Bill Beckner stories, Page 11
Norwin runner Michael Makay proves to himself, others he is ‘more than just that kid with autism’
What used to intimidate Michael Makay now makes him stronger. The rising senior at Norwin runs track and cross country with the same purpose and dedication as his teammates, only he has something they do not: autism. Makay said his greatest challenge — perhaps his primary goal — is to...
Franklin Regional welcomes new girls volleyball coach
Girls volleyball season is fast approaching and Erin Salas is preparing to lead a different team this fall. Salas coached Greensburg Central Catholic for three seasons and had a successful run with a WPIAL and PIAA championship in 2024. But she left the program and is now the head coach...
Seton Hill names Mandy Sansbury as new softball coach
Seton Hill on Friday announced Mandy Sansbury as its new head softball coach. Sansbury brings an extensive resume to Greensburg, with 19 years of college coaching experience. Her stops, starting with the most recent, include Division I Indiana Indianapolis (two years), Division II programs Mount Olive (nine years) and Glenville...
Seton Hill assistant coach Martin set to join Pitt’s coaching staff
Clay Martin spent three years at one of the nation’s premier NCAA Division II baseball programs, learning from widely respected head coach Marc Marizzaldi at Seton Hill. His time on the “Hill” — that connotation has more than one meaning — has prepared him for the next level. Martin was...
Hempfield alum, coach Katie Miller Gee wins 5th state mid-am title
In 11 days, Katie Miller Gee will welcome her girl golfers for Hempfield tryouts. The new WPIAL season arrives Aug. 7. The Spartans coach and former state champion will bring a competitive edge to practice. She is still winning as a player. Miller Gee won her second straight and fifth...
Soccer standout Warren Agostoni leaves Latrobe for academy in Texas, hopes to turn pro
Warren Agostoni was a foundational part of the Latrobe boys soccer team’s history-making run the past couple of seasons. The Wildcats posted their first section title and first playoff win with him netting and building goals. The talented All-WPIAL midfielder, though, won’t carry the momentum into his junior season. At...
Norwin grad Rizzo gets new lease on football life playing in Italian professional league
When Gianni Rizzo finished his college football career at Duquesne last year as a fifth-year linebacker, he naturally began to think his playing days were over. He turned in his uniform and hit the ice tub. “It’s a long season, and my body hurt,” the Norwin graduate said. But as...
National HS football hall of fame moving to new location
Still-developing plans have Brook Park in Ohio slated to be the home of the Cleveland Browns’ new $2.4 billion dome stadium in 2029. Another football locale is coming to the city much sooner. Next summer, the National High School Football Hall of Fame will move into town. A “letter of...
Trinity’s Mary Dunn to coach in Mid-American Conference
It’s a Dunn deal. Once a dominating presence around the rim and a now budding college coach, Mary Dunn will soon be teaching her post-up moves to players at Kent State. Dunn, a Trinity graduate, is joining the women’s basketball staff there after two seasons as an assistant at Alabama...
2025 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Hempfield’s Brock Heisler
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...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Pecora joins Hoffer’s football staff at Yough
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...
With easy decision made, Norwin pitcher Caden Sivrich sets goal to help Pitt win
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...
New Southmoreland girls basketball coach has history with program
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...
North Catholic’s Lauren Reitz snags 1st Division I offer
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...
Penn-Trafford shuts down opponents at WCCA 7-on-7 tourney
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....
Well-traveled former Jeannette football standout joins Nebraska coaching staff
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...
Greensburg’s Brandon Martin draws Division I basketball interest
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...
2025 Trib 25 Preseason Football All-Star Team: Greensburg Central Catholic’s Samir Crosby
“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...
Westmoreland high school notebook: WCCA 7-on-7 moving to Hempfield for 2025
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...
Norwin grad bounces back with Gold Glove season for Seton Hill
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...
Franklin Regional grads happy to be part of Pittsburgh Riveters’ inaugural season
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...
Jeannette grad Pryor, Franklin Regional grad Lee make MaxPreps top 100 list
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....
Championship women’s basketball coach Jimmy Petruska steps down at Saint Vincent
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...
Former Mt. Pleasant softball star Haylie Brunson takes Division I coaching job
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...
5 from Hempfield among 13 Westmoreland County softball players named all-state
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...
