Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Derry off to a good, gritty start

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, September 18, 2025 | 5:14 PM

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Smashmouth football is back at Derry, and coach Mike Arone is enjoying every second of it.

A team with dirt under its fingernails and an old-school edge is 3-1 and gaining momentum for the start of Class 3A Interstate Conference play next week against Southmoreland.

But it could be better.

Arone knows his team must be sharper in all three phases to be a serious factor. He thinks maturity will come with each bout of adversity.

“I love the grittiness and character of our team,” Arone said. “But, realistically, we need to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. We are making too many mistakes in critical situations.”

Derry has had four touchdowns called back because of penalties.

“This group practices well, they hold each other accountable and they are very coachable,” Arone said.

All-conference linebacker Max Doherty has been a pleasant surprise as the featured tailback. His position switch has been seamless, and he looks more the part each week.

“He runs hard, has good vision and has improved his speed,” Arone said.

A junior, Doherty has rushed for more than 400 yards, and 6-foot-6, 250-pound senior defensive end Dylan Pitzer has been a force.

Arone also likes the play of junior Noah Stough as an offensive threat.

“Our team, as a whole, continues to improve each week,” the coach said.

Hidden gem?

There is a Class A game this week that isn’t getting much attention, but maybe it should.

The Black Hills Conference clash has the potential for fireworks, although many are not giving Monessen (4-0, 1-0) much of a chance at No. 1 Fort Cherry (4-0, 1-0).

Defending WPIAL champion Fort Cherry is averaging 47 points and has allowed just 28 though four weeks.

Monessen has a 27.7 point-average but has given up less fewer: 27.

The Greyhounds will try to slow down star quarterback Matt Sieg, a Penn State commit, but likely will need more than 13 points — they beat Serra Catholic 13-6 last week — to take down the Rangers.

Sieg is closing in on the WPIAL record for career touchdowns. He has 115, two away from the record of 117 set by Tyler Boyd and Lamont Wade, both of Clairton.

Sieg has more than 4,500 career passing yards, and, earlier this season, he became Fort Cherry’s all-time leading passer.

Military night

Penn-Trafford will host its Military Appreciation Night on Friday when it welcomes Kiski Area to Warrior Stadium.

At 6:55 p.m., all veterans, active military personnel, first-responders and faith leaders will be asked to report to the track on the press box side and will be recognized at 7:15, just before kickoff.

An honor heroes ceremony will take place at 7:20.

Also that night, Penn-Trafford softball players will receive their PIAA championship rings at 7 p.m.

Reitz reunion

Hempfield will play Central Catholic on Friday night at West Mifflin in a Class 6A conference matchup.

The game will reunite Central Catholic offensive coordinator Ryan Reitz, and his father, Vikings assistant Ray Reitz, with the Hempfield coaches and staff.

Both coached with the Spartans in 2022, Ryan as the offensive coordinator. He helped to bring the spread offense to the program when Mike Brown was the head coach.

Ray Reitz was the head coach at Jeannette during the Terrelle Pryor era, and Ryan is a former Jayhawks lineman.

Hall call

Belle Vernon added four stellar players from the 2010s to its football hall of fame last week.

Ian Dobbins (Class of 2011), Matt Naylor (’11), Jake Sweitzer (’14) and Nick Sweitzer (’16) were honored as 2025 inductees.

Dobbins was a two-time team MVP as a wide receiver, defensive back and quarterback. He earned all-conference honors as a running back, wideout and defensive back. Dobbins, who went on to play at Cal (Pa.), set school records in single-season receiving yards (754) and most receptions in a game (7).

Naylor played quarterback and defensive end, earning all-conference honors at both positions, and was a team MVP on offense. He set the Leopards’ single-season passing record of 1,461 yards.

Jake Sweitzer was an all-state tight end who played in multiple all-star games and later joined the Mid Mon Valley All-Sports Hall of Fame. He also played quarterback and left tackle before taking his talents to Georgetown.

Nick Sweitzer was a key two-way lineman and was a team captain for a conference title winning team. He earned all-conference and all-state honors. He also played at Georgetown.

Points of view

Norwin beat Seneca Valley last week, 56-13. It was the first time the Knights topped 50 points in a game since 2015 when they defeated Connellsville, 52-35. Norwin needs only 39 points to surpass its entire point total of last season.

Southmoreland has a 41.7-point average to lead Westmoreland teams.

Norwin is second (41.0), Jeannette is third (37.5), Hempfield fourth (28.7) and Monessen fifth (27.7).

Transfers show out

Players who left local programs are finding success at their new schools.

• Last week, senior Landon Honick, who transferred from Greensburg Central Catholic to Elizabeth Forward, caught 13 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown in a 27-24 loss to South Fayette.

• Sophomore quarterback Anthony Smith, who had the controversial transfer from Southmoreland to Seton LaSalle before leaving the state, has been strong in two games at Fairmont Senior High School in Fairmont, W. Va. Smith has thrown for nearly 400 yards and six touchdowns for the Polar Bears.

• Dennis Hawkins, a junior quarterback at Ringgold and a Monessen transfer, has helped the Rams to a 3-1 mark. He has thrown for 560 yards and eight touchdowns. He was 14 of 20 for 220 yards and three scores in a 33-13 win over Greensburg Salem. The Rams play at Southmoreland on Friday night.

• Senior running back and linebacker Brody Hutter is now at River Valley after leaving Mt. Pleasant and is making an impact in the backfield. Hutter has rushed for 280 yards and three touchdowns on 45 carries over four games. Last week, he ran for 102 yards and two TDs in a 56-26 win over Portage.

Extra points

Greensburg Salem honored its 1985 Keystone Conference championship team during last week’s home opener at Offutt Field. The Golden Lions were led by coach John Murphy. … Three county teams are averaging 10 or fewer points: Franklin Regional (10.0), Ligonier Valley (8.0) and Valley (2.5). … Southmoreland most recently was 4-0 in 2019 when the Scotties made their return to the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in 40 years. The Scotties won their first five games that season.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Derry Area, Greensburg Salem, Jeannette, Monessen, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland