Several students and staff have reached academic, athletic, and extracurricular milestones during the start of the school year, contributing to programs, activities, and projects across West Branch.
Mr. Jones, the band director, has been appointed to the PMEA board and will be speaking at the PMEA conference later this year. He will be alongside other board members and will be learning new strategies to bring back to our school district.
Hadlee Ishler, a junior at West Branch who attends the CCCTC for Health Occupations, recently earned certificates in tourniquet application and was recognized on the CCCTC Honor Roll.
Students in Mr. Learish’s weightlifting class participated in training to prepare for upcoming sports seasons, showing measurable progress in strength and conditioning
The National Honor Society is inducting 11 new members on November 13, 2025. These students have demonstrated leadership, scholarship, service, and character throughout their high school years. The faculty council voted to induct Serenity Smith, Emily Shingledecker, Jacob Tiracorda, McKenzie Harbold, Evan Wooster, Raegan Correll, Max Gibson, Kaleb Warren-Kio, Hansen Lannen, Ali McCamley, and Aubree Good.
Mrs. Liegey’s Life Skills students have been creating Christmas crafts that will be sold on November 24-25 to raise funds for class trips and other activities. Staff and students are invited to visit the Life Skills room to purchase the items.
On October 23, Miss Reed and Miss McClelland took 16 sophomores to Penn State Dubois for Discovering Engineering Day. Students participated in activities and learned about different engineering majors. They approached problems from an engineering perspective and participated in fun activities throughout the day. McClelland said, “These experiences are a great opportunity for students because they get to work with current engineering students in many different disciplines, and they get to see a day in the life of an engineering student. It is an opportunity for students to get exposed to various career paths that they may not have considered otherwise. Having these field trips with real-life experiences makes students excited to come to school for the day!”
The blood drive was held on October 31. Bella Koleno coordinated with Mr. Matson and promoted the event to students across the school, helping make the drive a success. A total of 31 units of blood were collected, exceeding the goal of 30 units. Koleno received a $500 scholarship from the blood drive to support her next steps at Mount Aloysius.
Ms. Steffan’s art classes continue producing works that are displayed throughout the front hallway. Her Arts and Crafts class created a Day of the Dead display inspired by the Huichol people, using yarn painting and papier-mache sculptures to represent spirit animals, similar to the movie Coco. Students also made poppies to distribute at the Veteran’s Day breakfast honoring those who served the country. The poppy flower represents sacrifice and honor for military service. The Creative Writing class produced hundreds of paper leaves and apples for a Thanksgiving “gratitude tree” outside the main office, allowing all students and staff to contribute messages of thankfulness.
Mrs. Levonick’s 2nd period English 10 students collaborated with Mrs. Thompson’s 4th-grade class at Philipsburg Osceola Elementary School. West Branch students wrote about the book The One Thing You’d Save, reflecting on what they would save in a crisis, such as a fire or an emergency. Both classes shared their items and essays, making it a meaningful cross-school and grade experience.
The football team completed the season with a record of 0-10 while competing in the Inter-County Conference (ICC). Despite the winless record, several players received conference recognition. Coby Kephart, Reed Yingling, and Brayden Williamson were named to the ICC North First Team All-Stars. Additionally, Carter Yingling, Payton McCloskey, Stephen Page, Easton Emigh, Gavin Dunlap, Justin Esposti, and Frankie Leskovansky received ICC North Honorable Mentions for their individual contributions.
The girls’ soccer team concluded their season, finishing with a 12-5-2 record. Sydney Sankey achieved her 50th career goal, a personal milestone. The team advanced to ICC play, losing in the championship, but bounced back to put up a fight in the District Semifinals to face Richland, but fell 0-1 in a hard-fought match. Alexa Prestash had 26 saves and was recognized as a standout performer.
The boys’ soccer team played 18 games this season, winning three, including a 2-1 victory over Bald Eagle with the final goal scored in the last 15 seconds. The team competed in all matches despite injuries, and substitute players filling starting roles as needed. Coach Nick Mostyn said, “While it is hard to believe that the season is over for my guys, I am looking forward to getting my returning players back next year and hoping I sent my seniors off with fond memories. Thank you for all of the support throughout the season, I know the team appreciated it tremendously.”
The volleyball team recently achieved several career milestones and advanced in postseason play. Libero Brielle Bainey broke the school’s career digs record, surpassing 1,000 digs. Kyla Kephart surpassed 2,000 career assists, following 1,000 assists in her junior year, now ranking second all-time in West Branch history. Bella Koleno, Lexie Mulhollem, and Haley Woodling each reached 500 kills, with Koleno also reaching 500 digs. The team won its fourth consecutive District 6 Title and ended the season with a loss to Berlin Brothersvalley in the first round of the PIAA A state tournament.
The cross country team wrapped up the 2025 season with strong performances from Ashley Causer, Alexis Condon, and Zaid Carr. Causer set a personal record of 21:30 at districts, finishing 12th and narrowly missing state qualification. Carr consistently posted top-30 finishes in the boys’ races, and Condon contributed solid times throughout the season. Reflecting on the year, Condon said, “It was a super fun season and even though we didn’t have a full team, I wouldn’t change anything.”
Congratulations to all students who reached academic, athletic, or extracurricular milestones during the first few months of the school year.
