Bill Beckner stories, Page 187
Westmoreland basketball playoff capsules: Friday, Feb. 21, 2020
Today’s WPIAL games Boys Class 2A Quarterfinals No. 3 Jeannette (15-7) vs. No. 6 Shenango (18-5) 6:30 p.m. at Norwin Winner plays: No. 2 Sto-Rox (16-7) or No. 10 Brentwood (18-5) on Tuesday in semifinals Coaches: Adrian Batts, Jeannette; Bob McQuiston, Shenango Points scored/allowed: Jeannette 57.4 ppg/47.9; Shenango 61.1/50.3 Players...
Westmoreland boys basketball notebook: Franklin Regional looking toward future
Franklin Regional coach Steve Scorpion was frustrated after his team lost in the final seconds to South Fayette on Monday night in the WPIAL Class 5A first round at Peters Township. The Lions’ Kade St. Ledger made a layup with 4.8 seconds left to clip the Panthers, 48-46, giving Scorpion...
Belle Vernon freshman gives talk, meets with NBA’s best at All-Star weekend
Viva Kreis is becoming a regular around the pro basketball scene. Just a freshman at Belle Vernon, Kreis spent a few days in Chicago for NBA All-Star Weekend, rubbing elbows with the elite of pro basketball and even interviewing some players for the Jr. NBA. Last summer, Kreis hung around...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Another strong PAC meet for Saint Vincent’s Baum
Saint Vincent junior Zach Baum (Derry) capped another stellar conference season in the pool with the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Year award. Baum won the 100-yard butterfly for the third consecutive year, with a time of 48.92 seconds, at the PAC championships at Grove City. The time set...
Freedom girls shut down Derry, earn first playoff win since 2015
For nearly 13 minutes, Derry struggled to make shots — or even get shots — against a physical, face-guarding Freedom team that prides itself on defense and soccer-like toughness. During that span, 11th-seeded Freedom scored 24 consecutive points and seized control of its first playoff win in girls basketball since...
Westmoreland County girls basketball notebook: Freeport at full strength for rematch with Southmoreland
Coach Fred Soilis hopes playing at full strength will give his Freeport team a much better chance against unbeaten Southmoreland — and maybe even produce a different result. Soilis, who will lead 10th-seeded Freeport (17-6) against No. 2 Southmoreland (22-0) on Thursday night at Penn-Trafford in the WPIAL Class 4A...
Westmoreland County basketball playoff preview capsule: Games of Feb. 20, 2020
Thursday’s game Girls Class 4A quarterfinals No. 2 Southmoreland (22-0) vs. No. 7 Freeport (17-6) 8 p.m. at Penn-Trafford Winner plays: No. 3 Central Valley (17-3) or No. 6 Knoch (17-6) on Monday in semifinals Coaches: Brian Pritts, Southmoreland; Fred Soilis, Freeport Points scored/allowed: Southmoreland 57.7 ppg/29.9; Freeport 55.3/44.1 Players...
Pitt-Greensburg to face first-place La Roche without leading scorer Johnson
Pitt-Greensburg will play its most meaningful game of the men’s college basketball season so far without its top scorer. The Bobcats (20-4, 16-3) will host La Roche (17-6, 17-1) at 6 tonight in a showdown of the top two teams in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference standings. But they’ll do...
Penn-Trafford alum Lydia DeFazio named AMCC softball preseason player of year
Lydia DeFazio took the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference by storm last softball season. After her breakthrough year, Mt. Aloysius can’t hide its secret weapon any more. DeFazio, a junior who has played first base and catcher at the college level, was tabbed the AMCC Preseason Player of the Year, and...
Gateway girls stage furious rally to run past Penn-Trafford
Facing a 13-point deficit that felt more like 30, Gateway had to remind itself this was the playoffs and there was no next game. “Late in that game, we decided it was time to play,” Gators coach Curtiss Williams said. “Our girls believed they still had a chance.” Sixth-seeded Gateway...
Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Latrobe’s Biss hits 1,000 points at Shippensburg
Junior point guard Jake Biss became the 34th player in Shippensburg men’s basketball history to reach 1,000 career points. The former Latrobe standout played a brow-raising 50 minutes in Saturday’s 104-103 double-overtime loss to Lock Haven. He added four rebounds and two assists for the Raiders (20-5, 16-3 PSAC). In...
Westmoreland County basketball playoff preview capsules: Games of Feb. 19, 2020
Wednesday’s games Boys Class 4A First round No. 11 Derry (7-14) vs. No. 6 Belle Vernon (16-6) 8 p.m. at Fox Chapel Winner plays: No. 3 Quaker Valley (17-5) Saturday in quarterfinals Coaches: Tom Esposito, Derry; Joe Salvino, Belle Vernon Points scored/allowed: Derry 56.0/65.2; Belle Vernon 70.6/62.5 Players to watch:...
St. Ledger’s last-second layup lifts South Fayette over Franklin Regional
As South Fayette brought the basketball up the floor in the closing seconds, its season on the line and elimination perhaps one unlucky bounce away, the Lions had an air of calmness about them. It was like they had been here before. That’s because they have. Close finishes are nothing...
Westmoreland County basketball playoff preview capsules: Games for Feb. 18, 2020
Boys Class 6A First round No. 8 Hempfield (12-10) vs. No. 9 Peters Township (13-9) 8 p.m. Tuesday at Mt. Lebanon Winner plays: No. 1 Butler (17-4) Saturday in quarterfinals Coaches: Bill Swan, Hempfield; Gary Goga, Peters Township Points scored/allowed: Hempfield 58.1 ppg/55.2; Peters Township 57.7/57.7 Players to watch: Marcus...
Pitt-Greensburg names coaches for women’s bowling, men’s golf programs
Playing experience stood out on the resumes of two new coaching hires at Pitt-Greensburg. Amanda Balas was named coach of the new women’s bowling team, which will play an independent schedule in 2020-21 and plans to join the AMCC the following year. Balas was an accomplished bowler at Division-I St....
Westmoreland County basketball playoff capsules: Games for Monday, Feb. 17, 2020
Boys Class 5A First round No. 11 Franklin Regional (11-11) vs. No. 6 South Fayette (15-7) 8 p.m. Monday at Peters Township Winner plays: No. 3 Mars (17-5) Friday in quarterfinals Coaches: Steve Scorpion, Franklin Regional; Dave Mislan, South Fayette Points scored/allowed: Franklin Regional 56.5/53.7; South Fayette 61.9/56.5 Players to...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Lofty goals for new Penn-Trafford boys soccer coach
Sotiri Tsourekis played at a high level of soccer so he expects a high level of performance from the teams he coaches. The new Penn-Trafford boys soccer coach is anxious to evaluate his players even with the fall season months away. “I would like consistency and attention to detail,” Tsourekis...
Derry boys basketball deals with loss, focuses on playoffs
Misfortune has hit the Derry boys basketball team this season in waves. “To say we’ve been through a lot in the past two weeks — (along with) Justin Huss’s injury — is an understatement,” Trojans coach Tom Esposito said. “In 24 seasons of coaching, I’ve never had a season of...
Battle-tested Eden Christian upsets Greensburg Central Catholic boysVideo
Eden Christian coach Todd Aiken kept shouting “five out” to set up a play Saturday afternoon as his boys basketball team clung to the lead against favored Greensburg Central Catholic. By game’s end, the fearless Warriors had knocked four out. Junior guard Elijah Manges tied a career high with 25...
Westmoreland boys basketball playoff capsules: Games for Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020
WPIAL boys basketball playoff preview capsules Class A First round No. 4 Greensburg Central Catholic (16-6) vs. No. 13 Eden Christian (13-9) 1 p.m. Saturday at Fox Chapel Winner plays: No. 5 Nazareth Prep (15-7) or No. 12 Clairton (13-9) on Thursday in quarterfinals Coaches: Christian Hyland, Greensburg CC; Todd...
Westmoreland basketball playoff capsules: Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
Boys Class 3A First round No. 11 Southmoreland (11-11) vs. No. 6 Beaver Falls (13-7) 6:30 p.m. Friday at Mt. Lebanon Winner plays: No. 3 South Allegheny (21-1) or No. 14 Avonworth (11-11) in quarterfinals Coaches: Frank Muccino, Southmoreland; Carliss Jeter, Beaver Falls Points scored/allowed: Southmoreland 54.1 ppg/55.8; Beaver Falls...
Belle Vernon’s Pohlot takes part in national slam dunk competition
When Mitchell Pohlot rises to meet the rim for slam dunk, his thought process is simple. “I usually don’t think much, but I tell myself to get up there and finish the dunk, regardless of what is happening” said Pohlot, a 6-foot-5 senior forward at Belle Vernon. “The end result...
Penn-Trafford’s Zach Rocco accepted into Army
Zach Rocco has been watching his mailbox with increased anticipation just about every day since he applied to Army West Point months ago. The Penn-Trafford senior point guard knew the application process would be long, and he would have to satisfy all of the necessary requirements to get into the...
Westmoreland County basketball notebook: Terrelle Pryor buys new Nikes for Jeannette boys
Jeannette will have new shoes for the WPIAL playoffs, thanks to an old friend who made good on a promise. A few weeks ago, former Jayhawks star Terrelle Pryor told the team he would buy them shoes if they won the section title. Jeannette obliged by winning 14 of its...
GCC, Ligonier Valley boys press on in playoffs without transfers
Greensburg Central Catholic will be without its leading scorer for the WPIAL boys basketball playoffs. Junior guard Christian McGowan is not injured. In fact, he is perfectly healthy and has started all 22 games for the Centurions (16-6). He played a key role in the team sharing the Section 3-A...
