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Junior Olympic state champion

Alex Campbell of Canon-McMillan captured the 13-14 age division in the Pennsylvania Junior Olympic state championships. Campbell decisioned Mike Newhouse of Indiana, 6-0, in the finals.

2010 WPIAL Hall of Fame Class Announced

The WPIAL's Hall of Fame Class for 2010 once again has a local flavor with inductees Manny Pihakis and Bill Christy along with Jim Montecalvo being honored with the Courage Award.

Pihakis graduated from Canonsburg High School in 1952 as one of the most accomplished wrestlers in Pennsylvania high school history. A four-time WPIAL champion and three-time state champion, his career record 99-1. "Buns" wrestled at Indiana University, where he went 57-8 for the Hoosiers.

He returned in 1957 and became athletic director at Canonsburg High School, which eventually became Canon-McMillan, and remained there for 36 years before retiring in 1993.

Christy enters the hall posthumously and as one of two contest officials.

A graduate of Beth-Center High School and California University, Christy lived in Monongahela until he died in October. He was 67.

When it came to officiating sports, Christy did it all. He served as an officials evaluator for the Big East and Atlantic 10 conferences. Christy also assigned officials for many local high school and college events. The Tri-County Athletic Directors Association awarded the Bill Christy Memorial Award for Excellence in Officiating for the first time at Saturday's banquet.

Montecalvo maintained a positive outlook and dogged determination despite battling cancer along with other challenges throughout his 26 years. Montecalvo died in June 2008. At Washington High School, Montecalvo played football, golf and track. He continued to play golf at Bethany College before becoming at sports writer at the Observer-Reporter.

The remaining inductees are:
Athletes
Steve Breaston, Woodland Hills (2002), football and track
Dick DeVenzio, Ambridge (1967), basketball
B.B. Flenory, Valley (1976), basketball
Chris Dugan (not the O-R sports editor), Southmoreland (1996), cross country and track
Ty Moore, North Allegheny (1990), wrestling
Gretchen Rush-Magers, Mt. Lebanon (1982), tennis
Brandon Short, McKeesport (1995), football and basketball
Coaches
Paul Hindes, Baldwin, girls volleyball, basketball, softball
Harriett Morrison, Farrell, girls volleyball
Art Walker, Mt. Lebanon and Shady Side Academy, football
Contest officials
Tom Stabile, football, baseball and basketball
Contributor
Michael Manzo, WPIAL leagal counsel
Teams
1959 Braddock Football
1986 Gateway Football

PT's Gallagher wins Challis Award

Mike Gallagher, a senior at Peters Township, is the recipient of the John Challis Memorial Award given by the WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association (WBCA). Gallagher will be honored at the WBCA's Awards Banquet on June 11.

Challis graduated from Freedom High School in 2008 and died of cancer two months later and the award goes to an individual who is a current high school student associated with his high school baseball team; has overcome or currently struggling with a physical, mental or significant obstacle; and serves as an inspiration to players and coaches.

Gallagher certainly qualifies.

The brother of Peters Township great Jim Gallagher (named the top local high school athlete of the past 10 years on this blog), Mike Gallagher's route to the Peters Township varsity baseball team was a difficult one.

A designated hitter/outfielder, Gallagher developed a seizure disorder called Complex Partial Seizures. Numerous prescription medications failed.

"It tears your heart out as a parent any time your child deals with a chronic illness. It was something we lived with every day," James Gallagher, Mike's father, said. "We were fortunate that Mike had good care."

After medications failed, the Gallaghers opted for brain surgery after learning Mike was a candidate. On Dec. 13, 2005, Gallagher woke up from a coma and, after being cleared for physical activity, began to train for baseball, which he hadn't played since the age of 10.

With help from Jim, who was playing for Duke University at the time, Mike basically learned how to play baseball all over. Only a few months later, he made the freshman team at Peters Township. He made the varsity roster in 11th grade.

"Because of what I've been through, I appreciate everything very much, " Gallagher said. "Playing baseball is not like a lot of other sports. These guys are going to be life-long friends."

APB, Where are they Now?

Blogger's note: With the increased traffic from people in the Ringgold School District, The Varsity Letters thought the time to find the following athlete was once again appropriate.

Robert "Bean" Heller last played sports at Ringgold High School in 2005-06. Following one year at the Kiski School, Heller surfaced at Waynesburg University in 2007.

It was a fall to remember.

Heller ran all over the Presidents' Athletic Conference in his first year with the Yellow Jackets. His 2,176 rushing yards established an all-divisions freshman record. The man whose nickname was a tribute to Beano Cook was even the subject of a Facebook page titled, "Robert Heller Was Heaven Sent."

A year later, the relationship between Heller and the Waynesburg coaching staff soured. Shortly after a story published in the Observer-Reporter, the four-sport standout (football, basketball, baseball, track) from Ringgold was nowhere to be found. Various rumors had Heller attempting a boxing career or playing football for Marietta College. None were ever confirmed.

Heller is once again the target of the latest All Points Bulletin.

Anyone with legitimate information regarding Heller's whereabouts is urged to contact The Varsity Letters.

Keeping up with ...

Lou Giachetti

A highly successful softball coach at Waynesburg High School, Giachetti moved acroos town two years ago to coach the softball team at Waynesburg University.

One of the undisputed good guys of the local coaching fraternity, Giachetti spent 11 years with the Raiders as an assistant coach and head coach. He helped Waynesburg softball become a playoff regular.

His teams won four section championship and, in 2005, Waynesburg became the second school from Greene County to win a WPIAL softball championship when the Raiders beat Washington in the Class AA title game. Carmichaels won WPIAL Class AA titles in 1998 and 1999.

Waynesburg qualified for the PIAA playoffs in 2005 and 2006.

At Waynesburg University, the yellow Jackets are 11-17 overall and 4-8 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. Three of Waynesburg's top players are Amanda Baughman, Amber Pivik and Liz Bombara. All are Wash High grads.

Bongiorni ruled ineligible by WPIAL

The WPIAL Board of Control ruled Thursday that Dylan Bongiorni, who transferred from Burgettstown to West Allegheny in January, is ineligible for sports because the move was made, at least in part, for athletic purposes.

Bongiorni left Burgettstown nine games into the basketball season. He was averaging 19.7 points per game and left the team in the midst of a four-game stretch in five days. The sophomore was also the Blue Devils' starting quarterback the past two seasons and passed for more than 1,000 yards as a freshman.

Bongiorni can not play sports for West Allegheny until one year from the transfer date.

West Allegheny can appeal the WPIAL's decision to the PIAA Board of Control.

California girls basketball coach hired

Former assistant coach Chris Minerd was hired as California High School's girls basketball coach during Wednesday's school board meeting. Minerd replaces Cindy Dunlevy.

Minerd's coaching played a role in Beth-Center winning the Section 5-AA girls title this year. He's coached the current group of Bulldogs seniors since they were in sixth grade at various levels, including travel leagues and AAU.

California finished 12-9 overall in 2009-10 and qualified for the WPIAL Class A playoffs with an 8-4 record in Section 3. The Trojans, led by all-district players Kristina Wagner and Morgan Moluski, defeated Monessen in the regular season. California's season ended with a loss to Fort Cherry in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.

Ringgold makes Humbert interim football coach

Matt Humbert served as Ringgold's varsity football coach for two games during the 2009 season when Lloyd Price was suspended by the school district.

Humbert won both games and, following Price's sudden and surprising resignation as Ringgold's athletic director and football coach, Ringgold is turning to Humbert once again to fill the void.

The Ringgold School Board made Humbert the interim varsity football coach at Wednesday's meeting. Humbert was Price's teammate at California University and he will oversee offseason workouts until a head coach is named.

Ringgold plans to begin interviews for football coach and athletic director Monday and could have the positions filled by next month's board meeting.