Bill Beckner stories, Page 14

PIAA boys soccer playoffs Class 3A First round Franklin Regional (14-4-2) at Bellefonte (15-3-3) 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Bellefonte High School, Bellefonte District place: Franklin Regional 7-2; Bellefonte 6-1 Winner plays: Winner of 3-1 Conrad Weiser (21-1)/7-3 Mars (16-2-4) Saturday in quarterfinals Corner kicks: Franklin Regional is back in the PIAA...

Dylan Grabowski built some equity playing baseball at Patrick & Henry Community College in Virginia. He honed his skills to better prepare himself for a potential future at the Division I level. He improved, and the bigger schools came around. Grabowski recently committed to one of them. The utility man...

A local pair are among four finalists for the 6th Moe Rosensteel Most Outstanding Player of the Year, presented to the top girls soccer player in the WPIAL. For the first time, there are four finalists. They include junior forward Morgan Gesinski of Mt. Pleasant and Latrobe senior midfielder Robin...

After they received their silver medals and runner-up trophy, Franklin Regional boys soccer players sat in a circle on the turf at Highmark Stadium. They talked and reflected Saturday night along the Monongahela River about how far they had come, how well they had just played and what could lie...

Moon hasn’t lost a soccer game in over a year. Its last defeat came against Franklin Regional, the team it faced in the WPIAL championship, so vengeance was part of the Tigers’ game plan Saturday night. But only a small part. The next opponent in the thread just happened to...

Penn-Trafford is playing winning football at the right time, and coach John Ruane credits preparation and an unheralded contribution from his backups for the consistency. The Warriors (9-2) opened the WPIAL 5A playoffs with a 49-28 victory Friday night over South Fayette for their first postseason win since their great...

The Westmoreland County Athletes of the Week is presented by Smail Kia. Look for the tags and look for the savings at Smail Kia in Greensburg. Ashlyn Black School: Greensburg Central Catholic Class: Junior Sport: Volleyball Claim to fame: Black led third-seeded GCC to the WPIAL Class A championship match...

Norwin’s soccer teams were rewarded for strong regular seasons and playoff runs with postseason accolades. The Knights were well-represented on the all-WPIAL lists. Daniel Maddock was selected to the boys Class 4A list, while two Norwin girls made the list in Class 4A in seniors Julia Bursick and Carmella Simco....

After 110 minutes of playoff soccer and one round of penalty kicks, Norwin girls soccer players were wrung out with emotion. They cried. They hugged each other. They didn’t want to leave the field as exhaustion collided with finality. “It’s OK, girls,” first-year coach Ashley DeVito said. “Listen, it’s OK....

Franklin Regional’s boys are making a habit out of upsetting teams in the WPIAL playoffs. The seventh-seeded Panthers did it again in the quarterfinals, clipping No. 2 Thomas Jefferson, 2-1, to reach the 3A semifinals for the sixth time in seven years. The momentum carried into the semifinals as the...

Back-to-back losses to open the WPIAL football playoffs the last two seasons did not sit well with Tasso Whipple and his Penn-Trafford teammates. “We really wanted to end that streak,” Whipple said. “It’s something we wanted to forget about.” Whipple won’t soon forget the win that turned it around. The...

Franklin Regional might be the bottom dog in this matchup, but it is far from moonstruck. The Panthers are beaming with confidence, yes. But they also are trying not to peek at Moon’s undefeated record, its bevvy of talent or its goals-against average. Top-seeded Moon is 21-0 and will look...

Thirteen players from the WPIAL were named to the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association All-State list. The selections include: • Roman Agostoni, Sr., MF, Latrobe • Danny Battista, South Park • Milo Chiu, Sr., MF, Fox Chapel • Aedan Costa, Sr., MF, Moon • Nathan Katari, Sr., MF, North Allegheny...

WPIAL Class 3A boys soccer championship Franklin Regional (14-3-2) vs. 1-Moon (21-0) 5:45 p.m. Saturday, Highmark Stadium, Station Square, Pittsburgh Tickets: $10 general admission WPIAL titles: Franklin Regional 2 (2018, ‘19); Moon 6 (2022, ‘03, 1990, ‘86, ‘85, ‘83) Coaches: Nick White, Franklin Regional; Tyler Blake, Moon Players to watch:...

With his son, Brandon, set to begin his college soccer career, Al Yeschenko would have been torn between coaching Belle Vernon’s boys and following Pitt-Greensburg. Rather than juggle a crowded schedule, Yeshchenko resigned from his post at Belle Vernon. He guided the boys for four years as head coach and...

For the sixth consecutive year, the Moe Rosensteel Most Outstanding Player of Year award will go to the top girls soccer player in the WPIAL. For the first time, there are four finalists. The players were announced Thursday. They are: • Morgan Gesinski, Jr., F, Mt. Pleasant • Molly Kubistek,...

Southmoreland could be down eight starters for Friday’s WPIAL playoff opener. The eighth-seeded Scotties (7-3) have been gutted by injuries, illness and transfer ineligibility on the eve of their Class 3A first-round home game against No. 9 Highlands (5-4). “We’re trying to get 11 healthy bodies out there who are...

Franklin Regional will be without one of its top players in Saturday’s WPIAL 3A championship game. Senior all-WPIAL midfielder Jovan Sankoorikal will miss his second consecutive playoff game as he sits through a two-game suspension, the result of a red card violation in a quarterfinal upset of Thomas Jefferson. “We...

Having already appeared in eight playoff games in his career, including a few as a defender, Franklin Regional goalkeeper Noah Walker brings experience to his first WPIAL soccer championship game. His coach believes Walker gives the Panthers a shot at their third WPIAL title in six years. “He is the...

There wasn’t a specific moment, an omen or a sign that pointed to this playoff run. No, for Franklin Regional, it was simply playing precise, sound soccer at the right time. The team’s first-year coach knew he had something special from the start. Watching it blossom into another title contender...

The start of WPIAL championship week began with postseason accolades. The Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association announced its All-WPIAL boys soccer lists Monday. The following players were selected: Class 4A Gage Adinolfi, Plum Kellan Bleier, Fox Chapel Liam Burlovic, Upper St. Clair Garrett Chandler, Plum Milo Chiu, Fox Chapel Brady...

Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference women’s tennis power Pitt-Greensburg threw a net over the all-conference honors. The regular season and conference tournament runners-up saw freshman Gabi Moder take conference player and newcomer of the year, while three teammates also received accolades. Freshmen Nancy Jiang and Devon Ulmer were first-team picks in...

The WPIAL soccer playoffs are winding into the semifinals, which means PIAA qualifying is imminent. For boys and girls, only the WPIAL finalists qualify in Class 4A. In the other three classes, the top three finishers move on: the finalists, plus the winner of a third-place consolation game. The WPIAL...

John Gay IV always said with conviction that he would play pro football. While the Indoor Football League is not the NFL, it is considered a pro league, and Gay is about to embark on a post-college career. The running back out of Penn-Trafford recently signed with Fishers Freight, an...

Joey Bayne changed his hairstyle recently, going from wavy brown locks to a blond buzz-cut with dark tiger stripes. Bayne can change his look quickly during the fall season, too. One day, he’s a speedy forward creating goals for the soccer team. The next, he’s launching touchbacks into the end...