Strong season for Bushy Run Legion baseball ends 1 win from state tournament
When Bushy Run American Legion manager Scott Peyman talked about his team prior to the season, he did so glowingly. Despite being young, Peyman said he knew this year’s team had the potential to be good. Peyman nailed it. Bushy Run ended the season 23-6-1 and was a win away...
Penn Township ready to defend Junior Legion regional, state titles
Penn Township is the returning Pennsylvania Youth American Legion Western Regional and state champion. It opens defense of the Western Regional at 5 p.m. Friday at the White Township Complex in Indiana against Indiana County champion Brookville. Pool play format will be played Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the top...
Latrobe football team earns long-awaited 7-on-7 win on its home field
As Penn-Trafford’s final deep pass attempt sailed out of the end zone and fell incomplete, players from Latrobe jumped into each other’s arms and bounced around in a sudden swell of excitement. For once, the Wildcats got to celebrate on their home field, which hosted the county 7-on-7 passing tournament...
Westmoreland notebook: WCCA 7-on-7 tournament returns
The “skill” guys — the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and defensive backs — will be on display Thursday at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Larry Sellitto Memorial 7-on-7 Football Championship, a sure sign high school football is fast approaching. The pitch-and-catch event begins at 9 a.m. at Latrobe’s Rossi and...
Semifinal schedules set for District 31 American Legion Baseball playoffs
District 31 American Legion Baseball playoffs are scheduled to resume Saturday with two semifinal round games. Regular-season champion Latrobe will play host to rival Unity at 2 p.m at Legion Keener Field. Game 2 of the best-of-three series will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Whitney. Latrobe opened the playoffs...
Western Pa. golf notebook: Nick Turowski places 2nd in state Junior event
Penn-Trafford rising junior Nick Turowski was disappointed with his performance in the Westmoreland County Golf Association’s Junior Tournament when he failed to defend his title. But Turowski learned from that experience and rebounded with a second-place finish in the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s Junior Tournament on June 27-28 at Hershey Country...
Championship teams guide Hampton to top of Class 5A Trib Cup standings
Hampton captured three district championships and one state title this past school year, with three of those four coming during the fall sports season. Consistent success throughout all three seasons, however, was a big part of the Talbots showing plenty of bark in winning the Trib HSSN Cup for Class...
Penn-Trafford names Travis McKillop as wrestling coach
When A.J. Brentzel decided to step down as Penn-Trafford’s wrestling coach, athletic director Kerry Hetrick knew who could be the school’s next coach. It was assistant coach Travis McKillop, who spent the past three seasons rebuilding the program with Brentzel. “The kids like Travis, and I’m confident he’ll continue to...
Westmoreland notebook: Belle Vernon slugger Maren Metikosh class of 4A softball
Maren Metikosh has a name that rolls off the tongue. It is pure alliteration for broadcasters and announcers at Belle Vernon softball games. Her swing is even smoother. The rising senior had a memorable season for the Leopards as she launched home runs off the Dairy Queen sign in left...
2022 TribLive HSSN Softball All-Stars
In WPIAL softball, there’s no requirement for underclassmen to wait their turn. Just take a look at this year’s champions. Many of them relied on freshmen and sophomores in key roles on their journey to the WPIAL or state finals. Among them, Neshannock freshman pitcher Addy Frye led the Lancers...
2022 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Penn-Trafford’s Joe Enick
Editor’s note: The Tribune-Review and the TribLive High School Sports Network are profiling each member of the 25-player Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star team. The players will be recognized July 15 during HSSN Media Day at Kennywood Park. Referred to as “the best finisher” Penn-Trafford has had in the John...
Penn-Trafford’s Mia Smith takes 2022 Tribune-Review Westmoreland Softball Player of the Year honors
The evolution of Mia Smith’s high school softball career began in 2019 when she was a freshman. A closer two seasons ago when Penn-Trafford won a PIAA championship, Smith took over the lead role in the circle this season and shined. She led the Warriors (20-4) to a runner-up finish...
2022 Trib HSSN Head of the Class: Softball Player and Coach of the Year for each classification
This spring, those sitting at head of the softball class had a clear view of so many individual and team standout performances. A perfect season, two schools winning both district and state gold, two schools winning their first WPIAL championships and one school closing the book on a historic title...
Penn-Trafford’s Conlan Greene commits to Temple
Football prospects are often enthused by college visits and feel an instant connection to certain schools. Conlan Greene had that feeling when he visited Temple over the weekend but it was more than that for the Penn-Trafford rising senior. Having the opportunity to secure a spot on the Owls’ defense...
Westmoreland H.S. notebook: Penn-Trafford, Greensburg Salem among biggest moves in basketball realignment
Summer is just starting, but the WPIAL has its new basketball sections in place for the next winter season. The biggest movers in Westmoreland County are Penn-Trafford and Greensburg Salem, which are dropping from Class 6A. Penn-Trafford will be in 5A in boys and girls hoops. The Greensburg Salem boys...
Armstrong wins rematch with Penn-Trafford to return to state championship game
Just think, these teams will be in the same section next year. After their WPIAL championship thriller, Armstrong and Penn-Trafford met again in the PIAA Class 5A softball semifinals Monday. The state final-four game didn’t quite live up to the late-inning drama of the last meeting — there was no...
Penn-Trafford softball notebook: Warriors have shot at redemption
The beauty of the state softball playoffs for many WPIAL teams lies in the chance for redemption. Lose to someone in the WPIAL championship; beat them in the PIAA tournament. Erase the past and advance at the same time. Penn-Trafford (20-3) gets another shot at Armstrong (22-4), the team that...
PIAA Class 5A softball semifinals capsule: Penn-Trafford vs. Armstrong
Monday’s game Penn-Trafford (20-3) vs. Armstrong (22-4) 2 p.m. at Mars Centennial School field, Mars Winner plays: Winner of 2-1 Pittston Area (23-0) vs. 1-2 Oxford (10-5) in championship, 4 p.m. Thursday at Penn State Coaches: Denny Little, Penn-Trafford; Doug Flanders, Armstrong Players to watch: Cam Ponko, Fr., 3B, Penn-Trafford;...
Westmoreland HS notebook: Special honor for Norwin’s Rosado Guindin
Norwin senior Sebastian Rosado Guindin knew he was in the running for a unique award, but he was a little taken aback when his name was called. “Yes, I was a surprised when I won,” he said. Rosado Guindin won the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Sports Most...
Penn-Trafford softball uses fluid lineup to great playoff success
Unsatisfied by his team’s offensive output in the first round of the PIAA playoffs, Penn-Trafford softball coach Denny Little decided to tweak his batting order for the quarterfinals. Not that it was anything new for Little, who has snapped the lineup in half, bent it this way and that and...
7 WPIAL teams set for PIAA softball semifinals
After a strong start in the opening round of the PIAA softball postseason, the wins kept coming for WPIAL teams in the quarterfinals. Seven teams from District 7 have reached the state softball final four. Outside of Class A, every classification has a WPIAL softball team into the semifinals, including...
Small ball, miscues propel Penn-Trafford into PIAA Class 5A semifinals
FAYETTEVILLE — Fundamentals, no matter what time of the season they are or are not executed, carry immense meaning for softball teams. Simple ground balls. Pop-ups. Sacrifice bunts. They all can add up. And they are magnified in the state playoffs because they can make or break seasons. Penn-Trafford used...
Sophomore slugger makes name for herself in middle of Penn-Trafford lineup
Mackenzie Keenan has a number of nicknames. The sophomore softball player at Penn-Trafford has been called “Chuck” and “Chunk” for reasons that can’t altogether be explained around the clubhouse. “We always call her, ‘Line-drive Mack,’” Warriors coach Denny Little said. “Everything she hits is a frozen rope.” Keenan, pronounced ka-nan,...
Westmoreland County PIAA softball playoff capsule for June 9, 2022
Class 5A Quarterfinals Penn-Trafford (19-3) vs. Southern Lehigh (19-6) 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Norlo Park Softball Complex, Fayetteville Winner plays: Winner of Central Mountain (21-2)/Armstrong (21-4) on Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Extra bases: Penn-Trafford didn’t hit like it can in the first round, sending 14 pop-ups into the...
Penn-Trafford lineman Joe Enick verbally commits to Central Michigan
A steady stream of scholarship offers have followed Joe Enick since late March. More were likely to come this summer. But the football lineman from Penn-Trafford decided it was time to highlight his favorite one. Enick gave a verbal commitment to play at Central Michigan of the Mid-American Conference. The...