GCC boys oust Jeannette in state playoffs

In the highly-anticipated third meeting of the season, Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball swept the series against rival Jeannette, with the Centurions prevailing 46-35 in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals last Saturday at Norwin High School. As a result, GCC (26-3) moves on to the state semifinals to face Sewickley Academy, while the Jayhawks (25-3) see their season end after capturing WPIAL gold last month. Samir Crosby amassed a game-best 13 points for the Centurions, including shooting 9-of-11 at the foul line, while AJ Tarpley added a dozen points. Jayce Powell was the only Jeannette player to score in double figures, contributing 10 points. The Centurions and Panthers will battle at noon Saturday at Peters Township High School with a trip to Hershey on the line.

Vikings sweep PIAA swimming championships

After finishing with a pair of silver medals at the WPIAL team competition, the Mount Pleasant Area girls and boys both captured gold at the PIAA Class 2A Swimming and Diving Championships last week. Competing on Wednesday and Thursday at Bucknell University, the Vikings girls placed first with a team score of 189 points, ahead of runner-up Cathedral Prep, which compiled 173 points. Individually, Mount Pleasant’s Lily King captured gold in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:44.64 and the 100 freestyle, timing 47.31. As a result, she was recognized with the Swimmer of the Meet Award. Vikings teammate Kiersten O’Connor prevailed in the 100 backstroke with a time of 54.61. The Vikings boys, meanwhile, narrowly edged Indiana Area 198-197. The Vikings quartet of Seth Painter, Joseph Gardner, David Mutter, and Gunnar Probst took gold in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:34.45, Gardner won the 200 IM with a time of 1:49.52 and the 100 breaststroke at 53.83, and Mutter reigned supreme in the 100 butterfly at 48.08 and 500 freestyle with a time of 4:31.56.

Westmoreland teams litter boys volleyball preseason polls

The Western PA Volleyball Coaches Association released its WPIAL boys volleyball preseason polls last Monday, and five of the six Westmoreland County teams made the top 10. In Class 3A, Norwin is ranked fifth, Penn-Trafford is one spot behind at sixth, Greater Latrobe is eighth, and Hempfield Area rounds out the top 10. North Allegheny sits atop the rankings. Last season, the Knights won a section title, while the Warriors and Spartans also made the playoffs in 3A, while the Wildcats were a postseason participant in Class 2A before moving up for this cycle. Additionally, Derry Area is ranked eighth in Class 2A in the preseason poll. Shaler Area tops the list. Last campaign, the Trojans made the playoffs. The only Westmoreland County team that did not crack the preseason rankings was Franklin Regional, which is sponsoring boys volleyball for the first time this season.

Burrell hockey advances to D2 Championship

Keyed by four unanswered goals, Burrell defeated Deer Lakes 5-2 in the PIHL Division 2 semifinals last Thursday at the RMU Island Sports Center on Neville Island. The No. 2 seed Buccaneers opened the scoring just 1:23 into the first period, as Ryan Burkett tallied. The Lancers responded less than a minute later on a goal by Mason Cervone, but Mike Morazcyzk scored a shorthanded marker with four seconds left in the frame to put the Bucs back in the lead. After a scoreless second period, Burrell scored three times in less than eight minutes in the third, as Jacob Rose, Luke Mink, and Morazcyzk again ripped the twine. In addition to his pair of goals, Morazcyzk added an assist, while Julian Kemp dished out two helpers and Kooper Price made 16 saves in net. As a result, the Bucs will face top-seeded Morgantown in the title game at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday at the UPMC Lemieux Complex in Cranberry.

Greensburg Salem boys, Hempfield girls win state bowling titles

The best high school bowling teams in Pennsylvania reside in Westmoreland County, as the Greensburg Salem boys and Hempfield Area girls each won state championships on Saturday. Competing at Bowlero in Green Tree, the Golden Lions swept Armstrong in the championship series 201-181 and 179-155. Greensburg Salem also produced the top qualifying total of 3,956. On the girls side, the Spartans swept Plum in the championship series 175-138 and 222-169. Hempfield Area also notched the top qualifying score of 3,770. One day earlier at the same venue, Hempfield junior Amelia Droste captured the girls individual state crown, defeating Warwick’s Taylor Miller 248-175 in the title round, and amassing a six-game qualifying series of 1,314.

Griffins WBB falls in Atlantic Regional semis

Seton Hill University women’s basketball saw its historic season come to an end last Saturday, as the Griffins fell to Gannon 80-70 in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional semifinals at Edinboro University. Although the No. 3 seed Griffins held a three-point lead at the half, the second-seeded Golden Knights outscored SHU 29-20 in the fourth quarter. Hallie Cowan paced the Griffs with a game-high 29 points, while Helene Cowan added 10 points. Kate Ratliff led the Golden Knights with 21 points, while Bri Claxton netted 18 points. One day earlier, the Griffins ousted No. 6 Kutztown 87-75 in the opening round. Seton Hill concluded the campaign with a record of 24-7, the most wins in a season since the Griffins joined the NCAA.