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.

Keeping up with ...

Jaci Timko

One of the premier sluggers in WPIAL softball history, Timko continues to pile up impressive statistics during her sophomore year at Robert Morris University.

Timko leads the Colonials (17-13 overall) with a .418 batting average (38-for-91), 26 runs scored, 54 total bases as well as slugging percentage (.593) and on-base percentage (.475). Timko is tied four the team lead with eight doubles and five stolen bases in addition to haveing a pair of home runs and 15 RBI.

As a freshman, Timko led Robert Morris in virtually every offensive category.

During her four years at Chartiers-Houston, Timko batted .522 with 20 doubles, 21 triples and 32 home runs, which is believed to be a WPIAL record.

(Photo courtesy of Robert Morris University.)

WPIAL softball alignment 2010-11, 2011-12

Class AAAA (27 teams)
Section 1 – Albert Gallatin, Connellsville, Hempfield, Kiski Area, Latrobe, Norwin, Penn-Trafford
Section 2 – Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Gateway, McKeesport, Penn Hills, Plum, Woodland Hills
Section 3 – Butler, North Allegheny, North Hills, Oakland Catholic, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Shaler
Section 4 – Baldwin, Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair

Class AAA (30 teams)
Section 1 – Ambridge, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Ellwood City, Hopewell, New Castle
Section 2 – Chartiers Valley, McGuffey, Montour, Moon, Trinity, West Allegheny
Section 3 – Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Ringgold, South Park, Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin
Section 4 – Derry Area, Greensburg-Salem, Indiana, Laurel Highlands, Uniontown, Yough
Section 5 – Hampton, Highlands, Kittanning, Knoch, Mars, Valley

Class AA (37 teams)
Section 1 – Avonworth, Bishop Canevin, Brentwood, Carlynton, Keystone Oaks, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Quaker Valley, Seton-La Salle
Section 2 – Bentworth, Brownsville, Burgettstown, Charleroi, South Fayette, Washington, Waynesburg
Section 3 – Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Ford City, Freeport, Shady Side Academy, West Shamokin
Section 4 – East Allegheny, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Mt. Pleasant, South Allegheny, Southmoreland, Steel Valley
Section 5 – Beaver, Beaver Falls, Freedom, Laurel, Mohawk, New Brighton, Neshannock, Riverside

Class A (33 teams)
Section 1 – Avella, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, Frazier, Monessen, Serra Catholic
Section 2 – Beth-Center, California, Carmichaels, Geibel, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, West Greene
Section 3 – Cornell, North Catholic, Northgate, Sewickley Academy, Sto-Rox, Vincentian Academy
Section 4 – Elderton, Ellis School, Leechburg, Mt. Alvernia, Riverview, Springdale, St. Joseph
Section 5 – Aliquippa, Quigley, Rochester, Shenango, South Side Beaver, Union, Western Beaver

APB, Where are they Now?

During her days at Carmichaels High School, Abby McMinn was one busy student-athlete.

A 2001 Carmichaels graduate, McMinn played volleyball, basketball and softball in addition to cheerleading. During the 2000-01 basketball season, she became the first girls player in Carmichaels history to have 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career. Megan Stuvek joined that exclusive list a few years later.

She finished her varsity career with 14 letters, the most in school history. Her best sport was softball and McMinn started as a freshman on Carmichaels' 1999 PIAA Class AA championship team. She went on to play at Division II California University, where she started at catcher.

This week, The Varsity Letters issues an All Points Bulletin for McMinn.

Last week's APB for former Fort Cherry standout Josh Kemp was answered. Kemp is currently an assistant boys basketball coach at Fort Cherry.

Anyone knowing McMinn's whereabouts is urged to contact The Varsity Letters.

Trinity softball coach hired; West Greene opens football position

The Trinity School Board hired Bill Loar Thursday night as varsity softball coach and West Greene opted to open the head football coaching position held the past three years by Charles Harris.

Loar previously coached softball at Washington High School, where he guided the Prexies to two WPIAL Class AA championship game appearances in 2005 and 2007. Wash High also made the PIAA playoffs three times during his tenure.

A teacher at Washington and former member of the Trinity School Board, Loar replaced Linda Rebish, Trinity's highly successful softball coach. Rebish guided the Hillers to two WPIAL championship game appearance and, in 2009, Trinity was one win from playing for a PIAA championship.

Rebish retired from teaching in 2009 and expressed interest in returning as coach. She applied but was not hired by the school board.

West Greene nearly ousted Harris during the 2009 regular season but elected to keep the coach on the sidelines.In three years, the Pioneers went 3-24. Harris went 3-1 in his first four games as coach.

West Greene enters the 2010 season on a 23-game losing streak.

Rhodes out at PT

Long-time Peters Township High School softball coach Bea Rhodes was informed this week that her position has been opened. Rhodes guided Peters Township to an 11-6 record in 2009 and the Indians' fourth WPIAL playoff appearance in five years.

An interesting side story to the opening is how Rhodes found out.

According to Rhodes, she along with Peters Township athletic director Rich Relich were under the impression she'd be back for the 2010 season, her 13th as Indians coach, followng Tuesday's school board meeting. On Tuesday night, Relich received an e-mail from superintendent Dr. Nina Zetty informing him that Rhodes' position had been opened.

For more on this story, read Saturday's Observer-Reporter.