GCC football upsets Leechburg, earns playoff spot

Samir Crosby factored into every touchdown, as host Greensburg Central Catholic upset Leechburg 36-7 in a Class 1A Eastern Conference tilt Friday night. As a result of their win, the Centurions (5-5, 3-4) earned a wild card berth, receiving the No. 14 seed. GCC will play against third-seeded Bishop Canevin at Dormont Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. Playing QB against the Blue Devils, Crosby went 7-of-12 passing for 176 yards and three touchdowns, while he rushed for 150 yards and two more scores on the ground. Colin Snively was on the receiving end of all three TD passes, catching five balls spanning 117 yards for GCC. The Blue Devils (7-3, 5-2) were paced by Tim Andrasy, who posted 38 carries for 131 yards and the lone TD.

Norwin, Mount Pleasant, Burrell girls reach semis

As the WPIAL soccer playoffs shift to the semifinals, a trio of girls teams remain from Westmoreland County. In Class 4A, Norwin has advanced to the semifinals, while Mount Pleasant Area and Burrell will square off in Class 2A. The Knights continued their playoff run in dramatic fashion last Thursday, edging Mount Lebanon 1-0 in double overtime. Freshman Leesia Phetsomphou netted the golden goal with 46 seconds remaining in the second overtime period. In net, Rebecca Kostrobala made seven saves in earning the shutout. As a result, the Knights will play second-seeded Seneca Valley in the semis at 6:30 p.m. tonight at North Allegheny High School. Meanwhile, the Vikings and Buccaneers will meet once again in the postseason. The fourth seed Vikings edged No. 12 Shady Side Academy 2-1 last Saturday. Addie Cole tallied in the first half to pull the Vikings even with the Bulldogs, and Morgan Gesinski notched the lone goal of the second half. On the same day, Burrell, the No. 8 seed, stunned top-seeded South Park 1-0. McKenna Miller tallied the only marker, assisted by Makiah Buchak, while Leah Waldsmith posted the shutout for the Buccaneers. Thus, the Vikings and Bucs will battle on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Gateway High School.

Hempfield boys, Norwin girls win XC team titles

A pair of Westmoreland County squads took gold in the WPIAL Cross Country Championships last week, as the Hempfield Area boys and Norwin girls reigned supreme. On the boys side in Class 3A, the Spartans posted a team score of 67, besting runner-up North Allegheny, which totaled 79. The qualifying finishers for the Spartans placed second, seventh, 16th, 18th, and 24th. Jonathan Stetchock led the way with his silver performance, as he finished with a time of 15:37.50. He finished behind only Norwin’s Benjamin McBride, who clocked 15:27.80. The Knights placed in third with a cumulative score of 108. In the girls Class 3A, Norwin left no doubt, as the Knights scored 36, well ahead of the 93 points by second-place Fox Chapel Area. Norwin’s finishers who counted towards the team score placed second, fourth, fifth, 12th, and 13th. Norwin’s Emily Dansak finished in third, and second among team qualifiers, with a time of 18:26.00.

First-place Spartans hockey wins twice

Hempfield Area hockey notched a pair of convincing wins last week, as the Spartans defeated Norwin 5-0 and Shaler Area 6-2. In a 5-0 win against the Knights last Monday at the Palmer Imaging Arena in Delmont, Nick Crupie had two goals and an assist, while JJ Williams posted a goal and two helpers. Aiden Nader recorded the shutout between the pipes, registering 16 saves. Three days later at the Alpha Ice Complex in Harmarville, the Spartans bested the Titans 6-2. Six different players tallied a goal for Hempfield, as Crupie, Williams, Brady Wassel, and Guerin Gardner all had two-point efforts. Evan Saltzgiver made 27 saves for the win in goal. As a result, Hempfield Area ascended atop the standings in the PIHL Class AA with 12 points.

Bearcats MSOC clinches first playoff berth

Saint Vincent College men’s soccer achieved history over the weekend, as the Bearcats secured their first berth to the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament. The clincher came courtesy of a 2-0 home win against Chatham University on Saturday. Jayden Gyan opened the scoring for the Bearcats in the 16th minute, assisted by Daniel Maddock, while Maddock tallied an insurance marker in the 52nd minute on a penalty kick. That was plenty of support for goalkeeper Kameron Rock, who made three saves in earning the clean sheet. With the triumph, SVC moved to 11-3-4 overall, including 5-2-3 in the PAC, with one regular-season match remaining.

This week on WSN

With the WPIAL playoffs front and center this week, WSN will feature a pair of postseason football broadcasts on Friday. Derry Area’s road tilt at Highlands in Class 3A will be on video, while Jeannette’s road contest at Bentworth in Class 1A will be an audio broadcast. Additionally, Seton Hill University men’s soccer hosts California University of Pennsylvania at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, while the Griffins football team welcomes Edinboro University to Offutt Field at noon on Saturday.