H.S. notebook: Injured Belle Vernon player attends game

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, September 22, 2018 | 7:24 PM

The Belle Vernon boys soccer team had a surprise guest at Thursday night’s home game against Albert Gallatin.

Senior Jake Sepesky returned to the sidelines to watch his teammates, less than two weeks after having reconstructive surgery on his skull. Sepesky banged heads with a player from Ringgold in a game earlier this season, and the violent collision left him with a fractured skull.

The Leopards won 6-0 as Sepesky looked on. There is no indication he will return to play any time soon.

“It was a nice lift,” Belle Vernon coach Rob Miele said. “No one really knew he’d be back. He didn’t say anything. It’s good to see him progress and try to get back to some normalcy in his life.”

Miele said Sepesky told him he wanted to get back for basketball season, but nothing is certain as he continues his steady recovery.

Belle Vernon hadn’t lost in seven games since the 2-0 setback against Ringgold, the team the Leopards were set to host Saturday.

Rivalry rolls on

Norwin and Penn-Trafford played three classic games last season in girls soccer, the finale a 2-1 overtime victory by Penn-Trafford in the WPIAL Class AAAA championship. The rivals meet again Monday night in Harrison City as No. 2 Norwin, the defending PIAA champion, visits the Warriors. Both teams are 6-1, 5-0.

Norwin, which has four shutouts, is ranked No. 27 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer.

Penn-Trafford, which has five shutouts, blanked Norwin, 1-0, last year to end the Knights’ 47-game regular-season unbeaten streak. Norwin had the No. 1 ranking nationally at the time.

The teams tied 0-0 later in the season before their clash in the finals.

Since 1997, Penn-Trafford has won 25 meetings, Norwin 18 and there have been three ties.

DeLuca offered

Dom DeLuca is going to have a decision to make and a potentially stressful one at that. Until then, he’s enjoying the thought of larger schools stopping to appreciate his efforts in two sports.

Already a coveted wrestler, the senior from Derry picked up his first Division I football scholarship offer last week, from Towson. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound DeLuca said the school from Baltimore County, Md., likes him as a defensive end. He also plays linebacker and H-back for the Trojans, but a number of coaches have noticed his aggressive nature on defense.

Decision time probably won’t be for a while, and that goes for sport and college.

“I haven’t decided yet,” DeLuca said. “I’m blessed to have my parents, coaches, and teammates I have to get me where I’m at today. I’m especially pumped for my first football (offer).”

DeLuca was a WPIAL Class AA champion in wrestling last season and finished second in the PIAA at 220 pounds. His wrestling offers are from Bucknell and Virginia Military Institute. DeLuca also plays volleyball for Derry.

Net gains

Hempfield is No. 6, Norwin is 7 and Latrobe is 8 in Class AAAA in the latest Western Pennsylvania Coaches Association Girls Volleyball rankings. Derry checks in at No. 7 in Class AA, and Greensburg Central is No. 4 in Class A.

Golf postseason

A number of Westmoreland golfers advanced in the WPIAL individual postseason.

There will be 17 local boys in the Class AAA semifinals Tuesday; 16 of them will play at Hannastown Golf Club near Greensburg. They are: Latrobe’s Brady Pevarnik, Colt McCutcheon, Mario Battaglia and Jared Stein; Penn-Trafford’s Adam Yamrick, Alex Turowski and Cade Patterson; Norwin’s Sal Cerilli, Logan Divald and Trent Kablach; Franklin Regional’s Palmer Jackson, Chuck Tragesser and Michael Wareham; and Greensburg Salem’s Jeff Mankins and Jack Oberdorf.

Belle Vernon’s Jake Caldwell, meantime, will play at the semifinal at Youghiogheny Country Club near McKeesport.

The top 18 at each site advance to the Class AAA finals Oct. 2 at Oakmont Country Club.

Four locals will play in Thurday’s Class AA championship at Allegheny Country Club: Greensburg Central Catholic’s Zach Boote, Sam Napper of Mt. Pleasant, and Tiger Hubbard and Marcus Pinchock of Burrell.

Hannastown has had a strong summer, both in terms of member success and quality of events.

Jackson, Pevarnik and Mankins are members. Former Greensburg Salem boys basketball coach Craig Mankins is the head professional at the club.

Jackson and Pevarnik have had big summers, winning numerous times and playing in larger-scale tournaments.

Hannastown also hosted a U.S. Amateur qualifier, alongside Totteridge, and the WCCA girls championships, among other events.

Oakmont amateur standout Sean Knapp also joined the club this summer.

Double play

Mt. Pleasant’s Napper, a senior, is having a busy fall sports season. He not only qualified for the WPIAL Class AA golf finals, but he also is a starting forward for the Vikings’ soccer team.

Girls golf

The WPIAL Class AAA and AA girls golf championships will be played simultaneously Oct. 3 at Diamond Run Golf Club in Sewickley. Local players in the Class AA field include the Zambruno sisters, Abby, Meghan and Ella, and Southmoreland’s Olivia Ledbetter.

Penn-Trafford has a pair in the Class AAA tournament in Ava Green and Lauren Barber. They’ll join Baylee Horvath of Franklin Regional.

Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Greensburg Salem, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford