Bill Beckner stories, Page 128

Ryan Sickenberger thought the ball might miss the rim completely when he double-clutched and launched a desperation 3-pointer as the final seconds ticked off. “Frankie (Newill) set a great screen,” the Latrobe senior lefty guard said. “I was just looking for a shot. I thought it was a little flat....

Mike Gerdich admits he and his daughters take basketball home with them. After games and practices, the family vehicle is alive with hoops talk as Gerdich discusses the day that was for the Yough girls basketball team with two of his key players. Kayla Gerdich is a junior guard and...

The playoff picture is clear for Westmoreland County girls basketball teams. The WPIAL is having an open tournament this year where all teams are invited to compete. Their deadline to opt in is 3 p.m. Thursday. Roll call in the county shows all but two girls teams will cap this...

What seemed like an innocent follow on Twitter led to a college scholarship offer for Jeannette freshman quarterback Brad Birch. It is another example of, as coaches often tell their players, “you never know who is watching.” Birch announced a Division I offer from Oregon on Wednesday, the first for...

There was no early lead for Yough this time against Belle Vernon, a team that skyrocketed to No. 1 in the WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball rankings and jumped to No. 3 in the state rankings since the last time the teams played. Forget the notion this might have been...

Olivia Miller is pretty good at the triple jump. Maybe it is because she likes to do things in threes. Miller, a senior at Carlow and a Ligonier Valley alum, was named the River States Conference Indoor Field Athlete of the Week for the third straight week. She competed in...

Senior softball pitcher Morgan Ryan made the most of her first start of the season — her fifth at Notre Dame — as the former Hempfield ace contributed to a no-hitter Sunday. Ryan pitched two innings, struck out two and did not walk a batter as the Fighting Irish (3-0)...

A pair of WPIAL standout midfielders will represent District 7 in the High School All-American soccer game. Mars’ Ellie Coffield and Melissa Riggins of Shady Side Academy were selected to the national all-star showcase set for May 29 in St. Louis. Coffield, a United Soccer Coaches Region II All-American, was...

Hempfield football coach Rich Bowen resigned Monday after nine seasons, citing professional reasons for his departure. Bowen, 57, had a record of 30-55 with four WPIAL playoff trips, including in 2016 when the Spartans played in WPIAL Class 6A for the first time. “I loved my time at Hempfield. It’s...

With a shortened season, one sawed in half by a late start and a conference-only schedule, West Virginia Wesleyan women’s basketball players are savoring each minute of every game. Count Abi Gabauer and Brittany Stawovy among them. The pair of local seniors have been key contributors for the Bobcats, often...

Seton Hill is anticipating a potentially big season in softball this season, which begins this weekend. The Griffins, who were 7-10 when the 2020 season was halted last March over the pandemic, is No. 2 in the PSAC West preseason coaches poll. Top returnees include grad student Alexis Vargas, who...

It was a productive weekend for the Penn-Trafford girls soccer team. The Warriors saw two standout players make verbal commitments to NCAA Division I programs. Junior goalkeeper Taylor Lloyd announced a pledge to Youngstown State, and junior forward Malia Kearns declared her intentions to play at Robert Morris. Lloyd, who...

Many are going. Some are not. Others have stipulations, and a couple more are on the fence. The decision to enter the WPIAL open basketball playoffs is not as easy as you might think, at least for some schools. Opinions are being weighed in the decision-making process. Are we good...

Adeline Nicholson had a decision to make, but this wasn’t quite like choosing between taking a rip at a 3-0 pitch or chancing a walk. No, the former Southmoreland softball slugger came to a crossroads in her playing career and made a harsh, yet potentially life-changing choice to step away...

Think of the pressure. Belle Vernon boys basketball made the WPIAL finals for the first time since 1978 last season and won a PIAA playoff game for the first time since ‘81. This year’s Leopards carried the unenviable burden of following that group into 2020-21, in the shadow of the...

Gannon and West Chester will meet for the next Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference softball title. At least that’s the sentiment of conference coaches, who voted those teams as the division favorites on the eve of a new season. The PSAC will be broken into East and West divisions this year....

Finally, the day of promise arrived for Anthony Giansante. Signing Day allowed Giansante, the burly senior lineman from Norwin, to finally make his dream of playing Division I football a reality. After his first run through the recruiting process fell through for reasons out of his control, the second was...

Norwin plans to be in the thick of the WPIAL Class 6A chase when the playoffs begin later this month. Based on program tradition, it would be unusual if the Knights were not. But coach Brian Brozeski thinks some fine-tuning needs to be done to get his team ready for...

For a several-minute stretch late in the first half, Penn-Trafford looked nearly unstoppable. The Warriors ran off 14 straight points to take a 14-point lead over Norwin. Their guards were slashing to the rim, 3-pointers were falling, and they had established a post presence. But the plot thickened in the...

Sometimes, rival teams become so enamored with getting defensive stops, they forget to score. So went the story Thursday night in North Huntingdon when Penn-Trafford and Norwin met for the second time this season in girls basketball Section 1-6A. Nobody said rivalry games have to be pretty, but Norwin will...

Brevan Williams never has been transfixed on becoming a go-to scorer. It just sort of happened organically as he found his place on the court at Greensburg Central Catholic. Williams, a 6-foot-3 junior swingman for the Centurions, has reached double figures in scoring in 10 of 11 games this season,...

Doug Kelly is as reflective about life as he is basketball. He takes a deep breath and pauses to mull over moments, both small and large in scope, before he moves on to the next challenge. Why did that happen? Who is accountable? Did I do all I could? These...

A few games ago, when Franklin Regional played Latrobe, the Panthers could not make a shot. Inside, outside, layups or putbacks — nothing. There was a lid on the rim. In their game at Greensburg Salem on Wednesday night, they couldn’t miss. Especially from long range. “We know we have...

Hold the phone, Villanova. Todd Summers is staying. Summers, a tight end who played at Franklin Regional, has decided to finish his college career at Villanova. He had planned to attend Duquesne and play one last season, but Villanova offered him a full scholarship to cover his time in the...