Bill Beckner stories, Page 199
Penn-Trafford earns Class 5A Big East title with win against Franklin RegionalVideo
Penn-Trafford football coach John Ruane said his team would have to earn every yard against physical Franklin Regional. That statement was as prophetic as it was accurate. The top-ranked Warriors took a while to gain command in Murrysville on Friday night, but they finally gained separation late in the second...
Westmoreland boys soccer playoff capsules for Saturday, Oct. 26
Saturday’s games Boys Class AAA semifinals 1-Franklin Regional (17-0-1) vs. 12-Blackhawk (12-3-4) 4 p.m. at Hampton Winner plays: Winner of 7-West Allegheny (13-5-1)/6-Hampton (15-3-2) in championship at Highmark Stadium (time, date TBD) Coaches: Rand Hudson, Franklin Regional; Jerrod Rebich, Blackhawk Players to watch: Anthony DiFalco, So., F, Franklin Regional; Noah...
Nearly flawless defense keys Franklin Regional boys soccer playoff run
Franklin Regional puts a premium on goals. As in, when you play against the Panthers, you can’t have any. The Panthers (17-0-1) are a stingy, defensive juggernaut in WPIAL Class AAA boys soccer with their back line strength complementing their vast offensive skill set — or is it the other...
Yough girls edge Burrell for spot in soccer semifinalsVideo
Natalie Vilchek left the game for an extended period of time in the first half Thursday night after she tweaked her right knee. She returned and made an instant impact. The Yough junior checked back in with her right knee wrapped in tape and immediately set up for, of all...
Westmoreland County football notes: Penn-Trafford, Franklin Regional show mutual respect
Penn-Trafford knows what it is getting with Franklin Regional. But the sentiment is mutual. “It’s your prototypical Franklin Regional team,” Warriors coach John Ruane said. “Big, strong linemen. Physical linebackers. Good skill guys.” You get the point. That being said, Ruane has a message for his team this week as...
PSAC forecasts conference sweep for IUP basketball teams
IUP once again is favored to win the PSAC West Division in men’s and women’s basketball. The conference announced results of its preseason coaches polls Thursday. East Stroudsburg’s men were voted as the top team in the Eastern Division, while Kutztown is the women’s favorite in the east. MEN East...
Greensburg Central Catholic gets revenge on Avonworth in boys soccer playoffsVideo
Itching to play Avonworth again for the better part of a year, Greensburg Central Catholic got its shot at redemption in the boys soccer playoffs Wednesday night. The second-seeded Centurions embraced the challenge and made amends, scoring three unanswered goals to post a 3-1 victory over No. 7 Avonworth in...
Norwin’s Jack Salopek chasing 6,000 yards
Norwin senior quarterback Jack Salopek is looking to cap his career by reaching the 6,000-yard mark. Salopek, a Western Michigan commit, needs 133 yards to get to the milestone. Norwin (2-7) visits Seneca Valley (3-6) Friday night and has not qualified for the playoffs. Salopek could finish inside the top...
Rick Nese steps down as Penn-Trafford soccer coach
Rick Nese did not rule out a return to soccer, even in the near future, but for now he needs a break. Nese resigned as boys soccer coach at Penn-Trafford after five seasons. Nese, who wants to spend more time with his family, had a record of 55-30-4 with three...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Palmer Jackson shines for Notre Dame
It has not taken Palmer Jackson long to adjust to golf at the Division I level. He continues to look like a natural. Jackson, a freshman at Notre Dame, won his first college tournament and helped lead the Fighting Irish to a team title in record-breaking fashion at the Quail...
Westmoreland boys soccer playoff capsules
WPIAL boys soccer playoffs Quarterfinals Class AAAA 6-Norwin (16-2-1) at 3-Seneca Valley (13-3-1) 8 p.m. Wednesday at NexTier Stadium Winner plays: Winner of 2-Mt. Lebanon (13-4-1)/7-Butler (13-5-1) Saturday in semifinals Coaches: Scott Schuchert, Norwin; George Williams, Seneca Valley Players to watch: Ian Brown, Jr., D, Norwin; Luke Rupert, Sr., F,...
Yough grad Scott Houseman draws offer from RMU
Scott Houseman decided it was best to attend a junior college when he was coming out of Yough so the mountain of a lineman could hone his skills and potentially land larger scholarship offers. His plan is taking shape. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound freshman offensive lineman who initially saw playing time...
Westmoreland County football Q&A with Ligonier Valley’s Kyrie Miller
If you want to be a captain of the Ligonier Valley football team, you have to apply for the job. Literally. “Players submit applications, and they complete tasks and then they are voted on by their peers,” Rams coach Roger Beitel said. “The coaches don’t pick the captains. The players...
Appolonia leads Yough past Highlands in WPIAL girls soccer playoffs
A lot has been made of the Yough girls soccer team’s high-octane offensive skills. The Cougars can find the net with the best of them. But coach Dann Appolonia will be the first to say it all starts with defense. “Our defense was very strong, and that’s what we need...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Records continue to pile up for Pitt-Greensburg women’s soccer
Let the records fall where they may at Pitt-Greensburg. The women’s soccer team is having a season to remember and rewriting the record books in the process. The Bobcats (15-0) have registered 12 shutouts and outscored opponents, 49-4. As a result of their winning streak, which broke the program record,...
Hempfield catcher Emma Hoffner picks Ohio
Emma Hoffner is a junior at Hempfield, but she already has been through the college recruiting process twice. The softball catcher committed to St. Francis (Pa.) last year, but a coaching change prompted her to decommit and open her recruitment. In the meantime, other schools entered the picture after following...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Franklin Regional volleyball hitter is smashing success
A versatile, 6-foot-1 hitter who can deliver from all three positions on the court, Franklin Regional junior Aly Kindelberger has all the tools and instincts to be a Division I volleyball player. She now has a scholarship, too. Kindelberger committed earlier this month to play at DePaul. The powerful Kindelberger...
Norwin shakes off sluggish start, beats Baldwin in first-round gameVideo
Ian Brown had a goal waved off just before halftime. The Norwin junior could have waved at a couple of defenders as he cashed in on his second chance. Brown went left and then right, showing footwork, skill and maybe a little anger as he delivered a highlight-reel goal early...
Westmoreland high school football notebook: Derry’s Huss records half to remember
Derry fans will remember for some time the game senior running back Justin Huss had Friday night. Or should we say, the half he had. Huss ran for a school-record 304 yards and four touchdowns on 10 carries against Deer Lakes, all before resting in the second half, as the...
No. 1 Thomas Jefferson shows might in win at Greensburg Salem
It’s a begrudgingly accepted fact in sports. Sometimes, the other team is that much better. Greensburg Salem tried its best to downplay top-ranked Thomas Jefferson’s reputation as the kingpin of Class 4A, but the Jaguars quickly reminded the Golden Lions of their propensity for dominance. Perennial powers have a tendency...
Westmoreland County boys soccer matchups for the first round of the WPIAL playoffs
Saturday’s games Boys Class AAAA first round 11-Baldwin (7-10-1) at 6-Norwin (15-2-1) 4 p.m. at Norwin Knights Stadium Winner plays: 3-Seneca Valley (13-3-1) Wednesday in quarterfinals Coaches: Scott Schuchert, Norwin; Dave Zinski, Baldwin Players to watch: Matt Federovich, Sr., F, Norwin; Pasi Oswald, Sr., MF, Baldwin Corner kicks: Norwin reached...
Westmoreland County football notes: Greensburg Salem wary of TJ mystique
It’s just a name playing another game. That is the way Greensburg Salem is trying to view vaunted Thomas Jefferson, the team that will visit Offutt Field Friday night in a WPIAL Class 4A Big Eight Conference game. The idea is to shed the heavy armor, the Jaguars’ notorious reputation...
Unbeaten UPG women’s soccer team climbing rankings, breaking records
Let the records fall where they may at Pitt-Greensburg. The women’s soccer team is having a season to remember and rewriting the record books in the process. The Bobcats (14-0) have registered 11 shutouts and have outscored their opponents, 47-4. As a result of their winning streak, which broke the...
Soccer teams grin, bear it when WPIAL playoff seeds aren’t favorable
Playoff brackets can cause coaches to do a lot of hand-wringing as the WPIAL committee “holes up in some room somewhere” to draw up their tournament path. To that end, not all coaches are content with their team’s position and many wonder how decisions were made. The ones who have...
Westmoreland County football Q&A: Belle Vernon’s Jared Hartman
Whether his Belle Vernon teammates need a pass delivered to them on point or a quick haircut for game day — fades come in different forms — Jared Hartman is their man. The senior quarterback has been as much a big-play passer as he has a game-managing leader for the...
