Westmoreland high school notebook: FR’s DiFalco awarded again

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, December 13, 2020 | 4:43 PM

Purchase Photo Options

The honors continued to roll in for Franklin Regional junior soccer star Anthony DiFalco, who garnered United Soccer Coaches Region II All-America and USC All-Region East team honors for the second year in a row.

DiFalco, the Trib Westmoreland player of the year, propelled the Panthers to a third straight WPIAL Class AAA title game. He had 37 goals and 24 assists.

Division I colleges are pursuing DiFalco, who trained in the offseason with and tried out for FC Cincinnati, an MLS club.

He also was a Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association All-State selection and was tabbed the WPIAL Class AAA Player of the Year.

Leeder all-state

Mt. Pleasant senior standout Mackenzie Leeder also made the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association All-State team.

A Duquesne signee and All-WPIAL player, she had 21 goals for the Vikings, a Class AA playoff team.

Signing day

The top WPIAL football prospects for 2021 will put pen to paper Wednesday when the NCAA early signing period begins for Division I and II football.

Penn-Trafford senior quarterback Ethan Carr will sign with Villanova, where he is slated to play wide receiver.

His teammates, the Frye twins, Mason and Nate, have offers from Valparaiso and Butler. They have not made a commitment yet.

Norwin senior lineman Anthony Giansante has numerous Division I offers, the latest from Missouri State, but also has yet to announce. He could wait until next month to commit and sign.

Recruiting

Greensburg Central Catholic senior football player Mark Mizerak, a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive lineman, could end up playing Division I-FCS football.

Mizerak, who has been generating Division II interest, was given an offer to play at St. Francis (Pa.) as a preferred walk-on.

He has an offer from Wheeling.

• Penn-Trafford senior Kenzie Powell will continue her soccer and basketball playing careers at Westminster, a Division III school in the Presidents Athletic Conference.

• T.J. Watson, a standout goalkeeper for Belle Vernon, committed to play soccer at Pitt-Greensburg. Watson was 14-2-1 in net for the Leopards this season with seven shutouts and 71 saves in 17 games.

• Yough senior football player C.J. Waldier added another Division II offer, from West Virginia State. A wideout and defensive back, he led the Cougars with 46 receptions for 668 yards and 10 touchdowns this year. He also had 101 tackles and two interceptions.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Yough