Paul Schofield stories, Page 26

It took Thomas Jefferson a while to find the mark in the PIHL Class 2A Penguins Cup championship game Monday, but once it did, a feisty Penn-Trafford squad couldn’t keep up. The Jaguars, the second seed in the tournament, scored five goals during the final 9 minutes, 51 seconds of...

Penn-Trafford stumbled into the 2024 PIHL Class 2A Penguins Cup tournament, losing seven of its final eight games. But it’s been a different Penn-Trafford team in the playoffs, and now it is one victory from the program’s first Pens Cup title. Penn-Trafford faces No. 2 Thomas Jefferson at 6:15 p.m....

Penn-Trafford’s hockey team didn’t end the regular season on a high note. But they sure picked the right time to get hot. For the second consecutive playoff game, the underdog Warriors beat the odds. They advanced to the Class 2A Penguins Cup finals by stunning No. 4 and rival Norwin,...

STATE COLLEGE — When the Spring-Ford girls basketball team defeated Norwin in third game of the season, the Rams got off to a quick start. Friday in the PIAA Class 6A quarterfinals, they did it again. Spring-Ford, the District 1 runner-up from north of Philadelphia, scored the first two baskets...

Penn-Trafford and Latrobe are coming off memorable seasons. The Warriors finished third in the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs and ended up defeating Central Mountain, the No. 1 team in the PIAA, in the first round of the state playoffs. They fell to the WPIAL and PIAA champion Shaler in the...

Greensburg Salem gave up eight goals in each of its previous two meetings against Shaler in the PIHL Class A regular season. It was a different story Wednesday during their Penguins Cup semifinal at Robert Morris University’s Island Sports Center. The Golden Lions won their eighth consecutive game and third...

“What an impressive group.” That’s how Judge Michael Stewart, who replaced John J. Driscoll in 2023 as sponsoring judge for the annual Westmoreland County Scholar/Athlete banquet, described the 2024 group of nominees for the Excellence Award. Athletic directors or representatives from 15 of 18 county high schools met this week...

Penn-Trafford’s hockey team didn’t end the regular season on a high note. But they sure picked the right time to get hot. The underdog Warriors advanced to the 2024 Penguins Cup finals by stunning rival Norwin, the fourth seed, 6-3, Tuesday in a semifinal-round game at Robert Morris University’s Island...

Penn-Trafford senior Patton Graziano is hoping to end high school career on a good note. A PIAA Class 3A swimming title would be preferred, but he’d be satisfied with breaking his records in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke. He did that at the WPIAL swimming and diving championships March...

HERSHEY – Frazier senior Rune Lawrence surprised many when he stuck the landing on a backflip after his final match Saturday at the Giant Center. The impromptu move came after his opponent, Muncy junior Austin Johnson, said something to Lawrence following his dominating 6-3 victory at 215 pounds at the...

HERSHEY — Even though Burrell didn’t have a wrestler in the PIAA wrestling championship finals, it did have a former two-time PIAA champion roaming the mats as an official. Joe Makara, who won consecutive titles in 2002 and 2003, was on the center mat for two girls finals: 130 and...

HERSHEY — Thanks to Norwin freshman Landon Sidun, the streak of PIAA wrestling champions from Westmoreland County has reached 30 consecutive years. Sidun (42-2) secured that milestone by rallying from an early takedown to defeat Ridley junior Curtis Nelson, 6-3, in the Class 3A 114-pound final Saturday at Giant Center....

It didn’t matter that the Latrobe hockey team had beaten Franklin Regional in both regular-season meetings this season. That’s because the PIHL Penguins Cup playoffs are a different animal, and the Panthers have experience in the high-stakes environment. They know how to win these type of battles. Shawn Sinclair scored...

HERSHEY – The PIAA Class 2A showdown between returning state champions is set. Now it’s time to see who is the best 215-pound wrestler in the state. Is it three-time champion Rune Lawrence, a senior from Frazier? Or is it returning 215-pound champion Austin Johnson, a junior from Muncy? Both...

HERSHEY — All Kiski Area sophomore Cooper Roscosky wanted from the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championship was his best performance. He figures the next two seasons will be his time to shine. Roscosky advanced to the semifinals by pinning Strath Haven sophomore Michael Spielman in 1 minute, 43 seconds to...

HERSHEY – Franklin Regional senior Ty Kapusta is having the tournament of his life and he’s not surprised. Kapusta reached the 121-pound finals of the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championship at the Giant Center with two impressive wins Friday. He knocked off Quakertown senior Mason Ziegler, 3-2, in the quarterfinals...

HERSHEY – There doesn’t seem like anything fazes Landon Sidun and Hunter Snyder. The two freshmen showed that to the large wrestling crowd at the Giant Center on Friday during the quarterfinals at the PIAA Class 3A championship. They were two of 17 WPIAL wrestlers to advance to the semifinals...

HERSHEY — Eight wrestlers from the WPIAL have reached the semifinals at the PIAA Class 2A tournament at the Giant Center following wins in the quarterfinals Friday morning. The semifinal round is at 7 p.m. Friday. Burrell sophomore Cam Baker used a takedown in the third period to defeat Tussey...

HERSHEY — Frazier senior Rune Lawrence began his quest of being the next four-time PIAA champion by recording the 100th pin of his career. The West Virginia commit (30-1) pinned Greenville junior Teague Calvin at 2:31 in the first round of the Class 2A tournament Thursday. He will face Catasauqua...

HERSHEY – Norwin freshman Landon Sidun couldn’t wait to be back on the mat after falling short in the Class 3A WPIAL tournament March 2. Sidun worked on a few of his mistakes and came out on Day 1 of the PIAA Wrestling Championships on Thursday at the Giant Center...

HERSHEY — For those in the wrestling community who didn’t know anything about Derry freshmen Mason Horwat and Brady Brown before Thursday, they do now after the opening round of the PIAA Class 2A tournament at Giant Center. One bystander told his buddy, “That’s a freshman,” after he watched Brown...

HERSHEY — This is the first year the PIAA has decided to sponsor a girls wrestling tournament. But not every girl entered that tournament. Northwestern junior Sierra Chiesa decided to give the boys tournament another try after going 2-2 last year. On Thursday, she lost to Burrell sophomore Cam Baker...

HERSHEY – When Canon-McMillan senior Valarie Solorio strolled into the Giant Center on Wednesday, she was listening to “Empire State of Mind” and checking out the size of the arena. Her first thought: “This is where I belong.” The PIAA is hosting its first girls wrestling championship over the next...

Few are better than Hempfield Area wrestling coach Steve Santia when it comes to talking about what it takes to be an underdog and win a PIAA title. Santia stunned the crowd at Giant Center in Hershey in 2007 when he pinned Marcus Zimmerman of Manheim Central in 1 minute,...

WEEK 12 Team rankings Class 3A Team (This year’s record) 1. Connellsville (17-4) 2. Trinity (13-3) 3. Franklin Regional (22-3) 4. Bethel Park (19-3) 5. Latrobe (13-5) 6. North Allegheny (17-4) 7. Fox Chapel (15-2) 8. Peters Township (16-6) 9. Norwin (12-7) 10. West Allegheny (9-4) Class 2A Team (This...