Long road turns to title game for Sapotichne
Paul Sapotichne slammed the car door and turned the key in the ignition, anger spilling over his face.
He would resolve this situation, once and for all, or he wasn't the boys basketball coach at Greensburg Salem High School.
It was the summer of 2006, and Sapotichne's team was participating in a camp at Gannon University, near Erie.
One night, three seniors decided it would be a good idea to sneak out of the hotel and visit a nearby McDonald's "” a serious breach of the rules that Sapotichne had set down prior to the trip.
Chris Klimchock, only a sophomore at the time, stayed back, tucked safely in his bed. He had decided "” along with his buddy Jerry Cooley "” that a Big Mac and fries were not worth the wrath sure to wash over the players if Sapotichne caught them.
"Coach got in the car and drove around town, looking for them," Klimchock said. "He couldn't find them, but once the guys got back to the hotel, he flipped out on them. We never saw him act like that. We were definitely scared."
The wayward players were punished by having to run 100 sprints in the morning, Klimchock said. More significantly, Greensburg Salem played six games at camp that day "” and won them all.
"It was the right thing for (Sapotichne) to do," Klimchock said. "He had to make sure he had control of the team. He definitely took care of it."
No wonder, then, that under Sapotichne's control and care, he has led his team one step from the single greatest achievement in high school basketball in Pennsylvania "” a PIAA championship. In his 26th season as head coach, Sapotichne will lead Greensburg Salem into the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University to play Archbishop Carroll in the Class AAA title game. Tipoff is tonight at 8.
Greensburg Salem is 89-18 over the past four seasons, or since Sapotichne made Klimchock, now one of the state's premier guards, a starter at the outset of his freshman season.
It's been mostly a smooth ride for Sapotichne, 56, a native of Springdale and a Westminster College graduate, who moved to Greensburg 28 years ago to start what has become a successful real estate appraisal business and to take over the school's basketball program.
He started out in 1984 with consecutive records of 2-22 and 3-19, a dubious distinction that represents a record number of losses for a two-year span in Greensburg Salem history. More to the point, in the 24 seasons since then, Greensburg Salem has had only six other losing seasons. Overall, Sapotichne has compiled a career record there of 349-287.
He said he wants to coach at least three more years because one of his assistants, Chris Neurohr, has a son who is a freshman.
"He said he wants me to coach him through high school," Sapotichne said.
It was after the team finished 3-21 in 2001 that superintendent of schools Thomas M. Yarabinetz gave Sapotichne a vote of confidence.
"He said he admired how hard the kids played and how well the kids represented our school district," Sapotichne said. "He said you are going to win again, and probably soon. He said, as far as I am concerned, this is your job for life."
The next year, Greensburg Salem was 17-8, starting a run of seven seasons in the past eight with at least 15 victories.
There is no secret to Greensburg Salem's success. The Golden Lions play a switching man-to-man defense that forces the other team's offense to step out of character. And they play with intensity.
"You pretty much know what you are going to get," said Laurel Highlands coach Rick Hauger, whose team won Section 3-AAA this season, with Greensburg Salem finshing second. "Their kids are always respectful, they always play hard. They play clean and they play tough."
The team has been amazingly efficient in close games in the PIAA tournament, winning the past three by margins of two, one and one point, respectively.
If tonight's game is close, Hauger said he knows how it will end.
"If it's coming down to the wire, I put my money on Greensburg Salem."
More than anything, however, Sapotichne demands appropriate behavior on the court. He said one of his irretractable rules is that anyone who gets a technical foul in a game must run 50 sprints the next day.
"I tell them they are representing me, yourself and your families," he said. "I remember what (former Springdale coach) Chuck DeVenzio once told me: 'I just want them to act like human beings.' It's a pretty simple comment, but it makes sense to me."
Additional Information:
For the record
Greensburg Salem coach Paul Sapotichne's year-by-year record:
Year/Record
1984 â⢠2-22
1985 â⢠3-19
1986 â⢠11-10
1987 â⢠11-11
1988 â⢠15-10
1989 â⢠19-5
1990 â⢠11-12
1991 â⢠17-8
1992 â⢠13-12
1993 â⢠13-9
1994 â⢠15-10
1995 â⢠8-16
1996 â⢠12-13
1997 â⢠13-12
1998 â⢠14-10
1999 â⢠19-8
2000 â⢠9-15
2001 â⢠3-21
2002 â⢠17-8
2003 â⢠5-19
2004 â⢠15-9
2005 â⢠15-10
2006 â⢠21-4
2007 â⢠23-2
2008 â⢠22-7
2009 â⢠23-5
Total â⢠349-287
