Bill Beckner stories, Page 174
PAC outlines plans for sports moved to spring
The Presidents’ Athletic Conference is moving forward with plans to play football, soccer and women’s volleyball in the spring. The NCAA Division III conference outlined plans for a regular season and postseason for the sports, which were postponed for the fall due to the covid-19 pandemic. The spring schedules will...
Belle Vernon looks to rebound after section streak ends
Belle Vernon is not that bad. It remains to be seen if Connellsville is that good. It’s only one game, but the Section 2-3A girls soccer opener Tuesday produced somewhat of a surprising result. Connellsville, which dropped down a classification this season in WPIAL realignment, scored a 5-0 victory over...
Westmoreland football notebook: Penn-Trafford’s Brad Ford sets unbreakable record
Senior running back Brad Ford’s 99-yard rushing touchdown last week in the season opener against Latrobe was a Penn-Trafford program record, Warriors football historian Rush Pedder pointed out. The play broke the mark of 98 yards set by Chris Schneider in 1993. The other scoring runs in the Warriors’ top...
GCC sophomore Amari Mack picks up D-1 football offer after big opener
A bedazzling season opener from Amari Mack suddenly has the Greensburg Central Catholic sophomore on the Division I FCS radar. Mack is considered a college prospect, but even he could not have imagined a scholarship offer coming this early. After a highlight-filled game last Friday night, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound slot...
WPIAL girls soccer preview: Can anyone rocket past state champ Mars in Class 3A?
Class 4A The contenders: WPIAL runner-up Norwin might be one the fastest teams in the WPIAL and the Lady Knights have the talent to return to the finals, powered by Pitt recruits Lacey Bernick and Katelyn Kauffman. … Forward Megan Donnelly, a Villanova commit, leads Pine-Richland, another team built to...
WPIAL boys soccer preview: Long list of contenders eye up Canon Mac in Class 4A
Class 4A The contenders: Call returning champion Canon-McMillan the incumbent favorite in perhaps the most wide-open class in the WPIAL. A 25-goal scorer returns in Joey Fonagy, an All-American Game nominee. … North Allegheny, the WPIAL champion in 2016 and ‘17, has a plethora of senior talent to replace, but...
Deep, talented Franklin Regional golf team poised to take big step forward
For years, Franklin Regional has watched other teams celebrate section, WPIAL and PIAA titles in boys golf. The Panthers have fielded talented teams and have often pushed section opponents like Central Catholic and Fox Chapel — WPIAL heavyweights — but they never seemed to be able to overtake them. “People...
Mt. Pleasant softball player Katie Hutter headed to Akron
Katie Hutter spent the weekend in Ohio playing in a travel softball tournament. She’ll soon be spending a lot more time in the neighboring state. A junior at Mt. Pleasant, Hutter verbally committed to continue her playing career at Akron. The quick second baseman with power in her swing was...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Penn-Trafford, Hempfield football games will play as scheduled
The status of a pair of local Week 2 football games is no longer up in the air. Penn-Trafford will play at Class 5A No. 3 Peters Township, and Seneca Valley will visit Hempfield on Friday night. Peters Township canceled in-person classes recently because of possible covid cases, but the...
Westmoreland H.S. football notebook: Leechburg impresses with win over GCC
If there was a local score that turned heads on the opening night of the high school football season, it was probably this one: Leechburg 55, Greensburg Central Catholic 37. Sure, it was the highest-scoring game in the state, but it also was a big upset. GCC came into the...
Clairton hands Jeannette rare season-opening loss in Class A showdown
Jeannette coach Roy Hall said he expected to get Clairton’s best no matter what time of year the Eastern Conference rivals played. Normally, the Bears and Jayhawks play in the regular-season finale. That they kicked off against one another was quite a bang to open this peculiar season. Top-ranked Clairton...
Westmoreland County teams turn to freshman quarterbacks
Two freshmen are expected to start at quarterback for Westmoreland County football teams on opening night. Jeannette plans to open with Brad Birch, while Monessen will look to Shane Swope Jr. to lead the offense Friday. Jeannette, ranked fourth in Class A, hosts rival and top-ranked Clairton, while Monessen is...
Jeannette to honor late Tre Cunningham at season opener
Jeannette will honor former standout Tre Cunningham at its football season opener Friday night against Clairton. The Jayhawks will wear “TC 6” stickers on the back of their helmets in memory of Cunningham, a three-sport athlete who was killed in a motorcycle accident in July along Route 130 near Jeannette....
Former Yough, Robert Morris ace Nicole (Sleith) Schaffer to coach at Duke
One of the most dominant left-handed strikeout pitchers in recent WPIAL and Robert Morris softball history is going to teach her craft to college players at the Division I level. Former Yough and Robert Morris hurler Nicole (Sleith) Schaffer was hired as an assistant coach at Duke. Schaffer was the...
Joey DeFloria, former Hempfield standout, makes Bucknell’s all-decade squad
Joey DeFloria was as dependable as he was durable when he played running back at Bucknell from 2014-17. The Hempfield alum could break off long runs or turn swing passes into large chunks of yardage. Bucknell’s football program lauded his impact and big-play ability by naming him to its all-decade...
Westmoreland County don’t miss high school football matchups for Week 1
Here’s a look at some don’t-miss matchups in Westmoreland County for Week 1: Class 6A Hempfield vs. Norwin 7 p.m. Friday, Norwin Stadium, North Huntingdon A rivalry between neighboring schools that have struggled in Class 6A. Both teams will feature new quarterbacks and numerous other starters. … Christian Zilli returns...
West Mifflin shortstop Lauren Yuhas makes D-1 commitment
Lauren Yuhas led West Mifflin in just about every offensive category in 2019. She likely would have done the same in 2020, but the spring softball season was canceled because of the virus outbreak and she could not play her junior season. But the stoppage of play did not keep...
Under new leadership, Derry looks to maintain run of success
A change in leadership does not signal a change in style. At Derry, the concept of grinding the opponent down with basic blocking and running the football will continue, albeit with several potential ball carriers who possess varying styles. But a new 4-3 stack defensive scheme initiated by first-year coach...
Westmoreland County girls soccer preview: Good luck keeping up with Norwin
Team speed is a trait often associated with girls soccer at Norwin. Opponents can feel more like track sprinters as they chase the Knights down the field and back. Expect more foot races to the goal again this fall. Of all the skilled teams with wheels that Norwin has trotted...
Chase Whatton set to power Elizabeth Forward attack
While he can’t quite predict the future, Chase Whatton has a promise for Elizabeth Forward football fans. “Our 2020 season is going to be one to remember,” he said. “We have insane athletes. We’re very strong. A lot of our players dedicated themselves to the weight room during quarantine. We...
Yough eyes improvement on defense under 1st-year coach
Yough hasn’t exactly built a fence around the end zone in recent seasons. The past three years, it has allowed 41.0, 33.7 and 37.8 points per game, averages that ranked second to last, third from the bottom and one worse than another team in the Cougars’ conference. But first-year coach...
Life is good for former Springdale standout Mike Devine, a rover of independent league baseball
Journeyman sidearmer Mike Devine is still delivering strikes on the independent professional baseball circuit. The former Springdale ace has bounced around obscure winter leagues in Mexico and the Dominican Republic and these days pitches for the St. Paul Saints (Minn.) of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. He is...
Westmoreland boys soccer preview: Franklin Regional chasing 3rd straight WPIAL title
Forty-two wins, 33 shutouts, 15 goals allowed. The numbers speak for themselves at Franklin Regional, where the boys soccer program has put together quite a two-year run. The Panthers have all but monopolized the space on stingy defense with a deliberate style of play that, paired with some exceptional homegrown...
Greensburg Central Catholic brings size, skill in Eastern Conference race
Averaging 6-foot-21⁄2 and 255 pounds, Greensburg Central Catholic’s linemen will cast shadows at the line of scrimmage and give the Centurions room to operate on each side of the football. “I’d imagine that has to be one of largest lines in Single-A,” coach Bret Colbert said. “They are all at...
Jeannette superintendent sends letter to Gov. Wolf concerning fan limitation
Jeannette’s fan base is about as loyal as they come in the WPIAL. Devoted fans follow the Jayhawks wherever they go, especially in football. Remember, this is a town that sold chunks of grass from McKee Stadium when the longtime home field went to artificial turf last year. Some people...
