Bill Beckner stories, Page 34

Brian Brozeski remembers the guidance he received from more established teammates when he made the Penn State football team in the mid-1990s. Former headliners Joe Jurevicius, Brandon Short, Curtis Enis and others, he said, took him under their wing. “I was a scrawny walk-on from tiny Blairsville, but those guys...

Longtime Belle Vernon softball coach Tom Rodriguez, former Monessen football standout Joe Como and late Belle Vernon administrator Steve Russell are part of the 29th Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame class. The class will be inducted June 21 at St. Spyridon’s Hellenic Center in Monessen. Rodriguez has...

Tyree Turner dribbled into the open court with nothing between himself and the rim but gravity. While he just barely missed the slam dunk, he immediately recovered, came up with a steal at midcourt and was ready to try again. “I’m like, ‘If I miss this one, I won’t hear...

Lily King School: Mt. Pleasant Class: Junior Sport: Swimming Claim to fame: King won three gold medals and a bronze at the WPIAL Class 2A swimming championships last weekend at Pitt’s Trees Pool. She was a repeat winner in the 100-yard freestyle, where she broke her own record with a...

The Norwin girls wrestling team had two champions at the PIAA Western Regional championship at Canon-McMillan and advanced four to the PIAA championships set for March 7-9 at Giant Center in Hershey. Sophomore Josephine Dollman won a title at 142 pounds, pinning Grace O’Korn of Peters Township in the finals....

Norwin and Penn-Trafford are longtime rivals in a number of sports and have stood nose-to-nose on many fields and courts. But the Knights and Warriors will meet on the ice Tuesday night with a spot in the PIHL Penguins Cup finals on the line. They will play at 7 p.m....

After getting knocked to the floor early, Lauren Palangio quickly dusted herself off and jumped back into character. With a shrug and a few adjustments, her teammates followed her lead. The Norwin senior forward continued to be a grandiose presence in the paint, helping the WPIAL champion Lady Knights to...

Boys Class 3A First round Derry (15-8) at Girard (23-2) 7:30 p.m. Saturday District seeds: Derry 7-6; Girard 10-1 Winner plays: Winner of 7-2 Burrell (16-9)/6-3 Bishop Canevin (23-4) Wednesday in second round (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Brady Angus, Derry; Nate Edwards, Girard Layup lines: Derry will make...

It’s the first practice after a relaxing weekend, and Norwin girls basketball coach Brian Brozeski is lowering the hoops around the gymnasium at “The Castle.” (He stays away from hoop No. 5. It’s a long story.) His WPIAL champion players file into the gym after a group walk on a...

Boys Class 5A First round Warwick (17-8) at Franklin Regional (23-3) 5 p.m. Friday District seeds: Warwick 3-6; Franklin Regional 7-2 Winner plays: Winner of 3-7 Muhlenberg (15-9)/4-1 Selinsgrove (17-7) on Tuesday in second round (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Carter Horst, Warwick; Colin Masten, Franklin Regional Layup lines:...

A fast break for Franklin Regional can move like a five-lane highway. And it’s usually Cam Rowell or Cooper Rankin finishing at the rim. At Greensburg Central Catholic, Tyree Turner sets the pace when he brings the ball upcourt, and if he isn’t creating off the dribble, he is finding...

It looks like Miles Higgins is glad to get outside again. The sophomore from UNC-Wilmington opened the outdoor track and field season with a bang by winning the javelin title at the UNCW Seahawk Invitational. Higgins, a Ligonier Valley graduate, set a school record with a toss of 64.97 meters....

The long bus rides. The offbeat gymnasiums. The unfamiliar opponents and schools no one has ever heard of. The PIAA basketball playoffs can be a world of discovery for teams that have never been there. Coaches try to sell the state postseason as “just another game,” but there are noticeable...

A player who puts the power in power forward, Jaden Gales made his presence known every time he took the basketball court this season for Saint Vincent. Whether he was throwing down an alley-oop dunk, running wide and finishing a break or swatting a shot into the second row, Gales...

The PIAA basketball playoffs will begin this weekend. Times were announced Sunday for first-round games, with higher seeds earning home games. Boys state playoff teams from Westmoreland County are: Franklin Regional in 5A, Burrell and Derry in 3A, Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette in 2A and Monessen in A. Franklin...

Kendall Berger School: Norwin Class: Junior Sport: Basketball Claim to fame: Berger helped lead Norwin to the WPIAL Class 6A championship with an impressive performance in the semifinals. She scored 18 of her game and playoff career-high 22 points in the second half as Norwin pulled away for a 63-47...

Songs, desserts, family. They all came up in conversation during a postgame news conference Friday night at Petersen Events Center as coach Brian Brozeski and eight of his Norwin girls basketball player shared some playful banter with reporters. It was a light and telling session with the newly crowned WPIAL...

The PIAA basketball playoff field is set. State first-round games will begin March 8-9. Boys qualifiers from Westmoreland County are Franklin Regional in Class 5A, Derry and Burrell in 3A, Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette in 2A and Monessen in Class A. For the girls, it’s Norwin in 6A, Greensburg...

The military lifestyle appears to suit Nate Campbell. Discipline is nothing new to the Norwin senior wrestler. “I don’t drink or do drugs. I get eight hours of sleep a night. I prioritize academics as well as work out and wrestle every day,” Campbell said. “I put good foods in...

Franklin Regional boys basketball coach Jesse Reed played in a lot of high-stakes games in his career. From WPIAL and PIAA finals at Greensburg Central Catholic to the NCAA Tournament with American University to professional-level games in Luxembourg, he felt the heat lamps. But facing a WPIAL semifinal as a...

WPIAL Class 2A boys basketball championship No. 1 Aliquippa vs. No. 2 Greensburg Central Catholic 1 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center On the air: Video livestream: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: GCC 0; Aliquippa 13 (2023, ’16, ’15, ’07, ’06, ’04, ’03, ’00, 1998, ’94, ’88, ’87, ’49) Aliquippa (20-5)...

WPIAL champion Greensburg Central Catholic had concerns it might not be sharp for the district final after sitting idle for four days following a semifinal win. That’s not a very long time to wait by most playoff standards, but remember, GCC is a team that played back-to-back-to-back games in January....