TROY GAROVE

SCHOOL: Trinity

WHO IS HE? A 5-foot-8, 170-pound senior who, in his first year as a starter, has turned into one of the leading rushers in the WPIAL.

PAST WEEK: Garove rushed for 290 yards on 32 carries and scored three touchdowns to help Trinity (3-1) defeat Chartiers Valley, 19-8, Friday.

SEASON: Garove is the third-leading rusher in the WPIAL with 742 yards on 88 carries. He also has scored nine touchdowns.

BY HIMSELF: Garove was Trinity's No. 2 halfback as a junior behind senior Ben Jennings, who finished the regular season as the second-leading rusher in the WPIAL. Trinity coach Ed Dalton expected Garove to possibly share the starting job with Brandon Weaver and Mike Yancich this season.

"To be honest, yes, I'm surprised at what [Garove] has done," Dalton said. "He had some 150- and 200-yard games at the JV level, but we did not expect it at this level. We think we have two possible Division I athletes playing behind him who are both juniors [Yancich and Weaver]. But Troy seized the job and the way he's running, he's not losing it any time soon."

A RUNNER IN DRAG: Garove can run the 40-yard dash around 4.4 seconds. That's fast, but nothing compared to the speeds he reaches on another track. Garove's hobby is drag racing. He and his father, Dennis, enter drag races, and Troy had a 3-3 record this past spring.

"We have a 1970 Plymouth Duster that we use," Garove said. "On a quarter-mile track, I can get it up to about 120 miles per hour."

THE OTHER SPORT: Garove also plays lacrosse, but would like to play football in college.

-- By Mike White

NICOLE PETRILLO ANDLIZ ROBINSON

SCHOOL: Greensburg Central Catholic.

WHO ARE THEY? Center midfielders on the girls' soccer team, which is No. 1 in the Post-Gazette's WPIAL Class AA rankings. The Centurions were 8-1-1, 7-0 heading into a Section 6 game against East Allegheny last night.

PAST WEEK: Robinson, a senior captain, and Petrillo, a junior, each recorded their 100th career goals Monday in a 7-1 rout of Steel Valley. Petrillo scored three that game, giving her 102; Robinson got her 99th and 100th.

CAREER: Petrillo, a three-year starter, had 18 goals this season. Robinson had scored 13 in this, her fourth season as a starter.

They helped Greensburg Central win a WPIAL championship and finish second in the PIAA a year ago

TRUE TEAMMATES: Centurions coach Jim Hampton said Petrillo and Robinson formed a bond years ago. Both live in the Norwin School District and developed as players through the same soccer association.

"They, honestly, put the team first," Hampton said. "They try to set everyone up for goals. Actually, after Nikki got her 100th early in the game [Monday], all the girls worked hard to get Liz to her milestone."

MULTIPLE TALENTS: Petrillo is a quality all-around talent. Speed is not Robinson's forte, but according to Hampton, "skill-wise, Liz is as good as anybody in the WPIAL."

After registering her 100th goal and before Robinson got hers. Petrillo drilled a pass through the Steel Valley defense, intending it for Robinson breaking in on goal.

"Nikki got a through ball," Hampton said, "and yelled to Liz, 'Go get it, Speedy.' "

FUTURE: Petrillo and Robinson are good students who are being recruited by Division I programs. Petrillo is being courted by Duquesne, Clemson, Pitt, Akron and others. Cleveland State and Akron are among the schools that are pursuing Robinson.

-- By Rick Shrum