Westmoreland high school notebook: Latrobe’s Holler revises plan

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, August 11, 2018 | 8:03 PM

Trent Holler is walking back his original top-three list.

The standout lineman from Latrobe said he needs more time to evaluate his recruiting situation and the 17 scholarship offers that accompany it.

Holler said last week he narrowed his list to Pitt, West Virginia and East Carolina and that he would announce his decision Aug. 16, his 18th birthday. But that same night, he shifted gears, viewing the idea as hasty and emotionally driven, and bringing other schools back into the mix.

“I thought it would be a good and fun idea to commit,” he said. “After having a deep conversation with my parents (Tuesday night), I realize that this is the not the time to make the biggest decision of my life.”

Fair enough. Holler, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound center and defensive end, also has offers from Connecticut, Youngstown State, Delaware, Albany and others.

The recruiting website 24/7 Sports rates him as the No. 11 best center in the nation in the class of 2019.

Kick it with Cam

Belle Vernon standout kicker and punter Cameron Guess, who will be a junior, will raise money for charity this season. The top-ranked punter in the country in the junior class by Kohl’s Kicking Camps, Guess has a pledge page online where donations can be made for each point he scores. His goal is to score 50 points. If someone pledges $2 a point and Guess scores 50 points, that person would donate $100. One-time donations also are accepted.

The proceeds go to the fight against pediatric cancer.

Recent Greensburg Central Catholic graduate Ethan Slike did something similar last season. Slike, now at Akron, raised $3,111 for childhood cancer research.

Soccer rankings

Norwin won’t start the season as the No. 1-ranked girls soccer team team in the nation like it did a year ago, but the Knights made Top Drawer Soccer’s top 50 again.

Norwin is No. 42 in the preseason rankings and joins two other WPIAL teams in the top 50. Peters Township is No. 21, and Pine-Richland checks in at No. 24.

Norwin went 21-2-1 and won the PIAA Class AAAA championship after finishing second to Penn-Trafford in the WPIAL.

The Knights bring back defenders Maddie Genicola (Duquesne) and Eva Frankovic (Pitt), among other key players.

Peters Township (15-4) and Pine-Richland (16-2-1) were WPIAL quarterfinalists. Midfielder Regan LaVigna, a Youngstown State recruit, and forward Hannah Stuck (Bucknell) are set to return for Peters Township. Forwards Megan Donnelly and Allie Malobicky are back for Pine-Richland.

Three other Pennsylvania teams are ranked: Episcopal Academy (13), Pennsbury (26) and Parkland (45).

Recruiting

Incoming Greensburg Central Catholic senior Bella Skatell committed to Division II Mansfield for basketball. The left-handed point guard averaged 10.5 points last season for the Centurions before playing summer AAU ball for the Western Pa. Bruins.

Skatell also is a goalkeeper in soccer and a pitcher/outfielder in softball.

• Derry rising senior wrestler Dom DeLuca picked his second Division I offer, from Bucknell. The other is from Virginia Military Institute. DeLuca, a 220-pounder, finished second in the state last season after winning a WPIAL title.

• Canisius offered incoming Latrobe senior basketball player Reed Fenton.

• Penn-Trafford incoming senior Maclean Maund gave a verbal commitment to Seton Hill. Maund is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound left-handed pitcher and first baseman.

• Former Southmoreland football player Mataeo Garner transferred from Alabama A&M to Westminster. Garner spent two years at Valley Forge Military Academy before going to Alabama.

• Former Southmoreland basketball player Brandon Stone, now at Christ School (N.C.), has two more Division I offers, from Samford and Chattanooga.

Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Derry Area, Greensburg C.C., Latrobe, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland