Bill Beckner stories, Page 133
6 finalists announced for 3rd Bill Fralic Award
Finalists were announced this week for the third annual Bill Fralic Memorial Award, which recognizes the top senior football lineman in the WPIAL. There are six finalists — one from each classification — and the winner will be announced Dec. 4 at a pancake breakfast at Longue Vue Club in...
GCC soccer coach gives birth, coaches team to PIAA final 11 days later
Olivia Kruger watched the WPIAL Class A girls soccer championship game Nov. 5 at Highmark Stadium from a hospital bed, shortly after delivering her 8-pound, 4-ounce bundle of joy, James Thomas Kruger. The baby was born minutes after kickoff. Just 11 days later, she had a much better view of...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Search begins for next Jeannette football coach
The search has begun for Jeannette’s next football coach. With the resignation of longtime coach Roy Hall official, the district is taking applications through Nov. 19. Superintendent Matt Jones said interviews will begin after that time, but there is no hard deadline to get a coach in place. The district...
Belle Vernon receivers don hard hats for matchup with Thomas Jefferson
Belle Vernon players wear practice jerseys with three words emblazoned on the back of them. The words are big and bold, deliberate and gold — like the turf at James Weir Stadium. “Do Your Job.” There is more to the job of the team’s wide receivers than meets the eye....
GCC girls soccer avenges WPIAL title loss to Steel Valley
It’s back to Hershey for Greensburg Central Catholic. But it didn’t look promising for a while Tuesday night when standout junior Sara Felder left in the first half with a knee injury during a PIAA girls soccer semifinal against Steel Valley. Felder returned after halftime and needed some time to...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Westminster’s Brooke Horvath earns PAC Soccer Newcomer of the Year
Presidents’ Athletic Conference women’s soccer teams, get used to the name. Brooke Horvath didn’t waste any time making an impact at the NCAA Division III level, adding leverage to the lineup at Westminster. The Franklin Regional graduate was lauded for her instantly impressive performance, earning PAC Newcomer of the Year....
Westmoreland campus clippings: Siblings excel for college teams
Sibling rivalries are a thing of the past for a number of Westmoreland area brothers and sisters who are rooting for one another to succeed at the college level. At Grove City this season, the men’s soccer team had the Kimmich brothers, Matt and Luke, from Franklin Regional. Both defenders...
4 PAC football teams earn bowl bids
Four football teams from the Division III Presidents’ Athletic Conference will continue their seasons Saturday with bowl games. The Eastern College Athletic Conference announced its eight-game lineup Monday. The schedule is as follows (some times to be announced): • Asa S. Bushnell Bowl Hobart (8-2) at Westminster (8-2), 1 p.m....
PIAA girls soccer preview capsule: Steel Valley vs. Greensburg Central Catholic, Tuesday, Nov. 16
PIAA soccer preview Girls Class A Semifinals Greensburg Central Catholic (17-2) vs. Steel Valley (20-3) 7 p.m. Tuesday, Warrior Stadium, Elizabeth Forward, Elizabeth Road to the semis: GCC — Defeated Mercer, 3-2; and Freedom, 1-0. Steel Valley — Defeated Northern Bedford, 6-1; and West Branch, 5-0. Winner plays: Winner of...
High-scoring Greensburg Central Catholic takes defensive approach in PIAA playoffs
Greensburg Central Catholic went into the WPIAL championship with energy and bravado. The Lady Centurions left Highmark Stadium 10 days ago humbled and heartbroken. Senior Tatum Gretz thinks a good way to erase the bad memories of a 2-1 overtime loss to Steel Valley is to play for a PIAA...
Greensburg Central Catholic girls slam door on Freedom in PIAA quarterfinals
Greensburg Central Catholic and Freedom combined for 21 goals in their previous two matchups this season. In their third meeting, all it took was one. A 25th-minute strike from freshman forward Riley Kerr complemented a stocky defensive performance as the Centurions blanked Freedom, 1-0, in a PIAA Class A girls...
Eden Christian tops Greensburg Central Catholic in PIAA playoffs
Down two starters and a decided underdog because of it, Eden Christian was looking for someone to be the hero in Saturday’s PIAA Class A boys soccer quarterfinal against Greensburg Central Catholic. An unlikely candidate emerged in the clutch. Junior midfielder Ryan Merrick doesn’t get a lot of scoring opportunities,...
Norwin notebook: Goalkeeper comes into her own at Ohio U.
Sam Wexell waited her turn to take over the goalkeeping duties at Ohio. Once she got her chance, she shined. Looking like the protector of the net she was at Norwin, Wexell helped led Ohio to the Mid-American Conference Tournament and an 11-5-3 record. She also earned some hardware. Wexell...
Quick-strike Belle Vernon makes big plays, beats New Castle in Class 4A quarterfinals
Concerns about New Castle’s passing game and trick plays ultimately proved groundless for Belle Vernon in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals. It’s a good thing Belle Vernon has a quick-strike offense because it didn’t get many chances to score Friday night. Top-seeded Belle Vernon didn’t need a lot of plays...
Westmoreland County PIAA soccer quarterfinal capsules for Nov. 13, 2021
Boys Class 3A 7-3 Franklin Regional (17-4) vs. 7-1 Hampton (20-1) Noon at Newman Stadium, North Allegheny, McCandless Winner plays: Winner of 12-2 Archbishop Ryan (8-5-1)/7-2 West Allegheny (22-1) in semifinals Tuesday (time, site TBD) Corner kicks: Freshman Joey Bayne netted a pair of goals, including the winner with 8...
Finding keepers not a problem for Franklin Regional, GCC soccer teams
Goalkeepers for the three local teams remaining in the PIAA soccer postseason have been through a revolving door lately. Settling on one netminder has not been an easy task for coaches of the Franklin Regional and Greensburg Central Catholic boys, while the Greensburg Central Catholic girls had to make a...
Westmoreland County soccer notebook: All-WPIAL honors handed out
Several Westmoreland area players were named to the All-WPIAL boys soccer lists, compiled by the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association. Norwin seniors Caleb Yuricha and Riley Zimmerman were selected in Class 4A, and Franklin Regional senior Anthony DiFalco and juniors Colton Hudson and Jake Kimmich made the 3A list, along...
Westmoreland football notebook: Quietly, Belle Vernon defense plays fast, hits hard, rarely budges
So much has been made of Belle Vernon’s offense, and rightly so. It is electric. People pay to see it. But the top-seeded Leopards can play some defense, too. Almost quietly, the defensive unit has shown up for the biggest games, continually giving senior Devin Whitlock, sophomore Quinton Martin and...
Fresh looks for PIAA soccer quarterfinalists Franklin Regional, Greensburg Central Catholic
Joey Bayne figured prominently into the Franklin Regional attack, only not this soon and not this much. He is, after all, a freshman whose best days appeared to lie ahead. But the wide-eyed striker is making a significant impact now, and on a large stage. Bayne scored both goals Tuesday...
Latrobe’s Austin Butler among Westmoreland County faces in new places this college hoops season
Fifth-year seniors and transfers are now a part of college sports, remnants of a life-changing pandemic that shook up programs at all levels, from Division I to NAIA and junior college. College basketball season is beginning this week across the country, and the game is no stranger to fluctuating rosters....
Mt. Pleasant motivated to make history in playoff clash with Avonworth
Motivation can come in many forms at WPIAL football playoff time. There’s the underdog approach — us against the world. Or, the next-man-up mentality. Small-town pride also can carry a lot of weight. But some teams simply are fueled by a want to carve their name into program history. To...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Hempfield grad Tara Zollinger leads Shippensburg back to NCAA Tournament
Tara Zollinger had instant success when she took over the Shippensburg field hockey team, guiding the Raiders to back-to-back NCAA Division II championships — the only coach to do so. Three years later, the Hempfield graduate is still at it. Zollinger led the team this season to a perfect regular...
Westmoreland County PIAA soccer playoff capsules for Nov. 9, 2021
Boys Class 3A First round 7-2 Franklin Regional (16-4) vs. 9-1 Cathedral Prep (17-1-1) 7:30 p.m. at Dollinger Field, Hagerty Family Events Center, Erie Winner plays: Winner of 6-1 Hollidaysburg/7-1 Hampton on Saturday (time, site TBD) Corner kicks: Franklin Regional is back in the state postseason for the third time...
Southmoreland girls soccer pushes through injuries all the way to state tournament
Southmoreland girls soccer players wore blankets on the sideline Thursday night during the WPIAL consolation game against Shady Side Academy at Norwin. When it gets cold, you adjust. Just like when injuries happen, you adjust. Having players who aren’t at 100% doesn’t make coaches all warm and fuzzy. It’s how...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: GCC grad Mikayla Bisignani up for top award
Mikayla Bisignani is up for one of the top awards in women’s college sports. The Greensburg Central Catholic graduate who had a strong combo swimming and track and field career at Johns Hopkins is one of nine finalists for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. The award is...
