Franklin Regional’s Joey Bayne turning heads on football, soccer fields

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, October 19, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Joey Bayne changed his hairstyle recently, going from long, wavy, brown locks to a blond buzz-cut with dark tiger stripes.

Bayne can change his look quickly during the fall season, too.

One day, he’s a speedy forward creating goals for the soccer team. The next, he’s launching touchbacks into the end zone and kicking field goals in football.

“I’m really proud of him because he has been battling an injury all season, but he’s now getting back to being healthy,” Franklin Regional soccer coach Nick White said. “He’s worked very hard all season. He’s a very technically dynamic player who is very strong on the ball. He has great distribution skills and a wicked shot.

“His drive and determination to be the best he can helps elevate his game.”

Bayne has eight goals for the playoff-bound soccer team.

In what has been the year of the kicker in the WPIAL, Bayne has gotten into the act.

Through Week 6, 11 kickers from Westmoreland County had connected on field goals with seven of the kicks sailing 35 or more yards through the uprights.

Bayne, who had 32 touchbacks on kickoffs, had four field goals, including one from 37 yards. His 22-yarder beat Latrobe in a 3-0 victory.

Bayne had made 4 of 6 field goals — and 29 of 30 extra points.

“I think a big reason (kicking is improved) is because of a lot of the kids going to camps and working with coaches,” Bayne said, “as well as the standard rising and kickers are seeing that and trying to be better than one another. I also believe the WPIAL just has a really deep and special pool of kickers more than ever before, and I would even say this is the best year for kickers in the WPIAL of all time.”

Bayne gets personal instruction and attends kicking camps.

“I have also put in lots of time and effort to get to where I am,” he said, “and I have focused more on getting better at kicking rather than soccer.”

As for that hairdo, Bayne is having some fun.

“I wanted to do something different,” Bayne said. “It’s more to look a zebra or tiger, but a lot of people are saying leopard (stripes), so I’m really just leaving it up to other people’s interpretation.”

Bayne said he and a friend talked about getting design haircuts. His friend opted out, but Bayne went on to the barber shop.

“I just wanted to go through with it,” he said, “because I thought it would be cool to do before playoffs.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional