Bill Beckner stories, Page 108

A confident expression turned to one of wounded surprise as Jeannette watched Greensburg Central Catholic fire goal after goal into the back of the net. After a while, the surprise wore off and reality set in. As injuries mounted and a thin bench emptied to nothing, the Jayhawks realized what...

Western Michigan freshman quarterback Jack Salopek (Norwin) saw his first college action, and it came in his return to the Pittsburgh area. In backup duty, Salopek completed 3 of 3 passes for 20 yards as the Broncos defeated Pitt, 44-41. Some forget that Salopek had an offer from Pitt early...

It’s just about fall, so it’s pumpkin spice season. The Latrobe girls soccer team prefers a different flavor: nutmeg. Or, at least they prefer the act by that name used in soccer where a player dribbles and kicks a ball through an opponent’s legs — a gotcha move that leaves...

If you have seen Hempfield play this season, then you’ve watched No. 50 blow up opposing plays for the Spartans. You can’t miss Daniel Sierk. The senior just continuously shows up at defensive end. He has been one of the top pass-rushers in Class 6A. More colleges are showing interest...

Freshman forward Brooke Horvath has played a key role for the Westminster women’s soccer team, which is off to a fast start. The Franklin Regional graduate has pumped in six goals and dealt out four assists for the Titans, who were 5-0-1 heading into the week. Horvath had two-goal games...

Southmoreland has blossomed into one of the more potent offensive girls soccer teams in the WPIAL. The Scotties’ Big 3 of Taylor Klingensmith, Kendall Fabery and Olivia Cernuto have combined for 24 of the team’s 31 goals. Maybe they should have a catchy nickname like, “TKO.” Klingensmith would prefer another...

With the largest and most experienced team she has had since taking over at Norwin in 2018, girls tennis coach Diane Pesarsick has even larger expectations for the Knights this fall. Norwin, which has 23 girls in its program — 11 varsity, six of whom are seniors — is looking...

The first game of the season in any sport is important. But, just the same, it can seem quite meaningless. Even when a No. 1-ranked team gets sideswiped right out of the gates? The Greensburg Central Catholic boys soccer team, fresh off back-to-back WPIAL Class A titles and PIAA runner-up...

Girls Class 4A Rank Team Record Last rank 1. North Allegheny (5-0) 2 2. Seneca Valley (4-1-1) 3 3. Peters Township (2-1-1) 1 4. Moon (3-0) 5 5. Butler (5-0) 4 Class 3A 1. Mars (4-0-1) 1 2. Plum (5-0) 2 3. Montour (4-1) 3 4. Hampton (4-2) NR 5....

Southmoreland is developing a reputation for having an exciting offense. The fourth-ranked Scotties were at it again Friday night as they improved to 3-1 with a 33-19 win over South Allegheny in the Class 3A Interstate Conference opener. They are averaging 38.3 points across their three wins, using a spread...

As experienced and trail tested as the girls cross country team is at Norwin, the boys team is just as inexperienced. But this could have the makings of a nice yin and yang situation for coach Brian Fleckenstein and the Knights. Fleckenstein doesn’t just see the boys blending into the...

Redshirt junior Emily Harrigan helped the Pitt women’s soccer team to its largest margin of victory in program history. Harrigan, a former Norwin star who has rediscovered her roots in Pittsburgh since transferring from Rutgers, scored two goals — the first two of the game — in a 7-0 victory...

Moral victories mean very little to the Jeannette football program. But in this out-of-the-norm season for a program that has fallen on hard times, the little things matter. A first down here. A pass completion there. A touchdown is like finding gold. Things that used to be so natural and...

Down to 12 healthy players after a stomach virus hit the Imani Christian football team this week, the Saints called Greensburg Central Catholic to cancel tonight’s football game at GCC. Imani Christian coach Cliff Simon said the situation is not related to covid-19. The team already is dealing with low...

A tie is worth one point in the standings, but Southmoreland and Yough didn’t want to settle on a 0-0 result Thursday night in their Section 3-2A girls soccer clash. Both WPIAL semifinal teams from a season ago wanted to keep playing. The draw still had its share of highlights...

The most trying season in Jeannette football history, one fraught with the unthinkable at every turn, doesn’t seem to be dampening the spirit of the players. In fact, the team might be getting closer with each challenging week. Hard to fathom, right? You might call the Jayhawks a “band” of...

There might be a quarterback competition at Greensburg Central Catholic. Or maybe the Centurions have found another way to attack opponents. Greensburg Central Catholic made a switch at quarterback last week to spark a lethargic offense in a 33-7 win at Apollo-Ridge. Sophomore Tyree Turner came in for junior Nate...

Hello, Latrobe. The Wildcats pulled a stunner Tuesday night with a 2-1 win over visiting Norwin in the section opener, surging into the conversation as a contender in Class 4A with the statement win. A mostly young team — six seniors, five juniors, five sophomores and six freshmen — is...

Practice doesn’t make perfect. At least that is the case at Greensburg Central Catholic. First-year boys soccer coach Rob Fabean thinks teams can practice too often and overexert energy in between games, which, he believes, is counterproductive — and even costly. It’s not that GCC has low numbers. That is...

Senior Ryan Hilty (Penn-Trafford) scored the winning goal in the 76th minute as the Allegheny men’s soccer team edged past Marietta, 3-2. It was the first score of his career. Cal (Pa.): Sophomore midfielder Zach Vanek (Hempfield) scored his second goal of the season, on a penalty kick, in a...

It’s mid-September and neither Seton Hill nor Saint Vincent has lost a football game. Seton Hill looks like it is going to grind its way to victories this season, and that will do just fine for a program looking to turn a corner. The Griffins improved to 2-0 with a...

A wide-eyed bunch of freshmen are eager to make Mt. Pleasant a WPIAL contender in girls soccer. But don’t expect them to wait to make their mark. They are hungry now, ravenous and ready to soak up every crumb of game experience that comes their way. Four freshmen started in...

Monica “Mo” Burns used to think about what coaching might be like, but she didn’t fully entertain the idea when she was in college. She was too busy breaking records at Wheeling Jesuit a few years ago. But now the profession has Burns’ full attention. The former Hempfield standout was...

WPIAL Class 3A semifinalist Southmoreland had a young softball lineup last season. It lost only three seniors to graduation. Among the roster were a talented crop of freshmen, 10 of them in fact, including power-hitting shortstop Amarah McCutcheon and pitcher Madison Brown. Both are making inroads to college softball through...

WPIAL soccer rankings Girls Class 4A Rank Team Record Last rank 1. Peters Township (2-1-1) 1 2. North Allegheny (1-0) 2 3. Seneca Valley (3-0-1) 3 4. Butler (4-0) 5 5. Moon (2-0) 4 Class 3A 1. Mars (4-0-1) 1 2. Plum (3-0) 2 3. Montour (3-0) 5 4. Franklin...