Twitter Thursday

After several months on Twitter (you can follow me @TheMikeKovak), I'm still amazed at some of the tweets from high school students.

Seriously, anyone (coaches, teaches, etc.) can read these things.

Think before you tweet.

Dan Conley, Burgettstown legend/PIAA wrestling champ/former Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Year
@danimal27
Jan. 5
"Starting to think about the real world a lot lately ... I don't know if I'll ever be ready to grow up..."

Fake Todd Graham
@TugMyRope
Jan. 3
"I am in Pittsburgh today to talk to my boys and set things right. Where is everyone?"

Billy Edwards, Washington football
@WilliamBrandon_
Dec. 30
"My goal is not to make it to the pro's but to be known as the greatest to ever play the game #Period"

Ben DuCarme, Canon-Mac golf
@benducarme
Jan. 1
"The steelers, pens, and panthers have lost it in the last month...looks like im gonna start watching the WNBA"

Nick Riotto, Trinity baseball
@NRiotto
Jan. 4
"Shoutout to the janitors once again for a great job in the parking lot for the second straight day....You guys really do too much."

Michael Yancich, Penn State linebacker/disgruntled airline customer
@Ymike33
Jan. 3
"When you fly US Air, the flight that you originally booked is the flight you will have no chance of actually being on."

Later that day ...

"Broken luggage?? US Air haha you are really a pathetic excuse for an airline.."

Tanner Garry, Fort Cherry wrestling (during the winter sports season)
@TannerGarry3
Jan. 5
"I was talking to a teacher in the hall when a 7th grade girl poked me in the back with a pen, giggled, then ran away. #highschoolromance."

Corey Garry, same as Tanner Garry
@coreygarry
Dec. 29
"Haven't made twitter Thursdays in forever. Gotta step my twitter game up."

Tweet of the Week
Andrew Sweat, Ohio State linebacker
@asweat42
Jan. 1
"What lies behind us and what lies before us means nothing compared to what lies within us"

Checking up with ...

Anyone see the Big Ten Network bus rolling around? If you answer is "Yes", then chances are you noticed No. 42 for the Ohio State Buckeyes depicted. That's former Trinity standout Andrew Sweat.

One of several area players primed to make an impact for a Division I program this year, Sweat (6-2, 238) is a bit bigger than he was during his days with the Hillers, and the senior ranks as the Buckeyes most experienced linebacker. He'll start on the weak side, and Sweat has earned praise for his play leading into the season.

Chad Hagan, Sweat's teammate and a Canon-McMillan graduate, has worked his way onto the depth chart at linebacker. Hagan (6-1, 225) has all the tools and it appears the Buckeyes coaching staff is getting the best out of the redshirt freshman. Hagan is the backup to injury-prone Etienne Sabino at strong side linebacker and could see considerable playing time.

Mike Hull, who graduated from C-M with Hagan, is a redshirt freshman at Penn State and the backup at weakside linebacker. Hull (6-0, 225) is backing up junior Gerald Hodges has continued to show his knack for finding the football that he displayed at Canon-McMillan, which should come in handy on special teams.

Mike Yancich graduated Trinity with Sweat and opted to play linebacker for Penn State. Last year, it looked like Yancich was poised to make an impact and he saw considerable action but was moved to tight end for spring practice. The athletically gifted Yancich (6-2, 235) has moved back to linebacker and is No. 3 on the depth chart at middle linebacker.

Jeravin Matthews, like Yancich, has bounced around from offense (wide receiver, running back) to defense while at Northwestern but the speedy Canon-McMillan product seems to have found a home at cornerback. Matthews (5-11, 180), a former Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week, will see his share of action as he starts opposite All-Conference honorable mention corner Jordan Mabin.

Photo courtesy of Lance Vallee

Wash High's Phillips lands first offer

At 6-2, 270, Washington High School's Joe Phillips has the size to play key positions along the offensive and defensive lines to go with the speed and agility to play other places like fullback, tight end and linebacker.

Phillips, who will be a senior, landed his first scholarship offer last week from Virginia Military Institute. The Keydets play at the Division I-AA level and their 2010 schedule included Virginia and Army.

According to Prexies head coach Mike Bosnic, Phillips is drawing interest from Youngstown State and Bowling Green.

* Trinity quarterback Brad Martin will play at Division III Allegheny College.

Martin put together a solid senior season for the Hillers, throwing for nearly 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. The latter is a Hillers single-season record and he also owns the school record for longest completion at 99 yards.

Martin is the seventh senior from Trinity's 2010 football team headed to a college program.

* Trinity graduate Andrew Sweat (pictured), slated to start at linebacker for Ohio State, has been tabbed a First-Team All-Conference pick.

* A pair of seniors from Chartiers-Houston are headed to Division III Hiram College, where they will play football.

Scott Betts, the starting catcher on the Bucs' PIAA-playoff qualifying baseball team, was a two-year starter at center and played defensive end and linebacker. A three-year letterwinner, Betts was a first-team all-conference pick in 2010.

Evan Bender, an outfielder on the C-H baseball team, started at quarterback, receiver and linebacker during his varsity career.

Follow me on Twitter @TheMikeKovak