Paul Schofield stories, Page 4
Norwin hopes to turn tables after being ‘pushed around’ by Latrobe last year
Norwin and Latrobe are meeting for the 60th time at 7 p.m. Friday. The longtime Route 30 rivals were original members of the Foothills Conference, where they produced some great games. Will this be another classic? The Knights lead the series 33-25-1, but the Wildcats won last season 42-28 by...
Penn-Trafford coach pleased with volleyball team’s improvement
Penn-Trafford girls volleyball coach Tracy McDonald was eager to see if her team closed the gap against WPIAL power Seneca Valley. The two teams squared off in 2024, and the results weren’t what the Warriors hoped for. When they met again Aug. 27, the result was the same, but Penn-Trafford...
Penn-Trafford notebook: Season tickets for sale online
Those interested in purchasing season passes, student flex (10-game) passes or individual game tickets for all Penn-Trafford varsity home games can do so online through GoFan, which is located on ptwarriors.org. Football tickets are $7 per game and field hockey, soccer and volleyball matches are $6 for adults and $3...
Franklin Regional boys golf scoring low through 1st half of season
Franklin Regional’s boys golf team has put itself in prime position heading into the second half of the season. The Panthers sat atop Section 4-3A at 5-0 after wins against Central Catholic, 186-211, and Plum, 189-216. “It was a good win for us against Central Catholic,” Franklin Regional coach Jeff...
Samir Crosby steals show as Greensburg Central Catholic rolls past Mt. Pleasant
Samir Crosby put on quite a show Friday night at Mt. Pleasant. The Greensburg Central Catholic senior rushed for 121 yards and a score, caught seven passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns and returned a punt 50 yards to set up the game’s first score to help the Centurions...
Westmoreland County high school football players to watch for 2025 Week 1
Player of the week Tavian Taylor Monessen, Sr., RB Taylor had a strong season opener against Charleroi in the Battle for the Bridge, which Monessen won 44-0. He carried the ball six times for 111 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also intercepted a pass and returned it 34 yards....
Greensburg C.C., Mt. Pleasant coaches looking for improvement in Week 1
Almost every high school football coach will say they see the most improvement from their team between Week Zero and Week 1 of the season. That is when coaches will decipher the game film and make corrections. Mt. Pleasant coach Jason Fazekas and Greensburg Central Catholic coach John Thompson saw...
Penn-Trafford senior Williams looking for second WPIAL Class 3A singles title; Belle Vernon’s Dusi goes for 2A 3-peat
Penn-Trafford senior Mia Williams recently got her recruiting out of the way by verbally committing to Skidmore, an NCAA Division III power. She picked Skidmore over Ithaca. Now she can focus on her season and getting another chance at winning a WPIAL Class 3A title. She won in 2022 and...
New duo gives Yough 1-2 punch on both sides of the ball
There will be a new look in the backfield at Yough this season. Gone are quarterback Raidon Kuroda and running back Aidan Thornton, the team’s leading rushers. Both are at Seton Hill. Enter senior Braiden Snyder and sophomore Johnny Gergely at the running back position and junior Aidan Shaffer at...
Westmoreland County high school football players to watch for 2025 Week Zero
Players to watch Aidan Shaffer Yough, Jr. QB/DB The junior was the second leading receiver on the team last season with 26 catches for 501 yards and five touchdowns. Now he moves to quarterback to replace Raidon Kuroda, now at Seton Hill. His main receiver should be senior Ryan Sarver,...
Norwin, Penn-Trafford ready to battle for Route 30 bragging rights
Penn-Trafford senior middle linebacker Jamison Yurt has had Friday’s date circled since last year’s game at Norwin. Norwin senior quarterback Tristyn Tavares also has had this date circled. He and his teammates would like to hang another “L” on Penn-Trafford. The Knights scored three second-half touchdowns and rallied to defeat...
Linebacker Jamison Yurt leads Penn-Trafford defense with championship goals
When Jamison Yurt was in eighth grade, he watched from the stands at Hersheypark Stadium as the Penn-Trafford football team pulled off an unexpected victory in the PIAA Class 5A championship game. Now a senior, Yurt wants to lead the Warriors to their second title. Yurt, a four-year starter at...
Strayer, Pease, Schaum set tone for Mt. Pleasant’s physical offensive line
If the Mt. Pleasant football team hopes to be successful this season, then the trio of Strayer, Pease and Schaum will have to play well. No, they are not a law firm. They are more like a construction company ready to pave the way for the running game. The senior...
WPIAL Class 3A preview: Defending champ Avonworth again looks like team to beat
Avonworth coach Duke Johncour may not want to hear this, or maybe he does, but opposing coaches say his Antelopes are the team to beat in WPIAL Class 3A. “It starts and ends with Avonworth,” said Central Valley coach Mark Lyons, whose team fell to the Antelopes in the WPIAL...
Ligonier Valley’s Cameron Kunkle won’t let injury steal senior season
When Cameron Kunkle tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee during basketball season, his doctor told him recovery time would take 12 months. The 6-foot-2, 178-pound senior went for a second opinion. That doctor gave him better news: He could be back in six months. After he had...
Ligonier Valley looks to move on from consecutive losing seasons
Ligonier Valley football coach Roger Beitel had not endured consecutive losing campaigns before last season. Westmoreland County’s longest-tenured coach does not want a third. The Rams were 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the tough WPIAL Class 2A Allegheny Conference in 2024. They graduated 13 seniors, but Beitel hopes a talented...
Neal Shipley celebrates Tour card with 63 on Korn Ferry Tour
Neal Shipley was surprised to learn that he earned his PGA Tour card on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday. Shipley went out and celebrated by shooting an 8-under par 63 on Thursday and is tied for second place with three others, including points leader Johnny Keefer, a shot behind...
Despite young roster, Yough aims to continue progressing
Ben Hoffer feels his team is set to take a step forward as he begins his fourth season as Yough’s football coach. The most wins Yough has had since 2013 — when the team went 6-5 and won the school’s only playoff game — was four in 2016. In the...
Expanded roster bolsters Mt. Pleasant’s chances in Interstate Conference
Things are looking up for Mt. Pleasant football coach Jason Fazekas and his program. The Vikings roster expanded to nearly 60 players this summer, which is encouraging for a Class 3A program. The other encouraging thing is Fazekas must only replace six starters from the 2024 team that went 3-2...
Mt. Lebanon’s Neal Shipley earns PGA Tour card, learns news on Pat McAfee ShowVideo
When Neal Shipley was invited on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, he was excited to be on the show. The Mt. Lebanon native did not know something big was planned. McAfee, a Plum native, gave Shipley some exciting news: “You’ve officially locked up your PGA Tour card. You’re #TOURBound,...
New coach, same goals for Belle Vernon
There may be a new football coach at Belle Vernon, but the goals remain the same: win and play for titles. Scott Bryer has taken over for Matt Humbert, who resigned in February after 11 seasons when he led the Leopards to WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A titles in 2022...
Moore develops into quiet leader for Franklin Regional football team
If you attend a Franklin Regional football practice this fall, you will not see senior Matt Moore running around and getting into his teammates’ faces to encourage or fire them up. You will see a football player being a leader by acting as another coach and demonstrating the proper way...
Former Steeler Brett Keisel shares wisdom with legendary WPIAL coaches
Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel played 13 years for the black and gold. A 46, he still looks like he could hold down that position. Keisel was the guest speaker recently at Grandview Golf Club in North Braddock for a gathering of former and current WPIAL coaching legends. The...
Camp countdown: QB Curtis Wade hopes to show leadership skills for Belle Vernon
When the Belle Vernon football team did its offseason conditioning work, leading the way in most sprints was senior quarterback Curtis Wade. But that is the job for the 6-foot-1, 160-pound senior: being the leader. During his first year as starting quarterback, Wade completed 63 of 108 passes for 1,039...
Penn-Trafford out to challenge for Big East Conference title
During his 15 seasons as Penn-Trafford’s football coach, John Ruane has been known to run plays to make his opponents prepare for anything, whether it be trick plays, fake punts or onside kicks. This year is no different. Ruane has numerous tricks up his sleeves. Penn-Trafford is coming off a...
