Whipple sets rushing mark in PT win

Penn-Trafford junior running back Tasso Whipple etched his name in the record books last Friday, as he rushed for 300 yards in a win against Hempfield Area, establishing a single-game rushing mark for the Warriors. Whipple’s output surpassed the previous total of 292 that was established by Manny Simpson in 2011. Whipple’s performance propelled the host Warriors to a 41-18 win against the Spartans in Class 5A Big East Conference play. The Warriors moved to 1-0 in the conference, while the Spartans dropped to 0-1. Whipple rushed 23 times, and scored four total touchdowns. He opened the scoring by hauling in a 44-yard pass from Jack Weishaar on a double pass, and he later added TD runs of 7, 14, and 35 yards, the last of which capped a surge of 20 unanswered points for PT. Jonny Lovre and Ben Grabowski also added rushing scores for the Warriors, and Grabowski compiled 89 yards on the ground. The Spartans received a 39-yard interception return from Mitchell Bitar late in the first half, and pulled within three points early in the fourth on a 33-yard connection from Keiran Lippmann to Nicholas Marquis.

Damico, Kelly headline girls golf qualifiers

With the WPIAL girls golf championships slated to commence this week, six Westmoreland County players have qualified. In Class 3A, Penn-Trafford senior Antolena Damico captured the Section III title, as she shot a round of 80 at the Indiana County Club last Tuesday. Damico easily cleared the target score of 92 to qualify for the WPIAL event. She was joined in qualifying by the Franklin Regional duo of senior Ali Boyle and sophomore Gianna Johnson, who shot 87 and 91, respectively, as well as Norwin sophomore Adelena Robb, who carded 92. In Class 2A, Greensburg Central Catholic freshman Kennedy Kelly captured the Section I title, as she shot 90 at Ligonier Country Club last Thursday. She cleared the target score of 94, as did her teammate, sophomore Alayna Stawovy, who shot 91. The WPIAL championships for each classification will be held at the Diamond Run Golf Club in Sewickley spanning two rounds, beginning on Tuesday and concluding on Oct. 4.

Jeannette announces latest HOF class

The Jeannette Athletic Hall of Fame will soon expand significantly, as the Class of 2023 was announced last week. The class will feature seven athletes, a state championship team, a coach, a legend, and a contributor. The athletes will consist of Bobby Capretto (Class of 1964 – football); Bob Tatarek (1964 – football); Dave Hogg (1975 – baseball); Derrick Hall (1985 – wrestling); Katie Brennan Carter (1996 – basketball); Jordan Thomas (2005 – basketball); and Nick Spino (2008 – track and field). The 2008 Jayhawks boys basketball squad, which won the PIAA title, will be inducted in the team category. Ray Reitz, who guided the football team for four seasons, winning a pair of WPIAL titles and a PIAA crown, will be the coach inductee. Mel Semenko, a football player from the Class of 1955, and Larry Sellitto from the Class of 1973 will also be honored as the legend and the Paul Gaudi Contributor Award inductees, respectively. The induction ceremony will occur in January.

Vikings blast Scotties in first-place soccer battle

Mount Pleasant Area girls soccer established itself as the team to beat in the section last week, as the Vikings notched a decisive 6-0 win against Southmoreland on Wednesday in a battle for first place. The host Vikings received two goals apiece from Morgan Gesinski and Maddie Barrick, while Maggie Piper and Riley Gesinski also tallied. Laurel Rummel notched the clean sheet in net for Mount Pleasant, which moved to 5-0-0 in Class 2A Section 3, while Southmoreland dropped to 4-1-0. Two days earlier, the Vikings posted another dominant showing in an 11-0 section win at Yough. Barrick tallied four markers in that match, while Riley Gesinski scored two goals and Morgan Gesinski notched six assists.

Pitt-Greensburg WSOC dominates conference opener

After capturing the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) title last year, the University of Pitt-Greenburg women’s soccer team continued to dominate the competition last week. The Bobcats commenced their AMCC schedule with a 9-0 win at the University of Pitt-Bradford. UPG held a lopsided advantage of 19-0 for shots on goal. Maya Wertelet scored four times, while Paige Inman recorded three goals. Reese Walker and Kylie Smith also ripped the twine, while Sarah Tonkovich added two assists.