Westmoreland County high school notebook: Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin endorses fragrance line

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, June 17, 2023 | 6:01 AM

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Football is leading Quinton Martin to dollars and scents.

The Belle Vernon star verbally committed to Penn State in April and took his official visit to State College earlier this month.

In between, Martin signed a name, image and likeness deal with a men’s fragrance company.

Martin will endorse smell-goods from “Ovation for Men,” which will launch this summer.

“Quinton is the highest-ranked high school prospect on our roster,” Ovation for Men co-founder Shawn Crenshaw told on3.com. “He epitomizes excellence, confidence and determination. We are going to custom curate campaigns that celebrate all of those traits.”

The exact terms of the deal were not announced — it was noted that Martin was custom-fitted for a suit — but on3.com has an idea of what he might have signed for.

The top-rated prospect in Pennsylvania in the Class of 2024, Martin has an NIL value of $182,000 by the website.

Martin plays running back and defensive back for reigning WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A champion Belle Vernon and has his senior season left before joining the Nittany Lions.

It is unclear what position Martin (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) will play at the next level, but he said Penn State likes him as a running back.

Cunningham tournament

Ten teams are scheduled to compete in the third annual Tre Cunningham Memorial Basketball Tournament from Thursday through Saturday at Jeannette.

The boys varsity-level event honors the memory of Cunningham, a terrific three-sport athlete at Jeannette who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2020.

Thursday’s pool-play matchups are: Westmont vs. Jeannette at 6 p.m. and Norwin vs. Yough at 7 p.m. at Jeannette High School and Westmont vs. Greensburg Central Catholic at 7:30 p.m. and Greensburg Salem vs. Jeannette at 8:30 p.m. at Jeannette Elementary School.

Friday’s schedule sees Norwin vs. Belle Vernon at 6, Latrobe vs. Yough at 7 and Monessen vs. Belle Vernon at 8 at Jeannette High School and Monessen vs. Steel Valley at 6:30, Greensburg Salem vs. Greensburg Central Catholic at 7:30 and Steel Valley vs. Latrobe at 8:30 at Jeannette Elementary School.

On Saturday, a single-elimination tournament will be played beginning at 9 a.m. The championship will be at 6 that night.

The MVP will receive a $1,000 scholarship in Cunningham’s name.

There was preliminary discussion this year about 3-point and slam dunk contests at the event, but it is based on participation in the ancillary events.

Also new this year: There will be a health fair outside of the high school gym during the event, featuring exhibits, vendors and ask-the-doctor sessions.

One team to another

Now that the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs are finished and another high school softball season is done, Hempfield players can turn to travel ball season.

Several of them will continue to wear the same uniforms.

Team Pennsylvania 16U-Hall, coached by Richele Hall, the former Waynesburg University coach, features six Hempfield players: Riley Miller, Claire Mitchell, Maggie Howard, Lauren Howard, Peyton Heisler and Allie Cervola.

Other Westmoreland County players on the 14-girl roster are Maddie Brown of Southmoreland and Toryn Fulton of Franklin Regional.

Prospect camp

New Jeannette assistant football coach Khaliq Coleman and Vic Castillo of Prep Redzone will conduct a “Future Freaks” Prospect Camp on June 28 at Jeannette.

Registration begins at 10 a.m., and drills begin at 11. One-on-one workouts start at 1 p.m.

A number of colleges will either attend or receive combine scores, including Lake Erie, Lock Haven, Cal (Pa.), Bloomsburg and others.

Division I programs at Penn State, Eastern Michigan, Monmouth, Temple, Michigan State and Toledo are on the mailing list to get results.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Greensburg C.C., Greensburg Salem, Jeannette, Latrobe, Monessen