Bill Beckner stories, Page 129
Westmoreland high school notebook: Ex-Penn-Trafford kicker Topper gets closure
It has been 24 years since Kevin Topper missed low and left at Three Rivers Stadium. A kicker for Penn-Trafford in 1997, his extra point could have tied the WPIAL Class 4A football championship against Upper St. Clair with 18 seconds remaining. But it wasn’t meant to be. Warriors faithful...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Ligonier Valley’s Beitel learned from late Laurel Valley coach
Ligonier Valley football coach Roger Beitel always admired Jerry Page. The way Page coached, the way he treated people and the way he lived his life. Page, the longtime football coach at Laurel Valley, died Wednesday at the age of 89. Laurel Valley merged with Ligonier Valley in 2010. Beitel...
Marinchak lights out for Ligonier Valley
Lights out, Matthew. Time to go home. Matthew Marinchak doesn’t always heed the warning when he is getting up shots at the Ligonier Valley High School gym or the Ligonier YMCA. The senior guard from Ligonier Valley gets there early, stays late and does it all again the next day...
Westmoreland boys basketball notebook: Belle Vernon’s Quinton Martin flashes potential
Quinton Martin will be one of the most sought-after football recruits in the Class of 2024. But the uber-athletic sophomore from Belle Vernon is showing he is pretty good at basketball, too. The 6-foot-3 forward is fast becoming a scoring threat with consistent double-double potential. Watch him grab a rebound...
Latrobe football coach Jason Marucco resigns
Football coach Jason Marucco would not elaborate on why he wants to leave the sidelines at Latrobe, but he did confirm he turned in a letter of resignation and will not return to coach his alma mater. Marucco guided Latrobe for eight seasons and compiled a record of 20-56 with...
Freshman Pieper leads Penn-Trafford past Hempfield for 1st win of season
Kam Pieper does not have exotic tastes when it comes to her Christmas list. The freshman basketball player from Penn-Trafford is keeping it simple this year. “I don’t know, some Nike socks would be nice,” she said. “All of my other ones have holes in them.” Pieper nearly put holes...
Westmoreland girls basketball notebook: Belle Vernon boasts deep rotation
When it started three different lineups in its first four games, it was evident Belle Vernon’s girls basketball team had depth. With a bench that stretches eight to 10 deep, the Leopards (3-1) have a fresh set of guards ready to take the floor in a constant flow. The rotation...
Dawson, Suman among Westmoreland girls basketball players battling back from injury
Jenna Dawson takes the basketball court with a giant piece of battle armor on her left leg, a constant reminder of a grueling offseason and the toughness she holds within. The junior guard from Belle Vernon missed last season with a torn ACL and MCL and underwent reconstructive surgeries on...
Laurel Valley coaching icon Jerry Page dies at age 89
A local coaching giant is gone but his legacy lives on. Longtime Laurel Valley football and baseball coach Jerry Page died Wednesday morning due to complications from pneumonia, WCCS radio out of Indiana County reported. He was 89. Page coached the Rams, who later merged with Ligonier Valley and kept...
Murrysville’s Jackson makes ace in third round of South Beach Amateur
A hole-in-one can do wonders for a round of golf. Palmer Jackson would know. The Notre Dame junior and former Franklin Regional standout made an ace on the 153-yard third hole at Miami Beach Golf Club Tuesday in the third round of the South Beach International Amateur. The highlight helped...
Belle Vernon boys basketball makes quick work of Yough
There was some discussion over the halftime score Tuesday night at Yough. The scorekeepers and scoreboard operator were two points short of what the media had tabulated at the break. It all stemmed from a basket off a steal by Belle Vernon sophomore forward Quinton Martin. A basket that happened...
Clarion parts ways with football coach Weibel
Following an 0-10 season, there has been a change in command at Clarion. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference school announced it is cutting ties with head football coach Chris Weibel and moving in “a new direction.” Assistant Matt Hanhold was elevated to interim head coach while Clarion conducts a search...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Soccer standout DiFalco believes Duquesne is best fit for him
Some were surprised when Anthony DiFalco signed with Duquesne last week, but the soccer star from Franklin Regional believes he has found the perfect fit. While he had interest from Pitt and Robert Morris, DiFalco went with the Dukes, who finished as the Atlantic 10 runner-up last season. Franklin Regional’s...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Latrobe grad Jake Biss shines in return from injury
Jake Biss is back in the Shippensburg basketball lineup and it didn’t take him long to make an impact. He was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division Athlete of the Week after a couple of 20-point games. In just his third game since returning from an injury, the...
Whitlock scores 39 points as Belle Vernon defeats Hempfield in overtime thriller
Asked if he has another gear when the game is on the line, a clutch gene, Devin Whitlock framed his answer neatly. “I wouldn’t say it’s another gear,” the Belle Vernon senior guard said. “It’s more of a mentality. It’s not wanting to lose.” The Leopards’ leading man took Saturday’s...
Williams leads GCC to impressive win against Norwin
Brevan Willliams can dunk. Anybody who has followed Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball knows that. But the senior swingman — or is it wing man? — has added to his arsenal. That was evidenced by his three swished 3-pointers Saturday in the opening game of the 3rd Westmoreland County Coaches...
Norwin grads looking forward to sibling rivalry on college court
Magen and Mara Polczynski have Jan. 19 and Feb. 16 circled on their calendars. They have for a while now. Those are the days when the Westminster and Grove City women’s basketball teams will meet in Presidents’ Athletic Conference games. The teams are traditional rivals that don’t need much motivation...
Norwin Star notebook: Knights special teams duo earns spot at national showcase
Xander Smith and Joey Castle were a one-two special teams punch for Norwin this season. Smith centered long snaps to Castle, who boomed punts into orbit. Castle also made good on extra points and field goals and aimed for touchbacks as the Knights’ kicker. The junior pair continue to follow...
Murrysville Star notebook: FR grad closing in on college hockey milestone
Hockey standout Jamie Mauro is on point at IUP. On point, and on pace, for a career milestone. The grad student forward could reach 200 points when the American Collegiate Hockey Association resumes in January. Through 21 games, he had 14 goals and 25 assists for 39 points this season,...
Kiski Area boys basketball shows killer instinct in win over Franklin Regional
Kiski Area guard Isaiah Gonzalez had to leave the game briefly because he cut his lip and some blood dripped onto the court. He and his teammates were out for blood from the tip in the Section 3-5A opener. Despite a fourth-quarter surge by host Franklin Regional, the Cavaliers build...
Franklin Regional soccer star DiFalco commits to Duquesne
The long-awaited college decision of one of the WPIAL’s best soccer players finally came to light Friday. Franklin Regional announced senior forward Anthony DiFalco signed with Duquesne. DiFalco, a three-time All-American, all-region and all-state player who scored 118 goals as a four-year starter for the Panthers, also had interest from...
Former Jeannette player expected to be named Jayhawks’ new head coach
Jeannette will recommend a former Jayhawks quarterback to be its next head football coach. The school board will vote Monday, according to the agenda, to approve Thomas Paulone Jr. to replace Roy Hall, who stepped down after 37 years on the sidelines, including 13 as head coach. Paulone, 29, is...
Belle Vernon girls defeat Mt. Pleasant in section opener
It didn’t decide the game, but it didn’t help Mt. Pleasant’s chances of winning it, either. The Vikings had just cut a 14-point deficit to eight with about five minutes remaining Thursday night at Belle Vernon when standout junior forward Tiffany Zelmore was whistled for two quick fouls. The second,...
Westmoreland high school boys basketball notebook: Greensburg Salem to recognize former coach Sapotichne
Greensburg Salem will honor one of its most successful coaches Dec. 29 with “Coach Paul Night,” a tribute to former boys basketball coach Paul Sapotichne. The event will fall in line with the Golden Lions’ game against Riverview, the other school where Sapotichne coached up until his retirement last summer....
Gritty Penn-Trafford boys basketball team shows flair for tight games
Four games is a long way from a full body of work, and Penn-Trafford already has more losses than its football team had all season, but boys basketball coach Doug Kelly sees an intangible in his team that makes him ball up his fist and grit his teeth when he...
