Sefchock starred for Leopards
Submitted photo
Belle Vernon head coach Don Asmonga poses for a photo from the Leopards鈥� 1975-76 season along with Gary Sefchok, Ed Picchiaeini, Tom Parks, Greg Onderko, Gary Tuomi, Joe Krosoff and Vince Belczyk
Submitted photo
Gary Sefchock is shown during Belle Vernon鈥檚 1975-76 season.
Gary Sefchock was a crackerjack point guard for the Belle Vernon Leopards in the 1970s.
鈥淏ack then there was no AAU or travel teams,鈥� Sefchock stated. 鈥淚 was fortunate to be in a parochial school, St. Sebastian in Belle Vernon, and my first coach was William Piccarini and he coached St. Sebastian and there was four of us that started probably in second grade. We called ourselves the fearsome foursome. The four of us when we were fifth graders used to practice Saturday mornings at the old North Belle Vernon school, it was a fifth-grade-through-eighth-grade program.
鈥淭here was a lot of good basketball players that came out of St. Sebastian under coach Piccarini. The four of us were Ed Piccarini, Greg Onderko, Willie Dodaro, who moved to Elizabeth Forward, and myself. I then went to Rostraver Junior High and the other guys went to Bellmar Junior High. That was only one year and then we reconnected again as sophomores at Belle Vernon.鈥�
Sefchock also played baseball until high school.
鈥淚 quit playing baseball in high school,鈥� Sefchock revealed. 鈥淚 was a catcher and it was just so tough on my knees that I just focused on basketball.鈥�
Sefchock was a three-year starter for the Leopards. In 1973-74 they went 12-1 in Section 4 and finished 24-3 overall. During Sefchock鈥檚 sophomore campaign Belle Vernon downed Ringgold in the WPIAL playoffs, 54-50, and then dispatched Aliquippa, 67-60, before falling to Farrell, 60-45. In the PIAA playoffs the Leopards beat Bradford, 67-45, before Melvin Bennett and Peabody defeated them, 53-49.
鈥淢y sophomore year we had a great team,鈥� Sefchock recalled. 鈥淥ne of our top guys was Ron Haten, and Danny Asmonga. The loss to Peabody at the Pitt Field House was tough. That was a nice run.鈥�
Safchock scored 216 points as a sophomore. He followed that up with 207 points as a junior in 1974-75 on a Belle Vernon team that slipped to 8-4 in section action and 12-10 overall.
鈥淲e lost three starters to graduation,鈥� Sefchock offered. 鈥淓rrol Thompson was a senior starter that year and I was a junior. We had to rebuild.鈥�
During Sefchock鈥檚 senior campaign in 1975-76 the Leopards went 10-3 in section play and 18-5 overall. They tied Ringgold for second place in Section 4 and were beaten in a tiebreaker game by the Rams, 70-50. Sefchock tallied 275 points as a senior. In his career at Belle Vernon he scored a total of 698 points. He had his career high, a 26-point effort, in an 87-49 win over Charleroi on Feb. 13, 1976.
鈥淢y forte was basically as a point guard,鈥� Sefchock said. 鈥淚 could handle the ball. They used to try to double or triple team me and I had a lot of assists. I think at one time I might have been the assist leader at Belle Vernon. I was good at distributing the basketball and that was my strength.鈥�
Sefchock was first team All-Section as a junior and a senior and Section 4 MVP as a senior. Sefchock was also named third team All-State as a senior. He was a nominee for Colt Classic and nominee for the first game of the Pittsburgh Dapper Dan Roundball Classic.
Former BV coach the late Don Asmonga played a big role in Sefchock鈥檚 development as a player.
鈥淗e was a nice gentleman,鈥� Sefchock offered. 鈥淗e was more the offensive mind and George Estok was the defensive guy and a good coach. We were very fortunate to have very good coaching. I enjoyed playing for coach Asmonga, it was a good period for Belle Vernon basketball.鈥�
After graduating from Belle Vernon in 1976 the 6-foot, 175-pound Sefchock explored the possibility of playing college basketball.
鈥淚 had offers to play college basketball and I decided to go to Waynesburg,鈥� Sefchock explained. 鈥淥ne of the reasons was coach Rudy Marisa. I didn鈥檛 play at Waynesburg. I ended up quitting basketball. I just decided not to continue, I left college and went into the insurance industry and that鈥檚 what I鈥檝e been doing ever since. I worked for Prudential for 20 years. I have had my own company, Gary Sefchock and Associates, every since. We are located in Greensburg.鈥�
Sefchock, 63, resides in Unity Township with his wife of 40-plus years Dian and they have four adult sons, Steve, Gary, Justin and Matt. Sefchock has coached Middle School basketball in the Hempfield system for 20 years.
鈥淚 enjoy coaching, I love it,鈥� Sefchock said.
Looking back Sefchock was pleased with his athletic career.
鈥淎thletics makes you competitive,鈥� Sefchock stated. 鈥淵ou compete and you want to do well in life and in business and you want to instill that in your kids to have a good work ethic. 缅北禁地 was, and still is, a big part of my life.鈥�
George Von Benko鈥檚 鈥淢emory Lane鈥� column appears in the Sunday 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.