Bethel Park notebook: Pillar of Black Hawks offensive line makes college choice

By: Ray Fisher
Saturday, September 20, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Bethel Park senior Santino LaMolinare, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound all-conference lineman, drew nine Division I college offers before committing Aug. 3 to Duquesne.

LaMolinare was a first-team all-conference pick in the Allegheny Six last season and was part of the highest-scoring offense in Class 5A as the starter at right tackle.

Bethel Park averaged 40.6 points, outscored the opposition 528-213 and reached the WPIAL semifinals in 2024, finishing with 10-3 overall after a 7-0 start.

LaMolinare anchors the Black Hawks’ offensive line this season. His other college options included Albany, Bucknell, Lafayette, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Richmond, Stony Brook and Towson.

Soccer stars

One of the highlights the 2025 season that jumps off the page for the Bethel Park boys soccer team took place Sept. 4 at McKeesport.

Senior forwards Xavier Jackson collected three goals and three assists and Youssef Benrabia also had a hat trick as Bethel Park blanked the Tigers, 12-0, in Section 2-3A.

Rowan Darr, a senior midfielder, had two goals for the Black Hawks, senior midfielder Jason Koerbel added a goal and an assist, while sophomore MF Ellis Stearman, senior MF/D Cooper Kicinski and senior GK Luke Rubican all netted one goal.

Bethel Park goalies Jacob Coffield, a senior, and freshman Kolton Battung combined on the shutout.

Two days later, the Black Hawks ran past Albert Gallatin, 8-0, as Darr scored twice while Benrabia had a goal and two assists. Rubican and Coffield combined to post the clean sheet.

Kicinski, Jackson, junior defender Thomas Opferman, Koerbel and senior forward Eli McCullough also scored.

Bethel Park stood at 4-1-1 overall and 4-0-1 in the section, tied for first with Thomas Jefferson.

Court report

The Bethel Park girls volleyball team began the season with back-to-back 3-1 nonsection wins over Bishop Canevin and Keystone Oaks.

The Black Hawks weren’t as fortunate in their first two section games, 3-0 losses to Peters Township and Upper St. Clair.

Coach Brooke Muraco welcomed six starters back from the 2024 team at Bethel Park: seniors Mia Propcheck, 5-9 middle hitter, 5-6 defensive specialist Sarah Neal, and Kathryn Boff, a 5-7 outside hitter; and juniors Kaidra Marian, a 6-1 middle hitter, 5-8 outside hitter Amanda Richards, and Mia Hischar, a 5-5 defensive specialist.

Other players looking to make an impact in the season’s second half include seniors Julia Bitkowski (DS), Kay Glinski (S) and Mallory Gramm (OH), junior Addyson Markwood (S), sophomores Fiona O’Neill (OH) and Verona Willetts (MH) and freshmen Isabella Mattila (DS) and Delaney Volkert (OH/S).

Muraco is in her eighth season as the Black Hawks coach.

Winning start

Vivian Thieroff scored the first goal of the season in leading to the Bethel Park girls soccer team to its first win of 2025.

Thieroff, a senior forward and team captain, netted her game-winning goal Aug. 27 in a 1-0 section victory over Trinity.

Senior goalkeeper Abigail Stutzman and junior MF/D Mia Lancy also are serving as captains for the Black Hawks.

Diamond honors

The following Bethel Park baseball players were named to the Big 56 Class 5A all-section first team: Ryan Petras (INF), Dylan Schumacher (P), Noah LeJeune (DH) and Mike Bruckner (UTL). Petras, Schumacher and LeJeune were seniors in 2024-25; Bruckner was a junior.

Pat Zehnder was lauded as coach of the year.

Bethel Park was represented by junior infielder Anastasia Spano on the Big 56 5A All-Section softball first team.

For a good cause

The Bethel Park baseball team held its annual Military Appreciation Day game at home against Peters Township this past spring.

The Black Hawks defeated the visitors 6-4 after a pregame ceremony featuring the Patriot Guard Riders and Peters Township VFW Honor Guard.

Thanks to sponsors’ support, the event raised $515 for the Wounded Warrior Foundation.

Did you know?

Did you know that Bethel Park athletic director Laura Grimm graduated from Serra Catholic in 2006?

Grimm led the girls basketball team to an incredible 103-12 record in her four seasons at the school, compiling 1,940 points, 497 assists, 391 steals and 283 3-pointers in her varsity career.

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