Westmoreland County campus clips: Latrobe grad finds new home court
Elle Snyder played two seasons of NCAA Division I basketball at Evansville. She will look to play two more at a different school. The former Latrobe standout entered the transfer portal and announced last week she has found a new college home — Quinnipiac. Snyder is a 5-foot-9 guard/forward who...
Derry tops Hampton to reach WPIAL semis for 1st time since 1984
Many of the Derry baseball players like to spend their free time fishing together. “It’s like a mental refresh down at the creek,” junior pitcher Max Doherty said. “The other day, I caught, like, 20 bass. We love it.” Doherty and his friends reeled in something much bigger Monday night....
Westmoreland softball playoff preview capsules for May 19, 2026
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 6A Semifinals 4-Canon-McMillan (9-10) vs. 1-Hempfield (19-1) 5 p.m. Tuesday at West Mifflin Winner plays: Winner of 6-Pine-Richland (9-12)/2-Seneca Valley (14-5) in championship May 27 or 28 at Cal (Pa.) Players to watch: Lyla Mowery, Canon-McMillan; Lauren Howard, Hempfield Extra bases: Canon-McMillan blanked No. 5 Mt....
Westmoreland WPIAL softball playoff capsules for May 18, 2026
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 3A Quarterfinals 6-Burrell (11-8) vs. 3-Mt. Pleasant (13-4) 5 p.m. Monday at Gateway High School Winner plays: Winner of 7-Keystone Oaks (16-4)/2-Mohawk (14-5) Friday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Tina Gural, Burrell; Dani Trainer, Mt. Pleasant Extra bases: Section 1 opponents will meet...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Another Division I offer for Penn-Trafford’s Nick Ponko
One Division I scholarship offer usually opens the door for more. Penn-Trafford junior Nick Ponko added another offer to his first one, with Richmond reaching out to the 6-foot-2,
190-pound wide receiver and safety. His other offer is from Lehigh. Ponko had a team-high 42 receptions for 714 yards and...
Norwin notebook: Knights earn 4th seed for WPIAL baseball playoffs
The Norwin baseball team was awarded the No. 4 seed in the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs. The Knights (12-8) finished tied for first place in Section 2 with Canon-McMillan, but since Canon-McMillan swept the Knights in their three-game series, the section title went to the Big Macs. Norwin drew No....
Westmoreland County athletes of the week: Southmoreland’s Megan Mehall, Derry’s Max Doherty
Megan Mehall School: Southmoreland Class: Senior Sport: Track Claim to fame: Mehall ran to a pair of individual championships at the WPIAL Class 2A Track and Field Championships at Slippery Rock. She won the 800- and 1,600-meter runs and qualified for the PIAA Championships in both events. The West Virginia...
For some Westmoreland County baseball, softball teams, there’s a layoff before the playoffs
Maybe the WPIAL playoff system is fractured. Hempfield softball coach Tina Madison thinks so. She and her Spartans have had plenty of time to think about the issue. About half a month, to be exact. “It’s just the hurry up and wait,” Madison said. “The WPIAL has you squeezing in...
Grace Stein fans 16 for Jeannette in decisive victory over Bishop Canevin in Class A 1st round
A food truck sat running near the softball field Thursday at unseasonably cold and damp Plum. Jeannette didn’t need a snack for its playoff opener. It feasted on Bishop Canevin. Senior pitcher Grace Stein piloted another victory with her arm and bat as the No. 8-seeded Jayhawks brushed aside the...
Westmoreland baseball notebook: Derry, Hampton make unlikely quarterfinals matchup
Not many people saw this quarterfinal matchup coming. Well, maybe the teams did. Whatever the case, may the best underdog win. Derry, the No. 13 seed, will meet No. 12 Hampton in the WPIAL 4A playoffs at 7 p.m. Monday at Plum for the right to play in the semifinals....
Westmoreland softball notebook: Greensburg Salem’s Scarpa plows through outing despite injury
There is taking one for the team, then there is what Alle Scarpa did in a first-round playoff game Monday. The Greensburg Salem senior pitcher missed the previous game with a left hip flexor injury and was questionable for the playoff opener against Hampton at Gateway. She essentially took the...
Westmoreland high school softball playoff preview capsules for May 14, 2026
Class 3A First round 9-Yough (12-7) vs.
8-Avonworth (9-8) 5 p.m. Thursday at Gateway Winner plays: 1-South Park (17-1) on Monday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Jaidyn Vay, Yough; Anna Fowler, Avonworth Extra bases: Yough, a perennial playoff contender, finished third in Section 1 behind Mt. Pleasant...
Westmoreland baseball, softball players chip in for NCAA Tournament teams
To make the NCAA baseball and softball postseason, teams have to win conference titles. Some get at-large bids, but spots are guaranteed only for those that finish first in their league tournaments. For teams to win conferences, they need talent across the ballpark. Several have advanced in the national postseason,...
Penn-Trafford again relies on solid pitching, timely hitting in win over Fox ChapelVideo
Penn-Trafford baseball fans are starting to sense a trend. Complete games, timely hits and sound defense are becoming the norm as the No. 2-seeded Warriors go after another WPIAL championship. Those things again carried the day as the Warriors moved into the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals. Another efficient pitching outing...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Mt. Pleasant’s Courtney Poulich wins player of year award
The Horizon League Softball Player of the Year didn’t give conference coaches much to debate. Redshirt senior Courtney Poulich (Mt. Pleasant) was an easy choice after a stat-packed final season that saw the right fielder smash home runs and records. Poulich also was named to the all-conference first team. Her...
Derry softball shows depth in Class 4A 1st-round win over Beaver
Getting a boost from the bottom of the batting order is usually a bonus for teams in the WPIAL softball playoffs, a pleasant surprise most coaches don’t see coming. In Derry’s case, it was a key part of a winning formula in the first round. The ninth-seeded Trojans saw their...
Westmoreland County softball capsules for May 12, 2026
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 6A Quarterfinals 6-Pine-Richland (7-12) vs. 3-Norwin (10-8) 5 p.m. Tuesday at Plum Winner plays: 2-Seneca Valley (14-5) on May 19 in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Abby Laurent, Pine-Richland; Diem Wardzinski, Norwin Extra bases: Pine-Richland tied for fifth in the eight-team section. The Rams...
Westmoreland H.S. notebook: Franklin Regional announces Hall of Fame class
Franklin Regional announced its 2026 athletic hall of fame class. One team, five athletes, a coach and a legacy selection will be inducted. They will be honored at a home football game Aug. 28. The newest class is: • 2014 wrestling team • Courtney Biddle, Class of 1999 (soccer, softball,...
Westmoreland H.S. softball capsules for May 11, 2026
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 4A First round 9-Derry (10-4) vs. 8-Beaver Area (9-7) 3 p.m. Monday at Gateway Winner plays: 1-Elizabeth Forward (17-2) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Haylee Myers, Derry; Bridget Mayo, Beaver Extra bases: Derry is in a similar position to where it...
Norwin notebook: Upon further review, girls track team earns spot in WPIAL finals
Coach Tim Van Horn broke the news to the team on the bus after the track and field meet. His girls thought their season was over. But hold the phone. “We totaled up South Fayette’s points; they had 309,” Van Horn said. “Norwin has 329. So we actually are the...
New Franklin Regional football coach fills out staff
New Franklin Regional football coach Brian Johnson has filled out his staff. It will include: Anthony Rickard (offensive coordinator), Nick Leopold (quarterbacks/JV coach), TJ Young (defensive coordinator), Jeffery Joyce (defensive backs), Shawn Jones (offensive line), Giulio Tommarello (wide receivers), Aaron Detweiler (defensive line), Tyrrell Herbert (safeties), Mike Kramer (tight ends),...
Mt. Pleasant, Hempfield, P-T, Norwin softball teams earn top-3 seeds for WPIAL tournament
Mt. Pleasant softball coach Paul Reho and his girls had a pizza party last year and watched the TribLive HSSN playoff pairings show. This year, they had practice during the webcast to change things up. “Business as usual,” Reho said. “I told them we’d talk about it afterwards. I knew...
Westmoreland County baseball notebook: Behind Aiden Drotos, Penn-Trafford rallies for section title
A rise in recruiting stature came with challenges for Aiden Drotos, admittedly so for the junior left-handed pitcher from Penn-Trafford. His game developed and rounded into form over the summer. He was suddenly hitting 90-plus mph on the radar gun, and buzz began to swirl. College coaches started showing interest,...
Defending champions Mars, Mt. Lebanon awarded No. 1 seeds for 2026 WPIAL girls lacrosse playoffs
Mt. Lebanon and Mars are chasing more hardware in WPIAL girls lacrosse. The Blue Devils (3A) and Fightin’ Planets (2A) are the No. 1 seeds in this year’s playoff tournaments. Two-time defending champion Mt. Lebanon (13-1), the highest-scoring team in the classification at 15.3 goals per game, will try to...
Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township earn top seeds for 2026 WPIAL boys lacrosse playoffs
Peters Township (Class 2A) and three-time defending champion Mt. Lebanon (3A) are the No. 1 seeds for the WPIAL boys lacrosse playoffs, which begin Tuesday and Wednesday. Section 1 champion Peters Township (14-2) has two WPIAL titles but hasn’t won a trophy in eight years, with its wins coming back-to-back...
