Monday's Westmoreland Sports Notebook

Trio of boys soccer teams advance to quarters; Greater Latrobe football edges Gateway; GCC, Southmoreland headline volleyball seeds

Mon Oct 21, 2024 - 11:00AM

Sean Meyers Sean Meyers

Last Updated: Mon Oct 21, 2024 - 11:06AM

Greater Latrobe, Franklin Regional, GCC boys soccer advance

The WPIAL boys soccer postseason began last week, and three Westmoreland County teams have already moved on to the quarterfinals. In Class 3A, Greater Latrobe and Franklin Regional advanced, while Greensburg Central Catholic continued its pursuit of gold in Class 1A. On Saturday, the fourth-seeded Wildcats bested No. 13 Ringgold 2-0, capturing the first playoff win in program history. Warren Agostoni scored in the 35th minute, and Roman Agostoni tallied in the 75th minute for host GL. Meanwhile, the seventh-seeded Panthers ousted No. 10 Trinity 3-0 on Saturday. Danny Christofano scored twice for homestanding FR, while Tyler Pipon added another marker. As a result, the Wildcats will host No. 5 Bethel Park, while the Panthers will travel to play second-seeded Thomas Jefferson, both on Wednesday. Additionally, the No. 12 seed Centurions upset fifth-seeded Aquinas Academy 2-1 in overtime on Saturday. Jackson Vacanti provided the winning goal in extra time, while Niko Miller also tallied for GCC. As a result, Greensburg Central Catholic will play against No. 4 Beaver County Christian on Wednesday at Peters Township High School.

Wildcats football notching crucial win at Gateway

John Wetzel had a monster performance in leading Greater Latrobe to a massive 28-27 win at Gateway in the Class 5A Big East Conference last Friday. Wetzel completed 8-of-12 passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns, and he rushed 25 times for 161 yards, as the Wildcats moved to 2-3 in conference play, keeping their wild card hopes alive entering the final week of the regular season. Meanwhile, the Gators finished the conference slate at 2-4. Greater Latrobe, which overcame a 14-0 deficit after the opening quarter, received two touchdown catches from Andy Tatsch, who had four receptions for 70 yards, while Aaron Gaskey notched a 33-yard TD reception. The Gators scored on a late touchdown pass from Elvis Koutsakis to Dallas Harper, but the extra point missed, giving the Cats the narrow victory.

GCC, Southmoreland headline girls volleyball seeds

The WPIAL unveiled its girls volleyball playoff brackets on Friday, with Greensburg Central Catholic and Southmoreland garnering the best seeds among the 11 Westmoreland County teams. In Class 4A, Penn-Trafford, Hempfield Area, Kiski Area, and Greater Latrobe all qualified. The Warriors received the eighth seed, and thus will host No. 9 Armstrong Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Spartans were seeded No. 10, and will travel to play seventh seed Pine-Richland Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The Cavaliers garnered the No. 11 seed, and subsequently will play at sixth-seeded Peters Township Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Greater Latrobe was seeded No. 12, setting up a showdown against No. 5 and host Shaler Area Tuesday at 7 p.m. In Class 3A, Greensburg Salem and Derry Area each qualified. The Golden Lions were seeded No. 13, as they will trek to play fourth-seeded Hampton on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Trojans, meanwhile, were seeded No. 15 and host No. 18 Albert Gallatin in a preliminary-round battle tonight at 7 p.m. Southmoreland, Burrell, Yough, and Ligonier Valley all made the cut in Class 2A. The No. 5 Scotties will welcome either No. 12 Seton-LaSalle or No. 21 Brownsville Area on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Buccaneers, who were seeded No. 10, travel to play seventh seed South Allegheny on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, No. 13 Yough hosts No. 20 Ligonier Valley in the preliminary round tonight at 7 p.m. Lastly in Class 1A, Greensburg Central Catholic was awarded the third seed. As a result, the Centurions will host No. 14 West Greene on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Panthers hockey stays perfect

The Franklin Regional hockey team has enjoyed a smooth transition to Class AAA thus far this year, as the Panthers improved to 3-0-0 with a win at home against South Fayette last Monday. In the 5-4 triumph, Max Williams tallied the winning goal with less than six minutes left in regulation, as the Panthers overcame a 4-2 deficit in the third. Tyler Spears, Luke Anderchak, Brendan Yohe, and Joey Casella also scored goals for FR, while Grant Novotney made 17 saves in the win. As a result of their strong start, the Panthers currently pace Class AAA with nine points.

Griggs added to Griffins WBB staff

Lexi Griggs, a former standout player at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Vincentian Academy, was hired as an assistant coach for Seton Hill University women’s basketball last week. Griggs played for the Crimson Hawks from 2016 to 2020, garnering First-Team All-PSAC honors as a senior. Following her playing career, Griggs joined the coaching staff for IUP, and she served as the Director of Basketball Operations at North Carolina A&T last season. The Griffins compiled a record of 14-15 overall last campaign, including an 11-11 mark in the PSAC.