Jeannette ousts GCC in football quarterfinals

Kymon’e Brown had another prolific outing and Jeannette’s rushing attack was potent in guiding the Jayhawks to a 29-23 upset win against No. 5 Greensburg Central Catholic in the WPIAL Class 1A quarterfinals at Norwin High School last Friday. Brown anchored the run game with 26 carries for 139 yards and a score, and he added 133 yards and another TD through the air. Additionally, Nick Mendoza compiled 81 yards and a score, while Jayce Powell added five catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. Majhi Sanders also notched a rushing touchdown for the No. 13 Jayhawks. Brown’s 1-yard TD run in the third quarter put Jeannette in the lead for good, sparking 16 unanswered points for the Jayhawks. In the defeat, Samir Crosby threw for 150 yards and a score and he rushed for 44 yards, while Landon Honick snagged a TD pass and Luke Semelka and Jackson McMullen added rushing touchdowns. Jackson Louden added three receptions for 97 yards for GCC, which ended the year with a mark of 8-3. The Jayhawks, conversely, ascended to 9-3 and will match up against No. 1 seed Fort Cherry in the Class 1A semifinals Friday at Canon-McMillan High School.

Panthers boys soccer falters in state quarters

The Franklin Regional boys soccer season concluded in the Class 3A state quarterfinals on Saturday, as the Panthers fell to Conrad Weiser 2-0 at Chambersburg Area High School. Abu Barrie recorded a brace for the District 3 champions, who improved to 24-1-1. The Scouts will play WPIAL champion Moon Area in the semifinals Tuesday at Bald Eagle Area High School. Conversely, the campaign for FR ends with a mark of 15-4-3. Earlier last week, the Panthers rolled to a 6-0 win against District 6 champion Bellefonte in the PIAA first round. Cruise Lamanna opened the scoring in the first minute for FR, and Danny Christafano added two goals and an assist, while Jovan Sankoorikal contributed a goal and two helpers.

GCC volleyball continues postseason run

Fresh off of its WPIAL championship, Greensburg Central Catholic girls volleyball notched a pair of PIAA wins last week. The Centurions claimed a 3-1 victory against Clarion-Limestone in the Class 1A first round, and followed with a sweep against West Branch in the quarterfinals. In Tuesday’s home matchup against Clarion-Limestone, the District 9 runner-up, the Centurions prevailed 25-20, 18-25, 25-16, and 25-14. Ashlyn Black racked up 16 kills for GCC. On Saturday at Greater Johnstown High School, Greensburg Central Catholic ousted the District 6 champs 25-9, 26-24, and 25-22. As a result, GCC (19-3) is in the PIAA semifinals for the first time since 2016, and will meet WPIAL opponent Frazier at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Norwin High School. The Centurions swept the Commodores earlier this month in the WPIAL Class 1A Championship.

Keller tabbed to lead Derry Area girls

Nathan Keller was hired last week to lead the Derry Area girls basketball program. Keller was previously an assistant for Gene Brisbane, who stepped down from the position in September after five years. Keller, who also guided the Trojans middle school program, inherits a team that went 5-15 last season, failing to qualify for the WPIAL postseason.

Bobcats WSOC falls in conference championship

The University of Pitt-Greensburg women’s soccer team had another championship showdown against Penn State Behrend on Saturday, but the Bobcats were overmatched in a 4-0 loss in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) title game in Erie. The contest was scoreless through the first half, but Trinity Prestash exploded for four markers in a span of less than 30 minutes in the second half. In the defeat for UPG, Sarah Tonkovich registered three shots, while Paige John made eight saves. Riley Morningstar made two saves to post the clean sheet for Behrend. As a result, UPG was denied its third AMCC Championship, and the Bobcats dropped to 12-4-4 for the year.

Seton Hill WBB notches pair of wins

The Seton Hill University women’s basketball team opened the 2024-25 campaign in impressive fashion over the weekend, as the Griffins ousted No. 7 Fairmont State University 77-73, and followed with a 120-77 triumph against Concord University. Playing in the MEC/PSAC Challenge at Lock Haven University, the Griffins edged the Fighting Falcons on Friday, despite facing an 11-point deficit after the first quarter. Helene Cowan led SHU with 19 points and five assists, while Christiane Frye and Hallie Cowan also scored in double figures, posting 14 and 13 points, respectively. The following day, the offense exploded against the Mountain Lions, as five players notched 15 or more points, led by Frye’s 22. The Griffins play two road contests this week before commencing PSAC action at home on Nov. 22.