Apr 21, 2015 6 min read

Every year, the Tri-CADA Coach of the Year Banquet honors individuals who have a special place in athletics. Their devotion and loyalty make them special participants to their programs.

The following individuals all left their marks on athetics and will be honored at the Tri-County Athletic Directors Coach of the Year Banquet at 5 p.m., Sunday at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Meadow Lands.

Tickets for the banquet are $35 each and are on sale at Washington High School, 201 Allison Avenue, Washington, Pa., 15301. Reservations can be made by calling athletic director Joe Nicolella at 724-223-5085, ext. 2091.

All proceeds from the banquet benefit Special Olympics.

Meghan Canterna Memorial Award Special Olympics Athlete of the Year: Jeremy Coccari has been involved with Washington County Special Olympics for so many years, he has lost count. As a child, Jeremy was involved with the local Boy Scouts. He enjoyed camping & hiking with many people. Coccari also would attend summer camp. At camp, Coccari would attend sessions of swimming and basketball.

Coccari joined Washington County Special Olympics more than two decades ago. Over the years, he has participated and competed in basketball and bowling. He has attended local, sectional and state competitions. Coccari has attended Penn State Summer Games numerous times with his basketball team and received medals. Bowling is Coccari’s passion. He bowls every Saturday morning at the Brunswick Lanes on Rt. 51. He has competed at the local and sectional level of competition for Special Olympics. He has met so many friends through Special Olympics.

Roy Gillespie Memorial Special Award: Bobby Russell is affectionately known as “Bob-O” at the school he has worked at for 30 years. He has been connected to Wash High sports even longer. A 1971 graduate of Washington High School, Russell was manager of the football and track teams, and has provided assistance to the sports team after he graduated. Russell worked as custodian at Washington for 36 years before retiring in 2007. He became a fan favorite known for carrying Bazooka Bubble Gum and Tootsie Rolls.

In 2002, he was awarded the Washington Area Education Role Model Award for his outstanding service in the maintenance and custodial field. Even in retirement, Russell helps park cars at Wash High football games, serves as a ball boy in football, laundering boys basketball uniforms, and attending games.

Bill Christy Sportsmanship Award: Madison Dupont, Jefferson-Morgan, is a three-year letterwinner in volleyball and a four-year letterwinner in softball. She also is a member of the All-District Volleyball Team during her senior year at Jefferson-Morgan. She was recognized as a Scholar Athlete by the Herald Standard newspaper in Uniontown.

Dupont is the daughter of Duane and Helen Dupont of Pitt Gas. Dupont’s clubs include Leo, Interact, and Youth Traffic Safety at Jefferson-Morgan High School. She currently holds a 3.80 grade point average. Dupont’s plans to attend Waynesburg University in the fall to study nursing.

Megan Simpson, Trinity, is a multi-sport standout at Trinity, participating in basketball, indoor track, outdoor track and lacrosse. She is working on her sixth varsity letter, receiving two for basketball, two for indoor track and one each for outdoor track and, most likely, lacrosse.

Simpson carries a 4.50 grade-point average and won first place in an essay contest for the 25th District of the American Legion. She was honored with the Presidents Award, which provided a scholarship to Westminster College. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the Trinity Leadership Committee, and editor-in-chief of the student newspaper and the Literary Journal.

Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Award: Bill Wiltz, Charleroi, oversees 12 varsity sports and eight middle school sports as Charleroi High School’s athletic director. He also finds time to serve as the Cougars boys varsity basketball coach. Wiltz has served in the program since 1976.

A 1970 graduate of Charleroi High School and 1975 graduate of Robert Morris, where he graduated with a business degree and earned his education certification, Wiltz got his first coaching job in 1984 after spending time working in the private sector. Wiltz was basketball coach at Belle Vernon for four seasons (1986-90).

Wiltz has served two stints as athletic director, the first beginning in 1998 and the second 2006. He was assistant football coach at Charleroi from 1978-1992. Wiltz was named Charleroi Citizen of the Year in 2005.

Bill Christy Memorial Award Excellence in officiating: David Bergstedt (Posthumously) served more than three decades as an official for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) in baseball, basketball and football and was a member of the Eastern Collegiate Football association.

Mr. Bergstedt, who died April 2, 2014, was as long-time member of the Mon Valley Football officials and also a member of the Mon Valley baseball and basketball chapters. Upon his death, the PIAA recognized him for spending a combined 126 years as a sports official, referee or umpire of high school games.

Mr. Bergstedt graduated from Monessen High School and received a football scholarship to Youngstown State University. He later transferred to California State College. He refereed many college football games, which was his passion, and by all accounts was superior in that role. He served as a mentor to many young officials through the years.

He is survived by his wife, Sandra Jupin Bergstedt; four daughters, Meri and husband, John Labick, of Latrobe, Dana Bergstedt and companion, George Toineeta of Ashville, N.C., Heidi and husband, Doug Niesen of Peters Township, Tippi and husband, Derrick Dolfi, of Belle Vernon, and his son, David H. III and wife, Dana Bergstedt, of Monessen; nine grandchildren; and two brothers, Daniel and wife, Roberta Bergstedt and William and wife, Aurelia Bergstedt, both of Monessen.

Larry Piazzi: Piazzi had a colorful and productive career as an official. He worked PIAA championship games in volleyball, softball, soccer and basketball. His main influence and reason for his officiating career was Bill Christy, who recruited Piazzi after he was finished with college.

Piazzi attended Norwin High School for 3 ½ years before transferring to South Fayette for his final semester. He played football, basketball and ran track. He scored 58 points against Chartiers-Houston in basketball during his senior year at South Fayette. While he liked South Fayette, he considers himself a Norwin Knight at heart.

He attended Yankton College in Yankton, S.D., where his roommate was Lyle Alzado, who had a long and illustrious career in the NFL. Piazzi began officiating in 1983 and retired in 2013. He still does assigning work and is active in charitable organizations.