May 22, 2017 6 min read

One might think that with such success, it was all fun and games for the 1977 Wash High baseball team.

The Prexies, shockingly to many, won their second consecutive Section 3 championship then captured three straight WPIAL postseason games to advance to the championship against powerful Penn Hills. In those days, there was just one classification – as opposed to the current six – and only section champions advanced to the WPIAL playoffs.

Along the way, there were dramatic moments, tense situations and a handful of close games.

And it was a whole bunch of fun.

This group could just as easily deliver a walk-off win as it could collecting small tokens at opponents’ home site that filled a special bag of simple treasures.

“It could have been anything from a bar of soap, to a rope, to a noose,” said Frank Zebrasky, a junior left fielder-pitcher on the team. “It as a crazy bunch of ‘split coconuts.'”

As for the “split coconuts,” that came from a song the Prexies used to warm up to before many games. It was a two-word song, “Split Coconut,” by Dave Mason.

Other than those two words, the rest was instrumental.

It was Wash High’s anthem.

“I remember some teams kind of looking at us and saying, ‘Do you guys listen to music before the game?,’ ” said senior right fielder and top-hitter Randy Markey. “It was unorthodox, but it worked for us.”

A lot worked for the Prexies, who were 17-3 overall that season.

A 5-4, eight-inning, non-section win over Ringgold early on hinted at what would become a common theme.

After losing its first two section games, 1-0 to Burgettstown and 7-4 to Chartiers-Houston, the direction of the team changed in a 6-2 win over Immaculate Conception.

“We struggled so badly early on,” said first-baseman Bob Gregg. “We couldn’t score runs, we couldn’t get hits, we couldn’t move runners. We couldn’t do anything. Coach (Bob) Peton juggled the lineup and stuff started happening.”

Wash High reeled off 12 straight victories — five by one or two runs, two in extra innings and a huge, 9-8 victory over Trinity in the season finale to capture the section championship.

“The most amazing thing about our team is how cohesive the guys on the team were,” Zebrasky said. “Whether we were bowling, eating pizza at Osso’s or playing baseball, we were together and we enjoyed one another. It was really a cool thing.”

So cool that Wash High entered the playoffs and proceeded to win three consecutive one-run games — which made five one-run victories in a row going back to the last two section games, that included the win over Trinity and penultimate victory over Avella, 2-1. That win came on a walk-off, walk to Reed Draucker.

Draucker, a catcher-outfielder, was crucial to a 6-3 Wash High win over McGuffey near the end of the regular season, when he belted a first-inning, grand slam after a Highlanders intentional walk.

Another pivotal section victory was an 11-inning, 9-6 decision over Burgettstown. The Prexies pounded out 21 hits, scored three runs in the top of the 11th and standout pitcher Scott Stephens struck out 21 Blue Devils.

“We probably won a few we probably shouldn’t have won,” said Peton. “We knew coming into the season we had a good team coming back. We didn’t get off to a great start and that put us in a hole. But we had good pitching. There were not a whole lot of runs scored in most of the section games. We found ways to win.”

Markey said Peton, who restarted the Wash High baseball program in 1972, was a perfect fit for the team.

“He gave us a lot of freedom,” Markey explained. “Bob Peton was a perfect fit for that group of guys. He was smart enough to see and knew we were all friends and he trusted us.

“I just remember we got on a run and just kept going. That was a blast. Without a doubt, it was the funniest group I have ever been involved with. We knew each other so well. I have never had that much fun.”

Other starting members of the team included catcher-outfielder Dave Molinaro, first basemen Steve Smith, second baseman Dave Bane, shortstop Rick Young, third baseman Mark Standiford, and center fielder Jim Pierson. Reserves were Kent Livingston, Glenn Kunkle, Ed Popeck, Jeff McCoy, Eric Magnone, Rodney Ward, Freemont Catlin, Jim Agnew and Terry Levers.

For Peton, it was his first trip to the WPIAL finals. He would later lead the Prexies to three WPIAL Class AA championships (1997, 1998 and 2002) and a PIAA championship in 1998.

His most vivid memories of the 1977 season are the playoffs.

Wash High defeated Charleroi 6-5, Monaca 5-4, and Hopewell 2-1, in succession to make the championship game before losing to Penn Hills, 9-2.

Against Charleroi, Stephens matched pitches with Cougars’ standout Dan Gustovich at Brownsville. After a rain delay, the Prexies took the game with a walk-off single by second baseman Dave Bane.

“He was the most underrated player on our team,” Zebrasky said. “He was an outstanding second baseman and he did whatever needed done.”

Against Monaca, a squeeze bunt in the fifth inning by Gregg sent Wash High to the WPIAL semifinals.

Peton was center stage in the Hopewell game, getting ejected for the only time in his more than 30-year career at Wash High.

“He warned me and I stopped,” Peton said. “Then one of Hopewell’s fan said to me, “That umpire must not like you.’ “

Peton interacted with the fan and made a gesture with his hands and the umpire ejected him. Bob Wagner, Prexies’ athletic director at the time, came down to coach first base and assistant John Yanni moved from the first base box to coach third.

Wagner said it was no big deal. He was a school administrator and was comfortable helping out. Hopewell’s coach, the late Joe Colella, protested the move and the game … to no avail.

“We had a great team that did some great things in some clutch situations,” Peton said. “We leaned on (Stephens) a lot with the pitching but Zebrasky and Smith did a great job.

“(Stephens) just wasn’t healthy enough to pitch against Penn Hills. We went with Frank. They were just so powerful and were a much better team.”

While the season ended with that loss, so to did the team’s incredible 15-game winning streak and endless fun times.

“That was a great team,” Pierson said. “We knew each other’s every move. It was a great season, great times.”

“We all used the same bat,” Zebrasky said. “You just handed to the next guy. It would be hard nowadays to have so many guys on a team. But each one played a role and accepted it.”

Said Markey: “We had our own identity and it was a little different. Bob Peton recognized that and didn’t stop it. He allowed us to be ourselves and the rest of the season showed it was the right thing. What a team of characters and character.”