Paul Schofield stories, Page 37
With Jayhawks back on track, Jeannette-GCC rivalry gets reheated
How big is Friday’s WPIAL Class A Eastern Conference matchup between Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic? In Westmoreland County, it might be the biggest rivalry going. At Jeannette, it’s Central week. At Greensburg Central Catholic, it’s Jeannette week. This is the 32nd meeting between the schools, and during many of...
Westmoreland County football players to watch in 2023 Week 7
Player of the week Ayden Hudock Franklin Regional, Sr., WR/S The 6-foot-1 Hudock began Franklin Regional’s game against Norwin last week by returning the kickoff 92 yards for a score. He then caught three touchdowns passes (6, 56 and 58 yards) from quarterback Chase Lemke as the Panthers defeated Norwin,...
Saint Vincent men’s soccer team set for 1st night game under new lights
Let there be light for Saint Vincent College athletic teams. The school will make history at 7 p.m. Tuesday when the men’s soccer team plays host to Thiel under the lights. “This is an exciting time for Bearcat athletics,” interim athletic director D.P. Harris said in a press release. “We...
Penn-Trafford hockey could be in store for exciting season
If the Penn-Trafford hockey season turns out to be like the thrilling season opener, Warriors fan should be in for an exciting season. Penn-Trafford got a late tying goal from Robert Thatcher with two minutes left in the third period, and then posted goals from Cam Kiste, Thatcher and Drew...
Young, quick Franklin Regional hockey roster has high hopes for season
Despite dropping the opener to Latrobe, Franklin Regional hockey coach John Winebrenner is excited about the upcoming season. The Panthers (0-1) ran into an outstanding goalie in a 4-3 overtime setback Oct. 2. “We pretty much dominated the play,” Winebrenner said, “but the goalie was tough to beat.” Latrobe sophomore...
Elizabeth Forward holds off Mt. Pleasant in 1st-place showdown
Elizabeth Forward was forced to show its mettle for the second consecutive week. The Warriors withstood a big second-half rally by No. 4 Mt. Pleasant to stay undefeated and stay atop the WPIAL Class 2A Interstate Conference. The Warriors got the winning touchdown with 27 seconds lead to defeat the...
Westmoreland County football players to watch in 2023 Week 6
Player of the week Kyle Dupill Franklin Regional, Jr., RB The 5-foot-7, 200-pound junior turned in quite a game as the Panthers rallied from a 20-3 deficit to defeat Plum, 45-26, last week. He rushed for 240 yards and scored five touchdowns. He has rushed for 718 yards and scored...
Mt. Pleasant’s potent ground game faces toughest test yet in Elizabeth Forward defense
It’s been seven years since Mt. Pleasant started the season 5-1. But that’s where the No. 4-ranked Vikings find themselves heading into Friday’s WPIAL Class 3A Interstate Conference first-place showdown with No. 2 Elizabeth Forward at Mt. Pleasant Stadium. Belle Vernon (4-1, 1-0) also sits atop of the conference. Mt....
Penn-Trafford’s Turowski captures second WPIAL Class 3A golf title
Nick Turowski was so relaxed during the final round of the WPIAL Class 3A golf championship Monday at Valley Brook Country Club he laid down on the 17th fairway waiting for the green to clear. “The plan today was to come out and have fun,” Turowski said after his five-shot...
Penn-Trafford alum Johnny Johnston establishes soccer program to help youth players
Johnny Johnston grew up playing soccer in the Penn Township programs. That’s where he was taught how to play the game and learned valuable lessons about growing up from the men who coached him. Now the 2001 Penn-Trafford grad and Harrison City native is doing the same in Oxford, a...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Nick Turowski, Antolena Damico advance in WPIAL golf tournament
Penn-Trafford senior Nick Turowski was one step closer to winning his second WPIAL Class 3A boys golf championship after shooting an even-par 72 at Latrobe Country Club on Sept. 25 to lead the tournament after the first round. The final round was Oct. 2 at Valley Brook Country Club in...
Franklin Regional’s Dylan Mauser advances at WPIAL golf championships
Franklin Regional sophomore Dylan Mauser nervously stood near the scorer’s table at Latrobe Country Club during the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A boys golf championships hoping he’d be one of the 36 golfers to advance to the finals. Mauser said he wouldn’t have to worry if he didn’t...
Penn-Trafford pulls away late to defeat Norwin behind freshman RB’s 4 TDs
There was a fireworks display Friday night in North Huntingdon after the Penn-Trafford and Norwin football game. But it was nothing like the firepower the football teams displayed at Norwin Stadium. Penn-Trafford defeated Norwin, 56-28, for a WPIAL Class 5A Big East Conference victory. The teams broke the series record...
Derry athletic director Brett Miller resigns
The Derry Area school board accepted the resignation of athletic and transportation director Brett Miller on Thursday. Miller, 37, has been hired at Seton Hill in the institutional advancement staff as the major gift officer. He spent the past 10 years at Derry. He replaced Brandon Rapp. He previously was...
Westmoreland County football players to watch in 2023 Week 5
Player of the Week Jackson Hutter Mt. Pleasant, Sr., RB/MLB The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior had quite a game on both sides of the ball in helping the Vikings rally to defeat Freeport, 45-23. He scored two touchdowns, rushed for 100 yards, caught two passes and made eight tackles, including three...
Coach rejoins spirited rivalry between Norwin, Penn-Trafford
Mike Brown is very familiar with the rivalry between Penn-Trafford and Norwin. The Knights’ first-year coach is a Penn-Trafford graduate and played in the game three times. Penn-Trafford won two of the three games, losing in 2007. “When I played, it was a game we always got up for,” Brown...
Penn-Trafford’s Turowski doesn’t hold back, leads Class 3A golf championship
Penn-Trafford senior Nick Turowski wasn’t just trying to qualify for the final round of the WPIAL Class 3A Golf Championship on Monday. He played the first round like it was the final round. “I played to win,” Turowski said. “I was aggressive, and I didn’t hold back.” Turowski, who won...
Penn-Trafford’s Turowski brothers help amateur team win Palmer Cup
When the Turowski brothers play, they usually are battling against each other. That wasn’t the case Sept. 14 when they were teammates for the first time since 2020 when they were paired at Penn-Trafford. Alex, a junior at Fairmont State (W.Va.), and Nick, a senior at Penn-Trafford, competed together in...
Penn-Trafford volleyball looking good after challenging early season schedule
Penn-Trafford dropped two nonconference girls volleyball matches early this season to Pine-Richland and North Catholic. But veteran coach Jim Schall said he’s not deterred by the start. He said his team has learned a lot and he expects them to finish strong. Penn-Trafford finished 17-4 in 2022. The Warriors defeated...
Size disadvantage not a problem for Franklin Regional nose guard Jude Gentile
When you think of a nose guards on a football team, former Steeler Casey “Big Snack” Hampton comes to mind. When Hampton played, he stood 6-foot-1, 325 pounds. At Franklin Regional, the Panthers’ starting nose guard is about half that size, sometimes being one of the smallest players on the...
Hutter brothers lead Mt. Pleasant in big 2nd-half rally to beat Freeport
Things didn’t look good for the Mt. Pleasant football team late in the third quarter of their nonconference game against Freeport. The Vikings were down two touchdowns and needed a spark. Senior Jackson Hutter provided it. Mt. Pleasant (4-1) scored on five consecutive possessions in the final 16 minutes, 33...
5th seed from Belle Vernon, freshman from Shady Side Academy claim WPIAL tennis titles
Belle Vernon doesn’t have a girls tennis team, but it does have a WPIAL champion. Sophomore Gabriella Dusi, a fifth seed, took the WPIAL Class 2A girls tennis championship by storm by crushing the field the past two days. She capped her dominance by defeating the second seed, Beaver senior...
Westmoreland County football players to watch in 2023 Week 4
Player of the week Payton Molter Jeannette, Sr., QB/LB The 6-foot, 180-pound senior had quite a game against Frazier in the WPIAL Class A Eastern Conference opener Friday. Molter was 9-for-9 passing for 158 yards and three touchdowns, including two scores to Jeremiah Williamson. He also returned a fumble 43...
Belle Vernon, Thomas Jefferson to square off with undefeated records on the line
Don’t think for one moment that Friday’s nonconference game between Thomas Jefferson and Belle Vernon is meaningless. Far from it. These teams, a mere 12 miles apart, have met annually, except for 1990 and 1991, since 1965. Thomas Jefferson leads the series 37-23, with Belle Vernon winning the past three...
Southmoreland volleyball enjoying great season under coaching of Kurtz
Tom Kurtz was working at a volleyball match last year when he noticed how well the Southmoreland girls were playing. He asked then-Southmoreland athletic director Dan Boring who was coaching the team. The answer was Boring and his wife, Amber, on an interim bases. Bored with officiating, Kurtz applied for...
