Bill Beckner stories, Page 22

Mention Latrobe and football in the same breath and, to most people, Pittsburgh Steelers training camp comes to mind. While the crowded summer staple where fans can get up close and personal with the pros was in full force again at Saint Vincent, the Latrobe Wildcats also were ramping up...

Parker Lind was on a campus visit when the magic happened. When he saw his baseball future flash before his eyes. Belle Vernon’s hard-throwing southpaw said he was close to committing to one of the top Division II programs in the country in Seton Hill, but the awe he felt...

Caden Matthews, a junior who was competing with freshman Anthony Smith for the starting quarterback spot at Southmoreland, left the team during the first week of full-padded training camp. Smith will be the Scotties’ starter. Matthews (6-foot, 180), who was the Scotties’ backup last season, planned to transfer to Connellsville,...

A pair of incoming senior Norwin basketball players are on the radar of NCAA Division II college coaches. Kendall Berger added a two more Division II scholarship offers, while Averi Brozeski added a trio of offers. Clarion and West Virginia Wesleyan joined Seton Hill and Wheeling as a potential destination...

WPIAL girls golf preview Class 3A Team 2023 champion: Peters Township 2023 PIAA champion: Peters Township Teams to watch: Armstrong, Elizabeth Forward, Franklin Regional, Moon, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair Individual 2023 champion: Mya Morgan, Elizabeth Forward 2023 PIAA champion: Rhianna Gooneratne, Plymouth Whitemarsh Players to watch: Ellie Benson, Peters...

WPIAL boys golf preview Class 3A Team 2023 champion: Peters Township 2023 PIAA champion: Peters Township Teams to watch: Belle Vernon, Butler, Central Catholic, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Latrobe, North Allegheny, Peters Township, Plum, South Fayette Individual 2023 champion: Nick Turowski, Penn-Trafford* 2023 PIAA champion: Hunter Swidzinski, Butler* Players to...

Hype at Latrobe began with the players long before the community began to stir. The football team is a playoff contender again, and guys like Cody Krall saw it coming. “Every group of seniors grow up saying they can’t wait to play together in high school, and they talk about...

Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 23. Due to a conflict in publishing schedules, the Elizabeth Forward preview will appear next week. At the confluence of talent and potential could be the elusive,...

Balance gives Greensburg Salem the best chance to win, second-year coach Ty George said. “You don’t want to force yourself into a situation where you rely too much (on the run or pass),” George said. “The more options you have, the harder it is to stop.” A couple of injuries...

Stroke-play medalist Jimmy Ellis, a Peters Township alum, was ousted in his opening match at the 124th U.S. Amateur on Wednesday at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. Ellis, who shot 10-under 132 to take the top seed, including a 9-under 61 in his second round, was upset by...

The 2024 Norwin Athletic Hall of Fame class shines a light on the school’s propensity for producing soccer talent. Five of the nine individuals pegged for induction played soccer for the Knights. The class includes Carter Breen (soccer, Class of 2019), Waylon Davis (football, 1998), Dana Dellefemine (soccer, track and...

Peters Township graduate Jimmy Ellis began the week with little to no expectation at the 124th U.S. Amateur Championship. Ellis, who now lives in Atlantic Beach, Fla., had to buy golf balls and a glove from the pro shop for the second round of stroke play. The stakes began to...

Football found Owen Buchholz. It wasn’t the other way around like most high school players. Actually, it was Hempfield coach Nick Keefer who introduced and drew Buchholz to the game a few years ago. Keefer was teaching at Wendover Middle School, and Buchholz was a student. “He also is my...

While he stops short of “dream job” territory, Cam Auld admits the idea of coaching at his high school alma mater crossed his mind before. He’ll always be a Norwin Knight, first as an athlete and now as coach. “Anybody who ends up getting to go back to their school...

As a two-time defending WPIAL and PIAA champion, Belle Vernon football must have opened full-contact training camp Monday morning with a sense of entitlement, right? “No,” running back Kole Doppelheuer said. “We came here all business. We didn’t talk about the past. We want to use the same exact recipe,...

Dom Rosensteel is ready to move the sticks. “What I did last year makes me want to be better,” the Greensburg Salem rising senior said. “I want to add 10 more to everything. I know I can do more.” A wide receiver and safety with pedigree, experience and just the...

Seeking a better comfort zone and opportunity to play, Franklin Regional baseball alum Dan Luko announced he plans to transfer from John Carroll to Grove City. Luko was one of 63 players on the JCU roster and more were expected to be added. He did not appear in a game...

Jerry Davis played at Serra Catholic the past two football seasons but did not experience the WPIAL playoffs. Serra qualified both years, but Davis did not play in the postseason. He saw limited time as a freshman, and last year he could not participate in a first-round game because of...

It looks like Cam Auld is coming home. Norwin will vote Monday to hire Auld as boys basketball coach, according to school board agenda. A Norwin alum and former basketball player for the Knights, the 26-year-old Auld has been the boys coach at Greensburg Salem for the last two seasons,...

Thirteen students from Allegheny Shotokan “Viola” Karate Dojo qualified to compete this fall in the World Karate Commission National Team Trials Oct. 26-Nov. 1 in Albufeira, Portugal. The local qualifiers are Cameron Klos, Gavin Bilinsky, Dryce Davis, Noelle Kravetz, Riley Evans, Aiden Johnson, Carter Griffith, Sammy Pietrzyk, Gabby Viola, Xander...

Franklin Regional coach Lance Getsy isn’t making any preseason predictions based on his team’s performance in 7-on-7 passing competitions, but he sees progress in the repetitions and value in the effort. Franklin Regional had a shot at winning Pool A of the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Larry Sellitto Memorial 7-on-7...

After a week of “heat” practices and noncontact drills, WPIAL football teams can begin hitting in full pads Monday with the official start of practice. That means the start of the regular season is less than two weeks away, with Week Zero games set to kick off Aug. 23. Teams...

Hempfield senior quarterback Dom Detruf will see a cardiologist Tuesday for further evaluation of his acute myocarditis, an inflamed heart condition that could limit his participation in training camp and beyond. The cardiologist is Dr. Aryan Aiyer, who also treats Pittsburgh Steelers players. Detruf participated in heat acclimation week, which...

Kyle Martin doesn’t make the annual trek to Fargo, N.D. for the scenery, the Badlands or props from a movie with the town’s namesake. The Norwin wrestling coach travels across the country to win championships while allowing his athletes to experience the thrill of high-level competition. Martin led the Pennsylvania...

While she grasps for similarities between the girls soccer programs at Penn Hills and Norwin, Ashley DeVito continually finds herself recognizing the differences. “This is a community where kids grow up together, and there is a lot of excitement with playing together (in high school) … The game is big...