Bill Beckner stories, Page 170

When the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association released its first set of rankings for the new season, Franklin Regional players and coaches were surprised, thrilled and honored to see their team No. 1 in Class AAA. “We were very excited,” senior outside hitter Nicole Currens said. “We were saying how...

Norwin cross country isn’t always about crossing the finish line first. Or last, for that matter. Coach Brian Fleckenstein likes to take to social media, particularly Twitter, to make the sport more fun. It is something that has bonded his runners. “Running is hard,” the coach said. “Our sport is...

Norwin girls soccer coaches and players were not altogether thrilled when the WPIAL two-year realignment cycle brought some change to their section. They couldn’t have been. That’s because Fox Chapel was added to the mix in Section 3-4A. That immediately drew concern. After all, the Foxes almost upset Norwin in...

The WPIAL soccer playoffs could look similar to previous years, but that is not a certainty as a condensed, 32-day regular season winds into late September. A format change could be in order when the WPIAL soccer committee meets next Friday to review the season. As it stands, the top...

It’s as if Chase Rowe never left. Rowe, who resigned as the baseball coach at La Roche last year to take a job in the minor leagues, has returned to lead the Redhawks once again. A Knoch and Slippery Rock graduate, Rowe had been the hitting coach for the Norwich...

Scoring early has become a trend for the Norwin boys soccer team. The Knights found the net 13 seconds in against Connellsville and struck inside the first five minutes against Latrobe. Fast starts have helped keep the fifth-ranked Knights ahead — and unbeaten. On Thursday night, it was more of...

Class 6A Hempfield (1-1, 1-1) at Mt. Lebanon (0-1, 0-1) 7 p.m. Friday, Mt. Lebanon Stadium, Mt. Lebanon After beating Norwin in Week 1, the Spartans were punchless offensively and were blanked by third-ranked Seneca Valley, 38-0. The Raiders held Hempfield to 59 yards rushing. … Mt. Lebanon began the...

In soccer, defense often leads to offense. But there are cases where the opposite is true. Take Mt. Pleasant, which shut out its first four opponents by a combined score of 28-0. “Our offense definitely is where our momentum comes from, but we have a strong defense that keeps us...

Franklin Regional allowed a goal in its second game of the season. And another in the fourth. A cause for alarm in Murrysville? Not exactly. The two-time defending WPIAL champion Panthers are 5-0 and doing what they do best: possess the ball, keep it away from opponents and prey on...

When Paul Koontz, a senior who has proven himself as the starting quarterback at Derry, went down with a season-ending knee injury, the Trojans did not panic. Koontz was a third-year starter. But first-year coach Vince Skillings knew he had a formidable backup waiting in the wings in senior Nick...

Norwin girls soccer coaches and players were not altogether thrilled when the WPIAL two-year realignment cycle brought some change to their section. They couldn’t have been, mainy because of one team. Fox Chapel was added to the mix in Section 3-4A. That immediately drew concern. After all, the Foxes almost...

Southmoreland is by no means a girls soccer powerhouse. The program has five wins combined the past two seasons and has not been to the WPIAL playoffs since 2012. It has not won a playoff game in a decade. But suddenly, there were the Scotties upsetting not one, but two...

While most college athletic programs are shut down for the fall, the Westmoreland Community College women’s cross country team is up and running — ahead of the pack. WCCC posted three individual Top 3 finishes and took six of the top seven spots on the way to a victory Saturday...

The athletic director carousel hasn’t stopped turning in Westmoreland County this year with new faces at new places and newcomers to the position tackling the daily grind of safety protocols and schedule-crunching during covid-19 times. Brandon Rapp was Norwin’s athletic director for seven years and became a fixture there for...

WPIAL soccer rankings (Through Saturday’s games) Girls Class 4A 1. Fox Chapel (2-0) 2. North Allegheny (2-0) 3. Pine-Richland (0-1) 4. Peters Township (2-0) 5. Norwin (1-2) Class 3A 1. Mars (3-0) 2. Plum (2-0) 3. Belle Vernon (2-1) 4. Oakland Catholic (2-0) 5. Connellsville (2-0) Class 2A 1. North...

The stage is set for another clash between Class 4A rivals Belle Vernon and Thomas Jefferson. Both teams won Friday night to move to 2-0 as they get set to square off next Friday night in Jefferson Hills. Fourth-ranked Belle Vernon has been impressive offensively, but how about that defense?...

Norwin moved its boys home golf matches to Youghiogheny Country Club near McKeesport. A long way from home? Sort of, yes. But the Knights have taken to the hilly layout. They won their first three matches on the private club that in the past has played host to WPIAL Class...

After a lengthy first-round playoff drought, Norwin broke through and reached at least the WPIAL boys soccer quarterfinals two years in a row. The Knights were the WPIAL Class 4A runner-up in 2018. A mostly young team a year ago, the Knights bring back a number of core players and...

At last, 700. Greensburg Salem crept to the doorstep of a milestone victory late last season but could not get it done in the playoffs. The team waited about 10 months to take another crack at it but fell short last week in the season opener. The Golden Lions were...

As James Sanders caught passes and padded his yards-after-catch numbers last Friday night against visiting Clairton, he knew in the back of his mind he was creating footage for his highlight video. Sure, it was only Week 1, but in a season that comes with no guarantees, it’s better to...

Class 6A No. 1 Central Catholic (1-0, 1-0) vs. Norwin (0-1, 0-1) 7 p.m. Friday, Norwin Knights Stadium, North Huntingdon Central Catholic is the top-ranked team in the WPIAL for a reason. Norwin had too many mistakes (penalties and turnovers) cost them against Hempfield. … Central Catholic quarterback Branndon Pezzelle...

The Presidents’ Athletic Conference is moving forward with plans to play football, soccer and women’s volleyball in the spring. The NCAA Division III conference outlined plans for a regular season and postseason for the sports, which were postponed for the fall due to the covid-19 pandemic. The spring schedules will...

Belle Vernon is not that bad. It remains to be seen if Connellsville is that good. It’s only one game, but the Section 2-3A girls soccer opener Tuesday produced somewhat of a surprising result. Connellsville, which dropped down a classification this season in WPIAL realignment, scored a 5-0 victory over...

Senior running back Brad Ford’s 99-yard rushing touchdown last week in the season opener against Latrobe was a Penn-Trafford program record, Warriors football historian Rush Pedder pointed out. The play broke the mark of 98 yards set by Chris Schneider in 1993. The other scoring runs in the Warriors’ top...