From:
Sunday January 29, 2023 | 4:12 p.m
Chaz Palla | Tribune review
Hempfield’s Ryan Reitz and his father Ray (right) speak during the WCCA Larry Sellitto Memorial 7-on-7 passing tournament on Thursday, July 21, 2022 at Greater Latrobe High School.
Jeannette and Hempfield’s former soccer assistant Ryan Reitz is set to play with a new team next season.
Reitz has assumed the post of offensive coordinator at Central Catholic under new head coach Ryan Lehmeier.
“When Ryan asked, it was just too hard to pass up an opportunity like this,” Reitz said.
Reitz, a Jeannette graduate, brought a no-huddle offense to Hempfield last year, forcing opponents to prepare for quick play-calling.
Reitz added innovation to Jeannette’s program a few years ago when the Jayhawks won a WPIAL title and advanced to the PIAA Finals.
He has worked at Pine-Richland clinics, where Lehmeier was an assistant.
Lehmeier replaces Terry Totten, who retired after 18 seasons at the helm of Central.
Central was runner-up in WPIAL class 6A last season. The Vikings, who have reached the quarterfinals nine times in the last 10 years, will bring back a number of key players.
Reitz trained with his father Ray at Hempfield last season. Ryan said his father plans to stay with Mike Brown and train with Norwin.
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reason to cheer
After leading her team to WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championships, Suzannah Meyer was named Section 2 Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High Schools.
Hempfield repeated as the WPIAL champion that season.
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thrower price
The third annual Willie Thrower Award, recognizing the best quarterback in this season’s WPIAL and City League, has its five finalists.
They are: Central Catholic’s Payton Wehner, Westinghouse’s Keyshawn Morsillo, Armstrong’s Cadin Olsen, Sto-Rox’s Josh Jenkins, and Steel Valley’s Cruce Brookins.
Wehner is from North Huntingdon.
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gymnast to watch
Olivia Kovach is hoping to put Mt. Pleasant Gymnastics on the WPIAL map.
A freshman, Kovach is the first independent gymnast to compete at Mt. Pleasant in five years.
With two competitions remaining this season, she will seek to become the first Mt. Pleasant gymnast to achieve the WPIAL Championship, scheduled for February 11th.
She is also a USAG Level 9 competitive gymnast for Ultimate Gymnastics in Delmont. Renee Ruggeri is their coach for both teams.
Kovach has signed up for the USAG Level 9 Pa. State Meeting scheduled for April.
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Hail Caesar
Hempfield senior footballer Gino Caesar signed to play for PSAC’s Edinboro.
Caesar, a 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back and outside linebacker, had offers from a number of Division III programs but chose to play Division II.
Last season, he rushed for 1,111 yards and 15 touchdowns on 210 carries and added 12 receptions for 194 yards and one point.
He didn’t fiddle and averaged 5.3 yards per carry.
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football openings
Jeannette has open coaching positions in both football programs.
Bill Bryant resigned from the girls’ position after two seasons.
Bryant, who has other interests, worked to build a program that was thin on numbers.
There were times when he had fewer than the usual number of 11 girls on the field. The exercises were also difficult.
Jeannette went 0-14 last season and has lost 43 games in a row.
The boy job, which Art Cicero has held since 2018, opened in December.
Cicero was 23-43-1 and led the Jayhawks to their first WPIAL playoff appearance.
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Miller went to Clarion
Southmoreland senior Henry Miller signed to continue his swimming career with Clarion.
Miller has won two WPIAL titles and a PIAA championship in the 100-yard butterfly.
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recruitment
Belle Vernon junior Braden Laux received his first Division I college offer to play at the next level. Then he added a second.
Laux, a 6-foot-5, 215-pounder, is being courted by Western Kentucky, an FBS program in Conference USA. Eastern Michigan offered him Saturday when he visited campus.
Laux played quarterback and defensive end for the WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A champions Leopards last season.
• Penn-Trafford junior lineman Zach Tomosovich is interested in his game up to five Division I schools. The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder added offers to play in Dartmouth and Eastern Michigan.
• Ohio University and Miami of Ohio offered a wide receiver and defensive back to Norwin Jackson Pons, the outstanding young player.
• Anthony Vallano, a senior tight end, linebacker and long snapper at Hempfield, announced he will play Division III Carnegie Mellon.
• Hempfield footballer Ethan Shaw has an offer to play at Division II Cal U.
Shaw is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound two-way lineman.
• Norwin tight end and defensive end Noah Vogel received two more Division II PSAC offers from Edinboro and Shippensburg.
• Norwin’s AJ Clemens has a football offer from Cal U.
• Hempfield softball player Mia Bandiermonte signed a letter of intent to play at Chatham.
Bandiermonte is an infielder for the Spartans.
• Derry wrestler Dylan Klim will continue his career with Saint Vincent, which brought the sport back for PAC competition in 2023-24.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a contributor to the Tribune-Review. You can contact Bill via email at [email protected] or via Twitter .
tags: Beautiful VernonCentral Catholic, Hempfield, Jeannette, Mt Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland