Football royalty gathers for unique luncheon
Every summer for the past seven years some of the greatest coaches in WPIAL football history, past and present, have gathered at the Grand View Golf Club in North Braddock for a unique luncheon.
The event is the brainchild of my good friend, Bill Priatko. It celebrates sportsmanship and camaraderie, and it is a chance to discuss the state of the game they love: high school football.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic a group of 10 coaches was able to gather on July 22. The group accounted for 51 WPIAL titles, 12 PIAA championships, one Catholic League title and 2,699 victories.
This year鈥檚 luncheon included seven of the 11 winningest coaches in WPIAL history. The only four not present have passed away. The group included active coaches Bill Cherpak, of Thomas Jefferson, and Bob Palko, of Mt. Lebanon. The other eight coaches present are all retired: Upper St. Clair鈥檚 Jim Render, Woodland Hills鈥� George Novak, Clairton鈥檚 Tom Nola, North Hills鈥� Jack McCurry, Aliquippa鈥檚 Don Yannessa, Blackhawk鈥檚 Joe Hamilton, Beaver鈥檚 Pat Tarquinio and Jeannette鈥檚 Joe Mucci.
Also in attendance were Tim O鈥橫alley, who just retired as executive director of the WPIAL, and former Pittsburgh Steeler Craig Wolfley, who is now a sideline reporter on the Steelers radio broadcasts.
The PIAA decided fall sports will start as scheduled, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. This was announced after a meeting on July 29. The PIAA also said the only thing that will stop the sports seasons will be a mandate from Gov. Tom Wolf.
But, while the PIAA has decided to go forth with sports, the league put guidelines and protocols in place that must be followed by schools. Two of those protocols deal with no spectators at games and the shutdown of a team for two weeks if an athlete tests positive. PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said both of those protocols come from recommendations from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Department of Education, the Governor鈥檚 office and CDC.
The PIAA did not rule on a shortened season for fall sports, but Lombardi said that is still a possibility. The PIAA board of directors decided to meet again Aug. 26 and the league could decide to shorten seasons then. Under a plan for shortened seasons, all sports would conclude by Thanksgiving. All sports would still have PIAA playoffs, but the 12 districts around the state, including the WPIAL, would have to shorten their playoffs and, possibly, regular seasons.
The WPIAL notified school administrators on July 31 that football season won鈥檛 start until Sept. 10, the regular season will be reduced to seven games and the playoffs might look very different. Season openers for cross country, soccer, field hockey and girls volleyball were delayed until Sept. 14.
Only golf and girls tennis can start sooner, beginning on Aug. 24.
The WPIAL had concern for schools trying to balance a sports season with starting classes in person or online under COVID-19 conditions. Teams can practice. Heat acclimatization for football begins Aug. 10, as originally scheduled. Likewise, all fall sports are allowed to start practice Aug. 17.
If the coaching legends who attended the luncheon on July 22 had their way, football season would be moved to the spring. That was the general consensus with nine of the 10 coaches favoring that course of action.
One coach at the luncheon was against moving football to the spring and that was Tarquinio.
鈥淚 say leave football where it is in the fall and try to start it on time,鈥� Tarquinio said. 鈥淢oving it to the spring just creates too many other problems.鈥�
The other coaches did not agree with that assessment.
Render was the first to bring up the idea of moving football to the spring. The other coaches in attendance liked the idea.
鈥淭he first time I heard the Michigan governor talk about switching the season and I started thinking about it, I think it鈥檚 a no-brainer to switch the season to the spring,鈥� Render stated. 鈥淣on-contact sports go first and give the contact sports more time. It鈥檚 such a simple solution given the hand we are dealt today.鈥�
鈥淣othing is going to be normal,鈥� Palko said. 鈥淭he smart thing to do is buy time. The smartest thing to do is move the sports around and make it fair for everybody. Yes, it鈥檚 hard to do. But this is unprecedented.鈥�
Cherpak agreed that spring football might be the best option.
鈥淚 think it depends on what the forecast is. Is the spring going to be any better with this virus?,鈥� Cherpak said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the PIAA wants to be the one to make the decision. They want the governor to do it.鈥�
鈥淢oving football to the spring is a good idea. Whoever the influencers are in the state legislature need to get in (Governor) Tom Wolf鈥檚 ear because he鈥檚 the one who鈥檚 going to make the ultimate decision.鈥� said Nola.
鈥淚 have mixed feelings. I have a grandson and he鈥檚 going to 5th grade and he played midget football. His mom texted me and said she was going to hold him out. I said one year is not going to hurt.鈥� Novak opined. 鈥淚 think we need to wait. If it gets worse we鈥檝e got to wait and you鈥檝e got to worry about how they will handle school more than football. School is the most important thing. It鈥檚 a tough choice!鈥�
A couple of other high school football issues were addressed.
The public-private school debate is a dead issue.
鈥淚 think the public-private school debate is done, Cherpak said. 鈥淭he PIAA did the competition rule and I think that they think that it addresses everything. I think it hurts and there are unintended consequences because of that, where it hurts kids that it shouldn鈥檛. Not specifically for football. Decisions are made out east and they don鈥檛 care.鈥�
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 over,鈥� Palko explained. 鈥淒oes it matter what we think here in the West? Out East, they make all the decisions.鈥�
The start of the NFL season came up.
鈥淭hey went from four preseason games to two,鈥� Wolfley interjected. 鈥淣ow they aren鈥檛 going to play any. I think that early in the season you are going to see a lot of injuries because of that.鈥�
The group then turned back to the big topic of a high school football season.
O鈥橫alley did not register an opinion about moving football to the spring, but he did touch on the underlying issue.
鈥淗ow are you going to sell to the mother of a kid that it鈥檚 OK for her son to go to football five days a week, but not school? You are going to have to come to grips with school first before there are athletics,鈥� O鈥橫alley stated. 鈥淵ou have to handle your student body from an educational standpoint before you extend it into extra curricular activities.鈥�