Westmoreland HS notebook: 5 from county make all-state basketball teams

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, May 7, 2023 | 4:38 PM

Five players from Westmoreland County were named to the all-state boys basketball teams.

They were represented in four classifications, and all of them made the third team.

The players are: Zion Moore, a sophomore at Belle Vernon (Class 4A), junior Terek Crosby of Yough (3A), juniors Tyree Turner and Franco Alvarez of Greensburg Central Catholic (2A) and junior Lorenzo Gardner of Monessen (A).

Moore led the county in scoring at 25 points per game and already reached the 1,000-point mark. Crosby averaged 22 points and helped lead Yough to the PIAA playoffs.

Turner (20.3 ppg) and Alvarez (16.4 ppg) propelled GCC into the WPIAL semifinals and state tournament, and Gardner (20 ppg) led Monessen to a section title.

All five were Trib Westmoreland all-stars.

Phillips to Cal (Pa.)

Hempfield senior football player Jake Phillips plans to play at Cal (Pa.).

The quarterback also had interest from Clarion, Mercyhurst and Saint Vincent.

Phillips broke his collarbone last season and played only five games. He still threw for 1,190 yards and 11 touchdowns, completing 66 of 92 passes for 72%.

His injury occurred on the fifth play in the sixth game of the season against Gateway. Phillips was a key part of Hempfield’s first 5-0 start since 1971.

He did not require surgery and came back strong for a lacrosse season.

Hempfield clinches

Phillips played a key role in helping the Hempfield lacrosse team qualify for the WPIAL playoffs for the first time.

Phillips, who plays on the attack, has 111 career points, scoring goals and facilitating them for the Spartans.

The playoff clincher was a 24-1 win over Baldwin that saw Cade Horton tie a school record with nine goals. Phillips scored seven times in the victory.

The WPIAL will announce playoff matchups Thursday.

Snider 5K

Registration is underway for the inaugural Steve Snider “It’s A Beautiful Day” 5K.

The race, named for the late Greensburg Salem track and field and cross country coach, will be at 8:30 a.m. May 29, beginning near the Sunset Cafe behind Offutt Field.

The race path will follow the Five Star Trail and move to the road, as participants go through Greensburg and return to Offutt Field.

Proceeds benefit the Steve Snider Memorial Scholarship fund for the Greensburg Salem School District, along with youth activities at the Greensburg YMCA and projects for Greensburg playgrounds.

Cost is $30 per person until May 14 and $40 afterward.

Sign of the times

A number of Belle Vernon senior athletes signed to play at the college level. They gathered for a ceremony at the school.

The signees included: Jake Wessel (swimming and baseball, Penn State Behrend), Gianna Anderson (track and field, St. Francis, Pa.), Patrick Bush (golf, Bloomsburg), Rosalyn Perozzi (track and field, Cal, Pa.), Victoria Rodriguez (soccer, Washington & Jefferson) and Nick Reda (swimming, Air Force).

Warrior path

Penn-Trafford recently had six athletes sign letters of intent. Two of them are baseball players in Nolan Marasti and Dylan Grabowski, both of whom will play at Patrick & Henry Community College, while volleyball players Andrew Kessler and Carson Good also are a package deal with Grove City volleyball.

Logan Swartz, meanwhile, will play soccer at Pitt-Greensburg, and Jake Otto signed to play football at Case Western.

Holding court

After suffering water damage from a pipe break over the winter, Jeannette replaced its basketball court with a new one.

The floor has a shiny finish to it, and a larger Jayhawk at center court. But it also has a signature along the sidelines.

Jeannette is naming the floor after longtime athletic trainer Lou Seiler.

Seiler, who taped up athletes and handled uniforms — in addition to many other duties — was the school’s trainer for 50 years. He died at 84 in 2012.

Louis L. Seiler Court will get a public unveiling and dedication ceremony at a later date.

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., Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Jeannette, Monessen, Penn-Trafford, Yough