Bill Beckner stories, Page 146
JJ Matijevic uses long ball to earn Triple-A promotion with Astros
Home runs make the crowd ooh and aah, like fireworks or a photo finish. They also can get minor leaguers promotions. Right, JJ Matijevic? Call what the former Norwin standout and Houston Astros prospect is doing a power trip. After showing he can still go yard with the best of...
Diane Metzger to take over Norwin girls soccer team
Diane Metzger is the new girls soccer coach at Norwin. A former player for the Knights, she was a member of the 1996 PIAA championship team before graduating in 2000. A goal-scorer from the midfield, she played college soccer at Grove City. Metzger replaces Lauren Karcher, who resigned after seven...
Chase Koepka wins Fuhrer Invitational on first playoff holeVideo
A double-bogey caught Chase Koepka by surprise on his 71st hole Wednesday during the final round of the Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational. Jumped up and grabbed him. Suddenly, his two-shot lead was gone, and the one hand he had on the crystal trophy slipped off. What, Koepka, worry? Not...
Chase Koepka, Patrick Flavin wait as rain delays Fuhrer playoff
With lightning in the area, the last round of the 37th Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational was forced into a weather delay around 1 p.m., just as the final twosome was walking off the course. All that is left to settle is a sudden death playoff between leaders Chase Koepka...
Chase Koepka climbs into lead after 3 rounds at Fuhrer InvitationalVideo
Third-round leader Chase Koepka keeps making headlines at the Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational, but not entirely for his golf. First, he lost his clubs and suitcases on a layover flight while on his way to the tournament. Then, with one hole to play in Tuesday’s third round, he and...
Former Franklin Regional boys basketball coach opens up about opioid abuse
Steve Scorpion admits he almost died. “I stopped breathing three times and coded twice,” the former Franklin Regional boys basketball coach and standout player said. “I thought it was all over for me. When I woke up, I knew God saved me because he had a greater purpose for me....
Replacement clubs no problem for Chase Koepka on Day 1 of Fuhrer Invitational
Essentially playing with a rental set of clubs, Chase Koepka grinded his way into contention in his first Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational. The younger brother of four-time major champion Brooks Koepka, Chase lost his clubs and clothes in transit when he left Hartford, Conn., after playing in the PGA...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Carlow’s Miller top River States Conference female athlete
Carlow senior Olivia Miller earned the respect of her opponents during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons. Now, she is being held in high regard by every athletic director in the River States Conference. Miller, a Ligonier Valley graduate, was named the RSC Female Athlete of the Year...
Mt. Pleasant’s Haylie Brunson honored as Tribune-Review Westmoreland Softball Player of the Year
2021 Tribune-Review Westmoreland Softball All-Stars Player of the year Haylie Brunson Mt. Pleasant, Sr., IF Haylie Brunson has to be filed under “toughest softball players to get out in the state.” The Mt. Pleasant senior, who hit second in a fully loaded lineup that propelled the Vikings to WPIAL and...
Westmoreland H.S. notebook: GCC’s Joe Blahovec on the rise
Behind the scenes, Joe Blahovec could be carving out a path to a Division I football career. The incoming senior at Greensburg Central Catholic has been raiding prospect camps as the summer forges ahead toward a new season, and recently he caught the eye of an FCS program that recruits...
Norwin long snapper Xander Smith garnering national attention
Xander Smith is chasing a dream to play college football at the highest level possible. But his vehicle to get there differs from most. While the sophomore at Norwin plays wide receiver and defensive back, his specialty is long snapping. He lives it, breathes it and works tirelessly at it....
Norwin long snapper Xander Smith garnering national attention
Xander Smith is chasing a dream to play college football at the highest level possible. But his vehicle to get there differs from most. While the sophomore at Norwin plays wide receiver and defensive back, his specialty is long snapping. He lives it, breathes it and works tirelessly at it....
Carlow’s Olivia Miller tabbed River States Conference athlete of year
Carlow senior Olivia Miller earned the respect of her opponents during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons. Now, she is being held in high regard by every athletic director in the River States Conference. Very high regard. Miller, a Ligonier Valley graduate, was named the RSC Female Athlete...
Norwin alum Emily Harrigan transferring to Pitt
Emily Harrigan is coming home. The former Norwin star has left Rutgers and will have three years of eligibility when she arrives at Pitt to continue her soccer career. Harrigan, a redshirt sophomore, has battled hamstring problems for the last three years as she tries to get into a rhythm...
Running back John Gay IV, Penn-Trafford alum, commits to Maine
John Gay IV did not plan to announce his next college move on Father’s Day, but his coincidental timing would have made his late dad proud. Gay IV, a former Penn-Trafford football standout who recently put his name in the NCAA transfer portal as part of his plan to leave...
Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Seton Hill hurdler named PSAC athlete of year
Junior Sam Hartman found his way into the fast lane all season for the Seton Hill track and field team. That meant he was probably on the fast track to postseason accolades, too. Sure enough, the two-time national champion earned himself the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Athlete of the Year....
Mt. Pleasant’s Mary Smithnosky writes fairy-tale ending to pitching career
A future college outfielder, Mary Smithnosky had to reaffirm to herself that she was a pitcher in her final high school softball season. The position in the circle had to be more than a facade to the senior from Mt. Pleasant, more than a column on the roster. If Smithnosky...
Westmoreland collegiate athletes striking out for new schools
The NCAA transfer portal has been a happening place for college athletes from Westmoreland County. A number of area names have popped up in the portal, which essentially is a free agent pool for players looking to start over and latch on with a new program. Colleges can see the...
Softball a family affair for PIAA champion Mt. Pleasant
UNIVERSITY PARK — Mt. Pleasant took extra time to board the team bus for the ride home Friday from Penn State after the Vikings won the PIAA Class 3A softball championship. A large contingent gathered for photos with the trophy. Coach Chris Brunson tried to direct traffic, but seemed overwhelmed...
Westmoreland notebook: Youngstown State offers Belle Vernon’s Whitlock
Devin Whitlock reeled in his first Division I football scholarship offer. He hopes it will be the first of many to come. The rising senior at Belle Vernon announced an offer from Youngstown State, a program that often tries to cast a net over the WPIAL to land top players...
Norwin grad Anthony DelleFemine sets sights on playing time at Youngstown State
In many ways, Anthony DelleFemine is living proof that to gain something, you have to give something up. But how much can one man lose before he reaches a breaking point? There are days when the former Norwin football standout believes in curses and voodoo dolls. Days when he asks,...
Norwin notebook: Knights baseball, softball players earn spot on Big 5/6 all-section teams
Norwin was well-represented on the Big 5/6 Conference all-section baseball and softball teams. The Big 5/6 recognizes team and individual accomplishments in the WPIAL’s two highest classifications. Norwin baseball had three first-team selections in Setion 2: Jake Kendro, Jack Whalen and Jake Bazala, along with second-teamers Ty Stecko, Alex Gabauer,...
Franklin Regional baseball team looks back on memorable season
Franklin Regional coach Bobby Saddler did not ride the team bus, instead driving separately to what turned out to be his team’s final baseball game of the 2021 season. He had to transport canopies in his pick-up truck. The coach watched as the Panthers’ caravan pulled out of the lot...
Mt. Pleasant rallies past Mid Valley to capture state softball championshipVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK — Tested for the first time in the postseason, the Mt. Pleasant softball team had to find a higher gear to get around Mid Valley in the state championship game. Rather than committing to memory an early deficit against the only team to score on them in the...
Jeannette athletic director Ryan Hayden resigns
Ryan Hayden is stepping down as athletic director at Jeannette after two years on the job. Hayden, 29, will continue to teach sixth grade in the district. A Hempfield graduate and former Seton Hill baseball player, Hayden wants to pursue a master’s degree, possibly get a principal certification and also...
