Westmoreland H.S. notebook: Steve Pons takes over as Jeannette boys soccer coach

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, May 6, 2023 | 3:49 PM

Jeannette’s boys soccer team is under new leadership.

Steve Pons was named coach of the Jayhawks.

He replaces Art Cicero, who was not retained after four seasons.

An Imperial resident, Pons inherits a talented team that includes All-WPIAL player Jordan Taylor as well as standouts Austin Emery and Jorel Taylor.

The Jayhawks made the WPIAL playoffs for the first time two years ago.

Pons, 59, has extensive coaching experience that includes various clubs around Pittsburgh, although this will be his first stop in Westmoreland County. He was an assistant with the Moon girls when they won a WPIAL championship and made the PIAA finals in 2004.

He was the middle school head coach at Moon, where he coached from 2002-05.

Pons, who lived in England briefly as a teenager, also was an assistant at Central Valley (2016-17).

He has coached with the STM Soccer Club, FC Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Hot Spurs, the Pittsburgh Strikers, and has also worked with teams in Delaware, Maryland and Connecticut. His specialty looks to be defense — and that comes with an unbridled passion for the game, which he first fell for in England.

“I have been a goalkeeper all of my life and still currently play in an over-50 league with FC Pittsburgh,” he said. “While I don’t know the team well yet, I do have a couple of exciting players returning this year. I look forward to working with them, as well as the rest of the boys, this year.”

Pons, who is not related to the Pons family of North Huntingdon, was a goalkeeper at Oakland Mills High School (Md.) and played at Howard Community College (Md.) for two years, earning all-conference accolades.

He went to training camp with Team America in 1983.

On the road

Latrobe’s boys volleyball team, ranked No. 1 in WPIAL Class 2A, headed north to play this weekend.

Latrobe is playing in a 24-team tournament at La Salle Academy in Rhode Island.

La Salle is coached by Nikolai Wojciechowski, a 2008 Latrobe graduate who played for longtime Wildcats coach Drew Vosefski.

The tournament will include teams from New England, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Wildcats had won six in a row when they took on Mars in a key section match Thursday.

Latrobe normally plays in the State College Tournament but decided to shift gears this year.

Recruiting

Latrobe senior tennis standout Josh Havrilla will continue his playing career at Saint Vincent.

A four-time WPIAL qualifier, Havrilla is a section singles champion and made the PIAA doubles tournament with teammate August Lawrence, who also will play at Saint Vincent.

Havrilla is a two-sport athlete in the spring. He also plays volleyball.

• Yough senior football player Cole Keller signed with Waynesburg. Keller plays wide receiver and cornerback for the Cougars.

• Daishaun Alexander, a senior at Greensburg Salem, will continue his football career at Saint Vincent. A two-year letter­man, Alexander also earned four letters in soccer.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder was an all-conference kicker for the Golden Lions.

• Southmoreland senior wrestler Tristan Ice committed to Saint Vincent. Ice was 80-51 for the Scotties with 44 pins, competing at 160, 165, 172 and 189.

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

Tags: Greensburg Salem, Jeannette, Latrobe, Southmoreland, Yough