Guido: Former athletes remembered for public service

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, November 21, 2017 | 6:12 PM

As New Kensington police officer Brian Shaw was laid to rest today, we remember him as another former athlete who made his mark in local high school sports before entering law enforcement.

Shaw, killed while making a traffic stop in New Kensington last Friday, was a soccer standout and placekicker for the Burrell Bucs who continued his playing career at Slippery Rock while he studied criminal justice.

On Oct. 12, 2011, Lower Burrell officer Derek Kotecki, 40, was killed in an ambush. Kotecki started for Burrell basketball in 1988 and '89.

On Sept. 19, 1969, Verona officer Joseph Zanella was a victim of the Stanley B. Hoss crime spree that engulfed much of the nation.

Zanella, who like Shaw, was 25 when he died in the line of duty, was the starting center on Verona's 1962 WPIAL championship football team.

Central Catholic assistant hockey coach Paul Sciullo was killed in a shootout in Pittsburgh's Stanton Heights section on April 4, 2009.

This is not to minimize the loss of law enforcement officers who are not associated with high school sports, but recognition of those who learned life's lessons on the scholastic playing field and used that knowledge to serve their communities.

Let's always remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for those they serve.

Heinz Field officials

While no local teams made the trip to Heinz Field Saturday for the four WPIAL finals, there was an Alle-Kiski Valley presence.

Five area officials worked the games in cold and soggy conditions.

Referee Dave Opanowski of Plum and line judge Bob Heinle of Harrison Township worked the Class 3A game in which Quaker Valley defeated Aliquippa in the only 2-0 game in WPIAL championship history.

In Class 4A, referee Bill Roland of Plum and back judge Mark Nitowski of Lower Burrell were on the field as Thomas Jefferson won its eighth football title.

The Class 5A game crew featured head linesman Chas Simoni Jr. of Tarentum.

The 2-0 effect

Last Saturday's 2-0 victory by Quaker Valley over Aliquippa in the Class 3A title game was the first time a WPIAL championship game was decided by that score.

The last 2-0 WPIAL playoff game was in the 1995 Class AAA semifinals when Franklin Regional defeated Montour.

Burrell lost a 2-0 Class AA semifinal game to Ellwood City in 1987.

Saturday's game wasn't the lowest-scoring WPIAL title game in history.

Before overtime was instituted, there were eight 0-0 games, including the scoreless classic between Har-Brack and Donora in 1953.

Fox Chapel crew member honored

Fox Chapel senior Helen Paulini, a member of the Fox Chapel crew team, was recently named to the 2017-18 USRowing Scholastic Honor Roll.

She is one of only 34 students from across the nation to earn a spot on the Honor Roll.

The students were chosen from 114 nominations received from athletes representing 62 clubs and school programs across the U.S. Applicants are selected based on high grade point averages and test scores, as well as their rowing accomplishments.

The USRowing Scholastic Honor Roll recognizes high school seniors who have excelled in both academics and rowing. Applicants must be USRowing members, have rowed or coxed at least one year, and successfully competed at or above the league or regional level.

Paulini has a 4.41 weighted GPA and hopes to study engineering or computer science at a college yet to be determined.

George Guido is a Valley News Dispatch scholastic sports correspondent. His column appears Wednesdays.

Tags: Burrell, Fox Chapel