Bill Beckner stories, Page 52
2nd-seeded Greensburg CC boys shake off rust, rout Frazier in 1st round
No matter the seed, no matter the matchup, teams want to be sharp when they open the WPIAL basketball postseason. Tournament time, after all, is when it matters. No. 2 seed Greensburg Central Catholic wasn’t perfect, but it was efficient in taking the first step toward its championship goal with...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Southmoreland grad picked for coaching program
Duquesne assistant women’s basketball coach Vanessa Abel was selected to participate in the Next Generation Institute by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Abel is a former Southmoreland standout and a Duquesne alum. The second-year institute is an educational program for experienced assistants who have aspirations to be head coaches in...
Westmoreland high school basketball playoff preview capsules for Feb. 21, 2024
WPIAL basketball playoffs Girls Class 2A Quarterfinals 9-Rochester (15-7) vs. 1-Greensburg Central Catholic (17-5) 6 p.m. Wednesday at Chartiers Valley Winner plays: Winner of 12-South Side (14-9)/4-Fort Cherry (17-5) in semifinals Saturday (time, site TBD) Coaches: CJ Iannini, Rochester; Chris Skatell, GCC Players to watch: Tia Yellock, Rochester; Erica Gribble,...
2nd-seeded Franklin Regional boys end playoff win drought with victory over Mars
Senior Colin Masten signed a couple of autographs for some wide-eyed kids. Seniors Cooper Rankin and Cam Rowell talked with some college coaches who are recruiting them. Their teammates and coaches ate chocolate-chip cookies as they mingled with the crowd. These are fun times for the Franklin Regional boys, who...
Westmoreland high school basketball playoff preview capsules for Feb. 20, 2024
WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 2A First round 15-Frazier (11-11) at 2-Greensburg Central Catholic (20-2) 7 p.m. Tuesday Winner plays: Winner of 10-Eden Christian (11-10)/7-Shenango (12-10) on Friday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Section finish: Frazier 4th, Section 4; GCC 1st Section 3 Players to watch: Dailan McManus, Frazier; Tyree...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Saint Vincent captures PAC wrestling title in 1st season back
It was like Saint Vincent had been here before. But if there was a feeling of deja vu, it was probably driven by adrenaline, not history. The Bearcats, who resurrected their wrestling program after nearly five decades away, cleaned up in their first Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships. Three wrestlers won...
Westmoreland high school basketball playoff preview capsules for Feb. 19, 2024
WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 5A First round 15-Mars (10-12) at 2-Franklin Regional (20-2) 7 p.m. Monday Winner plays: Winner of 10-Penn Hills (14-7)/7-Gateway (16-6) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Section finish: Mars T-4th, Section 4; Franklin Regional 1st Section 3 Players to watch: Cam Rowell, Franklin Regional;...
Norwin notebook: Grads make impact in women’s college basketball
Norwin girls basketball’s thumbprint continues to show up all over the college game. There are almost enough former Lady Knights to form a team at the next level. Here is a look at some of the women impacting Division III and NAIA programs, some of which are national tournament contenders:...
Westmoreland athletes of the week: Mt. Pleasant’s Olivia Kovach, Mt. Pleasant’s Dylan Pitzer
Olivia Kovach School: Mt. Pleasant Class: Sophomore Sport: Gymnastics Claim to fame: Kovach competed in the WPIAL championship meet for the second year in a row and won a gold medal in the balance beam with a score of 9.575. She also finished second in the all-around (37.450) and in...
South Park advances by beating Mt. Pleasant in WPIAL opener
South Park knew who to turn to when it needed a jolt. When it came time to flip a WPIAL girls basketball playoff game in its favor. Junior point guard Brooke Paylo was the fifth-seeded Eagles’ rail to hold onto in a 37-21 first-round victory over No. 12 Mt. Pleasant...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Camp planned to honor late Southmoreland coach
The legacy of “Fred” lives on at Southmoreland. Organizers have put together an event to not only help young football players improve their skills but also to honor the memory of a beloved coach. The Coach Ron “Fred” Frederick Memorial Youth Football Camp will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m....
Drive to improve, helpful mentors lead Franklin Regional grad to Division I football
Gentle giant Max Leven had a goal when he left Franklin Regional, but for him to achieve that goal, he felt he needed some fine-tuning. If he was going to be ready to play NCAA Division I college football, the 6-foot-8, 285-pound Leven had to smooth out some rough edges....
With senior guard back from injury, Greensburg Central Catholic girls rout Northgate
While she was cleared to return and was going to need ice treatment after the game, Cara Dupilka wasn’t sure how much she could give Greensburg Central Catholic in the first round of the playoffs after missing three games with a bone bruise in her left foot. “I’m thinking maybe...
Westmoreland County high school basketball playoff preview capsules for Feb. 17, 2024
Girls Class 3A 12-Mt. Pleasant (14-7) at 5-South Park (15-6) 2 p.m. Saturday Winner plays: Winner of 13-Brownsville (12-9)/4-Neshannock (15-7) Wednesday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Section finish: Mt. Pleasant 3rd, Section 3; South Park T-1st, Section 4 Players to watch: Grace Arrigo, Mt. Pleasant; Hayley Bennett, South Park Layup...
PIHL scoring leader Ryan Saginaw among January players of month
League scoring leader Ryan Saginaw of undefeated Bishop Canevin was among the four senior forwards selected as the PIHL’s players of the month for January. Saginaw, who has 70 points on 46 goals and 24 assists, was the top pick for Division 2. The other top players are Evan Benscoter...
Westmoreland County boys basketball notebook: Franklin Regional could be headed for rematch
A third meeting between neighboring districts could be on the horizon. Franklin Regional (20-2), the No. 2 seed in WPIAL Class 5A, could face No. 7 Gateway (16-6) if the teams advance to the quarterfinals. Both play at 7 p.m. Monday. Franklin Regional hosts No. 15 Mars (10-12), while Gateway...
Westmoreland County high school basketball playoff preview capsules for Feb. 16, 2024
WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class A First round 13-Summit Academy (4-13) at 4-Monessen (17-4) 7 p.m. Friday Winner plays: 5-Union (13-10) Wednesday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Section finish: Summit Academy T-4th, Section 3; Monessen 1st, Section 2 Players to watch: Austin Hindman, Summit Academy; Lorenzo Gardner, Monessen Layup lines:...
Westmoreland County girls basketball notebook: Latrobe takes playoff plunge
Latrobe hopes to make a splash in the WPIAL Class 5A girls basketball playoffs, right after the team dries off. First-year coach Mackenzie Livingston told her girls if they defeated Penn-Trafford last Thursday to clinch a playoff berth, she would jump into the school’s swimming pool, located near the gym....
Elite Westmoreland County basketball teams to open playoffs with legit title hopes
It is not hyperbole to say a special postseason could be in store for Westmoreland County basketball teams — a lengthy, compelling postseason that generates county-wide interest. The talent is there, right alongside the potential. The WPIAL playoffs are scheduled to begin this weekend, and some local teams could be...
Coach with longtime connection to Penn-Trafford girls volleyball takes over program
As a player and coach, Tracy McDonald has been around Penn-Trafford volleyball for the better part of 25 years. She began coaching the Warriors right out of college. “I already have a deep connection to this program and my players,” McDonald said. “I plan to continue to share my love...
4 Westmoreland teams earn top-2 seeds in WPIAL basketball playoffs
When Jesse Reed played Division I college basketball, he and his American University teammates made the NCAA Tournament. Now, Reed has the Franklin Regional boys in the WPIAL’s big dance. The third-year coach finally broke through — and in a big way — as the Panthers (19-2) earned the No....
Breaking down the 2024 WPIAL girls basketball playoff brackets
Class 6A Favorite: With a strong backbone of nonsection games, Norwin strengthened its resume. It has not lost to a WPIAL team this season and did not drop a section game. Four starters are back from a WPIAL and PIAA semifinal team. The Knights, who rely on defense and depth,...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Franklin Regional’s Michael Kemerer joins Brown coaching staff
Five-time All-American wrestler Michael Kemerer, a former standout at Franklin Regional and Iowa, is joining the coaching staff at Brown. Kemerer was an NCAA finalist in 2021 at 174 pounds. In December, he posted on “X,” formerly known as Twitter, that he planned to return from competitive wrestling “after some...
Norwin, GCC girls could draw No. 1 seeds as WPIAL playoff brackets are revealed
Brian Brozeski doesn’t wade too far into the waters of bracketology. The Norwin girls basketball coach would rather look at a playoff bracket as an extension of his team’s schedule. Take it and move on, no questions asked. “Anything can happen,” Brozeski said. “Look at our boys soccer team. There...
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week: Mt. Pleasant’s Kiersten O’Connor and Franklin Regional’s Troy McClelland
Kiersten O’Connor School: Mt. Pleasant Sport: Swimming Class: Junior Claim to fame: O’Connor won the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard freestyle, while also swimming lead-off legs of the first-place 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relays in a 99-84 victory over Kiski Area. Earlier this season, she won the 100-yard backstroke...
