Bill Beckner stories, Page 103
WPIAL girls soccer players lauded with All-America, all-region, all-state honors
A trio of WPIAL girls soccer standouts guided their teams to long postseason runs and now are reaping individual rewards. Senior forward Lucia Wells of North Allegheny was named to the United Soccer Coaches Region II All-America Team. She helped the Tigers (21-2) win the WPIAL 4A championship and reach...
WPIAL boys earn All-America, all-region, all-state soccer accolades
Beau Lizewski helped lead Seneca Valley (22-1-1) to a PIAA Class 4A championship and a runner-up finish in the WPIAL. The standout senior midfielder is considered one of the best in the district. Make that state, region and country, too. Lizewski was named a United Soccer Coaches Region II All-American...
Norwin notebook: Graduates making impact on women’s college hardwood
Norwin has produced college-level talent before in women’s basketball, but the Lady Knights’ imprint on the game is large this season. At least six former Norwin players are contributing to college programs as various levels. At Division III Marietta (Ohio), junior guard Olivia Gribble started the first three games of...
Franklin Regional notebook: Football standouts earn postseason honors
The Big 5/6 Conference, which acknowledges the accomplishments of teams and athletes in the WPIAL’s two largest classifications, announced its all-section teams for football, soccer and volleyball. The Class 5A Big East Conference first team was loaded with Franklin Regional players, and Lance Getsy was named the section coach of...
Franklin Regional teams win youth football championships
Franklin Regional Youth football was double trouble for opponents in the Big East this season. The future Panthers raised a pair of trophies after winning championships last month at the Woodland Hills Wolvarena in Turtle Creek. The flag team defeated Penn-Trafford, 14-6, in overtime, before the 8U Cubs edged by...
Electrifying Quinton Martin sparks Belle Vernon to WPIAL Class 3A title win over Avonworth
Attendance at Acrisure Stadium for the WPIAL Class 3A football championship: Quinton Martin … and everyone else. Martin electrified the crowd with a highlight-reel, 51-yard punt return touchdown, caught a TD pass and ran for another score to lead Belle Vernon to its first WPIAL title since 1995 in a...
Norwin girls basketball coach planning to manage team so it peaks at right time
Looking to allow recovery time between the fall season and WPIAL winter season, Norwin’s girls basketball team eased into practice instead of going all out like in previous years. “It’s a different approach,” coach Brian Brozeski said. “We’re a little bit behind. We had more fall involvement than in years...
Norwin boys basketball team prepared to take next step in Maha’s 2nd season as coach
A sleek, refurbished gym floor greeted the basketball teams at Norwin this year. The floor is much lighter, adding brightness to the room. The color scheme is slightly altered — a tangier shade of yellow against the traditional navy blue — and the Knights logo also has a modernized look...
Belle Vernon secondary prepares to deal with tall Avonworth receivers in WPIAL title game
WPIAL Class 3A football championship Avonworth (11-1) vs. Belle Vernon (9-2) 5 p.m. Friday, Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh … Watching film on Avonworth this week, Belle Vernon football players could see the size advantage the Antelopes possess in the slot and on the perimeter. The Antelopes go long: long legs, long...
Saint Francis (Pa.) sports 4 national FCS award finalists
Saint Francis (Pa.) has finalists in four of the the five major categories for the FCS college football awards. Quarterback Cole Doyle is a finalist for the Walter Payton Award for the national offensive player of the year. The redshirt sophomore, who transferred from College of the Canyons, is fourth...
Football newcomer develops into one of WPIAL’s finest linemen at Belle Vernon
First, there was curiosity. Then came eagerness. Before long, though, bewilderment set in. Did this experiment backfire? “There’s no way,” Belle Vernon football coach Matt Humbert said as he watched then-sophomore Steve Macheska pull up lame two years ago on the first day of training camp. “That’s just my luck....
Westmoreland campus clippings: Seton Hill’s Jaylen McDuffie earns postseason honors
The all-time leading tackler in Seton Hill program history, Jaylen McDuffie was one of the most disruptive football players in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference this season. Conference coaches not only gameplanned for the 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior linebacker, but they also voted for him. McDuffie was named the PSAC West...
Latrobe boys basketball wants to reap benefits of adversity
To experience the pleasure of the WPIAL postseason again, Latrobe had to endure a little pain. A few lean years — extra lean by the Wildcats’ standards — kept the boys basketball team out of the postseason in 2019-20 and 2021-22. Latrobe won just six games last year (6-15) and...
Latrobe girls basketball team maintains work ethic
Despite a two-year run of success that has produced a a pair of section titles, a run to the WPIAL semifinals and its first PIAA playoff berth since 1999, the Latrobe girls basketball team is not expecting any handouts. Even with four starters back, the Wildcats know they have to...
Saint Francis (Pa.) receiver, coach up for national awards
Makai Jackson was a three-sport athlete in high school. It takes that many defensive backs to slow him down sometimes in his chosen sport at St. Francis (Pa.). Jackson, a freshman wide receiver, is getting noticed for his big-play talent, his 80 receptions and his 11.5 yards-per-catch average. He is...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Seton Hill men’s basketball off to best start in 2 decades
The only thing better than a fast start for the Seton Hill men’s basketball team would be an even faster finish. The Griffins moved to 4-0 for the first time in nearly two decades with an 87-72 win over Roberts Wesleyan. Junior guard Sean Dillon erupted for 26 points to...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Franklin Regional well represented on all-star team
The Big 5/6 Conference, which acknowledges the accomplishments of teams and athletes in the WPIAL’s two largest classifications, announced its all-section teams for football, soccer and volleyball. The Class 5A Big East Conference first team was loaded with Franklin Regional players, and Lance Getsy was named the section coach of...
Jeannette boys basketball looking to measure up to competition
Jeannette has featured strong guard play in recent years, but its strength this boys basketball season looks like the frontcourt. The team has length and should be able to pull down rebounds, alter shots and finish breaks because of it. “We do have some decent size,” coach Adrian Batts said....
New coach keeps positive outlook as Jeannette girls basketball eyes rebound
The climb back to respectability is steep for Anna Leonard, the new girls basketball coach at Jeannette. But she is ready to scale the challenge and doesn’t plan to look down. “I’m not nervous. I’m excited,” Leonard said. “It’s not just a challenge for the girls, it’s a challenge for...
Moon’s Hailey Longwell wins Moe Rosensteel Award
Her team did not lose a single game and celebrated a pair of championships. But a postseason award really seemed to cap a perfect season for Hailey Longwell. She was the engine that made the Tigers go. The senior midfielder from Moon was named the recipient of the fourth Moe...
Norwin notebook: Group of standout seniors make college commitments
Norwin athletes put pen to paper on college signing day Nov. 9. Eight Knights signed letters of intent to play at the next level, in four sports. Signees were: Madie Kessler (softball, St. Francis, Pa.); Emma Novotnak (softball, Gannon); Alyssa Aquilio (soccer, Clarion); Faith Steen (soccer, Saint Vincent); Grace Ketter...
Hempfield girls look to keep offseason momentum rolling
Some offseason success and a taste of victory has the Hempfield girls basketball team beaming with confidence and believing it can win more games than it loses. The Spartans won a summer league at the Greensburg YMCA, went undefeated at the Seton Hill Shootout, finished 5-1 at the Cal (Pa.)...
With young roster, Hempfield boys embark on rebuilding year
It is a harsh reality in sports. Teams rebuild. Fans can’t believe it’s true. Players don’t want to acknowledge it. Coaches hope it never happens to them. Even good programs that compete hard every year, like Hempfield, have to start over. “Yeah, this is the first time we’ve had to,”...
Rosters set for inaugural WCCA all-star volleyball match
A new event has joined the Westmoreland County Coaches Association sports rotation. Players from 16 teams will converge on Ligonier Valley for the first WCCA All-Star Girls Volleyball Match at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The all-senior event will feature East vs. West with players selected by coaches. Rosters are as follows:...
Guard play could provide spark for Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball team
A move to a new section is just logistics to Greensburg Central Catholic. The new digs come with no guarantees and don’t mean another perfect record in section games like last season. And they surely do not ensure a 23rd straight WPIAL playoff berth. That still has to be earned,...
