Bill Beckner stories, Page 204
Campus clippings: Saint Vincent announces new Hall of Fame class
Eight individuals and one team will be inducted into the Saint Vincent Athletic Hall of Fame. The inductions are Sept. 28 at the Fred M. Rogers Center in campus. The new hall class will be recognized during halftime of the Bearcats’ game against Carnegie Mellon that afternoon at Chuck Noll...
Hempfield handles rival Greensburg Salem in openerVideo
Hempfield’s big line played as advertised, getting a fairly strong push early. But the Spartans did something they hadn’t planned to do — at least not this much — in their season opener. They went to the air. With a gameplan that is, by all accounts, hell-bent on running the...
Pytlak grows into 2-way talent for Yough football
Russell Pytlak has been a work-in-progress type of player for coach Scott Wood and his staff at Yough. Not that he needed much grooming. Pytlak’s talents were evident at an early age. If and when he caught up to his body, he’d be a handful for opponents. A player brimming...
Penn-Trafford’s Sherwin to play baseball at Bucknell
Anthony Sherwin tried to find a reason to choose a different college. He looked for faults in his leading pursuer. But he kept circling back to more positives. Bucknell was the place to continue his baseball career. “I chose Bucknell because I thought it was the best fit for me,”...
Jeannette’s Ciara Gregory rejoins Charlotte basketball team as assistant
Former Jeannette star Ciara Gregory has a bond with the North Carolina-Charlotte women’s basketball program. The former 49ers sharpshooter has lived in the Charlotte area since she graduated a couple of years ago and she routinely keeps up with the team. The 3-point record-holder will be around the program a...
Cognition meets connection, carrying Southmoreland offense to new heights
Receiver Riley Comforti knows how the route is supposed to be run. Quarterback Zach Cernuto understands where the football should be thrown. When the two converge, when cognition meets connection, it’s pure, big-play magic for Southmoreland. “The more reps they get, the better they are,” Southmoreland football coach Dave Keefer...
Mt. Pleasant graduate Kurt Aumer nominated for off-field honor
Kurt Aumer was viewed as one of the good guys when he played football at Mt. Pleasant. His knack for community involvement and attention to those around him were traits he took with him to college. Now the junior defensive lineman at Monmouth could receive an award because of it....
Westmoreland County football Q&A with Latrobe’s Branden Crosby
When Branden Crosby transferred from Greensburg Salem to Latrobe as a freshman, Latrobe football coach Jason Marucco knew little about him. He saw Crosby had athletic ability but didn’t find him a regular position on the team until last season when the 6-foot, 160-pounder took the reins at quarterback. A...
Westmoreland County high school football don’t-miss matchups for Week Zero
Nonconference Greensburg Salem at Hempfield 7 p.m. Friday, Spartan Stadium, Hempfield Coaches: Dave Keefer, Greensburg Salem; Rich Bowen, Hempfield Players to watch: Trent Patrick, Greensburg Salem (Sr., 5-9, 230, QB/LB); Nathan Roby, Hempfield (5-7, 155, RB/DB) Last year: Greensburg Salem (4-7, 4-3), fourth place in Class 4A Big 8 Conference,...
U.S. Amateur run has Franklin Regional grad Palmer Jackson eager for more
Palmer Jackson graduated from high school two months ago. He is moving into a dorm at Notre Dame this week to begin his freshman year of college. At just 18 years old, Jackson is a teenager about to embark on the next chapter of his life. On the golf course,...
With options under center, Penn-Trafford could go off script offensively
Senior Gabe Dunlap and junior Ethan Carr once competed for the starting quarterback spot at Penn-Trafford. The friendly competition brought out the best in each athlete as they pushed each other to improve. In the end, there were no hard feelings. That is because both have become primary players —...
Jeannette hopes to utilize speed on new turf at McKee Stadium
To the surprise of some, the landmark decision to replace the grass at Jeannette’s McKee Stadium with artificial turf was met with little resistance. Even at a place where change is minimal, more tolerated than accepted — a program where “the old way” still works — a new playing surface...
New coach Bret Colbert to rely on talented returning roster at Greensburg C.C.
New Greensburg Central Catholic coach Bret Colbert comes from rich football pedigree. His father, Bob, has 44 years of coaching experience at various levels — high school to the pros — while his uncle, Kevin, is the general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers. “Football shaped me and has been everything...
Southmoreland believes it is closing in on end of playoff drought
As an alum and second-year coach, Dave Keefer is all for recognizing high points in the history of Southmoreland football — even if one such commemoration captures a frustrating and cumbersome streak in full perspective. The Scotties’ run of missed playoff trips hits a milestone this season, and Keefer couldn’t...
Saint Vincent announces basketball-heavy hall of fame class
Eight individuals and one team will be inducted into the Saint Vincent College Athletic Hall of Fame. The inductions will happen during a reception banquet Sept. 28 at the Fred M. Rogers Center in campus. The new hall class will be recognized during halftime of the Bearcats’ game against Carnegie...
With Shoaf gone, Yough looks to spread the wealth on offense
Much to the chagrin of the Yough football program, the Dustin Shoaf era is over, and it’s time for new players to take the football and carry it into the future. “We’re going to miss Shoaf, but we have some good guys coming back,” Yough coach Scott Wood said. “Our...
Penn-Trafford has championship aspirations
Penn-Trafford is a program that never seems to take a heavy hit from graduation losses. Sure, there is turnover, and top players move on to college like every other team, but it doesn’t faze the Warriors who — what else is new? — are going to be good again. Player...
Latrobe’s Hanna Green awarded track & field grant on heels of world championships
Latrobe native Hanna Green, who ran to a runner-up finish in the 800-meter run last month at the Toyota USA Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, received a financial boost as she prepares for her next elite race. A little green never hurts. Green was one of 25...
W&J football ranked in Top 25; Wolf preseason All-American
Washington & Jefferson will open the season ranked No. 21 in the D3football.com preseason Top 25. In addition, Presidents junior Andrew Wolf was selected as a Preseason All-America First Team as a wide receiver by the same outlet. W&J finished 9-2 last season and reached the NCAA Division III playoffs....
IUP offering home fans chance at $50,000 in kickoff-return contest
If the IUP football team takes it to the house, somebody might have enough money to buy one. IUP is offering $50,000 to a randomly picked fan if the Crimson Hawks return the opening kickoff for a touchdown to open the first or second half of any of its five...
Justin Cramer becomes rare 4th-year starter at JeannetteVideo
Middle linebacker Justin Cramer has driven a stake through the heart of many opposing offensive plays in his time with the Jeannette football team. It’s that time, among other things, that will distinguish Cramer from others in the chronicles of the WPIAL’s most winning program. When the season opens Aug....
Belle Vernon grad Kaitlyn Slagus to carry on basketball career in Ireland
Kaitlyn Slagus isn’t ready to throw her high-tops over the telephone wires quite yet. The former Bucknell and Belle Vernon star forward has plans to continue her basketball career overseas. Slagus, who recently graduated from Bucknell, was awarded a Victory Scholarship from the Sport Changes Life Foundation and will attend...
WPIAL Class 5A football breakdown: Parity expected for ‘deepest classification in the state’
Despite what Penn Hills did last season, the tide of public opinion in Class 5A football is shifting. It appears to be moving away from one-team dominance and turning toward more wide-spread parity. Penn Hills rolled to WPIAL and PIAA championships last season, the exclamation point a 36-31 win over...
Harrison City native Dave Antill makes ace at USGA Mid-Am qualifier
Dave Antill did not qualify for the U.S. Mid-Amateur, but the former Hannastown Golf Club member made a lasting memory in his attempt to play in the national championship. Antill, playing in a USGA qualifier Monday at Pinnacle Golf Club in Grove City, Ohio, made a hole-in-one on the 198-yard,...
Jaguars’ Terrelle Pryor tending to hamstring issue
Wideout Terrelle Pryor has been resting a hamstring injury, and it is unclear if he will miss extended time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pryor, 30, was held out of the team’s preseason opener Thursday at Baltimore as a precaution. He returned to practice Monday. Among the “walking wounded” who are...
