Bill Beckner stories, Page 49
Westmoreland County high school basketball notebook: Some Roundball Classic games to be televised
High school basketball suddenly will be a part of Memorial Day weekend. And fans will be able to post up on the couch to watch the top players in the district play on TV. The plan is for KDKA to televise some of the Roundball Classic all-star basketball games set...
Westmoreland high school basketball playoff preview capsules for March 16, 2024
Boys Class 2A Quarterfinals Jeannette (19-9) vs. Fort Cherry (22-6) 1 p.m. Saturday at AHN Arena, Peters Township District seeds: Jeannette 7-6; Fort Cherry 7-3 Winner plays: Winner of 7-1 Aliquippa (23-5)/9-1 Redbank Valley (24-3) on Tuesday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Markus McGowan, Jeannette; Blake Sweder,...
Westmoreland County high school basketball notebook: Norwin facing somewhat familiar foe
Familiarity is only going to take Norwin so far Friday night in the PIAA Class 6A girls basketball quarterfinals. At least that is Lady Knights coach Brian Brozeski’s take on his team’s next matchup. “We played them in the beginning of the year, but both teams look a lot different...
Jeannette boys team grows up just in time for PIAA upset
Jeannette has a bright future in boys basketball. That much is clear in a talented rotation oozing with athletes and acumen. But it looks like a budding crop of underclassmen would prefer to win now, thank you very much. “These guys compete,” Jayhawks coach Adrian Batts said. “They are young,...
Westmoreland high school basketball playoff preview capsules for March 15, 2024
PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 5A Quarterfinals Franklin Regional (25-3) vs. Shaler (25-3) 7:30 p.m. Friday at Gateway High School District seeds: Franklin Regional 7-2; Shaler 7-3 Winner plays: Winner of 7-6 Bethel Park (15-13)/7-1 Moon (25-3) on Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Cooper Rankin, Franklin...
Jeannette shocks rival Greensburg Central Catholic in PIAA 2nd round
The anatomy of this victory started with a game plan and a belief that anything was possible. Through exacting execution and a willful buy-in by a young group as unfazed by the pressure as it is naive to it, Jeannette did the unthinkable. The upstart Jayhawks pulled off a monumental...
Hempfield sets championship goals as Westmoreland County teams open softball season
Hempfield won its eighth WPIAL softball championship last season. The Spartans are not shying away from the expectation that comes with winning a ninth. The season opens Friday, and WPIAL and PIAA championships are the order of the day — each day of tireless, detail-oriented preparation gleaned from legendary coach...
Norwin takes punch from Chartiers Valley, rallies to reach PIAA 6A quarterfinals
Trailing by double figures for the first time all season could have sent Norwin into a downward spiral and shut down its hopes of winning a state championship. Instead, it charged up the Lady Knights and made their grand escape that much more impressive. WPIAL champion Norwin rallied from 11...
Westmoreland County baskeball notebook: Rivals Jeannette, GCC ready for another rematch
After Jeannette played at Greensburg Central Catholic late in the boys basketball regular season, Jayhawks coach Adrian Batts leaned in to the handshake line for a respectful exchange with GCC senior forward Franco Alvarez. “He said, ‘I’m not going to get to play you anymore,’ ” Batts said. “I told...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Seton Hill’s Marc Marizzaldi earns 700th career win
What a way to close out a spring break trip. Seton Hill baseball brushed past Florida Southern, 3-1, to give longtime coach Marc Marizzaldi his 700th career win. Grad shortstop Owen Sabol (Norwin) had two hits, senior pitcher Aidan Layton earned the win and struck out eight and junior closer...
Westmoreland County high school basketball playoff preview capsule for March 13, 2024
PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 2A Second round Jeannette (18-9) vs. Greensburg Central Catholic (24-3) 7 p.m. Wednesday at Norwin District seeds: Jeannette 7-6; GCC 7-2 Winner plays: Winner of 7-3 Fort Cherry (21-6)/7-7 Serra Catholic (18-9) Saturday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Jace Powell, Jeannette; Liam...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Latrobe grad Bryce Butler honored by CAA
Bryce Butler quickly found out what his role would be when he made the jump to Division I college basketball. He accepted it with a sense of gratitude and committed to being one of the best reserves in the game. The grad student guard at the College of Charleston came...
Westmoreland high school basketball playoff preview capsules for March 12, 2024
PIAA basketball playoffs Boys Class 5A Second round Franklin Regional (24-3) vs. Selinsgrove (18-7) 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Altoona High School District seeds: Franklin Regional 7-2; Selinsgrove 4-1 Winner plays: Winner of 3-1 Mechanicsburg (21-5)/7-3 Shaler (24-3) on Friday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Cooper Rankin, Franklin...
Westmoreland high school PIHL playoff preview capsules for March 12, 2024
PIHL playoffs Class 2A Semifinals 8-Penn-Trafford (8-9-0-2) vs. 4-Norwin (12-7-0-2) 7 p.m. Tuesday, Robert Morris University Island Sports Center, Moon Winner plays: Winner of 6-Franklin Regional (11-7-0-1)/2-Thomas Jefferson (18-2-0-0) in championship 6:15 p.m. Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Cranberry Players to watch: Alex Thomas, Norwin; Marco Ferracio, Penn-Trafford Ice...
Westmoreland County high school basketball notebook: Coach brings concepts from Penn State football to Norwin girls team
Brian Brozeski remembers the guidance he received from more established teammates when he made the Penn State football team in the mid-1990s. Former headliners Joe Jurevicius, Brandon Short, Curtis Enis and others, he said, took him under their wing. “I was a scrawny walk-on from tiny Blairsville, but those guys...
Westmoreland notebook: Mid Mon Valley hall of fame selects newest class
Longtime Belle Vernon softball coach Tom Rodriguez, former Monessen football standout Joe Como and late Belle Vernon administrator Steve Russell are part of the 29th Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame class. The class will be inducted June 21 at St. Spyridon’s Hellenic Center in Monessen. Rodriguez has...
Greensburg Central Catholic boys assert themselves in PIAA win
Tyree Turner dribbled into the open court with nothing between himself and the rim but gravity. While he just barely missed the slam dunk, he immediately recovered, came up with a steal at midcourt and was ready to try again. “I’m like, ‘If I miss this one, I won’t hear...
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week: Mt. Pleasant’s Lily King, Franklin Regional’s Shawn Sinclair
Lily King School: Mt. Pleasant Class: Junior Sport: Swimming Claim to fame: King won three gold medals and a bronze at the WPIAL Class 2A swimming championships last weekend at Pitt’s Trees Pool. She was a repeat winner in the 100-yard freestyle, where she broke her own record with a...
Norwin notebook: Girls wrestling team crowns 2 regional champs
The Norwin girls wrestling team had two champions at the PIAA Western Regional championship at Canon-McMillan and advanced four to the PIAA championships set for March 7-9 at Giant Center in Hershey. Sophomore Josephine Dollman won a title at 142 pounds, pinning Grace O’Korn of Peters Township in the finals....
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Stakes high when Norwin, Penn-Trafford hockey teams meet
Norwin and Penn-Trafford are longtime rivals in a number of sports and have stood nose-to-nose on many fields and courts. But the Knights and Warriors will meet on the ice Tuesday night with a spot in the PIHL Penguins Cup finals on the line. They will play at 7 p.m....
WPIAL champion Norwin girls run away from York William Penn in PIAA opener
After getting knocked to the floor early, Lauren Palangio quickly dusted herself off and jumped back into character. With a shrug and a few adjustments, her teammates followed her lead. The Norwin senior forward continued to be a grandiose presence in the paint, helping the WPIAL champion Lady Knights to...
Westmoreland County high school basketball playoff preview capsules for March 9, 2024
Boys Class 3A First round Derry (15-8) at Girard (23-2) 7:30 p.m. Saturday District seeds: Derry 7-6; Girard 10-1 Winner plays: Winner of 7-2 Burrell (16-9)/6-3 Bishop Canevin (23-4) Wednesday in second round (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Brady Angus, Derry; Nate Edwards, Girard Layup lines: Derry will make...
Unsung heroes dot coaching staffs of Westmoreland County state playoff teams
It’s the first practice after a relaxing weekend, and Norwin girls basketball coach Brian Brozeski is lowering the hoops around the gymnasium at “The Castle.” (He stays away from hoop No. 5. It’s a long story.) His WPIAL champion players file into the gym after a group walk on a...
Westmoreland County high school basketball playoff preview capsules for March 8, 2024
Boys Class 5A First round Warwick (17-8) at Franklin Regional (23-3) 5 p.m. Friday District seeds: Warwick 3-6; Franklin Regional 7-2 Winner plays: Winner of 3-7 Muhlenberg (15-9)/4-1 Selinsgrove (17-7) on Tuesday in second round (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Carter Horst, Warwick; Colin Masten, Franklin Regional Layup lines:...
Franklin Regional, Greensburg Central Catholic duos seek redemption in state playoffs
A fast break for Franklin Regional can move like a five-lane highway. And it’s usually Cam Rowell or Cooper Rankin finishing at the rim. At Greensburg Central Catholic, Tyree Turner sets the pace when he brings the ball upcourt, and if he isn’t creating off the dribble, he is finding...
