Paul Schofield stories, Page 55
Hempfield runs past Latrobe, gets off to 3-0 start
There were a lot of happy faces in the Hempfield locker room following Friday’s nonconference game at Latrobe Memorial Stadium. The Spartan players were posing for photos and music was blaring after their convincing 49-14 victory against Latrobe in a battle of the unbeaten — and they should be happy,...
Westmoreland County football players to watch in 2022 Week 2
Here are Westmoreland County’s high school football players to watch for Week 2. Kai Brunot Greensburg Salem, So., RB/DB The sophomore rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown in helping the Golden Lions defeat Derry, 26-17, last week. He’s expected to be the team’s top running back. Daevon Burke Monessen,...
Hempfield, Latrobe football teams creating a buzz in Westmoreland County
The buzz around central Westmoreland County isn’t coming from honey bee hives. It’s the chatter from fans of the Hempfield and Latrobe football teams. The 2-0 start by each team has created a buzz as they prepare to face each other in a nonconference battle at 7 p.m. Friday at...
Westmoreland County don’t miss high school football matchups for 2022 Week 2
Nonconference Class 3A No. 1 Belle Vernon (1-0) at Class 4A No. 2 McKeesport (2-0) 7 p.m. Friday, Weigle-Schaeffer Stadium, McKeesport Belle Vernon opened the season with a 41-20 win over Laurel Highlands as standout running back Quinton Martin, the top recruit in Pennsylvania for the junior class, ran for...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Hershberger scores twice as field hockey team opens with win
Penn-Trafford’s field hockey team opened the season with a 4-2 victory against Peters Township on Aug. 30. Ava Hershberger scored two goals and added an assist on Ella Morocco’s goal. Early in the fourth quarter, Megan McBarron scored off a reset. Golfers bounce back after loss The Warriors golf team...
Experience benefits Penn-Trafford girls golfers
When the Penn-Trafford girls golf team began the season, veteran coach Ed Herbst had hope for success. With six players returning, including five who saw starting action in 2021 and three who have started since they were freshmen, there was reason to be optimistic. “When we started, I could see...
Robert Fulton scores 4 touchdowns as Latrobe beats Franklin Regional in 2OT
Robert Fulton scored on a 5-yard run in the second overtime, and Latrobe won its second game of the season by defeating Franklin Regional, 36-33. Fulton rushed for 252 yards and four touchdowns. He also scored on runs of 2, 92 and 73 yards. The senior transfer now has rushed...
Derry’s Hunter Jurica uses local knowledge to win WCCA boys golf title
There’s something to be said for home course advantage. Derry senior Hunter Jurica’s home course is the Latrobe Elks Golf Course, and he took advantage of his knowledge of the tricky greens to capture the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association boys golf title Friday. Jurica used seven birdies, four on the...
Westmoreland County football players to watch in 2022 Week 1
Robert Fulton Latrobe, Sr., RB/OLB The 5-foot-11, 205-pound senior began his Wildcats career with a bang Friday night. The Central Catholic transfer rushed for 209 yards and five touchdowns in helping Latrobe defeat Derry, 55-0. Payton Molter Jeannette, Jr., QB The 5-9, 174-yard junior had a solid first game against...
Latrobe-FR matchup to answer questions about game-scrimmage debate
Which is more beneficial for a high school football team in Week Zero: playing an actual game or participating in a scrimmage? The PIAA gives schools the option, and most play a game. A few don’t. One of the big questions heading into Friday’s nonconference matchup between Latrobe and Franklin...
Hempfield rolls past Greensburg Salem in game shortened by lightning
The only thing that slowed down the Hempfield football team’s offense Friday was a lightning delay at the end of the first half. Play was stopped with 1 minute, 58 seconds left in the first half because of lightning in the area. The game was called at 9:15 p.m. after...
Hydration important for athletes to compete in heat
Greensburg Salem junior wide receiver Cody Rubrecht was having the game of his life to open the 2021 football season against Hempfield. He caught nine passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns and helped the Golden Lions to a touchdown lead. But late in the third quarter after catching a...
Arnie Cutrell wins 3rd Westmoreland Senior Amateur
You couldn’t have asked for a better finish to the Westmoreland County Golf Association’s Senior Amateur on Wednesday. It came down to the final hole for the second consecutive year. After rallying from a two-shot deficit after 18 holes, Arnie Cutrell used consecutive birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 15...
Westmoreland County football players to watch in 2022 Week Zero
Here are Westmoreland County’s high school football players to watch for Week Zero. Jackson Hutter Mt. Pleasant, Jr., RB/MLB The junior is expected to be more of an offensive threat in 2022 after averaging 7.1 yards per carry as a sophomore. He scored one touchdown and had a catch for...
Rivals Hempfield, Greensburg Salem to square off for 57th time
It’s only one game on the schedule, the first of the season. And in the grand scheme of things, it won’t impact conference standings for either team. But bragging rights will again be on the line between the football players, students and communities from Hempfield and Greensburg Salem. The 2022...
Senior Daniel Tarabrella pushes Penn-Trafford to ‘keep climbing the ladder’
It was not a surprise to Penn-Trafford football coach John Ruane that Daniel Tarabrella had a fantastic junior season, helping the Warriors win their first WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A titles. “His desire is through the roof,” Ruane said. “He wants to be great, he wants to be on a...
Mt. Pleasant senior Labuda looks to help 2 teams this fall
As if Robbie Labuda wasn’t busy enough. Now the top running back for the Mt. Pleasant football team wants to add soccer to his packed schedule. It would be his fourth sport in high school. He already plays basketball and runs track. “I want to try to help them win...
Armed with championship lessons, Penn-Trafford captains ready for next chapter
It was quite a way for the 2021 Penn-Trafford football team to celebrate the school’s 50th anniversary: winning its first WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A championships. The Warriors capped a memorable season with a thrilling, 17-14 overtime victory over Imhotep Charter at Hersheypark Stadium on Dec. 10, 2021. And while...
WPIAL Class 3A football breakdown: Belle Vernon leads new-look field of contenders
A changing of the guard in WPIAL Class 3A football will occur in 2022 and Belle Vernon, a Class 4A finalist last year, is favored to be the top team to replace three-time WPIAL champion Central Valley. That’s because Central Valley is moving up to Class 4A after dominating Class...
Football’s a family business at Ligonier Valley this season
Ligonier Valley football coach Roger Beitel is now the elder statesman of coaches in Westmoreland County with the retirement of Jeannette’s Roy Hall. But during practice, he allows the players to play different genres of music as background noise. Entering his 19th year as coach at the school, Beitel might...
Ligonier Valley aims to stay healthy, put offensive weapons to good use
Roger Beitel begins his 19th year as head football coach at Ligonier Valley, and he hopes the 2022 season isn’t as bizarre as 2021. The fact that Ligonier Valley finished 8-3 and made the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs for the first time is amazing with the amount of injuries the...
Mt. Pleasant aims to build on WPIAL playoff experience
Mt. Pleasant’s starting quarterback from 2021 won’t be lining up behind center this season. That’s because Mt. Pleasant coach Jason Fazekas is pleased with the progress that sophomore Cole Chatfield has made in the offseason which allows him to utilize the talent of Tyler Reese in different ways to benefit...
Greensburg Salem puts offense in hands of skilled standout Cody Rubrecht
What do you do with the best athlete on your football team? If you’re Greensburg Salem coach Dave Keefer you make him your quarterback. That’s what Keefer is doing this season with senior Cody Rubrecht. Arguably the top wide receiver returning in the WPIAL, Rubrecht was dangerous every time he...
WPIAL golf preview: Teams and players to watch and dates to circle
Class 3A boys THE FAVORITE Central Catholic The Vikings, who lost to Fox Chapel by one shot in the WPIAL finals, return five of six starters. They also lost in the PIAA championship in a playoff. WATCH OUT FOR Peters Township The Indians return five of six starters, including three...
Penn-Trafford’s Nick Turowski commits to WVU, looks to defend WPIAL championship
Penn-Trafford junior Nick Turowski will be attempting to do something that has only been done eight times in 85 years of the WPIAL Class 3A golf championship: go back to back. In fact, the last time someone won consecutive titles was by Pine-Richland’s Mike Van Sickle in 2003-2004. Other notable...
