Paul Schofield stories, Page 5
WPIAL wrestling powers Norwin, Connellsville set to battle in state quarterfinals
Norwin is making its second appearance in the PIAA Class 3A team wrestling tournament but its first journey into the quarterfinals. There, the Knights will run into a familiar foe, perennial WPIAL power Connellsville at 7 p.m. Friday at Johnstown’s 1st Summit Arena. Norwin (13-3) finished second to Franklin Regional...
PIAA team wrestling preview capsules for Feb. 6, 2026
Class 3A Franklin Regional (19-0) vs. State College (17-4) When: 7 p.m. Friday Where: 1st Summit Arena, Johnstown How they got there: Franklin Regional defeated Palmyra, 45-22; State College defeated Selinsgrove, 45-24. Key wrestlers: Franklin Regional: Beau Fennick, so., 114 pounds (6-0); Max Firestine, so., 145 pounds (26-5); Michael Ruane,...
Derry rallies to defeat Penns Valley for 1st PIAA winVideo
Three days after winning its first WPIAL Class 2A wrestling title, Derry added another first Tuesday. With their come-from-behind, 44-26 win against Penns Valley, the Trojans earned their first win in the PIAA tournament. They were 0-5 in state tournaments entering Tuesday night. Derry (14-0) earned a trip to Johnstown,...
WPIAL team wrestling rankings: Feb. 3, 2026
Week 8 Team rankings Class 3A rankings Place Team (record) Last week 1. Franklin Regional (18-0) 1 2. Norwin (12-3) 2 3. Connellsville (17-3) 3 4. Canon-McMillan (11-5) 5 5. Trinity (11-3) 5 6. Kiski Area (16-3) 6 7. North Allegheny (11-2) 7 8. Thomas Jefferson (13-3) NR 9. Moon...
WPIAL individual wrestling rankings: Feb. 3, 2026
Trib HSSN Live Individual Wrestling Rankings WPIAL Class 3A 107: 1. Lee Dreshman, fr., Canon-McMillan (38-4); 2. Michael Johnson, so., West Allegheny (30-3); 3. Bryce Thomas, jr., Moon Area (26-9); 4. Parker Jennings, so., Trinity (29-7); 5. Riley Smith, jr., Seneca Valley (25-1). 114: 1. Nick McGarrity, jr., Peters Township...
Team effort guides WPIAL wrestling teams into PIAA tournament
It takes more than the team’s stars to win a wrestling title. Many times, the unexpected wrestler steps up in the clutch. That is what happened Saturday during the WPIAL team wrestling championships: Franklin Regional, Norwin, Connellsville and Derry had various wrestlers come through in the clutch. For Class 3A...
McKeesport’s Kemon Spell commits to GeorgiaVideo
McKeesport junior running back Kemon Spell is headed to one of the powers of the SEC. Spell committed to Georgia on Monday, according to reports by Rivals and ESPN. The five-star recruit is the top-ranked running back in the 2027 class. He is a marquee addition to coach Kirby Smart...
WPIAL wrestling teams prep for PIAA tournament, next steps in ‘Journey to Johnstown’
It is back to work for the seven WPIAL wrestling teams that qualified for the PIAA team tournament. The “Journey to Johnstown” begins Tuesday across the state with preliminary- and first-round action. If teams survive those rounds, they qualify for the quarterfinals Friday at 1st Summit Arena in Johnstown. This...
8 Western Pennsylvania teams set for PIAA wrestling tournament
The PIAA wrestling team tournament will begin Tuesday. WPIAL champions Franklin Regional (Class 3A) and Derry (Class 2A), along with Connellsville, Norwin, Burrell, Laurel, McGuffey and City League champion Obama Academy will compete. Here’s a look at the pairings for the preliminary round and first round in Class 3A and...
Penn-Trafford enters stretch run among top PIHL Class 2A contenders
Heading into the final month of the PIHL season, the Penn-Trafford hockey team sits near the top of the PIHL Class 2A standings. Second-year coach Brian Zagorac said winning the regular season was not the main goal of the team. That goal would be winning the Penguins Cup. The Warriors...
Penn-Trafford boys basketball on a season-long thrill ride
Doug Kelly has been down this road before with the Penn-Trafford boys basketball team. The Warriors’ season has been like a roller coaster at nearby Kennywood, full of twists and turns, and ups and downs. “It has been a season of streaks,” Kelly said. “We won four in a row...
Late heroics lift Franklin Regional wrestling past Norwin for 2nd straight WPIAL 3A team title
Franklin Regional junior Sal Colangelo did not panic when he gave up an early takedown with a title on the line. Colangelo used a second-period takedown and rallied to defeat Norwin sophomore Dom Butera, 5-3, at 107 pounds to clinch the Panthers’ second consecutive WPIAL Class 3A title, 31-27. It...
Derry upends defending champ Burrell in Class 2A to claim 1st WPIAL team wrestling title
The Derry wrestling program has a rich history. It has produced numerous PIAA and WPIAL champions and placewinners. But missing from the Trojans’ trophy case and wall of fame before Saturday was a WPIAL team title. Well, the Trojans changed that. The Trojans turned in a dominating performance at Peters...
Franklin Regional notebook: Panthers wrestlers again advance in postseason
The Franklin Regional wrestling team reached the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals in the team tournament for the third consecutive season. The Panthers won the team title in 2025 and placed third in 2024. “This group of guys, they have high goals,” Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe said. “For them, they...
Top seeds set to battle for WPIAL team wrestling titles
The WPIAL wrestling committee got it right. The top four seeds in Class 3A and Class 2A reached the team tournament final four Saturday at AHN Arena in Peters Township. Action begins 10 a.m. with the Class 2A semifinals. The Class 3A semifinals begin at 1:30 p.m. No. 1 Burrell...
Norwin decks Trinity, advances to WPIAL Class 3A team wrestling semifinalsVideo
Norwin wrestling coach Kyle Martin went to his top six wrestlers before Wednesday’s WPIAL Class 3A team quarterfinal against Trinity and simply put the weight on their shoulders. They responded in a big way. The second-seeded Knights got pins by Landon Sidun (121 pounds), Coleton Klipa (127), Brooks Blasko (139),...
Wrestling notebook: WPIAL makes weight changes because of weather’s impact on practices
The WPIAL team tournament is scheduled to begin Wednesday, and because of the heavy snow and frigid temperatures, the WPIAL has informed teams an additional 2-pound allowance will be in effect. Some teams could not practice Monday, which affected their wrestlers’ conditioning and ability to maintain their weight. Things are...
Trib HSSN team wrestling rankings for Jan. 27, 2026
Here are the Trib HSSN WPIAL team wrestling rankings for Jan. 27. Teams are listed with overall record and last week’s ranking. Class 3A 1. Franklin Regional (14-0) 1 2. Norwin (9-2) 2 3. Connellsville (14-2) 3 4. Canon-McMillan (9-3) 7 5. Trinity (10-2) 4 6. Kiski Area (15-2) 5...
Trib HSSN individual wrestling rankings for Jan. 27, 2026
Trib HSSN Live Individual Wrestling Rankings WPIAL Class 3A 107: 1. Lee Dreshman, fr., Canon-McMillan (33-4); 2. Michael Johnson, so., West Allegheny (29-3); 3. Bryce Thomas, jr., Moon Area (26-8); 4. Parker Jennings, so., Trinity (18-3); 5. Riley Smith, jr., Seneca Valley (18-1). 114: 1. Nick McGarrity, jr., Peters Township...
PIHL cancels all-star games because of weather
The PIHL announced the cancellation of its five all-star games scheduled for Sunday because of the impending winter storm expected for Western Pennsylvania. In a statement from the league: “based on the latest information available, the storm is expected to be most severe during the time that games are scheduled....
Franklin Regional boys basketball battles through Section 1-5A slate
Franklin Regional’s boys basketball team played two key Section 1-5A games last week. The Panthers (11-4, 7-2) held on to defeat McKeesport, 55-52, in a battle for second place Jan. 20. The win set up Friday’s first-place showdown at Gateway (10-5, 8-1). The section has proved to be unpredictable. Other...
Stanley Rajkovich’s buzzer beater lifts Derry boys over Belle Vernon in OT
Derry junior Stanley Rajkovich was honored before Friday’s game for recently reaching the 1,000-point milestone. Then Rajkovich delivered it in the clutch. He hit a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime and then drained a twisting jumper to give the Trojans a heart-thumping 48-46 victory against Belle Vernon (11-8,...
WCCA swimming championships should have different look this year
There will be numerous new champions at the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association swimming championships this weekend. That is because the amazing group of Mt. Pleasant swimmers are now competing in college. Only Southmoreland junior Allison Stinnett returns as champ. She won the 200-yard IM and 100 breaststroke last year. This...
Franklin Regional, Burrell receive top seeds for 2026 WPIAL wrestling tournament
A pair of returning champions from Westmoreland County earned the top seeds when the WPIAL wrestling committee seeded the Class 3A and Class 2A tournaments. The preliminary and first-round pairings were released Thursday, and 2025 champions Franklin Regional in Class 3A and Burrell in Class 2A were tabbed as favorites....
Franklin Regional clips Norwin for section title in matchup of top 2 teams in Class 3A
The top two wrestling Class 3A teams in the WPIAL put on quite a show Wednesday at Franklin Regional. The match was not only for the Section 9 title, but it was also for the top seed in the upcoming WPIAL team tournament. Returning 3A champion and No. 1-ranked Franklin...
