Bill Beckner stories, Page 87

Penn-Trafford still had the unsavory taste of a bad second half against top-ranked McKeesport in its mouth when it traveled to Latrobe on Monday night. A good way to get rid of it was to have one of its better second halves of the season. The Warriors pumped in 21...

Moon had a girls soccer season to remember in the fall. The Tigers didn’t let anybody get in the way as they collected WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championships and finished a perfect 24-0. Moon won WPIAL and state titles last year, as well, in Class 4A. The engineer of...

Sarah Liberatore decided to make the move from a Division I program to one playing in Division II. It looks like it was the right move for the former Hempfield standout. Liberatore had a career game last week for Florida Tech, a D-II school in Melbourne, Fla. A sophomore guard,...

They would make a nice starting five. Five district players made the Clarence “Bevo” Francis watch list for the award that recognizes the top small-college basketball player in the country. Bryce Butler of West Liberty, John Paul Kromka of Pitt-Johnstown, Shawndale Jones and Dave Morris of IUP and Jo Valrie...

When Ligonier Valley made the giant leap from District 6 to the WPIAL in 2020, Wesley Siko was the Rams’ athletic director and oversaw the move. But soon after, Siko left to become the AD at Ringgold. Two years later, he is back. Ligonier Valley rehired Siko following the resignation...

Savannah Schneck lost her sophomore and junior basketball seasons, and she never will get them back. She spent the better part of 19 months rehabbing an ACL that she tore, had repaired then tore again. Some players never recover from knee injuries like that. But Schneck isn’t some player. She...

Gionnah Ruffner will take her powerful softball swing to the Big East. The junior from Greensburg Salem made a verbal pledge to play at Seton Hall. The power-hitting catcher also had an offer from Akron. “When I arrived on campus, the first thing I told my dad was I knew...

Mya Morgan School: Greensburg Central Catholic Class: Junior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Morgan has helped lead GCC (12-2, 4-0) to the No. 2 ranking in WPIAL Class 2A. She had 14 points and 14 rebounds in a 57-48 victory over No. 4 Clairton. In the previous game, she had...

Landon Butler admitted he became a little sensitive when the ball went through the net just before halftime Friday night. He had chills for a second or two. “Emotions kind of picked up, there,” Butler said. “I had tears in my eyes.” Butler, a senior guard at Latrobe, took a...

Malina Boord wears No. 3. How appropriate. The senior from McKeesport found her shooting touch from 3-point range early and propelled No. 1 McKeesport to a 59-35 victory over No. 3 Penn-Trafford on Friday in a clash of top-five Class 5A girls basketball teams in Harrison City. Boord connected on...

Highlands girls basketball coach Shawn Bennis used the word “discipline” a lot when he addressed his team after Thursday night’s game. His voice echoed in the hallway outside the locker room beneath the gym floor at Greensburg Salem. Bennis was as pleased as he was relieved after a tight, 54-52...

Terek Crosby wasn’t sure how many career points he had earlier this season during a holiday tournament at Greensburg Salem. The junior guard from Yough knows now. Crosby became the latest player from his school to reach the 1,000-point milestone Tuesday when he poured in 34 in a 75-40 victory...

Monessen is going streaking again. Don’t worry, this isn’t a deleted scene from “Old School.” Although their pressure defense can scare the pants off some opponents. The Greyhounds boys basketball team has posted 10 straight wins and has surged to the top of WPIAL Section 2-A. They stand at 10-1...

Belle Vernon fans see Quinton Martin as their Captain America. Now, he’s an All-American. The football star made super hero-like plays for the Leopards this past season in leading them to WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championships. A five-star prospect who is one of the most sought-after recruits in the...

Franklin Regional has held halftime and second-half leads this season but has come up short at the final buzzer. Close games have been a regular thing for the Panthers, but they have had trouble squeezing wins out of them. “We have to learn how to play four total quarters and...

A pair of WPIAL girls basketball players are nominated for the top all-star game in the nation. South Fayette guard Maddie Webber and Indiana center Eva Fiala are among a nationwide pool of 722 girls and boys nominees for the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Games, set for 6:30 p.m. March 28...

Greensburg Salem girls basketball players line up differently at times for the national anthem. Sometimes, it is by height — from 6-foot-1 Kaitlyn Mankins down to 5-1 freshman Mya Heasley. Other nights, it is by number: No. 1 Heasley to senior Paytan Henry, who wears No. 34. “It’s about structure...

To win at Latrobe on Tuesday night, Franklin Regional had to slow down, then grind down the Wildcats. A victory had to be earned. The Panthers had to be patient with the lead and play smart basketball down the stretch. They succeeded as three players scored in double figures on...

Trying to keep up with Brennan Marion as a coach is like trying to defend him when he was a big-play wide receiver at Tulsa. He is on the move again. Catch him if you can. Marion, a Greensburg Salem graduate and former Pitt wide receivers coach, was announced Tuesday...

There will be an abundance of athleticism on the basketball court Tuesday night in Uniontown. And odds are it will be another sellout when Belle Vernon (5-5 , 1-1) visits No. 2-ranked Laurel Highlands (9-1, 2-0) in a Section 3-4A boys game at Harold “Horse” Taylor Memorial Gymnasium. While fans...

A number of former local standouts have helped lead the NCAA Division II No. 7-ranked Pitt-Johnstown wrestling team to an 8-0 start. In the team’s most recent match, sophomore Isaiah Vance (Hempfield), ranked No. 5 at heavyweight won by fall; redshirt sophomore Dajauhn Hertzog (Greensburg Salem) won by decision at...

Mike Brown learned a lot in his two years as football coach at Hempfield. His time there might have been brief, but the knowledge he collected looks to be long-lasting. “A lot of valuable lessons,” Brown said. “I am very grateful to (athletic director) Brandon (Rapp) for believing in me....

Her teammates call her “A,” but Norwin’s Ava Kobus could just as well be called, “Spark.” She would wear the nickname well. Like she has throughout the season, the junior guard found her rhythm from 3-point range— particularly from the corners — and helped No. 1 Norwin pull away from...

What’s a trip to New York without a little excitement? Freshman Madison Scalese made two free throws with one second remaining as the Pitt-Greensburg women’s basketball team rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 6:58 to defeat host Alfred State, 66-65. Senior Sidney McCully had 16 points, 12 rebounds...

Robert Morris’ Island Sports Center will be the place for the PIHL All-Star Games on Jan. 29. The Division 2 all-stars will play in the first of five games, beginning at noon. Class A will have two games: Class A Gold will play at 1:40, followed by Class A Blue...