Bill Beckner stories, Page 197
Nate Ward shakes off defenders, leads GCC on deep playoff run
Nate Ward doesn’t fear contact. Maybe that is because the senior soccer player at Greensburg Central Catholic who will take his talents to NCAA Division I Indiana University next season can give it right back. Don’t forget, Ward did a lot more than just kick extra points and field goals...
Greensburg Central Catholic works to overcome Shady Side Academy intimidation
Shady Side Academy represents more to Greensburg Central Catholic than a longtime section and playoff rival. More than its next playoff opponent on the pathway to Hershey. More than ordinary. This team looms large to GCC, but coaches Ashley Davis and Bri Guy want to change that perception, and change...
Westmoreland football notebook: ‘Lights out’ Penn-Trafford defense leads way
Upper St. Clair junior quarterback Ethan Dahlem is a nightmare to defend. He makes plays with his legs and right arm. If you don’t corral him, he runs around in the backfield and finds an open receiver or a lane to run through. Penn-Trafford’s defense did a good enough job...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Girls soccer award formed to honor late Ringgold player
When the Rosensteel family tragically lost their beloved daughter and sister, Kaitlyn, the Western Pennsylvania soccer community embraced them, consoled them and did their best to help them through the grieving process. Kaitlyn “Moe” Rosensteel died in June. Five months later, her father has formed the Kaitlyn “Moe” Rosensteel Scholarship...
Ward golden for Greensburg Central Catholic boys in PIAA quarterfinals
It looked like Springdale had rendered Greensburg Central Catholic senior standout Nate Ward powerless for the better part of 82 minutes Saturday afternoon. As it turns out, Ward was biding his time before delivering another gem to extend the Centurions’ season. The Indiana recruit has a penchant for the dramatic...
Nemeth’s goal the difference as GCC clips Freedom in PIAA Class A quarters
Somehow, Sam Nemeth managed to hoof the ball into the net. Somehow, Greensburg Central Catholic overcame a shortened bench. Some way, the Centurions are headed back to the PIAA semifinals. “It all happened so fast,” said Nemeth, a senior midfielder who provided all the offense GCC needed in a defensively...
Franklin Regional blocks out hype, sets sights on next PIAA opponent
There is only one way to deal with all of the hype and pressure that comes with being a nationally ranked soccer team, one that sits three wins away from its first state title. “Try to ignore it,” Franklin Regional senior forward Nolan Scholze said. “We recognize it, but we...
Central Valley shows no weakness, routs Derry
Rather matter of factly, Derry football coach Tim Sweeney said Central Valley’s greatest strength is the fact that it doesn’t have a weakness. He called the challenge of facing the top-seeded Warriors a “monumental task.” It was, in every sense. Top-seeded Central Valley piled up the yardage, and the big...
Unbeaten Pitt-Greensburg going after AMCC title Saturday
Pitt-Greensburg will try to win the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference women’s soccer title on Saturday afternoon. Each time the Bobcats (18-0-1) take the field, they put their undefeated record on the line. They are the top seed in the tournament for the first time and will face No. 2 Penn...
Westmoreland County football notes: Injured RB Caleb Lisbon inspires Penn-Trafford
He may be injured, but Caleb Lisbon still is very much a part of the Penn-Trafford football team. The Division I-caliber running back and safety suffered a serious knee injury in Week 3 against McKeesport and has not returned to game action. He had surgery last week. But since the...
Penn-Trafford’s Ethan Carr gets 1st Division I football offer
Penn-Trafford’s Ethan Carr, one of the WPIAL’s most versatile football players and a top-tier prospect in the Class of 2021, has his first Division I offer. Carr announced Thursday that William & Mary has reached out to him with a scholarship. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Carr has played wide receiver, quarterback...
Westmoreland County high school football Q&A: Derry’s Max Malis
Max Malis lists his three positions on the Derry football team as defensive end, offensive tackle and … fullback? “Well, just like a fullback or sniffer (hybrid player),” he said. “I just block for us.” Does that mean the Trojans’ senior — all 6-foot-3, 270 pounds of him — might...
Central Valley’s clear focus heading into WPIAL Class 3A semifinal: Stop Derry’s Justin Huss
Central Valley football coach Mark Lyons and his staff have devised gameplans to stuff the run before. The Warriors (10-1) are the No. 1 seed in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs and the top-ranked team in the state. They are responsible for handing vaunted Aliquippa its only loss — a...
GCC soccer pressing for more in state playoffs
Tyler Solis wants more from his team and expects more from his players, especially in the state playoffs. “We need to do a better job of closing out games,” the Greensburg Central Catholic coach said. “We have to finish better. It’s that simple.” Solis harped on that point for several...
GCC gets matching hat tricks from Nate Ward, Carlo Denis to pummel Iroquois
Senior Nate Ward and freshman Carlo Denis were harbingers of promising things to come in the first round of the PIAA Class A boys soccer playoffs. Every time one of them touched the ball, both early and late, something good happened for Greensburg Central Catholic. And while some early offsides...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Soccer trio helps Duquesne to A-10 Tournament
A trio of local players helped lead the Duquesne women’s soccer team into the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Sophomore midfielder Hannah Nguyen (Penn-Trafford) has started 16 games and has a goal and an assist, and redshirt junior defender Marley Smith (Norwin) has made 14 starts and sophomore forward Lexi Kendro (Norwin)...
College basketball players to watch from Westmoreland
Here come the Butlers and the Burnses. College basketball season is here again and Westmoreland County will be well represented at the Division I through NAIA levels. While Latrobe has produced the lion’s share of prospects in recent years, the rest of the county also has spread plenty of next-level...
Franklin Regional continues climb in national rankings
With back-to-back WPIAL championships in hand, Franklin Regional rose a few notches in the national boys soccer rankings. TopDrawerSoccer.com released its latest “Fab 50” teams for the fall season Tuesday — opening day for the PIAA playoffs — and Franklin Regional jumped 10 spots to No. 23. The Panthers (19-0-1)...
Westmoreland PIAA soccer playoff capsules for Nov. 5, 2019
Tuesday’s games Boys First round Class 3A Franklin Regional (19-0-1) vs. Bradford (15-5) 8 p.m. Tuesday at North Allegheny Winner plays: Winner of Cathedral Prep (21-0)/Blackhawk (13-4-4) Saturday in quarterfinals Corner kicks: Franklin Regional won its second consecutive WPIAL title with a 2-1 win over playoff rival West Allegheny. Garrett...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Eddins, Austin lead No. 1 Pitt-Johnstown wrestling
Two area wrestlers who were All-Americans at Pitt-Johnstown last year will open this season ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division II Super Region I. Senior Chris Eddins, a Greensburg Salem graduate and two-time national champion, is No. 1 at 149 pounds, and redshirt senior Devin Austin (Penn-Trafford) has the top...
Inaugural Moe Rosensteel Award to recognize WPIAL’s best girls soccer player
When the Rosensteel family tragically lost their daughter and sister, the Western Pennsylvania soccer community embraced them, consoled them and did their best to help them through the grieving process. Kaitlyn “Moe” Rosensteel died in June. Five months later, her father has formed the Kaitlyn “Moe” Rosensteel Scholarship Foundation —...
PIAA soccer playoffs sites and times set for Westmoreland teams
Two WPIAL boys champions and three girls runners-up from Westmoreland County will open the PIAA soccer playoffs Tuesday. The boys teams will play in WPIAL territory. Franklin Regional (19-0-1), fresh off back-to-back WPIAL Class 3A titles, will take on District 9 champion Bradford (15-5) at 8 p.m. at North Allegheny....
Westmoreland H.S. notebook: Yough softball coaching job reopens
Yough is looking for a softball coach — again. Kelsey Kuhns was hired less than a month ago to lead the Cougars, but her stay was brief. Kuhns resigned to take a full-time teaching position in another district. Yough athletic director Tom Evans said the job will be reposted. Kuhns...
Westmoreland football notebook: Only 4 teams remain after 1st round of playoffs
And then there were four. The opening night of the high school football postseason began with 12 Westmoreland County teams, but only four advanced Friday. Three teams — WPIAL Class 5A top seed Penn-Trafford (10-1), Class 4A No. 3 Belle Vernon (9-1), and Ligonier Valley (11-0) in District 6 —...
Franklin Regional boys top West Allegheny to successfully defend soccer title
Hit the sweet spot. That’s what raced through Franklin Regional senior Garrett Beaver’s mind as the soccer ball deflected off a defender and landed squarely in front of him. When West Allegheny could not clear the ball after a Franklin Regional shot attempt, Beaver reared back and ripped the rebound...

