Bill Beckner stories, Page 19
Westmoreland softball playoff preview capsules: Games for May 20, 2025
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 6A Semifinals 6-Norwin (10-11) vs. 2-Seneca Valley (15-3) 4 p.m. Tuesday at Fox Chapel Winner plays: Winner of 4-Canon-McMillan (12-8)/1-Hempfield (19-1) in championship May 28-29 at Lilley Field, Cal (Pa.) Players to watch: Abbie Telli, Norwin; Lexie Hames, Seneca Valley Extra bases: Norwin upset No. 3...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Ligonier Valley grad Cheyenne Piper earns postseason honors
At the end of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference softball season it was time to pay the Piper. Westminster pitcher Cheyenne Piper had a breakthrough freshman season and as a result won two major awards from the conference The Ligonier Valley alum was named pitcher and newcomer of the year for...
H.S. baseball notebook: Greensburg CC inspired by Warren Schaeffer’s rise with Rockies
If Warren Schaeffer can achieve his dream, so can anybody from Greensburg Central Catholic. The former Centurions star’s meteoric rise in the Colorado Rockies’ coaching ranks has caught the attention of the current team just in time for the WPIAL Class A playoffs. Schaeffer, who helped lead GCC to a...
Westmoreland softball playoff preview capsules: Games for May 19, 2025
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 3A Quarterfinals 7-Southmoreland (10-7) vs. 2-Mohawk (13-5) 3 p.m. Monday at Montour Winner plays: Winner of 6-McGuffey (11-5)/3-Ellwood City (10-8) on Wednesday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Zoey Murphy, Southmoreland; Lydia Cole, Mohawk Extra bases: Southmoreland, a perennial playoff contender, rallied several times...
Roundball activities now will include girls underclassman all-star games
After a spike in interest for the boys underclassmen games, organizers of the Roundball Classic all-star basketball weekend decided to add girls games this year. “We’ve had a fabulous response,” lead organizer Allen Deep said. The showcase games will feature top players in grades nine through 11 who play in...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Latrobe at forefront of girls flag football movement
It is just a matter of time before girls flag football is a fully sanctioned PIAA sport, complete with district and state championships. Latrobe is one of the local club teams preparing to field a team in the WPIAL for 2025-26. It appears to be in good standing with the...
Norwin notebook: Baseball, softball teams earn spots in WPIAL playoffs
The Norwin baseball and softball teams learned their WPIAL playoff seedings and were primed to open the postseason. The baseball team (12-7) was seeded No. 4 in Class 6A and was set to play No. 5 Butler (10-8) in the quarterfinals on May 19. The Knights finished second in Section...
Latrobe’s all-time leading scorer in line for Hempfield boys basketball coaching position
Austin Butler used to enjoy playing basketball against Hempfield. The high-scoring guard from Latrobe had some intense games against the Spartans. Now, he could be coaching them. According to the school board agenda for Monday’s meeting, Hempfield will vote to hire Butler as boys basketball coach. If approved, the 26-year-old...
Anthony Grippo, Greensburg CC make statement in 1st-round rout of Sewickley
Watching Anthony Grippo bat for Greensburg Central Catholic is an event. It starts before he even steps over the chalk and into the box. His routine is detailed. There is the little hip wiggle and the double-chop motion he makes toward right-center field —he assures pitchers don’t want his spray...
Riveters add three more WPIAL alums to inaugural roster
The Pittsburgh Riveters put the finishing touches on their first roster a day before the pre-professional women’s soccer team kicks off its inaugural season. Riveters SC continued to build with local players from the Riverhounds Development Academy, adding Aris Lamanna (Franklin Regional), Mackenzie Dupre (Upper St. Clair) and Aleena Ulke...
Norwin softball pulls off another upset, this time thanks to ‘Smiley Miley’
The darlings of the WPIAL 6A softball playoffs are at it again. And underdog Norwin has “Smiley Miley” to thank for its latest upset. Junior Miley Harrison wasn’t even sure if she would play in the Knights’ playoff opener, but she came up clutch when her name was called to...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Longtime Franklin Regional softball coach Armstrong hangs up cleats
Like any coach, Jim Armstrong wanted his softball players at Franklin Regional to win more than they lost. But seeing them laughing, being loose and enjoying their time in the program sometimes seemed more meaningful. “Let’s work hard, but let’s have fun,” Armstrong said. “It’s just a game.” Armstrong told...
Westmoreland softball playoff preview capsules: Games for May 14, 2025
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 6A Quarterfinals 6-Norwin (9-11) vs. 3-North Allegheny (12-7) 2 p.m. Wednesday at Fox Chapel Winner plays: 2-Seneca Valley (15-3) in semifinals Players to watch: Diem Wardzinski, Norwin; Sammy Plotsko, North Allegheny Extra bases: Norwin made an unforeseen run to the finals last year as a No....
Derry walks it off against Greensburg Salem in Class 4A softball playoff opener
John DePalma’s message to his girls before Derry took the field for the WPIAL softball playoffs was simple. “It’s just softball,” the coach said. But there is softball, and there is playoff softball, and Derry still is relatively new to the latter. After all, the Trojans had only one playoff...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Former GCC standout Stawovy hired as women’s assistant basketball coach at Washington & Lee
Former Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball player Brittany Stawovy was hired as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Division III Washington & Lee in Lexington, Va. Stawovy coached the last two years at Kenyon after two years as a graduate assistant at Division II Seton Hill, where she earned a...
Westmoreland WPIAL softball playoff capsules: Games for Tuesday, May 13, 2025
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 3A First round 5-Mt. Pleasant (11-5) vs. 12-Keystone Oaks (8-8) 5 p.m. Tuesday at Waynesburg University Winner plays: 4-Avonworth (14-4) in quarterfinals Players to watch: Gia Stanek, Mt. Pleasant; Kennadi Smith, Keystone Oaks Extra bases: Mt. Pleasant, led by first-year coach Paul Reho, won the Section...
Greensburg Central Catholic alum Warren Schaeffer named interim manager of Rockies
The Colorado Rockies’ firing of longtime manager Bud Black means a former WPIAL product will try to get the club back on track. Warren Schaeffer, a native of Vandergrift and a Greensburg Central Catholic alum, was named interim manager Sunday. He had been the third base coach since 2023. Schaeffer,...
Westmoreland softball playoff preview capsules: Games for May 12, 2025
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 5A First round 1-Penn-Trafford (17-2) vs. 16-Moon (7-8) 5 p.m. Monday at West Mifflin Winner plays: Winner of 8-Plum (14-5)/9-Chartiers Valley (11-6) in quarterfinals Players to watch: Cam Ponko, Penn-Trafford; Katie Demarco, Moon Extra bases: Penn-Trafford is one of the hottest teams in the playoffs, winning...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Ex-Southmoreland coach headed to Uniontown
Uniontown’s new football coach is Tim Bukowski, who was the lead man at Southmoreland for three seasons before resigning in December. He replaces Keith Jeffries, who stepped down after four seasons and a 15-20 record. Bukowski spent seven seasons overall with Southmoreland, four as an assistant, and helped the Scotties...
Franklin Regional notebook: Top track athletes gear up at Pine-Richland
With the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championships approaching, several Franklin Regional athletes went to the Pine-Richland Invitational to stay sharp. Sean Cartwright finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.86 seconds to pace the Panthers. The boys 400-meter relay came in eighth (44.39). Caroline Shirley was the top...
Norwin notebook: Softball team secures playoff bid
The Norwin softball team is headed to the WPIAL 6A playoffs again. The Knights (8-10) finished 8-8 in section and had one nonsection game left, at Class 5A No. 1 Penn-Trafford on May 8, before the postseason. Norwin picked up late-season wins over Mt. Lebanon and North Hills after snapping...
WPIAL softball playoffs open with rare 1st-round section clash for 2 Westmoreland County teams
It is rare, but it does happen. The WPIAL usually steers clear of matching section opponents in the first round of the playoffs. Rematches are better suited for the latter rounds, the league believes. But an exception was made for the Class 4A softball tournament. And nobody was more surprised...
Westmoreland County high school softball notebook: More than a dozen teams headed to playoffs
The WPIAL will announce seedings and pairings for the softball playoffs Thursday afternoon. Westmoreland County is a hotbed for softball talent and, like most years, will be well represented in the postseason. Local qualifiers include Hempfield and Norwin in Class 6A; Penn-Trafford, Franklin Regional and Latrobe in 5A; Derry, Greensburg...
Westmoreland baseball notebook: Ligonier Valley, Jeannette take playoff race right to end
The WPIAL will announce baseball playoff seedings and opening-round pairings Friday. The local field of qualifiers is just about set. It includes: Norwin and Hempfield in Class 6A; Penn-Trafford, Latrobe and Franklin Regional in 5A; Belle Vernon, Derry and Greensburg Salem in 4A; Mt. Pleasant and Burrell in 3A; and...
With season turned in right direction, Norwin carrying momentum into playoffs
High school seasons are filled with pivotal moments that send teams in one direction or another, propelling them closer to or away from preset goals. It can be an upset win, a highlight play, a defensive adjustment, a lineup change. In the case of Norwin baseball, it may have been...
