career with a pin and a fifth-place finish at the PIAA Class AAA wrestling championship Saturday. It was Starr’s 27th pin of the season. He finished the season 39-6 and 113-46 for his career. “It’s a little bittersweet,” Starr...
Hempfield’s Priest, Franklin Regional’s Solomon win PIAA Class AAA titlesVideo
HERSHEY — If there is one thing about the PIAA Class AAA championships that never seems to change, it is expecting the unexpected from WPIAL wrestlers. Someone surprising is coming home with a state title. In 2020, it was Latrobe freshman Vinny Kilkeary and Hempfield junior Ethan Berginc. This year,...
5 WPIAL wrestlers advance to the PIAA Class AAA finals in upper weights
HERSHEY — The finals are set in the upper weights at the PIAA Class AAA wrestling championships Saturday at the Giant Center, and the WPIAL will be represented in four of the seven weight classes. There will be all-WPIAL finals at 145 and 152 pounds. Waynesburg had three more wrestlers...
WPIAL rematches set for PIAA Class AAA lightweight wrestling finals
HERSHEY — Franklin Regional and Waynesburg each advanced two wrestlers to the finals at Saturday’s PIAA Class AAA championships at the Giant Center. Six WPIAL wrestlers will compete in the lightweight (106 to 138 pounds) finals, including all-WPIAL matchups at 132 and 138 pounds. It will be the third consecutive...
South Park’s Joey Fischer 1 of 5 WPIAL wrestlers to win Class AA state titles
HERSHEY — South Park senior Joey Fischer can now look down on his opponents. No disrespect, but when you win a PIAA Class AA title, you get to stand atop of the podium to receive your medal. Fischer became the third individual from South Park to win a state title...
Back from injury, Mt. Pleasant’s Dayton Pitzer reclaims PIAA throneVideo
HERSHEY – Mt. Pleasant junior Dayton Pitzer hadn’t often been forced to go a full six minutes in matches this season. Usually, he pins his opponents. Friday at the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championship at the Giant Center, he didn’t have a problem working a little extra. The results were...
Burrell’s A.J. Corrado wins state title with overtime pinVideo
HERSHEY – AJ Corrado didn’t have pancakes for breakfast Friday, but he served one up in the PIAA Class AA finals. He pancaked Midd-West senior Avery Bassett in overtime for a pin in the 160-pound final and celebrated his first PIAA title to cap off a historic day for the...
