Westmoreland County high school notebook: Latrobe at forefront of girls flag football movement

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, May 17, 2025 | 11:01 AM

It is just a matter of time before girls flag football is a fully sanctioned PIAA sport, complete with district and state championships.

Latrobe is one of the local club teams preparing to field a team in the WPIAL for 2025-26.

It appears to be in good standing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who run and fund a league for girls teams in the region. The Wildcats were invited to the unveiling ceremony of the 2026 NFL Draft countdown clock on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.

The 18-foot clock, held up by a yellow steel beam, will count down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to the NFL Draft next April 23-25, which is expected to generate millions of dollars for the city’s economy.

“We got invited for our awesome season and being the newest team to join the league,” said Latrobe flag football coach Mackenzie Livingston, who also coaches the Latrobe girls basketball team. “It was an unbelievable experience my three players and myself will never forget. We were able to speak with Mr. (Art Rooney II) and get pictures with him and the clock. He gave us some wise words we will hold on to forever. The mayor of Pittsburgh (Ed Gainey) and the rest of the Steelers organization was amazing as well to us. They even gifted us with a piece of the draft clock with Greater Latrobe on it.”

Latrobe, the birthplace of pro football, already has a reputation because of its ties to Steelers training camp. But she got next, say the girls who are moving the flag game downfield.

Latrobe went 10-1 this season and was primed to begin the playoffs this weekend.

Freshman quarterback Natalie Scekeres has over 25 touchdown passes and only one interception, while Carley Berk, Maggie Maiers, Bri Havrilla and Julianna Bulebosh are key pass catchers.

Emerson Shine was the leading rusher before an injury. Defensive end Kenzie Johnson leads the team in interceptions.

Livingston coached Jeannette last year. She has plenty of familiarity with the sport because she plays in the Indiana (Pa.) Women’s Flag Football League.

A receiver and safety, she has been in the league for six years and has made the all-star team.

She helped to get Latrobe’s team off the ground. The Wildcats join a list of more than 100 high school teams in Pennsylvania.

Getting to coach many of her basketball girls has been a bonus because they are also some of the school’s best athletes.

The girls were open to the new opportunity.

“It’s been an honor to coach such a wonderful and talented group of girls,” Livingston said. “I know 90% of them because I coach them, but having another 10% to jell in and coach has been amazing to see. They have all worked together so quickly and meshed as a whole rather fast. Each girl has focused on everything I say because they want to learn and grow in this new sport.”

Rock solid

Eden Williams will play college soccer in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, only it won’t be at her original destination.

Williams is not headed to IUP as first projected.

A coaching change prompted the Franklin Regional senior to flip her commitment to Slippery Rock.

Noreen Herlihy, who coached IUP for three years and recruited Williams, left IUP to reunite with Slippery Rock, where she coached from 1995-2014 and won 250 games.

“Coach Noreen had the opportunity go back to SRU and took up the offer,” Williams said. “She called me about it and asked if I would also go to SRU. For my decision, I made sure that SRU had what I wanted to major in, and I found that they have a major that is more in-depth with what I wanted to go into, which is forensic chemistry. I also just really like the style of play that Coach Noreen plays with, and I do believe that she will develop me into an even better player.”

Williams, a left-footed center back and attacking midfielder who had 12 goals and eight assists last fall for the Panthers, is eager to play at the next level.

She said she could be a midfielder or striker at Slippery Rock.

“I’m going to work my hardest to get on the field as soon as possible,” she said. “But in the end, that is up to coach Noreen for when I’m ready, and I know that I have to earn it.”

Williams moved to forward as a senior. She was a fullback/center back initially before sliding into the midfield.

“Eden is a very versatile player,” Franklin Regional coach Scott Arnold said. “She’s excellent in any position. As a freshman, she was even an emergency goalie for us. Once, an FR team won an offseason indoor tournament with her playing goalkeeper. Truly a great athlete.”

Williams scored 18 goals and dealt out 17 assists in her prep career.

She will look to create new highlights with the Rock while preserving those she made with the Panthers.

“The thing I will remember most about FR is definitely my teammates,” Williams said. “They have all been a big part of my high school career and life, and we made really good memories together that I will never forget.”

Recruiting

• Mt. Pleasant soccer player Adi Gardner committed to play at NCAA Division III Waynesburg.

• Latrobe senior Destiny Homan will swim at IUP.

• Yough senior Sidney Bergman will play softball at Penn State Fayette. She did not play for the high school team the last two years.

• Hempfield senior Colin Tapper committed to Seton Hill for track and field. He is a thrower.

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

Tags: Franklin Regional, Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant