TRIB TOTAL MEDIA • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 • 121
WEST GREENE • TRI-COUNTY SOUTH
WES WHIPKEY
Coach: Brian Hanson
2019 record: 10-2, 7-0
All-time record: 200-402-10
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Mapletown* 7
9.18 at California* 7
9.24 Avella* 7
10.2 at Carmichaels* 7
10.9 at Bentworth* 7
10.16 Monessen* 7
10.23 at Jefferson-Morgan* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Nathan Orndorff
16-35, 267 yards, 3 TDs
Receiving Ben Jackson*
203-3,076 yards, 50 TDs
Rushing Corey Wise
5-56 yards
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• West Greene is a merger of
Center Township and Richhill
Township in 1954. Richhill
Township High School was
located in Wind Ridge and
Center Township in Rogersville.
• The Pioneers have reached
the WPIAL playoffs eight
times. Their record is 4-5.
• West Greene reached the
WPIAL Class A finals once,
losing to Duquesne, 55-0, in
1993. West Greene edged Farrell,
7-6, in the semifinals
• A railroad trestle runs nearly
across the north end zone of
the stadium. The tracks take
cars to the coal mines in the
area.
WEST GREENE STILL
IN POSITION TO THRIVE
by PAUL SCHOFIELD
Don’t look for West Greene to be one-hit
wonders, or in this case two-hit wonders
Second-year coach Brian Hanson sees a
bright future at the school located southwest
of Waynesburg in Greene County.
West Greene rode a powerful running
game featuring Ben Jackson (Army) and
Kolin Walker (Waynesburg) to consecutive
Tri-County South Conference titles. The
Pioneers finished 10-2 and 6-0 in the conference
last year.
Their losses were to WPIAL champion
Clairton and runner-up Sto-Rox. West Greene
ripped Greensburg Central Catholic, 36-0, in
the opening round of the playoffs.
Is a third consecutive title in store in 2020?
Hanson thinks so.
“We’re losing our onetwo
punch at running
back, but junior Corey
Wise is very capable,”
Hanson said. “He’ll be
our bell cow.”
Wise carried the ball
14 times for 192 yards
in 2019. He played tight
end mainly.
Jackson led the ground attack with 3,076
yards and 50 touchdowns and Walker rushed
for 952 yards and 11 scores. Jackson will play
linebacker at Army.
West Greene also returns Nathan Orndorff,
who completed 16 of 35 passes for 267
yards and three touchdowns last season. He
started the final five games.
But Hanson will be giving junior Wesley
Whipkey a shot at quarterback.
“We were a senior-heavy class, but we have
a good junior group,” Hanson said. “And our
middle school team was undefeated.”
West Greene returns five starters on offense
and six on defense.
Heading the group are returning linemen
Tristan White and Owen Hughes at guard
and Casey Miller at tackle.
The defensive starters back are Wise at
middle linebacker, Whipkey at defensive
back, Hunter Hamilton at defensive back,
Miller and Hughes at tackle and Orndorff
at defensive back.
Look for freshman Colin Brady to fit into
the lineup at wide receiver and defensive
back.
“We have a lot of reserve players who
saw playing time,” Hanson said. “If we stay
healthy, especially along the offensive line,
we’ll be fine.”
Hanson said California, Carmichaels
and Jefferson-Morgan will be strong. He
cautioned against counting out Monessen,
which gave the Pioneers their toughest game
in the conference last season.
“It’s pretty wide open,” Hanson said. “This
is a ground-and-pound conference except
for Monessen. You can be in a battle on any
given night.”
COREY WISE
“We were a
senior-heavy
class, but we
have a good
junior group.”
BRIAN HANSON
WEST GREENE COACH