Westmoreland high school notebook: Yough’s Shoaf leads by example

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, September 15, 2018 | 8:48 PM

Dustin Shoaf told his coach, Scott Wood, late in training camp that he wasn’t going to talk to the media until the season started.

The Yough senior running back wasn’t being temperamental or trying to do his best Le’Veon Bell impression.

“He wanted his teammates to get more attention,” Wood said. “He said, ‘It’s not all about me, coach.’ He also said he didn’t want to be captain because he will do his leading in practice in games. What kid does that?”

Shoaf ran for 401 yards and five touchdowns on 41 carries Friday night in a 32-13 win at Deer Lakes. It was the second 400-yard game of his career, an impressive feat.

He ran for 428 yards in Week 8 last year against Southmoreland. Shoaf went on to win the WPIAL regular-season rushing title with 1,808 yards.

His total Friday puts him in the WPIAL lead again.

Shoaf has three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and has 3,928 yards in his career.

“To this day, he gives all the credit to the guys up front, his fullbacks and the wide receivers,” Wood said. “If you watch the game … the runs he made. He just has the strength, the drive and the willingness to finish every play.”

Wood still is baffled by Shoaf’s recruiting. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound standout has one offer, from Divison II Cal (Pa.).

Just returns

Another local alum will coach against his former school next week when Laurel Highlands football coach Jake Just brings his Mustangs (2-2, 1-1) to Offutt Field to play Greensburg Salem (1-3, 1-0) in a Class 4A Big Eight matchup.

Just took over this season for his brother, Zach. Jake had been the Mustangs’ defensive coordinator.

Zach Just left after eight seasons to become a principal in the South Allegheny School District. Zach, however, remains as an assistant to his brother on staff.

Jake is a 2002 graduate of Greensburg Salem. He is a teacher at Laurel Highlands but has another unique job. Talk about Just desserts, he and his wife, Sarah, own a Funnel Cake Man food truck.

Another brother, Josh Just, coaches high school football, at Hanover (Va.).

Laurel Highlands runs a triple-option offense.

Undefeated on the pitch

Two county boys soccer teams were among the half-dozen from the WPIAL still undefeated heading into the weekend. Greensburg Salem and Franklin Regional were 5-0.

Greensburg Salem (4-0 Section 3-AAA) has a key test Tuesday at home against Belle Vernon (5-1-1, 2-1-1).

Norwin/P-T soccer

It’s the time on the local soccer schedule for one of the marquee matchups of the WPIAL regular season: Norwin/Penn-Trafford.

The first installment of the boys and girls teams’ two-game section series will happen over the next eight days. The boys teams meet Thursday night at Penn-Trafford.

The Norwin boys are 18-7-5 against the Warriors since 2005. Last year, the teams tied, 3-3, before Norwin won the second meeting at home, 2-1.

The girls play Sept. 24, also in Harrison City. Norwin and Penn-Trafford played three thrillers last season, including a 1-0 win by Penn-Trafford that ended Norwin’s 47-game winning streak. The Knights were ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time by TopDrawer Soccer.

After the teams tied 0-0 at Norwin late in the regular season, Penn-Trafford clipped the Knights in overtime to win the WPIAL Class AAAA championship, 2-1.

Since 1997, Penn-Trafford has won 23 times, Norwin 17 and there have been three ties.

GCC seeks revenge

Greensburg Central Catholic boys soccer has been itching to play Winchester Thurston, the team it suffered three one-goal losses to a season ago, the last of the trio a 2-1 defeat in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals. The Centurions (2-1, 2-0) will get their chance 6 p.m. Tuesday in Carbon when they host the Bears (3-2, 3-0) in a Section 2-A matchup.

Recruiting

Penn-Trafford soccer player Jordan Lawrence committed to Clarion. The senior forward is one of several goal-scoring threats for the Warriors, who won the WPIAL Class 4A title last season.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Greensburg Salem, Laurel Highlands, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Yough