Jeannette prevails at Riverview to claim playoff spot

Jeannette football wrapped up its regular season on Saturday afternoon, as the Jayhawks scored 27 unanswered points to knock off host Riverview 34-20 in a Class 1A Eastern Conference clash. As a result, the Jayhawks secured a postseason berth just moments later, as the WPIAL committee selected them as a wild card. Kymon’e Brown was instrumental in the victory against the Raiders, as he rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns, and he added 154 yards and two scores through the air. Brown hooked up with Noah Sunder on a pair of scores, as Sunder caught two passes spanning 110 yards. Defensively, Wyatt Schaeffer led the way with eight tackles and a sack. With the victory, Jeannette concluded the regular season with a record of 7-3, including 4-3 in the conference. The Jayhawks garnered the No. 13 seed and will play at fourth-seeded Neshannock on Friday at 7 p.m.

Burrell soccer teams advance to semis

Between the boys and girls soccer playoffs, only three Westmoreland County teams remain alive in the WPIAL tournaments. Two of those teams hail from Burrell, though, as the Buccaneers boys have posted a Cinderella run, while the girls stunned the top seed in dominant fashion. On the boys side, No. 13 seed Burrell outlasted fourth-seeded Quaker Valley via penalty kicks in the opening round last Monday. The Bucs, who won the shootout 5-3, received a stellar performance from goalkeeper Ben Doland, who registered 16 saves. Burrell continued its run three days later, as the Buccaneers edged Seton-La Salle 1-0 in the quarterfinals at West Allegheny High School. Parker Pruitt netted the lone goal in the opening minute of the second half, as he finished a pass from Billy Kowalkowski. Burrell made the lead stand, as goalkeeper Ben Doland registered the clean sheet, making three saves. Thus, the Bucs will face top seed South Park tonight at 6 p.m. at North Allegheny High School. On the girls side, the ninth-seeded Bucs cruised past No. 8 and homestanding Keystone Oaks 6-0 in the opening round last Tuesday. On Saturday, Burrell produced a remarkable 4-0 upset of No. 1 and homestanding Mount Pleasant Area. Makiah Buchak tallied a pair of goals, as the Bucs scored three times in the second half to put an exclamation point on the victory. Parker Moore opened the scoring for Burrell in the first half, while Maggie Nesko capped the scoring. Dana Barczykowski made five stops to register the clean sheet. As a result, the Bucs will battle No. 4 South Park on Tuesday.

Norwin boys win WPIAL XC title

For the first time in more than 45 years, Norwin boys cross country reigned supreme over the WPIAL, as the Knights captured the team title in Class 3A last Thursday. Competing at White Oak Park, the Knights edged North Allegheny 80-90 to win gold for the first time since 1977. Thomas Gaydos placed fifth overall for Norwin, Enzo Jiancristoforo finished eighth, and Luke Simpson came in ninth. On the girls side, Norwin finished as runner-up to the Tigers, 76-121. As a result, both teams advance to the PIAA competition in Hershey on Saturday.

Warriors stay perfect on the ice

Penn-Trafford hockey continued its impressive start to the 2024-25 PIHL campaign, as the Warriors improved to 3-0-0 last week with a road victory against Bishop McCort. Last Monday, PT smashed the Crimson Crushers 6-0 at the 1st Summit Arena in Johnstown. In the lopsided win, Brock Bienemann notched a pair of goals, while Rylan Kiste dished out three assists. TJ Ferguson, Roman Catello, Kyler Doran, and Lorvens Huber also contributed goals, while Tyler Funk made 21 saves to record the shutout for the Warriors. As a result, Penn-Trafford is tied for second place in the Class AA standings with nine points.

SHU football notches homecoming win

Keyed by massive performances by Todd Phillips and Ky’Ron Craggette, Seton Hill University football snapped a three-game skid on Saturday. The Griffins celebrated homecoming with a 31-16 triumph against Clarion University at Offutt Field. Trailing heading into the fourth quarter, SHU scored the final 17 points of the contest to improve to 3-5 overall, including 1-3 in the PSAC West. Phillips caught four passes for 247 yards and a touchdown, while Craggette compiled 28 carries for 181 yards and three TDs. Moreover, QB Jake Cruz threw for 302 yards and a score, along with one interception, on 10-of-18 passing, while Ritchie McCormack tallied 12 tackles and D’Kairi Boone added 10 stops and a sack.