Sep 24, 2005 By Jim Kriek For The 7 min read

One event held every summer, which so many hundreds of us enjoy, is a high school class reunion. Plus, in my case, a really enjoyable neighborhood reunion of people you grew up with, the Third Ward Reunion, for the end of town in which we lived. But that’s another story for another time.

Whatever the occasion, the big event of the evening will be renewing old friendships with people you might not have seen in a long while, and the most frequently asked question will be “Remember when…..?”

That is especially so among those who competed in sports. Old games will be recalled, scoring runs by football players, which will get longer with every passing year, basketball games that will have even more heroic finishes. Really great times.

There will be a reunion coming up soon of all the classes from old Masontown High, which no longer exists. It was merged long ago with Point Marion to form the Albert Gallatin District.

Survivors from those MHS classes will gather in an historic reunion, and you can bet that among the men the prime topic of discussion will be some long ago football games, and with good reason.

One of the most honored names in the history of Fayette County sports is that of Gene Franks, who coached Masontown High to football honors that very likely will never again be equaled around here. Gene was a man of great personal honor and stature, setting an example that every person should strive to follow. Plus being an outstanding educator and coach.

It is in the latter sense that the man they called “The Old Fox” will be remembered as long as football is played around here.

Under Gene’s direction, Masontown won four WPIAL Class “B” football championships, (second once), and in those championship years his teams set an example of stinginess that made Ebenezer Scrooge look like a spendthrift.

Coaches today stress defense as the prime ingredient of winning football programs. Gene Franks wrote the book on defensive football.

The Gunners, as they were called then, started their championship run with a 10-0 record in 1937, seven of those wins being shutouts – the last five in a row. They allowed only 12 points in nine regular season games, beating Centerville 7-6 and Point Marion 28-6. This was followed by a 39-9 walloping of Sewickley in the WPIAL-B finals, ceding a safety in the first and a TD in the fourth.

So, for the entire season, the Gunners played 40 quarters, blanked the opposition in 36, and outscored everybody 229 to 21, or 22.9 to 2.1 per game.

But that was just a warm-up. Masontown repeated as champions in 1940, with a record of 11-1.

They started with six shutouts, but as the saying goes, all good things come to an end. And so it was, that North Union collared MHS, 6-0. This was followed by five more shutouts in a row, including the championship final.

So, for 11 games, MHS was involved in 11 shutouts, winning 10, and, ironically, their only loss being a collar. However, that loss would not affect their championship qualifications, for the Gunners were Class “B:” and North Union was an “A” team.

After 10 wins, Masontown walloped Millvale 26-0 for the WPIAL title, then closed the season against old rival German Twp., with a 7-0 win.

In 11 games, the Gunners outscored everybody 188-6, and the only points they gave up deprived them of a perfect record. They outscored everybody on the average of 15.7 to one-half point, and had defensive zeroes in 47 of 48 quarters.

Can anybody match that, anywhere in the state?

Masontown was up to its old tricks in 1947, going 10-1 with five shutouts to open the season, beat Mapletown 21-6, and three more shutouts were followed by their only loss, 7-6 to German (A).

Moving into the WPIAL finals, MHS beat Chartiers, 18-6, closing a season in which they outscored the opposition 245-19 (22.3 to 1.7), and had 41 zeroes in 44 quarters.

The final championship year was in 1950, and again it was a string of zeroes. MHS won its opener, 6-0, played a scoreless tie with South Union (A), followed by two more collars, a 12-6 win over Glassport, four shutouts, and a closing loss to German, 14-6 (A).

The Gunners then tripped Aspinwall in the finals, 12-6, closing the season at 9-1-1, a 126 to 26 edge over their opponents (11.4 to 2.3), and eight shutouts over 40 of 44 quarters played.

The 1937 game with Sewickley was played at Charleroi’s new stadium, and it was no contest from the start with the Gunners scoring three times in the first and rolling from there.

One problem in reviewing those old seasons was that, unlike today when it’s required, the newspaper then very seldom listed first names.

Pete Mattis and Paul Shotts paced the opening drive, Shotts going the last 24 and Nick Bosnick ran the PAT. Then a blocked SHS punt was recovered by Hall in the end zone, and Mattis passed to Bosnick for the PAT. Another kick was blocked by William Snyder who also recovered in the end zone for the TD.

Mattis threw 29 yards to Harry Diehl in the third. In the fourth, another blocked kick was recovered by Tony Salopek in the end zone, and the final score was a Mattis pass to Hanna who lateraled to Bosnick. A safety was added late in the game.

The 1940 semifinal was also played at Charleroi, against Bridgeville, and was a 6-0 win for MHS. The Gunner defense didn’t allow the Bridgers inside the 20 all game, and got their only score in the second quarter on Bill Morbito’s 40-yard run.

This set up the championship final with Millvale, and that was a 26-0 collaring for Masontown. Doran Zimmerman opened scoring from the two, then ran the PAT. That 7-0 lead carried all the way into the fourth, then came the final drive. Shultz started it with an interception, returned to the M-26, and Medved got those 26 off right tackle. Zimmerman ran the PAT, then Medved ran 25 and 15 off the triple reverse to close scoring.

The 1950 final was a physical battle with Aspinwall at the Clairton Field, Masontown finally prevailing, 12-6. The Asps came into the game a two-touchdown favorite, but somebody forgot to tell that to Masontown.

The Gunners fumbled at the 31 three plays after the kickoff and AHS turned that into a 6-0 lead. But Masontown came back in the second, starting when Joe Dufala returned a punt 25 yards to his own 45. On the 11th play after that, Art Pastor hit Leroy Glover in the flat at the 12 and he was on his way. The winner came when Aspinwall fumbled at its own 12, and Ed Merti recovered. Dufala scored from the nine on a reverse, behind a key block by Vittone, and the lead held the rest of the way.

So, you defensive stalwarts, listen to the figures that Masontown provided during four championship seasons:

-44 games played (10-0, 11-1, 10-1, 9-1-1) for an overall 40-3-1 card.

-176 quarters played, 163 zeroes for the opposition.

-A total scoring lead of 788 to 72 (229-21, 188-6, 245-19, 126-26).

-And outscoring all those teams 17.9 to 1.6 – just a whisker above half a field goal – in that run.

Now ask again why they called him “The Old Fox.”

(Enjoy your reunion, Masontown grads. Hopefully, this corner has helped you recall a few good memories).

Jim Kriek is a Herald-Standard sports correspondent.