Paul Schofield stories, Page 29
Hempfield wrestling coach Santia knows what it takes to be a state champion
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,...
Trib HSSN WPIAL wrestling rankings for March 5, 2024
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...
Shawn Sinclair’s 2nd goal lifts Franklin Regional past Latrobe
Franklin Regional dropped both regular-season hockey games to Latrobe this season, and things didn’t look good for the Panthers after the first period. But circumstances changed in the second period, and so did the outcome of the PIHL Penguins Cup Class 2A quarterfinals at Kirk S. Nevin Arena. The Panthers...
Seton Hill baseball knocks off nation’s No. 1 team
Christian Zilli (Hempfield) pitched a scoreless 11th inning to earn his third save of the season, and Noah Sweeney (Greensburg Salem) drove in Aidan Shephard (Norwin) for the winning run on a double play grounder as Seton Hill handed No. 1 Tampa its first loss of the season, 6-5, on...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Emily Valenta places 3rd in state rifle competition
Penn-Trafford junior Emily Valenta ended up placing third in the state in the high school individual rifle competition. She finished with a 411.1 total to finish behind Everett’s Trey Myers (413.8) and Kinzey Williams (413.1). Emily’s sister Carlee, a senior, placed 16th with a 406.2 score. Emily Valenta was the...
Butler’s Santino Sloboda stuns top-ranked wrestler to win WPIAL Class 3A crown
Very few people at the WPIAL Class 3A wrestling championships Saturday at Canon-McMillan gave Butler sophomore Santino Sloboda a chance at beating the No. 1 wrestler in the country at his weight class. Sloboda and his circle did. A reversal with two seconds left in the 114-pound final gave Sloboda...
Kiski Area’s Cooper Roscosky wins WPIAL title; pair from Plum headed to states
Kiski Area sophomore Cooper Roscosky has one-upped his brother, Braydon. With his 4-2 overtime win against Norwin senior Nathan Campbell, Cooper became the first in the family to win a WPIAL Class 3A title. He claimed the 189-pound title at the WPIAL Class 3A wrestling championships at Canon-McMillan. Now his...
Latrobe’s Luke Willochell claims 3rd WPIAL title; Hempfield’s Eli Carr his 2nd
No one said winning a title would be easy, but Latrobe junior Luke Willochell found a way Saturday at the WPIAL Class 3A wrestling championships at Canon-McMillan. Willochell (38-1) claimed his third by defeating Franklin Regional senior Tyler Kapusta, 1-0, to win the 121-pound title. Now his focus turns to...
Latrobe’s Luke Willochell survives scare, stays on track for 3rd WPIAL title
It wasn’t easy, but Latrobe junior Luke Willochell survived a scare in the WPIAL Class 3A wrestling semifinals Saturday at Canon-McMillan. Willochell gave up an early takedown and rallied in the third period to defeat Canon-McMillan sophomore Cooper Hartman, 8-4, to advance to the 121-pound finals for the third consecutive...
Franklin Regional’s Juliano Marion keeps hot streak going, wins section title
When Franklin Regional senior Juliano Marion lost to Ringgold junior Jake Conroy on Jan. 3, he used it as a learning experience. Marion (39-5) had lost three consecutive matches, including two in the Powerade Tournament, but he wasn’t concerned. Now he’s one of the hotter wrestlers in the WPIAL and...
Latrobe freshman thrives under bright lights of WPIAL Class 3A tournament
Latrobe freshman Hunter Snyder has been on the big stage before. He’s competed in Freestyle Nationals at Fargo and Junior Olympic states. Now he’s one win away from earning a trip to Hershey for the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championships. Snyder is one of four Latrobe wrestlers to reach Saturday’s...
Kiski Area’s Roscosky, Plum’s Walker reach WPIAL wrestling semis
Kiski Area senior Cooper Roscosky achieved something Friday that he missed out last year: advancing to the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals. Roscosky lost in the quarterfinals in 2023, ended up sixth and did not qualify for the PIAA tournament. He needs one win Saturday after advancing to the semifinals with...
Penn-Trafford wrestler Coy ready to make a run at WPIALs after injury-hampered season
Hayden Coy’s senior season hasn’t gone quite as planned. A foot injury the second weekend of the season at Trinity Duals kept him from helping his Penn-Trafford teammates compete for a Section 3-3A title. But Coy, after some physical therapy, has returned and is ready to compete for his first...
Bishop Canevin holds off Jeannette for 5th place in Class 2A
Jeannette basketball coach Adrian Batts said anytime his young Jayhawks are still playing games at this time of the year, it’s a good thing. Even though the Jayhawks (17-9) had already qualified for the PIAA playoffs, Batts was hoping for a better performance in Wednesday’s WPIAL Class 2A consolation game...
Latrobe junior Luke Willochell looks to join impressive list
Before Latrobe junior Luke Willochell can think about joining Frazier senior Rune Lawrence as the next four-time WPIAL champion, he has to take care of business Friday and Saturday at the WPIAL Class 3A championships. Willochell is the only wrestler in this weekend’s tournament at Canon-McMillan with a shot at...
Trib HSSN WPIAL wrestling rankings for Feb. 28, 2024
WEEK 11 Individual rankings Class 3A 107: 1. Nolan Rice (33-7), Connellsville; 2. Nick McGarrity (36-1), Peters Township; 3. Nico Kapusta (21-6), Hempfield; 4. Dylan Barrett (30-7), Penn-Trafford. 114: 1. Landon Sidun (35-1), Norwin; 2. Santino Sloboda (32-0), Butler; 3. Leo Joseph (30-7), Latrobe; 4. Caiden Harbert (32-10), West Allegheny....
Franklin Regional boys roll over Shaler in WPIAL semifinals
It took Franklin Regional overtime to defeat Shaler in a nonsection game back on Jan. 19. The Panthers (22-2) didn’t mess around Monday in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals at Mt. Lebanon. Franklin Regional was hotter than the unseasonably warm temperatures across Western Pa. and scorched Shaler, 69-40, to advance...
Penn-Trafford swimmer Patton Graziano searching for more gold
Penn-Trafford senior Patton Graziano is the reigning WPIAL Class 3A champion in the 100 freestyle. The senior has his sights on doing better things in 2024. Graziano is competing in two events and two relays in the 2024 WPIAL swimming and diving championships Feb. 29 and March 1 at Pitt’s...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Lineman Zach Tomosovich named to Big 33 roster
Penn-Trafford offensive lineman Zach Tomosovich was one of eight players from the WPIAL selected to play in the 67th Big 33 Football All-Star game May 26 at Cumberland Valley High School. He will be joined on the squad by Aliquippa’s Cam Lindsay and Brandon Banks, Canon-McMillan’s Kaeden Singleton and Geno...
Frazier wrestler Rune Lawrence becomes 32nd 4-time WPIAL champion
When Frazier senior Rune Lawrence began his high school career, his goal was to become a four-time champion. One down, two to go. Lawrence became the 32nd wrestler in WPIAL history to become a four-time champion when he pinned West Greene sophomore Colin Whyte in the 215-pound final at the...
Trifecta for Derry at WPIAL 2A wrestling championships
It was a day of perfection for the Derry wrestling team at the WPIAL Class 2A championship Saturday at Chartiers Valley. The Trojans went 3 for 3 in the finals, and it was their most champions in the same season. Junior Anthony Mucci and his dad, Blaise, have something in...
Burrell duo claim WPIAL 2A titles, including gold No. 3 for Cooper Hornack
Winning a WPIAL wrestling title is not easy. Just asked Burrell senior Cooper Hornack. He needed an overtime takedown and a couple of great scrambles to defeat Burgettstown senior Gaven Suica, 3-1, to win the 139-pound title, his third, at the WPIAL Class 2A championships Saturday at Chartiers Valley. Twice,...
After sweeping section titles, Franklin Regional swimmers speed into WPIAL meet
It’s been quite a season for the Franklin Regional swimming teams. The boys finished the season 11-0 and were Section 1-3A champions while the girls were 8-3 overall and also were Section 1-3A champions. The girls’ losses were nonsection. Both also were Class 3A Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association team champions....
Mt. Pleasant’s Greg Shaulis breaks out, reaches WPIAL wrestling semifinals
When the Mt. Pleasant wrestling team was mentioned the past few seasons, Dayton Pitzer, Jamison Poklembo and Dylan Pitzer stole the headlines. That didn’t bother senior Greg Shaulis. That’s because he knows it’s his time to shine at the WPIAL Class 2A championships at Chartiers Valley. Shaulis (32-4) advanced to...
No. 3 Neshannock holds off No. 12 Derry in WPIAL quarters
For more than three quarters of Thursday’s WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinal, Derry’s defense kept Neshannock sophomore David Kwiat in check. But Kwiat, who averages 16 points and is the Lancers’ leading scorer, found his touch. He drained three consecutive 3-pointers, scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter...
