Bill Beckner stories, Page 201
North Allegheny stops Norwin, wins first WPIAL girls soccer title
With a stiff wind whipping at their backs — the same wind Norwin had in the first half but could not take advantage of — North Allegheny made the conditions work in its favor to win the school’s first WPIAL girls soccer championship. The Tigers scored twice after halftime and,...
Westmoreland County football notes: GCC coach ready for close-up look at record-breaking back Ben Jackson
Greensburg Central Catholic first-year football coach Bret Colbert mentioned recently he was eager to see West Greene senior running back Ben Jackson play, even as a casual observer, to see what all the hype is about. Jackson has rushed for a WPIAL-best 2,711 yards and a league single-season record 46...
Yough softball coach resigns after less than a month on the job
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 quite brief. That is because she resigned to take a full-time teaching position at West Allegheny. Yough athletic director Tom Evans said the job...
Seton Hill offering free admission for football game against IUP
Who ever said no to free football? Seton Hill will welcome fans into its gates with free admission for Saturday’s game at Greensburg’s Offutt Field. It will be Fan Appreciation Day for the Griffins (2-5), who host No. 19 IUP (7-1) starting at noon in a PSAC West matchup. Gates...
Group effort leads Norwin girls into WPIAL title game vs. North Allegheny
The Norwin girls soccer team returned to the WPIAL championship for the fourth time in five years and will go for its fifth district title Thursday night when it faces North Allegheny in the Class AAAA final at Highmark Stadium. But the top-seeded Knights (18-1) have made their latest playoff...
Lofty rankings for UPJ wrestlers Chris Eddins, Devin Austin
Two area wrestlers who were All-Americans at Pitt-Johnstown last year will open the 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, while redshirt senior Devin Austin (Penn-Trafford) has the top...
Westmoreland County football Q&A with Franklin Regional’s Zac Gordon
Zac Gordon used to play tight end in youth football, even some center, before coaches thought it would be better to put the ball in his hands. Novel idea. Gordon scored 60 touchdowns in two seasons for the Franklin Regional Midget Football Association’s Leopards and led the team to a...
Westmoreland County don’t-miss football matchups for first week of WPIAL playoffs
Class 5A: FIRST ROUND No. 16 Fox Chapel (4-6) at No. 1 Penn-Trafford (9-1) 7 p.m. Friday at Warrior Stadium On the air: TribHSSN.triblive.com Winner plays: Winner of No. 8 North Hills (6-4)/No. 9 Upper St. Clair (6-4) Last week: Shaler 27, Fox Chapel 20; Penn-Trafford 21, Franklin Regional 0...
Westmoreland County high school soccer notes: GCC’s Nate Ward double-booked for Friday night
Greensburg Central Catholic senior Nate Ward not only is one of the top soccer players in the WPIAL, but he also is the kicker for the Centurions football team. Since both teams have a playoff game Friday night, he had a choice to make. The soccer team plays in the...
After temporary coaching change, GCC girls soccer in position to claim 7th WPIAL title
Ashley Davis returned a few weeks ago to resume coaching the Greensburg Central Catholic girls soccer team following a break for maternity leave. What she saw when she came back surprised her. Impressed her, even. Bri Guy, who took over the team at the start of the season and remains...
Westmoreland campus clippings: WCCC women’s cross country wins regional title
The WPCC champion Westmoreland County Community College women’s cross country team ran to its second Division III Region XX team championship over the weekend at Hagerstown Community College. Freshmen Brooke Bertovich and Jenna Hildenbrand (Norwin) paced WCCC by finishing second (23 minutes, 18.6 seconds) and fourth (23:36.7), respectively, to earn...
Jeannette grad Robert Kennedy snags junior college honor at Lackawanna
Jeannette alum Robert Kennedy hopes to be proof that a JUCO product can make it to the next level. The Lackawanna sophomore defensive back could be on his way. Kennedy continued to produce in the Falcons’ secondary, intercepting two more passes and returning one for a touchdown in a 48-18...
Greensburg Central Catholic girls clip No. 1 Freedom in OT to reach WPIAL final
Jessica Nemeth said the final play seemed like it was in slow motion. “I ran in to get the cross first, and I had this sense of clarity,” the Greensburg Central Catholic junior midfielder said. “I one-touched it and it went in and we’re going to the championship. “It’s the...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Burns sisters ready to court success
The Burns sisters will not get to play against each other on the basketball court this season, but the Hempfield graduates will be watching each other’s progress with great anticipation. Michelle Burns is a junior guard at Point Park who made the All-River States Conference preseason team. She was a...
2 from WPIAL picked for HS All-American soccer games
A pair of WPIAL soccer players were selected to play in the High School All-American games set for Dec. 7 in Orlando, Fla. Six district players were nominated but only Greensburg Central Catholic senior midfielder Nate Ward and Gateway senior goalkeeper Madisyn Neundorfer made the cut. Neundorfer is one of...
Westmoreland girls soccer preview capsules: Games of Monday, Oct. 28, 2019
WPIAL girls soccer playoffs Semifinals Class AAAA 1-Norwin (17-1) vs. 5-Seneca Valley (13-3-2) 8 p.m. Monday at North Allegheny Winner plays: Winner of 2-Peters Township (17-1-1)/3-North Allegheny (15-2-1) in championship (time, date TBD) at Highmark Stadium Coaches: Leslie Kaminski, Norwin; Mark Perry, Seneca Valley Players to watch: Lacey Bernick, Jr.,...
Franklin Regional boys post another shutout, move to WPIAL soccer title game
To put what the Franklin Regional boys soccer team is doing in perspective: The Panthers have not allowed a goal in 840 minutes of game time. They have 10 straight shutouts. South Fayette was the last team to sneak one in on a direct kick — on Sept. 24. Impressive,...
Norwin softball standout Bailee Bertani chooses Robert Morris
Bailee Bertani said she always dreamed of playing softball at the Division I level. “It’s been the goal ever since I was little,” she said. The Norwin junior will get a chance to make a dream come true. Bertani announced last week she decided to play at Robert Morris. “The...
Westmoreland notebook: GCC’s Ward more than soccer standout in fall
When a soccer player joins the football team, he or she usually is the kicker, and that is where their responsibilities end. Greensburg Central Catholic senior Nate Ward is bucking the trend. Ward, an Indiana soccer recruit who kicks for the Centurions, also plays wide receiver. Ward, one of the...
Greensburg Central Catholic back in WPIAL football playoffs after 3-year absence
Greensburg Central Catholic was still evolving, still finding its identity, as the WPIAL football regular season wound into its final week. At times, first-year coach Bret Colbert and his staff tweaked the playbook, rerouted the defense and changed the rotation as they looked for the right mix to best utilize...
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...
