Bill Beckner stories, Page 65
Westmoreland high school athletes of the week: Hempfield’s Sarah Podkul and Latrobe’s Brock Pflugh
Sarah Podkul School: Hempfield Class: Senior Sport: Volleyball Claim to fame: Podkul has helped lead the Spartans on a four-game winning streak and to a WPIAL Class 4A playoff appearance. Podkul, a third-year libero, had 30 digs in a 3-1 victory against Shaler. She added 18 digs in a 3-0...
Westmoreland high school football notes: 3 more teams clinch playoff berths
Three more Westmoreland County teams clinched spots in the WPIAL football playoffs with wins Friday night. One is another resurgent program that has taken its lumps in recent years. With a 29-22 victory over Burrell — and Ligonier Valley’s 31-0 loss to Imani Christian — Derry secured its first postseason...
Norwin notebook: Cross country teams sweep at county meet
While it is the time of year to rake leaves, the Norwin cross country teams brought brooms to the county race. Norwin’s girls and boys teams swept the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Championship earlier this month at Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood. The girls placed seven runners in the...
After 2 special seasons, Norwin hockey ready to tackle step up in class
As Norwin discovered, there is a menu of factors for hockey teams to move up in classification in the PIHL. To mention some main ones: The league takes into account previous years’ winning percentages, the number of hockey players in the school’s district and hockey talent in that district, as...
Greensburg Central Catholic survives scare vs. Riverview
Sophomore Landon Honick didn’t want his team’s playoff hopes to stretch into Week 9. “No, get it over with now,” said Honick, who had an impressive debut at running back for Greensburg Central Catholic, which wiped its collective brow after a close Week 8 encounter with Riverview. Honick rushed for...
Westmoreland County high school soccer playoff matchups for Saturday, Oct. 21
Boys Class 3A First round 9-Latrobe (13-3) at 8-South Fayette (10-2-3) 1 p.m. Saturday Winner plays: 16-Chartiers Valley (7-9)/1-Plum (17-1) Wednesday in quarterfinals Players to watch: Roman Agostoni, Latrobe; Nate Belcufine, South Fayette Throw-ins: Latrobe is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Wildcats never have...
Westmoreland County high school football notebook: 3 teams could clinch playoff spots in Week 8
Four Westmoreland County teams have clinched WPIAL playoff berths, but more can secure spots this week. There are two weeks left in the regular season. Playoff pairings will come out Oct. 28. Already in the postseason are Latrobe (6-2, 4-1) in Class 4A, Belle Vernon (6-1, 3-0) and Southmoreland (5-3,...
Westmoreland County high school football matchups for 2023 Week 8
Class 5A Big East Conference No. 5 Gateway (4-4, 4-0) at Norwin (2-6, 1-2) 7 p.m. Friday, Norwin Knights Stadium, North Huntingdon Last week: McKeesport 38, Gateway 28; North Allegheny 53, Norwin 25 Last year’s result: Gateway 42, Norwin 10 Big East champion Gateway is looking to close out conference...
Norwin boys get another shot at Seneca Valley, Mt. Pleasant girls receive top 3 seed
Norwin will have to wait until next weekend to open the WPIAL boys soccer playoffs. Until then, the Knights will be teeming with anticipation. They have been itching for another shot at their nemesis. “I wish the game was tomorrow,” coach Scott Schuchert said Wednesday after learning his Knights (12-5-1)...
Breaking down the 2023 WPIAL girls soccer playoffs
Here’s a closer look at the 2023 WPIAL girls soccer playoffs: Class 4A Favorite: The preseason favorite, North Allegheny (17-0) has not lost and has outscored teams 90-10. The Tigers were champions three times in the last four years (2022, ‘20, ‘19). Contenders: Section 2 winner Upper St. Clair (15-1)...
Breaking down the 2023 WPIAL boys soccer playoffs
Here’s a closer look at the 2023 WPIAL boys soccer playoffs: Class 4A Favorite: Seneca Valley (13-0-3), which has won three WPIAL titles in the last five years and was the runner-up last year, enters the postseason without a loss. The Raiders, led by veteran coach George Williams, ranked fifth...
3 teams chasing 3-peats as WPIAL announces soccer playoff pairings
Three teams will go for three-peats in the WPIAL soccer playoffs. The Moon girls (Class 3A), Avonworth girls (2A) and Winchester Thurston boys (A) are two-time defending champions. The No. 1 seeds for the boys playoffs are Seneca Valley (4A), Plum (3A), South Park (2A) and Charleroi (A). The girls...
Westmoreland County boys soccer notebook: Tournament honors late Mt. Pleasant grad
The late Seth Menart was a three-time all-section player at Mt. Pleasant and went on to win a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tile at Cal (Pa.) as a walk-on. The Mt. Pleasant community will continue to keep his memory alive with the 15th annual Seth Menart Memorial Soccer Tournament Nov....
Greensburg Central boys soccer enters WPIAL playoffs as intriguing underdog
It’s not often a team can take momentum from a loss, but Greensburg Central Catholic did that in a recent setback. The Centurions played top-ranked Charleroi close before falling 1-0. It was a far cry from a 4-1 loss to the Section 2-A champion Cougars earlier in the boys soccer...
Siblings abound on Westmoreland County playoff soccer teams
When Mason and Brandon Yeschenko were younger, they would put on large, red boxing gloves and settle disputes by going a couple of rounds in the basement. For Halloween one year, one of them dressed as Rocky Balboa. The other, Ivan Drago. “Every game they’d play, no matter what it...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Pitt-Greensburg wins 3rd straight conference title in girls tennis
Pitt-Greensburg celebrated a three-peat in women’s tennis. The Bobcats (11-2) swept past Penn State Behrend for a 5-0 victory in the final of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament and their third straight title. UPG advances to the NCAA Tournament in May. Senior Abigail Rosman picked up an 8-4 win...
Westmoreland County girls soccer notebook: Playoff teams await pairings
The WPIAL will announce playoff pairings Wednesday afternoon, and tournaments could start this weekend. Westmoreland County teams in the postseason are Latrobe (12-2), Franklin Regional (11-5-1), Penn-Trafford (11-6), and Kiski Area (7-9-2) in Class 3A; Mt. Pleasant (14-2), Southmoreland (9-5), Yough (5-13) and Burrell (11-4) in 2A; and Greensburg Central...
Hempfield thrower Peyton Murray commits to Notre Dame
A GIF of actor Charles S. Dutton, who plays the character Fortune in the film “Rudy,” is popular on the internet. It shows Fortune clapping his hands, showing his appreciation for the title’s main character, the undersized underdog football player who defied the odds as a walk-on at Notre Dame....
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Saint Vincent soccer teams post shutouts under the lights
Saint Vincent’s soccer teams should play under the lights more often. The women’s team had six players score goals in an 8-0 victory over Thiel, and the Bearcats men tied Thiel, 0-0, last Tuesday night at UPMC Field. It was a historic doubleheader for SVC, which hosted night soccer for...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: WCCA all-star game returning to Ligonier Valley
After a successful debut last year, the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Volleyball All-Star Game will return next month. The event will be 6 p.m. Nov. 21 at Ligonier Valley. Last year, 16 local teams were represented in the East vs. West matchup that includes top senior players selected by coaches....
Westmoreland athletes of the week: Latrobe’s Robin Reilly and Belle Vernon’s Rogan Maloney
Robin Reilly School: Latrobe Class: Junior Sport: Soccer Claim to fame: Reilly has been one of the top all-around players in the WPIAL, not only giving the talented Wildcats a go-to goal scorer but also someone who sets up the offense. A West Virginia commit, Reilly assisted on a goal...
Westmoreland high school football notes: Showdown between Franklin Regional, Penn-Trafford looms
Second place and a playoff spot will be on the line in the Class 5A Big East Conference, and one game will settle it all. But fans will have to wait a week for Penn-Trafford (4-4, 3-1) to play at Franklin Regional (6-2, 3-1) in the key conference finale. The...
Norwin girls volleyball keeps up the fight
Norwin’s girls volleyball team was fighting for a playoff spot in Section 3-4A as the regular season winded toward a mid-October finish. The postseason outcome, should it not work in the Lady Knights’ favor, won’t have anything to do with fading effort. “The girls have been working hard every day...
Norwin notebook: Knights strive for better starts
While Norwin’s football team has been more resilient and competitive than is has been in a while, the Knights were trying to get off to better starts. Norwin rallied from 22 points down at halftime in a 37-29 loss at Franklin Regional in Week 6. The Knights scored 15 in...
Franklin Regional girls golfers test their mettle in WPIAL postseason
Mark Twain is believed to have said, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” For Franklin Regional golfers Ali Boyle and Gianna Johnson, a stroll around Diamond Run Golf Club for the WPIAL Class 3A Championship on a perfect, sun-splashed October afternoon was a tune-up for the team postseason. “Obviously we...
