Bill Beckner stories, Page 69
Belle Vernon boys soccer holds off Mt. Pleasant, takes over 1st place
It took blood and sweat, but first place in Section 3-2A belongs to Belle Vernon — for now. Belle Vernon, playing at full strength for the first time all season after a few key players came back from injury, put up an early goal and grinded out a 1-0 boys...
Legendary Jeannette coach Joe Mucci among national high school hall of fame nominees
Legendary Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic coach Joe Mucci is among 50 nominees — players, coaches and teams included — for the second National High School Football Hall of Fame class. Another former Jayhawks headliner, the late John Crowell, was enshrined this year in the inaugural class. Lamont “Showboat” Robinson,...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Top teams ready for prime time
Regional television and radio will feature several Westmoreland County teams Friday night while shining a spotlight on two recent WPIAL and PIAA championship programs. Belle Vernon (2-0) will visit Penn-Trafford (1-2) in a game that will be televised on 22 The Point as part of the channel’s “Friday Night Rivals”...
Latrobe girls soccer team powers past Franklin Regional with 2 first-half goals
An airplane flew over Rossi Field early in the girls soccer game Wednesday night, descending slowly toward the nearby airport named after Arnold Palmer. A short time later, Latrobe lifted off. Junior Robin Reilly and freshman Emerson Shine netted first-half goals as the fourth-ranked Wildcats set down visiting No. 5...
Westmoreland County high school football matchups for 2023 Week 3
Class 5A Big East Conference Franklin Regional (2-1) at Gateway (0-3) 7 p.m. Friday, Pete Antimarino Stadium, Monroeville Last week: Franklin Regional 38, Connellsville 0; North Hills 26, Gateway 8 Last year’s result: Franklin Regional 16, Gateway 7 Teams trending in separate directions will open Big East Conference play. …...
Former West Allegheny student Tanner Rosborough, 15, signs MLS NEXT Pro contract
Tanner Rosborough already has made a number of professional appearances. He had 28 goals during the MLS NEXT regular season and won an MLS NEXT Cup, scoring the game-winning goal in the final. Be that as it may, Rosborough is only 15 years old. It’s quite obvious, this kid is...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Latrobe looking part of contender
It is a question coaches in Section 4-3A keep asking: How good is Latrobe? The Wildcats, looking to get back into the WPIAL playoff conversation under second-year coach Jake Rice, have started 4-1. They opened with a 2-1 win over Penn-Trafford, then handled Obama (3-1) and Penn Hills (3-0). Their...
Junior scorer emerges as game-changer for Norwin boys soccer
When Norwin played Canon-McMillan in a section matchup last boys soccer season, Daniel Maddock moved from outside back, where he had played for three games, to the wing. “I scored a goal from like 30 yards out,” the Knights’ junior said. “I have been playing striker ever since.” And he...
Westmoreland County girls soccer notebook: Latrobe roster packed with Division I players
With junior Robin Reilly giving a verbal commitment to West Virginia, Latrobe continued its recent pipeline to Division I college soccer. The Wildcats now have four players committed to D-1 programs. The others are senior forward Regan Reilly (Bowling Green), senior midfielder Ella Bulava (Maryland) and junior midfielder Maddy Petruzzi...
Suffocating defense fuels Penn-Trafford girls soccer
When a goal finally found its way into the net during an overtime section opener at Franklin Regional, Penn-Trafford did not descend into girls soccer madness. It was just a miscue — a hitch, a blip — and the Warriors didn’t expect to make many more. And they haven’t. Only...
Hempfield girls golf coach Katie Miller Gee wins 1st match at U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur
Katie Miller Gee advanced through stroke play and never trailed in her opening match at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Stonewall Golf Club in Elverson. Gee, the girls golf coach at Hempfield, where she is one of the school’s most celebrated champions, cruised past Marissa Mar of Palo Alto,...
Hempfield hires girls basketball, wrestling, girls lacrosse coaches
Hempfield hired three varsity head coaches Monday. Bob Madison was approved for girls basketball, while Steve Santia will lead the wrestling team, and Mackenzie Whatule takes over the girls lacrosse program. Madison was a former assistant at Laurel Highlands, his alma mater. He is the husband of Hempfield softball coach...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Greensburg Salem grads step in for Seton Hill
There is a Greensburg Salem flavor to the Seton Hill football team. With redshirt freshman Hayden Teska taking over the quarterbacking duties over the weekend, there are now three former Golden Lions contributing for the Griffins (1-1), who defeated Shippensburg for the first time, 28-23, on Saturday at Offutt Field....
Westmoreland County H.S. notebook: GCC’s Sasha Hoffman out to defend section title
The WPIAL girls tennis individual postseason begins Wednesday with section tournaments around the district. Keep an eye on Greensburg Central Catholic junior Sasha Hoffman, a title contender in Class 2A. A dominant player this season, Hoffman is 8-0 and has won 92 games while losing only two. “She doesn’t make...
Westmoreland high school football notebook: Franklin Regional takes pride in defense
Lance Getsy isn’t surprised to see his defense making plays each week. In fact, he will tell you without blinking that he expects it. “We have a lot of guys who have a lot of experience on the defensive side,” the Franklin Regional coach said. “They are tough, physical kids....
Latrobe soccer standout Reilly picks West Virginia
Latrobe junior soccer standout Robin Reilly said last weekend she was close to making a college commitment. On Friday night, she revealed her choice to the world. Reilly announced her verbal pledge to West Virginia, where she hopes to bring her goal-scoring prowess to the Mountaineers’ midfield. I am SO...
Franklin Regional volleyball boasts young roster with great chemistry
With only three returning starters, the Franklin Regional girls volleyball team will have to build experience match by match. Coach Rachel Carter’s team finished 10-11 last season and went 1-1 in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. The Panthers took fourth in Section 4, were tabbed a No. 19 seed in...
Norwin cross country builds strong team concept during busy summer
With more than 40 running sessions over the summer that often spanned five days a week, Norwin cross country runners developed a flow. A flow for running long races. A flow for competition. And a flow for team chemistry and bonding. One thing is certain: If you run for Norwin,...
Norwin notebook: Volleyball team honored to again take part in outdoor game
Mary Ellen Ferragonio knew her team was taking part in an event that was as unique as it was celebratory. And it still felt special, even though Norwin had played in it two times before. The third Pack the Park outdoor girls volleyball match was played in perfect weather conditions...
Running game, special teams help Franklin Regional blank Connellsville
With its special teams unit flying to the football and setting field position and its running game in high gear, Franklin Regional handed upstart Connellsville a humbling 38-0 defeat in a nonconference matchup Friday night at Panther Stadium in Murrysville. Franklin Regional (2-1) stuffed the Falcons’ running attack and got...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Kickers giving teams a leg up
Kickers often are undervalued, at least by spectators who would rather see big plays and touchdowns. But those special teams leaders could play a key role for Westmoreland County teams as the season moves ahead. Senior Jake Kaylor is another key weapon at Southmoreland, which is expected to keep its...
Westmoreland County high school football matchups for 2023 Week 2
Connellsville (2-0) at Franklin Regional (1-1) 7 p.m., Friday, Franklin Regional Panther Stadium, Murrysville Last week: Connellsville 28, Hempfield 7; Franklin Regional 28, Latrobe 21 Last year’s result: Franklin Regional 40, Connellsville 0 Franklin Regional welcomes a Connellsville squad off to its best start since 1997 after nonconference wins against...
Greensburg C.C. boys soccer gets creative with offensive attack
With an appreciation for possession-style soccer, Ryan Kanner is simplifying the offense in his first season as Greensburg Central Catholic’s boys coach. The scheme he has implemented is not original. In fact, one of the top professional teams in the world uses it. Futbol Club Barcelona employs its “Tiki-Taka” brand...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Norwin’s Daniel Maddock showing scoring touch
Norwin is the only Westmoreland County team left in the Trib Live HSSN rankings. Things, of course, could change as the season carries on. But the Knights, who are sitting at No. 5 in Class 4A, are looking strong. They take a 4-1 mark into Thursday’s game at Peters Township....
Greensburg C.C. golfer Izzy Aigner to play Pebble Beach event, opting out of WPIAL individual postseason
Wave-crashing scenes from iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links have only been pictures on the web or in golf magazines to Izzy Aigner. “The views are magnificent,” Aigner said. But later this month, she will see them up close. Very close. As in, she will get to play the course with...
