Andrew John stories, Page 5

Quinton Martin School: Belle Vernon Sport: Basketball Class: Sophomore Claim to fame: Martin, who is averaging 20.6 points and 7 rebounds this season, scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Belle Vernon (6-0, 2-0) to a 71-46 win over Yough in Section 3-4A on Dec. 21. Martin finished...

Matthew Marinchak School: Ligonier Valley Sport: Basketball Year: Senior Claim to fame: Marinchak scored 36 points, including his 1,000th career point, hit four 3-pointers and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Ligonier Valley (2-3) to a 78-72 win over Valley in double overtime Dec. 11 in the consolation game of the...

Nate Loughner School: Penn-Trafford Sport: Hockey Class: Junior Claim to fame: Loughner, who has 15 points, including seven goals, scored twice to complete a hat trick during a five-goal third period for Penn-Trafford (4-1) in a 7-4 comeback win over Shaler in PIHL Class 2A action Nov. 15. Last season,...

Westinghouse knew about Farrell’s rushing attack. The Bulldogs were up to the challenge, but it still wasn’t enough. A goal-line stand by Farrell at the end of the first half and a few costly turnovers by Westinghouse (10-2) led to the Steelers leaving George Cupples Stadium on the South Side...

Going into halftime, Allderdice held a narrow lead and was dreaming of the possibility of upsetting the District 10 champion McDowell. The Trojans immediately put those Dragons dreams to sleep. McDowell (9-2) imposed its will on three straight drives to start the second half, building a three-score lead over Allderdice...

Jane Huss School: Derry Sport: Cross country Class: Freshman Claim to fame: Huss finished 68th out of 264 girls in 21 minutes, 13 seconds, improving her time of 21:31 from the WPIAL meet, at the PIAA Class 2A cross country championships Nov. 6 on the Parkview Course in Hershey. Huss...

Owen Tutich School: Greensburg Salem Sport: Hockey Year: Junior Claim to fame: Tutich had two goals and two assists to lead Greensburg Salem (2-4) to a 9-4 win over Moon in Class A action on Nov. 11. Tutich has 17 points, which is third in Class A, with eight goals...

Rebecca Hess School: Greensburg Central Catholic Sport: Volleyball Year: Senior Claim to fame: Hess, an outside hitter, led No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic (14-4) with 12 kills in a 3-1 loss to No. 1 Bishop Canevin (24-1) in the WPIAL Class A championship at UPMC Events Center on Nov. 6....

Colton Hudson School: Franklin Regional Sport: Soccer Class: Junior Claim to fame: Hudson, who has 18 goals and 15 assists this season, scored the tying goal and made a penalty kick as No. 3 Franklin Regional (16-4) defeated No. 4 Plum (17-4-1), 2-1 (4-1 on penalty kicks), in the consolation...

Olivia Cernuto School: Southmoreland Sport: Soccer Class: Junior Claim to fame: Cernuto, who has 24 goals this season, scored three times to lead No. 2 Southmoreland (14-1-2) to a 6-0 victory over No. 15 West Mifflin in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs Oct. 26. Cernuto scored...

Carlo Denis School: Greensburg Central Catholic Sport: Soccer Class: Junior Claim to fame: Denis, who has 24 goals this season, had a hat trick and an assist to power No. 1 seed Greensburg Central Catholic (14-3) to a WPIAL Class A first-round win over No. 16 Chartiers-Houston at Mt. Pleasant...

Heading into the City League championship, Westinghouse was the two-time defending champion going against an Allderdice team that it beat by 29 points in their first meeting Sept. 18. Things didn’t go their way, however, this time around. Allderdice (4-5) knew it needed to lean on its defense to have...

Even though both teams already had clinched playoff spots heading into their matchup, Seneca Valley and North Allegheny were battling for an opening-round bye in the WPIAL Class 6A bracket. No. 4 Seneca Valley’s (7-3, 5-2) defense answered the bell with two goal-line stands — the second in the waning...

Ava Hershberger School: Penn-Trafford Sport: Field hockey Class: Sophomore Claim to fame: Hershberger, who has 37 goals this season, scored four times and had two assists to lead Penn-Trafford (14-0) to a 9-0 win over Latrobe in a Class 2A win Oct. 19. Hershberger’s four goals set a single-season goal...

Anthony DiFalco School: Franklin Regional Sport: Soccer Year: Senior Claim to fame: DiFalco scored three goals to lead No. 3 Franklin Regional (14-3) to an 8-0 win over No. 14 Trinity (10-6-2) in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs at Franklin Regional on Oct. 23. DiFalco, who...

On a rainy senior night at Greensburg Salem, the Golden Lions and Highlands had an important contest when it came to their playoff hopes. After a first quarter in which both teams traded punts, Highlands (6-3, 3-3) capitalized on Greensburg Salem mistakes, which gave the Golden Rams short fields on...

Regan Reilly School: Latrobe Sport: Soccer Class: Sophomore Claim to fame: Reilly scored three goals to lead Latrobe (13-0-1, 9-0-1) to a 6-0 win over Hempfield in Section 3-4A action Oct. 16. Reilly had a goal earlier in the week for the Wildcats in a 3-0 victory over Hempfield on...

Jacob Smith School: Greensburg Salem Sport: Cross country Year: Senior Claim to fame: Smith finished with his first sub 17-minute run with a time of 16 minutes, 59.60 seconds to capture the title at the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association’s cross country championships Oct. 13 at Westmoreland County Community College. Smith...

Malia Kearns School: Penn-Trafford Sport: Soccer Class: Senior Claim to fame: Kearns, a Robert Morris commit, recorded two goals and three assists to lead Penn-Trafford (5-7, 4-5) to a 7-1 win over Hempfield in Section 3-4A action Oct. 4. Three days later, Kearns had a goal and an assist for...

Jordan Taylor School: Jeannette Sport: Soccer Class: Sophomore Claim to fame: Taylor, who has 29 goals this season, scored five goals to lead Jeannette to a 14-0 win over Geibel in Section 2-A action Oct. 2. Taylor, who has 55 goals in his career, scored five goals for the Jayhawks...

With the score tied and just over 6 minutes remaining, the Fox Chapel defense knew it need just needed to make a key stop as Kiski Area worked to get out of the shadow of its goal post. The Foxes (4-3, 2-0) forced Kiski Area (5-2, 0-2) to punt and...

Sara Felder School: Greensburg Central Catholic Sport: Soccer Class: Junior Claim to fame: Felder had back-to-back hat tricks to lead Greensburg Central Catholic (9-1, 5-1 Section 1-A) to victory last week. Felder’s three goals helped the Centurions to a 4-2 section win over Springdale on Sept. 30. The victory avenged...

Joe Obeldobel School: Yough Sport: Soccer Year: Junior Claim to fame: Obeldobel, who has 12 goals and six assists this season, scored two goals in back-to-back wins for Yough (6-5, 6-3 Section 3-2A) last week, a 4-0 win over Waynesburg on Sept. 27 and 9-1 win over Southmoreland on Sept....

On the night Valley honored its undefeated 1996 team, the current Vikings had an opportunity to capture their first win of the season. However, they were bitten by the turnover bug in the second half. The Vikings (0-6, 0-3) started the second half trailing Freeport, 7-0, but four costly turnovers...

Meghan Zambruno School: Greensburg Central Catholic Sport: Golf Year: Senior Claim to fame: Zambruno, a St. Francis (Pa.) recruit, defended her section championship, shooting a 4-over-par 75 at Pleasant Valley Golf Club to take medalist honors in the Section 1-2A girls golf qualifier Sept. 22. Zambruno’s twin sister, Ella, also...