Westmoreland County boys high school soccer preview: Mt. Pleasant has savvy to make noise in Class 2A

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, August 21, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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With nine returning starters, Mt. Pleasant boys soccer has its sights on a sixth straight WPIAL playoff berth.

The season opens Friday, and the Vikings are primed to make their mark in Class 2A.

They lost only two starters from a team that took second place in Section 4.

“We will be a competitive team in our section,” coach Floyd Snyder said. “We’re bringing back an experienced group that’s ready to pick up where they left off.”

Mt. Pleasant lost in the first round of the playoffs to Shady Side Academy, 2-0. That said, the group that faced the Bulldogs was young and somewhat inexperienced.

“We need to improve at every level to achieve our goals this fall,” Snyder said. “We’re bringing back a side that gained a lot of experience last year, as we regularly started six or seven sophomores and freshmen.”

Key players back are senior defender and captain Damien Ohler, senior forwards Tyler Kurtz and Bryce Gamble, junior midfielders Grant Zahrobsky and Cayden Pickens, sophomore midfielders Tyke Snyder and Bryson Bankosh, sophomore defender Gavin Rummel and sophomore goalkeeper Grayson Gardner.

Gardner could share time in net with Kurtz, an offensive threat who can double as a keeper.

“For any team, it starts with having a dependable goalkeeper, and we’re fortunate to have two,” Floyd Snyder said.

Ohler anchors the back line, but he can move up.

Look for Tyke Snyder to set the pace and help to create scoring chances, whereas Zahrobsky could be one of the strongest midfielders in the section and can present matchup issues.

Around the county

• Two years removed from its first and only WPIAL title, Norwin is looking to get back into the thick of the playoffs after a stunning first-round loss to North Hills.

The Knights have four starters returning — seniors Tristan Josephic, Ryan Shoemer and Ian Natale and junior Logan Plichta — but appear to have depth behind them.

“We have a very well-balanced, young team that I expect to compete with the best in the WPIAL,” Norwin coach Scott Schuchert said. “We have a ton of talent in our program right now, and the competition within will only help our team succeed.”

Junior Reed Hoyle will take over as goalkeeper.

The Knights had four players leave for the MLS Next program, including junior Chase Molinaro.

Schuchert called 4A “wide open.”

• Braden Crowe is back to lead Hempfield, which is showing signs of resurgence. Last season, the Spartans snapped a 46-game section losing streak.

The team finished 5-12 after back-to-back winless seasons in 2022 and ’23.

• Four seniors are gone at Penn-Trafford, including standout JJ Porter, but a young group with a full season under its belt is big on experience.

Three-year starter Brennen Neubauer leads the defense, while returning midfielders Yuriy Bidochko, Cam King, Colton Payne and Cooper Geyer are all seniors.

Junior Noah Haslam is a key forward, and senior Jose Chaves returns in goal.

Warriors second-year coach Ryan Hankey believes Chaves is the top goalie in the team’s section.

“The biggest change from Year 1 to 2 is how new leadership roles will emerge among the returning players and juniors,” Hankey said. “Continuity in coaching philosophy, training methods, playing style and tactics remain consistent. Now we have to execute the plan.”

• Perennial Class 3A contender Franklin Regional and upstart Latrobe are facing a wave of turnover.

Franklin Regional, the WPIAL runner-up, has to replace eight seniors, including cornerstone players Danny Christafano, Joey Bayne and goalie Noah Walker.

Still, don’t sleep on the talent the Panthers have back, especially on the back line. Returning starters include senior forwards Cruise Lamanna and Fabrizzio Costa, senior midfielder Keaton Sheetz, senior defenders Dom Mascara and Joey Benson and junior defender Thomas Bridges.

“The messaging has been this: If we want to have a chance to achieve similar success, we must work even harder than we did last season,” Franklin Regional coach Nick White said. “The investment in fitness and training has been there, and we expect these to be foundational building blocks to our upcoming season. We’ve got a close-knit group of guys that are committed to working their hardest in order to achieve our goals.”

• Latrobe must replace TribLive Westmoreland player of the year Roman Agostoni (Mercyhurst) and his brother, rising junior Warren Agostoni, who is now with the Austin FC Academy.

• Belle Vernon has a new coach, former Charleroi star Tyler Caterino. The Leopards must replace 100-goal scorer Trevor Kovatch.

• Derry has six starters back, including all-section players Brennan Borbonus and John Kerin (GK).

• Southmoreland is interesting after making the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Scotties had their first winning season since 2015. They lost five seniors but bring back junior midfielder Jack Smith and junior center back Liam Smith.

• Jeannette has a new coach in Luke Brummett, a former Jayhawks goalkeeper. He replaced Steve Pons, who came in as an outsider to the program.

Brummett is a diehard, grassroots coach.

“I have already been feeling the ‘small town, big pride’ atmosphere,” Brummett said. “I’ve had teachers, parents, friends and even random strangers throughout the community reach out to congratulate me. This is also a special moment for me because I got to see some of my players grow up because of my involvement at the soccer club reffing growing up.”

Mitchell Steele, the father of Jeannette player Macallister Steele, coached Brummett at Jeannette and Westmoreland County Community College and is the reason, Brummett said, he made the switch from football to soccer.

“Which was not heard of in Jeannette,” Brummett said. “So, it really went full circle. I just want to lead these boys to something that my group couldn’t do when I played — lift a WPIAL title.”

• Greensburg Central Catholic also has a new coach in Jon Dobrinski, who was an assistant the past two years to Ryan Kanner. The former coach resigned after back-to-back WPIAL Class A playoff trips.

Players to watch

Braden Crowe, Sr., MF, Hempfield

Yuriy Bidoshko, Sr., MF, Penn-Trafford

Grant Brewer, Sr., MF, Greensburg Central Catholic

Ian Natale, Sr., MF, Norwin

Damien Oher, Jr., D, Mt. Pleasant

Isaac Pacacha, Jr., MF, Yough

Ryan Schoemer, Jr., F, Norwin

Jack Smith, Jr., MF, Southmoreland

Tyke Snyder, So., MF, Mt. Pleasant

McAlister Steele, Jr., MF, Jeannette

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