Westmoreland notebook: Jeannette to hold public meeting about artificial turf

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, February 16, 2019 | 7:17 PM

Rumblings of Jeannette getting artificial turf at McKee Stadium began months ago, but rumors and innuendo could become fact as district officials take proactive steps to advance the process.

The district will have a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the high school cafeteria to present details, including cost and funding sources, for the possible project.

Future plans to resurface the track at the stadium, as well as improving security measures, upgrading of maintenance and technology equipment and making access road improvements also will be discussed.

Superintendent Matt Jones said he wants to be transparent with the community about potentially costly “capital projects.”

School officials want to stress the turf, if installed, would be advantageous to many teams and groups.

“By no means is it just for football,” Jeannette football coach Roy Hall said.

The school’s soccer teams and marching band also could benefit.

“I never thought it would happen,” Hall said. “There has been talk about it before, but they seem serious about it.”

Jones said, “As we take a holistic look at the project, it becomes much more about the total student body and community.”

McKee Stadium opened in 1937 and was officially dedicated Oct. 29, 1938, before a game in which Jeannette and Norwin tied, 0-0.

Renovations were done, and the stadium was rededicated Sept. 3, 1999, a night when Jeannette blanked Deer Lakes, 20-0.

Still, while the Jayhawks wondered if the grass was greener on the other side, they always played home games on natural grass.

Bad weather in recent years forced playoff games and practices to other venues.

Jeannette had to play Monessen in a 2018 WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game at Hempfield because McKee was a marshland.

The Jayhawks practiced at Hempfield and Norwin while their stadium — and adjacent practice field — dried.

Current players hope the district decides to approve turf.

“The team was really excited once we heard (about the possibility of turf),” junior receiver and defensive back Jackson Pruitt said. “People talk about it all the time. Guys on the team, I think, would much rather have turf than grass. It just gives us a better opportunity to show off our speed. I personally think that it would be great for our team.”

Of the 18 Westmoreland football schools, 11 have turf fields. Other local teams that still play on grass are Latrobe, Derry, Greensburg Central Catholic, Monessen and Ligonier Valley.

Latrobe resting up

Latrobe nabbed the No. 2 seed for the WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball tournament but won’t play until Feb. 23. That means some extra rest for the Wildcats, including for senior standout Reed Fenton, who played the last regular season game against Hempfield with a bruised knee.

He bumped knees with a player from Kiski School on Feb. 5.

The Wildcats will have a 14-day layoff from game action.

“We have a couple scrimmages lined up,” Latrobe coach Brad Wetzel said. “And I think, quite frankly, we needed some time for some health. We have some guys who are nursing some nagging injuries that aren’t serious enough to keep them off the court but they needed a couple days, so I think this might be what the doctor ordered.”

Latrobe scrimmaged Woodland Hills on Thursday.

State playoffs

WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley announced during Tuesday’s basketball playoff pairings meeting in Green Tree the number of teams the district will send to the PIAA playoffs. They are as follows: boys — Class 6A (5), 5A (6), 4A (5), 3A (7), 2A (6), and A (6); girls — 6A (5), 5A (5), 4A (7), 3A (6), 2A (6), and A (6).

The WPIAL again will use the follow-the-winner format for entrance into the state tournaments.

Bowl game

Franklin Regional senior football player Mike Evans is headed to Robert Morris to play wide receiver, but he decided to try another sport this year. Evans is a member of the Panthers’ bowling team that won a WPIBL championship on Wednesday at Nesbit’s Lanes in Plum.

“It’s my first year, and I love it,” Evans said. “Hopefully, we can take states too.”

Two more for Brose

Hempfield junior lineman Fintan Brose picked up two more Division I offers last week, from Fordham and William & Mary.

A 6-foot-3, 280-pound two-way tackle, Brose already had scholarship offers from Vanderbilt and Bowling Green.

Schools taking to Petrof

A number of college football programs are showing interest in Ligonier Valley junior lineman Michael Petrof.

The 6-2, 275-pound offensive guard/defensive tackle picked up offers from Princeton, Harvard, Penn, Fordham and Dartmouth. The Ivy League does not offer athletic scholarships but can draw in worthy players with academic aid.

All-star football

Four Ligonier Valley football players — wideout Aaron Tutino, quarterback John Caldwell, defensive back Zack Beitel and lineman Blake Bridge — were selected to play in the 49th annual Ken Lantzy All-Star game June 14 in Johnstown.

Tutino, a St. Francis (Pa.) recruit, is the state record-holder for career touchdowns catches (61).

This past season, he caught a career-best 66 receptions for 1,363 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Caldwell completed 152 of 230 passes for 2,648 yards and 36 touchdowns. Beitel had 30 tackles and five interceptions, and Bridge had 43 tackles and two sacks.

The group led Ligonier Valley to three straight Heritage Conference and Appalachian Bowl titles and two District 6 titles.

Recruiting

Franklin Regional lacrosse player Lex Hurey will continue his playing career at Saint Vincent.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Hempfield, Jeannette, Latrobe, Ligonier Valley