Bill Beckner stories, Page 143

Jeannette will honor former standout Tre Cunningham at its football season opener Friday night against Clairton. The Jayhawks will wear “TC 6” stickers on the back of their helmets in memory of Cunningham, a three-sport athlete who was killed in a motorcycle accident in July along Route 130 near Jeannette....

One of the most dominant left-handed strikeout pitchers in recent WPIAL and Robert Morris softball history is going to teach her craft to college players at the Division I level. Former Yough and Robert Morris hurler Nicole (Sleith) Schaffer was hired as an assistant coach at Duke. Schaffer was the...

Joey DeFloria was as dependable as he was durable when he played running back at Bucknell from 2014-17. The Hempfield alum could break off long runs or turn swing passes into large chunks of yardage. Bucknell’s football program lauded his impact and big-play ability by naming him to its all-decade...

Here’s a look at some don’t-miss matchups in Westmoreland County for Week 1: Class 6A Hempfield vs. Norwin 7 p.m. Friday, Norwin Stadium, North Huntingdon A rivalry between neighboring schools that have struggled in Class 6A. Both teams will feature new quarterbacks and numerous other starters. … Christian Zilli returns...

Lauren Yuhas led West Mifflin in just about every offensive category in 2019. She likely would have done the same in 2020, but the spring softball season was canceled because of the virus outbreak and she could not play her junior season. But the stoppage of play did not keep...

A change in leadership does not signal a change in style. At Derry, the concept of grinding the opponent down with basic blocking and running the football will continue, albeit with several potential ball carriers who possess varying styles. But a new 4-3 stack defensive scheme initiated by first-year coach...

Team speed is a trait often associated with girls soccer at Norwin. Opponents can feel more like track sprinters as they chase the Knights down the field and back. Expect more foot races to the goal again this fall. Of all the skilled teams with wheels that Norwin has trotted...

While he can’t quite predict the future, Chase Whatton has a promise for Elizabeth Forward football fans. “Our 2020 season is going to be one to remember,” he said. “We have insane athletes. We’re very strong. A lot of our players dedicated themselves to the weight room during quarantine. We...

Yough hasn’t exactly built a fence around the end zone in recent seasons. The past three years, it has allowed 41.0, 33.7 and 37.8 points per game, averages that ranked second to last, third from the bottom and one worse than another team in the Cougars’ conference. But first-year coach...

Journeyman sidearmer Mike Devine is still delivering strikes on the independent professional baseball circuit. The former Springdale ace has bounced around obscure winter leagues in Mexico and the Dominican Republic and these days pitches for the St. Paul Saints (Minn.) of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. He is...

Forty-two wins, 33 shutouts, 15 goals allowed. The numbers speak for themselves at Franklin Regional, where the boys soccer program has put together quite a two-year run. The Panthers have all but monopolized the space on stingy defense with a deliberate style of play that, paired with some exceptional homegrown...

Averaging 6-foot-21⁄2 and 255 pounds, Greensburg Central Catholic’s linemen will cast shadows at the line of scrimmage and give the Centurions room to operate on each side of the football. “I’d imagine that has to be one of largest lines in Single-A,” coach Bret Colbert said. “They are all at...

Jeannette’s fan base is about as loyal as they come in the WPIAL. Devoted fans follow the Jayhawks wherever they go, especially in football. Remember, this is a town that sold chunks of grass from McKee Stadium when the longtime home field went to artificial turf last year. Some people...

After reaching the WPIAL playoffs two years in a row on the heels of an eight-year drought, Latrobe feels a sense of accomplishment. But don’t expect the Wildcats to be satisfied. Resting on their laurels won’t sit well with the coaching staff. “You can’t just be satisfied with getting there,”...

Skill, speed, depth and potential. All typical traits of a Penn-Trafford football team heading into a new season. Seemingly, every season. Coach John Ruane rarely has a void to fill as he and his staff groom players each year to replace current standouts — a focus on today with an...

It just doesn’t happen. It’s not supposed to happen, Woodland Hills missing the WPIAL playoffs. But last year, the unthinkable became reality. For the third time in three decades and first time since 1995, the Wolverines were on the outside looking in at the postseason. It was a drag around...

Norwin is used to churning out NCAA Division I girls soccer talent. It is practically a yearly occurrence for the perennial power. College coaches know where to find high-caliber players who will fit into their system. Sydney Gray became the latest player from the school to choose a D1 program...

A fourth player on the Penn-Trafford football team has an opportunity to play Division I football. Junior Cade Yacamelli, a wide receiver and defensive back, was offered a spot at Penn of the Ivy League. An athletic 6-foot, 190-pounder, Yacamelli could see time as a ball carrier this season for...

Pitt recruit Makayla Jackson of Plum leads a talented trio from the WPIAL selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Under Armor All-American Watch list. Jackson, a 6-foot-1 middle hitter, is joined on the lengthy list by Burgettstown libero Avery Havelka and Geibel senior setter Shannon Watkins. Havelka and Watkins...

Senior Izzy Laurita has rejoined the girls soccer team at Belle Vernon. Laurita left the Leopards last season after three games, citing injury concerns and the risk of losing her college scholarship. With covid-19 shutting down the spring season she would have had with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy, Laurita grew...

Connellsville’s Marko Thomas does not just sound like a coach giving lip service following a down season. His inflection is proof he means what he says. “This is the year we’ve been waiting for,” Thomas said. “I really think you’re going to see a much-improved team. We were extremely young...

Don’t get too used to the starting lineup Greensburg Salem football coach Dave Keefer rolls out in the opening game. Or, the following week. Or, maybe even the one after that. “We are going to try a lot of things and move guys around until we find something that works,”...

Cole Weightman sees himself playing on a big college stage some day, maybe digging in behind the defensive line, his speed gauge set to downhill, with an eye toward ruining Saturdays for opposing quarterbacks. But the emerging linebacker at Belle Vernon also might have a career as a salesman. Watch...

Unified sports allow students with and without disabilities to compete in an inclusive environment. Norwin has one of the top unified programs in the state with its track and field and indoor bocce teams, and the district has been recognized for its efforts. Add Special Olympics Unified Champion Banner School...

Allegheny women’s basketball coach Kate Costanzo is nominated for a new award in NCAA Division III. Also a senior administrator at Allegheny, Costanzo, a Manorville native and Kittanning graduate, is up for the inaugural LGBTQ Administrator/Coach/Staff of the Year Award. The award “honors the service, leadership and promotion of LGBTQ...