Westmoreland County high school notebook: Hempfield football assembles eclectic coaching staff

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, July 13, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Hempfield second-year football coach Nick Keefer has assembled a unique mix of assistants for a new season.

One will be of interest to local basketball fans.

Longtime hardwood coach Jim Nesser has joined the Spartans and will work with defensive backs. Nesser, who previously helped out at Greensburg Central Catholic when his son, Jake, played, recently retired from teaching and coaching at Yough.

Jake Nesser went on to play at Gannon.

“He’s a culture guy, and with 41 years of (basketball coaching) experience, he knows defense,” Keefer said. “I want him to look at the kids and see if they are competing. We’re having a ton of fun with him.”

Another new assistant is Al “Poodie” Carson, a personal trainer who has worked with Aaron Donald, other NFL players and pro and college teams.

Carson is a police officer.

“He was just working with guys at Alabama,” Keefer said. “His big thing is hand-fighting. He’s worked with kids at IUP and Pitt. He is a Belle Vernon guy and has a garage in Irwin.”

Carson’s video of a “knife fight” with Donald went viral after ESPN featured it. Carlson swung fake, rubber-bladed knives at the now-retired NFL star who played at Penn Hills and Pitt before winning a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.

Carson, a Belle Vernon native, teaches a fighting brand called Krav Maga, which was developed by the Israel Defense Forces.

Another assistant is Tim Van Horn, a former Norwin football staffer who is the head track and field coach at Norwin.

Van Horn and Keefer have a similar resume with football and track backgrounds.

Van Horn, who will be an offensive coach, will help the Spartans with speed training.

“I am surrounding myself with people who make me better,” Keefer said. “It’s nice to share my values and love of the game with them. There are no yes men on the staff. We all hold each other accountable.”

WCCA 7-on-7 football

Latrobe will go for a three-peat Thursday at the 13th Westmoreland County Coaches Association Larry Sellitto Memorial Passing Tournament at Latrobe’s Rossi and Graham-Sobota fields.

This year’s event will begin at 9 a.m., with the championship slated for 2 p.m. following pool play.

There will be 15 teams, including two from Latrobe. Bracket A is Ligonier Valley, Latrobe (B), Penn-Trafford, Mt. Pleasant, Yough, Norwin, Franklin Regional and Valley.

Pool B has Jeannette, Hempfield, Latrobe (A), Southmoreland, Burrell, Greensburg Salem, Kiski Area and Greensburg Central Catholic.

Pool winners will meet in the final.

Teams play on 40-yard fields and must get to the 20 for a first down. The one-hand tag games are 25 minutes long with no overtime.

Touchdowns are worth six points, with one extra point for a completion from the 3-yard line or two points from the 10.

A stop on downs is worth one point, an interception three points.

Last year, Latrobe defeated Norwin in the championship 18-12.

Five-time champ Penn-Trafford was the last team to win three straight titles (2013-15).

Some quarterbacks to watch include Latrobe’s John Wetzel, a Marshall recruit for defense, Tristyn Tavares of Norwin, Chase Lemke of Franklin Regional, Anthony Smith and Caden Matthews of Southmoreland, Jonny Lovre of Penn-Trafford and Samir Crosby of GCC.

All-American

Recent Penn-Trafford graduate Patton Graziano earned All-America honors for the second time in the 100-yard backstroke.

The West Virginia recruit took second in the event at the WPIAL championships in 50.39 seconds.

He took fourth at the PIAA meet.

Ponko to IUP

Cam Ponko, an incoming senior at Penn-Trafford, will play college softball at IUP. A durable third baseman who hits for power, she batted .500 this season with six home runs, 25 RBIs and 28 runs scored.

Recruiting

Mt. Pleasant soccer player Riley Gesinski will continue her playing career at Pitt-Greensburg. An All-WPIAL player, Gesinski led the Vikings last season with 23 assists — 43 for her career. Her sister, Hannah, is a junior on the UPG team.

• Hempfield football player Brock Heisler, a load of a defensive end at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, has his first Division I college opportunity. Penn, an Ivy League school, offered Heisler. He attended Penn’s prospect camp earlier this month.

• Quinn Wilkins, a baseball player at Hempfield, committed to play at Allegheny. A shortstop and pitcher, Wilkins hit .380 with 18 RBIs and 10 runs for the Spartans.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Hempfield, Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford