AP column: A win we should all celebrate

In this Oct. 24, 2012 photo, Summerville High School coach John McKissick coaches his team during practice in Summerville, S.C

By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP National Writer
So much football, so many great story lines, both college and pros. Georgia knocks Florida from the ranks of the unbeaten. Notre Dame keeps Irish eyes smiling. The Atlanta Falcons romp to their seventh straight win.
Yet, none of those compare to the biggest gridiron news of the weekend.
Not even close.
In South Carolina, a prep coach was carried off the field the other night with his 600th career victory.
SIX-HUNDRED!
The number is staggering, almost beyond belief. When John McKissick took over at Summerville High School, Harry Truman was wrapping up his term as president and Jim Crow was still the norm in the former Confederacy.
McKissick has coached through integration, the Vietnam War and 9/11, through flower power and disco and hip-hop, through boom boxes and Walkmans and iPhones.
To reach such an epic number, he had to average 10 wins a year for 60 years, which is impressive enough. But what’s even more astounding, he managed to remain relevant from one generation to the next, staying true to his values – a strong running game and stout defense are always a winning combination – even while the world around him was changing at breakneck speed.
We can count up his wins, but we can’t possibly come up with a tally on all the lives McKissick touched along the way.
“Time flies, doesn’t it?” he says.
He’s 86 now, far beyond the age when most of his contemporaries have taken to a rocking chair, if they’re still around at all.
Clearly, he’s not big on change himself. He’s been in the same job since 1952, been married to the same woman, Joan, for about the same amount of time. Surely there were chances to move up to a higher-profile gig or at least move on, but he was always happy where he was. He was content to mold young minds and bodies, to give them a better chance to succeed before they headed off to sell insurance or drive a bulldozer or even to play in the NFL.
“Congrats to coach on his 600th win,” tweeted a former player, Cincinnati Bengals star receiver A.J. Green, after Summerville’s latest victory. “One of the best ever!!!”
One of the best, indeed.
Beyond the Xs and Os, there are lessons we all should heed. It’s not always necessary to keep striving for bigger and better. Contentment is not a bad thing, as long as we’re always striving to be our best.
That’s how McKissick has lived, guiding the Green Wave to 10 state titles while missing out on the fame of coaching at some big-time university or in the NFL. Much like the character George Bailey in the classic holiday movie “It’s A Wonderful Life,” he might just be the richest coach on the planet even though his bank account can’t possibly match up to someone like Alabama’s Nick Saban (who, by the way, is 431 wins behind McKissick).
John T. Curtis Jr., coach of the John Curtis Christian School in Louisiana, has 513 wins. St. John’s (Minn.) coach John Gagliardi is the college leader with 487 victories while Don Shula holds the professional mark with 347 wins.
“I look forward to getting up every morning and coming into work,” the Summerville coach says. “If I didn’t do it, I don’t know what I’d do. I like golf, but I don’t play that much. I never was real good at it.”
Most of us strive for that day when we can quit whatever we’re doing, perhaps the thing we do best, and just do nothing. But McKissick never even talks about retirement, giving him a sense of purpose that is missing in the lives of so many senior citizens. Bear Bryant lasted barely a month after retiring as Alabama’s coach. Who knows how many years McKissick added to his life because he’s always had a place to go every morning?
Sure, there comes a time when we just can’t do the job we once did. Our bodies break down. Our minds struggle to keep up. Even McKissick has heard grumbling around his town of 44,000 from those who think it’s time for someone younger to take over, who aren’t thrilled that the Green Wave is going on 14 years since its last state title.
“Every now and then, you’ll have one who says, ‘Hey, coach, you’re getting too old.’ I’ll have one stop me and stay, ‘Y’all are awful, coach,”’ McKissick says. “My answer to them is always, ‘Did you buy a ticket to get in? ... If you bought a ticket, say whatever you want but don’t get personal. If you didn’t buy a ticket, go on and get out.”’
He starts to chuckle.
“That’s how I handle it.”
McKissick had a heart scare a few years ago, prompting him to get a pacemaker. He doesn’t jog around the practice fields very often, scooting around on a golf cart. Mindful of his limitations, he’s passed off many of his coaching duties to his assistants. He is grateful for their service, for caring as much about Summerville High as he does.
“When you have that, you don’t have any fussing,” he says. “We don’t fuss at each other, just talk, and they respect what I think and I respect what they do.”
Summerville got off to a rough start this season, winning just two of its first six games. But the Green Wave bounced back with a four-game winning streak, capped by a 37-21 win over rival Ashley Ridge that gave McKissick his latest milestone Friday night.
Not that he’s keeping count.
He prefers to keep looking toward the future, not living in the past.
“Well, you know, as a football coach, I count one at a time,” McKissick says. “It’s another win, and if it totals up to 600, that’s great. I feel good for the kids. I feel good for the boys. They tell everyone they were part of the 600th. I think they will be proud of that.”
Who knows? Maybe some youngster in Summerville is just picking up a football for the first time. Maybe, a decade or so from now, he’ll be the one who helps McKissick get win No. 700.
Don’t bet against it.

Berlin vs. Meyersdale shows why sports cliches are true, and so frequently used

From high school to the pros, head coaches spout cliches during football seasons more often than autumn leaves fall to the ground.

"We're taking things one game at a time."

"We have the utmost respect for our opponent. They're a well-coached team."

"We can't look past our opponent."

When you've dealt with coaches as long as I have, the tendency is to roll your eyes or laugh on the inside as the drivel flows.

Then, every so often, there's a stark reminder why coaches have their own language and say the same things almost every week.

It's games like Meyersdale at Berlin on Friday night. The game is a perfect example of why coaches say the same things every week.

I once asked a coach with several district and state championship titles to his credit and who has occasionally coached his team to national rankings what could possibly concern him following an easy first-round playoff victory. The answer surprised me, but it also opened my eyes to an aspect of coaching that is rarely thought of.

"I'm worried that his girlfriend broke up with him today. I'm worried that he failed a surprise pop quiz in sixth period and can't stop thinking about. With teenagers, you never know how they'll respond from day to day."

Who knows what undefeated Berlin was thinking during its 28-27 victory over one-win Meyersdale in a game the Mountaineers trailed by 20 points, but it illustrates why the games are played.

On paper, things aren't close. Besides the disparity in records, Berlin owned quality wins of Northern Cambria, Portage and North Star. Northen Cambria is the only team to beat Penns Manor this year. Meyersdale had scored 15 points in its previous two games.

But ... on the field, on any given day, anyone can win.

How's that for cliche?

The Mountaineers (8-0) faced a 27-7 second-half deficit after Chris Schrock of Meyersdale (1-7) returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter 88 yards for a touchdown. With six minutes remaining, Berlin still trailed by two scores.

But ... the Mountaineers never quit. They believed in themselves. They took it one play at a time.

And now they're in position to land the top seed in the District 5-A playoffs.

Column: 'The look on his face was priceless'

From Associated Press sports columnist Jim Litke:

 Two weeks on, the glow has lost none of its warmth.
“We appreciate all the attention, believe me. But none of us ever dreamed it would turn out like this,” St. Clairesville (Ohio) High football coach Brett McLean said Thursday over the phone.
“Being a dad myself, and having a lot of young dads on the staff and around the program, we were all hurting for Logan and his brothers, for the whole Thompson family. There’s no script for what you say to a young kid who’s just lost his dad. So when we sat down that Thursday night to draw up a game plan, we were just looking for a way to do something we probably couldn’t with words.”
Early in the fourth quarter of an Oct. 5 game against rival Richmond Edison on the road, running back Michael Ferns was motoring up the left sideline with only daylight ahead of him when – according to that plan McLean and his staff drew up and shared with a handful of the Red Devils’ skill players – he slowed to a walk and stepped out of bounds at the 1-yard line.
On the next play, the coach inserted Logan Thompson, a freshman receiver who’d lost his father, Paul, two days earlier and hadn’t carried the ball once the entire season, with these instructions: grab the handoff and follow Ferns’ blocking into the end zone. The play worked to perfection.
“Logan had no idea,” McLean recalled. “The look on his face was priceless.”
Yet so few others knew about the plan that “stunned” was the best way to describe the expression on the faces of just about everybody else.
For one thing, the traveling Red Devils’ fans knew McLean almost never plays freshmen. For another, Ferns, a senior who’s already committed to play for Michigan next season, broke through Edison’s line and into the clear with such swiftness that the refs trailing the play never got close. So they just assumed he stepped out after crossing the goal line and signaled touchdown. That’s when Dan Monteroso, who’s headed to play at Boston College next season and among the handful of players in on the plan, ran out to argue with the refs that Ferns didn’t score.
“And they got it right,” McLean chuckled at the memory, “eventually.”
But even as Logan’s teammates wrapped him in a hug, and an explanation for strange sequence of plays rippled through the crowd, McLean’s work still wasn’t finished. St. Clairesville (pop. 5,400) sits hard by Ohio’s eastern edge, just minutes from the state lines of both West Virginia and Pennsylvania – a corner of the country where jobs in the coal mines and steel mills forge toughness and high school football matters more than in most places.
“That touchdown by Logan was our 56th point of the game, and we’d never run up the score. So the moment I could, I grabbed Mike McKenzie, the coach at Edison, to explain what we did,” McLean added. “He was nothing but supportive.”
Afterward, Logan Thompson tweeted, “Looking straight up into the sky after scoring my first varsity touchdown...i know the old man was watching! love and miss you so much daddy” and his youngest brother, Lance, shared the news with their mother, Daniele, in a text. She was back home finalizing arrangements for the funeral later and looking after a houseful of relatives.
“Hopefully, it gave her a second of comfort at the moment,” McLean said. “And his mom has been more than gracious about sharing the story since. The way she put it was, ‘if it helps people treat each other better than they did yesterday,’ she’s all for it.
“But she also knows all the attention will melt away eventually, and she’s been very careful about shielding Logan and his brothers.”
No coach prepares for the role into which McLean was cast, but fate couldn’t have landed on a much better candidate. The oldest of his three sons just turned 5 and started playing competitive sports and his athletic career reads like road map of the football-mad region – he played at a high school a half-hour away and then at Mount Union, some two hours to the north.
“We’d be proud to take credit for how every one of those kids handled themselves that night, but we can’t. That was what their parents taught them. And Paul, he was one of those great dads – usually dressed head-to-toe in our colors, always supportive of all of his kids and the kind of guy a coach loves,” McLean said, “because other than cheering, he never made a peep.”
The unbeaten Red Devils (8-0) have two games remaining on their regular-season schedule, and already are guaranteed a spot in Ohio’s prep playoffs. No matter how long their run lasts, McLean doubts he’ll be at a loss for motivational words.
“I still haven’t been able to wrap my head around it, not completely,” he said. “We like to say as coaches, we’re here to teach kids life lessons, but this has worked sort of the other way around. The team, the coaches, the community – we’ve all learned things about ourselves.”
The best part?
“I’m not sure,” he began, “maybe it was the bus ride home that night. I think we all felt a little bit closer heading home, like we were part of something bigger than a group that gets pulled together just to play 10 football games.”
–––
Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke(at)ap.org and follow him at Twitter.com/JimLitke.

Monday morning quarterback

The Richland at Penn Cambria game was supposed to be a clash of unbeaten powers from the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference with the winner not only claiming a conference championship but the probably top seed in the District 6AA playoffs.

A month ago, this appeared certain.

Then, something unexpected happened.

Bishop Guilfoyle 14, Penn Cambria 8.

Cambria Heights 27, Penn Cambria 20.

Forest Hills 20, Penn Cambria 18 (in overtime).

Three weeks, three consecutive losses for the preseason favorite in the LHAC. For now, Penn Cambria is in the top eight in the District 6AA standings, but a loss to Richland could knock the Panthers from the top eight with a tricky season finale against Somerset looming.

Penn Cambria is averaging 4.85 yards per carry, a rather pedestrian number for a team expected to win a conference championship, and has just one run of 50 yards or more.

* Richland, meanwhile, has had no problem hitting the home-run play, but the Rams can also piece together drives.

With a tailback like junior Tanner Solarczyk, there isn't much an offense can't do.

Solarczyk has rushed for 1,114 yards on 111 carries and has 15 rushing touchdowns. Here's the wild part of Solarczyk's season - he has 11 rushing touchdowns the past two games, including a whopping six Friday night against in Richland's 51-21 win over Westmont Hilltop.

* Conemaugh Valley's Shane Corson is one tough hombre.

* Chestnut Ridge quarterback Beau Bosch has put up some Solarczyk-like numbers the last two games.

Against Kutztown, Bosch rushed for 326 yards and five touchdowns. Two weeks ago, he accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing).

* Somerset found out it has a quality backup quarterback in Raven Beeman.

* Ligonier Valley rolled through six opponents before running into Penns Manor Friday night.

The Rams offense struggled in a 20-11 loss at Penns Manor. LV's lone touchdown came on a kickoff return and the offense finished with 72 yards.

Adding to the Rams' difficulties was the ejection of senior running back/linebacker Ryan Torrance, who will not be available when Ligonier Valley hosts a tough, one-loss Homer-Center on Friday.

Torrance was ejected for coming in contact with an official. For more details, click here.

* Talk about poise.

Forest Hills sophomore quarterback Joe Donoughe has plenty.

In what has to be one of this season's defining moments, Donoughe, who had missed several games due to injury, guided the Rangers on an improbable 11-play, 77-yard drive with no timeouts and only 2:03 remaining in the fourth quarterback against Penn Cambria.

Forest Hills trailed 12-6 when Donoughe took the field. They forced overtime when, fittingly, Donoughe scored on a quarterback sneak on the final play of regulation.

The Rangers eventually won in overtime.

Friday night and Saturday afternoon thoughts

When Ferndale defeated Conemaugh Valley, 46-6, back on Oct. 24, 2009, it was the second consecutive win for the Yellow Jackets, who blanked Hancock (Md.) the previous week.
It also marked the last time Ferndale won a football game ... on the field before Saturday's game against WestPAC opponent Rockwood.
And things often weren't pretty.
Ferndale concluded the 2009 season with a 42-0 loss to North Star.
The 2010 season opened with eight consecutive losses, including a 56-8 setback to Meyersdale. A 2-0 forfeit victory over Freedom Academy of Brooklyn interrupted more losing.
In 2011, the Yellow Jackets went 0-9 and started this season 0-5.
All told, Ferndale lost 24 consecutive contested football games.
That streak, one of the longest active ones in the PIAA, can to an end Saturday afternoon as the Yellow Jackets defeated Rockwood, 34-32, in double overtime.
It's one of the feel-good stories of the 2012 season.
"When you work so hard in the summer and do this, you've got to get a little sugar," Ferndale coach Tony Penna Sr. said after the game.
Ferndale's win is exactly that – a just reward for all the players who've stayed with the team through all the losing.
Ferndale and Conemaugh Valley both won games Saturday – something, I point out, that only Tribune-Democrat sports writer Mike Mastovich saw coming. For the Blue Jays, it's their second win of the season.
Bishop Carroll, which played in the PIAA Class A semifinal in 2010, now owns the area's longest losing streak at 11 games.
* Despite the headline in Saturday's Football Extra, Blacklick Valley did suffer a second-straight loss following Friday's setback to Portage.
The Vikings defeated Conemaugh Township in overtime last week.
* Berlin's gritty come-from-behind victory over Northern Cambria was big for the Mountaineers and the WestPAC. The Colts are a quality football team, and it's easily the best win for the WestPAC in a non-conference game this year.
* This just in ... Richland is good.
*Cambria Heights picked up another significant win Friday night when the Highlanders beat Penn Cambria 27-20.
That's Forest Hills and Penn Cambria in back-to-back weeks.
If Heights eliminates some of the penalties and miscues that have hindered them, they could finish the regular season with an 8-2 record, but Bishop McCort, Somerset and Northern Cambria are left on the schedule.
* The guess here is there was some serious pad-popping during the Shade at North Star game. There aren't many 3-0 games any more.
* Dalvin Williams continues his standout senior season.
The Greater Johnstown linebacker had three sacks and was part of a Trojans defense that forced four turnovers against Bedford.
*Windber is 5-1. Portage is 5-1. The two play this week.

Midterm grades

Bedford
Grade: D+
Things were looking bleak for the Bisons as they were steamrolled through the first four games, but the return of Luke Campbell – a standout player from a year ago – sparked Bedford in Friday's win over Westmont. Things are looking up for Bedford.

Berlin's Drew Glotfelty

Berlin
Grade: A
The Mountaineers have passed two big tests with a Week 2 win at Portage and Friday night's win against preseason WestPAC favorite North Star. Berlin proved against North Star it can win without a monster game from Drew Glotfelty. The defense creates turnovers. Berlin is the team to beat in the WestPAC.

Bishop Carroll
Grade: D+
The Huskies entered the season with a new coach and low numbers, but they've been more competitive than expected. Friday night's blowout loss to Central Cambria hurts the midterm grade.

Bishop McCort
Grade: B-
The Crushers are probably the toughest 3-2 team around, but they aren't scoring enough points against the better teams in the LHAC. Still, Bishop McCort's defense is good enough to keep any game close, as evidenced by Friday's near miss against Richland.

Blacklick Valley
Grade: B+
The Vikings were considered a playoff contender entering the season. They're sure looking like one now. Behind Johnny Sheesley, Blacklick Valley is 4-1 thanks to an overtime victory Friday night against Conemaugh Township. The Vikings struggled at Windber, or this grade would be an A-minus.

Cambria Heights
Grade: C+
The Highlanders scored their first win over Forest Hills since 1983 on Friday night, a sign that things are continuing to improve at Cambria Heights. The one problem is the Highlanders have been a bit up-and-down.

Central Cambria
Grade: D+
After the opening month, some believed the Red Devils were the worst team in the LHAC, but Central Cambria responded with a thorough victory over crosstown rival Bishop Carroll. Red Devils coach Sam Shutty said his team is getting healthy. Who know? They might have a couple more wins in them.

Chestnut Ridge
Grade: C-
The closer Chestnut Ridge stays to home, the better it plays. A close loss to Bald Eagle Area showed the Lions have made in-season strides, but they've yet to beat a team with a victory. Mountain Ridge, their next opponent, is winless.

Conemaugh Township
Grade: C-
The Indians struggles to start the season, losing their first two games. They worked to even their record and held a double-digit lead at Blacklick Valley before losing in overtime. Quarterback Bruno Rosa is improving steadily.

Conemaugh Valley
Grade: D
Shane Corson had a breakout game against Ferndale, which took three weeks to complete, but the Blue Jays offense has struggled since. Conemaugh Valley has been shut out in its last two games – Berlin and Shade.

Ferndale
Grade: D-
The positive for Ferndale is it has scored 56 points the past three weeks. The bad news is all three games were losses, and the Yellow Jackets are still searching for an elusive victory.

Forest Hills
Grade: C-
Heard someone say this Friday night: "Who would have thought at this point in the season Forest Hills and Johnstown would have losing records?" Yet that's exactly what I heard. Forest Hills is young at several key positions and going through growing pains. Hard to believe the Rangers have only scored six points the past two games.

Greater Johnstown
Grade: C-
The Trojans show flashes, but have not been able to consistently sustain offensive success. Defensively, Johnstown has struggled. Against Richland and Somerset the past two weeks, Johnstown has given up 77 points. The schedule does get easier, though a game with Bishop McCort remains.

Ligonier Valley's Ryan Torrance

Ligonier Valley
Grade: A
Hard to find any fault with the Rams right now. It's also difficult finding a team that may challenge the area's most balanced group. Will Ligonier Valley be tested the rest of the regular season? Games remain against Penns Manor, Homer Center and Northern Cambria.

Meyersdale
Grade: D+
The Red Raiders have scored points - 120 in five games, which is a substantial amount for a team with a 1-4 record. The defense, meanwhile, hasn't been able to stop teams from scoring.

North Star
Grade: C
Much is expected of the Cougars, and they may very well deliver during the postseason, but a 3-2 record with a tough game against Shade looming is cause for concern. North Star has talent, but it has scored a combined 29 points in losses to Portage and Berlin.

Northern Cambria
Grade: B+
Armed with a 56-player roster, Northern Cambria opened the season with a shocker by beating 2011 PIAA Class A semifinalist Penns Manor. The Colts followed with a loss to Homer Center, which seemed equally surprising at the time though HC is also 4-1. We'll find out more about NC this weekend against Berlin. Come to think about it, we'll find out more about Berlin, too.

Penn Cambria
Grade: B
The Panthers roughed up opponents through the season's first month unitl they ran into Bishop Guilfoyle Saturday night and fell to 4-1 in the LHAC. BG won the battle up front, something most teams haven't accomplished against Penn Cambria the past two seasons.

Portage
Grade: B+
Head coach Gary Gouse issued his Mustange a B-minus at the halfway point, but like many coaches, he's being a bit stingy. Portage boasts an impressive win at North Star and scored 35 points against Shade. The Mustangs defense has been stout.

Richland Nick Naglic

Richland
Grade: A
Richland's offense put up extraordinary numbers and displayed incredible balance through four weeks. Against Bishop McCort Friday night, the Rams proved they can grind out a physical victory too. At this point, Richland is the clear-cut favorite in the LHAC.

Rockwood
Grade: D+
The Rockets are undermanned, and their lack of depth was evident in successive losses to Blacklick Valley, Windber, Conemaugh Township and Portage. Luke Brancato remains one of the WestPAC's best players,

Shade
Grade: B
Winning records at Shade aren't common. but the Panthers are 3-2 at the halfway point and have games remaining against Marion Center, Meyersdale and Rockwood. Six wins is a strong possibility at this point given Shade's defense and the play-making abilities of Brock Medva.

Somerset
Grade: B+
The Golden Eagles are probably wishing they could have a Saturday performance at Westmont back as it's their only blemish. Somerset is 4-1 following a win over Greater Johnstown, one of two wins this season over opponents they rarely beat. Bishop McCort is the other. Somerset is young and could be around for a couple years.

United
Grade: D-
No area team is struggling like United, which has scored seven points this season - and that came in a season--opening loss at Rockwood.

Westmont Hilltop
Grade: D+
Westmont is 1-4 and been compeitive in most games, save a season-opening loss at Forest Hills. The Hilltoppers beat Somerset, but followed with a loss to previously winless Bedford. There's reason for optimism but Westmont's next four games are against Bishop McCort, Richland, Bishop Guilfoyle and Penn Cambria.

Windber
Grade: B
The Ramblers rolled through their first four opponents, which included a pair of nice wins against Shade and Blacklick Valley. Against Class AA Ligonier valley at home, however, Windber's run defense struggled. That's something Berlin will likely notice.

Friday night/Saturday afternoon thoughts from a Monday morning quarterback

Anyone else wondering if Richland is the area's best football team?

Count me among the mix after the Rams' impressive 42-0 win against Greater Johnstown.

Don't think there's any doubt that the Rams boast a dynamic offense, one that scores points in bunches, gets great blocking from an outstanding offensive line and moves the ball with equal effectiveness in the air and on the ground.

The numbers speak for themselves.

Quarterbacks Matt Shaffer and Nico Pecora are putting up efficient, eye-popping statistics - the type of stats seen in prolific offenses like the New Orleans Saints, West Virginia Mountaineers, etc. Tanner Solarczyk leads a better-than-you-think ground game. Kyle Flick seems to catch two to three touchdowns per game.

But Richland proved it can do things defensively against a Johnstown team which had to feel confident coming off a come-from-behind win over Westmont Hilltop.

We'll find out a lot about Richland in the coming weeks as the schedule stiffense. Games remain against Bishop McCort, Somerset, Penn Cambria and Bellwood-Antis in an intriguing non-conference matchup.

If things hold course, Richland and Penn Cambria should both sport 7-0 records when they meet.

* In Friday's newspaper, every member of The Tribune-Democrat picked Somerset to beat Westmont Hilltop Saturday afternoon, but much of the talk concerning the game centered on how the Hilltoppers appeared primed to pull off an upset.

Forget the variables like a Saturday afternoon game messing with preparation.

The reason why the Hilltoppers won is they were nowhere near as bad as their 0-3 record indicated.

* Can't imagine a better non-conference game this season than Ligonier Valley at Windber this Friday.

* I can imagine the winner of Friday's North Star at Berlin game going on to win the WestPAC.

* Ligonier Valley has allowed 15 points on the season. Repeat - 15 points. The Rams have posted three shutouts, but they have yet to face a team as good as Windber.

*Finally, a shout goes out to tiny Avella High School, a proud football tradition and former WPIAL small-school power whose recent struggles were so great the New York Times documented them.

Avella moved to 4-0 on the season with a victory over Jefferson-Morgan Friday night.

The Eagles haven't qualified for the WPIAL playoffs since 1976. Considering the number of teams that enter the WPIAL tournament, that's a staggering absence.

If Avella can post a 4-0 record, there's hope for every struggling program.

Geibel forfeits first two games

Districts 5 and 6 aren't the only places where some small school struggle to field enough players to field a football team.

A few years back, I covered the Avella football team as it made some national headlines when a cheerleader joined the team to help the Eagles reach 11 players. Imagine that going against Clairton. Seriously, it happened.

Now news comes out of Fayette County that Geibel Catholic, long a struggling football program, has forfeited its opening two games against Frazier and Beth-Center - two of the better teams in the Tri-County South Conference. In some ways, the news is probably welcomed for Frazier and Beth-Center as those programs get an opportunity to practice amongst themselves instead of playing a game against inferior competition.

Yet, it begs the question - why hold onto a program when there isn't enough players?

For more on the Geibel situation, click here.

While there aren't any programs within The Tribune-Democrat's coverage area facing such dire circumstances, the possibility exists it could happen some day. In the era of budget cuts, some schools need to look at the feasibility of fielding a football team.

A cautionary tale

Here's a post from my old blog, "The Varsity Letters" ... I think it's a fun story and consider it a warning to area athletic directors.

No scaffolding please!

"We’ve all had them. Those moments when you ask yourself, "What the heck am I doing? Is this what has become of my life?" Sure, like most people, those thoughts occasionally bounced around the cranium, but anything along those lines was quickly forgotten Oct. 7, 2006 while covering a football game between Serra Catholic and Beth-Center in Fredericktown. (Remember, turn right at the butcher shop.) Both teams took unbeaten records into the game, and the winner would go on to claim a conference championship.
That winner was Beth-Center. The Bulldogs beat Serra Catholic, 13-6, on an unusually chilly Friday night and went on to win their first 11 games before stumbling against Clairton in the WPIAL Class A semifinals.
It was a major step in Beth-Center’s climb toward the upper crust of Class A football, a place the Bulldogs occasionally hang out.
It’s also the night I thought my life might end while covering a high school sporting event.
Normally, a big game at Beth-Center draws the likes of ... well, me. Maybe one other scribe, possibly a radio station. This Friday night was different as there was an unusually high media interest in the game, including a television crew. At a press box with the capacity of Beth-Center’s, accommodations needed to be made. So, for whatever reason, a 20-foot scaffold was staged behind the main spectator area.
I drew the assignment for the Observer-Reporter. Josh Yohe, the fine Penguins reporter for the Tribune-Review, drew the assignment for the McKeesport Daily News. As guys in the business go, we’re both pretty easy-going, not the type to throw a fuss over seating. So, when the press box became overwhelmed with people, the decision to look for other accommodations was made.
To the scaffold.
So, Yohe and I slung our belongings over our shoulders and made the climb. Twenty feet sure looked lower from the ground.
The conditions were far from ideal. In fact, they were a bit unsettling. But, at least, we figured a good story could be told.
As the game progressed, the wind picked up. The scaffold swayed. The temperatures dropped.
And that was only the first quarter.
Yep, this was going to be one long night, but the investment had been made and, maybe, the thought of getting down from the scaffold was more unsettling than actually being perched atop it.
Mercifully, the second quarter ended (only one half to go) and many of the game’s revelers headed toward the concession stand, located behind the scaffold and below the press box. Among those attending the game was a coworker and his son. The coworker stopped to chat during halftime. Actually, he came over to make fun of us for being on a scaffold. As the conversation continued, the coworker’s son began to rock the recently thrown together structure.
He wasn’t the biggest guy, but the scaffold wasn’t the most stable. What seemed like some innocent pushing on firm ground actually swayed the top of the scaffold with some serious movement.
Not sure what went through Yohe’s mind, but I pictured my immediate future including a rushed ambulance ride to Mon Valley Hospital.
This business, particularly at the grass-roots level, holds its share of surprises and difficult situations, but I sure hope it’s the last time an assignment involves scaffolding.
If it does happen again, it won’t happen as a member of the O-R sports staff as Tuesday night marks my last with the Observer Publishing Company.
Starting Monday, July 9, the main contributor to The Varsity Letters will be the sports editor of the Tribune-Democrat, located in Johnstown. It’s an exciting opportunity, one too good to pass.
The scaffold incident is one of many accumulated over almost 13 years working for the O-R, and definitely a favorite. One reason I waited so long to write about it is, well, I don’t find it necessary to write about myself.
Never considered myself part of the story.
Never will, this lame attempt an obvious exception.
Hopefully, after 13 years, readers realize my desire was to make high school coverage about the athletes. A novel concept, huh?
Made the occasional friend along the way. Made the occasional person(s) upset along the way. Cultivated sources. Worked hard. Every time a player, coach or parent complained about not being an Athlete of the Week, Player of the Year or Athlete of the Year, I felt validated.
When I arrived, Fort Cherry’s Mike Vernillo was ready to break the WPIAL career rushing record. Waynesburg football was set to establish a lasting legacy. Sports that rarely received coverage, were about to make some headlines.
These days, Twitter has become a popular vehicle for communication. Like many, I was hesitant in accepting social media. Like many, I no longer know how to do my job without it. (Yes, I will continue to track the future success of many student-athletes I’ve gotten to know in recent years via Twitter.)
It’s been one interesting ride, and one that lasted a lot longer than originally planned. Yet, it’s a stay I’ll always appreciate."