Football dominated the discussion during the fall and beyond but a number of local student-athletes thrive in other sports.
Golf being one of those sports.
The Washington-Greene region crowded the medals stand Tuesday at the PIAA Individual Golf Championships, a two-day event held at Heritage Hills in York.
Tom Nettles, a junior from Peters Township, tied for second with a five-over par, two-round score of 147. That was just one stroke behind West Allegheny's Garrett Browning (146). Browning and Nettles, who won the PIAA West Region title, were first and second following the first day of competition.
Bentworth senior Garrett Damich put together a strong second day and placed fourth, with a seven-over 149. Damich was the WPIAL Division II runner-up.
Canon-McMillan's Ben DuCarme (157) tied for 19th, while Peters Township's Trent McPherson (158) tied for 25th.
On the girls side, Waynesburg senior Emily Rohanna got to the medals stand as she tied for 9th place with a 22-over 166. Erica Herr of Council Rock North distanced the field with a six-over 150.
Showing posts with label Golf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Golf. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Friday notebook
I'll be at tonight's Ringgold at Franklin Regional game. For updates, follow me on Twitter @TheMikeKovak, and feel free to send updates of your game to me as well.
The WPIAL spotlight will shine - of all places - on the Keystone Conference tonight when one-loss Ringgold plays at unbeaten Franklin Regional.
"This is the first time we've gotten this much publicity going into a game since I've been here fore sure," Ringgold coach Matt Humbert said. "It's a good thing for the conference. Everybody always wants to knock our conference, and sometimes they're justified."
Those knocks are because of the conference's dismal postseason record, but Ringgold and Franklin Regional are both intriguing Class AAA contenders.
Should Ringgold win, the Rams all but lock up the conference title with a win against Greensburg-Salem already in the books. Ringgold won the Keystone last year, part of the team's first undefeated, untied season.
The Rams got good news today when they learned quarterback Quad Law is cleared to play, and not doubt the playmaker will prove vital to their chances.
But Ringgold will be counting on several others players, particularly on defense against a Franklin Regional team that has yet to be tested.
"I kind of disagree with people who say they haven't played anybody," Humbert said. "They beat two Quad-A teams and I don't care who they are, that's not easy to do by the margins Franklin Regional did it."
Key to that defense is senior defensive end Michael Beveridge.
"When we pinpoint people we need to have a big game, he's one of those guys," Humbert said. "He needs to be extremely disciplines to do what we need him to do, and we're confident he'll be exactly that."
Beveridge, a member of the Observer-Reporter Elite 11 as a junior, has a knack of playing his best in big games. Earlier this year at Greensburg-Salem, Beveridge had four tackles behind the line of scrimmage during the fourth quarter. He also forced a fumble and recovered another.
* Fort Cherry quarterback Tanner Garry ranks second in the WPIAL in passing yards and first in touchdown passes.
Waynesburg's Nick Zupper ranks third in the WPIAL in rushing yards.
Ringgold's Quad Law leads the WPIAL in yards per carry.
Fort Cherry's Ryan Babirad and South Fayette's Zach Challingsworth rank high in receiving yards.
Beth-Center has intercepted 19 passes, and quarterback Sal Faieta has accounted for 25 touchdowns.
* Six area golfers - Tom Nettles and Trent McPherson of Peters Township, Canon-McMillan's Ben DuCarme, South Fayette's Evan Lestini, Bentworth's Garrett Damich and Waynesburg's Emily Rohanna - qualified for the PIAA West Region semifinals, which were held Tuesday at Tom's Run Golf Course in Blairsville.
All six golfers advanced to the PIAA Championships, a two-day event which tees off Monday at Heritage Hills in York. That's hardly a surprise, but considering how the top of the leaderboard was crowded with the local competitors, it's safe to say the Washington-Greene region is a high school golfing haven.
Nettles enters the state championship as the PIAA West Region champ after he birdied three of the final four holes to finish with an even-par 72. Nettles, a junior attracting serious Division I interest, became the first golfer from Peters Township to win the West Region.
McPherson, DuCarme and Lestini all tied for fourth, while Damich tied for 11th.
Rohanna finished tied for third on the girls side.
What is about the area that produces so many top-notch individuals and golf teams?
* Washington junior Jaylin Kelly will not play tonight against South Allegheny. Kelly injured an ankle during last Saturday's win over Quaker Valley.
Kelly starts at linebacker and running back for the Prexies.
* Waynesburg hasn't been in many postseason discussions since the playing days of Lee Fritz and Lanfer Simpson, but the Raiders play a key game tonight at Mt. Pleasant.
If the Raiders beat the Vikings, they position themselves for their first postseason berth since 2003.
* I'd imagine Beth-Center senior linebacker Jake Sofran would rather the Bulldogs be undefeated at this point, but he's still notched a a couple impressive milestones the past two weeks.
Sofran, who is receiving interest from a number of Division I-AA and II schools, set B-C's career tackles mark during the Bulldogs' 46-0 win over Monessen two weeks ago. Last week in a one-point overtime loss to Avonworth, Sofran set a single-game record with 20 tackles.
A four-year starter, Sofran has 400-plus tackles in his career.
The WPIAL spotlight will shine - of all places - on the Keystone Conference tonight when one-loss Ringgold plays at unbeaten Franklin Regional.
"This is the first time we've gotten this much publicity going into a game since I've been here fore sure," Ringgold coach Matt Humbert said. "It's a good thing for the conference. Everybody always wants to knock our conference, and sometimes they're justified."
Those knocks are because of the conference's dismal postseason record, but Ringgold and Franklin Regional are both intriguing Class AAA contenders.
Should Ringgold win, the Rams all but lock up the conference title with a win against Greensburg-Salem already in the books. Ringgold won the Keystone last year, part of the team's first undefeated, untied season.
The Rams got good news today when they learned quarterback Quad Law is cleared to play, and not doubt the playmaker will prove vital to their chances.
But Ringgold will be counting on several others players, particularly on defense against a Franklin Regional team that has yet to be tested.
"I kind of disagree with people who say they haven't played anybody," Humbert said. "They beat two Quad-A teams and I don't care who they are, that's not easy to do by the margins Franklin Regional did it."
Key to that defense is senior defensive end Michael Beveridge.
"When we pinpoint people we need to have a big game, he's one of those guys," Humbert said. "He needs to be extremely disciplines to do what we need him to do, and we're confident he'll be exactly that."
Beveridge, a member of the Observer-Reporter Elite 11 as a junior, has a knack of playing his best in big games. Earlier this year at Greensburg-Salem, Beveridge had four tackles behind the line of scrimmage during the fourth quarter. He also forced a fumble and recovered another.
* Fort Cherry quarterback Tanner Garry ranks second in the WPIAL in passing yards and first in touchdown passes.
Waynesburg's Nick Zupper ranks third in the WPIAL in rushing yards.
Ringgold's Quad Law leads the WPIAL in yards per carry.
Fort Cherry's Ryan Babirad and South Fayette's Zach Challingsworth rank high in receiving yards.
Beth-Center has intercepted 19 passes, and quarterback Sal Faieta has accounted for 25 touchdowns.
* Six area golfers - Tom Nettles and Trent McPherson of Peters Township, Canon-McMillan's Ben DuCarme, South Fayette's Evan Lestini, Bentworth's Garrett Damich and Waynesburg's Emily Rohanna - qualified for the PIAA West Region semifinals, which were held Tuesday at Tom's Run Golf Course in Blairsville.
All six golfers advanced to the PIAA Championships, a two-day event which tees off Monday at Heritage Hills in York. That's hardly a surprise, but considering how the top of the leaderboard was crowded with the local competitors, it's safe to say the Washington-Greene region is a high school golfing haven.
Nettles enters the state championship as the PIAA West Region champ after he birdied three of the final four holes to finish with an even-par 72. Nettles, a junior attracting serious Division I interest, became the first golfer from Peters Township to win the West Region.
McPherson, DuCarme and Lestini all tied for fourth, while Damich tied for 11th.
Rohanna finished tied for third on the girls side.
What is about the area that produces so many top-notch individuals and golf teams?
* Washington junior Jaylin Kelly will not play tonight against South Allegheny. Kelly injured an ankle during last Saturday's win over Quaker Valley.
Kelly starts at linebacker and running back for the Prexies.
* Waynesburg hasn't been in many postseason discussions since the playing days of Lee Fritz and Lanfer Simpson, but the Raiders play a key game tonight at Mt. Pleasant.
If the Raiders beat the Vikings, they position themselves for their first postseason berth since 2003.
* I'd imagine Beth-Center senior linebacker Jake Sofran would rather the Bulldogs be undefeated at this point, but he's still notched a a couple impressive milestones the past two weeks.
Sofran, who is receiving interest from a number of Division I-AA and II schools, set B-C's career tackles mark during the Bulldogs' 46-0 win over Monessen two weeks ago. Last week in a one-point overtime loss to Avonworth, Sofran set a single-game record with 20 tackles.
A four-year starter, Sofran has 400-plus tackles in his career.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Friday notebook
I'll be tweeting live from tonight's non-conference game between Avonworth and Beth-Center. You can follow me @TheMikeKovak for occasional updates.
Readers, feel free to send me score updates from your games, and I'll do my best to send them to followers.
Also, please follow @SportsOR, where the O-R sports staff provides score updates throughout the night. Joe Tuscano (@JosephGTuscano) will tweet from tonight's California at Jefferson-Morgan game.
The Avonworth at beth-Center game isn't typical for a late-season non-conference contest. The game will have a significant impact on the seedings for the Class A playoffs. A win for Beth-Center should wrap up a top-five seed as long as the Bulldogs win out. A win for Avonworth could make the Antelopes a top-five or six seed, and would hurt the seedings of other playoff qualifiers from the Tri-County South Conference.
* Trinity will use more two-back sets with the season-ending knee injury to Ty Yocca, but Dalton is pleased with the play of Kyle Dugan.
"Kyle's a different type of runner than Ty, but he's done a good job when we've but him in there," Dalton said. "We'll continue to use him."
* Former Mapletown High School and California University standout Kevin Pincavitch, who advanced as high as Class AA in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, was recently hired as the Waynesburg High School baseball coach.
Pincavitch, a former assistant with the Washington Wild Things, replaces Steve Coss, who had three successful seasons with the Raiders before he resigned in August. Waynesburg reached the WPIAL Class AA championship game this season, and qualified for the state playoffs for the first time since 2001.
Stephen McCaw was the Raiders' starting catcher and the WPIAL Class AA Player of the Year, as selected by the baseball coaches. I recently spoke with McCaw for an upcoming story and talked to him about the hiring.
"He seems like a really good guy and he knows a lot about baseball," said McCaw, a senior. "We're all excited to get the season started."
* Hopewell's Rushel Shell committed to Pitt Friday morning. For the Panthers, it's a big moment as Shell is the first top-rated WPIAL prospect to commit to Pitt in some time.
That said, it hardly means Pitt is set for the next three to four years. I've spoken with a couple old friends from Beaver County who believed it was in Shell's best interest to get away from Western Pennsylvania.
Will he be the next Tony Dorsett? Or the next Brian Davis? Pitt should be happy with something in between.
* Ringgold freshman Kirsten McMichael might already be the best girls cross country runner in Washington and Greene counties.
* Peters Township finished third at the WPIAL Division I boys golf team championship Thursday at Cedarbrook.
The Indians won the title in 2010 and were favored to do so again, but lost to section rival Upper St. Clair. For Peters Township, the fact that not winning a WPIAL title is news, shows how strong the program has become under head coach David Kuhn.
"When I first got here, we were in a terrible section and couldn't finish any higher than third in it," Kuhn said. "We've made it to the finals eight times over the past nine years. We've come a long way."
Readers, feel free to send me score updates from your games, and I'll do my best to send them to followers.
Also, please follow @SportsOR, where the O-R sports staff provides score updates throughout the night. Joe Tuscano (@JosephGTuscano) will tweet from tonight's California at Jefferson-Morgan game.
The Avonworth at beth-Center game isn't typical for a late-season non-conference contest. The game will have a significant impact on the seedings for the Class A playoffs. A win for Beth-Center should wrap up a top-five seed as long as the Bulldogs win out. A win for Avonworth could make the Antelopes a top-five or six seed, and would hurt the seedings of other playoff qualifiers from the Tri-County South Conference.
* Trinity will use more two-back sets with the season-ending knee injury to Ty Yocca, but Dalton is pleased with the play of Kyle Dugan.
"Kyle's a different type of runner than Ty, but he's done a good job when we've but him in there," Dalton said. "We'll continue to use him."
* Former Mapletown High School and California University standout Kevin Pincavitch, who advanced as high as Class AA in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, was recently hired as the Waynesburg High School baseball coach.
Pincavitch, a former assistant with the Washington Wild Things, replaces Steve Coss, who had three successful seasons with the Raiders before he resigned in August. Waynesburg reached the WPIAL Class AA championship game this season, and qualified for the state playoffs for the first time since 2001.
Stephen McCaw was the Raiders' starting catcher and the WPIAL Class AA Player of the Year, as selected by the baseball coaches. I recently spoke with McCaw for an upcoming story and talked to him about the hiring.
"He seems like a really good guy and he knows a lot about baseball," said McCaw, a senior. "We're all excited to get the season started."
* Hopewell's Rushel Shell committed to Pitt Friday morning. For the Panthers, it's a big moment as Shell is the first top-rated WPIAL prospect to commit to Pitt in some time.
That said, it hardly means Pitt is set for the next three to four years. I've spoken with a couple old friends from Beaver County who believed it was in Shell's best interest to get away from Western Pennsylvania.
Will he be the next Tony Dorsett? Or the next Brian Davis? Pitt should be happy with something in between.
* Ringgold freshman Kirsten McMichael might already be the best girls cross country runner in Washington and Greene counties.
* Peters Township finished third at the WPIAL Division I boys golf team championship Thursday at Cedarbrook.
The Indians won the title in 2010 and were favored to do so again, but lost to section rival Upper St. Clair. For Peters Township, the fact that not winning a WPIAL title is news, shows how strong the program has become under head coach David Kuhn.
"When I first got here, we were in a terrible section and couldn't finish any higher than third in it," Kuhn said. "We've made it to the finals eight times over the past nine years. We've come a long way."
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Quick hits
Trinity's Eric Richards has already had an interesting high school career. He played football at Trinity as a freshman and sophomore before he transferred to Avella.
During baseball season, Richards was the Eagles top player.
Avella was counting on Richards during football season as well, so much so that first-year head coach Ryan Cecchini made Richards the starting quarterback. He spent time there during training camp.
"Then I get a phone call two days before the start of the season, and it's from an administrator," Cecchini said. "They said Richards moved back to Trinity. We had a game in two days and our quarterback was gone. We had to scramble."
No doubt Richards could have greatly helped the Eagles. No doubt he is helping the Hillers.
Richards is seeing considerable time at linebacker and is getting an increased work load on offense. He played a vital role in Trinity's win over West Mifflin.
"Really, the only thing he doesn't have going for him is he's not 6-2," Dalton said. "He's every bit as physical as anyone we've had here."
* Bumped into Burgettstown athletic director Jon Vallina during Wednesday's WPIAL Division I Boys Individual Golf Championship & PIAA Qualifier, he said playing football games on Saturday afternoons this year has negatively affected attendance.
* Washington's Eric Ellis, a senior defensive end, has six sacks the past two games, including four at Keystone Oaks.
Ellis is also the starting right guard for an offensive line that is playing well.
"He's a tough kid, and one defense he's really giving people trouble," Prexies coach Mike Bosnic said.
* Count Chartiers-Houston coach Terry Fetsko among those surprised to see Fort Cherry lose to Brentwood in overtime.
"We didn't know how the game ended, but when we saw the final score, I'd say we were a little surprised," Fetsko said. "When I watched the game on tape, Brentwood is very disciplined and they execute well. They have a good system and they run it well."
The Bucs play at undefeated Brentwood Friday night. The winner has the inside track on finishing second in the Black Hills Conference.
* Waynesburg's Emily Rohanna won the WPIAL Division II Girls Golf Individual Championship Tuesday at Longue Vue Club in Verona. It was Rohanna's second consecutive title, and the fourth for the family.
Her older sister Rachel won two WPIAL titles (when there was one division) and two PIAA championships.
Rachel Rohanna golfs at Ohio State and spent the opening round at this year's U.S. Women's Open on the leaderboard. Emily Rohanna will golf at Youngstown State, where her father Tom played football.
There's a chance the siblings, who both played for the Waynesburg boys golf team, could compete against each other.
"I'm not sure if we do, but there might be one tournament where they might be there with us," Emily Rohanna said. "Hopefully it happens. It'll be different. She's still intimidating."
* Peters Township sophomore Veronica Latsko already has 30 goals this season. Latsko scored 26 as a freshman.
* Penn State linebacker Mike Hull carved out quite a legacy at Canon-McMillan. Hull was an Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Year, Football Player of the Year, two-time first team All-State selection (should have been three), WPIAL team wrestling and team track champion and a PIAA baseball champion.
Now, another Hull is playing football for the Big Macs.
Senior Ashley Hull, Mike's sister, is Canon-McMillan's kicker and she is the first female in Big Macs history to score points in a football game. Hull is also the starting goalie on the soccer team.
* Trinity got sophomore Pat Frey back from injury, and Frey certainly helped the Hillers beat West Mifflin. Did you know that Trinity is 6-0 versus West Mifflin since dropping to Class AAA?
It's not all good news for the Hillers this week.
Standount tailback Tyler Yocca, who has excelled in the Hillers' triple-option offense, suffered a knee injury.
"It's possible that we've lost him for the year," Dalton said. "It's a fast track at West Mifflin and not as giving as turf at most other place. (Yocca) was having such a good season."
The injury could force a switch in offensive philosophy.
"We might go out of our three-back role," Dalton said. "We could become more formation-oriented, more two-back formations."
During baseball season, Richards was the Eagles top player.
Avella was counting on Richards during football season as well, so much so that first-year head coach Ryan Cecchini made Richards the starting quarterback. He spent time there during training camp.
"Then I get a phone call two days before the start of the season, and it's from an administrator," Cecchini said. "They said Richards moved back to Trinity. We had a game in two days and our quarterback was gone. We had to scramble."
No doubt Richards could have greatly helped the Eagles. No doubt he is helping the Hillers.
Richards is seeing considerable time at linebacker and is getting an increased work load on offense. He played a vital role in Trinity's win over West Mifflin.
"Really, the only thing he doesn't have going for him is he's not 6-2," Dalton said. "He's every bit as physical as anyone we've had here."
* Bumped into Burgettstown athletic director Jon Vallina during Wednesday's WPIAL Division I Boys Individual Golf Championship & PIAA Qualifier, he said playing football games on Saturday afternoons this year has negatively affected attendance.
* Washington's Eric Ellis, a senior defensive end, has six sacks the past two games, including four at Keystone Oaks.
Ellis is also the starting right guard for an offensive line that is playing well.
"He's a tough kid, and one defense he's really giving people trouble," Prexies coach Mike Bosnic said.
* Count Chartiers-Houston coach Terry Fetsko among those surprised to see Fort Cherry lose to Brentwood in overtime.
"We didn't know how the game ended, but when we saw the final score, I'd say we were a little surprised," Fetsko said. "When I watched the game on tape, Brentwood is very disciplined and they execute well. They have a good system and they run it well."
The Bucs play at undefeated Brentwood Friday night. The winner has the inside track on finishing second in the Black Hills Conference.
* Waynesburg's Emily Rohanna won the WPIAL Division II Girls Golf Individual Championship Tuesday at Longue Vue Club in Verona. It was Rohanna's second consecutive title, and the fourth for the family.
Her older sister Rachel won two WPIAL titles (when there was one division) and two PIAA championships.
Rachel Rohanna golfs at Ohio State and spent the opening round at this year's U.S. Women's Open on the leaderboard. Emily Rohanna will golf at Youngstown State, where her father Tom played football.
There's a chance the siblings, who both played for the Waynesburg boys golf team, could compete against each other.
"I'm not sure if we do, but there might be one tournament where they might be there with us," Emily Rohanna said. "Hopefully it happens. It'll be different. She's still intimidating."
* Peters Township sophomore Veronica Latsko already has 30 goals this season. Latsko scored 26 as a freshman.
* Penn State linebacker Mike Hull carved out quite a legacy at Canon-McMillan. Hull was an Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Year, Football Player of the Year, two-time first team All-State selection (should have been three), WPIAL team wrestling and team track champion and a PIAA baseball champion.
Now, another Hull is playing football for the Big Macs.
Senior Ashley Hull, Mike's sister, is Canon-McMillan's kicker and she is the first female in Big Macs history to score points in a football game. Hull is also the starting goalie on the soccer team.
* Trinity got sophomore Pat Frey back from injury, and Frey certainly helped the Hillers beat West Mifflin. Did you know that Trinity is 6-0 versus West Mifflin since dropping to Class AAA?
It's not all good news for the Hillers this week.
Standount tailback Tyler Yocca, who has excelled in the Hillers' triple-option offense, suffered a knee injury.
"It's possible that we've lost him for the year," Dalton said. "It's a fast track at West Mifflin and not as giving as turf at most other place. (Yocca) was having such a good season."
The injury could force a switch in offensive philosophy.
"We might go out of our three-back role," Dalton said. "We could become more formation-oriented, more two-back formations."
Friday, October 15, 2010
Games of the Week, Week 7
Blogger's note: Peters Township boys golf claimed the area's first WPIAL championship of the 2010-11 school year Thursday at Cedarbrook. The Indians rolled to the Division I team title by a whopping 16 strokes as none of its top 6 golfers finished with a round higher than 80. If memory serves correct, it's the third WPIAL team title for PT since David Kuhn became head coach.
Which football teams will turn in equally dominating performances tonight?
Baldwin (1-5) at Peters Township (4-2)
Judging by record, this Great Southern Conference contest looks like a matchup. Upon closer inspection, Baldwin has played competitive football against some of the WPIAL's premier teams in Thomas Jefferson, Mt. Lebanon and even Erie McDowell. Last year, Peters Township entered the conference schedule with a 4-0 mark against shoddy competition. Baldwin beat them in the conference opener to start a four-game losing streak.
Trinity (4-2) at Thomas Jefferson (5-1)
With three future Division I linebackers in Andrew Sweat (Ohio State), Michael Yancich (Penn State) and Brandon Weaver (Ohio), Trinity believed 2007 was the year it finally hung tough and got past Thomas Jefferson. The game even drew national attention as TJ featured future Pitt lineman Lucas Nix and the telecast was picked up in several FSN regional markets. The game was close at halftime before TJ pulled away. Fast forward to today and Trinity feels this game is its best chance to knock the Jaguars off the top of the Big Eight Conference perch since. The Hillers will need a few big plays to do so.
Beth-Center (5-1) at Avonworth (5-1)
A non-conference game at this point of the season rarely means much but these two teams have been among the best in Class A throughout the season. The Antelopes haven't lost since the season opener against Bishop Canevin, while Beth-Center is coming off a loss to Monessen where the Bulldogs struggled offensively. To steal this one from an Avonworth defense that hasn't allowed a point in a month, Beth-Center must run the football behind an undersized offensive line better than it did last week.
Which football teams will turn in equally dominating performances tonight?
Baldwin (1-5) at Peters Township (4-2)
Judging by record, this Great Southern Conference contest looks like a matchup. Upon closer inspection, Baldwin has played competitive football against some of the WPIAL's premier teams in Thomas Jefferson, Mt. Lebanon and even Erie McDowell. Last year, Peters Township entered the conference schedule with a 4-0 mark against shoddy competition. Baldwin beat them in the conference opener to start a four-game losing streak.
Trinity (4-2) at Thomas Jefferson (5-1)
With three future Division I linebackers in Andrew Sweat (Ohio State), Michael Yancich (Penn State) and Brandon Weaver (Ohio), Trinity believed 2007 was the year it finally hung tough and got past Thomas Jefferson. The game even drew national attention as TJ featured future Pitt lineman Lucas Nix and the telecast was picked up in several FSN regional markets. The game was close at halftime before TJ pulled away. Fast forward to today and Trinity feels this game is its best chance to knock the Jaguars off the top of the Big Eight Conference perch since. The Hillers will need a few big plays to do so.
Beth-Center (5-1) at Avonworth (5-1)
A non-conference game at this point of the season rarely means much but these two teams have been among the best in Class A throughout the season. The Antelopes haven't lost since the season opener against Bishop Canevin, while Beth-Center is coming off a loss to Monessen where the Bulldogs struggled offensively. To steal this one from an Avonworth defense that hasn't allowed a point in a month, Beth-Center must run the football behind an undersized offensive line better than it did last week.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
A possible local sweep at WPIAL team golf
The WPIAL Division I and II boys golf team championships will be determined Thursday at spacious Cedarbrook Golf Course outside Belle Vernon. Not surprisingly, the area will be well represented and the possibility for a local sweep strongly exists.
Steady-as-ever Peters Township, which sends three individuals to Monday's PIAA Western Regional, won its semifinal Tuesday at Norvelt Golf Course. The Indians beat Fox Chapel by seven strokes (383-390) while defending WPIAL Division I champion Greater Latrobe placed third.
Sophomore Tommy Nettles paced Peters Township with a round of 70. Nettles was followed by Hunter Stanchak (75), Trent McPherson (75), Jeremy Merich (80) and Connor Crane (84). The group gives Peters Township an outstanding chance at winning its third team championship under the direction of head coach David Kuhn.
South Fayette, which won four consecutive Division II team titles earlier in the millennium, cruised to an eight-stroke victory at its semifinal held at Fort Cherry Golf Course. The Lions (388) will be joined at Cedarbrook by Bentworth (399), which placed third at Fort Cherry. Perennial contender Burgettstown took second at its semifinal, which was held at River Forest Country Club in Freeport.
At Fort Cherry, no golfer was closer than six strokes to Evan Lestini's round of 69. Kyle Kubovcik shot a 76 for Bentworth and Garrett Damich, one of only three Division II golfers to advance to the PIAA Western Regional, carded a 78.
Burgettstown, a program that put together one of the more dominating runs in WPIAL golf history during the late 1990s, finished 15 strokes behind Neshannock (404-419) at River Forest CC. Owen Miller and Michael Callas each finished with a round of 81.
Steady-as-ever Peters Township, which sends three individuals to Monday's PIAA Western Regional, won its semifinal Tuesday at Norvelt Golf Course. The Indians beat Fox Chapel by seven strokes (383-390) while defending WPIAL Division I champion Greater Latrobe placed third.
Sophomore Tommy Nettles paced Peters Township with a round of 70. Nettles was followed by Hunter Stanchak (75), Trent McPherson (75), Jeremy Merich (80) and Connor Crane (84). The group gives Peters Township an outstanding chance at winning its third team championship under the direction of head coach David Kuhn.
South Fayette, which won four consecutive Division II team titles earlier in the millennium, cruised to an eight-stroke victory at its semifinal held at Fort Cherry Golf Course. The Lions (388) will be joined at Cedarbrook by Bentworth (399), which placed third at Fort Cherry. Perennial contender Burgettstown took second at its semifinal, which was held at River Forest Country Club in Freeport.
At Fort Cherry, no golfer was closer than six strokes to Evan Lestini's round of 69. Kyle Kubovcik shot a 76 for Bentworth and Garrett Damich, one of only three Division II golfers to advance to the PIAA Western Regional, carded a 78.
Burgettstown, a program that put together one of the more dominating runs in WPIAL golf history during the late 1990s, finished 15 strokes behind Neshannock (404-419) at River Forest CC. Owen Miller and Michael Callas each finished with a round of 81.
Monday, October 19, 2009
WPIAL Team Golf Results
Boys Team Final
Division I
Cedarbrook Gold Course (Par 72)
1. Latrobe 397 Medalist – Ben Gjebre 73
2. Fox Chapel 404 Medalist – Thomas Lawson 77
3. Central Catholic 411 Medalist – Corey Wagner 78
4. Peters Township 412 Medalist – Hunter Stanchak/Jeff Chastel 81
5. Bethel Park 415 Medalist – Brian Omslaer 78
6. Penn Trafford 423 Medalist – Kevin Loutsenhizer 74
Boys Team Final
Division II
Cedarbrook Gold Course (Par 72)
1. Bishop Canevin 412 Medalist – Matt Zerishnek/Frank Vance 77
2. Sewickley Academy 414 Medalist – Ian Bangor/Jordan Chang 79
3. Neshannock 415 Medalist – Jono Acosta 79
4. South Fayette 436 Medalist – A.J. Morelli 86
5. California 442 Medalist – David Beck 77
6. Seton-La Salle 456 Medalist – Dan Mazur 88
Girls Team Final
Cedarbook Red Course (Par 71)
1. Shady Side Academy 345 Medalist – Kendall Allen 74
2. Fox Chapel 347 Medalist – Nadia Luttner 80
3. Center 368 Medalist – Brittany Massie 89
4. Upper St. Clair 376 Medalist – Danielle Von Waldow 86
5. Penn Trafford 383 Medalist – Brittany Borkovich 83
6. Bethel Park 406 Medalist – Liz Creighton 94
7. Butler 410 Medalist – Marissa DeCola 82
8. Mt. Pleasant 418 Medalist – Megan Smith 93
Division I
Cedarbrook Gold Course (Par 72)
1. Latrobe 397 Medalist – Ben Gjebre 73
2. Fox Chapel 404 Medalist – Thomas Lawson 77
3. Central Catholic 411 Medalist – Corey Wagner 78
4. Peters Township 412 Medalist – Hunter Stanchak/Jeff Chastel 81
5. Bethel Park 415 Medalist – Brian Omslaer 78
6. Penn Trafford 423 Medalist – Kevin Loutsenhizer 74
Boys Team Final
Division II
Cedarbrook Gold Course (Par 72)
1. Bishop Canevin 412 Medalist – Matt Zerishnek/Frank Vance 77
2. Sewickley Academy 414 Medalist – Ian Bangor/Jordan Chang 79
3. Neshannock 415 Medalist – Jono Acosta 79
4. South Fayette 436 Medalist – A.J. Morelli 86
5. California 442 Medalist – David Beck 77
6. Seton-La Salle 456 Medalist – Dan Mazur 88
Girls Team Final
Cedarbook Red Course (Par 71)
1. Shady Side Academy 345 Medalist – Kendall Allen 74
2. Fox Chapel 347 Medalist – Nadia Luttner 80
3. Center 368 Medalist – Brittany Massie 89
4. Upper St. Clair 376 Medalist – Danielle Von Waldow 86
5. Penn Trafford 383 Medalist – Brittany Borkovich 83
6. Bethel Park 406 Medalist – Liz Creighton 94
7. Butler 410 Medalist – Marissa DeCola 82
8. Mt. Pleasant 418 Medalist – Megan Smith 93
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Championship stretch
The WPIAL championship season has begun and things get busy beginning this week.
Girls tennis already crowned singles and doubles champions, among them being Chartiers-Houston junior Tanya Timko (Class AA singles). Timko previously won WPIAL titles in girls and boys doubles with her sister Karli.
Timko's win continued a championship trend in a sport with little tradition locally until recent years.
California's Sarah Shashura and former Peters Township standout Alison Riske won WPIAL singles titles in recent years. The Timko sisters won doubles titles as the district and PIAA level. Julie Stroyne, also of Peters Township, won a PIAA Class AAA doubles title with Emily Palko and will attempt for another with partner Caroline Nixon when the state tournaments begin Friday, Nov. 6.
Between Burgettstown, South Fayette and Peters Township, boys golf is well-established and all three of those teams – along with five others – play in Wednesday's WPIAL Division I and II semifinals at various locations.
Peters Township, the 2008 WPIAL Division I champion and PIAA runner-up, is undefeated. So is Bentworth, which is playing in the Division II semifinals, along with Jefferson-Morgan, Waynesburg, California and Chartiers-Houston.
The WPIAL team golf championships will be contested Monday, Oct. 19 at Cedarbrook Gold.
The WPIAL girls team tennis playoffs also begin that week, as do the boys and girls soccer playoffs. WPIAL volleyball playoffs start the last week of October and the cross country championships will be run Thursday, Oct. 29.
Girls tennis already crowned singles and doubles champions, among them being Chartiers-Houston junior Tanya Timko (Class AA singles). Timko previously won WPIAL titles in girls and boys doubles with her sister Karli.
Timko's win continued a championship trend in a sport with little tradition locally until recent years.
California's Sarah Shashura and former Peters Township standout Alison Riske won WPIAL singles titles in recent years. The Timko sisters won doubles titles as the district and PIAA level. Julie Stroyne, also of Peters Township, won a PIAA Class AAA doubles title with Emily Palko and will attempt for another with partner Caroline Nixon when the state tournaments begin Friday, Nov. 6.
Between Burgettstown, South Fayette and Peters Township, boys golf is well-established and all three of those teams – along with five others – play in Wednesday's WPIAL Division I and II semifinals at various locations.
Peters Township, the 2008 WPIAL Division I champion and PIAA runner-up, is undefeated. So is Bentworth, which is playing in the Division II semifinals, along with Jefferson-Morgan, Waynesburg, California and Chartiers-Houston.
The WPIAL team golf championships will be contested Monday, Oct. 19 at Cedarbrook Gold.
The WPIAL girls team tennis playoffs also begin that week, as do the boys and girls soccer playoffs. WPIAL volleyball playoffs start the last week of October and the cross country championships will be run Thursday, Oct. 29.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Ten to watch
Football dominates conversation on The Varsity Letters during the fall but, non-revenue sports often generate headlines for success and individual talent.
Here's 10 student-athletes (in alphabetical order) from non-revenue sports to keep an eye of during the 2009 fall sports season:
1. Kayla Keddal, Peters Township
Cross Country
As a junior, Keddal placed seventh at the WPIAL championships and sixth at states.
2. Trent McPherson, Peters Township
Golf
A freshman transfer from West Virginia, McPherson has been the Indians' top golfer in recent matches.
3. Emily Rohanna, Waynesburg
Golf
Rohanna replaces older sister Rachel on the Waynesburg boys team. Already has a couple of second-place finishes on her team.
4. Taylor Schram, Canon-McMillan
Soccer
One of the top goal scorers in the country, Schram (pictured) committed to Penn State as a junior. Part of the U-17 national team pool.
5. Sarah Shashura, California
Tennis
California doesn't field a girls tennis team. That didn't stop Shashura from winning a WPIAL Class AA title last year.
6. Shelli Spamer, Peters Township
Soccer
Along with Schram, Spamer could go down as one of the great girls soccer players from Washington County. Also part of U-17 national talent pool.
7. Rachel Spridik, Bentworth
Volleyball
Only a sophomore, Spridik earned All-WPIAL honors last year. In her first match this year, she posted a triple-double.
8. Julie Stroyne, Peters Township
Tennis
In her scholastic career, Stroyne (pictured) has won a PIAA team championship and was part of a state championship doubles team.
9. Nate Troscinski, Peters Township
Soccer
Troscinski scored the Indians' goal in last year's state championship match. Already owns PIAA and WPIAL gold medals.
10. Matt Venanzi, Peters Township
Soccer
As a freshman, Venanzi occasionally started but often provided an offensive spark off the bench. Could be a big-time goal scorer.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Rohanna 14th at Junior PGA
Rachel Rohanna, a 2009 Waynesburg High School graduate, had another impressive finish at a big tournament. This time, Rohanna tied for 14th at the Junior PGA Girls Championship, held at TPC River's Bend in Mainesville, Ohio.
Rohanna finished the four-round tournament with a total of 294. Her final two rounds were even-par and her first round was one-under. Only a seven-over 79 on the second day kept Rohanna, part of The Ohio State University's incoming women's golf recruiting class, from finishing higher.
The only two-time WPIAL and PIAA girls golf champion from the Washington-Greene region, Rohanna was 22 strokes off the pace set by 14-year-old Alexis Thompson, who shot a winning score of 272.
Thompson, of Coral Gables, Fla., also won the event in 2007, when she was 12.
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