Bill Beckner stories, Page 155

Today’s game Boys Class 4A Semifinals No. 6 Belle Vernon (18-6) vs. No. 7 New Castle (17-7) 6 p.m. Wednesday at North Allegheny Winner plays: No. 1 Highlands (20-3) or No. 5 Blackhawk (13-10) at 1 p.m. Saturday in championship at Petersen Events Center Coaches: Joe Salvino, Belle Vernon; Ralph...

You might consider anything Southmoreland’s girls basketball team did after the quarterfinals a bonus. Gravy, as they say. After reaching the WPIAL semifinals for the first time and earning their first PIAA playoff berth, the Scotties already had earned a prime spot in scrapbooks and a firm place in school...

Today’s game Boys Class 3A Semifinals No. 1 Ligonier Valley (22-2) vs. No. 5 Penns Valley (15-8) 7:30 p.m. at Hollidaysburg Winner plays: No. 2 Westmont Hilltop or No. 3 Richland 7:30 p.m. Friday in championship at Mt. Aloysius College, Cresson Coaches: John Berger, Ligonier Valley; Terrence Glunt, Penns Valley...

Lydia DeFazio took the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference by storm last softball season. After her breakthrough year, Mt. Aloysius can’t hide its secret weapon any more. DeFazio, a junior who has played first base and catcher at the college level, was tabbed the AMCC Preseason Player of the Year, and...

Waynesburg had been waiting a long time to experience the thrill of victory again. The women’s lacrosse team finally broke through and did so Sunday when it scored a 7-5 victory at Thomas More to snap a 45-game losing streak that dated to 2016. Not a bad way to open...

The list might be short, but there are some Westmoreland basketball teams still in the hunt for spots in the PIAA playoffs. Despite a rough start to the district postseason that saw area teams combine for a 4-13 record over the first round and quarterfinals, five teams could end up...

One observer of Southmoreland athletics put it bluntly. For years, the Scotties carried a demeaning moniker with them whenever they showed up on opponents’ schedules. “Lovable losers.” Ouch. The mild-mannered Scotties — even their actual nickname seems to fit, with a wagging tail — would go through the motions, the...

Today’s game Girls Class 4A semifinals No. 2 Southmoreland (23-0) vs. No. 3 Central Valley (18-6) 8 p.m. at Peters Township Winner plays: No. 1 North Catholic (21-1) or No. 4 Blackhawk (20-3) Coaches: Brian Pritts, Southmoreland; Chris Raso, Central Valley Points scored/allowed: Southmoreland 57.5 ppg/30.8; Central Valley 60.5/44.7 Players...

When Rich Garland left Franklin Regional, he knew his days of coaching girls soccer in the WPIAL were not over. He was looking for a fresh start. It didn’t take him long to land with a new program. Garland, who guided Franklin Regional for 19 years and win 211 games,...

Shenango had planned to come out in a 3-2 zone defense against Jeannette in the WPIAL Class 2A boys basketball quarterfinals, but coach Bob McQuiston had an 11th hour change of heart. “I was laying on bed (Thursday night) thinking about it, and I thought, ‘You know what? Let’s just...

WPIAL basketball playoff preview Boys Class 4A Quarterfinals No. 6 Belle Vernon (17-6) vs. No. 3 Quaker Valley (17-5) 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Plum Winner plays: No. 2 Knoch (19-3) or No. 7 New Castle (16-7) Wednesday in semifinals Coaches: Joe Salvino, Belle Vernon; Mike Mastroianni, Quaker Valley Points scored/allowed:...

Today’s WPIAL games Boys Class 2A Quarterfinals No. 3 Jeannette (15-7) vs. No. 6 Shenango (18-5) 6:30 p.m. at Norwin Winner plays: No. 2 Sto-Rox (16-7) or No. 10 Brentwood (18-5) on Tuesday in semifinals Coaches: Adrian Batts, Jeannette; Bob McQuiston, Shenango Points scored/allowed: Jeannette 57.4 ppg/47.9; Shenango 61.1/50.3 Players...

Franklin Regional coach Steve Scorpion was frustrated after his team lost in the final seconds to South Fayette on Monday night in the WPIAL Class 5A first round at Peters Township. The Lions’ Kade St. Ledger made a layup with 4.8 seconds left to clip the Panthers, 48-46, giving Scorpion...

Viva Kreis is becoming a regular around the pro basketball scene. Just a freshman at Belle Vernon, Kreis spent a few days in Chicago for NBA All-Star Weekend, rubbing elbows with the elite of pro basketball and even interviewing some players for the Jr. NBA. Last summer, Kreis hung around...

Saint Vincent junior Zach Baum (Derry) capped another stellar conference season in the pool with the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Year award. Baum won the 100-yard butterfly for the third consecutive year, with a time of 48.92 seconds, at the PAC championships at Grove City. The time set...

For nearly 13 minutes, Derry struggled to make shots — or even get shots — against a physical, face-guarding Freedom team that prides itself on defense and soccer-like toughness. During that span, 11th-seeded Freedom scored 24 consecutive points and seized control of its first playoff win in girls basketball since...

Coach Fred Soilis hopes playing at full strength will give his Freeport team a much better chance against unbeaten Southmoreland — and maybe even produce a different result. Soilis, who will lead 10th-seeded Freeport (17-6) against No. 2 Southmoreland (22-0) on Thursday night at Penn-Trafford in the WPIAL Class 4A...

Thursday’s game Girls Class 4A quarterfinals No. 2 Southmoreland (22-0) vs. No. 7 Freeport (17-6) 8 p.m. at Penn-Trafford Winner plays: No. 3 Central Valley (17-3) or No. 6 Knoch (17-6) on Monday in semifinals Coaches: Brian Pritts, Southmoreland; Fred Soilis, Freeport Points scored/allowed: Southmoreland 57.7 ppg/29.9; Freeport 55.3/44.1 Players...

Pitt-Greensburg will play its most meaningful game of the men’s college basketball season so far without its top scorer. The Bobcats (20-4, 16-3) will host La Roche (17-6, 17-1) at 6 tonight in a showdown of the top two teams in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference standings. But they’ll do...

Lydia DeFazio took the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference by storm last softball season. After her breakthrough year, Mt. Aloysius can’t hide its secret weapon any more. DeFazio, a junior who has played first base and catcher at the college level, was tabbed the AMCC Preseason Player of the Year, and...

Facing a 13-point deficit that felt more like 30, Gateway had to remind itself this was the playoffs and there was no next game. “Late in that game, we decided it was time to play,” Gators coach Curtiss Williams said. “Our girls believed they still had a chance.” Sixth-seeded Gateway...

Junior point guard Jake Biss became the 34th player in Shippensburg men’s basketball history to reach 1,000 career points. The former Latrobe standout played a brow-raising 50 minutes in Saturday’s 104-103 double-overtime loss to Lock Haven. He added four rebounds and two assists for the Raiders (20-5, 16-3 PSAC). In...

Wednesday’s games Boys Class 4A First round No. 11 Derry (7-14) vs. No. 6 Belle Vernon (16-6) 8 p.m. at Fox Chapel Winner plays: No. 3 Quaker Valley (17-5) Saturday in quarterfinals Coaches: Tom Esposito, Derry; Joe Salvino, Belle Vernon Points scored/allowed: Derry 56.0/65.2; Belle Vernon 70.6/62.5 Players to watch:...