Josephic’s field goal puts Norwin on brink of postseason

A Tristan Josephic field goal in the waning seconds gave host Norwin a 24-21 victory against Canon-McMillan in a crucial Class 6A showdown last Friday. Josephic’s 29-yard kick came with nine seconds left, capping a 12-play drive for the Knights. Norwin QB Tristyn Tavares hit on 14-of-23 passes for 118 yards, while he compiled 15 carries for 126 yards and two scores on the ground. Ty Jansma paced the Big Macs with 179 yards through the air. With the victory, the Knights improved to 6-3 overall, including 3-2 in Class 6A. The Big Macs, meanwhile, dipped to 4-5 on the year, and 2-3 in the conference. Norwin is alone in third place currently, and clinches a playoff berth either with a home win against Mount Lebanon in the regular-season finale, or if Canon-McMillan loses at home to Pittsburgh Central Catholic on Friday.

Franklin Regional boys advance in soccer playoffs

A quintet of Westmoreland County boys soccer teams took the pitch last Saturday for the WPIAL playoffs, but only Franklin Regional advanced to the next round. The third-seeded Panthers bested No. 14 Montour 2-0 in the Class 3A bracket, while Greater Latrobe, Penn-Trafford, and Belle Vernon Area all fell in the same classification, and Greensburg Central Catholic lost in Class 1A. In Franklin Regional’s home triumph, Michael Hillbrand tallied in the eighth minute, while Daniel Todd added an insurance marker in the 64th minute. Fabrizzio Costa collected a pair of assists for FR, while Emerson Bush registered three saves for the clean sheet. Thus, the Panthers will host No. 6 Chartiers Valley in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The No. 10 Warriors dropped a 2-1 decision at seventh-seeded Mars Area, despite a tally from Lucas Slacker in the 24th minute. The ninth-seeded Wildcats were overmatched in a 5-0 loss at No. 8 West Allegheny, while the No. 16 Leopards suffered a 4-0 defeat against top-seeded Hampton. In Class 1A, the No. 15 seed Centurions were smashed 14-1 by second seed Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Moon Area High School.

Westmoreland volleyball teams learn seeds

The WPIAL released its girls volleyball playoff brackets on Friday, as 10 Westmoreland County teams learned their fate. In Class 4A, Hempfield Area, Penn-Trafford, Greater Latrobe, and Kiski Area all made the cut. The Spartans, who won Section 3, received the seventh seed, setting up a matchup against No. 10 Canon-McMillan on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Gateway High School. The Warriors, who were runners-up in Section 3, were seeded No. 9 and will face eighth seed Shaler Area at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gateway. The Cavaliers, who were the runners-up from Section 4, was seeded No. 11, creating a showdown against sixth-seeded North Catholic on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Upper St. Clair High School. Lastly, Greater Latrobe, the third-place team from Section 3, garnered the No. 12 seed and will face fifth seed Pine-Richland at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Seneca Valley High School. In Class 3A, Greensburg Salem, Belle Vernon Area, Franklin Regional, and Derry Area all made the cut. The Golden Lions, who won Section 5, received the No. 6 seed, creating a clash against No. 11 Trinity on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Norwin High School. The Leopards, who finished second from Section 3, were seeded No. 14 and will play at third-seeded Mars Area on Tuesday at 7:30. Additionally, the No. 16 Trojans and No. 17 Panthers will square off tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Gateway High School in a preliminary-round, with the winner advancing to play top-seeded Oakland Catholic. Burrell and Southmoreland also made the playoffs in Class 2A. The Buccaneers, who tied atop Section 5, garnered the nine seed, and will face No. 8 Brownsville Area at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Waynesburg Central High School. The Scotties, who tied with Burrell for first place in Section 5, were seeded No. 12, setting up a tilt against fifth-seeded Mohawk at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Seton LaSalle Catholic High School. The girls volleyball championships will be held on Nov. 1 at Peters Township High School.

SVC’s Hozek notches coaching milestone

Sue Hozek, Saint Vincent College’s decorated women’s volleyball coach, reached another milestone earlier this month, as she claimed her 700th win when the Bearcats downed Geneva College. On Oct. 11, Saint Vincent swept the Golden Tornadoes 25-16, 25-22, and 25-22. In the win, Megan Williams racked up a dozen kills and 13 digs for SVC, while Vivian Wirth contributed seven blocks. Since that triumph, however, the Bearcats have lost two straight matches, falling to 5-11 overall, including 4-6 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC). Hozek, a Norwin graduate, has guided the Bearcats program since its inception in 1985.

This week on WSN

A busy week on the Westmoreland Sports Network airwaves begins tonight with WPIAL playoff soccer. In the girls postseason, No. 6 Franklin Regional hosts No. 11 Shaler Area at 6:30 p.m. in the Class 3A first round. The focus shifts to the college ranks the next two days, as WSN will broadcast Seton Hill University women’s volleyball against California University of Pennsylvania at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, followed by a soccer doubleheader on Wednesday, as the Griffins welcome Gannon University in men’s action at 12:30 p.m., while the women face Clarion University at 3:30 p.m. Friday marks the final night of the WPIAL football regulars season, with several marquee matches on the air, including Norwin playing at home against Mount Lebanon in Class 6A, Penn-Trafford hosting Greater Latrobe in Class 5A, and Yough visiting Derry Area in Class 3A. The week wraps up on Saturday at Seton Hill, as the Griffins host Edinboro in women’s soccer for Senior Day at noon.