Let's get the important stuff out of the way.

Ron Faust hasn't changed his mind about retiring as a teacher, athletic director or the boys' basketball coach at Washington High School. Even after a 25-victory season and a run to the PIAA Class AA semifinal, he is steadfast in his resolve.

"It was a great season," said Faust, whose Little Prexies (25-4) dropped a 58-54 overtime decision last week to North Catholic, only a step away from a trip to the PIAA final at Penn State. "It would have been great if we had gotten an opportunity to play one more game, but things don't always work out.

"We won 25 games and I had a good group of guys. It's tough to ask for more than that."

If the basketball gods weren't so fickle, if they had any sense of what's right, Faust would have had an opportunity to coach in a PIAA final in his last season as Wash High's head coach.

It's hard to say this is his last season as a coach because there is the possibility Faust will pop up as an assistant on somebody's staff. He said he'd consider doing that as long as it was understood he could bale on practice or a game if one of the grandchildren is involved in something that requires an audience.

And, after 35 years, Faust would like to see what it's like not to have to get ready for a tournament between Christmas and New Year's Day.

"In that time, I've never had a Christmas vacation," he said. "We were either in a tournament or practicing or playing a couple games. They say that's one of the great things about being a teacher, getting a Christmas vacation. Well, I've never experienced that. I'd like to see what it's like."

Faust has been around long enough -- he finished with a 520-192 career record -- to know he had a solid team when the season began. So, the Prexies' run to the WPIAL quarterfinals and the PIAA semifinals wasn't unexpected.

"I knew it would be difficult with all the good teams out there, but it wasn't a surprise that we did so well," he said. "I just didn't know how deep our bench would be. I'm not going to say it was unexpected."

And he is hardly leaving the cupboard bare for the next guy, whoever that might be. Three starters -- Mark Wise, Robert Anderson and Nick Bryant -- will graduate. Two starters -- 6-foot sophomore Zach Barnes and 6-3 junior Troy Wilson -- will return along with top reserves Marquis Brown, a 5-10 junior, and Bryan Thomas, a 6-3 junior.

Faust said he doesn't know who will replace him as the head coach and hasn't been asked to offer any suggestions, even though he is the athletic director. He doesn't think he will be involved in picking his successor.

"We need to fill the football opening first. That's the first priority," he said. "The people in our district have been very successful in the hiring process over the years."

He said another factor in finding a new head basketball coach is that he's not the only teacher in the school district who is retiring.

"I'm guessing there are going to be 15, 16, 17 teaching vacancies. Whether that will have a bearing on who they hire, I don't know," he said.

Faust added that at some point he will probably sit down and reflect on the past season and on his career, but he didn't know when that would happen. As of last weekend, the loss to North Catholic was still etched in his mind.

Whoever is hired to replace Faust will have a tough act to follow. Not only is Faust's record impressive, his team's won 16 section titles, four WPIAL championships and a pair of PIAA Class AA title. Plus, he was a class act from start to finish.