Risko resigns as Lady Wolves head coach

RURAL VALLEY - In the last 10 years Farrell's Harriett Morrison and Shannock Valley/West Shamokin bench boss Mark Risko have staged some of the greatest coaching battles in WPIAL volleyball history.

The two have combined to win each of the last 10 WPIAL titles, five state titles and made 10 appearances in the PIAA-AA/A title match.

That classic battle apparently won't continue into next season.

Citing personal reasons Risko, after approval of his resignation by the Armstrong School Board stepped down as the head coach of the Lady Wolves.

When contacted Risko declined to comment on his decision, but his work at the two schools speaks for itself.

In 1996 Risko's Shannock Valley team finished second to Farrell in the WPIAL-AA finals, but rolled through the PIAA-AA meet and wound up in the title match against Richland-Cambria. Despite coming up short the team used it as motivation for the following year which turned out to be a magical season for the Lady Spartans.

Shannock Valley rolled out to a 17-0 start to the season and, as they had four of the previous five years, battled with Morrison and her Lady Steelers for the championship. But this time, led by two first-team all-state outside hitters, Laura Hall and Cameran Drake, the Lady Spartans captured the school's first WPIAL title in any sport since 1957 with a 15-7, 15-11 win the title game.

That win was only the beginning. Shannock Valley rolled through the PIAA-AA tournament at Shippensburg University undefeated and showed they weren't a fluke as the team capped off a perfect 25-0 season by whipping Farrell in straight sets 15-4, 16-14. It went down as the only state championship in Shannock Valley High School history.

Risko also led the team to a repeat of its WPIAL-AA title in 1998 with a 16-14, 15-0 romp over section rival Elderton in the championship game. But at Rec Hall in University Park the team faltered, dropping back-to-back decisions for the first time in two years and failed to make it into out of the first day's round-robin competition to defend its title.

In 1999 Shannock Valley continued to be dominant in sectional play but could not find the old fire in the WPIAL finals. The Lady Spartans lost to Farrell in the title game 12-15, 15-7, 18-16, and were again knocked out on the first day.

The next year showed another slight decline for Risko's team. Despite changing names to West Shamokin after the merger with Dayton and finishing second to Farrell in the newly-formed WPIAL-A finals, the Lady Wolves were ousted in a state-playoff qualifier, 15-5, 15-10, 15-8 by Bishop Guilfoyle.

But 2001, which turned out to be Risko's last, was a return to the elite as well. West Shamokin again finished second to Farrell in the WPIAL-A finals, but put their game on cruise control and fairly breezed through the PIAA-A tournament and into the finals for a rematch.

Led by two first team all-state players, setter Allia Caresani and outside hitter Layna Heilman-Houser, the Lady Wolves played perhaps the best game in their brief history and staved of several championship points to take a 13-12 lead in the third game of the match. But West Shamokin would never get those two points as Farrell rebounded for a 15-3, 14-16, 15-13 win.

"They could have very easily been down and out," Risko said afterward. "We had our opportunity at the end but it wasn't meant to be."

Neither was another season for Risko.