Bill Beckner stories, Page 61
2023 in Westmoreland County sports: Gold rush brings titles in wide array of sports
Football, swimming, wrestling, track and field, softball, golf, tennis, bowling and cheerleading. Westmoreland County teams and athletes had a propensity for winning championships in an array of sports, and that became their collective calling card in 2023. It was a run of titles to remember, and the winners highlight the...
Hempfield girls score signature win by avenging earlier loss to Indiana
Up nine and then down six in a game where no lead was safe, budding Hempfield relied on its defense and late-game aptitude to score arguably its best win of the season. Using a lengthy second-half run to regain the lead, Hempfield pulled past Indiana, 50-42, on Friday night in...
GCC girls beat another Class 6A team, defeating Upper St. Clair
The basketball went to the near corner. Sophomore point guard Erica Gribble drew a crowd of defenders and alertly fired a pass across the baseline to the far corner. There waiting was senior shooting guard Mya Morgan, who caught it and sent in a 3-pointer to give Class 2A No....
Role players making a difference in Greensburg Central Catholic’s hot start
If Greensburg Central Catholic is going to live up to its expectations and make another run in the WPIAL and PIAA Class 2A boys basketball playoffs, the steady contributions of role players could be what makes the difference. So far, the rotation has been much more than the outstanding senior...
Westmoreland County boys basketball notebook: Shootout at Seton Hill expands
The annual Shootout at Seton Hill basketball showcase has expanded. It will include more days, more games and more teams. The charity event will be Jan. 27-28 at Seton Hill’s McKenna Center and now has 22 teams and 11 games (8 boys, 3 girls). Previously, the showcase was one day...
Greensburg Central Catholic boys key on Terek Crosby, shut down Yough
As Greensburg Central Catholic went through the handshake line opposite Yough, Centurions coach Christian Hyland told Cougars guard Terek Crosby how much he appreciates his game. The gesture was not a postgame apology Wednesday afternoon, but it felt like one. The coach was explaining why his team uncharacteristically used a...
Greensburg Salem to honor 2009 boys basketball state finalist
Greensburg Salem is set to honor the team that felt invincible for a couple of weeks in March. The 2009 Golden Lions, who went 23-6 and made a surprising run to the PIAA Class AAA championship game, will be recognized before Thursday night’s finale of the eight-game Coach Paul Sapotichne...
Westmoreland County girls basketball notebook: Schedule doesn’t let up for Greensburg Central Catholic
Before the season began, Greensburg Central Catholic girls basketball coach Chris Skatell talked almost proudly about his team’s schedule, confident that the Centurions had the talent to handle it. “We want to see what their will to compete looks like,” Skatell said as he went down the list of opponents....
Penn-Trafford girls ready to face injury challenge head on
Penn-Trafford girls basketball coach John Giannikas is somewhere near the corner of thrilled and concerned. His team is 7-1 and takes a six-game winning streak into the new year. But the Warriors will march ahead without one of their top players. Sophomore guard Torrie DeStefano, who has emerged as a...
Norwin grad Adam Bilinsky to transfer from Mercyhurst
Norwin graduate Adam Bilinsky will be playing for a different college basketball team next season. Bilinsky put his name in the NCAA transfer portal after nine games at Mercyhurst. The 6-foot-3 freshman shooting guard wants to play closer to home. He likely will remain at the Division II level, likely...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Jeannette grad Robert Kennedy to declare for NFL Draft
Robert Kennedy used to talk about playing in the NFL. What it would be like and how he would get there. Only Kennedy, the former Jeannette star quarterback and defensive back who made his way to Power Five football as a safety at N.C. State, wasn’t dreamy about the concept...
Seton Hill senior Dioh Desuah finalist for Cliff Harris Award
Seton Hill redshirt senior defensive lineman Dioh Desuah was named a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award, which recognizes the top defensive players in small-college football. He is among 36 NCAA Division II finalists for the award named after the former Dallas Cowboys safety and Hall of Famer who appeared...
Westmoreland County athletes of the week: Norwin’s Lauren Palangio, Latrobe’s Luke Willochell
Lauren Palangio School: Norwin Class: Senior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Palangio, a 6-foot-1 center for the Knights, is one of the top post players in WPIAL Class 6A. The Division II Holy Family commit had 14 points and 10 rebounds in an impressive 75-44 win over McKeesport, the No....
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Norwin receiver’s options include WVU walk-on offer
Norwin football player Luke Denny popped up on a lot of college radar screens after a big play-filled senior season. As Division II offers roll in, Denny received a preferred walk-on invitation from a Power Five school. West Virginia presented him with an opportunity to come in and work for...
Greensburg Central Catholic withstands crafty foul strategy to beat Hempfield
Teams have tried to slow down Greensburg Central Catholic in a number of ways, but this was something new. Coach Bill Swan and Hempfield took advantage of the new five-foul format and used some of their fouls tactically in the first and second quarters, forcing fast-paced GCC to slow down...
Saint Vincent men showing flair for dramatic
Admission is free for Saint Vincent men’s games, but some fans might gladly shell out a few bucks to watch this exciting brand of basketball. If you do attend a game, you probably want to stay until the end. The Bearcats (12-0) are making a habit out of tight finishes,...
Norwin girls crank up offense to roll past previously unbeaten McKeesport
Norwin senior point guard Bailey Snowberger said her team has not played its best basketball game yet. A runaway nonsection win over the No. 1-ranked team in Class 5A surely will have to rank up there, though. Norwin, ranked No. 2 in Class 6A, scratched out an unsteady first quarter...
Westmoreland County boys basketball notebook: Former Franklin Regional coach back on sideline
Former Franklin Regional coach Steve Scorpion is back on the sideline. Scorpion is an assistant this season at Kiski Area. He applied for the Kiski Area girls head coaching position, but when he did not get the job, Cavaliers boys coach Corey Smith invited him onto his bench. “The (girls...
With more players joining Ty Keffer in scoring column, Southmoreland boys ready to rock
There are times when Ty Keffer feels like he’s playing the drums instead of lead guitar for the Southmoreland basketball team. But that is OK because the Scotties still rock. “I knew from summer league we had other guys who could score,” said Keffer, a senior guard with more than...
Westmoreland County girls basketball notebook: Greensburg Salem junior likes wearing stripes
Regan Kerr has a good reason for becoming a referee. “My mom told me to get a job, so I thought, why not be a ref?” said Kerr, a junior basketball player at Greensburg Salem. The 5-foot-11 forward passed her PIAA officials’ certification test about two months ago and has...
Mt. Pleasant girls adapt quickly, find new ways to win
The post-Tiffany Zelmore era could have begun a number of ways at Mt. Pleasant. But five wins in the first six games? Not even coach Scott Giacobbi saw that coming. “I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Giacobbi, who is in his 19th season leading the girls. “I knew it...
‘Wild horse’ scores 28 as Deer Lakes beats Derry for 5th straight win
Deer Lakes welcomed reserve forward Nate Moore back to the lineup Tuesday night following a football injury. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior’s return helped one of his teammates have a career night. You might say the Lancers shared the Love. Senior forward Wayne Love scored a career-high 28 points on 14-of-18...
Hempfield softball ace Riley Miller picks Kent State
Proximity to home had a little something to do with Riley Miller’s college decision. The ace softball pitcher from Hempfield is not going to play in Pennsylvania, but she decided to work the outside corner. Riley, a junior, announced Tuesday she has committed to Kent State in Portage County, Ohio....
Latrobe grad Trent Holler transfers from Marshall to Memphis
He may hike the ball backward, but Trent Holler keeps pushing his football career forward. A grad transfer center and Latrobe graduate, Holler announced Tuesday he will be playing on the offensive line at Memphis. The 6-foot-2, 306-pound Holler tossed his name into the NCAA transfer portal earlier this month....
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Belle Vernon grad earns football all-American honors
Belle Vernon alum Devin Hannan said this season has been “nothing short of a blessing.” The grad student offensive lineman at Valdosta State capped a terrific final year of college football by being named to the Associated Press All-America second team. The honor follows Hannan’s selection to the American Football...
