Westmoreland notebook: Jeannette continues to honor the late Tre Cunningham

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, May 21, 2022 | 6:48 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Tre Cunningham’s name and legacy carries on at Jeannette.

The late three-sport star, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in the summer of 2020, was honored through a high school boys’ basketball tournament last year at Jeannette.

Last week, the Jeannette Educational Foundation presented the Tre Cunningham Memorial Basketball Tournament Scholarships to a pair of Jayhawks senior athletes in Tyler Horn and Sydney Shifko.

Each received $1,500.

Horn and Shifko, the foundation said, show the same characteristics as Cunningham: Multisport athletes who balance academics and succeed in both areas.

Cunningham’s father, Steve, and his sister, Tatyana, presented the scholarship awards.

The tournament will now move on to Year 2. The event is set for June 9-11 at Jeannette.

Eight high school-level teams already have signed up. The event could double that number.

Interested teams can contact Tim Carney at 724-989-6793.

Hand ball

It turns out Ligonier Valley senior softball pitcher Maddie Griffin’s injury was worse than first revealed.

Griffin said she broke a bone in her right (throwing) hand, which explains why she did not play in Wednesday’s WPIAL Class 2A first-round game against Bentworth.

The Rams, who finished second in the state last year, lost 1-0.

Griffin, a Youngstown State commit, said she hoped to be cleared to return June 6 for the PIAA playoffs if Ligonier Valley qualified.

In the genes

Penn-Trafford senior Cade Yacamelli is one of the most talented athletes to play football at the school. He helped bring WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A championships to Harrison City last season.

He is a Wisconsin recruit.

But his family has Division I pedigree, and it stretches across the WPIAL.

Yacamelli’s first-cousin, Drew Lafferty, is a standout baseball player at South Park.

A pitcher and first baseman, Lafferty has committed to Kentucky.

The boys’ mothers are sisters.

Gribble staying

Greensburg Central Catholic eighth grader Erica Gribble, whom coaches say has the talent to be the best sister yet from her family, has decided to stay at GCC.

Gribble, a 5-foot-8 point guard who is from Irwin, already has a Division I scholarship offer, from St. Joseph’s.

Her parents had considered transferring her to North Catholic, Oakland Catholic or Serra Catholic.

Gribble’s oldest sister, Alayna, is the all-time leading scorer at Norwin and played at Pitt and St. Joseph’s.

Middle sister, Olivia, plays at Division II Marietta.

The youngest Gribble was set to compete in the Michigan May Madness showcase this weekend in Brighton, Mich.

More for Enick

Penn-Trafford junior lineman Joe Enick added Division I offers from Albany and Miami (Ohio).

The 6-foot-3, 290-pounder played center and defensive linemen last year for the Warriors.

Recruiting

Franklin Regional football player Nick Petrucci, an offensive lineman and long snapper, has an offer to play at Division II Clarion.

• Greensburg Salem announced a number of senior college commitments. Among them: Carissa Caldwell (basketball, softball, Penn State Fayette); Taylor Carpellotti (cheerleading, Mercyhurst); Sarah Danley (volleyball, Chatham); Natalie DiCriscio (cross country, Shippensburg); Preston Henry and JC Wallish (football, Washington & Jefferson); Charles Johnson (cross country, Fairmont State); Angela Kobuck (tennis, Pitt-Greensburg); Catherine Martin (lacrosse, Marietta); Dwight Sarver (track, Seton Hill); Kylie Smith (soccer, Pitt-Greensburg) and Trevor Swartz (wrestling, Seton Hill).

• Southmoreland senior Julia Davis will play tennis at Mount Aloysius. Her teammate, Aly Derr, will play at Seton Hill.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, Ligonier Valley, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland