Mt. Pleasant grad Peyton Clark named Jeannette girls soccer coach

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, May 29, 2020 | 12:03 PM

With 16 players signed up for the fall season, Jeannette’s girls soccer team is not hurting for numbers. And with interest up organically, the Jayhawks’ new coach won’t have to do much recruiting.

Peyton Clark was named coach this week, and she is anxious to get started when summer workouts are cleared to begin by the state and PIAA.

It’s been some time since the program was relevant in the WPIAL postseason, but Clark thinks the team eventually can make a sharp pivot, which would be the product of a group effort.

“I hope that I can bring the players, parents, school and community together to create a soccer program that can be built upon for years to come,” said Clark, a Mt. Pleasant graduate who will be a high school head coach for the first time.

A former striker and midfielder, Clark is 23 and brings recreational coaching experience to the sidelines, mainly at the youth level.

She replaces Delaney Cortazzo, who resigned after one season.

“We had a ton of girls sign up,” Jeannette athletic director Ryan Hayden said. “Peyton is excited for the opportunity to help turn the program in the right direction.”

Jeannette has not posted a winning season or qualified for the WPIAL playoffs since 2005.

The Jayhawks will take a 24-game section losing streak into Clark’s debut season. They went 1-12-1 overall and 0-9 in section last year and scored 14 goals in as many games.

While she was attending Pitt-Greensburg, Clark spent several semesters student-teaching at the Jeannette-McKee middle and elementary schools. She also volunteered with after-school and outreach programs there.

She felt a connection with the district, which made the soccer job an attractive one.

“It is the reason I love middle school and the district,” she said. “It allowed me to get to connect with the students through tutoring, clubs and playing sports.

“It was a great opportunity to get to work alongside teachers and administrators in the school district.”

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

Tags: Jeannette