Paul Schofield stories, Page 83
Ligonier Valley softball stays perfect with shutout of Seton LaSalle
Ligonier Valley softball coach Mark Zimmerman is learning on the fly during the Rams’ return to the WPIAL. The veteran coach doesn’t know much about his opponents after the Rams spent more than 40 years in District 6. But Ligonier Valley has missed a beat, no matter what district it...
Greensburg Salem baseball can’t overcome slow start in loss to Uniontown
The faster the young Greensburg Salem baseball team learns not to give games away, the faster the Golden Lions will start winning on a consistent basis. Greensburg Salem (1-4, 1-3) dropped a two-game series with Uniontown by literally handing the visitors the game. The Red Raiders (2-2, 2-2) took advantage...
Brownsville baseball team takes advantage of Yough’s ‘wildness’Video
Yough baseball coach Craig Spisak emphasized one thing after Tuesday’s WPIAL Section 4-3A loss to Brownsville: “We need to be better.” Four Cougars pitchers issued 12 walks and hit two batters in a 13-8 loss. The two teams will meet 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday at Republic. “I don’t care who...
Waynesburg names Aaron Giorgi football coach
Aaron Giorgi has been named football coach at Waynesburg. Giorgi comes to the Raiders from neighboring Jefferson Morgan, where he compiled a 16-40 record in six seasons. He is a chemistry teacher at Jefferson Morgan. He takes over for Chad Coss, who passed away unexpectedly in December. “It’s all about...
Mixture of upperclassmen, freshmen gets Yough off to fast start
When playing softball for Yough and coach Art ‘Dutch’ Harvey, one thing is for sure: Harvey plays his best players. Yough returns seven players who saw starts in 2019, but some are competing against talented freshmen for playing time. Harvey started five freshmen in the Cougars’ (3-0, 1-0) first three...
Drop in classification could benefit youthful Yough baseball team
Yough opened the 2021 baseball season with consecutive losses to Upper St. Clair and Mt. Pleasant. But sixth-year coach Craig Spisak isn’t too concerned. He saw a lot of good things from a team that returns two starters from a 2019 WPIAL semifinalist. Center fielder/pitcher Vinny Martin and shortstop/pitcher Sean...
Penn-Trafford softball eyeing another PIAA championship
If the coronavirus didn’t shut down last season, there was a good chance Penn-Trafford softball would be looking at a three-peat. After winning the 2019 PIAA Class 5A title, the Warriors (23-2, 14-0) returned seven starters including power hitters Brooke Cleland, Allie Prady and Emma Little along with pitchers Morgan...
Penn-Trafford baseball has no varsity experience returning
When Penn-Trafford baseball coach Dan Miller talked in the offseason about his team being young and inexperienced, he wasn’t kidding. Penn-Trafford has one player returning that was on the varsity team in 2019 when the Warriors (18-5) played for the WPIAL Class 6A title and played in the PIAA playoffs....
Penn-Trafford notebook: Warriors tennis off to quick start
The Penn-Trafford boys tennis team is off to a 4-0 start with victories against Hampton, Thomas Jefferson, Latrobe and Kiski Area. The Latrobe and Kiski Area matches were both 4-1 section wins. Alex Turowski (3-0) is unbeaten in singles action while Ryan Litzinger (4-0) is undefeated in doubles. Brian Lee...
2021 Tribune-Review Westmoreland County wrestling all-stars
Vinny Kilkeary Latrobe, so., 113 pounds 2020-21 record: 26-3 Career record: 56-10 Kilkeary won the 2019 PIAA title with a pin in the finals against Erie Cathedral Prep’s Jake Van Dee. This year he placed third, losing in the semifinals. He was the Section 2 and WPIAL 113-pound champion. All...
Tribune-Review Westmoreland Wrestler of the Year: Mt. Pleasant’s Pitzer wastes no time
Mt. Pleasant junior Dayton Pitzer didn’t pin every opponent he faced. It just seemed that way. Pitzer finished his junior season with a state-high 31 pins and his second PIAA Class AA wrestling title. It was a great bounce-back year after a knee injury took away his sophomore season and...
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...
