MONESSEN - The old and the new shared the spotlight at the 21st annual Mon Valley Team Pittsburgh Chapter Sports Banquet Tuesday at the St. Spyridon Center.

Receiving the organization's Person of the Year Award was 1952 Pitt graduate Arch Rodriguez.

"I'm very humbled and appreciative of this award," said Rodriguez, a Donora native. "Fifty-six years ago I went to Pitt and it was the greatest decision I ever made. It was a no-brainer because it was only 23 miles from home and the great tradition. My greatest thrill was watching my three kids get degrees from Pitt."

Meanwhile, two Charleroi Area High graduates - Dan LaCarte and Amanda Spina - were cited as Pitt senior student athletes.

"When this banquet started I was 2 years old and have put on 280 pounds," smiled LaCarte, a 290-pound guard who started 33 games over the past three years for the Panthers' football team.

"My family instilled the work ethic in me and I want to thank Jim Dumm (former Charleroi High football coach) who made football fun and rewarding and Walt Harris (Pitt football coach) who gave me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing in the major college ranks," he went on. "I was in really good company because six of my teammates were selected in the NFL draft."

Spina spent the past two seasons as a member of the college's cheerleading squad which was ranked fourth in the country and followed the football and basketball teams.

"I always thought the Charleroi-Jeannette football game would be the biggest crowd I'd ever cheer in front of," grinned Spina. "I ended up cheering in front of 85,000 at one game."

Pitt had one of its best representations in the banquet's history with Harris, athletic director Jeff Long, men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon and women's basketball coach Agnus Berenato all speaking.

"We didn't play like we could or should have," said Harris coming off an 8-4 showing which included a 1-3 finish and 23-16 loss to Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl. "It was a heckuva season because we played for a BCS bowl bid and the Big East championship. We lost to a Miami team that had six NFL first-round draft choices and had four home sellouts in a row which may be a school first.

"Another highlight was being at the Heisman Trophy presentation with Larry (Fitzgerald)," he added. "A while ago we just wished we could be there."

Dixon, who was named the Big East Coach of the Year in his rookie season after four years as a Panther assistant, was pleased to make his first banquet.

"I've been to the Mon Valley weekly meetings and know where our support comes from," he said. "This is where the roots are."

Winning 31 games and being ranked in the top 10 nationally has made Dixon's job tough.

"Working on scheduling isn't easy because people are not calling us," he said.

Berenato went 6-20 in her Pitt debut after leaving Georgia Tech as the Yellow Jackets' all-time winningest coach with 223 victories in 15 sesons.

"Right now we're building and it will take some time," she said. "We will get it done I promise you in a couple of a years."

Like Berenato, Long has his work cut out for him as he prepares for his second season.

"We took a hit financially with the Big East losing Miami and Virginia Tech," he said. "Scholarship cost has risen to $7 million and we've raised $3.2 million through Team Pittsburgh which shows the challenge we're facing."


Brian Herman can be reached at bherman@tribweb.com OR 724-684-2667.