Bill Beckner stories, Page 8

Though he is young for his grade, Brock Heisler has an old-school side to him. The Hempfield senior lineman, who just turned 17, wears vintage T-shirts to practice with pro athletes of the past on them, like Ken Griffey Jr. and Dale Earnhardt Sr. He listens to classic bands like...

They used to cook up pizzas — and 100-yard games — together, but Ben Hoffer and Dom Pecora will be coaching comrades this season at Yough. Pecora, the former head coach at Southmoreland and East Allegheny who most recently worked as an assistant at Penn-Trafford, is joining Hoffer’s staff. Hoffer...

Pitt already was firmly on Caden Sivrich’s radar as a possible college landing spot. His mom, Fran Sivrich, is a university employee, meaning he can get a free education there. That was half the battle for the Norwin baseball pitcher, who had Division I college aspirations since he was a...

As the general manager of Aumer’s Sports Bar & Grille in Mt. Pleasant, Barry Collins wears a lot of hats. He handles supply orders and billing, keeps tabs on customer satisfaction and even brings out food orders and tends bar when needed. But mostly, he supervises. “It’s a lot like...

At 6-foot-2, Lauren Reitz has the size to play basketball at the NCAA Division I level. But her game is about more than height. A rising junior forward from Murrysville who attends North Catholic, Reitz received her first Division I scholarship offer this week from Maryland Baltimore County of the...

Quarterbacks and wide receivers often get the lion’s share of the limelight in 7-on-7 football tournaments. It is the touchdown passes and highlight catches that get the clicks. But Penn-Trafford leaned on its lock-down defensive backs to disrupt opponents Thursday and win another county title in repeat and record-setting fashion....

Anthony Johnson is no stranger to changing teams. He played basketball and football at several high schools in the WPIAL and City League, most notably Jeannette, before finishing his prep career at Cleveland Heights in Ohio. A key playmaker on Jeannette’s 2017 WPIAL and PIAA championship teams, the 300-pound defensive...

College offers are rolling in for Brandon Martin. The 6-foot-7 basketball player from Greensburg added two more NCAA Division I scholarship opportunities this week, both from the Mid-American Conference in Kent State and Ohio University. Martin transferred out of Greensburg Central Catholic and is enrolled at The Phelps School in...

“Route Runner.” That is the title Samir Crosby displays next to his name on his X handle, in all capital letters, a self-imposed moniker he pulled in back shoulder for all to see. “That’s what I am,” Crosby said. “That’s what I do.” The Greensburg Central Catholic rising senior hopes...

The Westmoreland County Coaches Association Larry Sellitto Memorial 7-on-7 football passing tournament returns this week but at a new venue. Hempfield will host the 14th installment of the event, set for 9 a.m. Thursday. Latrobe is the traditional host, but Rossi and Graham-Sobota fields are getting re-turfed this summer. Hempfield’s...

One way to put a substandard season behind you is to follow it with a more catchy year. That is what Jack Whalen did this spring with Seton Hill baseball. “Jumpin Jack” got his flash back, canvassing the outfield and delivering clutch hits from the leadoff spot. The rising senior...

Aris Lamanna is known for soccer goaltending ability, but this season she took on a different role with the Pittsburgh Riveters SC. Fan girl. Lamanna, a Franklin Regional alum and a rising sophomore at Coastal Carolina, was out with a shoulder injury and did not take the field with Pittsburgh’s...

Two WPIAL Hall of Fame members who played at Westmoreland County high schools were named to MaxPreps’ top 100 high school athletes of the 21st century. The high school sports website recognized top athletes from 2001 to present, with staff members each presenting a list if more than 200 candidates....

Referencing his legacy, Jimmy Petruska said he wants to be remembered as a coach who taught life lessons to his players. “I hope I inspired each one of them through the game that I love,” Petruska said in a news release Wednesday announcing his resignation as Saint Vincent women’s basketball...

After a short stint as a volunteer assistant on her father’s staff at NCAA Division III Waynesburg, Haylie Brunson is moving on to coach softball at the Division I level. The former Mt. Pleasant and Penn State slugger has accepted a graduate assistant coach position at Longwood University, a member...

When the final votes were tabulated, Hempfield had the most selections among WPIAL teams on the Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association all-state teams released Tuesday. The WPIAL champion Spartans featured the Class 6A pitcher of the year, senior Riley Miller, who also made the first team along with four...

The compass pointed west Tuesday morning when the Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association announced its players of the year and all-state teams. Voting showed a strong representation from the WPIAL, with six player of the year awards going to girls from District 7. Seneca Valley’s Lexie Hames, the Gatorade...

Newly hired coach Jon Dobrinski is primed to lead the Greensburg Central Catholic boys soccer team this fall. An assistant last season, he replaces Ryan Kanner, who resigned in the spring after two seasons. Kanner went 14-19-1 and led the Centurions to the playoffs both years. Dobrinski has coached for...

Just reaching a championship game isn’t as fulfilling as winning one, but Norwin will enjoy its recent tournament run just the same. The Knights boys varsity team made the championship game of the fifth annual Tre Cunningham Memorial Basketball Tournament before falling to Imani Christian, 66-57, in the title game....

To follow JJ Matijevic online in the Mexican Baseball League, fans might have to make an extra click to translate the league website into English. No translation is needed when it comes to Matijevic still chasing his dream of playing at the game’s highest level. Watch him swing a bat...

Seton Hill is looking for a new athletic director after the departure of Chris Snyder, who led Griffins athletics for 21 years. According to a news release from the university, Snyder is leaving “to look for new opportunities and challenges.” Snyder began working at Seton Hill in 2004 as the...

Suddenly, Landon Butler will play for his brother next college basketball season. A Latrobe family reunion is happening at West Liberty after Butler decided to leave Coker University in South Carolina following a coaching change. He is transferring to West Liberty, where Bryce Butler is an assistant coach and former...

Once his older brother received a scholarship from an NCAA Division I program a couple of years ago, anything was possible for Andy Tatsch. That is how the rising senior from Latrobe first became interested in the recruiting process, when he bought into the idea he also could play at...

Despite all of his accomplishments coaching wrestling, Kyle Martin still manages to take teams to new levels. Martin, the head coach at Norwin who spends his WPIAL and PIAA offseasons training youth wrestlers, guided Team Pennsylvania to its first victory in the PA 16U Greco Roman National Duals in more...

The proud owner of a Most Valuable Player trophy and a $1,000 scholarship, Deston Hubbard described what an MVP should be. “Wow, that’s a great question,” the rising senior guard from Imani Christian said. “He has to be a leader. Someone who isn’t just a scorer, but someone holds the...