Westmoreland H.S. notebook: Latrobe’s Andy Tatsch receives offer from West Virginia

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, June 22, 2024 | 8:48 PM

College football recruiting has become a perpetual motion machine in the Tatsch household.

First, Latrobe rising senior Alex Tatsch (6-foot-3, 220) became inundated with FBS scholarship offers, welcoming 20 of them before the standout linebacker committed to Penn State.

Now Andy Tatsch, his younger brother, is beginning to draw Division I college interest. He received his first Power 5 offer over the weekend, from West Virginia.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver and safety made 26 tackles and intercepted a pass last season as a sophomore.

Latrobe will have three Power 5 prospects on its roster this fall. Quarterback and safety John Wetzel is mulling numerous offers, as well, and could be close to a decision.

Wetzel’s offers include West Virginia, Boston College, Marshall, Delaware, Temple and others. A 1,000-yard passer and rusher last year, he is being recruited for defense.

The Wildcats went 8-4 last season and reached the WPIAL 4A quarterfinals before falling to Aliquippa in a game that was much closer than expected (37-29).

Latrobe will play in 5A the next two years.

GCC moves up

The Greensburg Central Catholic girls were the biggest movers in WPIAL basketball realignment.

The Centurions, who won a WPIAL Class 2A championship last year, will move to 3A as part of the state’s competitive balance formula.

Five teams from Westmoreland County will play in girls 5A, including Greensburg Salem, which bumps up a class.

The Golden Lions will play in the same section as Latrobe, Kiski Area and Penn-Trafford.

Mt. Pleasant and Yough also moved up, going from 3A to 4A. They will play in Section 3 with Belle Vernon and Southmoreland. Burrell, too, went from 3A to 4A.

The only local girls team left in 3A is Ligonier Valley.

Gold Bowl

Belle Vernon will host its Gold Bowl 7-on-7 passing tournament July 20 at James Weir Stadium.

Teams for this year’s event are Belle Vernon (two teams), Burrell, Southmoreland, California, McKeesport, Yough and Connellsville.

Recruiting

Greensburg Central Catholic rising senior soccer player Jillian Botti will continue her career at Seton Hill. A defender, she was a TribLive Westmoreland second-team all-star last season.

• Southmoreland’s Elliott Premus, a senior-to-be for the Scotties, picked up a Division II football offer from Wheeling. As a junior, the 6-4, 210-pound Premus made 69 tackles and registered eight sacks at outside linebacker.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Greensburg C.C., Latrobe, Southmoreland