Bill Beckner stories, Page 147

Bill Beckner
Bill Beckner
Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Norwin basketball standout Ty Bilinsky back on court after recovering from stroke
Ty Bilinsky took a brief nap Dec. 27 at the home of his mother, Michelle. It was a comfy Sunday. He wore a blue Duke T-shirt and black gym shorts as he crashed on the couch in the living room. Then he woke up to watch some football. Steelers-Colts. “I...
Westmoreland County boys basketball notebook: Ligonier Valley finally getting started
As of Wednesday, nine WPIAL boys basketball teams had yet to play a game this season due to covid-19 shutdowns and scheduling issues. One was Ligonier Valley, which finally will make its District 7 debut Friday night when the Rams host South Allegheny at 7:15. “We are very excited to...
Robert Kennedy, former Jeannette football star, leaving East Carolina
Robert Kennedy is on the move again. The former Jeannette football standout is leaving East Carolina and will transfer to Old Dominion in Norfok, Va. Kennedy, a 5-foot-10, 183-pound safety, played in five games last season as a junior, recording 13 tackles and three pass breakups for East Carolina. He...
Westmoreland high school basketball notebook: Penn-Trafford’s Giannikas hits 200 wins
John Giannikas took over the Penn-Trafford girls basketball program prior to the 2006-07 season. The Warriors were a hit-or-miss playoff team in the years leading up to his start date. They even went 0-23 in 2002. But Giannikas steered the team in the right direction and turned it into a...
Westmoreland basketball teams adjust to higher classes
Greensburg Salem has a proud boys basketball tradition. Past players like to wax nostalgic and follow the current team, and current players want to learn about the names of the past. The program bumped up to Class 6A this season, a voluntary move the district thought would benefit the team...
Fleming feels it from 3-point range as Norwin beats Penn-Trafford
Where’s Waldo? That’s the question Penn-Trafford was asking as Michael Fleming worked his way around the 3-point line, popping out for long-range shots and making the Warriors pay. Fleming, nicknamed “Waldo,” was feeling it from his first touch Tuesday night, so the Norwin junior guard’s teammates kept kicking the ball...
Freshman Pepple leads Penn-Trafford girls past rival Norwin 
When rival teams such as Penn-Trafford and Norwin get together, the simplest things can seem challenging. Cross-court passes, press-breaking plays and even the easiest-looking layups are contested. “It’s 32 minutes of grind,” Penn-Trafford coach John Giannikas said. Penn-Trafford freshman guard Olivia Pepple did not seem to have much trouble with...
Successful Belle Vernon boys soccer coach Miele resigns
Rob Miele said the adage is true. When it comes to the tail end of coaching stop, you just know. Miele is stepping down as the boys soccer coach at Belle Vernon after four seasons. He finished with a record of 57-14-4 with two section titles and four playoff appearances....
Hempfield grad Burns sets Point Park 3-pointer mark but wants to be known as all-around player
With a dart from the right wing, Michelle Burns watched 3-pointer No. 202 of her college career splash through the net. She might have been smiling, but nobody could tell because the Point Park senior guard was wearing a face mask — a sign of the times. Her teammates’ mouths...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Basketball is on at Saint Vincent, other PAC schools
There will be basketball at Saint Vincent College this season after all. The sport is coming back in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference with a shared chorus among the 10 schools: better late than never. The NCAA Division III league, which postponed winter sports months ago when the covid-19 pandemic bum-rushed...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Penn-Trafford, Norwin girls to square off
Covid-19 can muck up schedules, but it can’t take away rivalries. Penn-Trafford moved up a notch to Class 6A this season in girls basketball, and the Warriors’ eyes immediately went to a familiar team on their schedule. The move in classification reunited Penn-Trafford with Norwin, and the Section 1 teams...
Franklin Regional faces difficult task in replacing Greg Botta, 2 other coaches
Greg Botta won 177 games in 27 seasons at Franklin Regional. He ranks third all time in Westmoreland County in football wins behind legendary coaches Dick Dilts of Kiski Area (214) and Joe Mucci (184), who led teams at Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic. The decades-long coach at Franklin Regional...
WPIAL coaches have mixed feelings about open basketball playoffs
Yes, we’re open. Derry girls basketball coach Gene Brisbane was coaching the Jeannette boys 37 years ago when the WPIAL opened the playoff door to everybody. The league held a free-for-all tournament where any team that wanted to compete in the postseason could. At the time, Brisbane wasn’t sure what...
Former Jeannette star Demetrious Cox signs with CFL team
Back in the WPIAL where he once was a star quarterback, Demetrious Cox spent this past fall coaching defensive backs at West Mifflin. But the 26-year-old Jeannette alumnus, who went on to play at Michigan State and got a taste of the NFL, is not ready to call it a...
Hempfield rallies from behind then holds off Penn-Trafford late
Hempfield picked up its defensive tempo late in the first half and carried the upsurge into the second half, rallying from 12 down early to finally overtake Penn-Trafford and hand the Warriors their first loss, 54-51, on Friday night in Section 3-6A boys basketball. “I think our pressure at the...
Another championship Franklin Regional coach, volleyball’s Mike Feorene, steps down
Another day, another high-profile Franklin Regional coach heading out the door. It’s been some week for the district, which saw another successful coach resign — the third since Monday. Mike Feorene is stepping down as girls volleyball coach after eight seasons. He follows longtime football coach Greg Botta and boys...
Westmoreland boys basketball notebook: Franklin Regional adds size to its lineup
Franklin Regional has been known to produce good guards under alum and former standout Steve Scorpion. Commanding guards with a handle on the offense who can score and defend. But this year’s team appears to have some size to complement his backcourt. “It’s good to have post guys in this...
PAC announces schedule for late-starting basketball season
Basketball is coming back in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference with a shared chorus among the 10 schools: better late than never. The NCAA Division III league, which postponed winter sports months ago when the covid-19 pandemic bum-rushed daily life, released modified schedules Thursday with each men’s and women’s team playing...
Hudson resigns after highly successful 2nd stint as Franklin Regional boys soccer coach
Rand Hudson has two loves in his life. His family and soccer. Sooner or later, he knew one was going to take precedence over the other. Finding the right time to make one a priority was his challenge, but he did not want to drag out his decision any longer....
Westmoreland girls basketball notebook: Mt. Pleasant off to unbeaten start
Mt. Pleasant coach Scott Giacobbi is not quite ready to schedule a parade up and down Route 31, but he has enjoyed his team’s quick start. A long season awaits, but the Vikings are 3-0 and tied for first place in Section 3-4A with No. 1 Southmoreland, the team they’ll...
Covid changes rearrange Greensburg Salem basketball schedules
Greensburg Salem has not played a girls basketball game since Feb. 8 of last year. That means it will be nearly one calendar year since the Golden Lions faced an opponent for a meaningful competition when they finally take the floor Jan. 23. At least that is the planned date...
Michelle Burns becomes Point Park’s 3-point queen
Michelle Burns scored a team-high 29 points and made some school history along the way Tuesday night in Point Park’s 78-74 loss to visiting Ohio Christian. The Hempfield grad and senior guard broke Point Park’s career record for 3-pointers made as she connected on 5 of 12 attempts from behind...
Ligonier Valley winter sports teams finally get down to preparing for WPIAL debuts
Ligonier Valley athletes and coaches were getting restless. When the school district shut down sports activities Nov. 18 — yes, that long ago — the Rams were left to their own devices as far as training and working out, all with their anticipated debut in the WPIAL on the horizon....
Third-ranked Jeannette boys edge Greensburg Central Catholic on late putback 
That Greensburg Central Catholic had played a game and Jeannette had not heading into the teams’ Section 3-2A boys basketball matchup was mostly irrelevant to the coaches. When rivals like these get together, the present tends to upstage the past. “Doesn’t matter,” GCC coach Christian Hyland said. “It’s GCC-Jeannette.” Jeannette...
Longtime Franklin Regional football coach Greg Botta retires
Maybe there were precursors the end was coming, and the time was right to go. From an abnormal training camp to the final game, Greg Botta said this past high school football season had a different feel to it. With the ongoing covid-19 protocols and day-to-day uncertainty, it was a...


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