‘Play like an animal every play’: Bobby Smithnosky vies for QB position at Greensburg C.C.

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, August 10, 2025 | 11:24 AM

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Becoming the starting quarterback at Greensburg Central Catholic motivates sophomore Bobby Smithnosky. Especially with last year’s starter, all-everything senior Samir Crosby, also in the competition.

There has been a buzz around GCC that Crosby is going to move to wide receiver, the position he is likely to play in college (he has not yet made a college decision). For that to happen, Smithnosky has to prove he can get the ball to his receivers — an athletic group that also includes seniors Jerry Davis, James Botti and Jackson Lowden — and manage the offense with limited mistakes.

A talented baseball player with athletics in his blood, Mt. Pleasant native Smithnosky caught four passes last year and ran for 82 yards and a touchdown.

“The arm talent is there. He has a strong arm,” GCC coach JT Thompson said. “And he’s a smart kid. He will get an equal shot at the position. If he steps up and shows he can run the offense, he’ll play. He’s still young.”

While the job was not his heading into full-contact training camp, which opens Monday, Smithnosky was embracing the challenge and looking to assimilate to the playbook.

It wasn’t so much outshining Crosby for Smithnosky as it was showing he could deliver the football on time and with accuracy.

“I feel really good about our offense,” the 6-foot, 165-pound Smithnosky said. “(Crosby) is a great QB. I have always played baseball, but I want to be great in both sports.”

Smithnosky was just 0 for 2 passing last year with one interception, so getting him repetitions was key this summer. He took most of the snaps in two 7-on-7 competitions, including the Westmoreland County Coaches Association tournament, where GCC went 4-1.

Crosby last year was 81 for 146 for 1,483 yards, with 20 touchdowns and four picks. But he had 35 catches for 690 yards as a sophomore.

“Bobby played a little H-back for us last year,” Thompson said. “We’ll put our best 11 on the field.”

Smithnosky, a talented outfielder and pitcher in baseball, comes from a family of athletes. His father, Bob, a Connellsville alum, was a lineman at West Virginia. His mom, Teena, ran track in high school in Virginia.

His sisters, Mary and Sophia, were softball standouts at Mt. Pleasant before playing at the college level: Mary at Division I Western Michigan, Sophia at Division II Ashland.

Anthony Grippo, a baseball standout at GCC and a Penn State commit, is the siblings’ first cousin.

“It runs in the family,” Bobby Smithnosky said. “My dad pushes me: play like an animal every play. Play as hard as you can.”

GCC will play Mt. Pleasant in Week 1, one of three games Smithnosky has circled on his calendar. The others are Clairton and Jeannette.

“I have a lot of friends at Mt. Pleasant,” he said. “But when I put the pads on and take the field, I am on a different team.”

Bobby Smithnosky also wrestled for seven years at Mt. Pleasant.

For fun, he likes to hunt and fish like most rural kids. He and his father have gone deer hunting in Illinois.

In the coming weeks, Bobby will try to bag a starting spot under center.

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

Tags: Greensburg C.C.