Paul Schofield stories, Page 69
Westmoreland football players make it official on signing day
It’s been quite a few days for Cade Yacamelli. First he and his Penn-Trafford teammates celebrating their first PIAA football title, then came the welcome Saturday by the community, all the congratulations they received from their classmates and teachers Monday and Tuesday and being the guest of honor along with...
Penn-Trafford went into PIAA Class 5A championship with confidence
HERSHEY — It’s unsure how much sleep the Penn-Trafford football team got Friday night after its stunning 17-14 overtime win against Imhotep Charter. But there is a good chance it was very little. “I’m staying up all night. I don’t care,” senior running back Cade Yacamelli said. “I’m going to...
Landon Alexander, punishing defense lead Central Valley to state title
HERSHEY – Central Valley captured its second consecutive PIAA Class 3A title by defeating Wyomissing, 7-0, in a defensive struggle Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium. Landon Alexander scored on a 28-yard run on third-and-12 with 9:54 left to snap the scoreless tie. Alexander rushed for 231 yards on 35 carries and...
Penn-Trafford stops Imhotep Charter to win 1st state title in OT thriller
HERSHEY — It might not equal the Miracle on Ice, but Penn-Trafford’s 17-14 stunner against Imhotep Charter will hold a prominent place in Westmoreland County sports history. Nathan Schlessinger kicked a 24-yard field goal in overtime, and defensive end Conlan Greene’s sack on fourth down lifted Penn-Trafford to a thrilling...
Penn-Trafford ready to make history as underdogs in state championship game
No matter what happens Friday, the Penn-Trafford football team has made history. In the school’s 50th season, the team won its first WPIAL title, played in and won its first PIAA playoff game and now is headed to its first PIAA championship game. A victory against Imhotep Charter (11-1) in...
Penn-Trafford football team getting send-off before it leaves for PIAA championship game
Penn-Trafford School District is planning a send-off parade for the football team Friday morning. The Warriors are playing in their first PIAA Class 5A championship game at 7 p.m. Friday against Imhotep Charter at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey. It is called “Off to Hershey the Warrior Way.” The students and...
Led by 2-time state champ, Mt. Pleasant wrestlers in title contention
The last team other than Burrell to win a WPIAL Class 2A team title was Mt. Pleasant in 2006. But could this be the year that someone else wins that title? This is not your typical Burrell team this season. The Bucs return only five starters and had three other...
Class 2A wrestlers to watch in the WPIAL during the 2021-22 season
Dayton Pitzer, Mt. Pleasant The senior Pitt commit has an 85-3 career record and captured his second WPIAL and PIAA titles by winning the 215-pound weight class. An injury prevented him from wrestling his sophomore season. Rune Lawrence, Frazier The sophomore (30-1) earned his first WPIAL and PIAA titles at...
Challengers line up to try to dethrone Burrell in WPIAL Class 2A wrestling
Burrell has won 15 consecutive WPIAL Class 2A titles, but could this be the year its reign ends? Some coaches have said, “until someone beats them, I won’t believe it.” But the Bucs, who went 14-2 last season, return only five starters from a team that placed third in the...
Latrobe expecting to challenge Waynesburg for Class 3A wrestling supremacy
When Mark Mears took over the Latrobe wrestling program a year ago, he inherited a program that was on the rise. While his first season didn’t go as planned, the second season might turn out to be something special. The Wildcats are loaded and could challenge Waynesburg for the WPIAL...
Former PIAA football championship coaches offer advice to Penn-Trafford’s Ruane
As John Ruane prepares his football team for Friday’s PIAA Class 5A championship game against Imhotep Charter, the veteran Penn-Trafford coach has many things to worry about. But former Franklin Regional coach Greg Botta and former Jeannette coach Roy Hall offered this suggestion: Make sure you enjoy the atmosphere leading...
Waynesburg wrestling team eyes 3rd consecutive WPIAL Class 3A title
Waynesburg rolled to the PIAA and WPIAL Class 3A titles in the 2020-21 season, and with nine starters returning, there is no reason why it shouldn’t make another run, especially in the WPIAL. The Raiders (16-0) will be attemping to win their third consecutive Class 3A title and eighth in...
Class 3A wrestlers to watch in the WPIAL during the 2021-22 season
Class 3A wrestlers to watch: Briar Priest, Hempfield The senior is the returning PIAA 132-pound champion. He was 34-5 in 2021 and is 98-20 overall. He signed with Pitt. Mac Stout, Mt. Lebanon The senior was a PIAA runner-up in 2020 after winning his first WPIAL title. He missed the...
Standout sophomores have Yough boys basketball team ready to compete
It’s hard for Yough boys basketball coach Jim Nesser to hold back his excitement for the upcoming season. But the veteran coach, while not predicting a section title, feels his young Cougars are ready to take a giant step forward after struggling in 2020-21 and finishing 3-13 overall and 0-6...
Yough girls look to build on last year’s success
When Mike Gerdich took over the girls basketball program at Yough in 2017, he inherited a team that won one game and hadn’t won a section game in five seasons. And while the section losing streak extended to 99 consecutive games before it ended with a victory against Ligonier Valley...
Plenty of ‘heroes’ stepped up for Penn-Trafford football in PIAA semifinal victory
Exeter Township found out Friday there is more to the Penn-Trafford football team than the Cade and Carter Show. Sure, running back Cade Yacamelli and quarterback Carter Green usually steal the headlines, but the dynamic duo had a lot of help in the Warriors’ impressive 49-14 victory in the PIAA...
Penn-Trafford headed to Hershey with rout of Exeter Township in PIAA semifinals
WINGATE — Before Friday’s PIAA Class 5A semifinal, Exeter Township football players took the field during pregame warm-up yelling and screaming. At the other end, Penn-Trafford was quietly getting ready. “We certainly had a business-type demeanor before the game,” Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane said. “That’s our kids. They were focused...
Green energy powers Penn-Trafford on both sides of the ball
When Penn-Trafford is on offense, opponents just can’t key on senior running back Cade Yacamelli. That’s because senior quarterback Carter Green can’t be ignored. He and Yacamelli give Penn-Trafford a rock-solid 1-2 running punch. “I can’t say enough about this kid,” Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane said. “You look at him,...
Penn-Trafford, Exeter Township enter uncharted waters in PIAA semifinals
Penn-Trafford football historian Rush Pedder wrote a book about the past 50 years of the program. Now, he has some interesting new chapters to start another. After winning the school’s first WPIAL football title in the 50th year of the school, the Warriors enter uncharted waters when they face Exeter...
After going winless, Ligonier Valley girls basketball showing improvement as season approaches
After a winless 2020-21 season, the only direction the Ligonier Valley girls basketball team can go is up. Second-year coach Emily Daugherty and her team were hindered by covid-19 and the decision to play up in class. Daugherty was hired late after Tim Gustin was named the boys coach in...
Ligonier Valley boys basketball hopes for smoother sailing in 2nd season back in WPIAL
Ligonier Valley’s return to the WPIAL saw a lot of ups and downs during the boys basketball season. Because coronavirus shut down the school until mid-January, the athletic teams had little time to prepare for the season. “We had 20 practices all season last year,” Ligonier Valley coach Tim Gustin...
Explosive plays carry Penn-Trafford football past Moon in WPIAL title game
Moon football coach Ryan Linn said earlier in the week that the team that it the big pass play would probably win. He was partially right. Sure Penn-Trafford connected on a 92-yard touchdown pass from Carter Green to Cade Yacamelli, but it came down to the Warriors’ explosive plays in...
New Jeannette girls basketball coach Flow wants team to be competitive after recent struggles
When Bill Flow was hired as Jeannette’s girls basketball coach in June, he inherited a team that hasn’t had much success the past three seasons. The Jayhawks were 0-19 in 2020-21 and have been 8-54 the past three seasons. But Flow, 39, comes back to Westmoreland County after spending the...
Jeannette boys basketball team using extra time to prepare for season
When the Jeannette boys basketball team opens the 2021-22 on Dec. 10 at the West Mifflin tournament, the team will be ahead of the game. In previous seasons, Jeannette coach Adrian Batts had to wait for the football season to end before he got most of his players in the...
Penn-Trafford captures Big East Youth Football League title
It was quite a turnaround for the Penn-Trafford 11-12 youth football team. After stumbling early in the regular season and falling to Woodland Hills and McKeesport, the team righted the ship and did something unexpected: It won the Big East Youth Football League championship. Penn-Trafford (10-3) defeated McKeesport, 34-6, in...
