Westmoreland high school notebook: Linemen drawing increased D-I interest

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, May 4, 2019 | 8:35 PM

The college offers keep pouring in for a pair of Westmoreland County linemen who are as proficient in the classroom as they are as pass-blockers.

Fintan Brose of Hempfield and Michael Petrof of Ligonier Valley are beginning to see interest from the same schools as they near the completion of their junior year — and the start of a big summer.

Air Force, Lehigh and Holy Cross offered both last week.

Brose is up to 19 Division I offers, 10 from FBS schools, including one “Power 5,” from Vanderbilt.

The 6-foot-4, 280-pound two-way lineman also has visited Michigan State.

His additional FBS offers are from Tulane, Florida International, UMass, Buffalo, Navy, Akron, Kent State and Bowling Green.

Petrof (6-2, 275), a defensive tackle and offensive guard, also is drawing attention from various D-I conferences.

His FCS offers include Robert Morris, Cornell, Lafayette and Fordham, as well as others from a half-dozen Ivy League programs, including Yale, Harvard and Princeton.

Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships, and military academies give “appointments,” not full athletic rides.

Playoff time nears

The WPIAL baseball and softball playoffs are scheduled to start May 13. The league is expected to release postseason brackets Thursday for softball and Friday for baseball.

Local baseball qualifiers so far are: 6A: Penn-Trafford, Norwin; 5A: Franklin Regional; 4A: Yough, Greensburg Salem; 3A: Burrell; 2A: Jeannette; A: Greensburg Central Catholic, Monessen.

Area softball playoff teams: 6A: Hempfield, Norwin; 5A: Penn-Trafford, Franklin Regional, Latrobe; 4A: Mt. Pleasant, Yough, Greensburg Salem; 3A: Derry, Southmoreland; A: Monessen, Jeannette.

Guess where he’s going?

Belle Vernon junior Cameron Guess was rated as the No. 1 punter in the country last year by Kohl’s Kicking Camps. That created a spike in interest from a number of colleges.

Guess, also a strong kicker for the Leopards, plans to attend various camps over the summer to generate offers.

“Syracuse and West Virginia are probably the two most frequent teams reaching out consistently,” Guess said. “But a wide variety of coaches and conferences have been stopping into school and asking me to come and kick in front of them so they can see how I am in person before they offer.”

Guess said he hopes to commit before next football season.

Net gains

A pair of county volleyball players were recognized by the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. Senior Alex Ryan, an outside hitter from Latrobe, and Penn-Trafford senior setter Adam Grove shared Class AAA player of the week honors.

NFBD all-stars

Jeannette’s Marcus Barnes, Mike Evans of Franklin Regional and Dustin Shoaf of Yough were invited to play in the Never Fear Being Different All-Star Game on June 2 at Cupples Stadium on Pittsburgh’s South Side.

Barnes and Evans are wide receivers and defensive backs. They will attend William & Mary and Robert Morris, respectively. Shoaf, a running back, is headed to Mercyhurst.

Recruiting buzz

Derry junior football lineman Max Malis picked up his first Division I offer, from the Air Force Academy. Malis is a 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive end and offensive tackle.

• Norwin junior quarterback Jack Salopek added offers from Lehigh and Sacred Heart.

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

Tags: Derry Area, Franklin Regional, Hempfield, Jeannette, Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Penn-Trafford, Yough