Bill Beckner stories, Page 25
Norwin girls hope to find momentum in state tournament
Though Norwin did not repeat as WPIAL champions, one could argue the Knights still have momentum going into the PIAA postseason. They did, after all, rally from 13 down to take a three-point lead late in the fourth quarter against Upper St. Clair on Saturday in the Class 6A girls...
Jeannette looks to ride defense, rebounding in PIAA tournament
Jeannette had just won its second WPIAL championship and first since 2008, but the players weren’t tired. Far from it, in fact. “I want to start states tomorrow,” sophomore guard Markus McGowan said. The Jayhawks wanted the crew at Petersen Events Center to leave the lights on. “Let’s play tonight....
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Former Mt. Pleasant coach Chris Brunson wins 1st games at Waynesburg
Waynesburg started the Chris Brunson era with a pair of wins. Brunson, the former championship-winning coach at Mt. Pleasant, won his first two games as Waynesburg’s new softball coach, 3-2 and 14-0 (5 innings) over Penn State Altoona. Sophomore third baseman Brynn Charnesky (Southmoreland) had a double and RBI in...
Westmoreland basketball notebook: PIAA sites revealed for local teams
The PIAA announced first-round times and sites for the state tournaments, which begin Friday and Saturday across the commonwealth. The area’s three WPIAL champions will host opening games. The Belle Vernon boys (21-4) will welcome Farrell (12-11), the fifth-place team from District 10, at 7 p.m. Friday in the Class...
Belle Vernon boys hope to extend Salvino’s final season with state tournament run
On the doorstep of retirement but not quite ready to knock on the door with the PIAA playoffs to come, Joe Salvino still doesn’t crave attention. Not after another WPIAL championship. Not after four decades of winning. Not after the sendoff of sendoffs. In fact, simplicity has been a part...
Norwin notebook: Knights track and field teams win indoor titles
The Norwin boys and girls indoor track and field teams are champions for the first time. Both won titles at the Tri-State Track and Field Coaches Association championships at the Edinboro Bubble. Ryan Schiller won the 60-meter dash in 8.14 seconds, Luke Simpson was first in the mile in 4...
Upper St. Clair battles past Norwin to win 1st WPIAL girls basketball title since ’08
Upper St. Clair finally broke through to win another championship, for Pete’s sake. Coach Pete Serio, denied titles in two of the last three years as the Panthers were stricken by injuries to star players — most recently Rylee Kalocay — was able to celebrate with his team after a...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Norwin celebrates indoor track titles
The Norwin boys and girls indoor track and field teams are champions for the first time. Both won titles at the Tri-State Track & Field Coaches Association Championships last weekend at the Edinboro Bubble. Ryan Schiller won the 60-meter dash in 8.14 seconds, Luke Simpson was first in the mile...
Greensburg Central Catholic girls ready to lace ’em up in state tournament
A reporter asked some Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball players in a postgame news conference if the shoes they wore in the WPIAL championship were new. The entire team wore aqua-green Nike high-tops at Petersen Events Center on Thursday night when they celebrated their second straight title. “No, we’ve had...
Jeannette overwhelms Union to win school’s 2nd WPIAL boys basketball title
Jeannette received new shoes for the WPIAL Class 2A boys basketball championship. The Jayhawks beat the socks off of Union to win their first title in 17 years. Playing an up-tempo style from the beginning, third-seeded Jeannette started quickly, owned the fast break and used balanced scoring and pressure defense...
Norwin girls expect tense tussle with Upper St. Clair in WPIAL Class 6A finals
The celebration was short after Norwin won its WPIAL semifinal over Canon-McMillan on Tuesday night in Mt. Lebanon. Veteran coach Brian Brozeski, who has been through many postseason runs, made sure his team boarded the bus with perspective after a 42-26 win that saw the Knights fend off a late...
2025 WPIAL Class 6A girls basketball championship breakdown: Norwin vs. Upper St. Clair
WPIAL Class 6A girls basketball championship No. 1 Norwin vs. No. 2 Upper St. Clair 5 p.m. Saturday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network; Audio: Trib HSSN WPIAL titles: Norwin 3 (2024, ’15, ’16), Upper St. Clair 6 (2008, ’03, 1996, ’94, ’93, ’73) Norwin (15-7)...
Erica Gribble pours in 31 points to lead Greensburg Central Catholic girls to 7th WPIAL titleVideo
Taking a break from her scoring barrage, Erica Gribble zipped a wide, cross-court pass down the baseline to a waiting Jayla Peterson in the far corner. Peterson calmly drained a 3-pointer to tie the score with 1 minute, 35 seconds remaining. Seconds later, Peterson completed a three-point play to give...
Alumni funds new Ja 2 sneakers for Jeannette boys to wear in WPIAL championship game
Jeannette will lace up new basketball sneakers for the WPIAL title game. Alumni donated money to buy the boys team new Nike shoes for making it to the Class 2A championship game, the Jayhawks’ first appearance in the finals since 2015. Jeannette (22-2) plays Union (19-6) at 5 p.m. Friday...
Jeannette boys to put playoff wisdom to ultimate test in WPIAL championship game
Sixth man Lonnie Greene was out last year with a leg injury and couldn’t contribute to the Jeannette boys basketball team. You can bet it irked him, too. But the 6-foot-4 senior forward is healthy now and playing his best heading into the WPIAL finals. He doesn’t intend to come...
2025 WPIAL Class 2A boys basketball championship breakdown: Union vs. Jeannette
WPIAL Class 2A boys basketball championship No. 8 Union vs. No. 3 Jeannette 5 p.m. Friday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Union 1 (2003); Jeannette 1 (2008) Union (19-6) Coach: Mark Stanley Projected starting lineup No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos. 1, Maddox Thompson,...
Jeannette coach entering WPIAL finals: ‘I want to win one for our district’
His voice long gone, Adrian Batts let the moment wash over him after his Jeannette boys basketball team ripped off a 20-point win in the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals Monday at jam-packed Fox Chapel. This one was special. “What an amazing effort, lot of grit,” Batts said. “Everything we talked...
2025 WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship breakdown: Belle Vernon vs. North Catholic
WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball championship No. 1 Belle Vernon vs. No. 2 North Catholic 9 p.m. Thursday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: North Catholic 5 (2020, ’17, ’16, ’10, ’09); Belle Vernon 1 (1978) Belle Vernon (20-4) Coach: Joe Salvino Projected starting...
2025 WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball championship breakdown: Shady Side Academy vs. Greensburg C.C.
WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball championship No. 1 Shady Side Academy vs. No. 2 Greensburg Central Catholic 7 p.m. Thursday, Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network; audio: Trib HSSN WPIAL titles: GCC 6 (2024, ’07, ’06, ’03, 1997, ’91); SSA 1 (2024) Shady Side Academy (24-0)...
Westmoreland County high school basketball notebook: Losses never fazed Norwin
At 15-7, the Norwin girls don’t have a snazzy record. But that has never been the Knights’ objective. “Sure, it would be cool to beat everyone and be undefeated,” senior guard Kendall Berger said. “But you don’t learn from winning constantly. You grow from losing some and it builds character.”...
Return visit to The Pete no less exciting for Greensburg Central Catholic girls
Jayla Peterson did not get the full “Pete” experience last year. The junior guard from Greensburg Central Catholic injured her ankle in the first quarter of the WPIAL Class 2A championship game and never returned, spending the rest of the game on the bench next to a pair of crutches....
Belle Vernon’s Joe Salvino could write storybook ending to coaching career
In a back hallway, just off the court Saturday at AHN Arena in Peters Township, Joe Salvino looked up at a scrum of reporters who wanted his reaction to a riveting one-point semifinal win. The Belle Vernon boys basketball coach was jovial and made the group chuckle with a couple...
Norwin girls fend off Canon-McMillan’s rally, return to WPIAL Class 6A title game
Kendall Berger was doing most of the heavy lifting for No. 1 seed Norwin through three quarters, but she needed some help — especially when Canon-McMillan started to close in. She got it, and Norwin took another step toward a repeat. Fourth-seeded Canon-McMillan made its run in the fourth quarter,...
Westmoreland County basketball notebook: Jeannette forwards step up in semifinal win
Jeannette challenged its big men this week. Be more aggressive, go to the basket, look to score. The post trio of Xavier Odorisio-Farrow, Lonnie Greene and Noah Sunder responded — Green off the bench — in a 45-25 win over No. 2 seed Sewickley Academy in the WPIAL 2A semifinals...
‘Oh my goodness!’ Dunk propels Jeannette boys past Sewickley in Class 2A semifinals
All the talk about Sewickley Academy’s height was canceled out by Jeannette’s post players in the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals. Jeannette sent a message with one defining play: Xavier Odorisio-Farrow’s drive and slam over 6-foot-8 Mamadou Kane in the third quarter sent the crowd into a frenzy and helped send...
