Bill Beckner stories, Page 74
Jeannette starts fast, wins 4th straight with victory over Riverview
Once the odds-on favorite most weeks, Jeannette is more dark horse these days as the football team continues to heal from a couple of thin years. But that is fine with the Jayhawks, who are regaining their footing week by week, game by game and win by win. Don’t look...
Canon-McMillan boys soccer scores upset of No. 3 Norwin
Both boys soccer teams had given up 10 goals coming into their latest Section 2-4A matchup. But only one of them kept that total intact. Canon-McMillan, led by its coach with Westmoreland County ties, notched a goal in each half and locked down on defense throughout in a 2-0 upset...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Elizabeth Forward coach set to face old pals at Southmoreland
Peering across the field and trying to get a win against his buddies will be an interesting proposition for John DeMarco. There was a time when Southmoreland losing was the last thing he wanted to see. DeMarco, the first-year football coach at Elizabeth Forward, will lead his No. 2 Warriors...
Franklin Regional girls smother Penn-Trafford
Franklin Regional had eight players arrive late for Wednesday night’s warmups because of a National Honor Society event. As a result, kickoff was delayed 10 minutes. The Panthers probably didn’t need the extra time to loosen up. They looked ready from the start. Junior Abby Paterline had the only goal...
Westmoreland County high school football matchups for 2023 Week 5
Class 5A Big East Conference Franklin Regional (3-2, 0-1) at Plum (2-3, 0-2) 7 p.m. Friday, Mustang Stadium, Plum Last week: Franklin Regional 55, Shaler 7; Gateway 49, Plum 14 Last year’s result: Franklin Regional 31, Plum 28 Neighboring teams usually fight for the last word when they meet on...
Greensburg Central Catholic forced to postpone 3rd straight girls soccer game
With only eight or nine girls available to play because of illness and injuries, Greensburg Central Catholic had to postpone its third straight girls soccer game. The Centurions, ranked No. 3 in WPIAL Class A, were scheduled to host No. 2 Springdale on Wednesday night, but the game has been...
Latrobe boys soccer team turning into overnight success
It’s going on 10 p.m., and the lights are still on at Rossi Field. There is a chill in the air, and the players can see their breath. But nobody is complaining. The boys soccer team at Latrobe likes its night practices as much as it does a signature win....
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Franklin Regional’s Bayne puts best foot forward in 2 sports
Joey Bayne has tried just about every sport. Each one has brought about some measure of success. “Soccer was the first sport I played when I was like 4,” the junior from Franklin Regional said. “I played baseball until I was 10. I also did wrestling, swimming, basketball and golf....
Belle Vernon boys break in new formation, roll past section rival Yough
Belle Vernon must have noticed when this week’s boys soccer rankings came out — WPIAL and state — and it did not make the cut. No top five, no top 10 … no love? “It’s not really something we talk about,” coach Al Yeschenko said. “Maybe the kids know, I’m...
Mt. Pleasant girls use creative, up-tempo style to leave opponents in the dust
In order to play soccer the way the Mt. Pleasant girls play, you have to be ready to run. There aren’t many teams with the wall-to-wall speed the Vikings possess. Not many teams can turn an ordinary pitch into a five-lane highway in hyperdrive. “To play that way, you have...
Westmoreland County girls soccer notebook: Coaching couple extends helping hand to Jayhawks
The Jeannette girls soccer team was missing a coach and on the verge of circling the drain when the district turned to its former leader to get things back on track. Billy Bryant, who resigned last year after two seasons leading the Jayhawks, was asked to return to the bench...
Seneca Valley star pitcher Lexie Hames commits to Clemson
No surprises here: Seneca Valley ace softball pitcher Lexie Hames is headed to a top-tier NCAA program. The all-state junior fireballer announced Monday she has verbally committed to Clemson of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tigers went 49-12 last season and reached the NCAA Super Regional. ExtraInningsSoftball.com has Hames in...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Hempfield’s Brose brothers shine for Delaware
The brothers Brose from Hempfield have helped the Delaware Blue Hens to a 3-1 start. Braden Brose, a graduate tight end, is starting alongside his brother, senior Fintan Brose, an offensive lineman. Braden Brose (6-3, 250) had a season-high four receptions for 66 yards in Saturday’s 29-25 win over New...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Norwin’s Guzzie hits hole-in-one at WPIALs
Norwin sophomore Lia Guzzie did not qualify for the WPIAL girls golf finals, but she made a lasting memory at the Section 3-3A Tournament. Guzzie had carded four straight fives on the back nine last Tuesday at Indiana Country Club and must have grown tired of the monotony. She decided...
Westmoreland high school football notebook: Penn-Trafford’s Whipple enjoys breakout
Tasso Whipple was a little hesitant to talk to the media after his record-breaking performance Friday night. The Penn-Trafford junior running back, the kid with the cool-sounding name, had just ran for 300 yards and scored four touchdowns but wasn’t quite up for an interview. Fair enough. Whipple let his...
7 athletes, state champion team, coach to join Jeannette’s Athletic Hall of Fame
Jeannette announced its 2023 Athletic Hall of Fame class that includes seven athletes, a team, a coach and legend and contributor honorees. The Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Jeannette Educational Foundation, will include an induction ceremony on a date to be announced in January. This year’s inductees are: Athletes...
Norwin notebook: Seniors make impact in girls soccer win
The Norwin girls soccer team made the most of senior night. The Lady Knights edged past visiting Baldwin, 2-1, for their second win of the season. They broke a four-game losing streak. Senior captains Evelyn Moore and Gabby Schoemer picked up points in the victory. Moore scored the go-ahead goal,...
Comeback win gives Norwin football a boost in confidence
Norwin football coach Mike Brown made a special moment out of his team’s first home win of the season, giving the game ball to his father and assistant coach, Bill Brown, for a birthday present on the Saturday after the victory. It was another reason to celebrate for the Knights,...
Westmoreland County athletes of the week: Jeannette’s Jordan Taylor, Belle Vernon’s Gabriella Dusi
Gabriella Dusi School: Belle Vernon Class: Sophomore Sport: Tennis Claim to fame: The sophomore breezed to her first WPIAL Class 2A girls tennis title Wednesday and Thursday. She defeated Beaver senior Chloe DeSanzo, 6-1, 6-0, in the finals Thursday at North Allegheny. Dusi is ranked sixth in the state. Has...
Penn-Trafford rides Whipple’s record-setting night to win over Hempfield
Junior tailback Tasso Whipple averaged more than 13 yards per carry on the way to a single-game school rushing record of 300 yards and scored four touchdowns as he and Penn-Trafford remembered what it felt like to win at home. Shut out in back-to-back home games, the Warriors followed Whipple...
High-scoring Jeannette boys continue hot streak with victory over Greensburg Salem
The highest-scoring team in WPIAL boys soccer isn’t going to slow down until the throttle burns out. Or until it leaves a lasting impression. Scoring a ton of goals is Jeannette’s forte so far this season. The surging Jayhawks are up to 81 goals after a 5-1 victory over Greensburg...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Hempfield gets new left tackle as injuries hit lineup
Hempfield is making some position changes work because of injuries. Rising talent Brock Heisler, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound sophomore tight end and long snapper, has been a part of the on-the-fly adjustments. The Spartans (1-3), who play at Penn-Trafford (1-3) on Friday night in the Class 5A Big East opener, have...
Mt. Pleasant builds state rankings case with 6-0 win over rival Southmoreland
Mt. Pleasant could have made a fuss when the coaches’ state girls soccer rankings came out this week, and there was no mention of the Lady Vikings. None. Not even an “others receiving votes.” But, rather than complain, they decided to keep building their case for next week’s double-A top...
Westmoreland County high school football matchups for 2023 Week 4
Class 5A Big East Conference Hempfield (1-3, 0-0) at Penn-Trafford (1-3, 0-0) 7:30 p.m. Friday, Warrior Stadium, Harrison City Last week: Shaler 33, Hempfield 17; Belle Vernon 21, Penn-Trafford 0 Last year’s result: Hempfield 28, Penn-Trafford 17 Both teams open conference play looking for a good start. Hempfield started 5-0...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Gritty Norwin climbs in standings
Norwin has been one of the hotter teams in the WPIAL of late. After a 5-1 loss to top-ranked Seneca Valley, the Knights have been on a roll, winning six of seven by a combined score of 22-3. A 2-1 win over Mt. Lebanon showed the No. 3-ranked Knights can...
