Bill Beckner stories, Page 81

The all-time leading tackler in Seton Hill program history, Jaylen McDuffie was one of the most disruptive football players in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference this season. Conference coaches not only gameplanned for the 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior linebacker, but they also voted for him. McDuffie was named the PSAC West...

To experience the pleasure of the WPIAL postseason again, Latrobe had to endure a little pain. A few lean years — extra lean by the Wildcats’ standards — kept the boys basketball team out of the postseason in 2019-20 and 2021-22. Latrobe won just six games last year (6-15) and...

Despite a two-year run of success that has produced a a pair of section titles, a run to the WPIAL semifinals and its first PIAA playoff berth since 1999, the Latrobe girls basketball team is not expecting any handouts. Even with four starters back, the Wildcats know they have to...

Makai Jackson was a three-sport athlete in high school. It takes that many defensive backs to slow him down sometimes in his chosen sport at St. Francis (Pa.). Jackson, a freshman wide receiver, is getting noticed for his big-play talent, his 80 receptions and his 11.5 yards-per-catch average. He is...

The only thing better than a fast start for the Seton Hill men’s basketball team would be an even faster finish. The Griffins moved to 4-0 for the first time in nearly two decades with an 87-72 win over Roberts Wesleyan. Junior guard Sean Dillon erupted for 26 points to...

The Big 5/6 Conference, which acknowledges the accomplishments of teams and athletes in the WPIAL’s two largest classifications, announced its all-section teams for football, soccer and volleyball. The Class 5A Big East Conference first team was loaded with Franklin Regional players, and Lance Getsy was named the section coach of...

Jeannette has featured strong guard play in recent years, but its strength this boys basketball season looks like the frontcourt. The team has length and should be able to pull down rebounds, alter shots and finish breaks because of it. “We do have some decent size,” coach Adrian Batts said....

The climb back to respectability is steep for Anna Leonard, the new girls basketball coach at Jeannette. But she is ready to scale the challenge and doesn’t plan to look down. “I’m not nervous. I’m excited,” Leonard said. “It’s not just a challenge for the girls, it’s a challenge for...

Her team did not lose a single game and celebrated a pair of championships. But a postseason award really seemed to cap a perfect season for Hailey Longwell. She was the engine that made the Tigers go. The senior midfielder from Moon was named the recipient of the fourth Moe...

Norwin athletes put pen to paper on college signing day Nov. 9. Eight Knights signed letters of intent to play at the next level, in four sports. Signees were: Madie Kessler (softball, St. Francis, Pa.); Emma Novotnak (softball, Gannon); Alyssa Aquilio (soccer, Clarion); Faith Steen (soccer, Saint Vincent); Grace Ketter...

Some offseason success and a taste of victory has the Hempfield girls basketball team beaming with confidence and believing it can win more games than it loses. The Spartans won a summer league at the Greensburg YMCA, went undefeated at the Seton Hill Shootout, finished 5-1 at the Cal (Pa.)...

It is a harsh reality in sports. Teams rebuild. Fans can’t believe it’s true. Players don’t want to acknowledge it. Coaches hope it never happens to them. Even good programs that compete hard every year, like Hempfield, have to start over. “Yeah, this is the first time we’ve had to,”...

A new event has joined the Westmoreland County Coaches Association sports rotation. Players from 16 teams will converge on Ligonier Valley for the first WCCA All-Star Girls Volleyball Match at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The all-senior event will feature East vs. West with players selected by coaches. Rosters are as follows:...

A move to a new section is just logistics to Greensburg Central Catholic. The new digs come with no guarantees and don’t mean another perfect record in section games like last season. And they surely do not ensure a 23rd straight WPIAL playoff berth. That still has to be earned,...

Greensburg Central Catholic will open boys basketball practice Friday with no starters. Sure, there are three players who appeared regularly in the starting five last season, but fourth-year coach Christian Hyland is not labeling them as first-stringers just yet. “Everything is on the table,” Hyland said. “The guys who compete...

Looking more like she was ready for the homecoming court than someone who had just played a soccer game, Shaye Bailey cradled a bouquet of roses as she talked to reporters on a bitter cold Wednesday night in Monroeville. White, pink, red: The flowers complemented the Freedom junior’s scarlet uniform....

The PIAA soccer championships will move to a new venue this year with eight title games set for Friday and Saturday at Eagle View Middle School’s Bobby Rahal Toyota Field on the campus of Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg. Since 1998, the state finals have been played at HersheyPark...

The girls basketball roster at Franklin Regional last year had a mix of guards and forwards, varying heights and positions. What it didn’t have was a senior. Not one. So coach Bernie Pucka is hoping a young group comes back battle-tested and tempered when practice tips off Friday. “It elevates...

Franklin Regional is looking for more consistency, start to finish, end to end. “We want to string together good possessions, string together more stops and string together more wins,” Panthers coach Jesse Reed said. Last year, the Panthers (7-14, 5-7 Section 3) did not win more than two games in...

Two starts on the PGA Tour. A strong fall season in South Bend. Now, this? Palmer Jackson continues his meteoric rise in college golf and an invitation to a Walker Cup practice is another point of validation. Jackson, a senior at Notre Dame and a Franklin Regional graduate, will join...

With the season more than a month old already, the PIHL announced its first batch of players of the month. October’s best performers selected by the league are Trey Gallo of North Allegheny (Class 3A), Wes Schwarzmiller of South Fayette (2A), Owen Tutich of Greensburg Salem (A) and Ben Korol...

Amateur Palmer Jackson is beginning to get used to this PGA Tour thing. The Murrysville native and Franklin Regional graduate will tee it up Thursday at the RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Ga. Jackson, a senior at Notre Dame, received a sponsor exemption into the event, his second in...

The PIAA didn’t want teams to deal with the cold temperatures, snow and wintry mix that hit the state Tuesday. As a result, the association postponed all boys and girls soccer and field hockey semifinal games to Wednesday. All games will be played at the same times and sites. Two...

Mt. Pleasant native Ben Wilkins, the new men’s basketball coach at Seton Hill, is already getting positive results out of program that has lacked them in recent years. The Griffins are 2-0 so far after wins against Notre Dame (Ohio) and Alderson Broaddus. It is their first 2-0 start since...

At the start of the playoffs, coach Rich Garland posed a question to his girls soccer players at Mt. Pleasant. “I said, ‘Do you want to just play, or do you want to do something special?’ ” the coach said Monday night as he oversaw a low-key practice in 33-degree...