Playoff success connects finalists
The three finalists for the Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Association Coach of the Year award each took their teams the extra yard this season.
Mike Steeber of Frazier, Joe Rossi of South Fayette and Nick Milchovich of Ringgold each led their teams to the WPIAL playoffs.
For their efforts, the three will be honored, and the winner announced, at the Tri-County Athletic Directors Coach of the Year Banquet at 5 p.m., Sunday, April 24 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Meadow Lands.
Tickets for the banquet are $35 each and 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.
Only coaches from teams in the Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Association are eligible to be finalists.
Steeber fielded one of the best defensive teams in Frazier’s history. The Commodores allowed only 31 points in the regular season and 21 came in one game, a win over Carmichaels.
The Commodores won the Tri-County South Conference with an 8-0 record and earned a berth in the WPIAL playoffs. Frazier’s first-round win over South Side Beaver snapped a five-year winning drought for that conference’s teams. Frazier beat Shenango to advance to the semifinals, where Clairton handed the Commodores their only loss in 12 games. Hunter Patterson passed and rushed for a combined 1,289 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.
Milchovich guided the Rams to a second-place finish in the Class AAA Big 10 Conference. The only loss was 13-12 to eventual conference champion Belle Vernon. Ringgold averaged 35 points through the first five games of the season and 27 over the final three games.
Ringgold opened strong in the first round of the playoffs, defeating Ambridge, but ran into a strong Mars team the following week and lost. The Rams finished with an 8-2 record. Chacar Berry and Brenden Small combined for 2,055 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns.
Rossi brought South Fayette to familiar ground this year, an undefeated regular season and a top seed in the WPIAL football playoffs. South Fayette came into the season as the two-time PIAA and WPIAL defending champion and won the Class AA Century Conference for a third straight season.
But the Lions run would end in the WPIAL finals, where Aliquippa snapped a 44-game winning streak, the fourth longest in the nation at the time. South Fayette finished at 12-1. Running back Hunter Hayes was named All-State after rushing for 1,380 yards and scoring 22 touchdowns.