Bill Beckner stories, Page 20

Westmoreland County softball notebook: Hempfield wins with pair of aces

It is not often that a WPIAL softball team can say it has two Division I-level pitchers on the same staff. Opponents might get to see both of them in the same game. Hempfield features a high-level duo in senior Riley Miller and junior Julia Varhola, who bring a combination...
Latrobe dominates Norwin in its softball season opener

Latrobe freshman Natalia Scekeres found out only minutes before her first varsity softball game she would be leading off. She took it in stride and embraced the opportunity, and the Wildcats followed her lead. “I wasn’t nervous,” the up-and-coming shortstop said. “We know we can hit. If our bats come...
Westmoreland County baseball notebook: Franklin Regional gets off to hot start in Florida

One Westmoreland County baseball team was in midseason form for spring training. Franklin Regional opened the season with a three-game sweep at the Jackie Robinson Sports Complex in Vero Beach, Fla. The Panthers (3-0) defeated Wissahickon, 7-2, in the first game as Jonah Willochell pitched five strong innings. Liam Bernadowski...
Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Hempfield wrestler Vance is national runner-up for Pitt-Johnstown

Pitt-Johnstown redshirt junior Isaiah Vance (Hempfield) finished as a national runner-up at the NCAA Division II wrestling championships in Indianapolis. Vance is now a two-time All-American. The fifth seed, Vance won with a couple of decisions and a major decision to reach the finals, then lost to Maryville’s Ryan Heerman,...
Westmoreland high school notebook: County dots baseball, softball rankings

A new spring season has arrived, and a number of local baseball and softball teams made the TribLive HSSN preseason rankings. For baseball, Hempfield starts the spring at No. 3 in Class 6A, Belle Vernon is No. 3 in Class 4A and Greensburg Central Catholic is No. 4 in A....
Greensburg CC boys get time to reset before continuing PIAA run in semifinals

As the late Tom Petty sang, waiting is the hardest part. Greensburg Central Catholic earned a spot in the PIAA Class 2A boys basketball semifinals but has to sit a week between games. The Centurions (26-3) will play Sewickley Academy (23-5) at noon Saturday at Peters Township in the western...
Greensburg Central Catholic boys defeat Jeannette for 3rd time in physical PIAA quarterfinal

With blood dripping from his elbow, Samir Crosby had to come out of the game and have a teammate shoot the second of his two free throws late in his team’s most important basketball game of the season. “It’s always physical when we play Jeannette. Honestly, I didn’t think I...
Franklin Regional grad makes immediate impact at Washington & Jefferson

Cam Rowell knew he wanted to make a fast impact in the Presidents Athletic Conference. An array of steals, fast-break layups and punctuation slam dunks later, the Washington & Jefferson freshman is a rookie of the year. Rowell, a Franklin Regional graduate, capped his debut basketball season by winning the...
Norwin notebook: Knights alum recognized for defense

A Norwin graduate claimed a major award in Presidents Athletic Conference basketball. Grove City senior guard Mara Polczynski was named the conference defensive player of the year. Polczynski, known for her ability to force turnovers in the backcourt, had 80 steals and led the Wolverines with 6.5 per game. She...
With season over, Norwin girls bid farewell to sensational senior class

A section championship. A runner-up finish in the WPIAL. Another trip to the state playoffs. The Norwin girls basketball team’s season finally came to an end with a 49-38 loss at Altoona in the PIAA 6A first round. The Knights finished 15-8 a year after winning their third WPIAL title...
Seton Hill women’s basketball team advances in NCAA Division II tournament

The Seton Hill women’s basketball team took a 15-point lead into halftime and went on to hold back Kutztown, 89-75, in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament at Edinboro. The Griffins (24-6), who set a single-season program record for wins since the team joined the NCAA in...
Loaded Hempfield opens softball season with win over Penn-Trafford

Good weather doesn’t have much of a track record at this time of year, so it was somewhat surprising that the softball season started on time Friday, a sun-splashed opening day and 70-plus-degree temperatures greeting WPIAL teams. What wasn’t surprising was Hempfield starting a new season with a victory. “It...
Westmoreland PIAA basketball playoff preview capsule for Saturday, March 15, 2025

Boys Class 2A Quarterfinals Jeannette (25-2) vs. Greensburg Central Catholic (25-3) Noon Saturday at Norwin District-seed: Jeannette 7-1; Greensburg Central Catholic 7-5 Winner plays: Winner of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (21-7)/Sewickley Academy (22-5) in semifinals March 22 (time, site TBD) Coaches: Adrian Batts, Jeannette (16th year); Christian Hyland,...
‘Get your tickets now’: Jeannette, Greensburg CC boys prep for clash in PIAA quarterfinals

Two basketball teams from Westmoreland County remain in the PIAA postseason. They will face each other this weekend for a spot in the Class 2A boys final four. That the matchup is one of the county’s best rivalries is a treat for local fans. Jeannette (25-2) and Greensburg Central Catholic...
Greensburg Central Catholic rolls into PIAA rivalry game vs. Jeannette

Liam Gallagher wore a different jersey number in the PIAA basketball second round, going with No. 4 instead of his usual 14. The old jersey wasn’t available to the senior guard from Greensburg Central Catholic, but there is a reason. “I ripped it in half after the Union (loss in...
Hempfield softball motivated to rejoin championship chase

With six Division I college commits, Hempfield is primed for another run at WPIAL and PIAA championships. Of course, last year did not include any titles, but the Spartans are refocused — and humbled — after they were dealt a surprising loss by Norwin in the WPIAL 6A semifinals. High...

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