Bill Beckner stories, Page 132

Maybe there were precursors the end was coming, and the time was right to go. From an abnormal training camp to the final game, Greg Botta said this past high school football season had a different feel to it. With the ongoing covid-19 protocols and day-to-day uncertainty, it was a...

Senior Swade Redman plans to graduate from Carlow in the spring. He longs to play one final basketball season with the Celtics. For now, he will settle for one game. Redman, a Jeannette graduate, led his teammates in their national television debut last week at Youngstown State in a game...

From academics to basketball, Alayna Gribble likes to stay a step ahead of things in her life. She prefers to be on time and get her work done early. Why wait? On a Monday, she already is thinking about Wednesday’s plans. Procrastination is like a turnover on a fast break:...

One step forward, two steps back. Greensburg Salem cannot seem to gain any traction in girls basketball due to the covid-19 pandemic, which once again has halted play in the program. Team activities have been suspended for 10 more days due to a covid case. Coach Rick Klimchock’s team will...

Frank Sundry had not walked the hallways at Greensburg Salem for more than 16 years when he returned to take over as the school’s athletic director in October. The environment still felt familiar, the sites had not changed much and there was a sense of comfort returning to his alma...

Former Norwin standout Jayla Wehner was in a giving mood during the holiday season. The freshman point guard for the women’s basketball team at Marian (Ind.), an NAIA school in Indianapolis, put together a career day as she led the offense in a home victory earlier this month. The floor...

Tried and true, some Norwin athletes were ready when Gov. Tom Wolf put high school sports on pause again for three weeks. No practice? No problem. That is because they had been through this before. They endured a previous delay in the spring, training on their own and taking part...

Basketball season in western Pennsylvania would not seem complete without the showcase events organized by Allen Deep. His various charity events, from multiple team shootouts across the region to the season-capping Roundball Classic at Geneve, have become seasonal staples. The WPIAL resumed on-court action Friday, but this unusual season likely...

From the first time he watched college baseball on television, Ty Stecko wanted to play at the next level. He believed he could grow into a Division I talent, and his confidence blossomed over time and caught up with his skills. “I believed in myself through my childhood,” he said....

With a disclaimer, Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease and critical care physician, said he is all for winter sports resuming in the WPIAL. He wants to see people active and living their normal lives again. Adalja, who has discussed the effects of covid-19 and “dark days ahead” with media...

Latrobe has been in the WPIAL’s largest classification since it began playing basketball decades ago. But the Wildcats got a humbling welcome to Class 5A when the covid-stalled season restarted Friday night. The Wildcats, making their debut in the classification after dropping from 6A, struggled to string together offense and...

Every head football coach has a right-hand man. For longtime Franklin Regional coach Greg Botta, it was Larry Sellitto. “He was my best friend,” Botta said. “He was there during good times and bad. One of the most supportive people I have ever met. He was loved by so many...

WPIAL basketball season resumes Friday following a three-week pause initiated by Gov. Tom Wolf. Here is a look at the top storylines, teams and players to watch around Westmoreland County. Boys 5 Storylines An invisible opponent: A season unlike any other is about to unfold, and the manner in which...

A selfless act of courage by Jaimire Dutrieuille saved someone’s life and almost ended his. It is the reason he will receive the NCAA Award of Valor, presented to a current or former student-athlete, coach or administrator who demonstrates “noteworthy bravery.” As guidelines state, someone who, when “confronted with a...

A number of local basketball teams will take to the court Friday night and finally open the season after the state’s three-week shutdown of winter sports ended earlier this week. Many teams will jump right into section play. Hempfield, for example, will host Fox Chapel in a boys Section 3...

From the first time he watched college baseball on television, Ty Stecko wanted to play at the next level. He believed he could grow into a Division I talent and his confidence blossomed over time, soon catching up with the fast pace set by his skill set. “I believed in...

On the same day the Heisman Trophy was presented to college football’s top player, Spencer Lee was handed wrestling’s equivalent of the award. Lee, a senior at Iowa and a Franklin Regional alum, was presented in person the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s most dominant college wrestler from the...

Swade Redman plans to graduate from Carlow in the spring. He longs to play one final basketball season with the Celtics. For now, he’ll settle for one game. Redman, a Jeannette graduate, will lead his teammates in their national television debut Monday night. The Celtics will visit Youngstown State in...

Former Norwin standout Jayla Wehner was in a giving mood during the holiday season. The freshman point guard for the women’s basketball team at Marian (Ind.), a NAIA school in Indianapolis, put together a career day last week in a home victory. The floor leader dished out 10 assists in...

Greensburg Salem is walking back a lengthy pause on winter sports and will now resume practices Monday like most of the WPIAL. Golden Lions first-year athletic director Frank Sundry confirmed Sunday the district’s plans to eradicate initial plans to suspend winter sports until Jan. 26. “I support any measure that...

LaMont “Showboat” Robinson and Swin Cash already cemented their places in Western Pennsylvania basketball history with their contributions to the game at multiple levels. Now both are hoping to see their names alongside some of the game’s greats. Robinson and Cash are on the ballot for the Naismith Memorial Basketball...

Bethany Winnor, a key player on the girls soccer team at Greensburg Central Catholic that won the WPIAL Class A title and finished runner-up in the PIAA this season, will play NCAA Division I soccer. The junior midfielder announced Tuesday her commitment to New Hampshire. Winnor, who led GCC with...