Westmoreland high school notebook: Yough softball heading south to open season

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, March 21, 2018 | 3:45 PM

Winter's last at-bat rally dumped a fresh heaping of snow on WPIAL territory, but it won't bother the Yough softball team. In fact, Yough players were buying sun screen and picking out fresh summer outfits earlier this week for their spring training trip south.

The high school season is scheduled to open Friday, but Yough and several other WPIAL teams won't have to deal with snow-plagued postponements as they escape the clutches of the cold weather.

Yough is headed to Orlando, Fla. — where temperatures aren't expected to dip below 70 while its in town — for a five-day excursion beginning Thursday with practice and a scrimmage. The Cougars will then play four games in four days at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World.

Yough coach Art “Dutch” Harvey has made the out-of-town trips a preseason staple for the program. Yough won a PIAA title two years ago and was a WPIAL runner-up in two of the last three seasons. A talented team returns, and Harvey thinks early-season action is critical to late-season success.

“We hope to get plenty of game action, which helps us prepare even better for the early section schedule that starts immediately after our return,” Harvey said. “Our freshmen starters will have plenty of experience getting back here which will give us an edge.”

Yough used to go to Myrtle Beach for the “Ripken Experience,” something numerous WPIAL teams have done over the years.

Harvey prefers Disney.

“Disney is a far better facility, and the kids get to go to a different park every day after we are done,” he said. “And you get all your games in Florida.”

The Cougars open the season Friday at noon against Seymour (Wisc.). On Saturday, they take on David Douglas (Ore.); Libertyville (Ill.) on Sunday; and James Madison Memorial (Wisc.) on Monday.

The team returns home Tuesday.

Elizabeth Forward joins Yough in Florida. Eight WPIAL teams, meanwhile, will open the season in Myrtle Beach. They are Brownsville, Bentworth, South Allegheny, Seton LaSalle, South Fayette, Avonworth, West Allegheny and Uniontown.

Opening day — maybe?

The mid-week snow and cold is expected to wreak havoc on season-opening softball and baseball games Friday and Saturday in the area.

Here are some potentially phantom games on the schedule Friday:

Baseball — Greensburg Central Catholic at Burrell (4 p.m.); Penn-Trafford at Kiski Area (4), Ringgold at Norwin (4); Southmoreland at Monessen (4); and Yough at Brownsville (4:15).

Softball — Hempfield at Connellsville (4); McKeesport at Norwin (4); Mt. Pleasant at Greensburg Salem (4); and Southmoreland at Derry (4).

There are supposed to be two good games at Latrobe on Saturday. Penn-Trafford is scheduled to play the Wildcats in baseball at noon, while Belle Vernon softball might play Latrobe at 2 p.m.

Latrobe has turf on both fields but cold temperatures could be a greater issue than field conditions.

RMU offers Jeannette duo

Jeannette junior football players Marcus Barnes and Anthony Johnson received scholarship offers Tuesday from Robert Morris.

Barnes (6-foot-4, 190 pounds), a wide receiver/defensive back, has offers from Air Force, Army and Howard.

Johnson (6-5, 220), a defensive end, also has offers from Central Michigan and Howard.

Both players also have interest from Memphis and Toledo.

Recruiting

Mt. Pleasant senior Colleen Trainer will continue her basketball career at Thiel. A three-year letterwinner, Trainer averaged 8.5 points this season. She was the team's defensive MVP last year.

• Latrobe wrestler Brady Sherback committed to Seton Hill. He is a senior who competes in the 106-pound class. He finished fourth in WPIAL Class AAA this season and wrestled at the PIAA championships.

Rullo leaving Derry

Derry sophomore swimmer Caleb Rullo announced he will transfer to The Kiski School to finish his high school career.

Rullo took fifth in the 100-yard freestyle (48.98 seconds) and sixth in the 100 butterfly (54.46) at the WPIAL Class AA championships. He finished inside the top 30 in both events at the PIAA finals.

Roundball set

The Roundball Classic basketball all-star games will be April 20-21 at Geneva College. Rosters have not been released.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Derry Area, Greensburg C.C., Greensburg Salem, Hempfield Area, Jeannette, Monessen, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland, Yough