End of era at all-star games
One last high-five. One last bumping of elbows. One last pat on the backside.
Saturday's WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association Class A-AA all-star game will mark the end of an era at Springdale High School. It will bring to a close the decorated careers of seniors Wayne Mundekis and Mike Landers.
Friends since tee ball and midget football, Mundekis and Landers have never been on a losing team -- not as pee wees, not as grade-schoolers, not as elite Springdale Dynamos at the high school level.
"Wow, I really didn't think about this being our last game until now," said Landers, an outfielder for the Class A team, which will take on Class AA at 3:30 p.m. at Washington & Jefferson College's Ross Memorial Park. "I don't think we've kept track of how many games we've played together, but it's been a lot. I think we've been playing since we were like 6. I guess this is it."
With Mundekis and Landers handling the running back duties -- Landers played receiver as a senior -- Springdale became one of the most improved teams in Class A football the past four years.
The Dynamos walked off Heinz Field as WPIAL champions in 2003, completely reviving a program that lay dormant for three decades.
Consider their contribution to the program: They combined to rush for 6,190 yards, caught 1,470 yards worth of passes and scored 73 touchdowns.
"I think the fact we've played together so long, after a while, we started to pick up on each other's tendancies, and we started to click," Mundekis said.
The Springdale baseball team has posted three straight winning seasons and back-to-back playoff appearances with the pair in the lineup.
Landers did not play baseball as a sophomore, however, instead running track.
Unlike Mundekis, a catcher who is playing for the Springdale Palomino team this summer, Landers has dropped baseball to get ready for football next year at Robert Morris.
"When we first started playing football, I remember us talking about just hoping we'd get to play," Mundekis said. "We never thought we'd have done so well."
Mundekis will play football at Oberlin.
"We were in the first District 26 team in the Valley to win it, we were successful in junior high football, and we won a championship in high school," Landers said. "I guess we know each other's game. We mix well."
Other local players scheduled to compete in the Class A-AA game are outfielder Aaron Brown and catcher Adam Snyder of Burrell, infielders Nathan Kutsch and Jesse Stivason of Ford City, infielder Mike McCurdy of Riverview, infielder Scott Orris of Deer Lakes and infielder-pitcher Randy Sturgill of Leechburg.
All of those players except for Sturgill will play for the Class AA team.
Brown almost found himself in an interesting dilemma. He also was selected to play in the Foothills Football Classic set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Norwin. He initially thought about playing in both events but realized he'd have to either cut his time in the baseball game short or arrive late to the football game.
Brown, who has committed to Clarion, where he plans to play baseball and football, chose to skip the Foothills game.
"I committed to the baseball game first, and once I commit, I don't want to go back on my word," said Brown, who said he'd like to do some pitching in the game for the Class AA team. "I wish I could do both. I wish the Foothills was another weekend. But it's all for fun, so it's not that disappointing."
Many players are listed at specified positions but are hoping to play other spots in their final high school game.
Take Ford City's Jesse Stivason, who is listed as an infielder. He can play shortstop and outfield and also pitched for the Sabers.
"I wasn't afraid to put him anywhere," Ford City baseball coach Larry Cujas said. "If I needed an outfielder, he played the outfield, and if I needed a pitcher, he went to the mound."
Another example is Sturgill, who is looking to cap a strong senior season. He is listed as an infielder, but there's no doubt he could give the Class A team some strong innings of relief.
The hard-throwing pitcher/first baseman was a bright spot for the Blue Devils this season. He was involved in one of the most bizarre pitching outings late in the season when he struck out 17, threw a no-hitter, but lost, 1-0, to Vincentian.
In another game, he struck out 16 in an 8-0 loss to Springdale.
The Class AAA team will play Class AAAA following the first game. No local players were named to those teams.
Mundekis and Landers will not be able to attend the awards banquet tonight at the Hilton Garden Inn, Southpointe. They're graduating tonight.
They'll leave commencement as champions.
"Hopefully, we can make the most of this game," Landers said. "We've had a lot of fun."
Additional Information:
All-star games
What: WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association all-star games
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Ross Memorial Park, Washington & Jefferson College, Washington
Matchups: Class A vs. Class AA; Class AAA vs. Class AAAA (immediately following first game)
Local players: Class AA -- Aaron Brown, OF, Burrell; Nathan Kutsch, IF, Ford City; Mike McCurdy, IF, Riverview; Scott Orris, IF, Deer Lakes; Adam Snyder, C, Burrell; Jesse Stivason, IF, Ford City. Class A -- Mike Landers, OF, Springdale; Wayne Mundekis, C, Springdale; Randy Sturgill, IF, Leechburg.
