Bill Beckner stories, Page 86

Recruited as a pitcher out of high school, Neal McDermott did not get to show his defensive skills much at Seton Hill. But on Friday night, the converted outfielder flashed his glove for all of America to see. The grad student out of Greensburg Central Catholic made the No. 1...

Born on a 98-acre horse ranch in Scottdale, Tyler Shafer grew up around colts and fillies. The animals were always there, so he didn’t know anything different. His family bred and raised horses, so Shafer’s interest was more passed down than discovered. It led him down a path to acclaim...

Shawn Spencer sees his coaching milestone as one part longevity, two parts personnel. He doesn’t make it about himself. The Derry boys volleyball coach recently captured his 200th win leading the Trojans. Spencer also coached the Elderton boys from 1992-95 and again from 1998-2003, but the milestone only counts his...

Aaron Schmook took up throwing an 8-foot toothpick about four years ago. Watching a javelin soar through the spring sky, like it’s going to spear a cloud and pull it down to earth, brings a smile to his face. It is fun for Schmook, a senior at Norwin. But the...

Five Norwin hockey players suited up for the PIHL Class A All-Star Game on April 3 at Alpha Ice Complex in Pittsburgh. Sophomore Alex Thomas had an assist, and sophomore Owen Burmeister made 10 saves in net for Team Gold, but Team Blue won the game, 9-4. Senior Logan Fear...

Cheyenne Piper arrived at the ballpark Wednesday ready to play. She didn’t know, however, she would be pitching. Just perfect, she thought. Perfect, indeed. The sophomore from Ligonier Valley tossed a perfect game as the Rams blanked visiting Punxsutawney, 7-0, at Donaldson Softball Field. Not bad for her first start....

Coaches and players seem to like the WPIAL’s home-and-home, two-game series that occur on back-to-back days. Especially the teams that bounce back after a loss in Game One. Franklin Regional and Penn-Trafford split their Section 1-5A opening series, with Franklin Regional rebounding from a 4-3 loss with a 5-0 win....

By and large, Franklin Regional had gaps to fill on its WPIAL Class 5A championship baseball team. But coach Bobby Saddler did not think it would take long for replacements to emerge, particularly in the pitching rotation. He was right. The search for quality pitching in Murrysville is over —...

Yes, scoring is up in Westmoreland County softball. There have been only seven shutouts by county teams so far in this hitters’ delight of a season, while teams scored 10 or more runs a head-turning 16 times through Tuesday. The question is, who hasn’t been in a game involving double-figure...

Mt. Pleasant wants reps. It needs reps. Lots of reps. Results don’t matter, at least not in the nonsection games. Not in the baby steps of a softball season that lives in the shadow of the one that preceded it. “This time of year, we all just need to play,”...

It can be done: Yough can win again. That is the message Ben Hoffer is bringing to his alma mater, and he plans to plaster it all over the football program until it comes to pass — or run. Whatever it takes. The former Yough standout running back was hired...

Defending WPIAL baseball champion Franklin Regional was a little miffed after losing its Section 1-5A opener. It showed in the rematch with previously unbeaten Penn-Trafford. The Panthers pushed back. They came out swinging, limited the Warriors offense and earned a series split with a 5-0 victory Tuesday in light rain...

A switch from basketball to lacrosse looked rather effortless to Westminster’s Magen Polczynski. The senior from Norwin has 10 goals and five assists in three games since switching uniforms. Her 15 points leads the team. Most of the other players have appeared in five games. She had a six-goal, nine-point...

Nolan Marasti told his coach after a recent practice that he planned to pitch seven innings in the section opener. The Penn-Trafford junior lived up to his promise, tossing a complete game Monday as the Warriors started Section 1-5A play with a crisp, 4-3 victory over No. 2 Franklin Regional...

Nobody ever accused Sam Kline of skipping leg day. A senior softball player at Denison, Kline, a Hempfield product, was the recipient of a National Strength & Conditioning Association All-American Athlete Award through her school. The award recognizes student-athletes’ commitment to staying in shape and working in the weight room....

Austin Butler dunked his way to $5,000 Sunday. And what a dunk it was. The former Latrobe basketball star who played four years at Holy Cross before a grad season at Charlotte, made the highlight reel with a big jam at the 3x3U National Championship at The Sugar Mill in...

Quinton Martin Belle Vernon, So., G/F At this rate, Belle Vernon football star Quinton Martin is going to mess around and get mistaken for a basketball player. Martin, the five-star football prospect who is racking up Power 5 scholarship offers, had a breakthrough sophomore season on the court for the...

Emma Blair Latrobe, Jr., F Emma Blair is known for her ability to play in the post. But what really makes her the player she is, what truly rounds her off, is her ability to rebound the basketball. The 6-foot-1 junior forward knows how to get position under the rim...

The Roundball Classic basketball games return this year, and a number of local players made the all-star rosters. Nine all-senior games will be played May 19-21 at Geneva College in Beaver Falls. Norwin’s Lance Maha will coach the 6A Silver boys team. Area boys selected include Nick Crum and Noah...

Norwin senior Luke Mumpower was one of three WPIAL players selected as the Class 3A player of the week by the Western PA Volleyball Coaches Association. Norwin was ranked No. 5 in the classification in the second coaches poll of the season. Tough opener The Norwin baseball team opened the...

In an unforgettable run of validation, Norwin showed championship confidence early in the season and put it on display late, capturing the first PIHL Penguins Cup title in program history. But Knights coach Mike Robinson said he doesn’t think this will be a one-hit-wonder kind of team. He believes his...

Tom Paulone watches his players condition in the weight room at Jeannette’s McKee Stadium on a bitter-cold March afternoon. Training camp is more than four months away, but the Jayhawks’ new football coach has his players working. Paulone’s eyes light up, and a smile covers his face as one Jayhawk...

Kason Harrell has proven he can play at the next level. He has become one of the most popular players in Ireland’s Super League. On Friday, the former Hempfield and Fort Wayne star capped another productive season with an all-star nod. Harrell, a second-year pro for Killester Basketball Club, was...

Latrobe continued a tradition by playing a baseball game against Upper Arlington High School in Ohio. The Wildcats traveled one state over to open the season against Upper Arlington, which is coached by Latrobe graduate Nate Phillips. Here’s the cool part: The schools’ most famous alums are golf legends Arnold...

Jenna Osikowicz came back for a fifth season at Seton Hill. It might earn her a national award. The standout softball player from Hempfield was added to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II National Player of the Year Award watch list, one of 50 NCAA Division II players nominated....