High school sports: Janeda steps down as Montour baseball coach
The architect of one of the WPIAL’s most successful baseball programs over the past decade is stepping down.
Bob Janeda, who spent seven years leading the Montour Spartans’ program, announced Tuesday he’s retiring after guiding his teams to one PIAA title – the first in the school’s history – two WPIAL runner-up finishes and four section titles.
Janeda, 57, said he wants to spend time watching his son, Brock, play college football at Duquesne and visiting his daughter, Reese, a student at the College of Charleston.
Janeda said those plans don’t mesh with running a high-level baseball program, even at the high school level.
“High school baseball is almost like a nine month a year sport now,” said Janeda, who compiled a 116-52 overall record at Montour, including a 61-15 mark in section play.
“It got to a point where, if I couldn’t give 100%, I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t feel I could do that with Brock playing football and Reese at the College of Charleston. I want to capture the last couple of years of them in school and enjoy it.”
Janeda said he’s been coaching baseball in one form or another for the past 15 years; his first season as the Montour varsity coach was 2019.
Janeda’s teams compiled a 13-7 mark in WPIAL playoff action and 7-4 in the PIAA tournament, including the 2022 state title.
The Spartans under Janeda and his staff placed third three times in WPIAL tournament action, including last season, when they defeated Thomas Jefferson, 9-3, after losing a heartbreaking 13-10 decision to the eventual champion Upper St. Clair in a semifinal game.
Montour rallied from a 10-1 deficit by scoring nine runs in the seventh inning, only to lose. After winning the third-place game, the Spartans fell to DuBois, 2-1, in the opening round of the PIAA tournament.
Montour reached the round of 16 in state tournament play twice during Janeda’s tenure, including the 2022 Class 4A championship team – a team that featured his son Brock.
“I’m super proud of that,” Janeda said of the state crown.
Janeda posted a farewell message on social media Tuesday and thanked his assistant coaches individually, noting that they always put their players first.
“I think we built a pretty successful program,” he said. “We sent tons of kids playing at different levels in college. That’s what it’s all about.”
Janeda, who is the chief operating officer of Edgeworth Security and also does some consulting work, said he no doubt will miss being in the dugout when spring rolls around.
“Baseball’s in our family,” he said. “My daughter is the team manager at school and she was the announcer for Montour baseball for four years.
“What I’ll miss more than anything else is the kids. The kids, and that youthful energy, have kept me young.”
WPIAL GOLF
Joel Altenhoff, Drew Dess and Landon Keaton each posted scores of 41 to lead Montour past Chartiers Valley Tuesday at Nevillewood Country Club. The two teams tied at 213 in regulation but the Spartans prevailed in a playoff.
Elsewhere, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart improved to 4-1 in Class 2A Section 4 with a 204-232 victory over Fort Cherry at Moon Golf Club.
Matthew Prince of OLSH took medalist honors with a score of 1-over-par 37. Others scoring for the Chargers were Nolan Meyer (39), Wyatt Walsh (42), Ryan DeNinno (42) and Garrett Carlowski (44).
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