Paul Schofield stories, Page 16

The Franklin Regional hockey team not only has a new coach for the 2024-25 season, the Panthers also are in a higher classification. The Panthers are now under the direction of Bryan Bearly, who was assistant coach for former coach John Winebrenner, who was fired after the season. The team...

It was a special win for the Penn-Trafford football team Friday. The Warriors special teams blocked a field goal, blocked a punt, recovered a muffed punt that turned into a touchdown and had a couple of long kickoff returns to help pull out a hard-fought 26-10 victory over rival Franklin...

The PIAA board of control voted Wednesday to approve the wrestling steering committee’s proposal to make a major change in the individual regional tournaments. Instead of having five regions in Class 3A, the PIAA reduced the regionals to four with an average of 62.5 teams in each regional. The committee...

One streak continued, two ended and a program-first title was won at the WPIAL team golf championships Thursday at Cedarbrook Golf Course. The streak that continued belonged to the Peters Township girls, who won their third consecutive Class 3A title. It was their fourth in the past five years. The...

Player of the Week Samir Crosby Greensburg Central Catholic, Jr., QB/DB The 5-foot-8, 157-pound junior rushed for 150 yards and scored three touchdowns and completed 10 of 16 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns in helping the Centurions defeat rival Jeannette. Crosby outdueled good friend Kymone Brown, who also...

On paper, the Franklin Regional and Penn-Trafford football teams are similar. Both have outstanding running backs, the top runners in Westmoreland County. Both are getting solid quarterback play and feature strong defenses. The teams collide at 7 p.m. Friday at Warrior Stadium in Harrison City with a lot on the...

Mt. Pleasant girls tennis coach Aaron Hutter calls his squad “blue collar.” That’s because the team is not like some of the top teams in the WPIAL that draw their players from tennis clubs and specialty coaches. Hutter gets his girls from recruiting the hallways. Many of his girls are...

Jodie Polk Guerra was honored Sept. 27 by the Penn-Trafford School District for being the first female football player to score a point in WPIAL history. Polk Guerra achieved the feat 30 years ago. Penn-Trafford kicker Alexis Brown presented Polk Guerra with a gift before the game and then proceeded...

Penn-Trafford may have a new hockey coach, but the goals remain the same – winning a PIHL title. Brian Zagorac replaced Chris Cerutti as coach after the last season. The Warriors went 7-9-2. But the Warriors didn’t go quietly in the Class 2A Penguins Cup playoffs. They stunned No. 1...

As Palmer Jackson was enjoying a stress-free round of golf at Oakmont Country Club on Oct. 1, he took time to watch some of the players putt on No. 18 during the WPIAL Class 3A boys golf championship. Jackson, the 2018 PIAA champion, was playing with good friend Gregor Meyer...

Hempfield jumped out to a quick lead against rival Norwin on Friday but needed to hold on for its second consecutive WPIAL Class 6A Conference victory. Quarterback Dom Detruf rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown and completed 6 of 17 passes for 143 yards and a score to carry...

Player of the week Anthony Smith Southmoreland, fr., QB The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder threw for a career-high 296 yards and four touchdowns in the Scotties’ 31-14 victory against Derry last week. Smith has thrown for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns this season and will lead Southmoreland into a key Interstate Conference...

Just when you think you’ve seen everything in high school football, a crazy play will occur to decide the outcome of a game. Some examples of teams snatching victories from the jaws of defeat that involve Westmoreland County schools include: • In 1977, Belle Vernon’s Calvin Wargo had his field...

Peters Township senior Colton Lusk was worried when he began his final round at the WPIAL Class 3A Golf Championship on Tuesday at historic Oakmont Country Club. He never expected to card seven birdies and breeze to the title. Lusk shot a 4-under-par 67 and finished the two-round event, which...

Penn-Trafford senior Jake McGhee did not start running until middle school. He has come a long way in a brief time to become one of the top runners in Westmoreland County and the WPIAL. McGhee recently placed fifth in the Class 3A division of the annual Red, White and Blue...

It’s been quite a season for the Franklin Regional boys golf team. Not only did they share a section title with Central Catholic and Plum, three golfers advanced to the WPIAL Class 3A individual finals at Oakmont Country Club on Oct. 2. Advancing were junior Colin Holt, senior Liam Copeland...

Southmoreland linebacker Ethan Shawley knew his team needed a spark, and he provided one. With the score tied and Derry driving for the lead midway through the second quarter, the Trojans faced fourth-and-3 at the Southmoreland 24. Shawley had a hunch Derry would attempt a quarterback sweep, and so he...

The best javelin thrower in the state has made a choice about her future. Derry senior Sophia Mazzoni committed to Auburn of the SEC. Mazzoni is a two-time WPIAL Class 2A champion and returning PIAA champion. Her winning throw, a personal record, at the state meet was 161 feet, 10...

Player of the week Kyle Dupill Franklin Regional, sr., RB The 5-foot-7, 189-pound senior rushed for 211 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers defeated Gateway, 36-34, last Friday. He has rushed for 783 yards and seven touchdowns this season. The Panthers host Kiski Area on Friday night in a...

There isn’t much of a football tradition at Southmoreland High School. After the first team in school history in 1964 went 8-0, the Scotties’ best records since were 7-1-1 in 1968 and 7-2-1 in 1979, when they won their only conference title. They have had only 17 seasons in which...

Latrobe public address announcer Greg Fenton got choked up before Friday’s football game against Armstrong. That’s because he was reading a tribute about his spotter and former Latrobe teacher, coach and graduate Rick Kozusko, who died suddenly Thursday. Kozusko was 72. “It was tough not having him there,” Fenton said....

Penn-Trafford boys’ golf team isn’t having the season it had hoped for, but four individuals achieved their goal of making the WPIAL Class 3A championship first round Sept. 24 at Southpointe Golf Club, Canonsburg. There they hope to finish in the top 36 to advance to the final round Oct....

Leechburg quarterback Jayden Floyd put on quite a show with legs Friday at McKee Stadium. Floyd scored four touchdowns in the first half and intercepted a pass as Leechburg throttled Jeannette, 35-13, in a battle of unbeatens in the WPIAL Class A Eastern Conference. It’s the first time since 1981...

It’s hard to imagine a better WPIAL Class 3A girls tennis championship match. Shady Side Academy sophomore Meriwether McCargo and Penn-Trafford junior Mia Williams put on an epic battle Thursday that lasted more than two and half hours. When it was over, it was McCargo outlasting Williams, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6...

player of the week Mark Jablunovsky Ligonier Valley, sr., WR/DB The 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior had a big game as the Rams defeated Shady Side Academy last Friday. He caught eight passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. He also clinched the victory with a late interception. The Rams head to...