Bill Beckner stories, Page 162
Westmoreland high school girls basketball notebook: Yough revels in snapped streak
Yough is showing steady improvement and the proof is in the numbers. Especially one gigantic, glaring number: 99. That was how many section games the Cougars had lost in a row before they finally broke through last week. Yes, they almost lost 100 consecutive section games dating to 2013. Coach...
Local basketball freshmen playing beyond their years
Jim Nesser liked what he saw from Terek Crosby from the moment the promising freshman first laced up his basketball shoes and took the court at Yough. Nesser has coached at a few area schools over a lengthy career, coming full circle at Yough — his first stop in 1988...
3 WPIAL freshmen make MaxPreps All-America football team
Three rising stars in the WPIAL Class of 2024 were named to the MaxPreps All-America Freshman football team. Belle Vernon running back, receiver and defensive back Quinton Martin, Central Catholic tight end/linebacker Anthony Speca and Jeannette quarterback Brad Birch were among the 48 national selections for offense and defense. All...
You’ve got a deal: Mavs owner, Pittsburgh native Mark Cuban meets with Penn-Trafford business class
Not everyone gets a deal with Mark Cuban on “Shark Tank.” But Penn-Trafford business teacher Kim Stefkovich managed to reel in the television show’s most popular shark for her administration and management class — with little effort. This time Cuban, the billionaire businessman from Mt. Lebanon who owns the NBA’s...
Devin Whitlock, freshmen put on a show as Belle Vernon puts away YoughVideo
Devin Whitlock said Belle Vernon is a second-half team. That might be the case from the perspective of the team’s junior point guard, but Yough might argue that the Leopards are a second-quarter team. At least they were on Tuesday night in Herminie. After Yough came out poised to challenge...
Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Jeannette’s Robert Kennedy transfers
Robert Kennedy is on the move again. The former Jeannette football standout is leaving East Carolina and will transfer to Old Dominion in Norfok, Va. Kennedy, a 5-foot-10, 183-pound safety, played in five games last season as a junior, recording 13 tackles and three pass breakups for East Carolina. He...
No. 1 North Allegheny doesn’t flinch at Penn-Trafford
First place goes to North Allegheny — for now. Penn-Trafford will get another shot at the revered Tigers later this season, but the Lady Warriors will be looking for a better start to the second half than the one they encountered Monday night in a hype-filled home game. Top-ranked North...
Men’s lacrosse team at Seton Hill ranked nationally
Seton Hill has high expectations in men’s lacrosse after the team’s season was cut drastically short in 2020. The Griffins begin the season ranked fifth in the Nike/US Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Top 20. They return their top nine scorers and goalkeeper from a team that was 6-0 last season when...
H.S. notebook: Belle Vernon’s Dane Anden gets preferred walk-on offer from Pitt
Dane Anden could hardly believe the news. “When I told him, he was ecstatic,” Belle Vernon football coach Matt Humbert said. “He was really excited.” The news was that Pitt has more than the rumored lukewarm interest in the Leopards senior running back, who was a key cog in last...
Kiski Area girls beat Greensburg Salem on buzzer-beaterVideo
Finally, Greensburg Salem took the court for a girls basketball game. A quick start led to an early double-digit lead against Kiski Area, and it appeared a season opener unlike any other was the Golden Lions’ to lose. Turns out, it was Kiski Area’s to win. Despite an 0-for-9 start...
Norwin notebook: Altieri earns 100th career wrestling victory
John Altieri is headed for a college wrestling career at Clarion. But the Norwin senior has some unfinished business in his final prep season. Milestones often are part of the build-up to WPIAL and PIAA success. Altieri reached one earlier this season when he captured his 100th career victory. The...
Top-5 Hempfield boys show they belong with gritty win over Norwin
Hempfield is neither shying away nor hiding from the Class 6A boys basketball rankings. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. No downplaying going on here. The Spartans are embracing their first visit to the Tribune-Review top five since 2015. “I made a copy of the rankings and passed them out...
Norwin’s Anthony Giansante commits to Western Carolina
Anthony Giansante could have tapped out. When Western Kentucky pulled his football scholarship several months back, and a few other offers also went by the wayside, the senior from Norwin had to regroup and essentially start over. He continued to cast lines to college coaches, posting videos of his workouts,...
Belle Vernon girls get defensive during key section win vs. Mt. Pleasant
The game started an hour earlier than usual, but Belle Vernon’s defenders looked like they would have been ready to go any time of the day. A harassing pressure defense allowed the Leopards to build a double-digit lead by halftime, and the hosts held off a mild comeback by Mt....
Norwin basketball standout Ty Bilinsky back on court after recovering from stroke
Ty Bilinsky took a brief nap Dec. 27 at the home of his mother, Michelle. It was a comfy Sunday. He wore a blue Duke T-shirt and black gym shorts as he crashed on the couch in the living room. Then he woke up to watch some football. Steelers-Colts. “I...
Westmoreland County boys basketball notebook: Ligonier Valley finally getting started
As of Wednesday, nine WPIAL boys basketball teams had yet to play a game this season due to covid-19 shutdowns and scheduling issues. One was Ligonier Valley, which finally will make its District 7 debut Friday night when the Rams host South Allegheny at 7:15. “We are very excited to...
Robert Kennedy, former Jeannette football star, leaving East Carolina
Robert Kennedy is on the move again. The former Jeannette football standout is leaving East Carolina and will transfer to Old Dominion in Norfok, Va. Kennedy, a 5-foot-10, 183-pound safety, played in five games last season as a junior, recording 13 tackles and three pass breakups for East Carolina. He...
Westmoreland high school basketball notebook: Penn-Trafford’s Giannikas hits 200 wins
John Giannikas took over the Penn-Trafford girls basketball program prior to the 2006-07 season. The Warriors were a hit-or-miss playoff team in the years leading up to his start date. They even went 0-23 in 2002. But Giannikas steered the team in the right direction and turned it into a...
Westmoreland basketball teams adjust to higher classes
Greensburg Salem has a proud boys basketball tradition. Past players like to wax nostalgic and follow the current team, and current players want to learn about the names of the past. The program bumped up to Class 6A this season, a voluntary move the district thought would benefit the team...
Fleming feels it from 3-point range as Norwin beats Penn-Trafford
Where’s Waldo? That’s the question Penn-Trafford was asking as Michael Fleming worked his way around the 3-point line, popping out for long-range shots and making the Warriors pay. Fleming, nicknamed “Waldo,” was feeling it from his first touch Tuesday night, so the Norwin junior guard’s teammates kept kicking the ball...
Freshman Pepple leads Penn-Trafford girls past rival NorwinVideo
When rival teams such as Penn-Trafford and Norwin get together, the simplest things can seem challenging. Cross-court passes, press-breaking plays and even the easiest-looking layups are contested. “It’s 32 minutes of grind,” Penn-Trafford coach John Giannikas said. Penn-Trafford freshman guard Olivia Pepple did not seem to have much trouble with...
Successful Belle Vernon boys soccer coach Miele resigns
Rob Miele said the adage is true. When it comes to the tail end of coaching stop, you just know. Miele is stepping down as the boys soccer coach at Belle Vernon after four seasons. He finished with a record of 57-14-4 with two section titles and four playoff appearances....
Hempfield grad Burns sets Point Park 3-pointer mark but wants to be known as all-around player
With a dart from the right wing, Michelle Burns watched 3-pointer No. 202 of her college career splash through the net. She might have been smiling, but nobody could tell because the Point Park senior guard was wearing a face mask — a sign of the times. Her teammates’ mouths...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Basketball is on at Saint Vincent, other PAC schools
There will be basketball at Saint Vincent College this season after all. The sport is coming back in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference with a shared chorus among the 10 schools: better late than never. The NCAA Division III league, which postponed winter sports months ago when the covid-19 pandemic bum-rushed...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Penn-Trafford, Norwin girls to square off
Covid-19 can muck up schedules, but it can’t take away rivalries. Penn-Trafford moved up a notch to Class 6A this season in girls basketball, and the Warriors’ eyes immediately went to a familiar team on their schedule. The move in classification reunited Penn-Trafford with Norwin, and the Section 1 teams...
