PENNSYLVANIA PREPS Football coach tackles duty of superintendent

South Allegheny's Pat Risha didn't shy away from the opportunity.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
When Pat Risha became superintendent of the South Allegheny School District in 1999, he figured his football coaching days were finished. He was wrong.
Risha decided to become South Allegheny's coach after Terry George turned down the job. George, the former West Allegheny coach, decided not to accept after being hired only by a 5-4 vote. The school board approved Risha by a 5-2 vote.
Some principals are high school football coaches -- Jack McCurry at North Hills among them -- but it is almost unheard of for a superintendent to also be a football coach.
"I coached football and was the principal at Clairton for seven or eight years, so I know what I'm getting into," Risha said.
"Actually, being the principal is just as demanding a job, maybe even more demanding, as being superintendent. In that way, it will be a little easier on me."
Risha was Clairton's coach for 17 years and was in District 7 playoffs 14 times. Clairton reached the District 7 Class A championship game five times, winning one title.
"When Terry decided to turn down the job [June 10] ... classes were going to be out for the summer the next day and I didn't want to send the players home not knowing who the coach was going to be," Risha said. "That's when I decided I'd just step in and take over."
He isn't sure if this will be a one-year deal. Dan Matsook was the assistant superintendent at Neshannock High School when he took over as football coach several years ago, but that was just for one season.
"I'll take it a step at a time and see how this goes. The main thing is the players know who's going to be coaching the team," Risha said.
As for whether he will answer to himself if there are problems, Risha laughed.
"I'll follow the procedures and go to my high school principal and athletic director first," he said. "When I'm on the field, I'll be the coach, not the superintendent."
Boston College bound
Camp Hill Trinity quarterback Chris Crane has verbally committed to Boston College.
Penn State, Maryland, Connecticut, Clemson and Vanderbilt were also recruiting the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Crane.
Crane completed 78 of 142 passes for 1,188 yards and 14 touchdowns with six interceptions in a conservative offense last season. Crane was also a starter on the school's PIAA Class AA basketball championship team.
On the run
Shaler High School middle distance runner Sam Bair is headed to Kent State. Bair set the PIAA Class AAA record in the 1,600-meter run as a junior,
A recent Shaler graduate, Bair missed most of this track season with a broken bone in his right foot. He was one of the top milers in the country before the injury.
His father, Sam, was an outstanding distance runner at Kent State in the mid-1960s and still holds a number of school records. Bair Jr. turned down offers from Pitt and Arkansas.
On the move
Joe Falletta left Hopewell to take the boys basketball coach job at Montour, but wasn't at the school very long.
Falletta resigned at Montour before coaching a game to become North Hills' basketball coach. He replaces Wayne Brookhart, whose Indians were 62-61 in five seasons.
Falletta's teams had an eight-season record of 142-89 at Hopewell. The Vikings reached the District 7 Class AAA title game this year.
Falletta left Hopewell in May to replace Ed Wovchko, who had resigned at Montour. After Falletta left, Hopewell hired Mark Javens as its boys coach.
Javens was the coach at Community College of Beaver County for 10 years and guided his team to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II national title in 1997. His teams won more than 300 games at CCBC.
Montecalvo to Canon-MAC?
Former Washington High School football coach Guy Montecalvo has accepted an offer from Canon-McMillan's administration to become the school's football coach and athletic director.
Montecalvo, 47, resigned as the Little Prexies' coach in December for personal reasons.
Montecalvo's teams had a 192-71-2 record in 23 seasons at Washington. The Little Prexies win District 7 Class AA championships in 1993 and 2001 and the PIAA Class AA title in 2001, when they were 15-0.
If hired Monday at Canon-McMillan's school board meeting, Montecalvo would succeed Dan Pallante, who held both positions.
Pallante's teams were 20-19 in his four seasons at the school, winning or sharing two District 7 Quad West Conference titles.