Back-to-back
Uniontown’s clay target team earns 2nd state title
Submitted photo
Uniontown’s clay target team was established just 2 ½ years ago, but the squad has proven to be quick learners.
The Red Raiders won their second state championship in a row in the USA Clay Target League’s 5-stand event this past October.
Head coach Terry Dawson participates in trap shooting, and retirement provided him with the opportunity to get to shoot targets more regularly, but he was eager to see that students in the Uniontown Area School District were able to participate in the sport, which prompted him to request that a clay target be established.
“Connellsville and Geibel Catholic have trap shooting teams, and I wanted to bring one to our district,” Dawson said. “The inaugural season served as a valuable learning experience. We put it out to the kids in Uniontown, and we had a tremendous response.”
While the team’s goals remain high in winning, the No. 1 priority is safety.
“Safety is No. 1, No. 2 is to have fun, and No. 3 is marksmanship,” Dawson said. “We belong to the USA Clay target entity, and every kid has to take a safety course or have a hunting license to participate. There has never been an incident. We stress to the kids to treat every firearm like it’s loaded, and there is no room for any kind of foolishness. The kids and parents understand this. The parents have been nothing but supportive.”
The team welcomes all students in grades 6-12, and the squad is co-ed. Dawson stated that other districts can participate as part of a co-op agreement that are near the district and do not offer a clay shooting team.
“I am not sure the exact number, but we have about five kids from Laurel Highlands, three from Turkeyfoot (Valley), one from Albert Gallatin and one from Carmichaels,” Dawson said. “We shoot at the Fayette Gun Club, and the competition is virtual in the fall, but we compete in person in the spring. Another thing is that everybody is a starter. It’s not like you come, and maybe you play or don’t. Everyone has an opportunity to compete.”
In addition to their team success, the Red Raiders had two win state individual state championships this past season in Aidan Hair (Turkeyfoot Valley) and Holly Piovarchy (Laurel Highlands). Hair was the state champion trap shooter and Piovarchy was the female 5-state championship shooter.
The following students joined Hair and Piovarchy as members of the state championship 5-stand team: Aden Brame, Gage Burnsworth, Ryder Burnsworth, Isaiah Currey, Aiden Davis, Rocco DelSignore, Austin King, Jacob Marva, Kenneth Meadows Jr., Ethan Nicholson, Leland Peck, Lillian Sadler, Rocco Tom, Laurel Vogel and Bethany Wise.
“Last year, we were not only the state champions, but we also had the top score of all the USA Clay teams,” Dawson said. “We have some that pick it up faster than others, but we have had some solid players the first couple of years.”
The team is currently in the offseason, but will pick back up in January for the preseason. Dawson encourages students to participate in a sport that they can continue beyond their high school years.
“The great thing about this sport is that it’s a lifetime sport,” Dawson said. “You also don’t need to be 6-5 or run a 4.5 40-yard dash to compete and be successful in this sport, but you do need to put the work in to get better. I stress to the kids to continue to work on their shooting. We don’t start competing until April, but you need to stay sharp.”