Panthers edge Knights in gridiron shootout

Franklin Regional edged Norwin in an all-Westmoreland County football clash last Friday with major implications in Class 5A. An eye-popping performance by Ayden Hudock and Chase Lemke carried the Panthers to a 37-29 win at home against the Knights in Big East Conference action. Hudock caught five passes for 168 yards and three TDs, while adding a 92-yard kickoff return score for FR. Lemke, meanwhile, threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 90 yards. In the defeat, Tristyn Tavares went 10-of-33 for 292 yards and two TDs, adding two scores on the ground. Furthermore, Jackson Pons produced three receptions for 149 yards for Norwin, while Luke Denny posted four catches for 102 yards. With the win, Franklin Regional improved its mark to 2-1 in the conference, while Norwin moved to 1-2. As a result, the Panthers are tied with Penn-Trafford in second place in the Big East, while the Knights dropped to fourth place.

Eight boys soccer teams clinch playoffs

While another week still remains in the WPIAL boys soccer season, eight Westmoreland County teams have already secured their spot in the postseason. In Class 4A, Norwin has claimed a playoff berth, as the Knights have compiled a mark of 9-3-0 in Section 2. In Class 3A, Greater Latrobe and Franklin Regional have each clinched. Competing in Section 4, the Wildcats sit at 9-3-0, while the Panthers are 8-4-0. Three area teams from the same section have punched their tickets to the postseason in Class 2A. In Section 3, Belle Vernon Area and Mount Pleasant Area are deadlocked atop the standings at 11-1-0, while Yough is 6-6-0. In Class 1A, both Greensburg Central Catholic and Burrell are in. The Centurions are 4-4-0 in Section 2, while the Buccaneers are 9-1-0 in Section 3.

Jeanette girls soccer snaps long drought

Jeannette girls soccer claimed a victory last week, the first W for the program in four years. The Jayhawks scored a 4-1 win at Valley on Wednesday, snapping a 52-game winless drought that dated back to the 2019 campaign. Grace Stein and Lindsay Jordan each netted a pair of goals for Jeannette. The Jayhawks, who went 0-14-0 last year, tied Valley 1-1 in the first meeting this season. Despite the two meetings, the teams compete in different sections, as Jeannette resides in Class 1A Section 1, while the Vikings are in Class 2A Section 2.

Several Westmoreland golfers advance to PIAA

Upon the conclusion of the WPIAL boys and girls golf individual tournaments last week, six golfers from Westmoreland County have punched their ticket to Penn State University for the state event. Penn-Trafford senior Nick Turowski captured the WPIAL Class 3A Championship last Monday, compiling a two-round score of two-under par. Turowski will be joined by Greater Latrobe’s Jack Sacriponte, who tied for 12th place at +14. In Class 2A, Belle Vernon Area sophomore Jordan Mocello finished in seventh place, shooting +12. His teammate, Leopards senior Rogan Maloney, finished in eighth, two strokes behind. Also, Greensburg Central Catholic junior Braden Riley qualified, as he tied for 17th with a two-round score of +22. Lastly, in the girls WPIAL Class 2A Championship, GCC sophomore Alayna Stawovy placed fifth, carding a score of +19. The PIAA Championships will take place on Oct. 16 and 17.

GCC’s Hoffman, Bossert reach tennis final

The Greensburg Central Catholic duo of Sasha Hoffman and Stella Bossert made an unlikely run to the WPIAL Class 2A Tennis Doubles Championship match last week. Hoffman, a junior, and Bossert, a sophomore, received the 15th seed, the worst seeding in the field. However, they upset three tandems during their unlikely run. First, they stunned the second-seeded duo of Anna Mrkonja and Mia Woodske of Beaver Area 10-7. In the quarters, the Centurions bested the No. 7 tandem of Knoch’s Jade Nether and Lara Ejzak, once again by the margin of 10-7. Hoffman and Bossert prevailed again in the semifinals, winning 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 against North Catholic’s Katie Hardy and Brea Kelly, who were seeded sixth. The Cinderella run ended in the championship, as top-seeded Knoch twins Emily and Lindsey Greb claimed a 6-1, 6-0 win. As the runners up, Hoffman and Bossert earned a spot in the PIAA Class 2A tournament, which will be held on Nov. 3-4 at the Hershey Racquet Club.

Saint Vincent inducts athletic HOF class

Saint Vincent College inducted its latest class into the Athletic Hall of Fame over the weekend. On Saturday, the college celebrated the Class of 2023, which included the late Brian Smith, Chad Dickman, Dr. Christopher Williams, and Taylor Guido. Smith excelled for the Bearcats men’s soccer team from 1976-79 and graduated as the program’s leader in career assists. Dickman ranks 14th in career points for SVC men’s basketball, and he also helped propel the Bearcats to an American Mideast Conference (AMC) title in his senior campaign in 2002. Similarly, Williams thrived on the hardwood for the SVC men, ranking 10th in program history in career points and winning back-to-back AMC crowns in 2002-03. Guido, who came via Greensburg Salem High School, was a two-time All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) honoree on the volleyball court, helping steer the Bearcats to a record of 94-42 during her four-year career that concluded in 2011.