Bill Beckner stories, Page 139
Westmoreland football notebook: BVA’s Whitlock, Laurel Highlands’ Gallagher similarly electric, effective
A few months ago, people lined up to watch Devin Whitlock and Rodney Gallagher play basketball against each other in a local summer league. On Friday night, fans can buy a ticket to see them go head-to-head on the football field. It’s a main attraction in a matchup of unbeaten...
Westmoreland County don’t miss high school football matchups for 2021 Week 5
Class 6A Hempfield (2-3, 0-2) at 5-Canon-McMillan (3-2, 1-1) 7 p.m. Friday, Canon-McMillan Stadium, Canonsburg Hempfield allowed 45 or more points for the third time this season as it fell to No. 2 Mt. Lebanon, 48-14. The Spartans trailed 45-0 at the half. Jake Phillips threw second-half touchdown passes to...
Westmoreland County girls soccer notebook: Yough star jumps at Robert Morris offer
McKenzie Pritts said the college where she will continue her soccer career checked all the boxes. The standout junior forward from Yough made a verbal commitment over the weekend to Robert Morris. Pritts leads the Cougars, who are ranked No. 2 in WPIAL Class 2A, with 12 goals. “It’s a...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Pieces fitting together for Norwin
Norwin coach Scott Schuchert thinks his team is rounding into form, on the scoreboard and across the lineup. “We’re finding our identity,” he said after a recent 4-1 victory over Penn-Trafford that kept the third-ranked Knights undefeated in Section 3-4A. “Our back-line guys have really played well for us. We...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Saint Vincent routs Thiel in PAC football
Saint Vincent was met with little resistance in its third football game of the season as the Bearcats cruised past Thiel, 41-7, to move to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. Brady Walker threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns, freshman Billy Beck scored two touchdowns and...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Westminster’s Powell nets late winner
Mackenzie Powell made her first college goal count. The freshman at Westminster, who played at Penn-Trafford, scored with just eight seconds remaining to lift the Titans to a 1-0 victory over Oberlin. Her big performance earned her the PAC Rookie of the Week. Powell has played in seven games, with...
Mt. Pleasant tennis player Emily Marne on target in another sport
From the moment Emily Marne looked through a scope and fired a blast of air at a target from about 33 feet away, she knew rifle was going to be her sport. “I asked, ‘Can I try that out?’ ” said Marne, who plays No. 2 singles for the Mt....
Yough girls soccer program loaded once again
As sure as the sun comes up each day, Yough has been a WPIAL girls soccer playoff team under coach Dann Appolonia. The Cougars have made the district postseason every season since 2010. Appolonia took over in 2012. And here’s the thing with his teams: Just when they look like...
Westmoreland High School notebook: WPIAL golf finals on horizon
The WPIAL individual golf postseason winds into the semifinal rounds for Class AAA while Class AA players are preparing to play for WPIAL championships. The boys Class AAA semifinals will be Monday at Willowbrook Country Club in Apollo. Westmoreland area qualifiers include Nick Turowski and Chase Crissman of Penn-Trafford; Owen...
Belle Vernon’s Sassak igniting boys soccer team
In the fall, Daniel Sassak likes to add some noise and school spirit to the Belle Vernon student section at football, girls soccer and girls volleyball games. The rest of the time, the senior gives that same student section something to cheer about at boys soccer games. Like that memorable...
Westmoreland high school football notebook: Norwin, Derry on opposite sides of forfeit/no-contest rule
Call it a WPIAL dichotomy, the concept of forfeits and no-contests in covid-19 times. Two area teams are on separate sides of the issue after they had to cancel games because of covid protocols. Norwin was dealt a loss without playing, and Derry was not penalized for sitting out. Norwin...
Devin Whitlock’s thrilling last-second TD ‘most meaningful run he’s ever made’ for Belle Vernon
It needs a nickname, that dazzling touchdown run by Devin Whitlock. That 40-yard mad dash with 4.5 seconds remaining Friday night that lifted No. 2 Belle Vernon past No. 1 Thomas Jefferson, 28-21, at James Weir Stadium. That viral scoring play lit up social media and sent the Jaguars packing....
Norwin tennis team off to strong start behind ‘seasoned’ lineup
With the largest and most experienced team she has since taking over at Norwin in 2018, girls tennis coach Diane Pesarsick has even larger expectations for the Knights this fall. Norwin, which has 23 girls in its program — 11 varsity, six of whom are seniors — is looking to...
Norwin notebook: Knights girls soccer rebounds after early loss
Norwin girls soccer coach Diane Metzger isn’t panicking. After all, it’s only one game. The first-year coach knew Latrobe was talented and could be the team to beat in Section 3-4A when her Knights visited the Wildcats for the section opener. Latrobe scored two first-half goals and held off Norwin...
Franklin Regional notebook: Panthers golfers advance to semifinals
Three Franklin Regional golfers advanced through the first level of WPIAL boys qualifying on the road to the district championship. Zach Abdallah (71), Nolan Shilling (75) and Jeff Anderchak (76) all achieved the designated target score of 79 in the Section 4-AAA tournament at Murrysville Golf Club to advance to...
Labuda, Reese return to lineup, fuel Mt. Pleasant victory over Southmoreland
Teams that won’t give one another the pleasure of using their real names, “Alverton” met “Norvelt” on Friday night in a throwback game that first put down roots in 1964. The advantage went to Norvelt … ahem … Mt. Pleasant, in the latest chapter of the longtime rivalry. Big-time advantage....
Norwin tops rival Penn-Trafford for 6th straight victory as Yuricha nets pair
Since a loss to Seneca Valley two games into the season, Norwin has been a brick wall. The Knights boys soccer team is keeping the net sealed on the defensive end and winning games with a gritty approach that has allowed offense to come in the flow of games, rather...
Westmoreland County football notebook: Monessen making major strides
There were people who didn’t think Monessen, with its small roster and overall lack of experience, would score 50 points all season, let alone in one game. But the Greyhounds cruised by Bentworth, 50-7, last week for their second straight win. Monessen scored 33 total points in seven games last...
First-year quarterbacks learning the ropes, making plays in Westmoreland County
Playing quarterback at the varsity level always intrigued Anthony Govern, but the senior at Southmoreland is finding out for himself just how the position works, how important it is and how enjoyable it can be — especially when the Scotties are winning. “I love it. This is the most fun...
Westmoreland County girls soccer notes: Southmoreland star sidelined
It is unclear how long Southmoreland standout Olivia Cernuto will be sidelined with a right leg injury. Cernuto was hurt at the start of the second half of last week’s game at Yough and did not return. She received ice treatment on the area of her knee during and after...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notes: Belle Vernon, TJ to square off on pitch, too
Thomas Jefferson at Belle Vernon is the football game with all the sizzle this week in the WPIAL. But the same teams will play in a key boys soccer game Thursday night at Belle Vernon. The game features two of the top teams in Section 3-3A. Heading into Wednesday, Thomas...
Westmoreland County don’t miss high school football matchups for 2021 Week 4
Class 6A Hempfield (2-2, 0-1) at 2-Mt. Lebanon (4-0, 1-0) 7 p.m. Friday, Mt. Lebanon Stadium Mt. Lebanon continued its sound defensive play as it held back Canon-McMillan for a 37-7 victory. The Blue Devils have three shutouts — also against Bethel Park and Peters Township — and have allowed...
Greensburg Central Catholic boys soccer too much for Jeannette
A confident expression turned to one of wounded surprise as Jeannette watched Greensburg Central Catholic fire goal after goal into the back of the net. After a while, the surprise wore off and reality set in. As injuries mounted and a thin bench emptied to nothing, the Jayhawks realized what...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Western Michigan’s Jack Salopek plays at Pitt
Western Michigan freshman quarterback Jack Salopek (Norwin) saw his first college action, and it came in his return to the Pittsburgh area. In backup duty, Salopek completed 3 of 3 passes for 20 yards as the Broncos defeated Pitt, 44-41. Some forget that Salopek had an offer from Pitt early...
Latrobe girls soccer in position for breakout season
It’s just about fall, so it’s pumpkin spice season. The Latrobe girls soccer team prefers a different flavor: nutmeg. Or, at least they prefer the act by that name used in soccer where a player dribbles and kicks a ball through an opponent’s legs — a gotcha move that leaves...
