Paul Schofield stories, Page 20
Westmoreland County high school football players to watch for 2024 Week 2
Player of the week Tyvaughn Kershaw Monessen, jr., RB/LB The 5-foot-9, 185-pound junior had quite a performance against West Greene last Friday. He scored five touchdowns — three rushing, one receiving and one punt return — and rushed for 183 yards on seven carries. Kershaw went 87 yards on a...
Latrobe, Norwin to meet in early season clash of unbeatens
Two undefeated football teams trying to form an identity collide Friday in a nonconference battle at Norwin Knights Stadium. Latrobe, which found success in Class 4A the past two seasons under coach Ron Prady, tries to continue its upward trend in Class 5A this season. Norwin, only one of two...
Young Penn-Trafford girls volleyball team looking to soar under new coach
The Penn-Trafford girls volleyball team has a new head coach. Tracy McDonald, a 1998 graduate of Penn-Trafford, takes over for Jim Schall, who retired after coaching the girls team for 25 seasons. McDonald, a middle hitter, played one year at St Francis (Pa.) before finishing her career at IUP. She...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Learning from loss critical for Warriors
Penn-Trafford football coach John Ruane said the film session after a season-opening loss to Norwin was the most important of the season. Penn-Trafford dropped a 26-14 decision Aug. 23 and Ruane needed to see what was on film to help the team improve. “Well, that’s what nonconference games mean,” Ruane...
Greensburg Salem pulls away to rout Ligonier Valley, improves to 2-0
Greensburg Salem fell behind early for the second consecutive game. And for the second consecutive game, the Golden Lions roared from behind for a victory. Max Topper scored two touchdowns, and senior Kai Brunot rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown to lead Greensburg Salem (2-0) to a 43-14 nonconference...
Westmoreland County players to watch for 2024 Week 1
Player of the week Kymon’e Brown Jeannette, Jr., WR/QB/DB The 6-foot, 145-pound junior had quite a game against Mt. Pleasant. He had four catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. He also completed 8 of 10 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He was the team’s leading receiver in...
Greensburg Salem, Ligonier Valley looking to see improvement, stay unbeaten
Greensburg Salem and Ligonier Valley kicked off the season with solid wins in Week Zero. But their performances were far from perfect. That’s why Greensburg Salem coach Ty George and Ligonier Valley coach Roger Beitel, along with the rest of the football coaches across the state, couldn’t wait to dissect...
Young players on Penn-Trafford golf team looking to shave off a few strokes
Starting new is the theme surrounding the 2024 Penn-Trafford boys golf team. Graduation hit the team hard as only one player on this year’s roster — senior Aiden Dzurko — saw playing time with the starters last season. And Dzurko’s was limited to one or two matches when Nick Turowski...
Norwin asserts itself in opening win over Penn-Trafford
Norwin coach Mike Brown said he emphasized physicality and tackling in the offseason. They also wanted to run the ball better to take pressure off junior quarterback Tristyn Tavares. The Knights showed their hard work in the offseason paid off Friday in the Week Zero season opener. Norwin was physical,...
Westmoreland County high school football players to watch for 2024 Week Zero
Kyle Dupill Franklin Regional, sr., RB The 5-foot-7, 189-pound senior had a strong junior season, rushing for 1,175 yards and 14 touchdowns. He rushed for 240 yards and scored five touchdowns against Plum last year. Brock Heisler Hempfield, Jr., LT/DT The 6-foot-3, 240-pound junior will be part of a huge...
What’s in a name when rivals Norwin, Penn-Trafford collide?
Even though it’s a rivalry, the Penn-Trafford/Norwin series has no name. Does it need one? Pitt and West Virginia have the “Backyard Brawl.” Monessen and Charleroi and Monaca and Rochester had the “Battle of the Bridge.’ Derry and Ligonier Valley have the “Riot on the Ridge.” What should this game...
Burrell hires former assistant Steve Ansani as head wrestling coach
Steve Ansani was approved Tuesday as Burrell’s new wrestling coach by the school board. Ansani was an assistant coach under Josh Shields, who resigned after the season to spend time with his family. Ansani, a 1978 Valley graduate, coached at his alma mater. He also coached at the Mat Factory...
Penn-Trafford’s depth along offensive, defensive lines inspires optimism in coach Ruane
Penn-Trafford football coach John Ruane likes the makeup of his team, which returns several skilled players from a squad that went 5-6 in 2023. But what really excites him is what is occurring with his offensive and defensive lines. He’s not the only one excited. So are running backs Tasso...
Jeannette a program on the rise, but ‘work is far from done’
There is an old saying that suggests “it’s tough to keep a good man down.” In the case of Jeannette, that applies to the football program. After a shocking 2021 season, a year after winning a WPIAL Class A title and losing a heartbreaker to Steelton-Highspire in the PIAA championship...
Mt. Pleasant’s Garn is a flyer on the football field, track and in a plane
Mt. Pleasant’s Jarett Garn loves challenges. The young man can flat out fly, literally. Whether it’s on the track as one of the premier sprinters in the state, on the football and soccer fields using his quickness and kicking abilities or, yes, in the air as a pilot, the 6-foot-3...
WPIAL Class 3A preview: Moving down from 4A, Central Valley has Acrisure aspirationsVideo
Avonworth had to play second fiddle to Belle Vernon the past two seasons in the WPIAL Class 3A championship game. And with seven starters on offense and defense returning, all-conference quarterback Carson Bellinger among them, the Antelopes (12-1) look to take another trip to Acrisure Stadium. But it’s not that...
Senior leaders out to turn things around for Ligonier Valley
The 2023 football season didn’t go well for Ligonier Valley. The Rams went 2-8 and finished the season on a six-game losing streak. Things will be a lot different in 2024 if senior lineman Wade Lamont and senior running back/linebacker Aidan Mulheren having anything to say about it. See, a...
WPIAL wrestling notebook: Hempfield looking for new coach
Hempfield is in the process of interviewing for a new wrestling coach. Steve Santia resigned at the end of the school year for personal reasons, leaving athletic director Brandon Rapp with the job of finding a replacement. “I have two kids now under 3. It has been a lot, and...
Ligonier Valley looks to rebound after rare losing season
A 2-8 season didn’t sit well with the Ligonier Valley football team and coach Roger Beitel in 2023. Injuries and a youthful squad that lacked experience were big reasons for the rare losing season. The Rams had only one senior on the team (Noah Gluck), and he got injured in...
Mt. Pleasant working to build stronger finishing kick
Mt. Pleasant got off to a great start in 2023. The Vikings were 5-1 heading into first-place battles with Elizabeth Forward and eventual Class 3A WPIAL and PIAA champion Belle Vernon. Things didn’t go well, and the Vikings finished losing four of their final five games to end up 6-5....
Derry looking for continued success in move to Class 3A
It was a huge leap for the Derry football team in 2023. The Trojans ended a 20-game losing streak, won five games and qualified for the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. Even though the Trojans (5-6 overall, 4-3 Allegheny Conference) fell to McGuffey, 25-13, in the postseason, the program made major...
Senior tackle Nick Stuchell brings throwback toughness to Jeannette football
It’s not hard to pinpoint the emotional leader of the Jeannette football team. Look no further than senior Nick Stuchell. The 6-foot, 220-pound two-way tackle said he loves the physical attack of the game. He has started every game since his freshman season. “I like to hit people,” Stuchell said....
Penn-Trafford girls golf team ready to roll
Things haven’t started as planned for the Penn-Trafford girls golf team. Their first two matches of the season – against Greensburg Central Catholic and Connellsville – were canceled to the dismay of coach Ed Herbst. “We’re a young team and I want to see how they perform in a match,”...
TE Mac Bresnahan wants to be top target in Franklin Regional passing game
When Franklin Regional needed to make a big play in the passing game the past two seasons, Ayden Hudock delivered. Hudock caught 42 passes for 957 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022 and had 48 catches for 803 yards and 11 scores in 2023. But Hudock has graduated, and senior...
Franklin Regional grad Spencer Lee falls in Olympic gold medal match
Spencer Lee’s dream of becoming an Olympic champion fell just short Friday afternoon in the men’s freestyle 57 kg final. Japan’s Rei Higuchi, the top seed, used a takedown early in the second period to defeat Lee, 4-2. Higuchi got a second takedown late in the match when Lee tried...
