Bill Beckner stories, Page 141

As he approached the 18th tee, Tim Fitzgerald asked a group marker where he stood on the leaderboard. When he heard, “You’re up by three,” he exhaled but quickly regrouped before putting a peg in the ground for the final time Thursday. “I still didn’t think it was over by...

Class 6A No. 5 Baldwin (1-0, 0-0) at Norwin (0-3, 0-3) 7 p.m. Friday, Norwin Knights Stadium, North Huntingdon Baldwin returns to action after shutting down the program and canceling two games after a coach reportedly tested positive for covid-19. The Highlanders, coached by former Derry coach Tim Sweeney, won...

Once considered a marathon, WPIAL soccer season is a full-on sprint this season. No time to stop off for a rest, either — not in 2020. “It’s a war of attrition,” Norwin boys coach Scott Schuchert said. With the coronavirus forcing a late start to the season — Sept. 14...

The WPIAL golf committee moved one of its postseason tournaments to a new venue. The girls Class AAA and AA team tournaments will now be played Monday at Connoquenessing Country Club in Ellwood City. Normally, the girls and boys finals are played at the same site in mid-October at Cedarbrook...

One game does not a season make. But can one loss make a playoff seeding? Franklin Regional (7-1) took a rare defeat this week, falling to Section 4-3A neighbor Plum, 2-1, to snap the Panthers’ 45-game unbeaten streak in the regular season. South Fayette and Thomas Jefferson have tied high-toned...

WPIAL Class AA boys golf championship 9 a.m. Thursday, Allegheny Country Club, Sewickley 2019 champion: JF Aber, Sewickley Academy The field: 44 players will compete for the district title. The breakdown by county — Allegheny (20), Lawrence (8), Westmoreland (5), Beaver (4), Butler (2), Washington (2), Greene (2), Fayette (1)....

WPIAL Class AA girls golf championship 10:52 a.m. Thursday, Allegheny Country Club, Sewickley 2019 champion: Eva Bulger, Quaker Valley The field: There are only 12 players in a normally small tournament, and the girls are playing at the same site as the boys, which is not a normal occurrence in...

Jeannette’s defense is starting to reveal its athleticism and potential. The Class A third-ranked Jayhawks recorded two defensive touchdowns for the second straight week. After allowing 34 points to Clairton in Week 1, Jeannette has yielded six points. Kaelan Piscar returned a blocked punt 10 yards for a score, and...

While most students are still sleeping, hours away from their phone alarm sounding to get them up for school, Sydney Willig is up before the sun, wide awake and confronting a disease. She sits up in bed while wearing a vibrating vest, uses two nebulizers and takes numerous medications —...

Latrobe has senior leadership on the soccer field but don’t sleep on the underclassmen who have blended in well and could spell a bright future for the program. “Our team dynamics have shifted quite drastically,” Wildcats girls coach Jamie Morrison said. Latrobe lost only two players to graduation in Madison...

In a couple of days, Yough went from not-so-bad news to the worst news of all regarding their starting quarterback. For the second straight year, Tristan Waldier will have his season cut short by a knee injury. Waldier, who injured his right knee in Friday night’s 41-9 loss to South...

Plum senior forward D.D. Flowers thinks his team has as good a chance as anyone to compete for a WPIAL title in Class 3A. After upsetting the two-time defending WPIAL champions, the Mustangs certainly strengthened their case. Flowers had a goal and assisted on another as No. 3 Plum took...

With two wins in as many races to open the season, the Westmoreland County Community College women’s cross country team finds itself in elite company. For the first time, WCCC is ranked No. 2 in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association national poll. WCCC won...

Through Saturday’s games Girls Class 4A 1. Fox Chapel (5-0) 2. Peters Township (4-0) 3. Butler (5-0) 4. North Allegheny (4-1) 5. Mt. Lebanon (3-1) Class 3A 1. Mars (5-0) 2. Plum (4-0) 3. Belle Vernon (4-1) 4. Connellsville (3-0) 5. Franklin Regional (5-0) Class 2A 1. North Catholic (4-0)...

It was a nonconference game that probably won’t get much attention, but it had plenty of fireworks, nonetheless. The bold-faced headline? Underdog Latrobe went score-for-score with a ranked opponent in a Class 5A shootout. The Wildcats fell to No. 5 Upper St. Clair on Friday at Memorial Stadium, 52-45. They...

Latrobe suddenly is looking for an opponent for next week after Gateway had to shut down activities because of a covid-19 issue. Two Gateway students tested positive for covid-19, forcing the school to close down for five days. As a result, this past Friday night’s Gateway vs. Pine-Richland nonconference game...

When the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association released its first set of rankings for the new season, Franklin Regional players and coaches were surprised, thrilled and honored to see their team No. 1 in Class AAA. “We were very excited,” senior outside hitter Nicole Currens said. “We were saying how...

Norwin cross country isn’t always about crossing the finish line first. Or last, for that matter. Coach Brian Fleckenstein likes to take to social media, particularly Twitter, to make the sport more fun. It is something that has bonded his runners. “Running is hard,” the coach said. “Our sport is...

Norwin girls soccer coaches and players were not altogether thrilled when the WPIAL two-year realignment cycle brought some change to their section. They couldn’t have been. That’s because Fox Chapel was added to the mix in Section 3-4A. That immediately drew concern. After all, the Foxes almost upset Norwin in...

The WPIAL soccer playoffs could look similar to previous years, but that is not a certainty as a condensed, 32-day regular season winds into late September. A format change could be in order when the WPIAL soccer committee meets next Friday to review the season. As it stands, the top...

It’s as if Chase Rowe never left. Rowe, who resigned as the baseball coach at La Roche last year to take a job in the minor leagues, has returned to lead the Redhawks once again. A Knoch and Slippery Rock graduate, Rowe had been the hitting coach for the Norwich...

Scoring early has become a trend for the Norwin boys soccer team. The Knights found the net 13 seconds in against Connellsville and struck inside the first five minutes against Latrobe. Fast starts have helped keep the fifth-ranked Knights ahead — and unbeaten. On Thursday night, it was more of...

Class 6A Hempfield (1-1, 1-1) at Mt. Lebanon (0-1, 0-1) 7 p.m. Friday, Mt. Lebanon Stadium, Mt. Lebanon After beating Norwin in Week 1, the Spartans were punchless offensively and were blanked by third-ranked Seneca Valley, 38-0. The Raiders held Hempfield to 59 yards rushing. … Mt. Lebanon began the...

In soccer, defense often leads to offense. But there are cases where the opposite is true. Take Mt. Pleasant, which shut out its first four opponents by a combined score of 28-0. “Our offense definitely is where our momentum comes from, but we have a strong defense that keeps us...