Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Aidan Johnson sparks Mt. Pleasant
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Wednesday, September 4, 2024 | 11:01 AM
Mt. Pleasant’s Aidan Johnson battles for possession against Belle Vernon on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, at Viking Stadium.
Belle Vernon goalkeeper Bryce Burkhart makes a save under Mt. Pleasant’s Aidan Johnson during a game last season.
Mt. Pleasant is off to a strong start to the season.
The Vikings (3-1) put up 20 goals, including 10 in a 10-0 win over Brownsville in the Section 4-2A opener.
Aidan Johnson leads the team with seven goals. He had four in a 5-0 win against Derry.
Ten players had scored at least one goal for the Vikings.
Knights drop a pair
Defending WPIAL 4A champion Norwin lost two of its first three games, including back-to-back setbacks against Peters Township (2-0) and Seneca Valley (7-2), the second of which raised some eyebrows.
Norwin, though, has not been at full strength. Coach Scott Schuchert said there have been a few injuries.
Defender George Bunovich was injured against Peters Township, and goalie Ryan Dooen’s injury occurred in the Seneca Valley loss.
Two others also were dinged up against Seneca Valley.
Schuchert is unsure how long Bunovich and Dooen will be out.
Double duty
A number of local players are playing two sports for the fall season.
Among them are Joey Bayne of Franklin Regional, Roman Agostoni of Latrobe, Jarett Garn of Mt. Pleasant and McAlister Steele of Jeannette, all of whom are kickers in football.
Trevor Kovatch of Belle Vernon and Aydan Gross of Mt. Pleasant also play golf.
Seeing red
The “soft” red card is back this season in the PIAA.
Think of it as a way for referees to add discretion to more harsh “misconduct” penalties.
The rule was in effect up until 2013. When it went away, if a team received a red card, it had to continue the match a player down, and the player had to sit out for the next game or two.
The soft red permits teams to play on with all 11, allowing a substitution for the ejected player, with no accompanying suspensions.
Throw-ins
Latrobe had the second-most goals in 3A heading into the week with 15. … Top local games to watch Wednesday include Latrobe at Belle Vernon and Norwin at Hempfield.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Franklin Regional, Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford
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