Bill Beckner stories, Page 70

It’s been an exhausting week for Monessen’s girls basketball team, and it still has a game to play. Let’s set the scene heading into the PIAA girls basketball playoffs. It’s another long trip north — three-plus hours, in fact, almost to the New York state line — for the Greyhounds,...

PIAA basketball playoffs Girls Class 6A First round Norwin (21-4) at Central Dauphin (20-5) 6 p.m. Friday, Central Dauphin High School, Harrisburg District finish: Norwin 7-3; Central Dauphin 3-3 Winner plays: Winner of Haverford (27-1)/Lebanon (26-2) Tuesday in second round (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Kendall Berger, Norwin; Lauren...

The lead for Mohawk was 11 points. The task for Yough was fearsome. But just when their season began circling the drain, the Cougars showed their coach how tough they are. A charged-up second half not only allowed Yough to rally for a 70-67 victory over Mohawk, but it also...

Two sophomores, one junior, one senior and one freshman. A small, eighth-period study hall? No. It is the Penn-Trafford girls basketball team’s starting five. “Our young kids have been in some big games and have really played well for us,” coach John Giannikas said. “They’re growing up fast.” They’re going...

Watch a Franklin Regional girls soccer game the last couple seasons, and you’ll see defense. Lots of defense. The Panthers don’t give up many goals. In practically every game, especially those against better competition, one player tends to chew up the scenes. Not every actor is a movie star, and...

Landon Butler became the fourth member of his family to commit to a college for basketball. The Latrobe senior announced he will play at Montevallo, a Division II school in Alabama. Montevallo plays in the Gulf South Conference. Butler led Latrobe in scoring this season at 18 points per game....

A newspaper photo is framed and propped up on the aluminum ledge of a dry-erase board in the boys basketball coaches’ office at Greensburg Central Catholic. It shows Tyree Turner driving to the basket through a throng of arms. Arms wrapped around his. Arms trying to push back the junior...

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League announced its February players of the month. Luke Hinds of Chartiers Valley (Class A), Timur Naleton of Bishop McCort (2A) and Ringgold’s Trent Hawk (Division 2) were the top players last month. No award was given in 3A. Hinds, a junior defenseman and league all-star,...

Senior Sidney McCully is one of those players who makes an impact on both ends of the basketball court. The coaches in her team’s conference second that assertion. McCully, a point guard at Pitt-Greensburg, picked up a pair of awards for her standout play as she was named the Allegheny...

Given its run of 23 straight WPIAL playoff appearances, it is easy to assume Greensburg Central Catholic is a regular in the PIAA girls basketball postseason. But the Centurions have spent more time wondering what the state playoffs are like than playing in them recently. They don’t know about the...

With more than 20 years of college coaching experience, John “JT” Thompson is bringing a unique perspective to the high school level. Thompson, a native of Rome, N.Y., was announced Monday as football coach at Greensburg Central Catholic. He replaces Marko Thomas, who resigned after two seasons. Thompson, who played...

Seton Hill is getting the band back together to celebrate its baseball benchmarks. The Griffins will honor some of its top teams as part of its 20th anniversary celebration. On March 18, the program’s first championship team will be welcomed back to campus — the 2006 NAIA World Series team...

Norwin likes to manage minutes, using group substitutions to keep the lineup fresh at all times. It has become a way of life for the girls basketball team, which returns to the PIAA playoffs this week after three years away. Watch a game, no matter its level of importance, and...

The high school hockey playoffs continue this week for eight Westmoreland County teams. In PIHL Class 2A, No. 8 seed Hempfield (7-11) travels to Kittanning to play No. 1 Armstrong (17-3) in the quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. No. 4 seed Penn-Trafford (13-7), meantime, hosts No. 5 Thomas Jefferson (12-8)...

Ryan Beard likes to shave seconds off his track times. The grad student at Westminster continues to shine in the Division III Presidents’ Athletic Conference on a journey that began with soccer and will end at the finish line of a track meet. Beard won the 200-meter dash in record...

Basketball season ended in the WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinals for the Norwin boys. The Knights had to face the No. 1 seed in their playoff opener and, although they played with host New Castle for much of the contest, they dropped a 59-47 decision. Norwin ends the season at 14-9...

Olivia Pepple School: Penn-Trafford Class: Junior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Pepple took over the fourth quarter Thursday against Hampton to keep the Warriors’ season alive. She scored 11 of her 17 points, including a key 3-pointer, as Penn-Trafford won 49-44 to earn seventh place in WPIAL Class 5A. Pepple,...

Minutes after posing for a championship photo, juniors Cam Lindsey and Quentin Good entered the press room wearing sunglasses Saturday afternoon at Petersen Events Center. Whether it is football or basketball, Aliquippa never seems fazed by the bright lights of WPIAL championship games. Make them play up: Doesn’t matter. Make...

If the WPIAL Class 6A girls basketball championship needed a title in the history books, “All That Jazz” might be the way to go. North Allegheny senior guard Jasmine Timmerson put on a career performance on her future college floor as the queens of 6A added another crown on Friday...

Penn-Trafford has a year-end girls basketball banquet coming up, but coaches, players and their families won’t be talking about what might have been. No, a new topic has suddenly entered the chat with this team: state playoffs. The Warriors were not ready to surrender their season yet as they held...

College softball, meet Katie Hutter. A freshman from Mt. Pleasant, Hutter has jumped on Division I pitching early on at Bowling Green. She was lauded with the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week award after a big weekend at the plate. Hutter, an outfielder, reached base 10 times in 17...

Apparently, the difference between third and fourth place for Norwin was getting back into character. “The last game left a sour taste in our mouths, so we wanted to come out and play better,” Lady Knights center Lauren Palangio said. “We needed to come out and play more for each...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Boys Class 2A Consolation round Third-place game Greensburg Central Catholic (17-6) at Bishop Canevin (20-5) 6 p.m. Thursday, Upper St. Clair High School, Upper St. Clair Winner: Clinches third place out of the WPIAL for the PIAA playoffs. The loser is the fourth seed. Players to watch:...

“Cheese” turned a frown upside down. Junior 5-foot-9 guard Quentin Goode was tired of seeing Aliquippa lose in the WPIAL semifinals. The Quips had made five straight trips to the final four and came up short each time. But given a sixth opportunity, they made sure the slide was over...

WPIAL basketball playoffs Girls Class 6A Consolation round Third-place game Norwin (20-4) vs. Mt. Lebanon (17-7) 7 p.m. Wednesday, Norwin High School, North Huntingdon Winner: Clinches third place in the WPIAL for the PIAA playoffs. The loser goes into the state bracket as the fourth seed. Players to watch: Ava...