Central Catholic football coaches deliver WPIAL championship rings door to door
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Saturday, May 2, 2020 | 4:34 PM
Central Catholic seniors Matt Altsman (left) and Luke Harris show off their WPIAL championship rings after a ceremony with coaches Saturday, May 2, 2020, at Harris’ home in Cranberry.
Central Catholic defensive coordinator Dave Fleming presents senior Luke Harris with his WPIAL championship ring Saturday, May 2, 2020, in the driveway at Harris’ home in Cranberry.
Central Catholic special teams coach Ron Fuchs talks with senior Luke Harris next to Matt Altsman after they received their WPIAL championship rings Saturday, May 2, 2020, at Harris’ home in Cranberry.
Central Catholic seniors received their WPIAL championship rings Saturday, May 2, 2020, during ceremonies with Vikings coaches.
Central Catholic seniors Matt Altsman (left) and Luke Harris check out their WPIAL championship rings after a ceremony with coaches Saturday, May 2, 2020, at Harris’ home in Cranberry.
What’s better than one WPIAL ring ceremony? How about 23?
The covid-19 outbreak kept Central Catholic’s football coaches from handing out championship rings at school like they’d planned, so they decided to hand-deliver the rings to the 23 seniors on the roster that won the WPIAL Class 6A title.
The deliveries started Saturday morning.
“These kids had so much taken away from them with this situation,” Central Catholic coach Terry Totten said. “Getting this ring today is something they’ll remember and something that can never be taken from them.”
Central Catholic defeated Pine-Richland, 10-7, in the WPIAL championship Nov. 16 at Heinz Field. The Vikings have become accustomed to handing out championship rings, just not this way. Last fall’s championship was the program’s seventh WPIAL title overall and its fourth this decade.
“We felt like we needed to bring something back to the senior class,” said defensive coordinator Dave Fleming, one of five coaches delivering rings. “We had a great year. We didn’t want it to be overshadowed by covid. … We felt like, what’s a better way to rekindle their spirit?”
The deliveries were divided between Totten, Fleming, offensive coordinator Steve Bezila, special teams coach Ron Fuchs and quarterbacks coach Tony Colaizzi. However, several coaches met up Saturday afternoon in Cranberry to give rings to Luke Harris and Matt Altsman, two senior captains.
The underclassmen will receive their rings once the school building reopens. But the coaches wanted the seniors to have them before graduation.
Harris and Altsman shared their appreciation.
“We graduate in a couple of weeks. We’ll never be back in the building as a student again,” said Altsman, who’s headed to Pitt. “So it’s nice to have something to remember it by.”
Harris, a Duquesne recruit, said: “It’s kind of tough when you didn’t know it would be your last day of school. When you get the ring, it’s a nice little remembrance.”
???????? https://t.co/xm25aWvcms pic.twitter.com/bcsjBRdYdi
— A’maar Allen (@A1_D1_Savage) May 2, 2020
Thank you coaches and @PCC_FOOTBALL for delivering and giving me the opportunity to play for this great team and the chance to get this beautiful ring!! Miss you guys and good luck next year! pic.twitter.com/CugHJvKEyy
— Adam Joseph Kozera (@akozera63) May 2, 2020
#NewProfilePic @flem021 pic.twitter.com/gshoC5hvJv
— Gusty Sunseri (@G_Moneyy12) May 2, 2020
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Central Catholic
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