Paul Schofield stories, Page 34
Fast start leads Belle Vernon to 2nd straight state championship
MECHANISBURG — There was no suspense in this year’s PIAA Class 3A championship. Belle Vernon made sure of that with another dominating performance starting with the opening kickoff. Anthony Crews scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, and the Leopards (13-1) won their second consecutive state title with a convincing...
Led by NAHL-bound Max Rutkowski, Franklin Regional hockey turns things around
After beginning the season 1-4, the Franklin Regional hockey team has turned things around. The Panthers have won three consecutive games and are playing their best hockey of the season, according to coach John Winebrenner. “We made a bunch of lineup adjustments, and the team is playing with confidence,” he...
Belle Vernon ready to finish job in state championship vs. Northwestern Lehigh
After Northwestern Lehigh rallied to defeat Wyomissing in the PIAA Class 3A semifinals, Tigers coach Josh Snyder told his team “Why not us.” Northwestern Lehigh (15-0) is having a historic season and qualified for the state championship game for the first time in school history. They defeated Wyomissing, 33-24, after...
Connellsville school board decides to opt out of WPIAL football schedule, play as an independent
Another Fayette County school district has decided not to accept a football schedule from the WPIAL. Connellsville Area School District’s board voted 9-0 to withdraw from the WPIAL in football for the next two seasons. Connellsville joins Albert Gallatin, Uniontown and Brownsville in playing an independent schedule. Butler has also...
Pin in final match gives Valley win over Greensburg Salem
They needed the rulebook to decide Wednesday’s WPIAL Class 2A Section 6 match between Greensburg Salem and Valley. The match ended deadlocked at 30-30, but after the official looked at the scorebook, Valley was awarded the victory for most matches won, 6-5. Greensburg Salem coach Randy Parsley actually cut Valley...
Wrestling notebook: Penn-Trafford’s Barrett, Coy win titles at Hickory tournament
Penn-Trafford sophomore Dylan Barrett (114) and senior Hayden Coy (145) captured titles at the Hickory Invitational on Dec. 2. Barrett (5-0) record four first-period pins and then defeated Northwestern’s Micah Rodriguez by technical fall, 18-3 (5 minutes, 27 seconds), in the finals. Coy (5-0) rolled to easy wins in his...
WPIAL wrestling rankings for week of Dec. 3, 2023
Class 3A Top 10 Team (Last year’s record) Last year’s rankings 1.Canon-McMillan (0-0) 1 2. Trinity (0-0) 2 3. Connellsville (0-0) 3 4. Waynesburg (0-0) 4 5. Franklin Regional (0-0) 5 6. Plum (0-0) 6 7. North Allegheny (0-0) 7 8. Norwin (4-1) 8 9. Latrobe (0-0) 9 10. Kiski...
Jim Schall steps down as girls volleyball coach at Penn-Trafford
There will be a new person coaching the Penn-Trafford girls volleyball team next year. Longtime coach Jim Schall said he felt it was time to step away. It will allow him to spend more time with his family (wife Nancy and children Patrick and Kate) and focus more on the...
Jim Schall steps down as girls volleyball coach at Penn-Trafford
There will be a new person coaching the Penn-Trafford girls volleyball team next year. Longtime coach Jim Schall said he felt it was time to step away. It will allow him to spend more time with his family (wife Nancy and children Patrick and Kate) and focus more on the...
Franklin Regional wrestling building toward future
Franklin Regional wrestling coach Matt Lebe said he has a good feeling about his team, especially when it counts once January begins. That’s when he feels his lineup will be set. The Panthers were co-Section 3-3A champions with Norwin and Penn-Trafford last season and Lebe sees another tight race. He...
Belle Vernon runs over Hickory, headed back to PIAA title game
Belle Vernon football coach Matt Humbert said he preached to his players not to look ahead. That will change this week. That’s because the Leopards have reached the final game of the season for the second consecutive year by running over Hickory, 42-16, on Friday at North Allegheny’s Newman Stadium....
Belle Vernon faces Hickory with a trip to the PIAA Class 3A championship game on the line
PIAA Class 3A WEST REGIONAL (10-1) HICKORY Hornets (11-2) v. (7-1) BELLE VERNON AREA Leopards (10-1) 7 P.M. FRIDAY North Allegheny’s Newman Stadium, Wexford The Boy Scouts of America’s motto is “Be prepared.” That’s the concept Belle Vernon football coach Matt Humbert is following in advance of the PIAA Western...
Mt. Pleasant wrestler Jamison Poklembo has a full trophy case, but something’s missing
Mt. Pleasant senior Jamison Poklembo has succeeded at almost every level of wrestling. He was a WPIAL champion at 132 pounds as a freshman, finished second at 133 as a junior and third at 138 as a sophomore. He’s qualified for the PIAA individual championships three consecutive years, but he’s...
WPIAL Class 2A section breakdowns for 2023-24 season
Section 1 Reigning WPIAL champion Burgettstown (17-2) looks for back-to-back titles by returning nine starters. Heading the list of returnees are three PIAA qualifiers: senior Parker Sentipal (47-7), senior Gaven Suica (43-13) and senior heavyweight Joe Baronick (41-15). … McGuffey (11-3) looks to challenge for the section title. The Highlanders...
WPIAL Class 2A wrestlers to watch for 2023-24 season
Class 2A Wrestlers to Watch Rune Lawrence Frazier, Sr., (112-7 career, 45-3 2022-23) • 2023 WPIAL 189 champion, 2022 WPIAL 172 champion, 2021 WPIAL 172 champion; 2023 PIAA 189 champion, 2022 PIAA 172 champion, PIAA 2021 172 champion. Committed to West Virginia. Cooper Hornack Burrell, Sr., (116-19 career, 43-6 2022-23)...
WPIAL Class 2A preseason Top 10 for 2023-24 wrestling season
Preseason Top 10 Class 2A Team (Last year’s record), Last year’s ranking 1. Burgettstown (17-2), 1 2. Burrell (12-6), 2 3. Quaker Valley (15-6), 3 4. Frazier (12-9), 4 5. McGuffey (11-3), 8 6. Highlands (9-2), 6 7. Mt. Pleasant (11-6), 5 8. Freedom (10-11), NR 9. Jefferson-Morgan (8-3), NR...
Hempfield wrestler Eli Carr looking for more during senior season
Hempfield wrestler Eli Carr had quite a junior season. He wouldn’t mind a repeat and an even better performance as a senior. Not only did Carr play a key role in helping the Spartans finish third in the WPIAL team tournament and qualify for the PIAA tournament with stunning wins...
WPIAL Class 3A section breakdowns for 2023-24 season
Section 1 Last year’s section champion, Plum (15-3), returns 10 starters who won 21 or more matches during the season. Heading the list was the 172-pound section champion senior Antonio Walker (22-3). … It was a rare season that Kiski Area (8-9) didn’t win the section crown. The Cavaliers will...
WPIAL Class 3A preseason Top 10 for 2023-24 wrestling season
Preseason Top 10 Class 3A Team (Last year’s record), Last year’s rankings 1. Canon-McMillan (17-4), 1 2. Trinity (11-3), 10 3. Connellsville (15-6), 4 4. Waynesburg (16-5), 1 5. Franklin Regional (7-2), NR 6. Plum (15-3), 9 7. North Allegheny (10-5), NR 8. Norwin (15-4), 5 9. Latrobe (11-3), 8...
WPIAL Class 3A wrestlers to watch for 2023-24 season
Class 3A Wrestlers to Watch Shawn Taylor West Allegheny, Sr. (95-16 career, 40-3 2022-23) • 2023 WPIAL 160-pound champion; 2023 PIAA 160 second, 2022 PIAA 160 fourth. Committed to West Virginia. Vaughn Spencer Pine-Richland, Jr., (28-2 career, 28-2 2022-23) • 2023 WPIAL 189 champion; PIAA qualifier who went 1-2. Luke...
Penn-Trafford girls hungry for more playoff success
The Penn-Trafford girls basketball team made a run in the 2023 WPIAL and PIAA postseason. That run has veteran coach John Giannikas looking forward to the season. The Warriors placed seventh in the WPIAL and advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals following an exciting first-round win at PIAA District 3 champion...
Penn-Trafford boys look to build off late-season success
A late-season surge, which included close wins against McKeesport and Latrobe, has Penn-Trafford boys basketball coach Doug Kelly excited about the upcoming season. The Warriors won four of their five Section 3-5A games to end last season and were able to qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. Penn-Trafford played well in...
Motivated Belle Vernon defense delivers shutout of Avonworth
Belle Vernon got tired of all the negative talk this season, especially from Avonworth. The No. 1-ranked Leopards wanted a shutout more than anything Friday in the WPIAL Class 3A championship game at Acrisure Stadium. The defense posted its third shutout of the season, blanking Avonworth, 26-0, for Belle Vernon’s...
Perfect 10: Beaver Falls wins WPIAL title as double-digit seed, beating Steel Valley in dramatic final
The magic playoff run continued for Beaver Falls. The 10th-seeded Tigers upset No. 1 Steel Valley, 14-12, in the WPIAL Class 2A championship game Friday at Acrisure Stadium. Senior running back Da’talian Beauford atoned for a costly fumble early in the fourth quarter by scoring on a 4-yard run with...
Latrobe boys basketball wants to restore playoff tradition
Latrobe didn’t make the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs for the second consecutive season in 2022-23. That’s unusual for a program that has been a consistent postseason participant. The Wildcats’ goal is to right the ship and get back into the playoffs. “It’s difficult to swallow,” Latrobe boys coach Brad Wetzel...
