Local Cub Scout troops partake in annual Pinewood Derby
The Church of the Covenant in Washington was abuzz Saturday morning as Cub Scout packs gathered to compete in the annual Pinewood Derby.
The scouts of the Laurel Highlands Council’s Anawanna Trails District competed with their homemade derby cars, all required to weigh five ounces or less.
“In the past we’ve had it at Washington Crown Center. Unfortunately with the closing of that, we had to find a different venue, and the Church of the Covenant had been gracious enough to allow us to do it here,” said David Zaccheus, the chair of the Anawanna Trails District Pinewood Derby.
According to Zaccheus, there were 77 scouts participating in Saturday’s event. The participants had been the ones to make the fastest cars within their packs.
One of those scouts was Matthew Zeitler. Zeitler has the Arrow of Light rank, the highest Cub Scout rank, in Pack 1313 in Peters Township.
Zeitler entered a blue car with a white stripe and a spoiler. He came in first place for the Arrow of Light race, which qualified him to return for the championship race.
“Each year it’s like, just a race to see if your car is the fastest, and it’s pretty fun,” Zeitler said.
The top three finishers for the 2026 Anawanna Trails Pinewood Derby were Ethan Terrill, Calvin Rupnik and Eli Terrill.
As kids rise through the Scout ranks, from Lion to Arrow of Light, Zaccheus says it’s “amazing” to see how their skills in building the cars develop.
“It’s amazing to see the transition. From the youngest being a Lion Scout where parents help for the majority of it, because they’re in kindergarten … When you come to an (Arrow of Light), they’re doing most of the work and the parents are just doing little things for them,” Zaccheus said. “It’s amazing to see. They do put a lot of work in. You’ll see some great designs, and some really fast cars.”
Zaccheus added that the derby helps impart many of the values the scouts try to instill in its membership.
“Teamwork, and being able to deal with, you’re not first place. Being a gracious both winner and loser, or winner and second place finisher. Understanding that sportsmanship is very key. They’ve all worked hard, and they all want to win, but sometimes you’re not the winner … Also being there and cheering on their teammates, other folks from their pack. That’s a great thing to see, because you see a lot of camaraderie between the different units,” Zaccheus said.