Penn-Trafford notebook: Warriors place 5th in WPIAL rifle finals

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, February 21, 2021 | 9:01 AM

The Penn-Trafford coed rifle team just missed advancing to the PIAA state tournament for the second consecutive season.

The Warriors finished fifth with a score of 797-47x, 3x short of finishing among the top four teams that advanced to the state tournament at Avella.

Hempfield won its fifth WPIAL title with a score of 799-60x. Trinity was second (798-57x), Waynesburg third (798-47x) and Bethel Park fourth (797-50x).

“We were close,” Penn-Trafford coach Diana Cholock said. “It was a tough season because of the coronavirus. It interfered with practices and that created lower scores than usual.”

Five Warriors shooters were scheduled to participate in the WPIAL individual championship on Feb. 19.

They were senior Brooke Sargent, juniors Kyle Kelly, Jason Pernick and Seth Baughman and sophomore Mallory McRae.

Warrior skaters sliding

Penn-Trafford hockey team dropped its third consecutive match on Feb. 16, falling to Armstrong, 8-3.

The Riverhawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening period before the Warriors scored a pair of goals — by Nico Martucci in the first period and Ryan Crombie early in the second period — to trim the lead to 3-2.

But midway through the second period, Adams Hooks scored an even-strength goal for Armstrong, which led to five consecutive goals.

Bryce Kropczynski closed the scoring for the Warriors.

The Warriors were scheduled to attempt to end the streak on Feb. 22 against South Fayette and Feb. 23 at Meadville. They have two home games ahead – March 1 against Thomas Jefferson and March 2 against West Allegheny.

Injuries sideline wrestlers

Penn-Trafford’s wrestling team advanced seven wrestlers to the WPIAL Class AAA Section 1 Championship at Kiski Area, and that number could have been 10.

Three starters — Boaz Chishko, Wesley Stull and Joe Enick — sustained injuries during the season and were held out. Chishko has an elbow injury and Stull and Enick leg injuries.

Troy Hohman, who missed the WPIAL team tournament, returned to action and won the 113-pound weight class. Hayden Coy (120) was the other Warriors wrestler to win while Ryan Auel (132), Brett Hampton (138), Owen Ott (145), Lucas Paszek (152) and Ryan Bachar (172) finished second.

Hohman is a returning PIAA qualifier.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

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