Bill Beckner stories, Page 87
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Feb. 27, 2023
WPIAL basketball playoffs Girls Class 6A Semifinals 3-Norwin (20-3) vs. 2-North Allegheny (18-5) 6 p.m. Monday, Fox Chapel High School, O’Hara Township Winner plays: Winner of 4-Mt. Lebanon (17-6)/1-Upper St. Clair (20-2) at 7 p.m. March 3 in championship at Petersen Events Center Players to watch: Lauren Palangio, Norwin; Jasmine...
Emotional sendoff on senior night ‘nothing short of a dream’ for Pitt’s Aidan Fisch
Since the moment he arrived on campus in Oakland, Aidan Fisch dreamed of wearing a Pitt uniform and contributing to a winning team. His contributions began early on as a team manager for the men’s basketball team. Flash ahead to Saturday night, and Fisch was pinching himself as he scored...
Westmoreland athletes of the week: Hempfield’s Grace Iwig, Franklin Regional’s Matt Knizner
Grace Iwig School: Hempfield Sport: Indoor track & field Year: Junior Claim to fame: Iwig capped a strong indoor regular season with a victory in the pole vault at the Tri-State Track Coaches Association Championship at Edinboro. Her winning height was 11 feet, which was a foot better than second...
Norwin notebook: Track team brings home medals from TSTCA meet
Norwin sent its top athletes to the Tri-State Coaches Association Indoor Championships on Feb. 18 at Edinboro University, and a number of them came home with medals. The girls distance medley relay of Anna DeFazio, Bella Brozeski, Emma Jiancristoforo and Annie Czajkowski took third in 13 minutes, 13.98 seconds and...
Franklin Regional basketball standouts get unexpected all-star invitations
Geographically speaking, Murrysville is practically a part of the Alle-Kiski Valley, so it makes sense for Franklin Regional to be included in that region’s long-running basketball all-star weekend. The 26th Cager Classic returns March 25 to Highlands High School and four Franklin Regional players were selected to take part in...
Greensburg Central Catholic boys dispatch Eden Christian
History did not repeat itself for Greensburg Central Catholic and boys basketball coach Christian Hyland. Four years ago, in his first season as the top man at his alma mater, Hyland lost his playoff debut to Eden Christian in the first round at Fox Chapel. It bothered him ever since,...
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023
WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 4A Consolation round Belle Vernon (11-12) at Uniontown (19-4) Noon Saturday, Uniontown High School, Uniontown Winner plays: Winner of South Allegheny (19-5)/Hampton (21-3) Wednesday in fifth-place game (time, site TBD) Loser plays: Loser of South Allegheny/Hampton Wednesday in seventh-place game (time, site TBD) Players to...
Norwin girls show no signs of rust in dominant quarterfinal win over Baldwin
After a 13-day layoff from game competition, Norwin hoped to be back in rhythm in its WPIAL girls basketball playoff opener. No issues, there. The Knights came out and played like a fine-tuned guitar. And shredded Baldwin. Sophomore guard Kendall Berger scored 21 points in her first career playoff start,...
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Friday, Feb. 24, 2023
WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 6A Quarterfinals 8-Norwin (14-8) at 1-New Castle (20-2) 7 p.m. Friday, New Castle High School, New Castle Winner plays: Winner of 5-Butler (14-7)/4-Mt. Lebanon(15-7) Tuesday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Adam Bilinsky, Norwin; Isaiah Boice, New Castle Layup lines: Norwin returns to...
Deep 3 helps Burgettstown girls defeat GCC in Class 2A quarterfinals
With Greensburg Central Catholic advancing on her team in the fourth quarter and momentum slipping away from Burgettstown, Jillian Frazier decided to take the stress out of the situation. In a game that had 15 3-pointers, none were more important — or impressive — than the one Frazier launched from...
Westmoreland County high school basketball notebook: Latrobe coach proud of team’s effort in his final game
Call it the last dance. Latrobe’s girls gave fourth-seeded Trinity all it could handle in the WPIAL Class 5A first round, falling 69-61 as senior Josie Straigis broke out for a career-high 30 points. The loss ended the Wildcats’ season, but it also signified the end of coach Mark Burkhardt’s...
With boys record broken, Monessen AD quietly holds on to girls WPIAL scoring mark
A basketball used to break the WPIAL girls scoring record sits lonely in a box in Gina Naccarato’s basement. Naccarato is the athletic director at Monessen, her high school alma mater, and has the power to put the ball in the school’s trophy case. But she chooses to keep the...
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023
Boys Class 4A Quarterfinals 10-Belle Vernon (11-11) vs. 2-Laurel Highlands (20-2) 8 p.m. Thursday, AHN Arena, Peters Township Winner plays: Winner of 6-North Catholic (17-6)/3-Uniontown (19-3) on Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Quinton Martin, Belle Vernon; Rodney Gallagher, Laurel Highlands Layup lines: Belle Vernon advanced to...
Penn-Trafford scores in final seconds to beat Shaler for 1st playoff win since 2015
Penn-Trafford had to work for it, but the feeling was all worthwhile. Junior guard Olivia Pepple made a layup with 3.8 seconds left to lift the eighth-seeded Warriors to a 29-28 victory over No. 9 Shaler in a WPIAL Class 5A first-round game Tuesday night in Harrison City. It was...
Alvarez helps lead Greensburg Central Catholic boys to picture-perfect win over Propel Braddock Hills
Greensburg Central Catholic basketball player Franco Alvarez likes to take photographs. It has become his hobby. He shoots anything from high school sports to sunsets and flowers in his spare time. The junior forward had an eye on the third quarter in his team’s opening playoff game. And that hot...
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023
Girls Class 2A Quarterfinals 5-Burgettstown (18-5) vs. 4-Greensburg Central Catholic (19-4) 6 p.m. Wednesday, AHN Arena, Peters Township Winner plays: Winner of 8-Brentwood (13-9)/1-Shenango (19-4), Saturday (time, site TBD) in semifinals Players to watch: Kaitlyn Nease, Burgettstown; Avery Davis, Greensburg Central Catholic Layup lines: Burgettstown has made the playoffs five...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Belle Vernon’s Bailey Parshall off to hot start for Penn State
Penn State had its first five softball games of the season canceled because of inclement weather at the season-opening Coastal Carolina Tournament. The Nittany Lions had their patience tested, but they took out their frustration on the next opponent. Led by “Queen B,” as she has become known around the...
Yough boys roll to first-round win over Burrell in Class 3A
Yough knew if it was going to capture its first WPIAL boys basketball playoff victory in 18 years, it would have to exhibit self-discipline with the lead, show poise on defense and perhaps, above all, play together. “We had to show up,” junior guard Terek Crosby said. Yough did all...
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023
WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 2A First round 13-Propel Braddock Hills (10-12) vs. 4-Greensburg Central Catholic (15-5) 6 p.m. Tuesday, Penn-Trafford High School, Harrison City Winner plays: Winner of 12-Burgettsown (13-9)/5-Eden Christian Academy (16-5) Friday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals Players to watch: Ben Mayhew, Propel Braddock Hills; Tyree Turner,...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Latrobe grad Jacob King earns 3rd career win at Allegheny
As the only senior from Allegheny to make the trip to Cleveland, Jacob King showed his young teammates how it’s done. King, a Latrobe graduate, earned his third career victory, and first in the weight toss, at the Ed Finnigan Greater Cleveland Colleges Invite at Case Western Reserve. King’s winning...
Westmoreland Sports Club welcomes Pittsburgh Warriors hockey team to next meeting
The Westmoreland Sports Club will meet again 7 p.m. Thursday for its latest social event. This time, Sam Johnson and Dave Jackel of the Pittsburgh Warriors hockey team will speak to members and guests at Ferrante’s Lakeview in Greensburg. The Warriors are a team of disabled veterans. Johnson is a...
Westmoreland high school notebook: GCC soccer coaches step down
Greensburg Central Catholic is looking for head coaches for boys and girls soccer after the coaches from both programs resigned. Rob Fabean, who led the boys team after two seasons, stepped down and was hired last week to coach the Ringgold boys on a three-year contract. Kara Batey resigned after...
Westmoreland WPIAL basketball playoff capsules: Games for Monday, Feb. 20. 2023
BOYS Class 3A First round 10-Belle Vernon (10-11) at 7-Quaker Valley (14-6) 7 p.m. Monday, Quaker Valley High School, Leetsdale Winner plays: Winner of 15-Freeport (13-9)/2-Laurel Highlands (19-2) Thursday (time, site TBD) in quarterfinals Players to watch: Zion Moore, Belle Vernon; Joey Coyle, Quaker Valley Layup lines: Belle Vernon had...
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week: Week ending Feb. 19, 2023
Melina Stratigos School: Belle Vernon Sport: Swimming Year: Junior Claim to fame: Stratigos helped the Leopards to a 67-47 victory over Steel Valley as she won the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly and swam legs of the winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. She also won a pair...
Fast start lifts No. 5 OLSH to 1st-round win over Mt. Pleasant
Falling into an early hole in the WPIAL basketball playoffs is often a bad sign, especially for a lower seed. It certainly didn’t help Mt. Pleasant in its tournament opener. While the Vikings chipped away at a double-digit deficit, they spent the afternoon feeling remorseful about the opening minutes and...
