Bill Beckner stories, Page 15
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Mt. Pleasant’s Shipley, Hempfield’s Kovalcik commit to Mercyhurst
A pair of Westmoreland County baseball players are primed for college careers at the NCAA Division I level. A pipeline has opened to Erie. Mercyhurst, a second-year Division I program that formerly competed in the D-II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, will be the college home to a pair of Ians...
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week: Latrobe’s Annalyse Bauer and Jack Sacriponte
Annalyse Bauer School: Latrobe Class: Senior Sport: Soccer Claim to fame: Bauer became the Latrobe girls’ all-time leader in goals when she reached 62 during a four-goal game in an 8-0 win over Armstrong. All four goals came in the second half. Bauer surpassed former teammate Robin Reilly, who set...
Westmoreland high school football notebook: Wolfe’s QB play a big hit for Southmoreland
When he bowled over a Ringgold defender on the way to a first down Friday night, Southmoreland’s Dawson Wolfe looked more like a fullback than a quarterback. “That’s how I play. I’m a linebacker,” Wolfe said after a hard-hitting 28-7 win, his chiseled arms showing as he leaned on a...
Norwin notebook: Knights trying to stay on even keel despite exciting start to football season
The stage was set for Norwin’s biggest home football game in years. The fourth-ranked Knights (3-1) dominated No. 5 Seneca Valley on the road in Week 3, 56-13, to win their Class 6A conference opener and give themselves a massive boost of confidence going into a showdown with No. 2...
Jackson-led Southmoreland gets statement win against Ringgold
When it comes to his football team, first-year Southmoreland coach Dustin Shoaf often says he wants all of the arrows pointing in the same direction. On Friday night, they were pointing at stud sophomore defensive end Jackson Mickens, who was a wrecking ball against upstart Ringgold. Mickens had three sacks,...
Plum swipes another 1-goal victory from NorwinVideo
Plum and Norwin have developed a rivalry since they were joined up in Section 1-4A and have made a habit out of stacking one-goal games against each other in recent seasons. They both are heavy hitters and perennial playoff teams, and both went into their latest encounter on matching six-game...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Derry off to a good, gritty start
Smashmouth football is back at Derry, and coach Mike Arone is enjoying every second of it. A team with dirt under its fingernails and an old-school edge is 3-1 and gaining momentum for the start of Class 3A Interstate Conference play next week against Southmoreland. But it could be better....
Mt. Pleasant uses surgical approach to run past Yough in latest dominating win
Yough wanted to play with aggression and spirit. Mt. Pleasant chose to lean on tactics. One approach was the clear winner, and so was the team that used it as No. 4-ranked Mt. Pleasant coasted to a 9-0 victory over the visiting Cougars in a Section 4-2A girls soccer matchup...
Westmoreland County football teams benefit from 1-way players at quarterback
Norwin scores a touchdown. Tristyn Tavares to Potter Brozeski. A pure go-route for six. Tavares jogs to the sideline, grabs a water bottle and shoots a few squirts into his mouth and heads to the bench. While teammates are getting ready to turn around and take the field to play...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Yough, Charleroi to finish game interrupted by unruly fans
Yough and Charleroi will pick up Oct. 7 where they left off when they resume a game that was suspended late in the second half Sept. 11. The Section 4-2A game was halted because of unruly fans, Yough coach Ron Dushak said. “The referees asked the fans to leave the...
Mt. Pleasant boys soccer cruises in shutout of Southmoreland
Mt. Pleasant boys soccer players lined up after Tuesday’s game to sign autographs for youth players, a customary conclusion to recreation league night at Viking Stadium. Sophomore forward Tyke Snyder had already put his signature on a 7-0 victory over Southmoreland in what the Vikings like to call the “Route...
Westmoreland County girls soccer notebook: Senior scorer sets standard at Latrobe
The Latrobe girls soccer all-time goals record has a new name next to it. The ink from the former record holder barely was dry. Senior forward Annalyse Bauer needed three goals and poured in four — all in the second half — in Monday’s 8-0 win over Armstrong to move...
Norwin downs Penn-Trafford to take sole possession of top spot in section
Substitutions, set pieces and strength fit the alliteration theme as Norwin continued a streak. The newly ranked team in the TribLive Class 4A girls soccer rankings played to its strengths in an impressive 3-0 victory over rival Penn-Trafford to run its winning streak to five and take over first place...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Latrobe’s DeCerb, Franklin Regional’s Lamanna face off
Two of the top goalkeepers to come out of Westmoreland County in recent years played to a 1-1 draw over the weekend. James Madison redshirt freshman Sofia DeCerb (Latrobe) went against sophomore Aris Lamanna (Franklin Regional) in the Sun Belt Conference opener, and the teams tied. Both goalies played all...
Young Maddie Uschock brings plenty of experience to Franklin Regional
When she was pitching for Hempfield, Maddie Uschock had one of the best freeze-frame changeups in WPIAL softball. The former championship ace is changing up her role at Franklin Regional where she recently received a significant promotion. Uschock was named head softball coach of the Panthers after serving as an...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Norwin announces 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame class
A benchmark football team is part of the 2025 Norwin Athletic Hall of Fame class, which will be inducted Oct. 2 during a banquet at The Venue at Live! Casino in Greensburg. The 1999 football Knights, coached by Tim McCabe, who also joins the ’25 hall class as an individual,...
Westmoreland H.S. football notebook: Norwin gears up for clash with North Allegheny
The stage is set for Norwin’s biggest home football game in years. The fourth-ranked Knights (3-1) dominated No. 5 Seneca Valley on the road Friday night, 56-13, to win their Class 6A conference opener and give themselves a massive boost of confidence going into next week’s showdown with No. 2...
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week: Penn-Trafford’s Ellie Lebe and Latrobe’s Charlie Heese
Ellie Lebe School: Penn-Trafford Class: Freshman Sport: Soccer Claim to fame: Lebe has burst onto the local girls soccer scene while helping Penn-Trafford move into a first-place tie with Norwin in Section 1-4A. The talented forward had back-to-back hat tricks as Penn-Trafford breezed to wins over Hempfield (11-0) and Woodland...
Norwin’s Matt O’Neil commits to Mercyhurst
Matt O’Neil, a significant contributor and two-year letterman for Norwin baseball, will continue his playing career at the NCAA Division I level. O’Neil recently announced a verbal commitment to Mercyhurst, which left the Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for the D-1 Northeast Conference in the fall of 2024. O’Neil,...
Norwin notebook: Knights’ Robb places 3rd at WCCA tournament
Norwin’s Adalena Robb finished third at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association girls golf championship at Champion Lakes Golf Course. Robb shot 41 in the nine-hole event, which was won by Greensburg Central Catholic’s Alayna Stawovy (38). Robb and Franklin Regional’s Gianna Johnson were paired together and went back-and-forth. Robb had...
Maddie Uschock ready to build on strong foundation of Franklin Regional softball
When she was pitching for Hempfield, Maddie Uschock had one of the best freeze-frame changeups in WPIAL softball. The former championship ace is changing up her role at Franklin Regional, where she recently received a significant promotion. Uschock was named head softball coach of the Panthers after serving as pitching...
Clairton takes to air, routs Greensburg Central Catholic
Apparently, Clairton used an unwanted bye week to work on its passing game — a passing game that was nearly flawless in the team’s return to action. Still miffed over a postponement last week after Shady Side Academy called off their matchup because of multiple alleged injuries, the Bears took...
Jeannette cancels girls soccer season due to lack of players
Girls soccer season is over at Jeannette before it started. The district canceled the team’s season because of a lack of players. The WPIAL has been informed, and Jeannette’s Section 4-A opponents could receive two forfeit wins apiece. Five games already were postponed on the Jayhawks’ schedule before the difficult...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Junior running back fuels Norwin offense
Through three games, Norwin’s offense has been much more than dynamic senior quarterback Tristyn Tavares. Junior Giovanni Rothrauff has rushed for more than 100 yards in every game, taking the pressure off Tavares and allowing the third-year starter to be more balanced. Rothrauff rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown...
Norwin makes adjustments to overcome pesky Latrobe
At one point Wednesday night, Norwin had seven girls ready to check into the game, and Latrobe had one. They all gathered near the same spot on the sideline, waiting to take the field while giving a snapshot of the disparity in depth between the soccer teams. Norwin leaned on...
