Bill Beckner stories, Page 159
Devin Whitlock develops into fearless leader for Belle VernonVideo
Devin Whitlock has a tattoo on his right arm that says “Fear None.” “We all bleed the same,” Whitlock said. “But it’s like a mental thing for me. That (phrase) never leaves my head. Nobody is beating me. They might be good, but I want them to show me how...
Lehigh making recruiting inroads to Westmoreland County
Lehigh is making its rounds in the WPIAL as it looks for future football talent. The Patriot League program located about 300 miles east of Pittsburgh, in Bethlehem, is particularly eyeing Westmoreland County. Lehigh this weekend extended scholarship offers to a pair of local juniors in Greensburg Salem lineman Billy...
Hempfield wins low-scoring game vs. Franklin Regional
Hempfield boys basketball coach Bill Swan said he didn’t know what to expect from a “Saturday soiree” at Franklin Regional. A soiree refers to a fancy evening affair. You wouldn’t call Hempfield’s latest victory fancy, but the Saturday afternoon nonsection matchup will pass as another tune-up for the upcoming WPIAL...
Franklin Regional girls show skill from beyond perimeter
If anything can turn around a basketball season, it’s one of those can’t-miss games. You know, when everything a team tosses up seems to splash down through the net? Some call it lights-out shooting. Others say luck had a front-row seat. Franklin Regional’s girls had one of those games recently...
Norwin notebook: Krevokuch lands football scholarship from Fairmont State
Recruiting can be an odd thing. Timing can play a key part in determining where a prospect plays in college. Sometimes the stars have to align. Norwin senior football player Tanner Krevokuch is a prime example. After he lost a Division I scholarship offer, he began to explore other options....
Elizabeth Forward stops Mt. Pleasant for 5th straight win
Elizabeth Forward turned a home economics classroom at Mt. Pleasant into a makeshift locker room Friday night. There certainly weren’t too many cooks in that kitchen. Two players did all the heavy lifting for the Warriors, scoring 88% of the team’s points in a 42-38 victory over the Vikings in...
Franklin Regional ready to hire football, soccer coaches
Franklin Regional plans to hire head coaches Monday night to fill vacancies in football and boys soccer. According to the school board agenda, Franklin Regional will recommend Lance Getsy for football and Thomas Louisy for boys soccer. Getsy, an assistant under longtime coach Greg Botta who resigned in January after...
Latrobe linebacker Tucker Knupp picks Lehigh
Latrobe senior Tucker Knupp will play college football in the Patriot League. Knupp gave a verbal commitment to Lehigh, a Divison I-FCS program. Lehigh was his only Division I option, but he also had interest from Carnegie Mellon. A 6-foot, 220-pound inside linebacker, Knupp was a Class 5A Big East...
Southmoreland cuts it close, beats Belle Vernon to clinch share of section title
Talk about cutting it close. Southmoreland knew it was going to bring out the ladder and scissors and cut down the net if it defeated Belle Vernon on Thursday night to clinch at least a share of back-to-back section championships. Belle Vernon didn’t know about the Scotties’ plans but played...
Westmoreland boys basketball notebook: Everyone going to playoffs
All 18 boys teams from Westmoreland County will enter the WPIAL basketball playoffs. The WPIAL is having an open tournament this year where all teams are invited to compete. The league deadline to opt in was 3 p.m. Thursday. Southmoreland was undecided going into Wednesday night’s game against Geibel but...
After tough losses, Mt. Pleasant boys turn it up in time for playoffs
Mt. Pleasant had just surrendered a six-point, fourth-quarter lead against Jeannette and took a gut-punch. Jayhawks 32, Vikings 30. The Vikings did not score in the final period. That game, although nonsection, would have been a nice feather in their collective cap, but instead left them wrung out and looking...
Franklin Regional boys basketball doing double duty Saturday
Franklin Regional will pull double-duty Saturday. The Panthers boys basketball team will play two nonsection games as they continue to sharpen their rotation for the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. Coach Steve Scorpion’s grandfather, legendary Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Dick Groat, might appreciate the “let’s play two” reference as it pertains to...
Latrobe boys basketball gets thrilling victory vs. Franklin Regional
Ryan Sickenberger thought the ball might miss the rim completely when he double-clutched and launched a desperation 3-pointer as the final seconds ticked off. “Frankie (Newill) set a great screen,” the Latrobe senior lefty guard said. “I was just looking for a shot. I thought it was a little flat....
Parents appreciate coaching — or coaching against — their kids in Westmoreland County girls basketball
Mike Gerdich admits he and his daughters take basketball home with them. After games and practices, the family vehicle is alive with hoops talk as Gerdich discusses the day that was for the Yough girls basketball team with two of his key players. Kayla Gerdich is a junior guard and...
Westmoreland girls basketball notes: All but 2 teams appear headed for playoff tournament
The playoff picture is clear for Westmoreland County girls basketball teams. The WPIAL is having an open tournament this year where all teams are invited to compete. Their deadline to opt in is 3 p.m. Thursday. Roll call in the county shows all but two girls teams will cap this...
Jeannette freshman QB Brad Birch draws scholarship offer from Oregon
What seemed like an innocent follow on Twitter led to a college scholarship offer for Jeannette freshman quarterback Brad Birch. It is another example of, as coaches often tell their players, “you never know who is watching.” Birch announced a Division I offer from Oregon on Wednesday, the first for...
Top-ranked Belle Vernon leaves no doubt, routs Yough
There was no early lead for Yough this time against Belle Vernon, a team that skyrocketed to No. 1 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball rankings and jumped to No. 3 in the state rankings since the last time the teams played. Forget the notion this might have been...
Carlow’s Olivia Miller garners 3rd straight RSC track and field honor
Olivia Miller is pretty good at the triple jump. Maybe it is because she likes to do things in threes. Miller, a senior at Carlow and a Ligonier Valley alum, was named the River States Conference Indoor Field Athlete of the Week for the third straight week. She competed in...
Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Hempfield’s Ryan helps Notre Dame to no-hitter
Senior softball pitcher Morgan Ryan made the most of her first start of the season — her fifth at Notre Dame — as the former Hempfield ace contributed to a no-hitter Sunday. Ryan pitched two innings, struck out two and did not walk a batter as the Fighting Irish (3-0)...
Ellie Coffield, Melissa Riggins picked for national All-American soccer game
A pair of WPIAL standout midfielders will represent District 7 in the High School All-American soccer game. Mars’ Ellie Coffield and Melissa Riggins of Shady Side Academy were selected to the national all-star showcase set for May 29 in St. Louis. Coffield, a United Soccer Coaches Region II All-American, was...
Bowen resigns after 9 seasons as Hempfield football coach
Hempfield football coach Rich Bowen resigned Monday after nine seasons, citing professional reasons for his departure. Bowen, 57, had a record of 30-55 with four WPIAL playoff trips, including in 2016 when the Spartans played in WPIAL Class 6A for the first time. “I loved my time at Hempfield. It’s...
Westmoreland County pair savor senior season at West Virginia Wesleyan
With a shortened season, one sawed in half by a late start and a conference-only schedule, West Virginia Wesleyan women’s basketball players are savoring each minute of every game. Count Abi Gabauer and Brittany Stawovy among them. The pair of local seniors have been key contributors for the Bobcats, often...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Expectations high for Seton Hill softball
Seton Hill is anticipating a potentially big season in softball this season, which begins this weekend. The Griffins, who were 7-10 when the 2020 season was halted last March over the pandemic, is No. 2 in the PSAC West preseason coaches poll. Top returnees include grad student Alexis Vargas, who...
Penn-Trafford’s Taylor Lloyd, Malia Kearns commit to D-I soccer programs
It was a productive weekend for the Penn-Trafford girls soccer team. The Warriors saw two standout players make verbal commitments to NCAA Division I programs. Junior goalkeeper Taylor Lloyd announced a pledge to Youngstown State, and junior forward Malia Kearns declared her intentions to play at Robert Morris. Lloyd, who...
WPIAL basketball teams must choose: Playoffs or no?
Many are going. Some are not. Others have stipulations, and a couple more are on the fence. The decision to enter the WPIAL open basketball playoffs is not as easy as you might think, at least for some schools. Opinions are being weighed in the decision-making process. Are we good...
