Westmoreland high school football notebook: Southmoreland off to historically good start

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, September 27, 2025 | 4:23 PM

Dustin Shoaf, Southmoreland’s 24-year-old first year football coach, said he didn’t think many people expected the Scotties to win their first six games.

He’d heard the faint praise.

But here are the Scotties, unblemished and the talk of Westmoreland County football.

Despite 13 penalties — Shoaf vowed to correct the miscues — Southmoreland stayed perfect with a 23-11 win over Derry in their Interstate Conference opener.

You have to reach way back in the history books to find a 6-0 Southmoreland team. That is because it hasn’t happened since 1964. That season, the Scotties started 8-0 but didn’t have enough Gardner Points to make the WPIAL playoffs.

At this rate, this team won’t need to talk about tiebreaker points.

Southmoreland started 5-0 in 2022 but fizzled and lost its final six games. This year’s team has maintained momentum and could continue that trend.

How long will this unbeaten run last?

The schedule is promising as they will play three of their final four regular-season games at home.

They play at Yough next week before hosting Mt. Pleasant, Elizabeth Forward and Greensburg Salem, a stretch that will fill the seats at Russ Grimm Field.

There are only nine teams in the WPIAL with 6-0 records. Four of them — Southmoreland, Avonworth, North Catholic and Freeport — are in Class 3A.

The others are Peters Township, South Allegheny, Western Beaver, Jefferson-Morgan and Fort Cherry.

Detruf shines

Hempfield senior quarterback Dom Detruf continued to make his late father, T.J., proud with another stat-heavy game Friday.

Detruf had a career night, completing 26 of 34 attempts for 350 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-27 win over Canon-McMillan.

The yardage mark topped all WPIAL passers Friday.

Sophomore Lucas Simmons also had his best game with three TD grabs.

Detruf is inching closer to a record. He needs only 9 yards to break the program’s career passing record of 4,004 yards set by Justin Sliwoski in 2017.

Carrying the load

Call him the workhorse. The bell cow. Soon, you might be calling him the top rusher in Westmoreland County.

Norwin’s Giovanni Rothrauff registered career highs in carries with 43 and yards with 190 in a 21-17 win over North Hills.

Rothrauff is up to 777 yards for the season, just behind Derry’s Max Doherty (794).

Doherty continues to grind out yards as the Trojans’ main man in the backfield. He ran for a game-high 128 yards and a touchdown in Friday’s 23-11 loss to Southmoreland.

Tavares, Powell injured

Norwin quarterback Tristyn Tavares and Jeannette wide receiver Jayce Powell left their games Friday night with first-half injuries and did not return.

Tavares injured his ankle on a short run in the first quarter against North Hills. Josh Lenart took over at quarterback and went 10 of 12 for 73 yards and a touchdown. Norwin won 21-17.

Powell left Friday’s game on crutches after an ankle injury in the first half against Clairton.

Powell is the leading receiver in Westmoreland County with 25 catches for 499 yards and six touchdowns. He did not play after halftime in a 57-0 loss to the Bears.

Mercy seat 

With WPIAL teams like Baldwin and Fox Chapel asking opponents to play shortened quarters to limit the damage of anticipated blowouts, some coaches are talking about ways to fix the problem.

Clairton coach Wayne Wade knows a thing — or 35 — about mercy-ruled games. The veteran coach had a suggestion for the mercy rule, which goes into effect with a running clock when a team gets a 35-point lead in the second half.

“What you can do is make it a first-quarter mercy rule,” Wade said. “When a team gets up 28-0, you run the clock. If a team comes back (and makes it close), you go back to a normal clock. When you play seven- or eight-minute quarters, you get nothing out if it. That’s maybe one series for us. It doesn’t do either team any good.”

I know you

Week 6 will bring together coaches and former players who have ties to other schools.

For instance, Norwin coach Mike Brown will go against some of his former coaching colleagues at Hempfield. Brown guided the Spartans for two seasons before taking over the Knights in 2023.

Penn-Trafford hosts Gateway. Warriors coach John Ruane is a teacher at Gateway.

Greensburg Central Catholic standout Samir Crosby will play his hometown team when the Centurions visit Jeannette.

And, in a homecoming six years after his high school graduation, Southmoreland’s Shoaf will lead the Scotties against his alma mater at Yough.

Shoaf is the Cougars’ all-time leader in rushing yards.

Former Yough head coach Scott Wood is a Southmoreland assistant.

Something to watch in Week 8: Elizabeth Forward plays at Southmoreland. Warriors coach John DeMarco is a former Scotties’ assistant.

Extra points 

Franklin Regional has not started 0-6 since 2000. … Jeannette’s 57-0 loss to Clairton was its first shutout loss at McKee Stadium since an 82-0 loss to Sto-Rox in 2021. … Curtis Wade threw for a career-high 214 yards for Belle Vernon on 13-of-17 passing in a 14-10 loss to Thomas Jefferson. Anthony DiCenzo had four catches for 108 yards, also a career-best effort. … Chris Berger, a freshman, started at quarterback for Greensburg Salem against Elizabeth Forward. Normal starter Brody Chismar injured his knee last week against Ambridge.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Jeannette, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Southmoreland