Daily American sports earns statewide journalism award

Staff Reports, The Daily AmericanTue, July 21, 2026 at 8:56 AM UTC·1 min read

SOMERSET ― The Daily American has been honored for its coverage of a controversy in a local school district.

The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association has announced sports writer Adam Ripple earned a first-place Sports Enterprise prize in Division IV of its 2026 Media Awards for his insightful coverage of the hazing scandal in Windber High School.

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Scandal begins: Windber student-athletes suspended, Grohal's coaching status uncertain for Friday night

His coverage included several stories on a hazing incident reported on the Windber High School football team last September that led to three students and the coach being temporarily suspended. Two of the students eventually faced criminal charges and the coach left at the end of the season.

Charges filed: Two Windber football players have charges filed against them in alleged hazing incident

Daily American editor Patrick O'Shea praised Ripple's work, noting he followed the case from its initial report all the way through the resolution of the situation.

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Reflections on incident: Former Windber football coach Matt Grohal reflects on career, alleged hazing incident

"This award is an affirmation for the incredible performance this year of the Daily American sports team and especially Adam," he said. "It is another example of how important local news coverage can be for a community."

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Daily American sports earns statewide journalism award

Story byThe Daily American