Bill Beckner stories, Page 76
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...
Westmoreland County girls soccer notebook: Key injury tests Franklin Regional
Franklin Regional is adopting a next-girl-up mentality after losing a key starter to an injury. Freshman defender Grace Copeland suffered a broken leg in a 1-0 win over Penn-Trafford last week. She is wearing a full leg cast and will miss the remainder of the season. “It’s tough losing a...
Increasing number of top girls soccer players opting out of high school competition
When a few Westmoreland County girls soccer players came to a Y in the road — to play or not to play this season — they all chose the same direction. Now, they’re off the map. Three talented players decided to take a year off from high school soccer to...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Greensburg Salem grad Cody Rubrecht scores in debut
It didn’t take Cody Rubrecht long to score his first college touchdown. In his first start, in his first college game, the freshman from Greensburg Salem grabbed a 45-yard touchdown pass from Jake Cruz as Seton Hill dropped a 35-24 decision to Wheeling in Thursday’s season opener. He caught the...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Ligonier Valley’s McIntosh pockets hole in one
Ligonier Valley golfer Brody McIntosh had quite a surprise waiting for him at the sixth hole during last Monday’s match at Norvelt Golf Club. A hole-in-one. Fuming red after making a triple-bogey 7 on No. 5, the senior stomped to the sixth tee, dropped his ball on the teebox without...
Westmoreland athletes of the week: Penn-Trafford’s Ava Hershberger, Nick Turowski
Ava Hershberger Class: Senior School: Penn-Trafford Sport: Field hockey Claim to fame: Hershberger, a standout who will play collegiately at Ohio State, scored her 100th career goal when the Warriors defeated Norwin, 5-1. She had a hat trick in the victory. The midfielder has nine goals this season and 105...
Westmoreland high school football notes: Derry finally shakes long losing streak
Derry did something Friday night it had not done since the disruptive, covid-plagued season of 2020: It won a football game. The Trojans finally knocked down a losing streak that had bedeviled them for nearly three years, defeating Greensburg Salem, 26-21, to end a 20-game skid. The longest active losing...
Norwin volleyball looks to take ‘baby’ steps forward coming off playoff season
“Don’t drop the baby” has become one of Norwin’s favorite games to play at volleyball practice. The Lady Knights hope the multi-tasking game makes them sharper this season. Basically, two extra volleyballs are put in play, with teams playing normally with a regular ball, while passing to each other two...
Norwin notebook: Knights show potential in football opener
Norwin showed some fight in its first football game of the season. The Knights fell behind early and rallied to tie it at halftime, but ultimately fell to host Upper St. Clair, 24-21. Sophomore quarterback Tristyn Tavares completed 12 of 27 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns, two of...
Franklin Regional notebook: Panthers pay tribute to late teammate at opener
Franklin Regional will never forget Joe Purdue. The Panthers are wearing helmet decals with the initials “J.P.” this season to remember their late and beloved teammate. A somber moment of silence was held in the Week Zero opener at Panthers Stadium for Purdue, who died in March from pediatric brain...
