Bill Beckner stories, Page 108
Latrobe’s Lily Fenton accepts preferred walk-on offer to play volleyball at Notre Dame
When it comes to her college plans, Lily Fenton is all “set.” The senior from Latrobe accepted a preferred walk-on offer to play volleyball at Notre Dame, adding to her family’s rich history of Division I athletes. “Seeing my brother (Reed) go through the recruiting process inspired me,” said Fenton,...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Haden Sierocky doing it all for Ligonier Valley
Haden Sierocky went from a quarterback candidate to a versatile weapon and catalyst for Ligonier Valley. The senior running back and defensive back has scored five touchdowns four ways for the Rams (2-0). A film hound who looks for a cerebral edge, the 6-foot, 186-pound Sierocky is just as valuable...
Plum races past Latrobe in matchup of top girls soccer teams in Class 3A
Plum came out like a sprinter in the fastest heat. Latrobe had trouble getting off the starting block. In a showdown of ranked girls soccer teams from Section 3-3A, No. 3 Plum showcased its speed, working up a nice lather offensively early on the way to a 4-2 victory over...
Jeannette boys soccer looking to build on, not relive, last season’s success
“Move on” is a two-word mantra around the Jeannette boys soccer team these days. The much-improved, ready-to-contend Jeannette boys soccer team, that is. The Jayhawks are playing up voluntarily this season, in Class 2A, to increase competition and play with more public school teams. Last year was fun — an...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: GCC’s Carlo Denis hits major milestone
Greensburg Central Catholic senior Carlo Denis reached a career milestone Sept. 1 when the second-ranked Centurions visited No. 5 Bentworth in a Section 2-A game. The speedy forward who seems as if he has been in the GCC lineup forever cleared the 100-goal mark for his career with two scores...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Norwin grad Eva Frankovic transfers to Bucknell
Junior Eva Frankovic (Norwin) joined the Bucknell women’s soccer team after transferring from Pitt. A defender, she appeared in 15 games over the last two seasons for the Panthers and played 45 minutes last year against Duke. Frankovic said she left Pitt for “a better opportunity” at Bucknell. She goes...
GCC girls soccer not hitting panic button, remain No. 1 in Class A
Few coaches will argue it is better to lose the first game of the season than the last one. For Greensburg Central Catholic, that concept rings true. Top-ranked GCC, the Class A runner-up last season in the WPIAL and PIAA, kicked off 2022 with a grueling 3-2 loss to then-No....
Westmoreland County girls soccer notebook: Community rallies around Rosensteel Classic
More than 600 fans came through the turnstiles at Norwin on Saturday for the inaugural Moe Rosensteel Memorial Kickoff Classic. The three-game event was like a soccer celebration, with the late Moe Rosensteel on the minds of all attendees. The showcase had a DJ, music, concessions, merchandise and, last but...
Westmoreland high school notebook: WCCA girls golf championship tees off Friday
The Westmoreland County Coaches Association will host its girls golf championship Friday at Champion Lakes Golf Course in Bolivar. Last year, Caroline Tragesser of Franklin Regional held off her teammate in a scorecard playoff to win the individual title with a nine-hole score of 41. Neither player is back for...
Former Norwin soccer standout Harrigan finds satisfaction, peace in life after sports
This is the story of a “retired” soccer player with a cautionary tale to share and a message she hopes has a long reach: “It’s OK not to be OK.” The mental demands of high-end college sports and their effects on athletes, she said, deserve more attention. Finally healthy, Emily...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Former Seton Hill coach to lead Berry softball team
Jess Strong stepped down as the head softball coach at Seton Hill after four seasons. The “other coaching endeavor” mentioned last week turns out to be an opportunity with one of the nation’s top Division III programs. Strong will be the head coach at Berry College in Mt. Berry, Ga....
Latrobe, Norwin battle to draw at Moe Rosensteel memorial tourney
Exhausted after 100 minutes of soccer that resulted in a grueling 2-2 tie in hot and humid conditions, Latrobe and Norwin girls soccer players reflected on the state of their game and the cause. The teams played to a double-overtime draw in the final of three matchups of the inaugural...
Westmoreland H.S. football notebook: Hempfield putting up points in a hurry
Look down, and you might miss a play. Go to the concession stand, and you might miss a whole drive — maybe two. Hempfield is playing turbo-fast with its no-huddle spread offense, a product of offensive coordinator Ryan Reitz, who began to install the system last year and is seeing...
Strength and conditioning coaches, trainers bolster Westmoreland County football programs
High school football teams used to use an honor system in the summer months for offseason training. Players promised to work out on their own. Coaches hoped they did. “The offseason dictates everything,” Hempfield coach Mike Brown said. “I mean, kids play other sports, and that’s fine. But training is...
With defense leading way, Franklin Regional girls soccer expects strong season
After a 14-win season and a run to the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals, the Franklin Regional girls soccer team is primed to go farther. The Panthers return seven starters, including junior goalkeeper Aris Lamanna, an All-WPIAL selection last season. The others back are sophomore midfielder Abby Paterline, senior forward Sierra...
Opportunity knocks for young Norwin boys soccer roster
Don’t count Norwin out of the WPIAL playoff chase just yet. Knights veteran coach Scott Schuchert said WPIAL Class 4A is “Seneca Valley and everybody else,” but he likes to think his team is in that vast group of pursuers. While six starters return from a 14-2-1 team that lost...
McKeesport gets impressive victory vs. Penn-Trafford
It might have been youth night at Warrior Stadium, but this was big boy football. Or was it Big Boyd football? Running back Bobbie Boyd gave McKeesport a pronounced edge in a statement win for the Tigers. Boyd ran for 149 yards and three touchdowns and intercepted three passes to...
Penn State’s James Franklin to arrive via helicopter to watch Quinton Martin, Belle Vernon play Laurel Highlands
James Franklin will make quite an entrance tonight at Belle Vernon. The Penn State football coach is expected to arrive by helicopter to watch Laurel Highlands play Belle Vernon — and five-star junior Quinton Martin, the top-rated 2024 prospect in the state — at James Weir Stadium. Belle Vernon athletic...
Plum blanks Franklin Regional in ‘brawl’ between Class 3A contenders
A matchup of the Tribune-Review’s top two teams in the WPIAL Class 3A rankings wasn’t exactly the Backyard Brawl of boys soccer, but it was close. The game between returning WPIAL semifinalists had physical interaction, contested shots and strong play in net. The bragging rights, at least after the first...
Westmoreland football notebook: Hempfield senior perseveres after 3 ACL tears
Arthritis at age 25? A knee replacement at 35? These are potentially small prices to pay to lineman Zach Persinger, who has had three anterior cruciate ligament tears in his left knee, and major surgery, in as as years. The unshakable Hempfield senior is finally healthy and starting at nose...
Franklin Regional buckles down, makes early goal stand up in win over Penn-Trafford
Get a goal on the board early, possess the ball and make defensive stops. Franklin Regional checked all three boxes in its Section 3-3A opener Wednesday night at Penn-Trafford. “We’re going to play a lot of games this way,” Panthers coach Scott Arnold said. Senior winger Natalie Ribar scored off...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: New coach putting stamp on Franklin Regional program
Hired very late in the process, Lukas Petersen is still getting to know his players, implement the basics of his system and make the Franklin Regional boys soccer program his own. He had been with the team for less than a month when the season opened Aug. 26. The No....
With shackles off, expect big goal totals from Greensburg Central Catholic boys soccer
One of the first directives Rob Fabean put into place when he took over the Greensburg Central Catholic boys soccer team last season was his three-goal rule. Once a player scored three times in a game, a hat trick achieved, that player was asked to back off and let someone...
Westmoreland County don’t miss high school football matchups for 2022 Week 1
Nonconference Connellsville (1-0) at Hempfield (1-0) 7 p.m. Friday at Bill Abraham Field at Spartan Stadium, Hempfield Connellsville forced seven turnovers, which helped it end a 17-game losing streak with a 16-13 win over Albert Gallatin. Benjamin Zavatchan kicked a 40-yard field goal, and sophomore running back Xavier Malone rushed...
Seton Hill softball coach Jessica Strong steps down
Jessica Strong has resigned as the head softball coach at Seton Hill after four seasons. She is leaving to pursue another coaching endeavor but did not want to comment until the end of the week, when her tenure at Seton Hill is complete. Strong guided the Griffins to a memorable...
