George Guido: Section basketball play already upon us

By: George Guido
Tuesday, December 10, 2019 | 5:10 PM

Despite being just a few days into the new high school basketball season, section play is upon us already.

The larger sections begin play Thursday and Friday. The smaller sections get going Dec. 19-20.

For many years, section action didn’t start until January. But with shortening the length of the season some time back, schools will start playing for keeps shortly.

The region’s weather is predicted to get nasty about the second week of January, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

The WPIAL has said all postponed games must be made up on the “next nonsection play date.”

Section games must be finished by Feb. 8.

The top four teams in each section qualify for the playoffs. If there is a tie for first place, all tied teams will receive a section plaque.

If, however, there is a tie for the final qualifying spot, head-to-head competition is the first tiebreaker. If the teams tie the season’s series, all will go to the playoffs.

If three or more teams are tied and one team has a superior record in head-to-head play, that team will go.

The WPIAL playoffs begin on Valentine’s Day — Feb. 14.

The WPIAL finals will be Feb. 27-29 at Petersen Events Center.

Remembering Heberling

Word came in Monday that former WPIAL Executive Director Chuck Heberling had died at 94.

He is best known for modernizing the WPIAL. Before he took over, Wilkinsburg principal Bill Lohr headed the WPIAL.

Lohr ran the organization, basically, out of his garage. Heberling brought the WPIAL operations into a permanent location in Green Tree and, among other things, shepherded the explosion of female sports.

During his time, Heberling was an NFL official. He worked two of the most monumental playoff games in league history.

One was the Dallas-Minnesota NFC divisional game Dec. 28, 1975. The Cowboys 14-10 with the ball on the 50 and no timeouts. Roger Staubach heaved a long pass to Drew Pearson. Minnesota defensive back Nate Wright slipped, and Pearson caught the ball for a touchdown with 24 seconds left and a 17-14 Dallas victory.

Afterwards, Staubach, a devout Catholic, told reporters he said a “Hail Mary” before the play, and a new sports term was born.

On Jan. 11, 1987, at the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the Browns led Denver, 20-13, with 5:38 to play in the AFC championship game. The Broncos started at their 2, and John Elway directed a 98-yard, 15-play drive to tie the score with 37 seconds to go.

Denver won in overtime and headed for the Super Bowl, which it lost to Washington.

Cherpak passes Wagner

Another magnificent season was turned in by Thomas Jefferson and coach Bill Cherpak.

The Jaguars won the WPIAL and PIAA titles, going 16-0 on the season.

During the run, Cherpak passed the late Chuck Wagner for fifth place in all-time WPIAL coaching victories. He has 274. Wagner, now in sixth place, finished his career with 270 wins.

TJ has made the WPIAL playoffs in all 25 seasons of Cherpak’s tenure, and the program has won eight WPIAL titles. His teams have made at least the WPIAL semifinals 20 of the past 21 seasons.

Other than creating a good offensive line annually, the secret behind Cherpak’s success is paying attention to the little things on and off the field, just like Wagner and others have done.

An example of that came Monday morning after winning the state finals in Hershey.

The team paraded with through Gill Hall Elementary School with the PIAA trophy and the players wearing their gold medallions with students lining both sides of the hallway. The even is on YouTube.

Don’t think for a minute that the elementary school boys didn’t think someday they want to be a part of the high school’s football program and can see a tangible reward for hard work.

Tags: Springdale