Long-standing Maple: Coaching fire still burns for Messich at Mapletown
Many high schools change football coaches regularly, but not at Mapletown, where George Messich has coached the Maples for 34 consecutive years. He is the dean of area football coaches. (Photo by Celeste Van Kirk)
Mapletown coach George Messich talks with quarterback Max Vanata during a game in 2019 against Bentworth at Mapletown. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Mapletown head coach George Messich talks with assistant coach Andrew Vanata (left) and Levi Howard during a game against visiting Avella this season. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
The thrill of Friday night football and victory lives within George Messich.
He is a large man with a big heart that is filled with love and passion for his alma mater, Mapletown High School.
These days, it can be tough to find the loyalty and affection Messich has for athletics — particularly football — at Mapletown.
In an era of coaching burnout, Messich thrives on the work and fuels the program with a desire to not just win football games but to teach young people to be solid citizens and productive employees or bosses.
Honestly, it would be hard to imagine Mapletown without Messich.
“George is the most optimistic guy I’ve ever met in life,” said John Menhart, former coach at Carmichaels High School and retired superintendent. “He has a great outlook every (football season). George has the ability to get kids to come out and keep coming back.
“He does a great job every season, even when his numbers (of players) are low. George has had an incredible career there.”
Messich, the longest tenured football coach in the Washington and Greene County area, has served two different stints at Mapletown. His first time leading the Maples was from 1978 to 1981. After two seasons as an assistant at Waynesburg then Mapletown, he was hired to lead the Maples’ football program in 1987 and he’s held the post since then — a 34-year span.
“Truthfully, when I think about it, it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long,” Messich said. “I guess that must mean I’m having fun. I tell my wife, Linda (the Maples’ athletic director) I enjoy coaching the offensive linemen so much that I feel like I could do it every day of the year. One thing I really enjoy is watching a young player work hard, mature, and turn into a really good player when they are a junior or senior.
“When you talk to former players and hear about their successes in life — a good job, family, home and so on, and they say that you and football were a big influence, it really makes it all worthwhile.
“And I especially enjoy hearing their stories about playing for me,” he continued, “even to the point of them imitating my signature lines and body language when I yelled at them.
“It’s also a highlight for me to see former players who have gone on to coach. My current varsity staff has four former players — Rich Pekar, a quarterback; Rick Menear, a wide receiver; Andrew Vanata, a quarterback; and Michael Rumble, a running back. With computers and social media, there’s a lot of things that interest kids today. I feel coaches have to do a lot more talking to players and parents to get kids out for sports.”
Messich has enjoyed a wonderful football and athletic life.
He was three-year letterman in football for the Maples, making All-County and All-Conference. Messich was a three-year letterman in basketball and was a starting member of the 1972 Mapletown WPIAL championship team. He lettered in baseball one year.
From there he attended Potomac State Junior College and became an All-Conference and All-Region player and was named first-team Junior College All-American and was team captain as a sophomore.
From there, he ended up at Pitt, where he was a two-year letterman and was a starting offensive tackle as a senior on the Panthers’ 1976 NCAA championship team.
He was named the Panthers’ offensive lineman of the week three times that season. He takes great pride in having blocked for Tony Dorsett, who became the NCAA’s most prolific rusher and is arguably the greatest running back in the history of college football.
“I had scholarship offers from all over the country, but always had my heart set on playing at WVU since I grew up 20 minutes from there,” Messich explained. “WVU was the only school that contacted me without offering me a full scholarship. I still remember telling my dad I would go somewhere (to a team) that WVU played.
“Looking at their schedule I saw where they played Pitt and I got a call every other day from Pitt wanting me to play there and offering me a full ride. I knew nothing about Pitt at that time but the fact that they played WVU made my decision.
“Being the only junior college player to transfer there in January,” he continued, “imagine walking into the weight room the first day with 100 players who were already on the team. I called my dad that night and told him maybe I should transfer. He said just wait until you put pads on for spring ball and see how things go. After the first day of spring ball, I called him and said, ‘two things I want to tell you. I really feel I can play here, and we have a super-human player like I’ve never seen before.’ Dad asked me his name and I told him Tony Dorsett. He said he’d never heard of him.’ I said, “you will.'”
Messich, initially was going to attend Youngstown State.
“I actually had planned to go to Youngstown, but it didn’t work out. On the advice of our principal, Chuck Wyda, I enrolled in Potomac State.”
While it took a while to get there, Pitt was a best fit for Messich.
“Coach Majors had a tremendous effect on me as a person and as a player,” Messich said. “He was such a motivator. You thought you could do anything he told you to do. One minute, he might be screaming and yelling at you and the next minute he had his arm around you encouraging you to keep working hard. The entire staff was intense, very competitive. They all wanted their position groups to be the best and it rubbed off on us.
“The level of talent was unbelievable, and the players were so close with each other it was like family. Our offensive line coach would even have us over to his house for dinner.
“Tony always gave the offensive line tons of credit for his success,” Messich continued. “He was always great to be around, on and off the field. When he broke the NCAA rushing record at Navy, he made us feel like we were a big part of it. We were probably as excited as he was. Even after all his success with (winning) the Heisman Trophy, the NFL and so on, when we get together at reunions, he is just one of the guys.”
Ready to lead
After Pitt, Messich was ready to return home. His impact at Mapletown and in the community is far-reaching and profound.
“It was a great experience playing football and basketball at Mapletown,” Messich said. “It was a great place to grow up. I always knew I wanted to come back to Mapletown after college. I’m still close friends with many of my teammates from high school.”
Pitt helped him find his way back home and into the profession he adores so many years later.
“The year after we were national champs, I went back to Pitt to finish my degree,” Messich said. “Coach Jackie Sherrill was Pitt’s new head coach after Coach Majors left for Tennessee. As a former player, I got to help break films down and help with the junior varsity linemen. After that season, I realized I wanted to get into coaching.”
Messich, inducted into the Washington-Greene County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, is the all-time winningest football coach in Greene County.
He coached two teams at Mapletown that posted a school-best 9-1 record. The nine wins in a single season are a school record.
Two of his biggest accomplishments and memories are winning the Tri-County South Conference championship in 2005 and gaining his 100th win.
Messich, who has 134 career wins, has also been voted as the Tri-County South Conference Coach of the Year three times.
Did he ever think about coaching somewhere else?
“I thought about it a couple times,” he said. “But the thought didn’t last long. I knew when I left Pitt I was coming home. I love Mapletown. We have great people and I enjoy it.”
Messich is known for standing up for his players, program and school. He is not afraid to express himself when he thinks any or all three of those groups are being treated unjustly. He can be animated on the sidelines, doesn’t back down and fights for every inch. He celebrates Maples’ victories and accepts — grudgingly at times — their defeats and marches on.
“The thing that impresses me the most,” said Pekar, the Southeastern Greene School District’s superintendent, “George has never lost his passion or love of the game. He’s still excited on game day, and he loves to coach at practice and plan for the games. He puts his heart and soul into the program.
“What makes him special as a coach is that he can’t look at a front, or a certain defense and not figure out how to block it in relatively no time.
“This is a year-round passion. In the offseason he’s in the weight room, he’s checking on grades, he’s in there recruiting people in the school to come out for the team. He never stops working. He goes above and beyond. Everyone who has played for him, coached with him and been his friend knows he cares about people. The time and energy he devotes to Mapletown is incredible.”
Messich does enjoy time away from his everyday duties. He likes hunting and fishing in Elk County in the Allegheny National Forest.
“Back when I was young, almost all my friends would hunt and fish,” Messich said. “The love of the outdoors has carried over for me. Linda hunts and fishes with me. We love to go to the mountains, relax, and get away from it all.
“There are no streetlights, not much light at all. We like laying in the yard and looking at the stars. Because it’s so dark, you feel like you can reach out and touch them.”
All roads lead back to Mapletown.
“He loves Mapletown and that community,” Menhart said. “That’s the type of community they have there. He has his critics. I assure you he cares about Mapletown more than anyone else. He’s always there.
“I got caught up in (coaching) and couldn’t do it anymore. I got out. George can handle all of that with the same excitement and fire as he’s had for many years. We had our battles, and we talked every Thursday night unless it was the week we played each other. Pure and simple: George is good for Mapletown football and the district.”