Bill Beckner stories, Page 111
North Catholic standout Alayna Rocco commits to Harvard
Tribune-Review Terrific 10 basketball player Alayna Rocco of North Catholic is taking her talents to the Ivy League. Rocco, a Trafford resident, announced Thursday night a verbal commitment to Harvard. Incredibly excited and grateful to say I am committed to the application process at Harvard University! Thank you to everyone...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Keefer-to-Keffer connection sparks Southmoreland
Keefer to Keffer. Yes, Southmoreland will take some more of that. It’s become the connection heard throughout Alverton on Friday nights, the tandem everyone is talking about around the Scotties’ program. In their first year playing together at the varsity level, Kadin Keefer and Ty Keffer have become a formidable...
Mt. Pleasant girls soccer stays unbeaten, tops Southmoreland
Usually this late in the girls soccer regular season, section games are precious and carry heavy meaning in the standings. Unbeaten Mt. Pleasant already had secured its first section title since 2016 and a WPIAL playoff spot by the time it hosted rival Southmoreland on Wednesday night. But the No....
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Teams punch tickets to WPIAL playoffs
The WPIAL playoffs are just around the corner, with tournament play slated to start late next week. The top four teams in each section qualify for the postseason. The following Westmoreland County teams have secured playoff spots: Norwin (11-4) in Class 4A; Kiski Area (13-3), Franklin Regional (12-4) and Penn-Trafford...
Section champion Belle Vernon boys soccer team finds many pathways to victory
In many years of following and coaching soccer, Al Yeschenko had never seen a “buzzer-beater” on the pitch. With about two minutes to play in a tie game against Brownsville last week, the Belle Vernon boys coach began to prep mentally for overtime and even pulled some players so they...
24 teams set to compete for WPIAL golf championships
WPIAL team golf championships When: 10 a.m. Thursday Where: Cedarbrook Golf Course, Rostraver Teams: 3A boys — Central Catholic, Plum, Upper St. Clair, Mars, Moon, Peters Township; 2A boys — Belle Vernon, Sewickley Academy, South Park, Derry, Mohawk, Quaker Valley; 3A girls — Butler, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Moon, North...
Westmoreland County don’t miss high school football matchups for 2022 Week 7
Class 5A Big East Plum (3-4, 1-2) at Penn-Trafford (4-3, 1-2) 7:30 p.m. Friday, Warrior Stadium, Harrison City Plum dropped its third straight game, falling 20-6 at South Fayette. The Mustangs scored first on a short touchdown pass from Sean Franzi to Jerome Brazell but gave up 20 unanswered points....
Norwin boys soccer team beats Mt. Lebanon on penalty kickVideo
Shutouts are nice. But Norwin will take wins any way it can get them. Whatever keeps the streak hot. Alex Brown scored on a penalty kick with 1 minute, 34 seconds to play in overtime as the fifth-ranked Knights ran their winning streak to 11 with a 2-1 victory over...
Seton Hill softball hires ex-Bethany coach
Seton Hill’s new softball coach will inherit a team that has a nice ring to it. Cassie Moore was named the Griffins’ coach Tuesday, replacing Jessica Strong, who resigned in August after a four-season run of success. SB: Cassie Moore Named Seton Hill Softball Coach. Spent previous four years at...
Hempfield girls soccer team determined to turn program around
Tears begin to well up in Aryn Askin’s eyes and roll down her cheek as she talks about her soccer players. “We have seen teams change up the way they play against us because they couldn’t break us down, and coaches have noted how hard our girls play,” said Askin,...
Westmoreland high school girls soccer notebook: Franklin Regional hangs hat on defense
Junior goalkeeper Aris Lamanna and a tight-laced defense are not giving up the combination to the vault any time soon at Franklin Regional. You might say the unit has a “zero tolerance” policy on the pitch. Any success the playoff-bound Panthers (9-4-2) have had in recent years — this one...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Pitt-Greensburg soccer players honored
Pitt-Greensburg was the place for soccer awards last week. The Bobcats women’s team had a pair of honorees as senior Ashley Lucas was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference South Player of the Month. Her teammate, freshman Megan Hickey, was tabbed the ECAC South Region Rookie of the Month. And...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Yough grad Appolonia scores first goal at YSU
Justine Appolonia was a goal-scoring machine when she played at Yough. The soccer team’s all-time goals leader with 117, Appolonia is now a junior at Youngstown State, and she is becoming more prominent in the Penguins’ attack. Appolonia scored her first career goal for YSU in a 3-0 victory over...
Latrobe girls soccer team gets better of Franklin Regional
Faster and more physical in the second half, Latrobe seemed to find another gear when it needed to and earned a Section 3-3A girls soccer sweep of visiting Franklin Regional on Monday night with a 2-0 victory before 360-plus fans at Rossi Field. A matchup of WPIAL playoff teams was...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Jurica, Derry set for WPIAL team golf semifinals
Call it a point of validation. Derry senior golfer Hunter Jurica won the WPIAL Class 2A individual championship last week at Oakmont Country Club, following his opening 74 at Hannastown Golf Club with a 78 at Oakmont for an 11-over-par 152. Derry has risen to become a WPIAL contender in...
Westmoreland H.S. football notebook: Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin brushes off pressure
Quinton Martin ran left, shedding and side-stepping defenders on the way to a 32-yard touchdown run that was worthy of any highlight show. The Belle Vernon junior running back ended up celebrating with teammates in the far corner of the end zone, only a few feet away from somebody who...
Neurologist, Tyler Kennedy highlight Westmoreland Sports Club socials
After two successful socials in August and September, the new Westmoreland Sports Club has announced details for meetings in October and November. Dr. Joe Maroon, a UPMC neurologist and triathlon competitor, will speak to members and guests Oct. 13 at Ferrante’s Lakeview. On Nov. 17, the club will hand the...
Westmoreland H.S. athletes of the week: Belle Vernon’s Tessa Rodriguez, Latrobe’s Peyton Myers
Tessa Rodriguez School: Belle Vernon Sport: Cross country Class: Junior Claim to fame: The 40-plus-runner field was trying to catch Rodriguez at the Bald Eagle Invitational but did not succeed. Rodriguez ran to a first-place finish in a time of 20 minutes, 18.86 seconds. She also took fifth at the...
Norwin hockey team gets back to work after unforgettable championship season
Win or lose, stand or fall this hockey season, Norwin will always have 2021. The Knights’ magical postseason run included their first PIHL championship and saw them skate with the Class A Penguins Cup across the ice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. The Knights advanced to the...
3rd-ranked Belle Vernon too much for Greensburg Salem
Jake Gedekoh is old school. He listens to classic rock. He tells it like it is. He likes to get his uniform dirty. “I love to run the football,” the Belle Vernon junior said. “I love the contact.” Infused by the play of Gedekoh and standout Quinton Martin, third-ranked Belle...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Penn-Trafford ready for resurgent Gateway
Gateway made the loudest statement in the WPIAL last Friday night when it dismantled upstart Hempfield, 60-7, reminding everyone that it is still very much a part of the conversation in the Class 5A Big East Conference. The Gators were, after all, the preseason No. 1 in the classification. Hempfield...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Scoring duos filling the nets
Carlo Denis and Kyler Miller have formed a formidable one-two scoring punch at Greensburg Central Catholic. The senior pair combined for 54 goals through 10 games, making them the top scoring tandem in the WPIAL. Denis had 32 goals and Miller 22. But they are not alone. Several other local...
Penn-Trafford boys soccer fights through injuries, stays in playoff chase
Staggered by injuries, Penn-Trafford has managed to stay in the WPIAL boys soccer playoff chase in its first year in Class 3A. A grind-it-out mentality permeates the program. “We’re not unique,” Warriors coach Sotiri Tsourekis said. “But our boys will fight.” Consider: The Warriors started 1-4, including losses to proven...
Derry’s Hunter Jurica adds WPIAL golf title to list of accomplishments
The kid with the bucket hat keeps crossing things off his bucket list. Hunter Jurica won the Ligonier Country Club championship, a Westmoreland County Coaches Association title and a section title earlier this season. Now, the Derry senior golfer can add a WPIAL championship. “Honestly, I was such a big...
Despite tiny roster, Yough girls soccer team making plays by the dozen
With substitutions in short supply, Yough tries to conserve and persevere. Every game, with a defensive-minded approach and their fingers crossed, the Cougars make do with what they have. Right now, that is 12 players. Eleven starters and one reserve. A microcosm of their situation: In an impressive, 1-0 overtime...
