Top 10 Male Athletes (Sept. 1999 to present)

Blogger's note: This is the final installment of the 10th anniversary series, commemorating the best of local high school sports in the past 10 years. Today's topic - top male athletes.

10. Joby Lapkowicz, Carmichaels
Lapkowicz accomplished so many things at Carmichaels, Mikes fans believed he could complete a pass to himself or catch one of his 88-90 mph fastballs at home plate. Lapkowicz was Carmichaels' primary offensive threat in football, a defensive-minded guard who could put up points in basketball and one of the best pitchers the area has seen in years. He lost two games on the mound in four years.

9. Nick Wilcox, Peters Township
Wilcox offered glimpses of greatness during his junior year. He assisted on both goals in Peters Township's state soccer championship and averaged nearly 18 ppg in basketball. His senior year goes down in the record books. Wilcox earned all-state honors in soccer and basketball, in addition to winning WPIAL championships in both and making another state title appearance in soccer.

8. Robert Heller, Ringgold
Heller set a NCAA single-season rushing record for freshman at Waynesburg two years ago. Many people forget that he was a standout in three other sports at Ringgold. In basketball, Heller's determination turned him into a reliable scorer. In his only year running track, Heller qualified for the PIAA championships. In baseball, Heller was one of the top leadoff batters in the WPIAL.

7. Mike Hull, Canon-McMillan
Consider Hull's ranking incomplete as he has his senior year to finish. The Penn State recruit's football exploits are stuff of legend in Canonsburg, as is his single-season rushing record and 300-plus tackles. As a sophomore, Hull placed at the PIAA wrestling meet and, that year, batted leadoff for the Big Macs state championship baseball team.

6. Lanfer Simpson, Waynesburg
Every time Simpson carried the football for Waynesburg, a group of die-hard fans yelled, "He's too big." Simpson was also too good. Quick, nimble and agile for his size, Simpson rushed for more than 4,000 yards and was a two-time all-state linebacker in high school. He was a WPIAL wrestling champion and, for good measure, Simpson placed second in the shot put at the state meet his senior year.

5. Andrew Sweat, Trinity
Like Heller, people tend to think of Sweat strictly from a football perspective. That's slighting the man selected as the 2007 O-R Boys Athlete of the Year. Sure, he's one of the best high school linebackers Washington County has seen during the decade, but his skill set in basketball was far better than he receives credit for and his big bat was a big reason Trinity made the state playoffs that year. Missing that bat (Sweat graduated early) might have kept them from winning the 2008 state title.

4. Lee Fritz, Waynesburg
Arguably the most clutch athlete to come through the area the past decade, Fritz found ways to win more big games over a three-year stretch than some high schools have ever won. The quarterback and safety on three of the greatest football teams in Waynesburg history - including the 1999 WPIAL championship quad - Fritz became the first district player to run and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. His bat and pitching arm also got Waynesburg to one PIAA championship game and a WPIAL championship.

3. Coleman Scott, Waynesburg
Will Scott be the last three-time PIAA champion to wrestle in these parts? Chances are he's not but until someone else comes along, the guess here is my esteemed colleague Joe Tuscano (operator of the Mat Matters blog) would name Scott the "Wrestler of the Decade." Maybe wrestling fans should encourage him to do one. (After all, he needs something to do). Scott's wrestling abilities make him a shoo-in for this list but what ranks him so high is that he was also an outstanding all-section soccer player.

2. Dan Mozes, Washington
Recently named by the Varsity Letters as the best local football player of the past 10 years, readers don't likely need reminded of Mozes' havoc-wreaking ways on the football field. I can still see him spending most of the 2001 game versus Waynesburg chasing the Raiders' quarterback everywhere. Mozes also played basketball on some excellent Prexies teams in a role similar to what Bryan Thomas provided during the 2008-09 season. In the spring, Mozes played first base and annually ranked among the top offensive producers in the WPIAL for Wash High's baseball team.

1. Jim Gallagher, Peters Township
Speaking of baseball, the area has not seen a better player the past decade than Peters Township's Jim Gallagher, who was inexplicably not selected as the O-R Boys Athlete of the Year in 2004 by the sports staff (he got my vote). A top-notch defensive outfielder, Gallagher hit with the best of them and did it in clutch situations, like the PIAA playoffs. A dual-threat quarterback, Gallagher had scholarship offers from as far away as Stanford.

Top 10 female athletes (Sept. 1999 to present)

Blogger's note: The following is the fifth in a series commemorating the best in local high sports of the past decade. Today's topic – best female athletes.

10. Brittany Taylor, Canon-McMillan
Part of a trio which included Natasha Williams (on the basketball team at Akron) and Cameron Jones (an incredible athlete who stopped playing sports before her senior year at C-M), Taylor was an exceptional talent when healthy. Whether it was volleyball, basketball or track, Taylor excelled at all three. On full scholarship at Ohio Valley University for basketball.

9. Shellie Cotton, Charleroi
The 2001 Observer-reporter Girls Athlete of the Year, Cotton was an outstanding soccer player who led the Cougars to back-to-back PIAA Class AA championship appearances in 1999 and 2000. Her 199 goals are a Pennsylvania girls high school record. Cotton was also a basketball standout.

8. Stephanie Kuhn, Ringgold
The 2003 O-R Girls Athlete of the Year, Kuhn was another three-sport standout (soccer, basketball and track). Kuhn received a full ride from Robert Morris for track and soccer. She was a multiple NCAA-qualifier in the javelin. At the high school level, Kuhn scored more than 50 goals and holds the school record with 52 assists.

7. Rachel Rohanna, Waynesburg
A freshman at Ohio State University, Rohanna carved a golfing legacy within the borders of Greene County. Besides golfing with (and often beating) the boys, Rohanna won two WPIAL and PIAA individual championships. In addition, she was a four-year starter the softball team.

6. Jocelyn Floyd, Washington
At one point during her senior basketball season, Floyd recorded six consecutive triple-doubles. In each game, she topped double figures in points, rebounds and steals. A member of Duquesne University's basketball team, Floyd is arguably the best defensive basketball player Washington County has seen. She was also contributed heavily to the softball team.

5. Amanda Kennedy, Bentworth
Kennedy, part of the Marshall University track team and the 2009 O-R Girls Athlete of the Year, had yet to graduate from Bentworth and was already being called the greatest female athlete in school history. Hard to argue. Kennedy was an All-WPIAL talent in volleyball, the Bearcats' record holder in rebounds and the first athlete in Bentworth history to win multiple PIAA track and field medals.

4. Paige McMenamin, Peters Township
These days, McMenamin is winning national championships as part of the Northwestern University women's lacrosse team. During the 2006-07 school year, McMenamin put together one dominating performance after another. Besides being one of the WPIAL's premier field hockey players, McMenamin led Peters Township to a WPIAL lacrosse championship and earned All-America status. She was also the 2007 O-R Girls Athlete of the Year.

3. Brianna Liebold, Chartiers-Houston
Whether it was soccer or track, Liebold's considerable abilities drew considerable attention during her days at Chartiers-Houston. The most recent track great from Washington County, Liebold won four PIAA gold medals (two long jump, two triple jump) and remains among the top 12 in WPIAL history in each event. The 2006 O-R Girls Athlete of the Year, scored 139 goals in soccer.

2. Jaci Timko, Chartiers-Houston
Timko's offensive production may never be matched. A three-time O-R Softball player of the Year, Timko hit 32 home runs during her four years with the Bucs. She batted over .500 with a near .700 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage over 1.000. Timko played in one state championship game and helped C-H win three consecutive WPIAL Class A titles. Timko's softball abilities landed her in Sports Illustrated.

1. Charel Allen, Monessen
Allen left Monessen with one state title and an amazing 3,110 points. That total ranks second in WPIAL history (to fellow Greyhounds great Gina Naccarato) and fifth in state history. Allen went on to Notre Dame, where she was a team captain and a two-time All-Big East first-teamer. She played one year in the WNBA with Sacramento.

Top 10 programs (Sept. 1999 to present)

Blogger's note: The following is the fourth in a series celebrating the best of local high school sports from the past decade. Today's topic – top programs.

10. California baseball
California won WPIAL Class A championships in 2001 and 2006. The Trojans also had a runner-up finish in 2007. All were under the direction of head coach Don Hartman, a key player on California's 1983 WPIAL Class AA championship team. Cal finished one run short of playing for the 2007 PIAA Class A championship.

9. Washington boys basketball
The Prexies win games, usually more than 20 per year and claimed at least a share of eight section titles during the decade. In 2009, Wash High held a 12-point lead in the PIAA Class AA semifinals. Wash High never missed the playoffs during the stretch and reached the PIAA quarterfinals on two other occasions for recently retired head coach Ron Faust.

8. Washington girls basketball
Like the boys, the Wash High girls dominate play in Section 5-AA most years whether the coach is Mike Maltony, Jim Tidball or the combo of Bill Fleissner and Frank Yanni. Wash High loses a section game as often as the United States votes for a president. They've topped the 25-win plateau on four occasions, reached the PIAA semifinals once, the state playoffs seven times and played for one WPIAL title.

7. Monessen boys basketball
Last time Monessen missed the WPIAL playoffs was 1981, an incredible streak of 28 straight years. That number is tops in the WPIAL. Led by head coach Joe Salvino, the Greyhounds won WPIAL Class A titles in 2001 and 2002. Since moving to Class AA, Monessen remains a power and qualified for the PIAA playoffs in consecutive years.

6. Peters Township boys golf
When it comes to competing for WPIAL Division I team titles, Peters Township always contends for head coach Dave Kuhn. In addition to producing a long list of NCAA Division I golfers, the Indians have won WPIAL team titles in 2004 and 2008. Last year, they became the first WPIAL team to compete in the PIAA team tournament and placed second. This year, Peters Township is undefeated.

5. Carmichaels baseball
Thanks to the fundamentally-sound approach of head coach Dave Bates and an outstanding string of quality pitchers, Carmichaels has been the standard-bearer for Class A baseball in the WPIAL. The Mikes won WPIAL titles in 2003, 2005 and 2008 with runner-up finishes in 2004 and 2009. Carmichaels reached the 2008 PIAA Class A championship and made the semifinals in 2004.

4. Monessen girls basketball
Major Corley, the recently retired head coach of Monessen girls basketball, has been blessed with incredible talent, including the top two scorers in WPIAL history (new head coach Gina Naccarato and Charel Allen). With Allen leading the way, Monessen won WPIAL and PIAA Class A championships in 2004. In 2006, an underdog group won a WPIAL championship.

3. Peters Township baseball
Playing at the sport's highest classification, whether it's been Class AAAA or AAA, Peters Township has qualified for postseason play eight consecutive years. Coached by Joe Maize, the Indians reached the 2003 PIAA semifinals; the PIAA Class AAA championship game in 2004 and 2005. They enjoyed an undefeated 2006 regular season. Peters Township capped that by winning WPIAL Class AAAA titles in 2007 and 2008.

2. Chartiers-Houston softball
Chartiers-Houston won WPIAL Class A championships in 2005, 2006 and 2007, all for coach Tricia Alderson, once dubbed "Queen of the No-Hitter" by the Observer-Reporter during her playing days. The Bucs also played for a PIAA Class A title in 2005. They did the same in 2003 and 2000 when Dan Ross was head coach.

1. Peters Township boys soccer
Go back 25 years and it's difficult to find any team that can top the success enjoyed by the Peters Township boys soccer team.

And, over the past 10 years, no one has done more.

A steady stream of Division I talent, All-State players and a few All-Americans have continued a tradition of winning.

Peters Township won WPIAL Class AAA titles in 2003 and 2008. The first one with head coach Rob Eldridge. The second with head coach Bob Dyer. In between the two championships, Peters Township finished as WPIAL runner-up in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

In 2007, Peters Township won the PIAA Class AAA championship (the third in its short history) when Shane Pruitt's overtime goal gave the Indians a 2-1 win over Downingtown West. Peters Township returned to the state title match a year later, this time losing to Downingtown West.

Top 10 football players (Sept. 1999 to present)

Blogger's note: This is the third installment of the 10th anniversary series. It covers the top 10 football players and it was, by far, the most difficult to judge. There are WPIAL record setters and big-time Division I players who did not make this list.

10. Jim Gallagher, Peters Township
Gallagher was so good at baseball, most people forget he remains one of the most heavily recruited quarterbacks from Washington County the past 15 years. An excellent passer, Gallagher could hit the deep receiver, complete the touch pass or rifle it into traffic. His best attributes were his feet and his knowledge of the game.

9. Doug Rheam, Canon-McMillan
The perfect fit for the Big Macs' offense, Rheam was a quarterback who could outrun defenders, run them over and pass with surprising accuracy. As a linebacker, he was one of the WPIAL's best and, thanks to his stellar senior year, the O-R quit naming an Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year because he was both.

8. Ernest "Mick" Williams, Monessen
A dominating nose tackle at Pitt, Williams was a fullback and linebacker for the Greyhounds and one of the best small-school players in recent memory. Delivered the biggest hit I've ever witnessed at a high school game when, on the final play at Carmichaels, he leveled the Mikes running back near the sideline. Still can't get the sound of that impact from my memory.

7. Travis Thomas, Washington
Thomas graduated Washington as the No. 3 rusher in school history, heady company for the future Notre Dame special teams captain. A rare combination of size, speed and power, Thomas could break a 90-yard run as easily as he could grind out three yards on fourth-and-1. He was also an outstanding linebacker.

6. Andrew Sweat, Trinity
A four-year starter (his freshman year was at safety), Sweat emerged during Trinity's 2005 WPIAL Class AAAA playoff run. His quarterfinal performance against Mt. Lebanon and a game at West Mifflin during his junior year go down in Hillers history. Sweat might be the surest tackler to hit Washington County in decades.

5. Lanfer Simpson, Waynesburg
Simpson's junior year was every bit as good as Sweat's junior year at Trinity. The bruising fullback rushed for 1,000 yards or more in three straight season to finish with 4,010 in his career. As a linebacker, he's one of the best in school history plus he played in two WPIAL Class AA championships, winning one.

4. Lee Fritz, Waynesburg
Fritz was never much of a talker, he let his play do everything for him and, to this date, I've yet to cover an athlete at the high school level who found as many ways to win as he did. Fritz could do everything on the football field and, until recently, was the only quarterback in WPIAL history to run and throw for 1,000 yards in the same season. The scary thing is he was a better defensive back.

3. Bobby Hathaway, Carmichaels
Watching Hathaway punish opponents during his playing days with the Mikes could be frightening. In every game and versus every opponent, he was clearly the best player on the football field. A dominating runner, Hathaway could run at fullback or tailback with equal success. At linebacker, few players every finished a tackle as thoroughly as the leading scorer in Carmichaels history.

2. Mike Hull, Canon-McMillan
Who knows? By the end of his senior year, Hull could top this list. He's that good. A starter since his freshman year, Hull adds a dimension of game-breaking speed to the fullback position and he's nearing 3,000 rushing yards for his career. At middle linebacker, Hull has no peers. That's why many believe he'll be the next great one at Penn State.

1. Dan Mozes, Washington
When Wash High needed one-yard for a touchdown on a fourth-and-1 in the 2001 PIAA Class AA championship, the play call was the run behind Dan Mozes. And J.R. Ward found a huge hole to go through as the Prexies went on to win. An All-American center at West Virginia (he even appeared in Playboy), Mozes was the most dominant defensive lineman this area has seen in some time. That's why he was the 2001 Defensive Player of the Year.

He's also the best high school football player this area has had the past decade.


Honorable mention (all these players were considered for the Top 10)
Perry Ivery (Fort Cherry), Mike Vernillo (Fort Cherry), Robert Heller (Rinngold), Mike Yancich (Trinity), Ben Jennings (Trinity), Donte Valentino (California), Mike Sutton (Washington), Andrew DiDonato (South Fayette), Marques Parks (South Fayette),Cody Endres (Trinity), Doug Fife (Peters Township), J.J. Knabb (Peters Township), Dan Conley (Burgettstown), Rocky Doman (Carmichaels)

Top 10 Moments (Sept. 1999 to present)

Blogger's note: This is the second in a series covering the last 10 years of local high school sports. Today's topic – best moments.






10. Zach Jeney's home run lifts California to WPIAL Class A title
Jeney's arm carried Cal through the playoffs. His bat won the Trojans' third WPIAL baseball title. Jeney blasted a one-out, two-run home run over the centerfield fence at Consol Energy Park in the top of the seventh inning to give Cal a 5-4 lead. Jeney then struck out two in the bottom of the seventh to beat Geibel.

9. Jordan Jankowski goes yard – four times
Jankowski won two WPIAL Class AAAA championships at Peters Township and graduated as the district's all-time home run hitter. What he did on a chilly April afternoon in 2007 against Mt. Lebanon may not be topped any time soon. Jankowski went 5-for-5 with four home runs and eight RBI.

8. Christian Goetz wins WPIAL in dramatic fashion
After 18 holes, Burgettstown's Goetz was tied with three others, including John Popeck (then of Trinity), for first place at the 2005 WPIAL Boys Golf Individual Championship at Sewickley Heights Country Club. On the second playoff hole, Goetz drained a 65-foot chip to win the tournament. He went on to win a share of the PIAA title.

7. Trinity upsets Penn Hills
Mike Wise's 25-yard field goal with 7.5 seconds remaining lifted 15th-seeded Trinity over Penn Hills in the first round of the 2005 WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs. It remains one of the biggest upsets since the WPIAL expanded to a 16-team playoff format. Wise also kicked a 48-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and Ben Jennings for 264 yards and two scores.

6. Ringgold brings back its legends
Ringgold opened the 2006 season in style. First, the school honored its inaugural Hall of Fame class. The inductees were Joe Montana, Stan Musial, Ken Griffey Sr. and Fred Cox. Only Musial was unable to attend. In addition, the football field was renamed Joe Montana Stadium for the man many believe to be the best quarterback in NFL history.

5. Timko sisters beat the boys
Karli Timko and Tanya Timko won PIAA and WPIAL Class AA doubles championships while representing the Chartiers-Houston girls tennis team. When that team folded before the 2008 school year, the Timkos opted to join the boys team. Both proved to be dominant singles players and, when it came time for postseason doubles play, they drew considerable attention.

The Timko sisters rolled through the WPIAL Class AA boys bracket, becoming the first girls to win the District 7 boys doubles title on May 1, 2009. Their quest to become state champions ended in the first round.

4. Jim Gallagher steals spotlight
Fans flocked to Consol Energy Park on June 7, 2004 to watch Pine-Richland's Neil Walker play baseball on the day the Pittsburgh Pirates made him the 11th overall selection in the Major League Baseball Draft. In this PIAA Class AAA first-round game, Walker belted a home run that may still be the longest hit at the Wild Things' ballpark.

Gallagher, however, tied the game in the seventh with a dramatic solo home run before his eighth-inning single lifted the Indians to an 8-6 win. PT went on to play for the state title.

3. Mike Vernillo sets WPIAL rushing record
Fort Cherry's Mike Vernillo found a hole in the middle of the Cornell defense and, seven yards later, entered the WPIAL record books. The culmination of countless 20, 40, 60 and 80-yard runs, Vernillo's seven-yard run broke the WPIAL record of 6,512 set by Penn-Trafford's Matt Gavrish in 1997.

Vernillo, a three-time Observer-Reporter Offensive Player of the Year, finished his playing days at Fort Cherry (1996-99) with 7,646 yards. It's a record than may never be broken.

2. Retirement talk sparks Wash High comeback
Frustrated with Washington's play during the first half of its 2001 PIAA Class AA championship versus Pen Argyl, head coach Guy Montecalvo ran out of things to yell about. So, he told the Prexies he was retiring after the game. It was so convincing, Montecalvo's assistants believed him until he took them aside.

Pen Argyl led 12-6 at halftime thanks to three first-half turnovers. Washington won, 19-12, after J.R. Ward ran behind Dan Mozes on a fourth-and-goal at the 1 with 6:33 remaining and Darnell Barnes' second interception secured the win.

1. Shane Pruitt's golden goal wins state championship
It's a moment any athlete in any sports craves – the opportunity to win the big game in a clutch situation. For Peters Township's Shane Pruitt, the dream became reality at the 2007 PIAA Class AAA boys soccer championship.

National power Downingtown West led 1-0 with nine minutes remaining when the Indians' Mark Majoras tied the championship off a Nick Wilcox assist. With 6:18 remaining in overtime, another Wilcox pass found Pruitt. The physically dominating Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year, sprinted past the defender marking him and his left-footed shot went inside the far post.

Pruitt's goal was his sixth of the state playoffs, an extraordinary number considering the competition. It also provided PT its third state soccer championship.

Top 10 teams (Sept. 1999-present)

Blogger's note: This is the first is a series covering the best in local high school sports from Sept. 1999 to present. Today's topic – teams.

10. 2000 Burgettstown boys golf.
A dominant program at the turn of the decade, Burgettstown won four consecutive WPIAL Division II team championship from 1998-2001. For argument's sake, we'll pick the 2000 squad as the best from the past 10 years.

The Blue Devils crushed the competition at the team tournament, winning the championship by 19 strokes over Waynesburg. Burgettstown shot only five stroke off the total shot by Division I winner Upper St. Clair. In addition to that impressive showing, David Vallina and Sean Dove finished first and second at the WPIAL individual championship.

9. 2003 Washington girls basketball.
The No. 1 PIAA Class AA team in the preseason, big things were expected from the Washington Prexies and they came close to delivering.

Led by Class AA Player of the Year and future Seton Hall starter Amber Harris, Washington lost to Girard in the state semifinals by five points to finish 25-5. Wash High lost to Girard in four straight state playoffs.

8. 2004 Peters Township baseball.
They didn't win the WPIAL. They needed to win a third-place game to enter the state tournament. Once there, they nearly won a state title and beat Pine-Richland along with first-round draft pick Neal Walker in a memorable contest along the way.

The 2004 Indians were a senior-laden group led by Jim Gallagher, Anthony Rossi, Aaron Janusey and Sean Karpen. In total, six seniors went on to play college baseball, three at the Division-I level. The group reached the PIAA semifinals for a second straight year and made the first of two straight state championship games for PT.

7. 2005 Chartiers-Houston softball.
Top-to-bottom, the C-H softball teams of the last 1990s may have boasted more talent, but this group started a run of three straight WPIAL Class A championships and reached the state final.

Led by a fresh-faced freshman named Jaci Timko, the Bucs lost one regular season game to Trinity. They won a WPIAL championship by beating powerhouses Beth-Center and Leechburg. Then, the Bucs beat the Bulldogs again in the state semifinals before losing to Minersville in the championship.

6. 2008 Carmichaels baseball.
The 2003 Mikes scored more runs but this group gutted out wins and became the first sports team from Carmichaels since the softball team won it all in 1999 to play for a state championship. (Note to bloggers: the Mikes' 1999 PIAA Class AA title was won before my hire date. Thus they are ineligible for this list.)

Led by pitcher Joby Lapkowicz and Chuck Gasti, Carmichaels could win the close games and blow outs lesser opponents. The Mikes won their third WPIAL Class A championship for head coach Dave Bates and finished with a 23-2 record.

5. 2006 Peters Township girls tennis.
Alison Riske spent one year with the Peters Township girls tennis team and the Indians made it count. As Riske smashed her way to PIAA and WPIAL singles championships, she carried the Indians to the PIAA Class AAA team championship.

Now at Vanderbilt, Riske was considered the No. 2 college tennis recruit in the country. Another key member in the title run was Julie Stroyne, then a freshmen

4. 1999 Waynesburg football.
Many believe these Raiders were the state's best Class AA team in 1999 as Lee Fritz and Lanfer Simpson formed a powerful one-two punch. Waynesburg rolled through the WPIAL, beating Wash High in the championship at Three Rivers.

A tough defense, fueled by middle linebacker Greg Carson and a great defensive front, helped Waynesburg to a 13-0 record before the Raiders made a couple costly mistakes in the red zone during the PIAA semifinals versus Tyrone, which won the state title.

3. 2008 Canon-McMillan baseball.In winning the 2008 PIAA Class AAAA championship so convincingly, the Big Macs can stake a claim that they are the best baseball team from the Washington-Greene region to play since the state tournament was adopted. It's a claim that would be difficult to dispute.

C-M needed to win the WPIAL third-place game to enter the state tournament. The Big Macs did, by one-run, and slipped past Allderdice in the first round. From there, all-staters Matt Pierpont and Chris Dittmar led a great cast of supporting players as they routed their final three opponents.

2. 2007 Peters Township boys soccer.
Shane Pruitt's overtime goal sealed the third PIAA soccer championship in Peters Township history. It also capped the story of one of Washington County's greatest teams.

PT finished 24-2 and No. 12 in the country according to the NSCAA rankings. Pruitt, now at Bucknell, was the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year and an All-American.

1. 2001 Washington football.
The only team from Washington and Greene Counties to win a PIAA football championship and compile a 15-0 record, Wash High had it all - high-powered offense, grind-it-out offensive line, dominating pass rush, hard-hitting linebackers and a lock-down secondary.

The individual talent speaks for itself, so do the 612 points in 15 games - a number that ranked second in WPIAL history at the time.

Dan Mozes went to West Virginia, where he became a consensus All-America center. Travis Thomas started on offense and defense in addition to being a special teams captain at Notre Dame. Justin Gregula played baseball at Old Dominion. J.R. Ward, Tom Giles, Tom Sypula, Dale Calloway, Brian Skaggs and Vontey Johnson were just a few of the standout players.

This team, coached by Guy Montecalvo, literally had no weakness. The Prexies made solid teams like Waynesburg and Seton-La Salle pedestrian. They rolled through the WPIAL playoffs and rallied to beat Pen Argyl in the state championship.

Hats off to the Prexies. The best of the past 10 years.