Ligonier Valley’s Kyle Silk has few regrets after tumultuous senior year

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 | 5:12 PM

When Kyle Silk transferred to Ligonier Valley from United for his senior year, he foresaw an idyllic conclusion to his career in high school athletics.

New teammates. A new environment. A fresh start.

Today, as he reflects on the past eight months, he wonders what he did to deserve the series of setbacks and wrong turns along the way.

His year wasn’t quite smooth as silk, but he used patience and purpose to make the best of the situation and has few regrets.

The PIAA ruled Silk ineligible for football, his top sport. A standout quarterback at United, he likely would have been a key back or receiver for the Rams, who again reached the District 6 title game.

But his season was erased — kind of.

He opted to take another new route and transferred to the Kiski School in Saltsburg, where he played out a full football season. He returned to Ligonier Valley and played basketball for the Rams and was one of the top players in the District 6 Heritage Conference.

But as a condition of the PIAA ruling, he was ineligible for the basketball playoffs and missed out on the Rams’ run to a second-place finish in the district and the first round of the PIAA playoffs.

Silk was set to run track for Ligonier Valley this spring, but then the coronavirus bared its teeth and those plans were shut down as well.

Silk doesn’t want pity from anyone, but it is hard to ignore the year he has had. Positivity, though, still beams from the senior despite the constant starts and stops.

“Yeah, it was definitely a wild ride,” Silk said. “All in all, I would not have changed this year in any way, shape or form. Sure, I would’ve liked to play football with my friends and to have a shot at Richland again, but unfortunately, I was voted ineligible by some biased people. But it is in the past. The coaches were incredible, and I respect them a lot.”

Silk is headed to Saint Vincent to play football. He thinks the one semester he spent at Kiski School will help to prepare him for the rigors of the college game.

“Kiski gave me an unbelievable opportunity that I could not pass up,” he said. “I learned a lot of new things because it is exactly like college football. You have to travel four hours away for games, and the competition is incredible.”

He played receiver, safety and punted at Kiski School. He was recruited as an athlete at Saint Vincent by former Greensburg Central Catholic coach Aaron Smetanka, the Bearcats’ coach.

Silk was an all-conference performer in basketball, averaging 17 points.

“He was an absolute joy to coach and be around,” Ligonier Valley basketball coach John Berger said. “I felt bad that he was permitted to play in 23 games and wasn’t permitted to continue on. I don’t know everything that transpired before the school year started. But Kyle got along with everyone immediately and was a true leader. One of the hardest-working kids I ever coached.”

Silk was able to celebrate a conference title with his teammates on the court.

“My first-ever Heritage Conference basketball championship was sweet. Holding up the plaque in front of all of my United and Ligonier fams was a great memory for me,” he said. “I could not have asked for better teammates to play with. They made me feel welcome as soon as I walked in the door. I was just glad I could play the sports I love with incredible people and also a winning attitude.”

Silk often daydreams about what might have been in terms of football and track at LV. But he tries to keep it all in perspective and chalk it up to a lesson in dealing with rules and the people who make them.

“I was just disappointed by the administration at my old school because I was always well-behaved and intelligent,” he said. “I was a part of a district championship run. Then, I transfer, not because of athletic reasons, but because of school issues. When I transferred, a whole bunch of hate was coming towards me. Parents said nothing positive, all negative. It showed the true side of the community, and that was disappointing.

“But everything worked out. I’m proud of the ending.”

Silk was aiming to compete in the long and triple jumps and throw the javelin in track and field.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Ligonier Valley