Paul Schofield stories, Page 96
WPIAL boys golf preview: Central Catholic’s Salvitti leads deep group of top players
Who is the top boys’ golfer in the WPIAL? Well, it depends on what day it is. There are numerous top players returning, including many accomplished seniors. The player to watch is Central Catholic sophomore Rocco Salvitti, who tied for third in the WPIAL individual tournament last year and ended...
Cornell restocks shelves after breakout season
Cornell took a break from competing in football in the WPIAL in 2012. The program returned to action in 2016 and promptly went winless. But that was the start of something special. The Raiders steadily improved and in 2019, reached the WPIAL Class A semifinals and earned the school’s first...
Peters Township’s Connor Schmidt defends West Penn Amateur title
Connor Schmidt didn’t need any dramatic collapses from an opponent to defend his West Penn Amateur title. He shot a 5-under-par 30 on the front nine at Allegheny Country Club during the final round, finishing the second round with a 2-under 68 and a 6-under 134. He owned a two-shot...
More experienced Frazier roster in hunt for playoff spot
The main color in Frazier High School’s color scheme is red. The football team in 2019 was green, meaning first-year coach Greg Boggs had to rely on juniors and sophomores for the tough grind in the WPIAL Class 2A Century Conference. But Boggs said 2019’s weakness is turning into 2020’s...
Peters’ Connor Schmidt leads West Penn Amateur after 1st round
If Connor Schmidt is looking to defend his West Penn Amateur, the Peters Township native got off to a good start. Schmidt, a senior at Drexel, shot a 4-under-par 66 on Monday at Allegheny Country Club and holds a 1-shot lead over Bethel Park’s Darin Kowalski and Greensburg’s Brian Fajt....
Sean Knapp adds Westmoreland Senior Amateur to his resume
Sean Knapp didn’t stick around to celebrate his first victory at Westmoreland Golf Association’s Senior Amateur. That’s because Knapp, one of the most accomplished amateurs in Western Pennsylvania, has an early tee time in Monday’s West Penn Amateur at Allegheny Country Club. The Oakmont native and Hannastown Golf Club member...
Belle Vernon has pedigree to contend
Since Matt Humbert was hired as the football coach at Belle Vernon in 2014, the program has seen steady improvement. The Leopards have defeated perennial power Thomas Jefferson, won the conference title twice, reached the WPIAL semifinals and, finally, in 2019, reached the WPIAL finals for the first time since...
Underclassmen growing into contributors for Ringgold
It’s been a rough few seasons for the Ringgold football program — winless in 2018 and two wins, one by forfeit, in 2019. But second-year coach and Ringgold alumnus Darwin Manges is starting to see some light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. “It’s encouraging because now we have...
2-sport star Rodney Gallagher has talent to elevate Laurel Highlands
Sophomore Rodney Gallagher helped the Laurel Highlands basketball team win a WPIAL Class 4A title in 2020. Can the superstar athlete now help the football team become relevant? Since North Union and South Union merged to become Laurel Highlands in 1966, the basketball team has had most of the school’s...
Athletic directors, coaches express relief, optimism as fall sports get go-ahead
Most high school athletes across the state received good news Friday when the PIAA voted 25-5 to begin fall sports Monday. Now it’s up to each school district to decide if they will allow their students to participate, especially in contact sports such as football, soccer and field hockey. “I...
Norwin expected to name Michael Burrell new director of athletics, activities
The Norwin school board could hire Michael Burrell Jr. as the district’s next director of athletics and activities at its meeting Monday. Burrell was the recommended candidate on a list of new hires on the agenda for the board’s planning meeting this week. He would replace Brandon Rapp, who was...
Patience, consistency pay off for PA Open winner Jimmy Ellis
It doesn’t take the longest hitter to win a tournament at Oakmont Country Club. It takes one who is patient and willing to take what is given. Par wins tournaments at Oakmont. Risks rarely pay off. Peters Township’s Jimmy Ellis, 34, wasn’t flashy during the three rounds of the Pennsylvania...
Oakmont bares its teeth, humbles field in second round of PA Open
So you think Oakmont Country Club can be had? You may want to rethink that. Yes, there are times the mighty grand old course hovering above the Allegheny River will produce low scores. Johnny Miller’s 63 during the final round of the 1973 U.S. Open is an example. But more...
Palmer Jackson, Sean Knapp struggle at U.S. Amateur
Struggling with a groin injury, Palmer Jackson isn’t having the 2020 season he had hoped for. The 2019 Franklin Regional grad and Murrysville native shot an uncharacteristic 9-over par 80 on Monday at the U.S. Amateur at Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon. Jackson had an 8-par 44 on the back...
Peters’ Nettles stays safe, leads Pennsylvania Open at OakmontVideo
One thing golfers playing Oakmont Country Club will notice is the old course can be forgiving at times. It also can be a monster. Keep the ball in play and out of the sand traps and rough, and you can score well. Get off track a little bit, that’s when...
Yough baseball finishes 3rd at Region 7 tournament
Yough American Baseball League coach Craig Spisak said he couldn’t have been happier about his team’s effort at the Region 7 tournament this weekend. A third-place finish, the best among the three Westmoreland County American League teams entered in the tournament at Hollidaysburg, made Spisak a proud coach. Yough finished...
Greenburg’s Mark Goetz ready for Oakmont challenge at Pa. Open
Historic Oakmont Country Club has seen some memorable moments over the years. There’s Johnny Miller’s final round 63 at the 1973 U.S. Open. The 175 sand bunkers and famous Church Pews. The nine U.S. Opens, five U.S. Amateurs, three PGA Championships and two U.S. Women’s Opens. It also was the...
Yough stays alive in Region 7 tournament; Latrobe, Bushy Run eliminated
Yough stayed alive in the Region 7 American Baseball League tournament Saturday at Hollidaysburg by splitting its games. After losing to Claysburg 6-4 in the opener, Yough bounced back to defeat Bushy Run, 6-3, in an elimination game. Bushy Run and Latrobe won their morning games but were eliminated in...
Bushy Run falls short in Region 7 baseball tournament
Bushy Run failed to hold an early lead and dropped a 6-3 decision to Bedford in the Region 7 American Baseball League Tournament at Hollidaysburg. The Westmoreland County American League Baseball playoff champion took an early 2-1 lead when Bret Andreani had an RBI single and Tommy Kuzinsky was hit...
Latrobe stumbles in Region 7 baseball opener
For the third time in four games, the Latrobe pitching staff has allowed 10 or more runs. That trend continued Friday in the Region 7 Baseball Tournament in Hollidaysburg as Latrobe dropped a 10-1 decision to Claysburg. The Jethawks, the Westmoreland County American Baseball League regular season champion, will drop...
Yough opens regional tournament with walk-off win
Yough walked off with a win to open Region 7 baseball action Friday at Hollidaysburg. Joel Nemec was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Ray Halahurich, as Yough, the third-place team from the Westmoreland County American Baseball League, edged Mt. Union, 4-3. Yough will now play Claysburg,...
Colorado, Ohio golfers win AJGA Southpointe titles
Hailey Schalk ended her American Junior Golf Association career with a win on Thursday. The future University of Colorado freshman who reports to college on Friday needed a par on her final hole to win the AJGA Southpointe Tournament presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods. It was her second career win...
Bushy Run wins Westmoreland County summer baseball championship
Throughout the Westmoreland County American Baseball League playoffs, Bushy Run relied on pitching and solid defense. In Wednesday’s championship game at Latrobe, Bushy Run’s hitting joined the party. Bushy Run pounded out 14 hits, including three each by Luca Baccari, Anthony Sherwin and Gavin Berardi, and defeated regular season champion...
Greensburg’s Goetz wins West Penn Open
Winning the 117th West Penn Open wasn’t good enough for Mark Goetz on Wednesday. After he birdied the final to win the championship at Shannopin Country Club, he headed the Green Oaks Country Club to play nine more holes against his cousin Katie (Miller) Gee. At Shannopin, the Greensburg native...
Irwin’s Obremski shoots 62, leads West Penn Open
Dan Obremski played almost perfect golf Tuesday during the first round of the 117th annual West Penn Open at Shannopin Country Club. The Irwin native and Penn-Trafford grad had 10 birdies and one bogey to finish with a 9-under par 62 and holds a two-shot lead on Greensburg native and...
