Paul Schofield stories, Page 95
Nevermind the calendar, conference title on the line when Jeannette, Clairton clash
When Jeannette dropped to Class A in 2014 and was placed in the Eastern Conference, the final game of the regular season against Clairton was for the conference title. Thanks to the coronavirus, that won’t happen again this season. Because of adjustments to the WPIAL schedule brought on by the...
Albert Gallatin continues to build as independent program
Before the Albert Gallatin School District decided to merge the district’s three high schools in 1987, its football teams were competitive. Albert Gallatin won two WPIAL titles and German Township one. Fairchance-Georges was also competitive but didn’t win titles or conference championships. It’s been a struggle for the southern Fayette...
Butler football ready to test waters in District 10
When Butler Area School Board members voted to leave the WPIAL for District 10 in football, they did it with a plan. Give third-year coach Eric Christy an opportunity to build up a program that has made the WPIAL playoffs once since Christy graduated from Butler in 1999. “Butler football...
Uniontown ready to right the ship after return to football field
When the Uniontown Area School District voted to cancel football and soccer seasons this fall back on Aug. 4 because of the fear of the coronavirus, football coach Cedric Lloyd accepted the decision. But athletes and parents did not and they wanted the district to reconsider. The district did last...
WPIAL Class A football breakdown: Defending champ Clairton brimming with confidence, talent
Clairton returned to the top of Class A in 2019, and with numerous key starters returning, many feel the Bears are the team to beat in 2020. Clairton coach Wayne Wade agrees. He also agrees Class A got a little stronger with the addition of Burgettstown, Shenango and Carmichaels, all...
Mt. Pleasant out to overcome graduation losses, make playoff encore
Mt. Pleasant returned to the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2016 last year and the 26th time in school history. While the Vikings dropped a 42-6 decision to eventual WPIAL Class 3A champion Central Valley, the goal of making the playoffs was achieved. The Vikings won three of...
With playoff drought over, Southmoreland seeks better finishing kick
Southmoreland was the big story during the first half of the 2019 football season. The Scotties were unbeaten at 5-0 and qualified for the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 1979. Yep, the Scotties ended a 40-year drought. They were the talk of the town and had Scottdale, Everson,...
Paul Schofield: Reporter’s 1st competitive golf tournament wasn’t pretty
A few weeks ago, I approached my boss and asked him if it was OK to write about my experience playing in a golf event that I covered. With his blessing, I paid my entry fee and headed to the Latrobe Elks Golf Course with my 16 handicap Aug. 23...
Defending WPIAL champion Clairton motivated, loaded with talent
Wayne Wade doesn’t need any motivation to prepare his football team for the 2020 season. That’s because the Clairton Bears have a chip on their shoulder. “Our season ended a little early last year,” Wade said. “We lost to Farrell in the PIAA Class A semifinals in a game we...
New coach, young Imani Christian roster ready for ‘interesting season’
One thing is for sure about the Imani Christian Academy football program: They’re in good hands with veteran coach Cliff Simon taking over. The school’s athletic director took over March 13 after previous coach Ron Heard became an assistant principal at Woodland Hills. Simon’s job won’t be easy. He’s inheriting...
Talented skill players set to lead Jeannette in Eastern Conference
Jeannette was flying high nine games into the 2019 season. But consecutive losses to the WPIAL Class A finalists ended what Roy Hall hoped would be another title run. Jeannette fell to eventual WPIAL champion Clairton in the Eastern Conference finale and then lost to Sto-Rox in the opening round...
Ligonier Valley had plenty of success on long and winding road back to the WPIAL
Ligonier Valley, the WPIAL’s newest member, didn’t depart the district five decades ago and make its way back this season in a straight line. There were many twists and turns along the way. When the school left the WPIAL for the Mountain Conference on Dec. 12, 1968, it wasn’t an...
Young, inexperienced Ligonier Valley to be tested in Class 2A Allegheny
A new chapter in Ligonier Valley history starts Sept. 11. Ligonier Valley returns to the WPIAL after spending the past 50 years playing football in District 6, including the past five seasons as one of the most dominant teams in Class 2A. The Rams went 60-7 over the span, including...
Coronavirus cases create tangled web of WPIAL football schedule changes
Times are changing these days because of the coronavirus. That means changing minute by minute. Because of covid-19 issues, several schools have made adjustments to their football schedules. Kiski Area paused football activities until Sept. 10 due to a coronavirus exposure issue. Elizabeth Forward pushed back the start of in-person...
Franklin Regional looks to stay healthy, put rare losing season in rearview mirror
Injuries have proven costly to the success of the Franklin Regional football program the past few seasons. The Panthers usually have the players to compete with anyone in Class 5A as long as they stay healthy. That hasn’t occurred recently. Franklin Regional went 4-5 in 2019, suffering its first losing...
With rising numbers, Indiana sees bright future
As Brandon Overdorff begins his third season as coach at Indiana High School, he’s starting to see an improving future. “When I took over, our numbers were in the 30s,” Overdorff said. “Now we’re close to 60, and I’m excited about the future. The offseason was really good until the...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Ligonier Valley adds 2 new opponents to football schedule
When Ligonier Valley joined the WPIAL, it was eager to play new opponents. What it didn’t expect was an open date on the schedule, which was created when the WPIAL decided to shorten the season because of coronavirus concerns. That grew to two open dates when Summit Academy decided not...
West Greene in position to thrive despite graduation of big-time backs
Don’t look for West Greene to be one-hit wonders, or in this case two-hit wonders Second-year coach Brian Hanson sees a bright future at the school located southwest of Waynesburg in Greene County. West Greene rode a powerful running game featuring Ben Jackson (Army) and Kolin Walker (Waynesburg) to consecutive...
California keeps winning despite less-than-ideal offseasons
Ed Woods is in his second season as football coach at California High School. It’s been a difficult two seasons in the terms of preparing his squad. He was hired late in the process before the 2019 season, and the coronavirus has cut into his preparation for the 2020 season....
Franklin Regional wrestler Finn Solomon picks North Carolina State
Finn Solomon is on a mission. The Franklin Regional junior did not like the way his sophomore season ended. He was ranked No. 1 in the state heading into the WPIAL Class AAA and Southwest Regional after defeating Norwin senior Kurtis Phipps in the Section 1 final. But when the...
WPIAL boys golf preview: Central Catholic’s Salvitti leads deep group of top players
Who is the top boys’ golfer in the WPIAL? Well, it depends on what day it is. There are numerous top players returning, including many accomplished seniors. The player to watch is Central Catholic sophomore Rocco Salvitti, who tied for third in the WPIAL individual tournament last year and ended...
Cornell restocks shelves after breakout season
Cornell took a break from competing in football in the WPIAL in 2012. The program returned to action in 2016 and promptly went winless. But that was the start of something special. The Raiders steadily improved and in 2019, reached the WPIAL Class A semifinals and earned the school’s first...
Peters Township’s Connor Schmidt defends West Penn Amateur title
Connor Schmidt didn’t need any dramatic collapses from an opponent to defend his West Penn Amateur title. He shot a 5-under-par 30 on the front nine at Allegheny Country Club during the final round, finishing the second round with a 2-under 68 and a 6-under 134. He owned a two-shot...
More experienced Frazier roster in hunt for playoff spot
The main color in Frazier High School’s color scheme is red. The football team in 2019 was green, meaning first-year coach Greg Boggs had to rely on juniors and sophomores for the tough grind in the WPIAL Class 2A Century Conference. But Boggs said 2019’s weakness is turning into 2020’s...
Peters’ Connor Schmidt leads West Penn Amateur after 1st round
If Connor Schmidt is looking to defend his West Penn Amateur, the Peters Township native got off to a good start. Schmidt, a senior at Drexel, shot a 4-under-par 66 on Monday at Allegheny Country Club and holds a 1-shot lead over Bethel Park’s Darin Kowalski and Greensburg’s Brian Fajt....
