Coaching stability a key component to winning

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For a little more than two decades, Ron Faust, Guy Montecalvo and Bob Peton ruled the sports scene at Washington High School and returned the district to athletic glory. To Prexies fans, these three were the ultimate power trio.

WPIAL championships? Got them.

Faust won four as boys basketball coach, Montecalvo two in football and two more in boys track. Peton re-established baseball at Washington and won three.

PIAA championships? Got them too.

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Faust won two and came within a couple points of playing for a third this past season, his final one after 28 years as Prexies' coach. Montecalvo remains the only local football coach to win a state title and he also won one for girls track. Peton became the first baseball coach in Washington County to win one.

Those three helped make Washington one of Western Pennsylvania's more stabile coaching situations. They also established Washington as the area's premier athletic program for some time.

Sure, each were blessed with great talent along the way but there's no way the High wins all that hardware without the stability Faust, Montecalvo and Peton provided.

As previously mentioned, Faust retired as boys basketball coach and athletic director. Montecalvo moved to Canon-McMillan in 2003 and Peton retired a couple years ago, replaced by Rocky Plassio in 2008.

That means a few fresh faces will lead Wash High athletics during the 2009-10 school year and be responsible for continuing or, in one case, re-establishing the success.

Joe Nicolella replaced Faust as athletic director. Those who follow the Prexies probably know Nicolella as Faust's assistant coach the past 19 years. He'll do the same thing during basketball season alongside new basketball coach Mark Gaither, who previously coached at Bethel Park and Ringgold.

An athletic power in the 1990s, Ringgold has struggled keeping coaches in recent years. In March, athletic director Lloyd Price was hired as football coach, Ringgold's seventh in 11 years.

Mike Bosnic, Washington's new football coach, comes from a different coaching environment.

Bosnic spent the past six years at Carmichaels, where he replaced long-time coach John Menhart, who is back as the Mikes football coach.

If Wash High is Washington County's pillar of varsity stability, then Carmichaels is the same to Greene County.

Don Williams, the dean of area basketball coaches, will enter his 34th season later this year. Menhart spent 14 years as head football coach. Baseball coach Dave Bates, girls basketball coach Jim Lane and softball coach Dave Briggs have each been around longer than most of the people they coach against.

Go back and check the records of the past decade. No Greene County school has sustained the same type of success as Carmichaels.

Do the same in Washington County and it's difficult to top the success of the Prexies, though, in recent years, Peters Township evolved into a premier athletic program.

What do Wash High, Carmichaels and Peters Township have in common? Besides WPIAL championships, each boasts some of the best coaches around.

And, chances are, the coaches at Carmichaels and Peters Township aren't going anywhere. Washington wants the same for the new guys.

Mike Kovak can be reached at mkovak@observer-reporter.com.

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1 comments

Coach Stability key to winning : 7/17/2009
As a local resident, & WHS Alumni & fmr. Lil' Prexie athlete who had the pleasure of having been coached & taught on & off the field & in & out of the classroom by Faust, Montecalvo, & Peton, I have to agree with the article, those guys are what made the program what it is & was in the recent past. If it wasn't for leaders like those 3, I wouldn't be where I'm @ today. I wish best of luck to the new coaches/faces in charge & hope they can carry on the storied tradition of Prexie athletics, as the torched is now passed into their hands now & it's time to show the way back to glory. - WHS 01' Alum. "All-Business" Matt Becker

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