Joe Hamilton already is eligible for social security and already has retired as a teacher. But Hamilton, 66, just can't see himself retiring as Blackhawk's football coach.

"I like golf, but I wouldn't want to do that every day of the week," Hamilton said. "I like to hunt, too, but couldn't see myself doing that every day. The thing I enjoy most is coaching football."

So, Hamilton keeps coaching ... and keeps winning. In terms of WPIAL championship appearances, Hamilton has gone past one for the thumb, and one for the other thumb. He's on one for the toes.

Blackhawk will play Thomas Jefferson in the Class AAA final tomorrow at Heinz Field. It will be Hamilton's 11th championship appearance, believed to be the most in WPIAL history.

This is Hamilton's 10th title game at Blackhawk. He also coached New Brighton to the 1969 WPIAL final game. The only other person in WPIAL history to coach in 10 championship games is believed to be Upper St. Clair's Jim Render.

Render and Hamilton are the only two WPIAL coaches to win more than 300 games. Hamilton, in his 33rd season at Blackhawk and 43rd overall, has a 4-6 record in title games.

"It's hard just to get there and it's so hard to win," said Hamilton. "You need those complete teams to win it all."

Hamilton retired in 2003 as a science and driver's education teacher at Blackhawk. Over the past month, Hamilton has watched three longtime WPIAL coaches retire -- Ambridge's Don Yannessa, Moon's Mark Capuano and Plum's Bill Rometo. Hamilton is not ready to join them.

"You have to make decisions on a yearly basis," Hamilton said. "I still enjoy coaching, and as long as the school district will keep me, and as long as I feel like I'm still contributing, I'd like to keep coaching."

Hamilton has known Penn State coach Joe Paterno for years. This past spring, he attended a Penn State practice and spent some time with Paterno in his office.

"His recall is unreal. He's still on top of things," Hamilton said. "I've told people that Joe Paterno is a good role model for all us young coaches. People laugh when I say 'us young coaches.'"

FSN Pittsburgh will telecast three of the four WPIAL football championship games live, and the Class AA game will be shown on a delayed basis tomorrow night after the Class AAAA game.

The Class A final will be televised at 10:30 a.m. FSN will switch to the Penguins pregame show at 1:30, and televise the Penguins-Canucks game live at 2. The Class AA final is scheduled for 1:30.

The WPIAL originally had the Class AAA game scheduled to begin at 4:30, but the starting time has been pushed back to 5 in order to accommodate FSN.

The surface at Heinz Field can take a beating with four games in one day. Depending on the weather, the field could be shoddy by the Class AAAA game, scheduled for 8 p.m.

Gateway has played two championship games at Heinz Field over the past seven years and coach Terry Smith has an interesting take on the surface.

"Probably every team that's playing in the championships, this will be the worst field they've played on all year," Smith said. "We've played 12 games and 11 of them have been on turf. Heinz Field doesn't compare to the turf, no matter how you look at it. One thing with turf, no matter rain or snow, it does not affect the outcome of the game."

Gateway has synthetic turf at its stadium, but sometimes the Gators practice on a grass field at the school.

"My kids absolutely hate it when we practice on grass," Smith said. "The turf fields are so good now, that there is not an injury issue like there were with the old turf fields."

When it comes to ruling on the eligibility of transfer students, the PIAA has overturned the WPIAL numerous times over the years. It happened again last week.

Peter Schramm started the school year at Knoch and then transferred to Sewickley Academy. The WPIAL ruled him ineligible, saying the transfer was at least in part for athletic reasons. Schramm is a 6-foot-5 junior basketball player. In the spring, he played for the Basketball Stars of America AAU club, which is run by Daryn Freedman, who also is a Sewickley Academy varsity assistant coach. Freedman also was the coach of Schramm's team.

The WPIAL voted, 5-0, to make Schramm ineligible. Schramm appealed his case to the PIAA, which voted, 3-2, to make him eligible.

"That means there were 10 individuals who sat and objectively listened to his case," WPIAL executive director Tim O'Malley said "Seven were of the opinion that his transfer was at least, in part, athletically motivated. Was it wholly athletic? No. But at least in part.

"We have lobbied hard for the transfer rule to become much more objectively defined. But with the way the rule is now, it allows for subjectivity to come into play."

Monday was the official start of basketball practice in the state. Here is the early talk on the top boys' teams in each classification:

In Class AAAA, there doesn't seem to be a prohibitive favorite. McKeesport, Central Catholic, North Allegheny, Upper St. Clair, Penn Hills, Latrobe and Seneca Valley are some of the top teams.

In Class AAA, Chartiers Valley looks like the No. 1 team. But in terms of depth with quality teams, this class should be better than it has been in a while. Highlands, Greensburg Salem, Hampton, Uniontown, Hopewell, Blackhawk, Moon, New Castle and Valley could all make noise this season.

In Class AA, Beaver Falls is unquestionably the top team. The Tigers might be the best team, regardless of classification.

In Class A, many are pegging Sewickley Academy as the team to beat.

Despite two highly successful seasons, Rich Rosensteel was not retained as the girls' basketball coach at Greensburg Central Catholic. Rosensteel won a WPIAL championship in his first season at the school and made it to the quarterfinals last season, but principal Don Favero informed Rosensteel in the spring he would not be retained as coach.

When the move was made in the spring, Rosensteel said it was partly because of a personality conflict with Favero. But Rosensteel also said he believed he was ousted because Favero wanted the job.

Guess who is Greensburg Central Catholic's coach this year? Favero.