Bill Beckner stories, Page 199
Westmoreland boys soccer playoff capsules
WPIAL boys soccer playoffs Quarterfinals Class AAAA 6-Norwin (16-2-1) at 3-Seneca Valley (13-3-1) 8 p.m. Wednesday at NexTier Stadium Winner plays: Winner of 2-Mt. Lebanon (13-4-1)/7-Butler (13-5-1) Saturday in semifinals Coaches: Scott Schuchert, Norwin; George Williams, Seneca Valley Players to watch: Ian Brown, Jr., D, Norwin; Luke Rupert, Sr., F,...
Yough grad Scott Houseman draws offer from RMU
Scott Houseman decided it was best to attend a junior college when he was coming out of Yough so the mountain of a lineman could hone his skills and potentially land larger scholarship offers. His plan is taking shape. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound freshman offensive lineman who initially saw playing time...
Westmoreland County football Q&A with Ligonier Valley’s Kyrie Miller
If you want to be a captain of the Ligonier Valley football team, you have to apply for the job. Literally. “Players submit applications, and they complete tasks and then they are voted on by their peers,” Rams coach Roger Beitel said. “The coaches don’t pick the captains. The players...
Appolonia leads Yough past Highlands in WPIAL girls soccer playoffs
A lot has been made of the Yough girls soccer team’s high-octane offensive skills. The Cougars can find the net with the best of them. But coach Dann Appolonia will be the first to say it all starts with defense. “Our defense was very strong, and that’s what we need...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Records continue to pile up for Pitt-Greensburg women’s soccer
Let the records fall where they may at Pitt-Greensburg. The women’s soccer team is having a season to remember and rewriting the record books in the process. The Bobcats (15-0) have registered 12 shutouts and outscored opponents, 49-4. As a result of their winning streak, which broke the program record,...
Hempfield catcher Emma Hoffner picks Ohio
Emma Hoffner is a junior at Hempfield, but she already has been through the college recruiting process twice. The softball catcher committed to St. Francis (Pa.) last year, but a coaching change prompted her to decommit and open her recruitment. In the meantime, other schools entered the picture after following...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Franklin Regional volleyball hitter is smashing success
A versatile, 6-foot-1 hitter who can deliver from all three positions on the court, Franklin Regional junior Aly Kindelberger has all the tools and instincts to be a Division I volleyball player. She now has a scholarship, too. Kindelberger committed earlier this month to play at DePaul. The powerful Kindelberger...
Norwin shakes off sluggish start, beats Baldwin in first-round gameVideo
Ian Brown had a goal waved off just before halftime. The Norwin junior could have waved at a couple of defenders as he cashed in on his second chance. Brown went left and then right, showing footwork, skill and maybe a little anger as he delivered a highlight-reel goal early...
Westmoreland high school football notebook: Derry’s Huss records half to remember
Derry fans will remember for some time the game senior running back Justin Huss had Friday night. Or should we say, the half he had. Huss ran for a school-record 304 yards and four touchdowns on 10 carries against Deer Lakes, all before resting in the second half, as the...
No. 1 Thomas Jefferson shows might in win at Greensburg Salem
It’s a begrudgingly accepted fact in sports. Sometimes, the other team is that much better. Greensburg Salem tried its best to downplay top-ranked Thomas Jefferson’s reputation as the kingpin of Class 4A, but the Jaguars quickly reminded the Golden Lions of their propensity for dominance. Perennial powers have a tendency...
Westmoreland County boys soccer matchups for the first round of the WPIAL playoffs
Saturday’s games Boys Class AAAA first round 11-Baldwin (7-10-1) at 6-Norwin (15-2-1) 4 p.m. at Norwin Knights Stadium Winner plays: 3-Seneca Valley (13-3-1) Wednesday in quarterfinals Coaches: Scott Schuchert, Norwin; Dave Zinski, Baldwin Players to watch: Matt Federovich, Sr., F, Norwin; Pasi Oswald, Sr., MF, Baldwin Corner kicks: Norwin reached...
Westmoreland County football notes: Greensburg Salem wary of TJ mystique
It’s just a name playing another game. That is the way Greensburg Salem is trying to view vaunted Thomas Jefferson, the team that will visit Offutt Field Friday night in a WPIAL Class 4A Big Eight Conference game. The idea is to shed the heavy armor, the Jaguars’ notorious reputation...
Unbeaten UPG women’s soccer team climbing rankings, breaking records
Let the records fall where they may at Pitt-Greensburg. The women’s soccer team is having a season to remember and rewriting the record books in the process. The Bobcats (14-0) have registered 11 shutouts and have outscored their opponents, 47-4. As a result of their winning streak, which broke the...
Soccer teams grin, bear it when WPIAL playoff seeds aren’t favorable
Playoff brackets can cause coaches to do a lot of hand-wringing as the WPIAL committee “holes up in some room somewhere” to draw up their tournament path. To that end, not all coaches are content with their team’s position and many wonder how decisions were made. The ones who have...
Westmoreland County football Q&A: Belle Vernon’s Jared Hartman
Whether his Belle Vernon teammates need a pass delivered to them on point or a quick haircut for game day — fades come in different forms — Jared Hartman is their man. The senior quarterback has been as much a big-play passer as he has a game-managing leader for the...
Westmoreland County don’t-miss football matchups for Week 8
Class 6A Hempfield (2-6, 1-6) at Butler (0-8, 0-6) 7:30 p.m. Friday at Art Bernardi Stadium On the air: TribHSSN.triblive.com; 1050 AM Last week: North Allegheny 62, Hempfield 35; Central Catholic 55, Butler 6 Coaches: Rich Bowen, Hempfield; Eric Christy, Butler Players to watch: Nathan Roby, Hempfield (Sr., 5-7, 155,...
Breaking down the 2019 WPIAL girls soccer playoffs
Here’s a look at the WPIAL girls soccer playoffs: Class AAAA Favorite: Norwin (16-1), which has an opening-round bye, may be the fastest end-to-end team in the WPIAL, not to mention the team’s depth. Three Pitt recruits lead the way in junior midfielders Katelynn Kauffman (19 goals) and Lacy Bernick...
Franklin Regional’s Aly Kindelberger makes Division I commitment for volleyball
A versatile, 6-foot-1 hitter who can deliver from all three positions on the court, Franklin Regional junior Aly Kindelberger has all the tools and instincts to be a Division I volleyball player. She now has a scholarship, too. Kindelberger has committed to play at DePaul. She also had an offer...
Jeannette product Demetrious Cox taken in XFL Draft
Demetrious Cox is ready to start a new chapter in his football career. The former Jeannette and Michigan State standout was selected Wednesday in the XFL Draft. He was the second player picked in the fifth round — the 34th pick overall — by the New York Guardians. A safety,...
WPIAL releases soccer playoff pairings
The WPIAL soccer playoff brackets are set. First-round games begin Saturday for boys and Monday for girls in the eight tournaments, which culminate with championship games Oct. 31 and Nov. 1-2 at Highmark Stadium at Station Square. There are single preliminary-round games Thursday in boys Class A, and girls Class...
Penn-Trafford draws up plan of attack for girls soccer playoffs
Sitting on early leads will not be the strategy that takes Penn-Trafford far in the WPIAL Class AAAA girls soccer playoffs. Adding to them could be what produces desired results, according to the Warriors’ coach. “We have a tendency to sit back and protect when we’re ahead,” coach Jackie Bartko...
Hempfield grad Kason Harrell signs contract with NBA G League team
Kason Harrell is a man of faith and believes in the value of discipline and extra practice. Rewards are earned, not entitled. What happens in lonely gyms stays in lonely gyms. The former Hempfield basketball standout felt he had done all be could do in his pursuit of a professional...
Campus clippings: Seton Hill runners win title in Lawrence County
The Seton Hill women’s cross country team won the Bill Lennox Invitational at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds with seven runners inside the top 11. Senior Caitlyn Padgett also won the individual title in the 6K race in 22 minutes, 41 seconds. Sophomore Alexis Cunningham was fourth (23:16), senior Skye Christian...
Hempfield grad Kason Harrell signs NBA G League contract
Kason Harrell’s journey to professional basketball reached a high note Monday night when the former Hempfield star signed a contract with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers. Harrell, who graduated last year from Purdue Fort Wayne, had a tryout with the Mad...
Norwin beats rival Penn-Trafford, clinches girls soccer section title with second-half surge
A slow start gave way to a fast finish as the Norwin girls soccer team amped up its play, looking more like a potential WPIAL title contender in the second 40 minutes, and captured its second consecutive Section 3-AAAA championship. Senior defender Eva Frankovic scored her first two goals of...
