Paul Schofield stories, Page 22
Westmoreland County high school football players to watch for 2024 Week 3
Player of the week Alex Tatsch Latrobe, sr., RB/LB The Penn State commit rushed for 251 yards and scored four touchdowns in leading the unbeaten Wildcats to a 42-28 victory against Norwin last Friday. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker is one of the leading tacklers on defense. He has gained 495...
Recent history suggests Franklin Regional-Latrobe matchup will be a slugfest
Even though Latrobe and Franklin Regional don’t have a deep history, they’ve played annually since 2016, and six of the past eight games have been barnburners. Both coaches — Latrobe’s Ron Prady and Franklin Regional’s Lance Getsy — expect the same type of game Friday when they kick off the...
Saint Vincent mourns the passing of longtime athletic director Rev. Myron Kirsch, O.S.B.
When Rev. Myron Kirsch, O.S.B., was a student at Saint Vincent, he was an outstanding baseball player in the Latrobe area. And before he became the school’s athletic director in 1983, he served as an assistant baseball coach from 1980-83. Kirsch oversaw numerous projects and changes at the school during...
Wrestling community mourns death of legendary coach Pat Pecora
The day Larry Hohman was headed to college when he was 18, his dad died. He walked into the office of Pitt-Johnstown wrestling coach Pat Pecora for guidance. Pecora instructed him to go home for a week to be with family, and he would take care of things. “On that...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Warriors passing game connects against Mt. Lebanon
Penn-Trafford picked up its first victory of the football season by rolling over Mt. Lebanon, 28-7, on Aug. 30. Quarterback Jonny Lovre completed 17 of 26 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown, and Jack Weishaar was his main target with 10 catches for 130 yards. Dom Smith caught a...
Young Penn-Trafford field hockey team eyes 9th straight WPIAL championship
Penn-Trafford field hockey has dominated Class 2A for the past eight years. And despite returning only three starters, the young, inexperienced Warriors are off to a 2-0 start following 1-0 victories over Shady Side Academy and Latrobe. Penn-Trafford, which captured its eighth straight WPIAL championship last fall, was hit hard...
Westmoreland County athletes of the week: Hempfield’s Milana Yannascoli, Sawyer Leuthold
The Westmoreland County Athletes of the Week is presented by Smail Kia. Look for the tags and look for the savings at Smail Kia in Greensburg. Milana Yannascoli School: Hempfield Class: Senior Sport: Golf Claim to Fame: Yannascoli captured her first Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association title by shooting a 4-over-par...
Alex Tatsch scores 4 TDs as Latrobe stays perfect by running over Norwin
Latrobe football coach Ron Prady challenged his offensive line this week, and the group responded. He also said Norwin was going to see a lot of running back Alex Tatsch, and the Knights will probably have nightmares after what the Penn State commit and quarterback John Wetzel, a Marshall commit,...
Hempfield’s Yannascoli wins girls title at WCCA golf event
Milana Yannascoli has ascended to the top at the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association girls golf championship. The Hempfield senior placed in the tournament for the fourth time, but this time she earned a gold medal for winning. She also helped lead Hempfield to its first Class 3A title on the...
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...
