Out of the Past
1967: Ryland brothers team up for Laurel Highlands victory Nobody could have faulted Monongahela if, at the end of the game, they had looked at the scoreboard and muttered “oh, brother!!”
Why? Well, let’s go back, awayyyyyyy back to this week, in 1967, and find out.
Scholastic football was in full swing, and one of the games matched Monongahela at Laurel Highlands. The game turned out to be a brutal defensive struggle, and in the end it was defense that decided the outcome.
In the first quarter, Monongahela was stopped deep in its own territory and went into punt formation. But the Ryland Brothers of Laurel Highlands had other ideas.
Terry Ryland charged in and blocked the kick, and Brother Tom scooped up the loose ball near the eight, and ran it in for a 6-0 Mustang lead. As it turned out, that would be the only score in the game.
The Mustangs went on defense after that, and shut Monongahela down for good. The Wildcats drove to the LH 18 and 10 in the second half, but both times the Mustang defense rose to the occasion. After the second stop, LH took over and had moved to the M-5 when the game ended.
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In other scholastic football action that week:
l Uniontown outbulled Johnstown, 13-0, giving up only 98 total yards on defense, just 47 on the ground and 51 passing (5-for-14). On the other hand, Bradley McLee gained 98 for Uniontown, plus he made three pass catches for 25 more and added 19 with a pass interception. Pete Lampley ran for 58 more. McLee ran 2 yards in the first quarter, and his pass interception set up Bill Emmett’s 21-yard dash with :05 left in the game. Bruce Fisher kicked the PAT.
l Fairchance-Georges spotted Frazier one score on Bob Guiser’s 62-yard run, then scored 48 unanswered points to win 48-6. Charley Tarpley ran 30 and 38 yards for scores, and caught a 35-yard pass from Warren Smith, Terry Voithofer had 39, 14 and 2-yard TD runs, and Rock Parson ran 3-yards Tom Martoncik kicked five PAT and Smith ran one (only 1-point then).
l Thomas Jefferson rolled over Brownsville, 41-7, behind a 251-yard ground offense. Ted Golembiewski got the only BHS score, and Matteucci kicked the PAT with :23 left to play.
l Mapletown scored single TDs in the first three and gave new head coach Fred Answine a 21-0 win over Jefferson-Morgan. In the first, John Billetz ran 8-yards and Steve Yelinek ran the PAT, Joe Caldwell ran 54-yards in the second, plus the PAT, and Joe Michniak ran 6 in the third, Billetz added the PAT.
l Waynesburg and Burgettstown were scoreless into the fourth, then with time running out, WHS recovered a fumble on the B-31. Joe Watson to Dan Bredon got 24, Bredon ran to the 1, and Watson scored on the keeper for a 6-0 win.
l Albert Gallatin got its second win, 19-0 over Bishop Boyle. In the first, Randy Myers fired 32 yards to John Markatan, then ran the PAT. Myers ran 7-yards in the second, and Bill Hlodan 3-yards in the third.
l Bentworth ambushed California, 26-7. Terry Durko got the win started by running the opening kickoff back 83-yards, plus a 1-yard run and a 35-yard pass to Jim Herron. Jim Marstellar ran two and three yards for other scores. Acie Woods got the only CHS score on a 54-yard run, and Tom Dean kicked the PAT.
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In other sports notes that week:
l Trip Radcliffe, Uniontown, made his varsity debut for Bucknell, playing defensive back against Boston University.
l Waynesburg College walloped Slippery Rock, 61-7, and a local contingent of players had a big hand in the win. John Huntley threw two TD passes, one for 23-yards to Dan Dvorchak (South Union). QB Don Paull (North Union) was 6-for-11 passing, for 53 yards and one TD, plus carrying five times for 47. Dallas Crable (German Twp.) and Jay Payne (Waynesburg) scored TD’s, and an interception by Ron Karpiak (Dunbar Twp.) set up the final Jacket score.
l The Pirates edged San Francisco, 5-4, to be all even at 75-75, and in sixth place, 19 games back of St. Louis.
l The Steelers held Gale Sayers to just two yards rushing, and walloped the Chicago Bears, 41-13, in their home opener. The Steelers controlled the ball 72 plays to 35 (42-16 in the first half). Neither Bear score came on offense, Sayers running a kickoff 103-yards, (longest in Bears history), and the other came on a pass theft.
l Bob Nichols and Ted Kazmiersky shot a net 59 to win the Men’s Golf Assn. best-ball-of-2 championship at Uniontown Country Club, one ahead of Ned McClure and Bob Eberly. Winning the Kickers competition with 77 were Dr. Bill Husted, Jack Lund, Bill Martin, and Chick Eggers.
l John Kara, Redstone, threw TD passes of 16 and 69 yards as Fairmont State beat West Virginia Tech.
l The Pirates were routed by Houston, 14-4, while St. Louis beat the Phils, 5-1, and clinched the National League pennant.
l Mrs. Gladys Dinsmore, Morgantown, formerly of Uniontown, won the 72-hole women’s golf final at Lakeview Country Club, by 17 strokes.
l Junior quarterback Tom Digon, California, is 12-for-22 passing, for 150 yards and 1 TD at West Virginia University.
l The Fayette County Baseball Hall of Fame has inducted two new members – outfielder Grover (Toodles) McLaughlin, and Joe Taffoni. Nick Kornick and Lou Jesso made the plaque presentations.
l Leroy J. (Bucky) Grover, Brownsville, is the new president of the Men’s Mon Valley Bowling League.
l Booker Mullins, competing in the Merchant Duckpin League at Laurel Lanes, rolled the first 300 game of the season. Add that to his other 183 and 251 singles, for a 734 series, also a new league high for the season. He is averaging 198 so far.
l End-linebacker John Hull, Uniontown, is one of 31 freshman football prospects at the University of Iowa.
l Pat Foley, Connellsville, is a sophomore defensive back for Brown University.
l Jim Miller, Connellsville, is a freshman linebacker at Susquehanna University.
l Bill Novak has been re-appointed head basketball coach at Mapletown High.
l Joe Franz, Hopwood, fired the first hole-in-one of the season at Summit Golf Club, using a 7-iron on the 164-yard No. 8 layout. He was in a foursome with Jim Clingan, Paul Panko, and Walt Craig.
l Panko then got his second ace of the season, hitting the cup on the 152-yard third layout at Uniontown CC, with a 5-iron, while playing in a foursome with Tony Podloger, Jim Clingan, and Rudy Hlastala. Earlier in the year, Panko aced the fifth layout at Springdale.
l The Pirates scored six in the ninth to wrap up an 11-7 win over Houston. Rookie pitcher Bob Moose hit a triple, and first baseman Bob Robertson hit his first major league home run for the Buccos. (“Those were the days, my friend…..”).
Jim Kriek is a Herald-Standard sports correspondent.