Plum sports notebook: Max Grice, Will Beckner to play basketball at next level

By: Michael Love
Saturday, May 10, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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After four years spent on the same court helping the Plum boys basketball team improve, seniors Max Grice and Will Beckner have both found a home at the next level.

Grice will take his talents to Division II Seton Hill, while Beckner will play at Division III Saint Vincent.

Grice and Beckner were celebrated at a signing ceremony May 2 at Plum High School.

Plum coach Dave Pucka said he is pleased both players will get to join solid college programs after wrapping up strong high school careers with the Mustangs.

“I can’t wait to watch them play at the next level,” Pucka said. “I know how much they love the game of basketball. It was a privilege to be able to coach them for just the one year. Getting to know them and their families has been an honor for me. With them graduating, there will be some big shoes to fill for next year.”

Pucka played college football at Duquesne, and Grice and Beckner making their college decisions reminded him of the special feeling he had when he finalized everything with the Dukes.

“It was a sense of excitement for me and a sense of relief,” he said.

“As an athlete, knowing your career is going to continue is very exciting and fulfilling. I know that Seton Hill and Saint Vincent are not just getting two great athletes, but they are also getting top-notch people.”

Grice, a forward, was selected to the Section 2 all-star first team. Beckner, a guard, was a second-team honoree.

Plum finished its season 8-14 overall, and the Mustangs remained in the hunt for a WPIAL playoff spot until the final game of section play. Grice and Beckner, the team’s top two leading scorers, also received Valley News Dispatch second- and third-team laurels.

Plum girls flag football moves to 7-2

The Plum girls flag football team improved to 7-2 overall and third place in the Pittsburgh Flag Football League’s East Division at 6-1 after wins over Latrobe (22-15) and McKeesport on May 4 at Jeannette High School.

The top three teams from each division advance to the league playoff tournament Saturday and Sunday.

Plum was to face Gateway and Jeannette on Sunday (May 11) to close out the regular season. The winner of the Plum-Gateway matchup clinches the third playoff spot from the division.

At the start of the season, Plum defeated Gateway, 18-6, in an exhibition contest at Saint Vincent.

Tamia West led Plum with 13 touchdowns through the two May 4 victories, while Kayden Young contributed five scores.

Kaylee Rodriguez fronted the offense from the quarterback spot with 102 completions and five touchdowns in 122 attempts.

Rodriguez, Selina Boea and Chloe Quarles paced the defense as each owned more than two dozen flag-pull tackles. Boea added a team-best four sacks and intercepted two passes for a Plum defense which recorded 21 total interceptions.

Softball heads to postseason

Plum again punched its ticket to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs as it finished the Section 1 slate 8-4 while compiling a 14-5 overall record.

The Mustangs head to the playoffs on a three-game win streak following a tough 3-2 loss to North Hills (10-2) which decided second place in the section behind Shaler (11-1).

Plum outlasted New Castle, 12-10, in the section finale before earning a pair of 10-0 shutout wins over Burrell and Deer Lakes.

The victory over the playoff-bound Lancers on May 6 was extra special for junior pitcher Mackenzie Marotta who fired a five-inning no hitter with five strikeouts. She also went 2 for 3 with a three-run home run as part of Plum’s eight-run fourth inning.

Junior Jaiden Gentile added a 3-for-3 day at the plate with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored.

Senior Dani Pici collected two hits in three at-bats with a double and two RBIs, while sophomore Brooke Bernosky and senior Bella Tavella each recorded two hits and a run batted in.

Sophomore Sydney Pici got into the offensive attack with a hit and an RBI.

Plum track competes at invite

On the road to the WPIAL Class 3A championships earlier this week at Slippery Rock, the Mustangs boys and girls track and field teams tested themselves at the Pine-Richland Invitational on May 2.

Senior Gabrielle Layne placed second in the preliminaries of the girls 100-meter dash with a time of 12.30 seconds. But she didn’t settle for silver in the finals, as she improved her time to 12.11 and crossed the finish line in first ahead of runner-up Eva Denis, a senior from Greensburg Central Catholic.

The girls 400 meter relay team of Layne, sophomore Isla Filo, freshman Emmy Nese and senior Josie Sciulli also picked up a medal with a fifth-place finish in a season-best time of 50.01 seconds.

On the boys side, sophomore Kent Holmes ran to fourth overall in the 400 (50.16), while Owen Proskin continued his standout junior season with a third in the 110 hurdles (14.46).

Proskin missed out on second place by two-hundredths of a second. The winner, Quaker Valley senior Davin Gartley, posted a time of 14.20.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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