GCC girls volleyball wins WPIAL gold

Facing top-seeded Frazier, Greensburg Central Catholic girls volleyball posted a dominant performance, as the No. 3 Centurions swept their way to the WPIAL Class 1A Championship on Saturday. At the AHN Arena at Peters Township, the Centurions bested the Commodores 25-18, 25-21, and 25-15, capturing the fourth district crown in program history and the first since 2016. In the process, GCC avenged two losses to Section 4 foe Frazier during the regular season. Ashlyn Black paced Greensburg Central Catholic (17-3) with 24 kills, while Maura Oslosky had 34 assists and Brianna Evans had three aces and 15 digs. As a result, GCC will host District 9 runner-up Clarion Limestone Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the opening round of the PIAA Class 1A bracket.

Panthers football wins playoff thriller

A fourth-quarter connection from Chase Lemke to Cole Devola accounted for the winning score, as No. 9 seed Franklin Regional edged North Hills 17-16 in the Class 5A first round at Martorelli Stadium last Friday. Lemke’s winning TD pass came via a 12-yard connection on fourth down. With prolific running back Kyle Dupill limited to just six carries for 20 yards, Lemke went 9-of-14 for 78 yards passing and a touchdown run for the Panthers, while Jude Gentile contributed 16 carries for 74 yards. Moreover, Jaymier Austin recovered a fumble to set up the winning score. Kelly McCarthy compiled 212 yards and two touchdowns for the No. 8 Indians, while Stephen Murphy caught four passes for 138 yards and two TDs. Courtesy of the triumph, FR moves to 8-3 and will face homestanding No. 1 seed Pine-Richland in the Class 5A quarterfinals on Friday.

BVA’s Yeschenko resigns

After four years at the helm of Belle Vernon Area boys soccer, Al Yeschenko announced his resignation from the position last week. Yeschenko guided the Leopards to considerable success, compiling a mark of 50-18-1, including back-to-back section titles in Class 2A between the 2022 and 23 campaigns. This fall, BVA went 8-10-0 overall, including 3-7-0 in Class 3A Section 3. The Leopards edged West Mifflin Area 2-1 in double overtime in the preliminary round of the playoffs, but lost to Moon Area in the first round to conclude the season. Prior to becoming the head coach, Yeschenko was an assistant at BVA for one year.

Westmoreland boys soccer standouts litter All-WPIAL list

The All-WPIAL boys soccer team was unveiled last Monday, and a slew of Westmoreland players made the cut. In Class 4A, Norwin’s Daniel Maddox was tabbed. The Class 3A selections included Greater Latrobe brothers Roman and Warren Agostoni, as well as the Franklin Regional tandem of Danny Christafano and Jovan Sankoorikal and Belle Veron Area’s Trevor Kovatch. Earning the Class 2A accolades were Mount Pleasant Area’s Aiden Johnson and Billy Kowalkowski of Burrell. Lastly, Greensburg Central Catholic’s Jackson Vacanti was recognized in Class 1A.

Bearcats Patterson captures XC title

Saint Vincent College graduate student Tim Patterson claimed gold at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Men’s Cross Country Championship on Saturday. Patterson became the sixth Bearcat to secure first place at the PAC meet, and the first since Will Greene in 2019. At the Lawrence County Fairgrounds, Patterson clocked 25:35, clearing runner-up Kevin Arseneaux of Geneva College by seven seconds. Consequently, Patterson became a four-time First-Team All-PAC honoree, as he placed third, second, and fifth in the three previous campaigns. Propelled by Patterson’s efforts, the Bearcats placed third with 70 points, narrowly behind first-place Franciscan, which scored 67.