Greensburg CC girls out to follow in footsteps of ’97 ‘Comeback Kids’
Greensburg Central Catholic has rolled through the PIAA playoffs with little resistance, a program with a look in its eye and a goal on its mind. “We want a state championship,” senior guard Erica Gribble said. It remains to be seen if the Centurions (23-7), who have a winning margin...
Greensburg Central Catholic star Erica Gribble finally plays a ‘home’ game
With the crowd gone, her teammates on the bus and her parents waiting for her in the lobby, Erica Gribble did a quick panorama of a quiet Norwin gymnasium. The noise was gone, but the sentiment remained. “I had never played here before tonight,” the Greensburg Central Catholic star point...
Greensburg Central Catholic finally solves rival Shady Side Academy in state semifinals
The fourth act of a play is often referred to as the resolution or the finale. In its fourth matchup of the season against Shady Side Academy, Greensburg Central Catholic was sharp from the second the curtain went up until it took its final bow in a surprisingly one-sided Western...
Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Seton Hill’s Norwin alum Whalen grabs PSAC all-time stolen bases record
Some say Jack Whalen was a recruiting steal for the Seton Hill baseball program. The Norwin alum has a record to prove it. Whalen, a senior outfielder, is now the all-time leader in stolen bases in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, with 118. Through 13 games this season, he had...
Jeannette boys leave their mark on basketball program history
Three Jeannette boys basketball players left Monday on a senior class trip to Costa Rica. They might have preferred a voyage to Central Pennsylvania over Central America, but Hershey will have to wait. The Jayhawks saw another lengthy season come to a close two wins shy of the state finals...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Belle Vernon football on the move to 3A
The WPIAL released football conferences and schedules for the next two-year alignment cycle. One key change involves Belle Vernon, which moves back to Class 3A after playing two years in 4A. The Leopards join the new-look Interstate Conference with Derry, Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg Salem, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland and newcomer Waynesburg....
Westmoreland County PIAA basketball playoff preview capsule for March 16, 2026
Girls Class 3A Semifinals Greensburg Central Catholic (22-7) vs. Shady Side Academy (26-2) 7 p.m. Monday at Norwin District seeds: Greensburg Central Catholic 7-2; Shady Side Academy 7-1 Winner plays: Winner of 2-2 Holy Redeemer (21-8)/4-1 Hughsville (27-3) in championship at 6 p.m. Thursday at Giant Center, Hershey Coaches: Chris...
After trip to finals, senior-led Norwin baseball ready for encore
Norwin broke through and reached the WPIAL baseball championship game last season for the first time since 2016. The Knights were edged by Seneca Valley, 1-0. Fourth-year coach Craig Spisak expects Class 6A to be ultra-competitive again and thinks the Knights should remain in the race. “Although it was a...
IUP women fend off Seton Hill in NCAA regional semifinals
Top-seeded and host IUP withstood a hot-shooting third quarter from Seton Hill to rally past the No. 4 Griffins, 94-87, on Saturday night in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region women’s basketball semifinals. IUP (28-3) advances to the regional championship at 7 p.m. Monday to play No. 3 Winston-Salem (28-3)....
No surprise as Greensburg CC, Shady Side girls basketball teams cross paths again, this time in state semis
After the WPIAL championship, there seemed to be less “if” and more “when” as to Greensburg Central Catholic and Shady Side Academy meeting again in the girls basketball postseason. GCC (22-7) did its best to keep the Bulldogs (26-2), who spoiled their WPIAL three-peat, on the backburner through three rounds...
Franklin Regional baseball eager for fresh start of new season
Franklin Regional lost its final six games of last baseball season, including an 11-1 setback atgainst Bethel Park in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs, but that negative juju is not getting in the way of a new season. Spring, after all, signifies renewal. The Panthers are...
Former Hempfield ace ‘building a complete team’ at Franklin Regional
Maddie Uschock made visits to the pitching circle during games last season as an assistant softball coach at Franklin Regional. The former WPIAL and PIAA championship-winning ace at Hempfield, who played at Shippensburg, brought calmness to ailing pitchers. She helped them reset. As she begins her first season as head...
Seton Hill women’s basketball advances in playoffs with double-OT win
The Seton Hill women’s basketball team moved on in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Griffins advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional with an 88-85 victory in double overtime over Fayetteville State on Friday night at IUP’s Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex. Hallie Cowan had...
Westmoreland County PIAA basketball playoff preview capsule for March 14, 2026
Boys Class 2A Quarterfinals Jeannette (24-2) vs. Mercyhurst Prep (21-6) 2 p.m. Saturday at Sharon District seeds: Jeannette 7-2; Mercyhurst Prep 10-1 Winner plays: Winner of 7-1 Sewickley Academy (27-1)/5-1 McConnellsburg (27-1) Tuesday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Kymon’e Brown, Jeannette; Trent Bengel, Mercyhurst Prep Layup lines:...
Markus McGowan drives motivated Jeannette boys through state playoffs
Oftentimes he is the tallest player on the basketball court, but Markus McGowan is not a traditional post player for Jeannette. Far from it, in fact. He is more of a natural guard than a stretch forward. Sure, the 6-foot-3 McGowan will post up occasionally, but usually he is running...
Westmoreland County PIAA basketball playoff preview capsule for March 13, 2026
PIAA basketball playoffs Girls Class 3A Quarterfinals Greensburg Central Catholic (21-7) vs. Trinity (23-2) 5 p.m. Friday at Altoona District seeds: Greensburg Central Catholic 7-2; Trinity 3-1 Winner plays: Winner of 7-1 Shady Side Academy (25-2)/6-1 Central Cambria (22-6) on Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Jayla...
Jeannette slams Jefferson-Morgan to move into PIAA Class 2A quarterfinalsVideo
Kymon’e Brown believes he can fly. “I felt like something special was going to happen tonight,” the Jeannette point guard said. On the last play of the second quarter, something did. Brown showed his vertical athleticism when he dashed down the lane, elevated like he was on a forklift and...
South Fayette in championship form in PIAA Class 5A 2nd-round win over Penn-TraffordVideo
If South Fayette was one thing, it was as advertised. The WPIAL-champion Lions, with their five Division I prospects, length and postseason experience, overcame a slow start to sprint past Penn-Trafford, 58-38, in the second round of the PIAA Class 5A girls basketball playoffs on Wednesday night at Peters Township’s...
Westmoreland County softball preview: Plenty of new faces at Penn-Trafford but the standard remains high
Sometimes, sentimentality gets the best of Denny Little. A confirmed baseball romanticist who still collects and trades bubble-gum cards, the Penn-Trafford softball coach allows himself to daydream, if only for a few seconds. He gets whisked away to one of his program’s proudest days. The setting is Penn State’s Nittany...
Westmoreland County high school basketball notebook: Greensburg CC’s next opponent has NBA face on bench
Greensburg Central Catholic coach Chris Skatell has matched wits with former college stars before. Shady Side Academy coach Jonna Burke, for instance, starred at Pitt. But GCC (21-7) will go against a two-time NBA champion Friday night in the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals. The game is at 5 p.m. at...
Seton Hill women march into NCAA Tournament with ‘full head of steam’
An at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament is an invitation. There is nothing automatic about it, and it is not promised to any team. That is why Seton Hill coach Maeve Gallagher wants her players to know they did indeed earn a spot in the national...
Westmoreland County PIAA basketball preview capsules for March 11, 2026
Girls Class 4A Second round Belle Vernon (23-4) vs. Blackhawk (23-1) 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at North Allegheny District seeds: Belle Vernon 7-5; Blackhawk 7-2 Winner plays: Winner of 7-3 North Catholic (21-6)/10-1 Harbor Creek (22-4) in quarterfinals Saturday (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Saylor Lee, Belle Vernon; Aubree Hupp,...
Westmoreland County campus clips: 1st-year Saint Vincent coach earns conference honors
Kam Gissendanner was the AMCC women’s basketball coach of the year five times in 12 years when she led LaRoche. She’s 1 for 1 at Saint Vincent. The first-year leader of the Bearcat women was named PAC coach of the year after guiding Saint Vincent to a conference runner-up season....
Westmoreland County PIAA basketball playoff preview capsule for March 10, 2026
PIAA basketball playoffs Girls Class 3A Second round Greensburg Central Catholic (20-7) vs. Northwestern (22-3) 6 p.m. Tuesday at Sharon District seeds: Greensburg Central Catholic 7-2; Northwestern 10-1 Winner plays: Winner of 4-3 Troy Area (24-4)/3-1 Trinity (22-2) Friday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Erica Gribble, GCC;...
Westmoreland high school basketball notebook: Greensburg Central Catholic’s Gribble meets familiar face
When Greensburg Central Catholic point guard Erica Gribble attended a showcase last summer at IMG Academy in Florida, she roomed with another Pennsylvania star. Gribble and Makayla Presser-Palmer of Northwestern were roommates at the Elite 40 event. Who knew the Division I players would meet in the state playoffs? Gribble...
