WESTERN PA. Defending champs falling by wayside

Rochester, in Class A, is the only returning PIAA champion still alive.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The list of returning PIAA football champions still alive in the state playoffs isn't very long.
Rochester.
The Class A Rams are the only team still in the running to repeat, even though the playoffs are only in the district stage.
Last week, 2001 Class AAAA champion Neshaminy was beaten by Ridley 17-16 and Class AAA champion West Allegheny was beaten by Pine-Richland 28-7. West Allegheny made the Class AAA finals the last three seasons.
Class AA champion Washington lost to Freeport in the first round of the District 7 (WPIAL) playoffs two weeks ago.
Rochester (9-2), winner of the last two Class A championships, plays Carmichaels (11-0) in the District 7 semifinals Friday at Upper St. Clair High School.
Going to court
Former Hazleton football coach John Yaccino's age discrimination suit against the school district is scheduled for trial next week in federal court.
Yaccino was 59 when his position was opened by the Hazleton school board, which subsequently hired Rocco Petrone, who was 20 years younger.
School district officials opened the position in January 2000 after parents alleged Yaccino was physically and verbally abusive with players.
Yaccino denied abusing any players, but acknowledged calling them names and lightly kicking some players as a way of instilling discipline. He did not face any criminal charges.
The attorney representing the school board said Yaccino's position was opened because of the alleged abuse and that players will be called to testify to that. He said Yaccino's record of 14-29 from 1996 through 2000 was another factor in opening the position.
Yaccino's attorney has countered that one school board member referred to "young blood" when discussing the coaching position.
Yaccino is asking for unspecified compensatory damages for "humiliation, embarrassment and emotional distress" as well as lost wages and pension benefits that would have been earned if he remained as coach. Yaccino recently retired from his teaching position.
Bednarik to WVU
Bethlehem Catholic quarterback Adam Bednarik has made a verbal commitment to West Virginia.
Bednarik, who didn't start at quarterback until some late-season suspensions last year, has led his team to an 11-0 record heading into Friday's District 11 Class AAAA championship game with Parkland.
Bednarik has completed 131 of 198 passes (66.1 percent) for 2,230 yards and 27 touchdowns.
West Virginia was the only school Bednarik seriously considered.
The Parkland-Bethlehem Catholic game matches two of the state's big-name teams and two of the state's big-name players.
Bethlehem Catholic defeated Parkland 29-28 during the opening week of the season on Bednarik's 1-yard sneak and 2-point conversion pass in overtime.
In that same game, Parkland tailback Austin Scott rushed for 283 yards and all four Parkland touchdowns. Scott was playing his first game since sustaining a season-ending knee injury the year before.
Scott has rushed for 2,971 yards, 118 yards shy of the state single-season record of 3,089 set in 1995 by former East Stroudsburg star James Mungro. Mungro, now of the Indianapolis Colts, returned to the state to run for 114 yards and two touchdowns Sunday against Philadelphia.
Scott has scored 42 touchdowns, six shy of the state record of 48 set by Schuylkill Haven's Jason Killian in 1991.
New field
School directors voted unanimously to replace the grass on Berwick's football field instead of pursuing an artificial surface.
The Monday night vote authorized directors to seek bids for two options, either replacing the sod on the entire field or just between the hash marks.
The first option would cost about $65,000, the second about $40,000, superintendent David Force said. The move would be paid for by raising property taxes.
Some called for installing an artificial turf, which would have cost between $500,000 and $600,000.
Berwick has won a record six AAA titles since the state playoffs began in 1988.