Bill Beckner stories, Page 95

The Franklin Regional girls and boys basketball teams will take a break from their section schedules to play in the Shootout at Seton Hill set for Sunday at Seton Hill University in Greensburg. The girls will play the first of five games at the McKenna Center, at 1 p.m. against...

With a name like Notorious Grooms, there has to be a back story. But the Uniontown freshman basketball player said it’s as simple as the definition. “It just means you’re known for something. You’re, like, famous for doing something,” he said. Grooms is becoming known for his clutch play in...

Camille Dominick played three positions Thursday night, working the wings as a small forward before moving to the post as a power forward and then playing some center. The 6-foot junior helped the Wildcats build a commanding lead with her 3-point shooting, then filled in around the rim when senior...

Like mother, like daughter. Senior basketball player Gracie Spadaro moved in with some unique company when she joined the 1,000-point club at Southmoreland. Well, she was already moved in. Her mom achieved the same milestone 25 years ago. Susan (Love) Spadaro, an assistant coach for her daughter’s team, also scored...

Greensburg Central Catholic boys basketball players fling up half-court shots as a recent practice draws to a close. The atmosphere is fun. It’s loose. But it’s also competitive — very competitive. Just about every Centurion thinks he can make it. That’s what happens when roles get elevated and a wave...

Ben Thomas had not played a WPIAL basketball game in nearly a year. The Greensburg Salem senior guard hadn’t taken the court since April 11 when he tore his ACL in an AAU game in Lancaster. Right might be expected when Thomas finally returned Tuesday for a home game against...

Colleges are not offering Belle Vernon’s sensational sophomore too early. They’re right on “Q”. Quinton Martin, the fast-rising running back, defensive back — OK, athlete — bagged another Power Five scholarship offer Thursday and it’s a big one. Notre Dame reached out to the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder after Fighting Irish offensive...

Scores can be indicative of how far struggling programs have come — a measurement of improvement. For Yough, three results stand out on the schedule. The Cougars (3-9, 1-3 heading into Wednesday night’s game against No. 4 Southmoreland) did not win any of the three — they weren’t favored to...

When Norwin lost promising junior Savannah Schneck to an ACL injury for the second straight year, the girls basketball team quickly regrouped. It had little choice in the matter, but it regrouped nonetheless. The season was about to start, and the Knights began to shine a spotlight around to see...

He used to play against the Bearcats in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, but now Bryan Butler will coach against his alma mater, Geneva, in the fall. Butler is the new women’s soccer coach at Saint Vincent. He has a number of coaching stops on his resume, the most recent one...

Penn-Trafford could have praised its offensive play, particularly its long-range shooting — after holding back rival Norwin. But the Warriors were more about what they did on the other end of the floor following a 56-45 victory over the Knights in Section 3-6A. While a strong shooting start was a...

Tyler Horvat had a breakthrough season in 2021 for the Washington & Jefferson baseball team, showing his versatility as a pitcher and hitter. The junior utility player out of Penn-Trafford is expected to be one of best again in 2022 as he was named to the D3baseball.com Preseason All-American Team....

At some places, it takes a village. At Shippensburg, it takes a few really good coaches. Shippensburg field hockey coach Tara Zollinger (Hempfield) and her assistants were named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year. The Raiders (20-0) won the NCAA championship and...

Chris Brunson is stepping down as athletic director at Mt. Pleasant, a position he held since 2019. He said Monday would be his last day on the job. Brunson will remain the school’s softball coach after guiding the Vikings to WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championships last season. He has...

The Pitt-Greensburg women’s basketball team is surging closer to first place in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. The Bobcats made it three straight wins Saturday at Alfred State, 74-61, behind four double-digit scorers. Junior Nadege Durand had 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting, freshman Melina Maietta (Greensburg Central Catholic) had 20...

Kason Harrell felt like his play had been slumping lately and he wasn’t living up to his own expectations. So much for that. The former Hempfield standout and second-year professional put on a show Saturday for the Killestar Basketball Club’s Team Pyrobel, scoring 56 points in an Irish Super League...

Slam dunks can demoralize opponents. For the Chartiers Valley girls basketball team, 3-pointers can have a similar effect. Yes, it’s kind of like that when the Colts start cashing in from all around the key. It’s almost sing-songy when they get into a shooting rhythm, one 3 after another dropping...

Norwin senior Chase Kranitz finished second in the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association Wrestling Tournament earlier this month at Kiski Area. The Buffalo commit reached the finals at 152 pounds but dropped a 4-2 decision to Latrobe’s Jack Pletcher. His teammate, Conner Henning, finish fourth at 132, while Luke Passarelli took...

When Norwin basketball player Michael Fleming went off for 27 points and made five 3-pointers in a game at Penn-Trafford last season, he was introduced to the WPIAL basketball world. Now, he is becoming a household name. The senior guard leads the Knights in scoring and is a key piece...

Kadyn Hannah did not need much adjustment time as a freshman on the La Roche men’s basketball team. The Franklin Regional alum stepped into the starting five from Day 1 and has helped push the Redhawks (5-5) to four straight wins. The statement game for the 6-foot-5 forward came Jan....

The Jeannette girls basketball team is hoping to return to the court soon after a week-long quarantine. The Jayhawks had to postpone three games and five practices after a few girls came down with the flu and another tested positive for covid-19. “We are being very cautious,” Jeannette athletic director...

Penn-Trafford figured there would come a time this season when it would need to rely on its football players to win basketball games. Its strong, aggressive, championship-level football players. That time was Friday night for juniors Tommy Kalkstein and Conlan Greene. The pair of WPIAL and PIAA 5A football champions...

Derry girls basketball coach Gene Brisbane reached a career milestone Thursday night in the Trojans’ 44-41 victory at Burrell. He now has 400 career wins in 26 years of coaching female teams in basketball — 350 at the high school level. Brisbane, in his third season at Derry, coached the...

Greensburg Central Catholic sat a few starters midway through the first quarter Thursday night, but the move had nothing to do with their conduct or early play. “Rest,” GCC coach Chris Skatell said. “I wanted to get them some down time because I knew we were going to need them...

Part necessity, part rising talent, Latrobe is playing four freshmen this season. The Wildcats (3-7, 1-3 Section 3-5A) have a deep bench that includes ninth-grade guards John Wetzel and Max Butler and freshmen forwards Jack Hamaty and Alex Tatsch. “It’s been over the last two weeks I’d say where we...