Bill Beckner stories, Page 219
Yough’s Appolonia looks forward to soccer career at Youngstown State
Justine Appolonia has plenty of goals — on and off the soccer field. Big goals. The Yough junior standout has known for quite some time she wanted to play at the Division I level in college. “Of course, it was always my dream growing up,” she said. “What kid who...
Balouris’ score, steal in final seconds lift North Allegheny past Norwin in Class 6A semifinalsVideo
Norwin girls basketball coach Brian Brozeski played football at Penn State so he appreciated a gridiron analogy of Tuesday night’s playoff game. Early on, North Allegheny and Norwin traded scoring plays from spread offenses. Fly patterns and go routes. Go deep. In the fourth quarter, it was handoff after handoff...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Eddins defeats former Greensburg Salem teammate at wrestling regional
It was an all-Greensburg final in the 149-pound weight class Saturday night in Erie. Pitt-Johnstown junior Chris Eddins met Seton Hill redshirt junior Austin Shaw for the title at the NCAA Division I Super Region I Tournament at Mercyhurst. Both graduated from Greensburg Salem, where they were teammates. Eddins, a...
La Roche junior Jenna Cole named AMCC player of year
La Roche forward Jenna Cole had an exceptional junior season on the basketball court. The Redhawks could depend on her scoring and post play every game, without fail. Coaches in the conference had no qualms about voting for the former Norwin star as the conference’s best player. As a result,...
Saint Vincent’s Kromka, Harris claim PAC awards
Another strong run in the Presidents Athletic Conference earned Saint Vincent men’s basketball plenty of respect at postseason awards time. The Bearcats swept player and coach of the year awards after a 22-5 season and a conference regular-season title. Senior forward Tom Kromka was named player of the year after...
No. 1 Vincentian finishes strong to take down No. 4 Monessen in Class A semifinals
Vincentian is going from Peters to the Pete. The top-seeded and defending WPIAL Class A champion Royals took care of business in the semifinals Monday night to punch their ticket to the title game with a 61-49 victory over No. 4 Monessen at Peters Township. Vincentian Academy (16-7), coached by...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Shippensburg wrestler Berberick heads to nationals
Derek Berberick is headed to nationals for the first time in his collegiate wrestling career. Berberick, a junior heavyweight at Shippensburg and a Greensburg Salem graduate, qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament after placing second at the Super Region I Championships over the weekend at Mercyhurst. Berberick (14-7) had...
Westmoreland area playoff hockey capsules for games of Feb. 26, 2019
PIHL Penguins Cup Class AA play-in round Hempfield (11-7) vs. Quaker Valley (5-13) 7 p.m. Tuesday at Alpha Ice Complex, Pittsburgh Winner plays: Pine-Richland (18-0) on March 4 at Baierl Ice Complex, Warrendale Goals for/against: Hempfield, 113/73; Quaker Valley, 60/96 About Hempfield: The Spartans finished fourth in the Southeast, a...
Saint Vincent women to face Thomas More in NCAA Division III Tournament
The newly crowned Presidents’ Athletic Conference champion Saint Vincent women’s basketball team learned Monday its opening opponent for the NCAA Division III Tournament. Gathered to watch the online selection show following a campus pep rally inside the school’s Carey Lounge, the Bearcats (23-4) found out they’ll play traditional power and...
Norwin girls basketball playoff capsule for Feb. 26, 2019
Girls WPIAL Class 6A Semifinals No. 3 Norwin (21-1) vs. No. 2 North Allegheny (22-1) 6 p.m. Tuesday at Fox Chapel Winner plays: Winner of No. 1 Peters Township (23-0)/No. 4 Bethel Park (21-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday in the championship at Petersen Events Center. Coaches: Brian Brozeski, Norwin; Spencer...
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Kurpiel could catch on at St. Francis
Greensburg Central Catholic senior Bryce Kurpiel is a unique case in the recruiting game. He had no scholarship offers for football, yet could end up on a Division I Football Championship Subdivision roster next season. Here’s his story: Kurpiel, who is from Ligonier, wanted to attend a college that offered...
Ligonier Valley boys basketball playoff capsule for Feb. 26, 2019
Boys District 6 Class 3A Semifinals No. 1 Ligonier Valley (21-2) vs. No. 5 Bellwood-Antis (16-7) 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Central Cambria Winner plays: Winner of No. 2 Richland (18-6)/No. 3 Forest Hills (14-8) in championship 7:30 p.m. Friday at Mt. Aloysius College, Cresson Coaches: John Berger, Ligonier Valley; Kevin...
Westmoreland H.S. lookahead: Week of Feb. 25-March 2
MONDAY Boys basketball: Led by first-year coach Dan Bosnic, Monessen (15-8) makes its return to the WPIAL Class A semifinals as it takes on top-seeded Vincentian (15-7) at 8 p.m. at Peters Township. Vincentian coach Tim Tyree Jr. is a Monessen alum. The winner goes to the WPIAL title game...
Westmoreland area hockey playoff capsules for games of Feb. 25,2019
Class A First round Greensburg Salem (5-13) vs. Montour (17-1) 7:15 p.m. Monday at Robert Morris Island Sports Complex, Neville Island Winner plays: Winner of South Park (11-6)/Sewickley Academy (9-9) on March 4 at Mt. Lebanon Ice Center. Goals for/against: Greensburg Salem, 65/139; Montour 181/47 About Greensburg Salem: The No....
GCC wide receiver Kurpiel lands unique walk-on offer with St. Francis (Pa.)
Greensburg Central Catholic senior Bryce Kurpiel is a unique case in the recruiting game. He had no scholarship offers for football, yet could end up on a Divison I-FCS roster next season. Here’s his story: Kurpiel, who is from Ligonier, wanted to attend a college that offered a five-year physician’s...
Defense leads Penn Hills girls past Franklin Regional
Penn Hills has been one of the top defensive girls basketball teams in the WPIAL all season. The spark that ignites the engine has been relentless, wall-to-wall pressure. Add that hassling style to a healthy lineup, and Penn Hills has the look of a title contender in WPIAL Class 5A....
Saint Vincent women win PAC title
Saint Vincent left no doubts about who is the best team in the Presidents Athletic Conference. The top-seeded Bearcats rolled to their first conference title with a 70-48 victory over No. 2 Washington & Jefferson on Saturday night at Carey Center in Latrobe. The Bearcats wrap up their first PAC...
Canon-McMillan cruises to upset victory over No. 2 Latrobe
Veteran Canon-McMillan coach Rick Bell had a few defensive strategies lined up for Latrobe, but it took him some time to decide which one to open with in Saturday afternoon’s playoff game. “On the bus ride over, that’s when I figured out what we’d do,” Bell said. “I figured, what...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Norwin’s Salopek draws more offers
Jack Salopek knows the recruiting process soon might be coming at him hot and heavy, like a rush linebacker in a Friday night conference game. But the Norwin junior quarterback is adjusting and seems prepared for the onslaught. “I think I’m handling it pretty well,” he said. “I try not...
Monessen boys set to take on No. 1 Vincentian in Class A semifinals
WPIAL boys basketball playoff preview Class A Semifinals No. 4 Monessen (15-8) vs. No. 1 Vincentian (15-7) 8 p.m. Monday at Peters Township Winner plays: Winner of No. 2 Cornell (19-3)/No. 3 Nazareth Prep (17-3) at 7 p.m. Thursday in championship at Petersen Events Center. Coaches: Dan Bosnic, Monessen; Tim...
Campus clippings: Norwin grad Patterson earns AMCC honors
This is what total domination in a swimming pool looks like. Senior Mark Patterson was named Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Swimmer of the Year for the second straight time. But that was a mere formality. What he did to earn the award is the impressive part. The Norwin graduate won...
No. 3 Moon boys push past Franklin Regional in Class 5A quarterfinals
Franklin Regional and Moon had to wait a few extra minutes to take the court Friday night while the crowd from the first game of the playoff doubleheader cleared out at West Allegheny. Moon wouldn’t get out of the Panthers’ way, either. In a matchup of defensive-minded teams, the third-seeded...
DiVito nets 32 points as No. 2 Cornell takes down Greensburg Central Catholic
Greensburg Central Catholic had no illusions about Cornell and its standout junior guard, Kaden DiVito. The Centurions knew the Raiders would present a challenge in the WPIAL Class A boys basketball quarterfinals, but some self-inflicted issues did not help their cause in a one-sided defeat that snowballed downhill. It was...
Franklin Regional quite familiar with Moon
Franklin Regional has developed a playoff connection with Moon in the WPIAL boys basketball playoffs. The Panthers (17-6), the No. 6 seed in Class 5A, will take on No. 3 Moon (18-4) again on Friday night at West Allegheny. Some will remember — others would like to forget — Franklin...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Jeannette gets another shot at Sewickley Academy
To Jeannette, it seems like Sewickley Academy is lurking around every corner at boys basketball playoff time. There seems to be no escaping the perennially strong Panthers. The teams will meet again at 8 on Friday night for the fourth straight postseason — the third time in four years in...
