South Hills Record notebook: Vince Sortino to take over as WPIAL executive director

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, October 26, 2025 | 11:01 AM

The WPIAL board accepted executive director Scott Seltzer’s resignation Oct. 21 and voted to promote chief operating officer Vince Sortino to the top spot.

Sortino, 62, will become the league’s sixth full-time executive director after Charles “Ace” Heberling (1976-97), Larry Hanley (1997-06), Tim O’Malley (2006-20), Scheuneman (2020-22) and Seltzer.

Before joining the WPIAL office, Sortino was a longtime athletic director and coach of various sports at Baldwin and later worked as AD at Dallastown in York County.

“I’ll still be in the same seat in the same office, just with a different title,” Sortino said. “I’m excited about it. It’s sad to see Scott leave. I’ve known him for a very long time. He’s a great person and has really contributed to the league for years as a board member and now executive director.”

The move is effective Dec. 20.

Unsung Brentwood heroes

Two of the many unheralded players on the Brentwood football team in 2025 were senior TE/LB Blaize Dias and junior WR/DB Amir Mack.

“Blaize is one of those guys the coaching staff could always depend on,” Brentwood coach Nick Caponi said. “One of the best abilities in life is reliability, and he definitely has that. In addition to being our starting TE/H-Back on offense, he also was our backup QB. He was our starting middle linebacker on defense.

“You know what you’re going to get from Blaize on every snap. He is a kid that gives us his all and leaves everything on the field.”

Mack had a positive and productive offseason and it showed during the regular season.

“Amir played almost every defensive snap for us a year ago,” Caponi said, “and he seemed to be much more confident than he was last season.

“He’s gotten bigger physically and is much more comfortable on both sides of the ball.”

Back for Baldwin

Baldwin had a host of experienced players on the 2025 girls volleyball team under second-year coach Jason Jonas.

The players back from 2024 included seniors Mia Wyse, a 5-foot-4 setter; Reese Temme, a 5-9 right-side hitter; Abby Mohring, a 5-7 middle/right-side hitter; Ruby Hackel, a 5-6 defensive specialist; Abby Hirt, a 5-3 defensive specialist; Rhianna Lavelle, a 5-6 defensive specialist; Brielle Fisher, a 5-6 outside hitter; Allison Lease, a 5-7 outside hitter/defensive specialist; and Ashley Skowronski, a 5-4 defensive specialist.

Also back in ‘25 were juniors Cameron Bowlus, a 5-8 outside hitter, Addy Troutman, a 5-5 middle hitter; and Hanah Dayoub, a 5-11 middle hitter; plus sophomore Chelsey Weber, a 6-0 middle hitter.

TJ wins opener

Senior midfielder Owen Householder scored on a first-half penalty kick and senior goaltender Sam Wessel recorded his 12th shutout this year to lead No. 5 Thomas Jefferson to a 1-0 win Oct. 18 against No. 12 Shaler (12-6) in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A boys soccer playoffs.

The Jaguars improved to 16-2-1 and advanced to a quarterfinal-round game Oct. 22 against No. 4 Moon (13-5-1), which blanked No. 13 Laurel Highlands, 4-0, in the first round.

Big night for Spartans

One of the best performances of the season for the Brentwood boys soccer team took place Sept. 25 against Carlynton.

The Spartans racked up a 7-1 section win against the Cougars behind Mohammed Ismael’s hat trick and Palsen Tamang’s two goals. Ayush Rai and Bryan Correa added a goal apiece for Brentwood.

The Spartans advanced to the WPIAL Class A playoffs as the 16th seed and lost a first-round decision to top-seeded Bentworth, 7-0.

Baldwin grad honored

Baldwin graduate Meghan Dryburgh was the recipient of the Cooper Award at Washington & Jefferson College for the 2024-25 academic year.

The Cooper Award honors the top male and female senior athletes during a school year. Drybugh was honored Sept. 5 at the W&J College Athletics Hall of Fame induction banquet.

She cemented her legacy on the W&J women’s basketball team, leading the Presidents to the first NCAA Tournament victory in program history. Dryburgh also helped her graduating class win its second PAC title and seventh in program history.

In her senior season, the Baldwin product became the second player in program history to rack up more 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Dryburgh’s 1,198 rebounds established a new program record. She also finished with 1,167 career points.

Dryburgh was a four-time All-PAC selection, three-time all-region honoree and two-time All-American and PAC Player of the Year. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a 3.74 GPA.

Youth serves

None of the returning starters on the Brentwood girls volleyball team this year were seniors.

The four girls who were in the starting rotation in both 2024 and 2025 were juniors Victoria Gidias, a 5-6 outside hitter, and Carma Coberly, a 5-9 middle hitter; and sophomores Emily Schubert, a 5-9 outside/middle hitter, and Jordyn Gaughan, a 5-4 defensive specialist.

Matt Episcopo coached the Spartans again in ‘25, his fourth season in charge of the program.

Did you know?

Did you know that five former members of the Thomas Jefferson boys soccer program are continuing their careers at the next level?

They are A.J. Getsy and Marshall Richter at Pitt-Johnstown, Michael Ngugi and Brayden Miller at Washington & Jefferson, and Jake Shoemaker at St. Vincent.

Did you also know?

Did you also know that the all-time scoring leader in boys soccer at Thomas Jefferson is Richard Costanzo with 107 goals?

The single season leader in goals scored is John Brown with 58.

Tags: Baldwin, Brentwood, Thomas Jefferson