Greensburg Central Catholic boys get much-anticipated rematch with OLSH in WPIAL semifinals
Greensburg Central Catholic players and coaches watched Our Lady of the Sacred Heart celebrate a WPIAL boys basketball title last year at Peters Township — right in front of them. The dog pile celebration followed a 71-52 victory over the Centurions in the Class 2A final. As if GCC needed...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Penn-Trafford football was part of last championship weekend in Hershey
It turns out Penn-Trafford was the last Westmoreland County team to celebrate a PIAA football title in Hershey. The PIAA came out with some shocking news last week, announcing it was moving the state football championships to Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg. The finals have been played at Hershey...
Westmoreland County athletes of the week: GCC’s Ryan Appleby, Southmoreland’s Delaynie Morvosh
Ryan Appleby School: Greensburg Central Catholic Sport: Basketball Class: Senior Claim to fame: Appleby, who’s averaging 12 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2 assists this season, finished with 20 points to lead No. 4 Greensburg Central Catholic (18-3) to a 61-42 win over No. 5 Monessen (18-5) in the WPIAL Class...
Greensburg CC ends Monessen’s winning streak, earns rematch with OLSH in Class 2A
Greensburg Central Catholic’s team size has been a problem for opponents all season. For a few moments early in their playoff game Friday night, the Centurions looked average-sized. But after falling behind, the fourth-seeded Centurions quickly rose to their full height. They went on to dispatch of No. 5 Monessen’s...
Daly drives Seton LaSalle past Greensburg CC in Class 2A quarterfinals
Mallory Daly knows how to take hits and she knows how to dish them out. The sophomore guard from Seton LaSalle was a football player growing up in Brentwood. She played quarterback and defensive back, connecting up with her twin brother, O’Malley, for touchdowns when they were fifth graders. Daly’s...
Westmoreland boys basketball notebook: Belle Vernon itching for another crack at Montour
Belle Vernon was short a couple of key pieces when it played Montour the first time this season. That had a lot to do with the Leopards losing, 65-48, to the Spartans in a late-season matchup at the Hoops for a Cure showcase at North Allegheny. But when the teams...
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff preview capsules: Games for Friday, Feb. 25, 2022
Friday’s games BOYS Class 2A Quarterfinals 5-Monessen (18-4) vs. 4-Greensburg Central Catholic (17-3) 7 p.m. at Norwin Winner plays: Winner of 9-Sto-Rox (12-7)/1-Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (20-0) Tuesday in semifinals Layup lines: Monessen is one of the hottest teams in the WPIAL, winning 16 straight. The Greyhounds have...
Westmoreland girls basketball notebook: Follow-the-winner plan gives teams 2nd chance
With capacity rules decreased and crowds back in gyms, postseason basketball is beginning to feel normal again. But hand-stamp season will really reconnect with normalcy in the PIAA playoffs with the old qualifying format returning. Last year, only WPIAL champions advanced to the state brackets. But the follow-the-winner plan is...
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff preview capsules: Games for Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022
GIRLS Class 2A Quarterfinals 5-Seton La Salle (16-6) at 4-Greensburg Central Catholic (18-4) 7 p.m. Thursday Winner plays: Winner of 9-Apollo-Ridge (16-4)/1-Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (19-4) Monday in semifinals Layup lines: Seton LaSalle advanced with a 48-35 victory over No. 12 Sto-Rox in the first round. The Rebels...
Kuhns, Morgan lead Greensburg Central Catholic past Chartiers-Houston
The more patient Greensburg Central Catholic became with Chartiers-Houston’s 2-1-2 press, the wider the margin got in the teams’ playoff opener. Fourth-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic found ways around the defense and threaded the ball to Bailey Kuhns and Mya Morgan for backdoor layups and turnaround jumpers. Then, it turned up...
WPIAL suspends former Greensburg Central Catholic assistant football coach for recruiting
The WPIAL has suspended a former Greensburg Central Catholic assistant football coach for violating PIAA rules against recruiting. Shane Goydich is banned from coaching at any PIAA school for one year for attempting to “influence or persuade one or more students to enroll in Greensburg Central Catholic,” WPIAL executive director...
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules for Feb. 22, 2022
Tuesday’s games Girls First round Class 5A 15-Greensburg Salem (15-7) at 2-South Fayette (18-4) 8 p.m. Winner plays: Winner of 10-Mars (17-5)/7-Latrobe (17-3) 7 p.m. Friday in quarterfinals Layup lines: Greensburg Salem is back in the postseason after losing in the first round last year. The Golden Lions are seeking...
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules for Feb. 21, 2022
Monday’s games Boys First round Class 3A 9-Ligonier Valley (12-10) at 8-Avonworth (15-5) 7 p.m. Monday Winner plays: Winner of 16-Summit Academy (7-8)/1-Ellwood City (20-2) on Thursday in quarterfinals Layup lines: Second-year WPIAL member Ligonier Valley won four of its final five games and finished third in Section 3. Senior...
Westmoreland girls basketball notebook: Latrobe’s Blair is double-double machine
When the ball goes up, Emma Blair is ready for it to come down. The Latrobe junior forward takes many would-be rebounders to task, firmly planting herself into a position to snare a missed shot and give the Wildcats a fresh chance at a putback or new possession. The 6-foot-1...
Breaking down the 2022 WPIAL boys basketball playoff brackets
Class 6A Favorite: North Hills went undefeated and ran away with the Section 1 title, putting the Indians in position to maybe win their first WPIAL title. They’re led by a trio of double-digit scorers, including 6-foot-7 sophomore Royce Parham (20.9 ppg) and 6-3 senior guards Alex Smith (18.6) and...
Westmoreland H.S. athletes of the week: Hempfield’s Sean Gordon, GCC’s Mya Morgan
Sean Gordon School: Hempfield Sport: Basketball Year: Senior Claim to fame: Gordon, who is averaging 18.4 points and 7.5 rebounds this season, scored 17 points to lead Hempfield (7-13, 4-6) to a 50-42 win over Penn-Trafford in Section 3-6A action on Feb. 8. Gordon led Hempfield with 15 points in...
Greensburg Central Catholic boys bounce back, clinch section title with rout of Jeannette
The Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball team had its 20-game home winning streak end Friday night in a loss to Serra Catholic. It was the No. 2-ranked Centurions’ second defeat in three games. One way to make it all better and end the late-season slip? Blow out your rival on...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Ligonier Valley’s Hollick brings hockey sensibility
Jake Hollick is one of the top senior basketball players at Ligonier Valley this season. He is known for playing with a little bit of an edge. Well, there’s an explanation for that. Hollick also is a talented hockey player. But because Ligonier Valley does not have a team, he...
Westmoreland County boys basketball notes: Playoff field nearly set
The Westmoreland County WPIAL boys basketball playoff field is nearly complete. All that remains in Section 3-6A is the postseason fate of Hempfield and Norwin, who head into Friday night’s action tied for fourth place. Hempfield (6-13, 3-6) will finish section play at home Friday against Greensburg Salem (2-18, 0-9),...
WPIAL asks Greensburg Central Catholic to explain possible recruiting violations
The WPIAL is looking into possible recruiting violations by Greensburg Central Catholic. The WPIAL board on Wednesday ruled three transfers eligible after hearings, including eighth-grader Samir Crosby, who switched schools from Jeannette to Greensburg Central Catholic. However, the WPIAL has asked GCC administrators to respond in writing to “potential recruiting...
Westmoreland girls basketball notebook: Playoff participants set
Westmoreland County’s contributions to the WPIAL girls basketball playoff field are set. In Class 6A, local rivals Norwin (15-4, 12-1) and Penn-Trafford (11-8, 8-5), who will meet Thursday night at Penn-Trafford in the Section 1 finale, have qualified. In 5A, Latrobe (14-3, 10-1) is back in the postseason after reaching...
Westmoreland basketball teams welcome chance to start playoffs at home
A number of basketball coaches expressed their admiration for the WPIAL’s decision to allow higher-seeded teams to host first-round and quarterfinal playoff games last season because of the pandemic. The WPIAL was listening. Home sweet home will be the theme again as the league uses the same format for this...
Westmoreland notebook: Work to upgrade Derry’s Trojan Stadium begins this summer
The entrance to Derry’s Trojan Stadium is going to look quite different in the near future. Through charitable donations the Derry Area School District Foundation described as “major,” the stadium gateway will undergo renovations this summer. The entry way will include a larger ticket booth, updated restrooms, a new concession...
Westmoreland notebook: GCC’s Stasko to be long snapper at Duquesne
Senior Aaron Stasko was a jack-of all-trades type for Greensburg Central Catholic football. He played wide receiver, defensive end and long snapper for the Centurions. The third position mentioned looks to be what he will do at the next level. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Stasko committed to Duquesne as a preferred...
Westmoreland boys basketball notebook: Local teams join Hoops For a Cure
Allen Deep, who orchestrates a number of in-season charity showcases and the annual Roundball Classic after the basketball season, has two more events lined up for this weekend. Greensburg Central Catholic’s boys and girls, and the Belle Vernon boys, will participate. Both 10-game events will be Saturday and Sunday and...
