Alle-Kiski Valley high school notebook: Fox Chapel’s Jesse Cohen signs with Bryant

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, December 20, 2017 | 11:25 PM

Jesse Cohen had the location planned for his signing day celebration but not the specific cut of meat.

Perhaps he wanted to wait to commit to his steak selection on the day he made his football commitment official.

Cohen, a Fox Chapel senior lineman, signed his national letter of intent with Bryant on Wednesday, the opening day of the new early signing period for NCAA football.

“It's probably the best feeling I've had since I've started this whole process,” Cohen said. “(It's) just closure to all my hard work and everything I've dreamed for and worked for.”

After sending in his NLI from home in the morning, he planned to go to Ruth's Chris Steak House in downtown Pittsburgh with his family to celebrate Wednesday night.

A 6-foot-3, 251-pound left tackle, Cohen started for three seasons at Fox Chapel. He led a blocking unit that paved the way for a pair of 1,000-yard rushers — quarterback Nick Gizzo and running back Micah Morris — as the Foxes reached the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2014. He was named first-team all-conference in the Class 5A Allegheny Nine.

Bryant finished 6-5 overall and 4-2 in the Northeast Conference in 2017, closing the season with victories over Robert Morris and Duquesne.

“I'm excited because I really think with the starting quarterback coming back and the players we have up there, if I can come in and make an impact and just help the team, we can win the NEC and make the FCS playoffs,” Cohen said.

Help wanted

Riverview is seeking a baseball coach after the resignation of Bill Murray.

Murray, a former Highlands assistant, coached at Riverview for one season, leading the Raiders to a 3-14 overall record and 3-11 mark in Section 3-2A. He replaced Rich Griser, who retired in 2016 after taking Riverview to a 184-122-2 record and a WPIAL championship game appearance in 16 seasons.

Nolf galaxy

One of the top collegiate wrestlers in the country, an Alle-Kiski alumnus, will conduct a wrestling training workshop next week.

Penn State redshirt junior Jason Nolf, an NCAA champion last season and a three-time PIAA gold medalist from Kittanning, will help conduct the Santa's Holiday Wrestling Workshop from 9-11:30 a.m. Dec. 26 at Burrell High School.

Burrell assistants Chris Como and Isaac Greeley also will lead the workshop, which will teach technical skills. Cost is $30 at the door.

The consensus No. 1 157-pound wrestler in Division I, Nolf is 9-0 this season and 69-2 in his Penn State career, finishing as NCAA runner-up in 2016 before winning the championship last season. He went 176-1 at Kittanning, winning four WPIAL and three PIAA titles.

Striking gold

A number of Alle-Kiski Valley bowlers are having strong early seasons in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League, at or near the top of their sections in per-game averages.

Kiski Area sophomores William Perroz and Chase McDermott owned the top two averages for the Northeast boys with 225.50 and 212.83, respectively, through six games. Burrell junior Colin Flanagan wasn't far behind with a 211.50 average, a best game of 278 and a top series of 705.

Valley senior Logan Reedy (204.0) and St. Joseph freshman Ethan Grainy (201.83) also owned six-game averages greater than 200.

On the girls side, Burrell junior Carlee Hummel (179.33), Kiski Area senior Jessica Lockhart (175.83), Burrell seniors Brittany Meyer (174.50) and Cassie Beattie (172.0), Valley junior Shaolin Barr (168.33) and Burrell sophomore Ashley Smith (167.0) lead the Northeast.

Freeport freshman Mark Livingston has the top single-game score in the boys North Division with a 256, and he leads the way with a 215.50 average.

Plum's boys placed three bowlers in the top 10 of the East Division in average through six games: junior Matthew Brown (second, 208.83) and seniors Cameron Meyers (seventh, 192.33) and Franklin Mercurio (eighth, 188.50).

The Plum girls lead the East team standings, and senior Meghan Christman owns the top individual average with a 215.0 average. It is the only average above 200.

Michael Love contributed. Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer.