"Cap" calls it a career

Colin Dunlap | 12:44 p.m. Friday, October 31, 2008

Moon Area football coach Mark Capuano announced his retirement today after leading the program for 24 seasons and compiling a 143-108 record, making him the winningest coach in the program's history.

His 1998 team won the WPIAL Class AAA title and finished as the PIAA runner-up that season.

Capuano, who took the Tigers to the playoffs 12 times, was the Parkway Conference Coach of the Year in 1982, 1994, 1999 and 2000.

As a player, he attended North Carolina State and started as an outside linebacker for three years, earning All-ACC honors twice.

 It was, though, that 1998 team that probably served Capuano with his most shining moments as a coach, with the Tigers defeating Blackhawk -- and standout running back Trent Wissner --- 34-7 at Three Rivers for the WPIAL title.

Here is a link to that 1998 WPIAL championship game story.

UPDATE 4:52 p.m. --- Got a call back from Capuano, as I phoned him earlier looking for a quote. He has always been a classy -- and honest -- man in dealing with the media, and this time was no different. First, he told me to thank all my counterparts at the Post-Gazette for their coverage of his team through his tenure, which was a very gentlemanly gesture. But, the quote that stands out most is this:

"The reason I got into coaching was because of the great men who coached me and influenced me positively," said Capuano, whose team went 1-18 over the past two seasons. "It is not always going to be a bed of roses, and everything is not always going to work out your way. I think that is part of learning. You learn from the good and the bad, and I just felt the time was right to give another coach a chance to see what he could do with the program."

Where Yannessa ranks

 Mike White | 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 31

Don Yannessa retired as Ambridge's coach after 37 seasons at three different high schools (Aliquippa, Baldwin and Ambridge). A story in today's Post-Gazette referred to him as the eighth-winningest coach in WPIAL history.

That statement brought a question. People want to know who are the other winningest coaches. The below chart is the top 10 coaches on the WPIAL's all-time list for victories (* = still active):

NAME                    SCHOOLS                                                         RECORD

*Jim Render           Carrolton, Ohio-Uniontown-Upper St. Clair        329-106-6
*Joe Hamilton         Midland-New Brighton-Hempfield-Blackhawk     316-135-11
Pat Tarquinio         Ellwood City-Beaver                                          269-143-11
Phil Bridenbaugh   New Castle                                                        265-64-25
Jim Garry               McDonald-Fort Cherry                                      265-153-14
Pete Antimarino     Pitcarin-Gateway                                               255-93-13
*Jack McCurry       North Hills                                                          254-90-6
Don Yannessa      Aliquippa-Baldwin-Ambridge                              249-137-7
*Chuck Wagner    Oakmont-Riverview-Fox Chapel-Springdale       244-193-11
Dick Dilts              Richland-Kiski Area                                            234-90-7 

Yannessa calls it quits

One of the winningest high school football coaches in WPIAL football history has retired.

Ambridge's Don Yannessa coached his final game Wednesday night when the Bridgers defeated South Park, 42-20. It was a happy ending for what had been a tough season for Yannessa. Ambridge finished with a 2-8 record.

Yannessa coached 37 seasons at three different schools and won 249 games, which is eighth-best in WPIAL history. He coached Aliquippa from 1972 through 1988 and won four WPIAL titles there. He coached Baldwin from 1989 through 2002, and Ambridge the past six seasons.

"It was time," said the 68-year-old Yannessa. "Everybody has to make this decision for themselves at some point.

"I know I'm going to miss it, especially the relationship with the kids, the guys I coach with and just the challenge. But in the other sense, there are things I'm not going to miss."

City League football championship at Cupples

Colin Dunlap | 11:34 p.m. Wed., October 29

Just got confirmation from Mike Gavlik, the City League athletic director, that the City League football championships will not be played at Heinz Field this year, rather, they will be played at Cupples Stadium on the South Side.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., Saturday, November 8.

The championship game will feature the winners of the two semifinal games --- tomorrow's clash between Schenley (6-3) and Perry (8-1) and Friday night's matchup between Langley (4-5) and Brashear (8-1).

The final word on USC's seeding

Colin Dunlap | 6:55 p.m. Tuesday, October 28

Of his Upper St. Clair team's No. 14 seed in the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs, where they will inexplicably now face McKeesport in the first round, Jim Render said: "..... to drop us to 14th this year, there has to be a lot of vindictiveness with [the WPIAL]. For whatever reason, I don't know."

Well, Jim, I can't said I disagree with you.

By now, everyone knows this story about how the Panthers finished the season at 6-3, but were seeded No. 14 at last night's WPIAL football pairings meeting, even as they beat two teams (Pine-Richland and Penn-Trafford) who are seeded above them. On top of that, Fox Chapel (which has a losing record) has lost three consecutive games headed into the playoffs and the Foxes are also seeded higher that USC.

Now to my point, and it is a simple scenario I would like all of you to ponder:

If Upper St. Clair would have won just two games this season, Great Southern Conference games against Mt. Lebanon and Baldwin, it would seem entirely possible the Panthers would be seeded exactly where they are now, at No. 14.

So, that said, what does it say about those four other wins? Do they mean virtually nothing to the WPIAL football committee?

Just something to think about.

Too many in the playoffs?

 Mike White | 1:20 p.m.  Sunday, Oct. 26

This subject comes up every year at this time: Are there too many teams in the WPIAL football playoffs?

Sixteen teams qualify for the playoffs in each classification. That makes 64 overall. Like past seasons, the playoffs this year have a handful of teams with records below .500. The worst is Mt. Lebanon, which qualified for the Class AAAA field with a 2-7 record.

Do you think there are too many teams in the playoffs? Let us know what you think by voting on our question of the week. Would you prefer, 16, 12, 8 or 4 teams from each classification in the playoffs? To cast your vote, go to the link below and look for "Question of the Week." Keep this in mind when voting:If you pick 12, there would have to be byes for some teams. If you pick eight, that means only the first- and second-place teams in each conference qualify. If you pick four, that means only the conference champs qualify.

http://www.post-gazette.com/highschoolsports/

McKeesport could be No. 2

 Mike White | 1:15 a.m.  Saturday, Oct. 25

Notes, thoughts and anecdotes after the final Friday night of the regular season.

After hearing some conversations this week about the WPIAL playoffs, there seems to be a misconception about where teams can be seeded.

Being a conference champ does not guarantee a team a top four seed in its classification. And a team that finishes in second place in its conference can still gain one of the top four seeds.

That brings us to McKeesport. The Tigers finished 7-2 and in second place in the Foothills Conference. Their only losses were to Colerain, a top team in Ohio, and Gateway. But McKeesport played Gateway well enough (31-27 loss) that the Tigers might still get the No. 2 seed in WPIAL Class AAAA. It says here, at the very least, McKeesport will get the No. 3 seed. And Bethel Park will get either the No. 2 or 3 seed. But it really doesn't matter much what teams get the 2 and 3 seeds. They are on the same side of the bracket and would meet in the semifinals.

What matters is who gets the No. 4 seed. I don't think the WPIAL will put McKeesport at No. 4 because that would put Gateway and McKeesport on the same side of the bracket, which means they would meet in the semifinals.

Here is how I see the AAAA seeds: 1. Gateway, 2. McKeesport or Bethel Park. 3. McKeesport or Bethel Park. 4. North Hills. 5. Penn Hills. 6. Central Catholic. 7. North Allegheny. 8. Canon-McMillan.

While we're at it, let's take a crack at first-round matchups: Mt. Lebanon at Gateway; Penn-Trafford at Bethel Park; Fox Chapel at McKeesport; Hempfield at North Hills; Pine-Richland at Penn Hills; Upper St. Clair at Central Catholic; Woodland Hills at North Allegheny; Shaler at Canon-McMillan.

In Class AAA, here's a seeding opinion: 1. Thomas Jefferson. 2. Highlands. 3. Blackhawk. 4. New Castle. 5. Chartiers Valley. 6. Indiana. 7. Yough. 8. Greensburg Salem.

Class AAA first-round pairings: Uniontown at Thomas Jefferson; Laurel Highlands at Highlands; Knoch or Franklin Regional at Blackhawk; Ringgold at New Castle; Mars at Chartiers Valley; Trinity at Indiana; Montour at Yough; Hopewell at Greensburg Salem.

Not true seeds

What people need to remember about the seedings is that they are not always true seeds. The reasons is the WPIAL won't match teams against each other in the first round, and also because first- and second-place teams must play at home. For example, you could definitely make a point for Gateway being the No. 1 seed and Hempfield No. 16. But they are from the same conference and can't play each other in the first round.

Here is another example: Hopewell is deserving of a seed in the top eight in Class AAA. But because Hopewell is a third-place team, it must play on the road in the first round, meaning it can't be seeded higher than ninth.

The Class AA and A seeds can't be done until tomorrow's Jeannette-Greensburg Central Catholic game and the Western Beaver-South Side Beaver game.

Keystone low

Look for teams from the Class AAA Keystone Conference to be seeded low again. The conference is 0-28 in the playoffs over the past seven seasons. Although Yough is the conference champ, don't look for the Cougars to be seeded any higher than seventh.

Shell on record pace?

Hopewell freshman phenom Rushel Shell had another impressive night, going over 200 yards rushing for the second week in a row. Would it be outlandish to think he has a chance to someday break the WPIAL rushing record?

Well, Shell now has 1,090 yards for the season, with at least one more game remaining. If Hopewell has some good teams the next few years, Shell could gain 2,000 yards a few times. The WPIAL record is 7,646, set by Fort Cherry's Mike Vernillo in the 1990s.

No offense

How do you know when you have a bad offense? When the soccer team outscores the football team for the season. That's the way it is at Plum. The Mustangs' football team scored only 24 points all season and were shut out five times. Plum's soccer team has scored 35 goals.

Rodkey returns

Gateway offensive lineman Colin Rodkey missed about the first half of the season while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Then he came back and missed some more time with a head injury. But Rodkey, an Indiana Hoosiers' recruit, played for the Gators' in Thursday's victory against McKeesport. 

The undefeated list

Miike White | 10:50 a.m.  Friday, Oct. 24

We ran a story today on teams that have a chance to go undefeated in the regular season in the WPIAL. Just in case you wanted to know if your team has ever gone undefeated, I thought it might be nice to list the number of undefeated regular seasons for every team in the WPIAL. Remember, this is undefeated and untied in the regular season. It also is only for active teams in the WPIAL and only for their years in the WPIAL, and not the old Catholic League.

It took some time to come up with the list. It was compiled by using records of PIAA historian Roger Saylor and also those at the Post-Gazette. The number next to each school is the number of undefeated regular seasons, heading into the 2008 season. This weekend is the final weekend of the regular season in the WPIAL.

ALBERT GALLATIN – 3

ALIQUIPPA – 10

AMBRIDGE – 4

APOLLO-RIDGE – 1

AVELLA – 6

AVONWORTH – 1

BALDWIN – 0

BEAVER – 6

BEAVER FALLS – 4

BELLE VERNON – 5

BENTWORTH – 1

BETH-CENTER – 3

BETHEL PARK – 2

BISHOP CANEVIN – 1

BLACKHAWK - 3

BRENTWOOD – 0

BROWNSVILLE – 3

BURGETTSTOWN – 2

BURRELL – 4

BUTLER – 3

CALIFORNIA – 1

CANON-MCMILLAN – 0

CARLYNTON – 1

CARMICHAELS – 6

CENTER – 1

CENTRAL CATHOLIC – 2

CHAR-HOUSTON – 7

CHARTIERS VALLEY – 0

CLAIRTON – 8

CONNELLSVILLE – 6

CORNELL – 1

DEER LAKES – 0

DERRY – 1

DUQUESNE – 7

EAST ALLEGHENY – 2

ELIZABETH FORWARD – 0

ELLWOOD CITY – 2

FORD CITY – 2

FORT CHERRY – 1

FOX CHAPEL – 1

FRANKLIN REGIONAL – 1

FRAZIER – 1

FREEDOM – 2

FREEPORT – 1

GATEWAY – 6

GEIBEL – 1

GREENSBURG C.C. – 2

GREENSBURG SALEM – 9 (all at old Greensburg High School)

HAMPTON – 1

HEMPFIELD – 1

HIGHLANDS – 1

HOPEWELL – 0

INDIANA – 3

JEANNETTE – 15

JEFFERSON-MORGAN – 7

KEYSTONE OAKS – 0

KISKI AREA – 4

KNOCH - 0

LATROBE – 3

LAUREL – 2

LAUREL HIGHLANDS – 0

LEECHBURG – 3

MAPLETOWN – 1

MARS – 0

MCGUFFEY – 1

MCKEESPORT – 4

MOHAWK – 4 ( all as Bessemer High School)

MONACA – 1

MONESSEN – 8

MONTOUR – 5

MOON – 0

MT. LEBANON – 7

MOUNT PLEASANT – 3

NESHANNOCK – 0 

NEW BRIGHTON – 1

NEW CASTLE – 8

NORTH ALLEGHENY – 2

NORTH CATHOLIC – 1

NORTHGATE – 1

NORTH HILLS – 6

NORWIN – 0

PENN HILLS – 5

PENN-TRAFFORD – 1

PETERS TOWNSHIP – 0

PINE-RICHLAND – 5 (includes two when the school was Richland in 1969 and ’70).

PLUM – 1

QUAKER VALLEY – 1

RINGGOLD – 0

RIVERSIDE – 0

RIVERVIEW – 2

ROCHESTER – 7

SENECA VALLEY – 0

SERRA – 2

SETON-LASALLE – 3

SHADY SIDE ACADEMY – 2

SHALER – 0

SHENANGO – 2

SOUTH ALLEGHENY – 0

SOUTH FAYETTE – 1

SOUTHMORELAND – 1

SOUTH PARK – 3

SOUTH SIDE BEAVER – 2

SPRINGDALE – 2

STEEL VALLEY – 7

STO-ROX – 0

SUMMIT ACADEMY – 0

THOMAS JEFFERSON – 6

TRINITY – 0

UNION – 4

UPPER ST. CLAIR – 10

VALLEY – 1

WASHINGTON – 9

WAYNESBURG – 3

WEST ALLEGHENY – 2

WESTERN BEAVER – 2

WEST GREENE – 1

WEST MIFFLIN – 1

WEST SHAMOKIN – 0

WILKINSBURG – 6

WOODLAND HILLS – 4

YOUGH – 0

Everything right/wrong with youth sports

Colin Dunlap | 9:32 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23

Here it is, the entire spectrum right here.

I stumbled across two things today (well, actually one was e-mailed to me) that are on polar opposite ends of what makes youth sports tremendous and, conversely, what makes them sickening somtimes.

First, the good.

With the Tampa Bay Devil Rays playing in the World Series, manager Joe Maddon has received a large amount of publicity -- and rightly so, he's done a great job with the club. Maddon is from Hazleton, Pa. and in a World Series press gathering, he was asked how the hard-working town shaped his roots. Here was his answer:

JOE MADDON: Well, I tell you, I think if you grew up where I grew up and when I grew up, the one word that comes to mind is respect. That's the one thing that's pounded into you between a Polish mother and Italian father and nuns through the eighth grade. You definitely learn respect at an early age. And I think that permeates everything else that happens. If you learn respect as a youngster, I think that benefits you in everything you do as you're growing up, whether it's the athletic endeavors. Staying when I was 10, when you go to high school there on a Friday night. I know you watch Friday Night Lights now on television, it was no different back then, only the Pennsylvania version. So you had all of this -- you had whatever you want to call it, pressure or expectations placed on you even when you're that young, which is great. It was great. ... The thing that I think is underestimated is when you grow up in a community like that and coming from a large family like I did, you truly were raised by more than your mother and father. If my uncle saw me getting out of line I was smacked in a heartbeat. So talk about respect, to get out of line was very difficult, because you were covered everywhere you went. ... I don't know if that happens as often today as maybe it did back then.

OK, that is the good. Now the bad.

Today, I received an unsolicited e-mail from a parent, telling me of the merits of their 12-year-old tennis player and how, they "Thought you might want to mention the following" in my notebook. The parent then went on to tell me all about their little superstar's accomplishments.

Fair enough, OK, you want some pub for your kid, I can live with it.

But, the last two lines of the e-mail are what made me realize how ridiculous some parents can be, and even more, how ridiculous some "media" services can be....I kid you not, the e-mail wrapped up with:

"[Name of kid] is a seventh grader from [Name of school]. She was recently named a five star recruit by tennisrecruiting.net." 

So there is a .com out there ranking 12-year-old kids with a star system? Seriously, what is the world coming to?

Ridiculous.

Fresh stuff

 Mike White | 1:00 a.m. Saturday, October 18

Notes, thoughts and anecdotes after the eighth Friday night of the high school football season.

Hopewell running back Rushell Shell has been making waves. He's only  a freshman, but ran for 220 yards in a 26-13 victory against Montour Thursday.

But Shell was one of three freshmen who had big impacts on games the past two days. On Friday night, Charleroi freshman Quentin Briggs rushed for 267 yards on an incredible 49 carries in a 29-13 victory against Washington.

Also Friday, Chartiers Valley freshman Wayne Capers threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Beau Carson.

Avella down to 10

Covering the Canon-McMillan-Bethel Park game last night, I sat next to Mike Kovak from the Washington Observer-Reporter. Kovak relayed some interesting information about Avella's team in its game against Clairton. Avella was down to 14 players on its roster this week. But through another reporter, Mike informed me that Avella had only 11 players for the game and played the second half with only 10 because of an injury. A running clock was used the entire game and the third and fourth quarters were only eight minutes long. Avella lost to Clairton, 56-0.

How good is Bethel Park?

I've seen undefeated Bethel Park play twice and seen Gateway play once. I will see McKeesport for the first time Thursday. But as of now, it says here that Bethel Park can play with Gateway, but can't beat the Gators. Bethel Park might have trouble with Gateway's speed on defense.

Langley turns it around

Langley is in the City League playoff hunt. What's next? The Pirates having a winning season.

Langley knocked off Carrick, 29-14, in a City League game. That gives Langley and Carrick 4-3 records. They are tied for the last playoff spot in the City League. Langley ends the regular season against Perry while Carrick plays Schenley.

Langley has won four games or more in a season only four times in the past 21 years. The Mustangs also have a chance to finish above .500 for the first time since 1987, when they went 7-2-1. To full appreciate what Langley is doing, you must realize the Mustangs didn't win a game the past two seasons. 

Say what?

I've heard of dedication ceremonies for stadiums and buildings, but a turf? Yep, that's what was supposed to happen at North Allegheny last night.

North Allegheny has a new synthetic turf surace and the school was supposed to have dedication ceremonies for the turf last night. It said on a news release I received this week. And on top of that, 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier was supposed to be part of the ceremonies. My question is this: Who was the turf dedicated to?

Three more for Miller

Greensburg Central Catholic's David Miller scored three more touchdowns to give him 30 for the season. Throw in six more points Miller has on conversions this season, and he now has 186 points. Miller is now close to some elite company. He is 18 points (three touchdowns) away from tying Mars' Billy Bair and Rochester's Essex Law for the most points in the regular season since 1979. Both Bair and Law had 204. But Miller might have trouble getting three touchdowns next week. Greensburg Central plays powerful Jeannette.

Gordon on Brown

Here is what Shaler coach Neil Gordon had to say about Seneca Valley star QB C.J. Brown. Gordon's Shaler team defeated Seneca Valley, 35-32, last Saturday.

"The only quarterback I've ever had who could throw the ball like Brown was Anthony Morelli," said Gordon, who spent the previous 21 seasons at Penn Hills. "I think Brown could be a good one. He makes some throws that only big-time throwers can make."

Speaking of Gordon, his first game as a head coach was against North Hills and Coach Jack McCurry. North Hills beat Shaler, 21-18, Friday night.

Game of the year?

That's what many people are calling Thursday's McKeesport at Gateway showdown. The game is being played Thursday because it is FSN's Thursday game of the week. But you won't be able to see the game live. FSN will carry the Penguins game live and will show the McKeesport-Gateway game on tape after the Penguins.