No Trojan horse: CWNC is real
Tri-State Sports & News Service
Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic has a strong athletic program that has produced many outstanding teams over the years.
A boys soccer team has never been among them. Until now. This season’s group of Trojans are kicking aside what has been for the most part a forgettable history. The team has qualified for the WPIAL playoffs and captured a section title. It’s believed to be the first time the program has ever accomplished either of those feats. The Trojans didn’t lose a game in Class 1A Section 3 and are 15-2-1 overall.
Now, the same North Catholic program that won just six games total from 2010-2014 finds itself ranked No. 4 in 1A and has realistic hopes of potentially accomplishing what has long seemed unfathomable — winning a WPIAL title.
“At the beginning of the season, our main goal was to take baby steps and make the playoffs,” coach Jordan Wiegand said. “We thought we could maybe make a run at the section title. I don’t think until the halfway mark that we thought it could become reality. We’ll hopefully try to get a playoff win before we get too high, but I don’t see [winning a WPIAL championship] as an unrealistic goal for this group.”
Wiegand has helped North Catholic make big strides in his three seasons as coach. The Trojans went 2-14 in 2014 before improving to 7-9-1 last season. The team had just 15 players Wiegand’s first season. They now have 31, enough to field a junior varsity team for the first time.
North Catholic quite possibly might be the youngest team in the WPIAL playoffs. The Trojans have only one senior (Josh Rivetti is a talented midfielder), start four sophomores (midfielder Braiden Wills and goalkeeper Nathan Paras are two of the standouts), and their leading scorer is a freshman (Joe Kearney has 21 goals).
The Trojans are unbeaten in their past 13 games. Their only losses were to Class 4A North Hills and 1A top-ranked SetonLaSalle, both by one goal.
“They had a big vision for this season,” Wiegand said. “I don’t think that vision is the one that has come to life, but I think the kids are more than ready to handle what lies ahead.
South Park
It comes as little surprise that South Park is having another successful season. The Eagles won their eighth consecutive section title, which is the longest active streak in the WPIAL. They’ve also reached the postseason for the 17th year in a row.
South Park is 14-2-1 and claimed the Class 2A Section 1 title. Coach Jon Cantwell said this is one of the youngest teams he has had in his 15 seasons. A year after graduating 16 seniors, South Park has just seven.
“We probably have the least experience at the varsity level. I wouldn’t say we’ve had growing pains. We’ve just been growing and learning how to play at a very different level. It’s been nice to keep the results,” said Cantwell, who has a career record of 281-51-14.
South Park’s top two players are seniors. Forward Mitch Roell has scored a team-best 16 goals and Dan Irwin anchors a strong midfield. Both were all-WPIAL honorees as juniors. Roell scored hat tricks on consecutive days earlier this month. The team’s other senior starter, goalkeeper Ted Cecotti, didn’t allow a goal in any of the team’s final five section games.
The Eagles, ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, are coming off a season in which they reached the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA final. They won the WPIAL championship a season earlier.
Penn-Trafford
A third consecutive section title in its back pocket, Penn-Trafford will head into the playoffs with a lot of momentum. The Warriors (15-1) needed just a tie to claim the Class 4A Section 4 crown when they hosted second-place Norwin in the section finale last Thursday. They walked away with a 3-1 win. The Warriors have won nine games in a row.
“I would say our strength is that we’re well-rounded and getting scoring from a bunch of different guys,” coach Rick Nese said.
Junior forward Austin Kreutzberger (13 goals, 5 assists) and senior midfielder Trevor Momeyer (8 goals, 14 assists) are the top two scorers. Kreutzberger scored twice in the sectionclinching win.