Westmoreland County high school notebook: Southmoreland star picks Pitt-Greensburg

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, June 1, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Ty Keffer has been a dynamic, three-sport athlete at Southmoreland.

He has lit up the scoreboard in basketball, pulled in leaping catches in football and struck out numerous batters in baseball.

But the athletic Keffer’s top sport is basketball, and he has decided to extend his playing career at a nearby university.

Keffer announced last week he has committed to play NCAA Division III basketball at Pitt-Greensburg, one of coach Chris Klimchock’s top recruits deciding to stay close to home.

Keffer (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) finished No. 2 on the Scotties’ boys scoring list with 1,575 career points. As a senior, he averaged 19.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.2 steals.

The champs are here

Penn-Trafford baseball captured the school’s first WPIAL championship in the sport with a 4-3 victory over Bethel Park last week at Wild Things Park in Washington.

The Warriors became the first Westmoreland County team to win a title since Franklin Regional in 2021. They also joined a lengthy list of local champions.

Franklin Regional leads with three WPIAL championships (2021, ’01, 1997), and Norwin (2016, ’60) and Vandergrift (later Kiski Area) won two (1949, ’48) each.

Other county champs are Latrobe (2017), Jeannette (’17), Greensburg Central Catholic (’15), Derry (1984), Burrell (1974), Mt. Pleasant (1970), Kiski Area (1966), Arnold (1965) and Bell Township (1943).

Proctor wins scholarship

Senior Katie Proctor of Yough softball was the recipient of the 2024 Allie Markle Memorial Scholarship, presented by coach Art “Dutch” Harvey.

The $1,000 scholarship is in the name of Markle, a true-blue Yough softball fan and the late grandmother of the Cougars’ coach.

National hall call

An enshrinement ceremony for three legendary Jeannette football players is fast approaching.

Late coach Joe Mucci and former star quarterbacks Dick Hoak and Terrelle Pryor will be inducted in the National High School Football Hall of Fame during a ceremony June 8 at Umstattd Hall at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio.

The national hall of fame was founded by Lamont “Showboat” Robinson, a Jeannette alum who is known for his exploits in comedy basketball as a former player with the Harlem Globetrotters, Harlem Road Kings and Harlem Clowns.

The three former Jayhawks will join 27 others as part of the Class of 2024. Others include Duck Butkus, Eric Dickerson, Orlando Pace, Robert Smith, Doug Williams and Charles Woodson.

Net gains

Norwin had three players make the WPIAL Class 3A volleyball all-star teams.

Senior libero Lucas Churchfield was a first-team selection, and seniors Jackson Genicola (outside hitter) and Troy Horvath (setter) made the second team.

Penn-Trafford senior outside hitters Brad Heinbaugh and Keith Otto also were second-team picks.

The third team included Hempfield senior middle hitter Josh Reilly and Penn-Trafford senior libero Drew Sherwin.

Recruiting

• Basketball standout Erica Gribble, a sophomore at Greensburg Central Catholic, added another Division I scholarship offer. Rhode Island reached out to the 5-foot-10 point guard, who averaged 19.4 points last season for the WPIAL Class 2A champion Centurions.

• Ligonier Valley senior baseball player Leo Bazala signed to play at Mount Aloysius.

• Derry senior Tessa Hayes will continue her track and field and cross country careers at Washington & Jefferson.

• Colin Bush, another Derry senior, will play baseball at Penn State Altoona.

• Hempfield football player Anthony Puskar committed to play at Saint Vincent.

• Franklin Regional senior Tyler Stone will run cross country at Westmoreland County Community College.

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

Tags: Burrell, Derry Area, Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, Kiski Area, Latrobe, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland