Bill Beckner stories, Page 71
2023 All-WPIAL boys soccer teams, players of year, released
Here are the 2023 boys soccer All-WPIAL lists for each classification, as selected by the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association: Class 4A Dante Acamanado, Sr., GK, North Allegheny Nathan Bang, Sr., MF, Pine-Richland Caden Bennett, Sr., GK, Pine-Richland Liam Burlovic, Jr, MF, Upper St. Clair Owen Christopher, Sr., MF, Norwin...
South Allegheny girls crash net in overtime, upset Greensburg Central Catholic
Laila Chervon’s top priority was to crash the net. In that moment, as South Allegheny set up a corner kick late in overtime, nothing else mattered. “I just wanted to put my body on the ball any way I could,” the senior from South Allegheny said. “Nobody was really on...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Penn-Trafford grads spark Grove City defense
A pair of Penn-Trafford grads continue to power No. 22 Grove City’s defense. Senior cornerback Gabe Dunlap and sophomore linebacker Jack Jollie tied a team high with seven tackles in a 49-0 win over Saint Vincent. Dunlap added an interception and a 40-yard punt return touchdown, and Jollie picked up...
Westmoreland WPIAL soccer playoff capsules for Wednesday, Oct. 25
Boys Class 3A Quarterfinals 11-Franklin Regional (11-7) at 3-Moon (15-3-1) 7 p.m. Wednesday Winner plays: Winner of 7-Thomas Jefferson (16-2-1)/2-Hampton (15-2-1) Monday in semifinals Players to watch: Joey Bayne, Franklin Regional; Davi Jansson, Moon Throw-ins: Both teams opened with 4-0 wins Saturday. Bayne scored twice for Franklin Regional, once on...
Fast start leads Latrobe into WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals with win over West Allegheny
Latrobe gives out a hard hat for its player of the game, and, new this year for the playoffs, a dog tag for the toughest player of that match. The piece of hardware the Wildcats really want, though, is one less win away. Sixth-seeded Latrobe opened the WPIAL Class 3A...
Westmoreland girls soccer preview capsules: Games for Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023
WPIAL soccer playoffs Class 2A First round 16-Yough (5-13) vs. 1-Avonworth (14-1-2) 8 p.m. Tuesday Winner plays: Winner of 9-Quaker Valley (10-5-1)/8-Southmoreland (10-5) Saturday in quarterfinals Players to watch: Brooke Wieland, Yough; Fiona Mahan, Avonworth Throw-ins: Yough is the only sub.-500 team in the bracket. The Cougars have been shut...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: GCC grad Carlo Denis nets 1st goal for Grove City
Carlo Denis was a prolific goal scorer during his time at Greensburg Central Catholic. He finished with 139 career goals which, at the time of his graduation, ranked fifth all time in WPIAL history. Now a freshman at Grove City — another GCC program — he is on the board...
Westmoreland WPIAL soccer playoff capsules for Monday, Oct. 23, 2023
Boys Class 2A First round 9-Mt. Pleasant (12-4) at 8-Keystone Oaks (11-5) 7 p.m. Monday, Dormont Stadium Winner plays: Winner of 16-Yough (10-7-1)/1-South Park (18-0) on Thursday in quarterfinals Players to watch: Luke Rivardo, Mt. Pleasant; Ayden Worstell, Keystone Oaks Throw-ins: Mt. Pleasant has produced nine shutouts and allowed a...
High school notebook: New award to be named after Valley graduate B.B. Flenory
Baron “B.B.” Flenory’s name is woven into the fabric of Western Pennsylvania basketball. If you’re around the game, you have heard his name. His exploits are renowned, his reputation glossy. The former Valley High School and Duquesne University star guard scored 81 points as a ninth grader in a 124-52...
Plasko scores all 4 goals to lead South Fayette past Latrobe in boys soccer playoffs
Senior Michael Plasko is one of South Fayette’s best basketball players. A fiery guard who can shoot 3-pointers, he averaged 17 points per game last winter. But he also plays a mean forward for the soccer team. In the first half of the Lions’ opening playoff game, the call was,...
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week: Hempfield’s Sarah Podkul and Latrobe’s Brock Pflugh
Sarah Podkul School: Hempfield Class: Senior Sport: Volleyball Claim to fame: Podkul has helped lead the Spartans on a four-game winning streak and to a WPIAL Class 4A playoff appearance. Podkul, a third-year libero, had 30 digs in a 3-1 victory against Shaler. She added 18 digs in a 3-0...
Westmoreland high school football notes: 3 more teams clinch playoff berths
Three more Westmoreland County teams clinched spots in the WPIAL football playoffs with wins Friday night. One is another resurgent program that has taken its lumps in recent years. With a 29-22 victory over Burrell — and Ligonier Valley’s 31-0 loss to Imani Christian — Derry secured its first postseason...
Norwin notebook: Cross country teams sweep at county meet
While it is the time of year to rake leaves, the Norwin cross country teams brought brooms to the county race. Norwin’s girls and boys teams swept the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Championship earlier this month at Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood. The girls placed seven runners in the...
After 2 special seasons, Norwin hockey ready to tackle step up in class
As Norwin discovered, there is a menu of factors for hockey teams to move up in classification in the PIHL. To mention some main ones: The league takes into account previous years’ winning percentages, the number of hockey players in the school’s district and hockey talent in that district, as...
Greensburg Central Catholic survives scare vs. Riverview
Sophomore Landon Honick didn’t want his team’s playoff hopes to stretch into Week 9. “No, get it over with now,” said Honick, who had an impressive debut at running back for Greensburg Central Catholic, which wiped its collective brow after a close Week 8 encounter with Riverview. Honick rushed for...
Westmoreland County high school soccer playoff matchups for Saturday, Oct. 21
Boys Class 3A First round 9-Latrobe (13-3) at 8-South Fayette (10-2-3) 1 p.m. Saturday Winner plays: 16-Chartiers Valley (7-9)/1-Plum (17-1) Wednesday in quarterfinals Players to watch: Roman Agostoni, Latrobe; Nate Belcufine, South Fayette Throw-ins: Latrobe is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Wildcats never have...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: 3 teams could clinch playoff spots in Week 8
Four Westmoreland County teams have clinched WPIAL playoff berths, but more can secure spots this week. There are two weeks left in the regular season. Playoff pairings will come out Oct. 28. Already in the postseason are Latrobe (6-2, 4-1) in Class 4A, Belle Vernon (6-1, 3-0) and Southmoreland (5-3,...
Westmoreland County high school football matchups for 2023 Week 8
Class 5A Big East Conference No. 5 Gateway (4-4, 4-0) at Norwin (2-6, 1-2) 7 p.m. Friday, Norwin Knights Stadium, North Huntingdon Last week: McKeesport 38, Gateway 28; North Allegheny 53, Norwin 25 Last year’s result: Gateway 42, Norwin 10 Big East champion Gateway is looking to close out conference...
Norwin boys get another shot at Seneca Valley, Mt. Pleasant girls receive top 3 seed
Norwin will have to wait until next weekend to open the WPIAL boys soccer playoffs. Until then, the Knights will be teeming with anticipation. They have been itching for another shot at their nemesis. “I wish the game was tomorrow,” coach Scott Schuchert said Wednesday after learning his Knights (12-5-1)...
Breaking down the 2023 WPIAL girls soccer playoffs
Here’s a closer look at the 2023 WPIAL girls soccer playoffs: Class 4A Favorite: The preseason favorite, North Allegheny (17-0) has not lost and has outscored teams 90-10. The Tigers were champions three times in the last four years (2022, ‘20, ‘19). Contenders: Section 2 winner Upper St. Clair (15-1)...
Breaking down the 2023 WPIAL boys soccer playoffs
Here’s a closer look at the 2023 WPIAL boys soccer playoffs: Class 4A Favorite: Seneca Valley (13-0-3), which has won three WPIAL titles in the last five years and was the runner-up last year, enters the postseason without a loss. The Raiders, led by veteran coach George Williams, ranked fifth...
3 teams chasing 3-peats as WPIAL announces soccer playoff pairings
Three teams will go for three-peats in the WPIAL soccer playoffs. The Moon girls (Class 3A), Avonworth girls (2A) and Winchester Thurston boys (A) are two-time defending champions. The No. 1 seeds for the boys playoffs are Seneca Valley (4A), Plum (3A), South Park (2A) and Charleroi (A). The girls...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Tournament honors late Mt. Pleasant grad
The late Seth Menart was a three-time all-section player at Mt. Pleasant and went on to win a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tile at Cal (Pa.) as a walk-on. The Mt. Pleasant community will continue to keep his memory alive with the 15th annual Seth Menart Memorial Soccer Tournament Nov....
Greensburg Central boys soccer enters WPIAL playoffs as intriguing underdog
It’s not often a team can take momentum from a loss, but Greensburg Central Catholic did that in a recent setback. The Centurions played top-ranked Charleroi close before falling 1-0. It was a far cry from a 4-1 loss to the Section 2-A champion Cougars earlier in the boys soccer...
Siblings abound on Westmoreland County playoff soccer teams
When Mason and Brandon Yeschenko were younger, they would put on large, red boxing gloves and settle disputes by going a couple of rounds in the basement. For Halloween one year, one of them dressed as Rocky Balboa. The other, Ivan Drago. “Every game they’d play, no matter what it...
