Discussing football with some of WPIALs best
Last year I had the pleasure of having lunch with some of the greatest football coaches in WPIAL history.
The luncheon was the brainchild of good friend Bill Priatko and we had a second gathering just recently at Grand View Golf Club in North Braddock, and it was even better the second time around.
Once again I was in the presence of football royalty. When I sat down for lunch, six coaches present and past, were seated at the table. Between them they had garnered a total of 31 WPIAL football titles and one Catholic League championship.
The coaches who attended include current head coaches Jim Render of Upper St. Clair (5 WPIAL Titles), Tom Nola Gateway (6 WPIAL Titles), George Novak of Woodland Hills (6 WPIAL Titles), and retired grid mentors Chuck Klausing who coached Braddock from 1954 through 1959, where his teams won an unprecedented six consecutive WPIAL championships. His six teams at Braddock went 54-0-1 during that time span and broke the national undefeated record set by Massillon Washington High School.
Also in attendance was Pete Antimarino, who coached Gateway High School for 32 years. He posted a record of 236-80-12 and a .725 winning percentage, with five WPIAL Titles. Former Jeanette High School and Greensburg Central Catholic coach Joe Mucci was present. He compiled a record of 184-48-5 in 31 years. Mucci won three WPIAL football championships at Jeanette and one Catholic League crown at Greensburg CC.
High School football season is almost here and teams are gearing up for the upcoming season. The coaches who are still prowling the sideline weighed in on some current high school football issues.
The discussion about Pennsylvania expanding the number of PIAA football classifications continues.
The PIAA Board of Directors decided that more discussion is needed and now three proposals remain for consideration.
The PIAA could stick to its current system of four classifications divided equally based on enrollments.
The PIAA could switch to a six-class system, with the classifications divided equally based on enrollments.
The PIAA could switch to a six-class system that includes a 鈥淪uper 700鈥� class. Any school with an enrollment of more than 700 boys in grades 9-11 would be put into Class 6A, and then the other five classes would be divided equally based on enrollments.
鈥淭o tell you the truth I don鈥檛 really know how I feel about it,鈥� Render offered. 鈥淚 say that because we are one of the smaller Quad A schools as it is. So I don鈥檛 know that we have leverage, we鈥檒l play who we have to play. The only thing is when I was more active with the Coaches Association they told us that five divisions would not work mathematically. So it was either stay at four or go to six.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檒l be honest when this whole thing started back in the 1980鈥檚 I wasn鈥檛 for going to the state playoffs,鈥� Novak said. 鈥淭he WPIAL is a marathon getting through that. I just thought with basketball starting and everything we shouldn鈥檛 do it.鈥�
Also being discussed is a reduction of football season from 19 to 18 weeks (including practices, scrimmages, regular season and postseason), with options on how to handle the reduction.
Start dates would remain the same, but the season would end one week sooner. In 2014, for example, the championship weekend would have been Dec. 5-6 instead of Dec. 12-13.
鈥淚 actually like that,鈥� Nola stated. 鈥淲e went five years in a row when I was at Clairton. One of those years we played the final game on December 19. That鈥檚 a long season.鈥�
鈥淲e played one year until the 19th too,鈥� Novak said. 鈥淚t was six days before Christmas as I recall. That was the year the state championship was snowed out in Altoona, so we had to go back the next week.鈥�
鈥淚 think in the WPIAL we ought to play 10 games,鈥� Render opined. 鈥淚 personally don鈥檛 understand why the athletic directors don鈥檛 fight to have five home games every year. I don鈥檛 like a four week WPIAL tournament, I think it could be done in three. I鈥檇 rather everybody play 10 games.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not a bad idea,鈥� Novak said.
The issue of private and parochial schools in the PIAA remains the elephant in the room. It鈥檚 worth noting that in the last two years, six of the eight PIAA football championships were won by non-public schools.
Some folks are advocating creating a fifth classification or a non-public school division. That way, powerhouses such as Archbishop Wood and St. Joseph鈥檚 Prep can battle one another in the playoffs. The coaches had some thoughts on this very thorny issue.
鈥淪ure, I mean as a small public school sure,鈥� Render said. 鈥淚鈥檇 be in favor of that.鈥�
鈥淭hey have an advantage as far as recruiting and helping people pay their tuition,鈥� Novak stated.
A lot WPIAL history was discussed including a great story about the 1959 clash between undefeated powerhouses Braddock and Scott high schools. The championship game was the prize.
At the end of the fourth quarter, with Braddock trailing 12-9, Ray 鈥淏utch鈥� Henderson caught two passes for 35 yards. Quarterback John Jacobs made two more completions for gains, putting Braddock in Scott High territory with just over thirty seconds to play. Down by three, a tying field goal would jeopardize Braddock鈥檚 chances at the postseason. There was no overtime. Klausing called another passing play. Jacobs saw Henderson streaking for the back of the end zone. He let one fly. Henderson hauled in the 26-yard pass for a touchdown.
Before the game Braddock dressed across the street. An over flow crowd of over 10,000 was in attendance. The Braddock team walked across the street to the stadium, but they had locked the gates to stop more people from coming in.
鈥淲e had to climb the fence to get in,鈥� Klausing laughed. 鈥淢y team climbed the fence to get into the stadium. It was the best non pregame speech I ever gave. I didn鈥檛 say anything I just let them walk around the field and take in the scene. It was one of the best things I ever did before a game. The atmosphere was enough to fire them up.鈥�
That should whet your appetite for high school football. The 2015 high school football season kicks off on Friday September 4.
George Von Benko鈥檚 鈥淢emory Lane鈥� column appears in Monday editions of the 缅北禁地. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.