Westmoreland campus clippings: Suitors lining up for Robert Kennedy

Robert “Poogie” Kennedy has one more semester left at Lackawanna before, conceivably, he embarks on the next chapter of his football career.

The former Jeannette star who has shined as a safety at the junior college level continues to draw Division I interest.

Lackawanna (10-1) finished runner-up in the NJCAA after a loss to Mississippi Gulf Coast in the national title game. But Kennedy is reaping the benefits of the extended season and accompanying exposure.

He added Marshall, a FBS program, to his growing list of suitors, which also includes Western Carolina and Tennessee-Martin, others to recently enter the ring.

He visited Marshall last weekend.

Massachusetts is another FBS school that offered the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Kennedy.

His other FCS offers are from Duquesne, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart and Albany.

Kennedy had 34 tackles, five interceptions, nine pass breakups and 3 1/2 sacks this season for Lackawanna.

Amazingly, he has only one loss in his last 28 football games.

Kennedy was scheduled to take an official visit to UMass late last week.

Football

Navy: Senior long-snapper Michael Pifer (Penn-Trafford) accepted an invitation to the ninth annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl set for Jan. 18, 2020 at the Rose Bowl.

Pifer was named a first-team All-American by Special Teams University.

The postseason all-star game is for draft-eligible college players.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Pifer, who snaps for all punts and kicks, is up for the Mannelly Award, presented to the top long-snapper in major college football.

Men’s basketball

West Liberty: Freshman Bryce Butler (Latrobe) has played in 10 games and is averaging 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 18.8 minutes a game.

West Virginia Wesleyan: Redshirt freshman Marvel McGowan (Greensburg Salem) has played in six games, averaging 7.5 minutes for the Bobcats (4-7). He had seven points on 3-of-4 shooting against Alderson Broaddus.

Women’s basketball

Cal (Pa.): Senior transfer Monica Burns (Hempfield) is 12th in the PSAC in scoring at 17.9 points a game.

Chatham: Freshman Nikki Mellinger (Greensburg Salem) is transferring to Chatham and will join the team. She had been at West Virginia but was not playing basketball there.

Grove City: Sophomore forward Allison Podkul (Hempfield) had eight points in a 77-31 win over Bethany that improved the Wolverines’ record to 8-1 overall and 2-1 in the PAC.

Wrestling

Shippensburg: Senior heavyweight Derek Berberick (Greensburg Salem) is 3-2 this season with a pin and a major decision for the Raiders.

Men’s indoor track and field

St. Francis (Pa.): Freshman Nickolas Hyde was named Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week. He broke the school record in the shot put at the Bison Opener at Bucknell with a throw of 57 feet, 1 1/2 inches.

Hyde attended Southmoreland before transferring to Somerset.

Women’s indoor track and field

Seton Hill: Senior Senior Skye Christian won the 3,000-meter run in a PSAC-qualifying time of 10 minutes, 24.78 seconds at the Tiffin Alumni Open.

Baseball

Indiana State: After a breakthrough redshirt junior season, pitcher Collin Liberatore (Greensburg Central Catholic) has been tabbed a second-team preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball.

The Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year, Liberatore went 10-2 last season in 16 starts with a 2.96 ERA and 80 strikeouts.

Opponents hit just .208 against the 6-foot-4 right-hander.

Pitt: Freshman pitcher Jarett Bach (Yough), a 6-foot-4 left-hander, will play his summer ball for the Charlottesville Tom Sox of the Valley Baseball League in Virginia.