Leopards football advances to WPIAL title game

Belle Vernon Area football rolled past East Allegheny 49-8 in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals at Norwin High School on Friday, as the Leopards punched their ticket back to the championship game. Quinton Martin and Kole Doppelheuer each scored a pair of touchdowns for the top-seeded Leopards, while Belle Vernon’s defense forced a pair of turnovers, and stopped the Wildcats on downs five times. Martin opened the scoring for the Leopards on the first drive of the contest, as he found the end zone on a 4-yard run. Doppelheuer notched the first of his touchdowns later in the opening stanza on a 16-yard run. Belle Vernon Area QB Braden Laux added to the lead in the second quarter, scoring on a 2-yard surge. The Leps capped off their impressive first half with a 12-yard TD run by Jake Gedekoh, taking a 27-0 advantage into the locker room. The Leopards enacted the mercy rule on their initial drive of the third quarter, as Martin snagged a 15-yard pass for a score, and he followed with a run for the two-point conversion to push the lead to 35-0. Doppelheuer added another touchdown late in the frame, scoring on a 13-yard run. Deaubre Lightfoot capped the scoring for BVA, finding paydirt on a 17-yard run to set the final margin. Martin paced BVA with 12 carries for 149 yards, while Gedekoh and Doppelheuer added 119 and 87 yards rushing, respectively. With the win, BVA improved to 10-1, and advances to the title game against No. 2 Avonworth Friday at Acrisure Stadium at 5 p.m.

Norwin boys soccer ousted in state semis

The incredible playoff run for Norwin boys soccer ended in the state semifinals last Tuesday, as the Knights suffered a 1-0 loss against Central Bucks South at Chambersburg High School. Nate MacCloud accounted for the lone goal in the 15th minute for CB South, which was the sixth-place finisher from District 1. Anthony Scalise registered four saves in net for Norwin, but the Knights were blanked for the first time since Oct. 3. Norwin concluded the campaign at 17-6-1, claiming the first WPIAL title in program history. Central Bucks South subsequently fell to District 1 Champion Conestoga 2-1 in double overtime on Friday in the PIAA Class 4A Championship.

Franklin Regional's Lee, Megaludis face off at Bill Farrell Memorial

A Westmoreland County dream match of sorts took place in the 57 kg final of the Bill Farrell Memorial Tournament on Saturday. Spencer Lee, a three-time National Champion at Iowa, went up against Nico Megaludis who also captured a National Championship at Penn State. Lee topped Megaludis by a 7-4 decision to qualify for the Olympic trials. The two wrestled at Franklin Regional but were never teammates with Megaludis graduating in 2011 and Lee in 2017. Both won multiple PIAA championships as well.

Golden Lions hockey play in pair of thrillers

Greensburg Salem hockey played twice last week, with both games requiring overtime. Last Tuesday, the Golden Lions claimed a 2-1 overtime win in Erie against McDowell, while GS dropped a 5-4 home outcome in the shootout two days later against Mars Area. Against the Trojans, Chase Kushner netted the winning goal with just more than a minute left in the extra period. Max Addison also found the back of the net for Greensburg Salem, while Tristan Gonzales made 18 saves between the pipes to earn the victory. On Thursday at the Kirk Nevin Arena, Carter Cherok scored two goals and added an assist, while Mikey Kingerski also had a multi-point effort, producing a pair of helpers. Dylan Swierczynski and Luke Dieter also scored goals for GS, which earned a point, while Gonzales compiled 19 stops. As a result, the Golden Lions have a record of 6-3-1, and with 13 points, sit just one point behind a trio of teams tied atop the Class A Gold Division standings.

Warriors, Wildcats earn field hockey all-WPIAL plaudits

Penn-Trafford and Greater Latrobe each had five individuals earn recognition last week with the announcement of the Field Hockey Coaches Association All-WPIAL teams. Five Warriors made the cut in Class 2A, with three garnering First-Team distinction: senior midfielders Ava Hershberger and Mackenzie Keenan, along with sophomore forward Liz Welsh. Additionally, junior forward Rilie Moors and junior defender Giuliana Youngo received honorable mentions. Meanwhile, four Wildcats were chosen to the First-Team - senior midfielder Belle Blossey, senior defender Alanna Sweeney, junior forward Mia Stynchula, and sophomore midfielder Julia Macey. GL sophomore goalkeeper Erin Ulewicz was an Honorable Mention selection. The Warriors captured the WPIAL Class 2A crown, while the Wildcats were eliminated by PT in the semifinals.

Seton Hill’s Desuah receives PSAC’s top defensive award

For the second year in a row, a Seton Hill University player was recognized as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Defensive Athlete of the Year. Last week, senior defensive lineman Dioh Desuah was selected for the award, joining Jaylen McDuffie, who received the honor after the 2022 season. Desuah notched 39 tackles and five sacks for SHU, which finished with a mark of 6-5, including 4-3 in the PSAC West. Other Griffins who received All-Conference accolades included First-Team selections running back Ky’Ron Craggette, receiver Mark Bails, return specialist Taz Morris, and linebacker Musa Tama. Defensive end Ben Weaver and punter Jack Wagner were Second-Team picks.

Saint Vincent MBB stays perfect

The Saint Vincent College men’s basketball team is off to a hot start, as the Bearcats moved to 4-0 with a couple of home wins last week. Last Wednesday, SVC opened play in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) with an 84-79 victory against Chatham University. Dev Ostrowski paced the Bearcats with 22 points, while Osyon Jones, Jaden Gales, and Mike Iuzzolino also scored in double figures. On Saturday, Saint Vincent bested Westminster College 78-64, as SVC outscored the Titans 48-30 in the second half. Ostrowski again anchored the offense, scoring 28 points, while Jones added 13 points, and Tayler McNeal contributed 11 points and four assists.