Bill Beckner stories, Page 90
Westmoreland athletes of the week: P-T’s Alyssa Balest, Hempfield’s Dominic Falcon
Alyssa Balest School: Penn-Trafford Sport: Bowling Class: Senior Claim to fame: Balest last weekend won the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Championship for the second year in a row, rolling a 676 series to top the field at Hillview Lanes in Greensburg. A Mount St. Mary’s commit, she posted a 238...
Franklin Regional notebook: Bowlers claim county titles
Brandon Smith is the captain of the Franklin Regional boys bowling team. For at least one day, he was the man at Hillview Lanes in Greensburg. Smith won the boys individual championship at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Championships. Smith rolled a three-game series of 696 with a 246 in...
Despite rough going, Belle Vernon boys get past Southmoreland
Feeling like his team got away with something in its latest win — the first of three straight games this weekend for Belle Vernon — boys basketball coach Joe Salvino showed more frustration than content as he emerged from the locker room on Friday night and climbed the stairs back...
Norwin girls can’t halt North Allegheny’s home winning streak
Even when it is Norwin coming to town, North Allegheny tries to keep things in proper perspective on its home floor, where the girls basketball team has been virtually unstoppable in recent years. Just because the next opponents is No. 1 Norwin, a rival and the only team to challenge...
New blood in backcourt makes impact for Jeannette boys
Jeannette knew it would have length and experience with seniors Shane Mickens and Jalen Bass along with sophomore Lonnie Greene returning for basketball season. Mickens and Bass are 6-foot-3, and Greene stands 6-4. The trio often plays big. They’re moth-to-a-light rebounders and long-armed defenders. Junior guard Isaiah Mallich also brought...
Westmoreland County Coaches Association Swimming & Diving Championships preview
Westmoreland County Coaches Association Swimming & Diving Championships Friday and Saturday at Derry Diving: 5 p.m. Friday Swimming: 10 a.m. Saturday Teams: Belle Vernon, Burrell, Derry, Franklin Regional, Greater Latrobe, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Kiski Area, Kiski School, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland Scouting report: Buy a ticket and...
Westmoreland County boys basketball notebook: Injuries could impact Seton Hill showcase
Seton Hill will host seven high school games Saturday and Sunday, four of which will be boys matchups. Injuries, though, could dampen at least two of the matchups. Franklin Regional (9-6) plays Belle Vernon (7-7) at 6 p.m. Saturday in the opener. Franklin Regional has been without its top two...
Westmoreland County girls basketball notebook: Despite loss, Norwin has strong resume
Top-ranked Norwin finally was tripped up by a Class 6A team this week when the Lady Knights lost to No. 2 Upper St. Clair, 56-45, on the road. But they might deserve to be cut some slack. They have had quite a schedule. If some of the opponents sound familiar,...
Latrobe, Southmoreland, Belle Vernon girls take different paths with star players out
When Latrobe found out standout center Emma Blair was done for the season with a knee injury just three games into the 2022-23 schedule, the first reaction was panic. Cold sweats and worry. Oh no, the sky is falling. But after some time passed, and reflection and practice reps with...
Derry alum John Kerr tabbed national volleyball player of the week for No. 3 Penn State
John Kerr has been a big presence at the net for the third-ranked Penn State volleyball team. On Tuesday, he picked up a big award. Kerr, a Derry graduate, was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Player of the Week. Kerr, a 6-foot-6 senior opposite hitter,...
Deer Lakes boys run away with another victory over Derry
Deer Lakes is new to the Trib HSSN top-five boys basketball rankings. The No. 3 Lancers continue to show why they deserve recognition among the best in WPIAL Class 3A. High-scoring Deer Lakes registered its fifth straight victory by beating host Derry, 89-64, on Tuesday night in Section 3, using...
Westmoreland campus clippings: County coaches join Washington & Jefferson staff
Former Westmoreland County football standouts Aaron Krepps and Max Garda are joining forces to coach the football team at Washington & Jefferson. Both are W&J alumni. Aaron Krepps, a Belle Vernon graduate, will serve as assistant head coach, while Garda, who played at Burrell, is an intern assistant who will...
Belle Vernon’s Martin playing with elite 7-on-7 football team, will miss some basketball games
Quinton Martin might miss a few basketball games this season as he continues his ascent to major college football. The junior from Belle Vernon is playing 7-on-7 football this winter with the nationally renowned Trillion Boys organization out of Los Angeles. Martin is seeking top-level competition as he works toward...
Westmoreland County Junior Spotlight: Jeannette’s Venicia Vignoli
Venicia Vignoli won’t forget the first win of her high school basketball career any time soon. Why? Because it snapped Jeannette’s 51-game losing streak, a streak that had stretched back to 2020 when she was a freshman. The junior guard has become a go-to scorer for the Jayhawks. A first-year...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Seton Hill’s Jaylen McDuffie declares for NFL Draft
Jaylen McDuffie, the king of tackles at Seton Hill, is aiming big. One of the top linebackers in NCAA Division II, McDuffie announced he is declaring for the NFL Draft. The redshirt senior, collected a number of postseason honors. He was a Don Hansen Division II All-American, made the D2Football.com...
Defense propelling IUP, the nation’s top-ranked Division II men’s basketball team
Just before Christmas, the Indiana University of Pennsylvania men’s basketball team moved into the No. 1 spot in the NCAA Division II rankings. It looks like the Crimson Hawks intend to stay there. As each opponent turns on a spit, IUP (17-0) continues to look like the best team in...
Westmoreland high school notebook: GCC’s Mack catches Maine’s eye
Amari Mack caught the attention of college coaches when he received a scholarship offer to play at Sacred Heart as a sophomore. Schools are still plenty interested in the senior from Greensburg Central Catholic. Mack, a 6-foot, 180-pound running back, wide receiver and defensive back, has a preferred walk-on offer...
Norwin’s Jiancristoforo will run for Robert Morris
With a six-days-a-week running schedule that equates to about 40 miles, Emma Jiancristoforo is always on the move. You can catch her running up and down the hills through her neighborhood or trekking the wooded trails of Bushy Run, BY Park or Yough. The Norwin senior’s competitive career also is...
Seton Hill to host high school basketball showcase
A 14-team, seven-game basketball showcase event will take place this weekend at Seton Hill in Greensburg. For the first time, the “Shootout at Seton Hill” will be played over two days at the Griffins’ McKenna Center. There will be two games Saturday and five Sunday. The schedule is as follows:...
Westmoreland County athletes of the week: Penn-Trafford’s Joe Enick and Belle Vernon’s Jenna Dawson
Joe Enick School: Penn-Trafford Class: Senior Sport: Wrestling Claim to fame: Enick won the heavyweight title at the Mid-Winter Mayhem at IUP. He defeated some of the top wrestlers in the state, including No. 1 seed Gunner Treibley of Danville in the semifinals by fall and Brockway’s Gavin Thompson, 1-0,...
Greensburg Central Catholic freshman Erica Gribble stays step ahead of competition
As Erica Gribble was making inroads to high school basketball, she was always a step ahead and a level above her opponents. Now that she’s playing in the WPIAL, she still is. “She always played up one or two grade levels,” said her father, Dan Gribble. “She goes against the...
Franklin Regional junior enjoying breakthrough season
Point guard Cooper Rankin saw limited varsity time last season as he played primarily on the junior varsity team at Franklin Regional. What a difference a year can make. All of a sudden, he is one of the go-to scorers for the varsity Panthers. The breakthrough player of the year...
Franklin Regional notebook: Pair of Panthers win county wrestling titles
Two Franklin Regional wrestlers captured championships at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Championships earlier this month at Greensburg Salem. Gavyn Beck and Juliano Marion walked off the mat with titles at 160 and 189 pounds. Beck scored a 7-1 decision over Wyatt Schmucker of Latrobe in the finals, while Marion...
Serra Catholic boys stage yet another rally, get past Jeannette
Apparently, all Serra Catholic needs is a double-digit deficit to stir things up and inspire the team. It’s becoming second nature for the Eagles to rumble to life in the second half. The Eagles trailed Riverview by 14 at halftime. They won. They were down 16 at the break against...
Kiski School to host weekend prep basketball showcase
The Kiski School will host an impressive lineup of teams and players for a boys prep basketball showcase this weekend. The Great Atlantic Conference Showcase will be Saturday and Sunday in Saltsburg. Admission is free. The schedule is as follows: Saturday — Westtown (14-8) vs. Scotland Campus (10-6), 1:15 p.m.;...
