Paul Schofield stories, Page 8

Paul Sapotichne wasn’t ready to quit coaching when he decided to step down as Riverview coach in 2020 during the covid-19 pandemic. At the time, Sapotichne was battling cancer and understood he had to take care of himself. Now cancer free, Sapotichne wanted to return to coaching. After Sapotichne missed...

Greensburg Salem girls basketball coach Rick Klimchock never backs away from a challenge. After finishing third in Section 1-4A and winning a WPIAL playoff game last season, the Golden Lions were elevated to Class 5A and graduated four players who are playing basketball in college: Kaitlyn Mankins (D’Youville), Ashlan Price...

When the Greensburg Central Catholic girls volleyball set goals for the 2024 season, winning a PIAA title was not one of them. “They wanted to reach the WPIAL championship game and win,” GCC coach Erin Salas said. “Now they have reset those goals. They want to win the PIAA title.”...

Mt. Pleasant swimming coach Sandy Felice has had swimmers sign NCAA Division I scholarships before. But not four in one year. On the first day of the early signing period Wednesday, seniors Lily King (N.C. State), Joseph Gardner (Pitt), Kierstin O’Connor (Connecticut) and David Mutter (Alabama) inked their scholarships. “This...

Momentum swung wildly Tuesday during the PIAA Class A volleyball semifinal at Norwin between Greensburg Central Catholic and Frazier. The Centurions had it during the first two games, then the Commodores grabbed it in the third and fourth games. But it was Greensburg Central Catholic that reclaimed it in the...

Derry Area boys at a glance Coach: Tom Esposito Last year’s record: 15-9 (7-5 Section 3-3A) Returning starters: Stanley Rajkovich (So., F); John Wasnick (Sr., G); Brayden Robinson (Jr., G). Top newcomers: Izak Lenhart (Jr., G); Liam McMahen (So., G); Parker Petroskey (So., G); Logan Irvin (Fr., G); Cason Long...

New Derry girls basketball coach Nathan Keller faces a huge challenge this season, one that excites him. Keller isn’t making any brash predictions. He just wants his young, inexperienced group to improve on a daily basis. Keller has spent the past seven seasons coaching the boys and girls middle school...

WPIAL field hockey champions Pine-Richland (Class 3A), Peters Township (2A) and Shady Side Academy (A) dominated the first-team all-star teams selected by the coaches. Pine-Richland and Peters Township each had five selected to the teams, while Shady Side Academy had four. The Pine-Richland players selected were Alyssa Baculik (So., F),...

PIAA CLASS A GIRLS VOLLEYBALL FINALS 7-1 Greensburg Central Catholic (19-3) vs. 7-2 Frazier (17-4) 6 p.m. Friday, Norwin High School, North Huntingdon PIAA titles: GCC (2014, 2016); Frazier (none) So, we meet again. WPIAL champion Greensburg Central Catholic and runner-up Frazier will meet Tuesday at Norwin for the fourth...

Since winning WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A titles in 2021, the Penn-Trafford football team hadn’t won a playoff game. That streak ended Nov. 1 when the Warriors ran over South Fayette, 49-28, to open the 2024 WPIAL playoffs. Senior running back Tasso Whipple rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown,...

Penn-Trafford sophomore goaltender Tyler Funk idolizes former Penguins’ goalie Marc Andre-Fleury. And through three games, he has been playing like the “Flower” when he was helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup. Funk is 3-0 — all shutouts — and has stopped all 71 shots he’s faced. He recently blanked...

Greensburg Central Catholic and the Southmoreland girls’ volleyball teams look to continue their seasons Saturday in the PIAA Volleyball tournament. The WPIAL Class A champions, Greensburg Central Catholic, will face District 6 champion West Branch at Johnstown High School at noon. The Centurions are coming off a 3-1 victory against...

If Peters Township coach T.J. Plack had any worries his team would come out flat in its WPIAL playoff debut after a week off, the Indians quickly took away those doubts. The returning Class 5A champions scored on their first two drives, did a good job stuffing Penn-Trafford’s running game...

Player of the week Tasso Whipple Penn-Trafford, sr., RB/LB The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown to help the Warriors to a 49-28 WPIAL Class 5A first-round win over South Fayette. Whipple also returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown. Players to watch Landon Honick...

Self-inflicted wounds. That’s what Penn-Trafford coach John Raune said has cost his team in its last four meetings against Peters Township. Not beating yourself is one of the things Ruane is preaching to his team as it prepares for a WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal-round game Friday at No. 3 Peters...

You might expect the Greensburg Central Catholic girls volleyball team to have a slight letdown after winning the WPIAL Class A playoffs Saturday. And Centurions coach Erin Salas said the team was nervous ahead of Tuesday’s PIAA first-round match against District 9 runner-up Clarion-Limestone, a team that defeated GCC last...

Murrysville native Palmer Jackson is headed to the final round of DP World Tour (PGA European Tour) qualifying after a second-place finish during the second stage at Desert Ridge Resort Monday in Almeria, Spain. The final round was pushed back a day because of weather. Jackson shot a 19-under-par 269...

Want to know a good way to win a football game? Make sure the opponent does not possess the football. That’s what Penn-Trafford did to defeat Latrobe, 20-13, on Oct. 25. Penn-Trafford played a game of keep-away in the second half at Memorial Stadium. The Warriors were clinging to a...

Mohawk senior Jaxon Schoedel won his second consecutive PIAA Class A title, and the Winchester Thurston boys won their fourth team title Saturday at the PIAA cross country championships at the Parkview Course in Hershey. Schoedel breezed to the title in a time of 15 minutes, 52 seconds, setting the...

Call the 2024 Franklin Regional football team ‘The Comeback Kids” the way they played in games this season. The Panthers (7-3) qualified for the WPIAL playoffs for the third consecutive season and 19 of the past 20 seasons by rallying to defeat Armstrong, 29-26, in the regular-season finale. The only...

It was quite a show by two of the top juniors in Westmoreland County on Friday during the opening round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs. They were as advertised. Greensburg Central Catholic quarterback Samir Crosby threw four touchdown passes, rushed for a touchdown and returned a 70-yard kickoff return...

WPIAL CLASS A GIRLS VOLLEYBALL FINAL 3-Greensburg Central Catholic (16-3) vs. 1-Frazier (15-3) 11 a.m. Saturday, AHN Arena, Peters Township WPIAL titles: GCC (2012, 2014, 2016); Frazier (2010, 2022) Will the third time be the charm for Greensburg Central Catholic? Or does No. 1 Frazier just have the Centurions’ number...

Player of the week Jarett Garn Mt. Pleasant, sr., WR/RB/K/DB The 6-foot-3, 180-pound senior had a big game and helped the Vikings stay with Elizabeth Forward. The multipurpose athlete rushed for a touchdown, caught an 87-yard touchdown and returned a kickoff 94 yards for a score. He had a 64-yard...

Friday’s WPIAL Class A playoff game between Monessen and Greensburg Central Catholic could turn out to be the most electrifying in the first round. It could feature two of the top players in Westmoreland County and the WPIAL. It also could be a high-scoring affair. Fans will be on the...

Class 5A first round 9-Franklin Regional (7-3) at 8-North Hills (8-2) 7 p.m. Friday, Martorelli Stadium, Ross Township Last week’s results: Franklin Regional 29, Armstrong 26; North Hills 10, Central Valley 7 Winner plays: At 1-Pine-Richland (8-1) 7 p.m. next Friday in quarterfinals Franklin Regional finished third in the Big...