Bill Beckner stories, Page 125

Greensburg Central Catholic didn’t get the home-court advantage other No. 2 seeds did in the WPIAL playoffs this year. Its gym was too small to host in the first round, so it had to play on the road, and issues from a water main break forced the Centurions to play...

Latrobe girls basketball coach Mark Burkhardt looked up at one of the baskets after Thursday night’s playoff game at Chartiers Valley and, half-jokingly, wondered how often the school has to change the nets. “I don’t know how they keep them up in here,” Burkhardt said. With the way second-seeded Chartiers...

His knees encased in twin glaciers, an exhausted Christian McGowan limped out of the Norwin gymnasium Wednesday night after a postgame interview and joined his teammates on the bus. The “Iceman” from Greensburg Central Catholic had just given the Centurions (16-3) all he had — and then some — in...

Christian Hyland was the Centurions’ senior point guard the last time Greensburg Central Catholic made the WPIAL basketball finals. Now he is headed to the title game as the second-year coach of his alma mater. Hyland, 25, drew on his experiences from that year and passed them on to his...

Latrobe is willing to throw a number of defenses at Chartiers Valley to see if one sticks. The sixth-seeded Wildcats (14-2), who are further along in the WPIAL playoffs than they have been in 23 years, face an ominous task in the Class 5A semifinals. The No. 2 Colts (21-3)...

Here’s a look at Thursday’s WPIAL basketball playoff games involving Westmoreland County teams: Girls Class 5A Semifinals 6-Latrobe (14-2) at 2-Chartiers Valley (21-3) 6 p.m. Thursday Coaches: Mark Burkhardt, Latrobe; Tim McConnell, Chartiers Valley Winner plays: Winner of 5-Woodland Hills (13-6) at 1-Trinity (20-1), 8 p.m. Monday in WPIAL championship...

Remember all that talk about Southmoreland being the darlings of the WPIAL girls basketball playoffs a year ago? Well, the spotlight might have shifted to the Scotties’ latest opponent. It is Quaker Valley’s turn to wear Cinderella’s slipper in Class 4A. A semifinal team for the second time in school...

Next girl up. It’s the mantra Norwin has adopted out of necessity as two key players were sidelined with season-ending injuries just as the Lady Knights were poised to make a serious playoff push. Norwin (13-4) still made that push, but that it did so without sophomore Savannah Schneck and...

Carlow senior Olivia Miller is an All-American again — in two events. The Ligonier Valley product placed sixth in the high jump at the 41st NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships to finish inside the top eight and earn the status. Her distance was 1.61 meters. She also took sixth...

Jeannette is an underdog on a big stage. Sound familiar? Think back to the fall when some considered the Jayhawks heavy underdogs in the WPIAL Class A football championship against Clairton. This is basketball — apples to oranges, yes — but the challenge is oddly similar on the surface for...

Junior forward Brevan Williams has taken on a greater scoring role this season and leads Greensburg Central Catholic with a 20-point average. He is among the upper echelon of scorers in the WPIAL. But now can his team make a similar rise in Class 2A? Williams and the second-seeded Centurions...

Here’s a look at Wednesday’s WPIAL basketball playoff games involving Westmoreland County teams: Boys Semifinals Class 2A 5-Jeannette (15-4) at 1-Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (19-0) 6 p.m. Wednesday Coaches: Adrian Batts, Jeannette; Mike Rodriguez, OLSH Winner plays: Winner of 3-Sto-Rox (11-5) vs. 2-Greensburg Central Catholic (15-3) in WPIAL...

Josh Spiegel transferred to Penn State from Oklahoma State in the offseason as the redshirt freshman sought a better opportunity to see the field and make an impact. It sure looks like the Penn-Trafford grad made the right decision. He went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs in his Nittany...

The WPIAL girls basketball semifinals can be daunting for newcomers. The pressure in the “final four” is different, heavier, as a trip to the championship lies in the balance. And this year, with no follow-the-winner format for PIAA playoff qualification, a loss means it’s time to turn in uniforms. But...

Here’s a look at Tuesday’s WPIAL basketball playoff game involving a Westmoreland County team: Girls Class 4A Semifinals 3-Southmoreland (16-4) at 2-Quaker Valley (14-4) 6 p.m. Tuesday Coaches: Amber Cernuto, Southmoreland; Tom Demko, Quaker Valley Winner plays: Winner of 4-Knoch (10-1) at 1-Beaver (18-0) in WPIAL championship, 5 p.m. Friday...

Marissa Boyer envisioned a different path to college, one that even involved a different sport. The Norwin senior thought soccer would be her ticket to the next level, but carrying a golf bag at a country club, well, that works, too. Boyer, a caddie at Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox...

Here’s a look at Monday’s WPIAL basketball playoff games involving Westmoreland County teams: Boys Class 4A Quarterfinals 8-South Park (9-5) at 1-Belle Vernon (12-1) 6 p.m. Monday Coaches: Jason Dolak, South Park; Joe Salvino, Belle Vernon Winner plays: Winner of 5-North Catholic (16-4) at 4-Quaker Valley (13-4), 6 p.m. Thursday...

Halftime speeches and the adjustments that accompany them have helped many a WPIAL basketball team advance in the postseason. After a sluggish first half Saturday afternoon against Butler, Norwin had a heart-to-heart at the break and reversed course for another trip to the semifinals. In a flurry, the third-seeded Knights...

The Roundball Classic is returning in full force this spring. Organizer Allen Deep said the all-star basketball event will be played May 13-15 at Geneva. Rosters are far from finished, but Deep knows one player he will invite to the event. He said Norwin senior guard Ty Bilinsky will be...

Pine-Richland boys basketball coach Bob Petcash admitted to being nervous about Friday night’s WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinal game at Hempfield. “I was on edge,” Petcash said. “We hadn’t seen them and hadn’t played them in years.” The sixth-seeded Rams didn’t let any nerves show, especially in the fourth quarter, as...

Rematches will be the order of the day for three Westmoreland County teams as they take to the WPIAL basketball quarterfinals Saturday afternoon. In boys Class 2A, No. 5 seed Jeannette (14-4) will take on No. 13 Winchester Thurston (9-4), a Section 3 opponent that dealt the Jayhawks a 65-60...

Boys Quarterfinals Class 5A 10-Latrobe (8-6) at 2-New Castle (18-2) Noon Saturday Coaches: Brad Wetzel, Latrobe; Ralph Blundo, New Castle Winner plays: Winner of 6-Penn Hills (13-4) at 3-Laurel Highlands (13-3), 6 p.m. Wednesday in semifinals About Latrobe: Senior Ryan Sickenberger converted a three-point play with 43 seconds left to...