Murrysville Star notebook: Franklin Regional football standouts named all-conference

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, November 23, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Franklin Regional football had several players make all-conference.

Senior defensive tackle Troy Slezak was named to the Big 5/6 Conference Big East Conference first team.

Junior running back Jet Taylor, junior linebacker Tommy Veruggio, senior defensive end Lochlan Bresnahan, senior defensive back Matt Moore and senior punter Dom Mascara made the second team.

Hudson top player

Grove City junior soccer player Colton Hudson, a Franklin Regional product, was named the PAC defensive player of the year.

Hudson also made the all-PAC first team, while two more local Grove City players and Franklin Regional alums, fifth-year defender Luke Kimmich (Franklin Regional) and junior Jake Kimmich (Franklin Regional), were first-team all-conference picks.

Hudson has started 18 games and has a goal and assist for Grove City (15-2-2), which won the PAC and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Thompson ranked

After two weeks of the college wrestling season, Ohio redshirt senior Garrett Thompson, a Franklin Regional grad, was ranked No. 8 nationally at 174 pounds.

Last year, he finished 30-7, won a MAC title and was named the most oustanding wrestler at the conference tournament.

Cheer up

The Franklin Regional varsity and middle school cheerleading teams competed at the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Fla.

The varsity traditional competitive and game day squads qualified at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

At the UCA Allegheny Regionals at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, the varsity traditional competitive squad placed 10th, while the game day took third, with both receiving national bids.

This is the first time in more than five years the varsity traditional squad made nationals, while the game day team had not made it this far in three years.

Nationals will take place Jan. 28-Feb. 3.

The middle school took first at Plum’s Mustang Mania and the UCA Allegheny Regionals, where they were division champions.

The teams were set to host a local meet on Nov. 24.

Rowell back for more

Franklin Regional alum Cam Rowell returns for the Washington & Jefferson men’s basketball team after a breakout year as a freshman.

The sophomore swingman scored 14 points off the bench, adding four rebounds, four blocks and four steals over 23 minutes, in his first action of the season, a 79-63 win over Penn State Abington.

Rowell was the PAC Newcomer of the Year last season.

On the ice

The Franklin Regional hockey team was in seventh place out of 11 teams in PIHL Class 3A.

The Panthers (2-3-0-2) defeated Upper St. Clair, 3-1, as they put up two goals in the third period.

Brendan Yohe had two goals and Ryan Crouse added one in the victory, which saw goalie Payson Neff make 29 saves.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional