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This Page is dedicated to Joe Mucci, Arthur Tragesser, Robert Murphy whose great coaching lead Jeannette Jayhawk's high school football Team to a winning tradition!!!!! |
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think of them cos of the excitement they have brought to many fans and to me when i was growing up and going to school there...Thanks alot Jeannette Jayhawks!!!!! AND GOOD LUCK THIS SEASON!!!!! :-) ---------------------------------------- Head Coach Robert Murphy assistants coaches: Paul Noonan, Ray Reitz, Roy Hall, Charlie Cook, John Danton Athletic Director Robert Murphy Faculty Manager John Troglio Football Equipment Manager Dan Cooper ---------------------------------------- Jeannette Jayhawks 1999 Section I "AA"- Century Football Conference Schedule <*>This year and<> how they fared last year against eachother.... Jeannette record last year won 7 lost 3 August 21(S) Sat. Southmoreland- Away 10:00 27(S) Fri West Mifflin- Home 7:00 September 3* Fri Deer Lakes- Home 7:30------ <>36-6-<*> 20-0 10* Fri Freeport- Away 7:30-----<> 28-7<*> 26-7 17 Fri Beth Center- Home 7:30---- <>17-0<*> 42-14 24 Fri South Park- Away 7:30-----<> 21-0<*>23-14 October 1 Fri South Allegheny- Home 7:30----- <>28-0 <*>42-18 8** Fri Brownsville- Home 7:30----- <>13-34 <*>15-9 16 Sat Steel Valley- Away 1:30------ <>21-19 <*> 10-24 22*** Fri Charleroi- Home 7:30---- <>15-18 <*> 49-20 29 Fri East Allegheny- Away 7:30---- <>38-7 <*> 33-6 (S) Scrimmage * Non League ** Homecoming *** Senior Night ---------------------------------------- teams like deer lakes and east allegheny and freeport still looking to beat Jeannette... east allegheny haven't been able to beat them since i think 1992 and Jeannette pulling out the Lonesome Polecat play to beat East Allegheny in 1994 to advance to the Playoffs where they become the WPIAL AA CO-CHAMPIONS....Jeannette beat a team called Bentworth that same year of 1994 beating them by the score of 53-0 In 1995 Jeannette was the WPIAL CENTURY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS BEATING ALL IN THERE CONFERENCE.....HEHEHEHE ---------------------------------------- Steady, successful Mucci set standard for Jayhawks' tradition-rich program By Dave Ailes FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW Jeannette High School has a newly renovated stadium to go with one of the most respected, successful football traditions in Pennsylvania. The two will mesh Friday night when the Jayhawks dedicate McKee Stadium with a special ceremony prior to the season opener at 7:30 p.m. against Deer Lakes. In advance of the dedication, 80 members of Jeannette's six WPIAL champion teams, plus four ex-Jayhawks who went on to play pro football (five others are deceased) will be among honored guests at a buffet dinner Thursday night at Pitzer's Town House. The 1999 Jayhawks hope to cap the ceremonies by winning the school's 550th game, third most in western Pennsylvania, behind New Castle and Greensburg Salem. Jeannette already holds a distinction as the only school in Westmoreland County with six WPIAL championships. Three of the six were earned by teams led by coach Joe Mucci. During an 18-year coaching career at this county's version of "Title Town," Mucci led the Jays to 149 wins to go with 34 losses and four ties, an eye-popping winning percentage, excluding the ties, of .814. Mucci didn't invent the art of winning, but he perfected it. One of his predecessors, Markley Barnes, coached longer at Jeannette, piling up a mark of 169-68-13 in 27 years, .713, excluding ties. Another distinction that sets Mucci apart from the rest, and further enhances his Jeannette legacy, is the part Mucci he continued to play, as athletic director after his coaching retirement. Two of his long-time assistant coaches followed him into the head coaching huddle - Art Tragesser, first, and then Murphy, four years ago. Mucci will share places of special honor at the ceremonies with the four ex-Jayhawks who went on to the NFL. They are Jack O'Brian from the Class of 1949; Melvin Semenko (1954), Dick Hoak (1956), and Steve August (1971). August was the only member of that quartet who was coached by Mucci. Ironically, August wasn't even the most accomplished lineman in his own family. "Steve didn't play football until his senior year," said Mucci. Steve's brother, Dave, was an outstanding three-year varsity performer for the Jays. "Dave was a dandy," Mucci remembered, when coaxed to provide a list of some of his premier players over an almost two-decade career in front of Jeannette's bench. There were dandies by the dozen, including a kicker, Mark Brasco, who put himself in the national high school record books with 25 career field goals (fifth), 77 consecutive extra points (second), and 150 career extra points (fourth). And he wasn't Jeannette's only celebrated kicker. In 1977, an exchange student from Denmark, Jorgen Hansen, went to the practice field to see if his soccer skills could be utilized in football, a game he'd never seen and did not understand. "One of my coaches explained football to Hansen, and he took it from there," said Mucci. Hansen converted 21 of 25 extra points and 10 of 14 field goals, the longest a 40-yarder. "In a big conference game at Plum that year," said Mucci, "We needed a field goal with two or three ticks left on the clock. Their coach (Joe Nauncik, who also coached at Hempfield High School and University of Pittsburgh) tried to ice Jorgen with two straight timeouts. That didn't bother him a bit. Hansen kicked the game-winner down the middle. Several reporters crowded around Hansen to find out if he felt any pressure. "He told 'em it was no big deal," said Mucci. He said: `Somebody snapped the ball, somebody else held the ball and everybody else blocked. All I had to do was kick.' End of interview." Hansen turned down Division I scholarship offers to return to Denmark, where he lives today. Mucci hears from Hansen now and then. In no particular order of importance, Mucci listed a number of his ex-Jayhawks who came immediately to mind. "I hope I don't forget anybody:" Quarterbacks- Jim Moore, Terry Gregory, Mike Sarnelli, Dante Wiley, Dave Hogg, Adam Bostick, Matt Morrison. Running backs - Russell Matt, Larry Morgan, Fran Tragesser, Jack Barry, George and Zack Washington, Lester Frye, Al Rivardo, Randy Williams, Jim Morrison, Charles Cook. Receivers - Jerry Constantine, Chuck and Maurice Chamberlain, Jerry Hoak, Bob Powell, Mark Persichetti, Joe Birk, Terry Schwartz, Sam Procida. Linebackers - Russell Matt, Dan Ereditario, Mike Scarlett, Jim Singer, Jack Barry, Jim Burzio. Linemen - Dave Fath, John Carosella, Dave August, Steve August, Nick DeMateo, Ed Kryzak, Scott Brasco, Gary Brasco, Roy, Larry and Bill Hall, Mike and Joe Yorio, Carmen Masciantonio, Jeff DePalma, Roy Nichols, Gary DelGross, Mike and Chuck Blansett, and Jerry Rizzardi. Kickers - Mark Brasco and Jorgen Hansen. There were family affairs through Jeannette's football history. For instance, the father of the Blansett brothers, Jim, was on the 1956 title-winning team. Jim Burzio Sr. also played on the '56 club that was quarterbacked by Dick Hoak, longest tenured coach in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now retired, Mucci shook his head when asked if he ever regretted turning down offers to coach at larger school districts and colleges. "My dream was to teach and coach and stay around athletics as long as possible, and I did it at Standish High School in Michigan, Greensburg Central Catholic (34-15-2 from 1962-67) and Jeannette. I believe I was born to coach. "My proudest moments came when three members of my staff (Bob Palko of West Allegheny, Art Tragesser of Penn-Trafford and Bob Murphy of Jeannette) took teams to the WPIAL finals." Another proud moment comes Friday at the stadium dedication. ---------------------------------------- Jeannette embarks on special season By Dave Ailes FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW Opening Night will be extra special for Jeannette High School's football team. Not only will Jeannette bid for the school's 550th victory in its 100th season, the district will dedicate renovated McKee Stadium. Players from Jeannette's six WPIAL championship teams will participate. But beating its initial opponent, Deer Lakes, stacks up as a short-term goal. Jeannette has its eye on a bigger prize - the Class AA Century Conference title. "Any one of four or five teams could finish on top," said Bob Murphy, who is beginning his 31st year at Jeannette, the last four as head coach. Murphy listed Brownsville, Steel Valley, East Allegheny and, yes, Jeannette as potential contenders. "We're a lot more experienced, especially on offense." That's a bit of an understatement. Jeannette's loaded with talent in the ball-moving department, starting with quarterback Joe DeLuzio and slotback Mike Theys. They led the Jayhawks to a 7-3 record in 1998 (5-2 in the Class AA Century Conference, 7-2 in the regular season). The season concluded with a 3-0 loss to North Catholic in the opening round of the playoffs. Theys was Jeannette's leading rusher last year and DeLuzio developed as a passer and team leader. Their coach had this to say about them: THEYS: "He's a very gifted athlete. He also might be the best receiver we've got." DELUZIO: "Joe has a nice arm. He's also a very intelligent young man who has gotten a lot bigger and stronger since last year." There are five other returning starters, all of whom play on both sides of the ball. The list encompasses running back-linebacker Matt Lebe, who recently finished first in a freestyle wresting tournament in the Midwest, and enjoys wrestling opposing ball carriers to the ground; wide receiver-defensive back Jared Kulik; guard-linebacker Anton Hall; guard Eric Bartlett, who will double on the defensive line; running back-linebacker Pat Klingensmith; and Jordan Giles, a two-way tackle. There are five other Jayhawks who must make considerable contributions if Jeannette intends to stay at or near the top of the conference standings this fall. One of the five is T.J. Detruf, the only ninth grader who was elevated to varsity status in 1998. Detruf is a candidate for a starting role in the defensive secondary after being a key performer on special teams last year. He'll also be Jeannette's No. 2 quarterback - with an eye toward the future. The other four key contenders for starting jobs are wide receiver Bob Dent, center Derk Barnett, defensive end Kenny Bush, and tackle Mike Cox. While the Jayhawks have more overall team speed than size, there are exceptions. Cox weighs about 245, depending on whether he steps on the scales after practice or after dinner. Giles, also a tackle, goes about 230. About last year, Murphy called it "very satisfying when you consider that we didn't have a very experienced team." Expectations are higher this season. But expectations are always high at Jeannette. There are three sure things in life. Death, taxes, and Jeannette making the playoffs. They've made the show 28 straight years and counting. Jeannette is the only school in Westmoreland County with six WPIAL football championships: 1932, 1939, 1956, 1971, 1981, and 1983. A seventh in 1999 would be a perfect ending before the new millennium. Fast Facts Coach: Bob Murphy Career Record: 24-8 Nickname: Jayhawks Conference: Century 1998 record: 7-3 Notable: Murphy begins his 31st year as a coach at Jeannette. 1998 results 36 Deer Lakes 6 28 Freeport 7 17 Beth-Center 0 21 South Park 0 28 South Allegheny 0 13 Brownsville 34 21 Steel Valley 19 15 Charleroi 18 38 East Allegheny 7 WPIAL Playoffs 0 North Catholic 3 SENIORS Name Pos. Wt. Ht. x-Derk Barnett OL 6-0 180 x-Dave Blasiole WR 5-8 165 x-Kenny Bush SB 5-8 165 Norman Dean WR 6-0 170 x-Joe DeLuzio QB 6-0 175 Jim Garlets SB 6-0 170 x-Jordan Giles OL 5-9 230 x-Anton Hall OL 5-11 205 x-Pat Klingensmith SB 6-1 185 x-Jared Kulik SB 6-0 175 Jeremy Lewis OL 6-0 180 Joe Lewis OL 6-2 200 x-Ron Marquis OL 6-1 190 x-Mike Theys SB 6-1 185 JUNIORS x-Eric Bartlett OL 5-11 195 Mike Cox OL 5-11 235 x-Bob Dent WR 5-11 185 Matt Guy SB 6-0 165 x-Matt Lebe TB 5-9 185 Chris Powers WR 6-1 155 Jarrett Russ OL 5-11 185 Ron Yeckel WR 6-1 160 SOPHOMORES x-T.J.Detore QB 5-11 195 Maurice Hunter WR 5-3 135 Harry Inks WR 6-7 185 Ryan Klingensmith TB 5-11 150 Mayy Kowalski OL 5-11 175 Carl Means OL 5-9 240 Danny Millar SB 5-9 175 Mike Niccols SB 5-11 155 John Orange OL 5-8 170 Erik Oskin OL 5-11 200 Jimmy Rager WR 5-3 155 Shandell Smith WR 6-1 185 FRESHMEN Braelan Harddy OL 5-5 195 X-Lettermen ---------------------------------------- Westinghouse remains atop all-time list By Robert B. Van Atta HISTORY EDITOR Westinghouse continues to be at the top the best winning-percentage list of 118 football-playing schools in a seven-county area of southwestern Pennsylvania, ahead of Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon and Greensburg Salem. Percentages are computed for all-time Allegheny, Armstrong, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington and Westmoreland county teams counting ties as a half-win and half-loss. Counted are games against educational institutions only. One school, Shannock Valley in Armstrong County, assumes a new identity this fall as West Shamokin after a merger with Dayton. Dayton's last football team was in 1933. A number of schools with low winning percentages had good years in 1998. Among them were: Schenley (10-2), Moon (12-3), Waynesburg (10-1), Oliver (7-3), Franklin Regional (9-1), and West Allegheny (9-2). Following are southwestern Pennsylvania's all-time records: School W L T PCT. Westinghouse 516 196 40 .712 Upper St. Clair 293 121 9 .703 Mt. Lebanon 458 201 30 .687 Greensburg-Salem 599 284 39 .671 Jeannette 550 274 48 .658 Gateway 260 145 12 .638 Monessen 529 294 47 .635 Freeport 442 250 46 .630 Woodland Hills 86 51 0 .627 Washington 534 308 56 .626 North Hills 356 222 27 .611 Kiski Area 228 145 7 .609 Bethlehem-Center 232 149 16 .605 Penn Hills 361 232 27 .605 Riverview 171 110 11 .604 East Allegheny 211 136 33 .599 Clairton 465 314 41 .592 Fort Cherry 224 152 15 .592 Charleroi 482 324 60 .591 Montour 328 227 20 .588 Kiskiminetas School 388 267 45 .586 Hempfield 237 168 13 .583 Brashear 126 90 8 .580 McKeesport 485 342 67 .580 Thomas Jefferson 230 167 7 .577 Armagh United 305 221 20 .573 Belle Vernon 196 145 7 .573 Mt. Pleasant 220 163 9 .573 North Allegheny 244 181 14 .572 Jefferson-Morgan 360 268 31 .570 Northgate 131 98 7 .570 Peabody 386 284 57 .570 Homer Center 301 228 23 .566 Wilkinsburg 474 357 54 .566 North Catholic 295 225 32 .563 Penn-Trafford 151 116 10 .563 Blairsville 373 289 42 .560 Valley 192 134 9 .560 Duquesne 421 332 33 .557 Carmichaels 368 291 38 .555 Connellsville 488 386 59 .555 Steel Valley 156 125 12 .553 Shadyside Academy 419 337 46 .551 Indiana 361 295 36 .548 Pgh. Central Catholic 329 272 44 .544 Gbg. Central Catholic 194 164 10 .541 Perry Traditional 311 269 38 .534 Burrell 179 156 9 .533 Laurel Valley 268 235 25 .531 Brownsville 376 335 34 .528 South Park 283 259 27 .521 Bethel Park 318 296 31 .517 Uniontown 422 398 45 .515 Seton-LaSalle 202 101 13 .514 Albert Gallatin 188 178 17 .513 Sto-Rox 161 155 9 .509 Canevin 184 179 12 .507 Highlands 150 147 7 .505 Baldwin 264 260 26 .504 South Fayette 299 294 39 .504 Chartiers-Houston 260 259 18 .501 Keystone Oaks 333 331 37 .501 Cornell 130 130 11 .500 Burgettstown 359 362 39 .498 Avella 308 314 26 .495 Leechburg 341 351 38 .493 Carrick 294 304 47 .492 Shaler 283 292 30 .492 Latrobe 385 400 38 .491 Brentwood 294 310 28 .487 California 313 330 14 .487 Plum 260 279 25 .483 Ringgold 140 151 12 .482 Geibel 76 82 5 .481 Pine-Richland 193 208 13 .481 Carlynton 131 143 10 .479 Bentworth 170 188 7 .475 Penns Manor 178 207 10 .463 Elizabeth-Forward 322 384 36 .458 Derry Area 185 223 13 .455 West Mifflin 161 197 12 .451 Canon-McMillan 305 390 43 .442 Schenley 283 364 43 .440 Fox Chapel 159 205 9 .438 Kittanning 310 402 26 .438 Hampton 206 269 21 .436 Springdale 282 371 29 .435 Ligonier Valley 304 406 40 .432 Deer Lakes 120 160 11 .431 Frazier 242 327 16 .427 Quaker Valley 162 221 14 .426 Mapletown 251 346 39 .425 Norwin 314 441 36 .420 Peters Twp. 150 210 16 .420 Avonworth 286 407 45 .418 South Allegheny 132 185 6 .418 Trinity 278 397 37 .416 Moon 238 339 19 .415 Saltsburg 204 294 21 .413 Shannock Valley 190 275 20 .412 Chartiers Valley 152 219 5 .411 Marion Center 66 96 6 .411 Waynesburg 289 427 36 .408 Apollo-Ridge 114 172 9 .402 Allderdice 215 333 24 .397 McGuffey 190 301 25 .392 Oliver 217 346 35 .392 Franklin Regional 164 264 17 .388 Ford City 246 396 23 .387 Southmoreland 126 204 12 .386 Serra 128 207 6 .384 Laurel Highlands 123 201 7 .382 West Allegheny 171 290 14 .378 Purchase Line 144 246 16 .374 Langley 203 393 36 .350 West Greene 139 263 10 .350 Yough 93 189 14 .338 South Vo-Tech 168 503 21 .258 ---------------------------------------- Not far behind, Jeannette wins No. 550 Jeannett's Matt Lebe fights off a Deer Lakes defender. (Sean Stipp/Tribune-Review) By Jim Iovino TRIBUNE-REVIEW After his team shut out Deer Lakes, 20-0, Jeannette tailback Matt Lebe stood outside of his team's locker room, munching on a hot dog. The dog was well-deserved. It also was symbolic, as Lebe hot-dogged his way to a 16-carry, 162-yard performance against Deer Lakes to help give the Jayhawks their 550th win in school history. "Before the game, I asked my offensive line to at least get me 100 yards this game," Lebe said. "They did it. Everywhere I went, there was a big hole." Lebe used several great blocks to rumble for a 27-yard touchdown in the third quarter to seal the historic win for Jeannette. Lebe's score came on the first play after he pressured Deer Lakes quarterback Rob Mercuri into fumbling the ball on first down at his own 27-yard line. Derk Barnett recovered the fumble, setting the stage for Lebe's dash. Lebe took a handoff from quarterback Joe Deluzio, cut through a big hole on the left side of the line, then squeezed his way through two charging defenders at the Lancers' 5-yard line for the score. "This was an important game for us to win for quite a number of reasons," Jeannette coach Bob Murphy said. "Based on what we experienced last night (at the team's centennial celebration), it was important for that reason, too. Deer Lakes kept the game close early and headed into the half down by a touchdown - an 11-yard keeper by Deluzio that caught the Lancers' defense off-guard. That touchdown and injuries to several starters put Deer Lakes in a hole to begin the second half. "(Those injuries) just opened a can of worms," Deer Lakes coach Brad Spence said. "We're a young team. We've got a lot of juniors out there playing." After Lebe's touchdown, the Jeannette defense held the Lancers in check on the next series. Deer Lakes running back Ryan Zaluz was stuffed for a 3-yard loss on first down. Jeannette's Pat Klingensmith and Eric Bartlett sacked Mercuri on the next two plays, forcing the Lancers to punt on fourth down from their own 3-yard line. "Mercuri was very, very accurate," Murphy said. "But we thought pressure was the answer. That's what turned the tide in the second half." After the back-to-back sacks, Zaluz got off a 37-yard punt to Jared Kulik, who corralled the ball and darted down the right side of the field for a touchdown. Zaluz was held to just 11 yards on eight carries for the Lancers. Deer Lakes was held to negative rushing yards for the game. Mercuri was 4 for 15 for 41 yards passing with one interception by Jeannette's T.J. Detruf. Deluzio was 8 for 14 for 42 yards passing for the Jayhawks. Before the game, Jeannette honored members of all of its championship teams. The ceremony was part of the rededication of Jeannette's renovated McKee Stadium. ---------------------------------------- Jeannette 26, Freeport 7 - Jeannette (2-0), the fifth-ranked team in the Tribune-Review's WPIAL Class AA poll, broke open a close game in the second half against Freeport (0-2) for a victory in a non-conference game. Pat Klingensmith scored on a 6-yard interception return for Jeannette (2-0) to break a 7-7 tie in the third quarter. Matt Lebe ran for two fourth-quarter touchdowns for Jeannette. --------------------------------------- Jeannette adjusts to injuries By Paul Schofield TRIBUNE-REVIEW The Jeannette High School football team knows how to deal with adversity. So, losing quarterback Joe Deluzio, who broke his collarbone in last week's victory over Freeport and is expected to miss at least three weeks, is nothing new for the Jayhawks. Jeannette, ranked No. 6 in the Tribune-Review Coaches Poll, already has dealt with the loss of Mike Theys, who broke his right arm during the second week of practice. The senior running back-defensive back has missed the first two games of the season, but he may return Friday, when Jeannette (2-0) plays host to Beth-Center (0-2) in the WPIAL Class AA Century Conference opener for both squads. "Our biggest problem so far has been injuries," Jeannette coach Bob Murphy said. "It is tough to make headway with key injuries. So far, the kids are playing well." Sophomore T.J. Detruf has received a vote of confidence when Murphy announced he would replace Deluzio. "He is mature for a sophomore," Murphy said. "I like his attitude, and I think he's capable of handling the offense. We moved him up to the varsity last year as a freshman." When Deluzio left last week's game in the third quarter, Detruf came in and directed two touchdown drives. Running backs Matt Lebe, Pat Klingensmith and Jared Kulik have split time in the backfield with Theys out of the line-up. Lebe has rushed for 263 yards and four touchdowns in two games. "We are hopeful to get Mike back this week," Murphy said. "He is getting his cast off." Murphy has plenty of respect for Beth-Center, who lost a close game to Jefferson-Morgan in its opener and lost, 34-0, to Ford City last week. "They could be the best team we've played all year," Murphy said. "They have a lot of seniors on the squad, and they have moved the ball offensively. "This is a brutal conference. There are five or six teams, including us, which could win the conference. Brownsville and Steel Valley are very good, and South Park is 2-0." No. 7 Brownsville and No. 3 Steel Valley face each other at the Redstone Middle School Stadium in Republic tomorrow night. Brownsville coach Don Bartolomucci does not see many weaknesses in Steel Valley's line-up. "It is going to be hard to move the ball against them," Bartolomucci said. "We are going to have trouble matching up against them in certain offensive sets. They have a tremendous quarterback and three good tailbacks." Brownsville defeated Steel Valley last season behind an outstanding performance by quarterback Mike Patitucci, who now attends Ohio University. Brownsville (1-0) played a nearly-flawless game last week in its 43-0 victory over North Catholic. The performance even surprised their coach. "We played really well for not having an opener," Bartolomucci said. "We capitalized on a lot of their mistakes. "Steel Valley has an excellent team. If we find a way to get by them, we may be able to win the conference." Bartolomucci hopes that running back-defensive back Tom Kwasny will be ready for the game. The senior has been a three-year starter on defense. He has not played in a game or practiced much while nursing a hamstring injury. "Getting him back in some capacity would help us," Bartolomucci said. In other conference games, No. 9 South Park (2-0) travels to Charleroi (0-2), and South Allegheny (1-1) plays at East Allegheny (0-2). ROAD VIKINGS Apollo-Ridge, winners of two non-conference games on the road, kick off Allegheny Conference action tomorrow at Northgate (2-0). Quarterback Jason Nulph has led Apollo-Ridge to victories over Leechburg and South Allegheny. Ford City (2-0) will play host to defending WPIAL Class AA champion Shady Side Academy, which is 0-2. The Sabers knocked off Beth-Center last week, as quarterback Adam Peck completed 4 of 7 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Dan Jageman rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown. Elsewhere, Freeport (0-2) will visit Mars (1-1), and North Catholic (0-2) will be at Deer Lakes (1-1). --------------------------------------- Jeannette Jayhawks 42 Beth Center 12 final score --------------------------------------- Jeannette 42, Beth-Center 12 {ed} Jared Kukik scored two touchdowns to lead Jeannette (3-0, 1-0) past Beth-Center (0-3, 0-1) in a Century Conference game. ---------------------------------------- Jeannette Jayhawks 23 South Park Eagles 14 Final Jeannette sophomore leads 23-14 win over South Park By Les Harvath FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW Looking more like an experienced senior than a sophomore making only his second varsity start, Jeannette's T.J. Detruf completed 9-of-12 first-half passes for 143 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead Jeannette to a 23-14 win over South Park at South Park's Eagle Stadium in a Class AA Century Conference game. Starting in place of injured Joe Deluzio, Detruf picked up where he left off last week - 9 of 12, 122 yards - in the Jays' win over Beth-Center. Despite his youth, Detruf showed his mettle in the fourth quarter with a crucial third-down 21-yard completion to Bob Dent. Four plays later, Pat Klingensmith put the icing on Jeannette's victory cake with a 36-yard touchdown run with 2:55 remaining in the game. Detruf finished the night with 13 completions in 19 attempts for 195 yards and two touchdowns. "T.J. has a lot of poise and maturity for a sophomore," said Jeannette coach Bob Murphy. "He's given us two solid performances. He's not only been extremely accurate with his passing, but our line has given him plenty of time to throw, and our receivers have run excellent routes and made some fine catches. Our game plan wasn't to come out throwing. We just wanted to work in a good blend of passes with our running game, and everything worked out." With Jeannette's hard-running tailback Matt Lebe stymied by a solid South Park defense, Detruf connected with Bob Dent on a 25-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and hit Jared Kulik for 24 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter for a 17-0 halftime lead. South Park (3-1, 1-1) rallied for a pair of second-half touchdowns to pull within three points at 17-14. Matt Betler hit Jason Stewart with a 13-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter, and the pair connected on a 42-yard touchdown play midway through the fourth quarter, before Jeannette's final touchdown. "Jeannette's offense played well when it had to," said South Park coach Tom Lougheran. "They made the plays, while we didn't. We put ourselves in a position to win the game, but couldn't convert." Jeannette's defense got its share of game-film highlights, holding Stewart to 15 yards rushing in the first half, 55 for the game. With South Park threatening late in the final quarter, Jeannette's Jarrett Russ came up big on defense, recording back-to-back sacks. "We needed those plays at that time," Murphy said. For Jeannette (4-0, 2-0), the Tribune-Review's No. 6 Class AA team, Klingensmith piled up 89 yards rushing on five carries, and teammate Jared Kulik was on the receiving end of seven of Detruf's passes, good for 54 yards. Bob Dent added three catches for 53 yards. "We're pleased to be off to such a good start," said Murphy. "But with the teams still on our schedule, we know what's ahead of us." ---------------------------------------- Century Team Section Overall Scoring Jeannette 2-0 4-0 111-33 Steel Valley 2-0 4-0 109-52 South Park 1-1 3-1 93-64 Brownsville 1-1 2-1 108-29 Beth-Center 1-1 1-3 55-104 East Allegheny 1-1 1-3 45-82 South Allegheny 0-2 1-3 69-121 Charleroi 0-2 0-4 47-136 ---------------------------------------- HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACHES POLL Rankings by The Tribune-Review CLASS AA 1. Washington (4-0) 78 2. Aliquippa (4-0) 71 3. Steel Valley (4-0) 58 4. Jeannette (4-0) 54 5. Waynesburg (4-0) 51 6. Center (4-0) 43 7. Seton-LaSalle (3-1) 26 8. Brownsville (2-1) 20 9. Mars (3-1) 11 10. Quaker Valley (3-1) 9 tie South Park (3-1) 9 Others receiving votes: Beaver (3-1) 6, Beaver Falls (2-2) 3, Riverside (3-1) 1. ---------------------------------------- Jeannette Jayhawks 42 South Allegheny 18 Final Jeannette overpowers SA, 42-14 Pat Klingensmith scored for Jeannette on its first three drives, and the the No. 4-ranked team in the Tribune-Review coaches poll defeated South Allegheny, 42-14, in a Century Conference game Friday night. Linebacker Anton Hall stopped a fake-punt attempt to set up the third score. Matt Lebe rushed for 103 yards on 17 carries and scored two touchdowns for Jeannette. "I was excited how the team performed in the second half after (South Allegheny) had the ball most of the third quarter," Jeannette coach Bob Murphy said. ---------------------------------------- BROWNSVILLE TESTS HIGH-FLYING JEANNETTE By Paul Schofield TRIBUNE-REVIEW The Jeannette football team has been resilient this year. Despite losing top running back Mike Theys for three games, then losing starting quarterback Joe Deluzio in the second game of the season - both were felled by injuries - Jeannette has found a way to stay undefeated. The next two weeks of the season will tell if Jeannette is ready to maintain its unblemished record, as well as continue its march toward the WPIAL Class AA Century Conference title. Jeannette (5-0, 3-0) will play host to Brownsville (4-1, 2-1) on Friday at McKee Stadium, then travels to Munhall on Oct. 16 to meet unbeaten Steel Valley (5-0, 3-0). Brownsville coach Don Bartolomucci said he is not surprised Jeannette stayed undefeated, despite the injuries. He said Jeannette's success comes from the tradition of the program - something he and his coaching staff has rebuilt at the Fayette County school. Brownsville's only loss was to Steel Valley, 16-10. "They have been so consistent over the years," Bartolomucci said, "and it starts with the coaching staff. They had Joe Mucci, Art Tragesser and now Bob Murphy. Art and Bob were assistant coaches under Joe. "You watch Jeannette on film, you see them carry a tremendous attitude. They have a lot of pride." Brownsville recaptured its pride two years ago when it made the WPIAL Class AAA finals. It continued last year when the Falcons reached the WPIAL Class AA semifinals. Justin Spence Fullback Justin Spence, a three-year starter, is one of Brownsville's main offensive weapons. Jason Cash and Billy Pugh are two players whose quickness can beat you running with or catching the football. Senior Craig Rechichar has done a good job trying to fill the shoes left by the graduation of quarterback Mike Patitucci. "It is tough to replace a player the caliber of Patitucci," Murphy said. "Rechichar is doing a very nice job. Brownsville has a lot of talented players at every position. "This is definitely going to be our toughest test to date. The next two weeks will tell us at what level we're going to be." Bartolomucci is concerned with the multiple formation Jeannette will show Brownsville's defense. Even though Theys has returned on a limited basis in the secondary, Bartolomucci is preparing his team for Theys' return on offense. "They have done a nice job mixing things up on offense," Bartolomucci said. "The fullback and two slotbacks have run the ball extremely well. I'm not sure we have the numbers to run with them." Ryan Klingensmith With the injuries, Murphy has turned to sophomores to fill the holes. Shandell Smith and Ryan Klingensmith have played well in the secondary and T.J. Detruf has sparkled at quarterback. On offense, fullback Matt Lebe and slotbacks Jared Kulik and Pat Klingensmith have picked up the slack. "With Spence running at fullback, our defense will need to swarm to the ball," Murphy said. "He's a big, strong kid that runs with power. One player cannot bring him down. "Brownsville has a strong and balanced offense. We'll need to play well to defeat it." ---------------------------------------- Jeannette Jayhawks 15 Brownsville Falcons 9 JEANNETTE REMAINS UNDEFEATED By Paul Schofield TRIBUNE-REVIEW Jeannette, ranked No. 5 in the WPIAL Class AA by the Tribune-Review Coaches Poll, needed a little trickery and a strong defense to stay unbeaten in the Century Conference. Trailing midway through the third quarter, Jeannette coach Bob Murphy called for a "boot keep." "It was a play we discussed at halftime," Murphy said after Jeannette rallied for a 15-9 victory over No. 8 Brownsville. "The coaches in the press box thought it would be a big play. We didn't expect it to go for a touchdown." Sophomore quarterback T.J. Detruf faked a "buck sweep" handoff to Pat Klingensmith and raced 69 yards around right end for a touchdown with 4:14 left in the third quarter to give Jeannette the lead. Murphy then turned his defense loose. The defense was able to contain Brownsville's explosive running game and sacked quarterback Craig Rechichar nine times. "We had to stop their run and force them to throw," Murphy said. "Sometimes the best pass defense is a pass rush. We had to come with the pressure." Seven of the quarterback sacks came in the second half after Jeannette had taken the lead. Klingensmith led the way with three sacks, while Matt Lebe and Eric Barlett had two apiece. "The difference was their quarterback was a little quicker than ours," Brownsville coach Don Bartolomucci said. "I thought we read the play well on the touchdown, but once the quarterback got by our linebacker, we had no help." Jeannette, which improved to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the conference, set the tone early when Klingensmith raced 62 yards for a touchdown around left end on the game's second play from scrimmage. The success of that play set up the game-winning touchdown. Brownsville (3-2, 2-2) cut the score to 7-6 later in the first quarter when fullback Justin Spence plowed in from the 2. Rechichar was stopped on a two-point conversion run. Spence's run capped an impressive 81-yard, 11-play drive. Rechichar tossed a 42-yard pass to Jason Cash to set up the score. Brownsville grabbed a 9-7 lead early in the second quarter when Matt King booted a 25-yard field goal to cap an 85-yard, six-play drive. A 25-yard run by Billy Pugh and a 42-yard pass from Rechichar to Cash set up the score. Rechichar completed 12 of 16 passes for 170 yards. Jeannette put together a good drive on its next possession, but Brownsville's defense held, and Dave Blasioli missed a 25-yard field-goal attempt. Early in the fourth quarter, Brownsville drove to the Jeannette 13. But the Jeannette defense made three consecutive big plays to push Brownsville back to the 31. Brownsville never threatened again. Lebe tackled Pugh for a four-yard loss on first down and then combined with Mike Cox to sack Rechichar on second down. On third down, Klingensmith tackled Pugh for a 9-yard loss on a screen pass. "We were ready for this game," Klingensmith said. "We had something to prove." Klingensmith rushed for 109 yards on eight carries. ---------------------------------------- Sports - October 13, 1999 JEANNETTE RUNNING BACK PASSES ON THANKS TO LINE By Jim Iovino TRIBUNE-REVIEW Jeannette running back Pat Klingensmith had a few choice words for his offensive line after the Brownsville game Oct. 8. "I told them, `Thanks a lot. I owe my yardage to you.' " Klingensmith, who rushed for 109 yards on eight carries in the 15-9 win, enjoyed his line's performance. He was extremely pleased with Jeannette's second play from scrimmage when some impressive blocking by the offensive line allowed Klingensmith to ramble for a 62-yard touchdown. The line didn't allow Klingensmith to be touched, let alone hit, by a Brownsville defender during the run. "The line has had a strong season," Klingensmith said. "I have to say I owe most of my yardage, probably all of it, to the hole being there." The line made Klingensmith look good on that play, but the 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior added plenty of his own outstanding efforts on both sides of the ball in the hard-fought win that allowed the Jayhawks to remain undefeated. Klingensmith recorded three of Jeannette's nine sacks on Brownsville quarterback Craig Rechichar. Klingensmith also made numerous tackles from his inside linebacker position to go along with his 100-plus yards rushing. For his performance, Klingensmith has been named the Tribune-Review Star Athlete of the Week. Klingensmith has rushed for 358 yards on 36 carries this season for an average of 9.9 yards per rush. He leads the Jayhawks with seven touchdowns, including two via the pass. Defensively, Klingensmith has intercepted one pass to go along with a handful of sacks. "Pat does a great job for us," Jeannette coach Bob Murphy said. "He runs hard for us. He has great speed. He loves the game. (Against Brownsville) he played well on both sides of the ball. Pat certainly had one of his best games." Klingensmith, a team captain, took it upon himself to raise his level of play a notch after injuries knocked Mike Theys and Joe Deluzio out of the lineup earlier this season. "I felt that if I stepped up to where I'm playing at 100 percent, other people (on the team) would notice," Klingensmith said. "I'm trying to be a leader on the field." Klingensmith said the Jayhawks feel like they finally will get some recognition after defeating Brownsville. He said teams took them seriously before that game but never as a threat. But as Jeannette prepares for another battle Saturday against undefeated Steel Valley, all of that has changed. "We've been saying for years that this is the team that's going to prove something," Klingensmith said. "Ever since midget football we've been together, and we've been waiting for it - our senior year. ... We're a real tight group." ---------------------------------------- JAYS, BROWNSVILLE TO START STRETCH RUN By BILL BECKNER, JR. Sports Writer This game could mark the turn of the Century, and we're not talking about the countdown to the year 2000. Jeannette and Brownsville will meet Friday night at McKee Stadium in a key Class AA Century Conference game, as both teams enter the toughest stretches on their schedules and prepare for their runs at playoff positions. Jeannette (5-0 overall, 3-0 conference) currently sits atop the conference, tied with unbeaten Steel Valley, while Brownsville (3-1, 2-1) is in a third place tie with South Park. Counting Friday night's match-up, each team has four remaining conference games, and all of them present a challenge. Jeannette has to play at Steel Valley next Saturday, return home to play Charleroi the following week and then wrap up the year at East Allegheny. Brownsville, which comes off a 42-0 bashing of Charleroi last Friday, visits South Park next week, hosts East Allegheny and goes to Beth-Center the final week. Looking ahead, next week's games seem more like turning points to both teams than Friday's, but before the Jayhawks and Falcons play any of those playoff implication-filled games, they first must renew aquaintances in this one. ``It's the same scenario as last year,'' said Brownsville coach Don Bartolomucci. ``They don't have another great team this year, they have an excellent one. I don't know if we can match up well with them, but we'll try.'' Last year, Jeannette traveled to Brownsville in a similar situation - with five wins, no losses and a ton of confidence. But the Falcons matched up well and handed the Jays a brutal 34-13 loss, making this season's meeting even more important to Jeannette. ``Our kids know this is a big game,'' said Jeannette coach Bob Murphy. ``It's been all business this week in practice. They have a well-balanced team once again.'' Jeannette may have running back Mike Theys back on offense this week. The senior played sparingly on defense two weeks ago against South Park, but sat out last week's 42-17 win over South Allegheny. Theys has not played offensively this year. Jeannette has gotten plenty of production from junior running back Matt Lebe (538 yards, 6 TDs), senior running back Pat Klingensmith (8 TDs) and senior wideout Jared Kulik (15 catches, 154 yards). Not to mention the play of sophomore quarterback T.J. Detruf, who will make just his fourth career start Friday. Detruf has thrown for 434 yards and three touchdowns, while completing close to 60 percent of his passes, after replacing injured senior Joe Deluzio. ``We have to try and bunch them up,'' said Bartolomucci. ``No matter what they throw at you, it's a threat. They give you so much pressure up front.'' Jeannette will look to contain senior fullback Justin Spence, who has over 400 yards rushing with eight touchdowns. Senior quarterback Craig Rechichar has only completed 17 of 45 passes this year, for 393 yards, but that doesn't mean he can't throw deep. Rechichar threw a 90-yard touchdown in a game last year. ``Their quarterback has done a nice job, he's had some big shoes to fill,'' said Murphy. Rechichar replaced All-State QB Mike Patitucci, who now is at Ohio University. Murphy is glad his team will play the Falcons at home, but is this Jeannette's biggest challenge so far, even though it's at Jeannette? ``Absolutely, no question,'' Murphy said. ``It always helps to play at home, there should be a nice crowd. But to be a good team you also have to win on the road. We feel pretty confident going in.'' Bartolomucci would rather play the game at his place, since his concerns seem to be with the mystique of McKee Stadium and Jeannette's tradtition. ``That's a tough place to play,'' he said. ``Our kids didn't know too much about the history there, but I told them this week. There aren't many teams out there with 500 wins. What impresses me, is Jeannette's consistency every year.'' Jeannette won its 550th game back on Sept. 3. A win tomorrow night would give them 555. ---------------------------------------- Sports - Oct. 14, 1999 JEANNETTE, STEEL VALLEY MEET IN GAME OF THE CENTURY (Conference) By Kevin Gorman TRIBUNE-REVIEW Forget what happened, if you will, between Jeannette and Steel Valley last year. Let the plays disappear, from the Ironmen's disastrous turnovers to the Jayhawks' scoring drives they resulted in, and pretend that none of it matters. Even if Jeannette did eliminate Steel Valley from playoff contention only one year after the Ironmen went undefeated in regular-season play. Even if Steel Valley's Devin Wilson did rush for 232 yards as the Ironmen outgained their opponents, 365-120, and lost mainly because they had 11 penalties, gave up a blocked punt and lost two fumbles on punt returns. Remember, it means nothing. That was last year. "I don't see it as much of a motivator," Steel Valley coach Ed Wehrer said. "We're undefeated. They're undefeated. What more can you do to get up for a game?" When No. 3 Steel Valley (6-0, 4-0) plays host to No. 5 Jeannette (6-0, 4-0) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Campbell Field in Munhall, it won't be just a game between two of Class AA's six undefeated teams. It will be the Game of the Century. Not only are bragging rights on the line, but the winner will settle a first-place tie in the Century Conference. Jeannette won, 21-19, last year, escaping a frantic fourth-quarter comeback to qualify for the playoffs. This is a much different Jeannette team, although many of the same players return. The heroes of that game, quarterback Joe Deluzio, who scored three touchdowns, and two-way back Mike Theys, who intercepted a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt, have been sidelined by injuries for much of the season. That has drawn a parallel of sorts between Jeannette and Steel Valley. Both teams have sophomore quarterbacks who got their break when a senior starter sustained a broken collarbone in the second week of the season. Both have tough junior running backs, medium-sized offensive lines and hard-hitting defenses, not to mention similar formations and successful traditions. "It's like a mirror-image of us," Jeannettte senior Pat Klingensmith said. "It's kind of like we're looking face-to-face with ourselves." Start with the young quarterbacks. Steel Valley's Luke Getsy took over as starter two games into his freshman season when Dale Cornetta went down, and passed for 1,436 yards. The 6-2, 175-pounder has completed 52 of 119 passes for 810 yards and seven touchdowns this season. "We realized Luke had talent," Wehrer said. "We knew he was going to be a special kid." Jeannette's T.J. Detruf stepped in when Deluzio was similarly injured at Freeport, and is 33 of 56 for 486 yards in leading the Jayhawks to wins over Beth-Center, South Park, South Allegheny and Brownsville. The poise of Detruf, a 5-11, 195-pounder, was no surprise to Jayhawks coach Robert Murphy, who moved him up to the varsity last season. "His attitude is outstanding," Murhpy said. "He certainly had the skills. Now that he's had the chance, he's put together successive weeks of good games." Wilson, a 5-11, 190-pound junior, is a power back who has rushed for 869 yards and 10 touchdowns on 107 carries. Wilson's speed was evident in a 27-0 win over South Allegheny last week, where he had touchdown runs of 53 and 63 yards and caught a 59-yard scoring pass from Getsy. "We just think that Steel Valley is so talented," Murphy said. "Their tailback is absolutely outstanding. He's strong, quick, has speed and size. Their quarterback throws extremely well and has a strong arm. The challenge is there. And it's not just in those two. Their talent runs deep. Starting with those two, they're outstanding." Jeannette's not half bad, either. Even after losing Deluzio and Theys, who will play defensively at free safety, the Jayhawks haven't lost any momentum. Behind Detruf, slot backs Klingensmith and Jared Kulick and junior ace back Matt Lebe, who has rushed for 580 yards and six touchdowns on 98 carries, the multi-faceted offense is dangerous despite the absence of a go-to player. "They're not looking for personal accolades," Murphy said. "They're interested in how the team does, and that's why we've done so well." Steel Valley is seeking its first back-to-back shutouts in a decade and will look to 6-4, 225-pound senior inside linebacker Dan Drane to lead the attack. Wehrer said that end Brad Pearce shows total disregard for his body, something that rubs off on the rest of the defense. One example is 5-9, 155-pound safety Romar Watts, who's known for his rattling hits. "When we first started the season, we thought our offense was going to demolish people," Drane said. "But our defense is winning games. If we can stop the big play, we have a feeling they can't run or pass effectively enough to beat us." The problem is that Jeannette took advantage of those special teams blunders last year, taking over at Steel Valley's 7, 1 and its own 43 on its scoring drives. The Ironmen had six turnovers in all, which put less pressure on a Jeannette defense led by linebackers Klingensmith and Lebe. But that's history. That's the past. "We all put it to pass," Watts said. "We do want the rematch. I think they're for real. It's going to be a good game." It's a new year, soon to be a new century. The next time, it will be billed as the Game of the Millenium. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MIRROR IMAGES COLLIDE By Paul Schofield TRIBUNE-REVIEW Fans haven't been getting their money's worth for Steelers games, but that shouldn't be a problem Saturday in Munhall. Jeannette, the No. 5 Class AA team in Tribune-Review WPIAL Football Coaches Poll, will take on No. 3 Steel Valley at Campbell Field. Both teams are undefeated and atop the Century Conference. This could be the game of any century. "They are a mirror imagine of each other," Brownsville coach Don Bartolomucci said. "It will be a fun game to watch." Skilled athletes dominate both teams' rosters, bringing speed and tough hitting to the field. "We'll need a complete effort to defeat them," Jeannette coach Robert Murphy said. "If we can execute on offense and swarm to the ball on defense, we'll have a chance." It took a Steel Valley implosion last season for Jeannette to pull out a 21-19 victory at McKee Stadium. Steel Valley outgained Jeannette, 365-120, and tailback Devin Wilson rushed for 232 yards. But Steel Valley commited 11 penalties, fumbled on two punt returns and had a punt blocked. "We capitalized on our breaks," Murphy said. "The special teams played a big role in the victory." Steel Valley coach Ed Wehrer said he is not using last year's game as a motivator. But he could. "We're undefeated. They're undefeated," Wehrer said. "What more can you do to get up for a game?" Jeannette's roster is similar to last year's, but several key players are out with injuries. Quarterback Joe Deluzio, who scored three touchdowns, and two-way back Mike Theys, who intercepted a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt, have been sidelined by injuries for much of the season. Sophomore T.J. Detruf has replaced Deluzio, while Matt Lebe, Pat Klingensmith and Jared Kulik have shared the running duties in They's absence. "It's like a mirror-image of us," Klingensmith said. "It's kind of like we're looking face-to-face with ourselves." Steel Valley's Luke Getsy, also a sophomore, has completed 52 of 119 passes for 810 yards and seven touchdowns this season. "We realized Luke had talent," Wehrer said. "We knew he was going to be a special kid." Wilson, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound junior, is a power back who has rushed for 869 yards and 10 touchdowns on 107 carries. Wilson's speed was evident in a 27-0 win over South Allegheny last week, when he had touchdown runs of 53 and 63 yards and caught a 59-yard scoring pass from Getsy. "They're not looking for personal accolades," Murphy said. "They're interested in how the team does, and that's why we've done so well. "They are excited about this game and are ready for the challenge." ---------------------------------------- JEANNETTE (6-0) at STEEL VALLEY (6-0) When, where: 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Campbell Field in Munhall Last year's score: Jeannette 21, Steel Valley 19 Keys to the game: The Jayhawks must stop Steel Valley junior RB Devin Wilson, who rushed for 232 yards against them last year. The return of FS Mike Theys, who was out with a broken forearm, should help the Jeannette defense. Steel Valley committed six turnovers last year against Jeannette, which converted three Ironmen special teams blunders into touchdowns. The play of the sophomore QBs - Steel Valley two-year starter Luke Getsy and Jeannette's T.J. Detruf, who has started the past four games - could be the difference. Both inherited their jobs after their team's starters suffered broken collarbones in the second week of the season. Notable: This has been a game of consequence for these teams the last two years. Jeannette's victory last season eliminated the Ironmen from playoff contention after they went undefeated in the 1997 season. This time, the teams are battling for sole possession of first place in the Century conference, which is why this contest is being billed as the "Game of the Century." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KEY MATCHUPS Jeannette at Steel Valley SKILL PLAYERS Both teams have sophomore QBs who are showing the promise of stardom and the poise of upperclassmen. Steel Valley's Luke Getsy has already passed for more than 2,200 yards in his career and will target WR Jerrod Smith. Jeannette's T.J. Detruf is undefeated in four-plus games after filling in for injured senior Joe Deluzio (broken collarbone). Ironmen RB Devin Wilson ran for 232 yards against Jeannette last season and is one of WPIAL's top junior backs. Matt Lebe, Pat Klingensmith and Jared Kulick form a solid backfield for the Jayhawks, who may utilize Mike Theys. A brace protects Theys' right forearm but prohibits him from effectively carrying the ball. Advantage: Steel Valley OFFENSIVE LINE Steel Valley, led by brothers Corey and Luke Devey on the left side, outsizes Jeannette up front. Tackle Mike Cox, a 5-11, 235-pound junior, is the biggest Jayhawk. But the discipline of the lines could be more important than size. The Ironmen were called for 11 penalties last season against Jeannette. Advantage: Jeannette DEFENSE Steel Valley coach Ed Wehrer believes his defense, led by ILB Dan Drane and hard-hitting S Romar Watts, is the reason why the Ironmen are undefeated. DE Brad Pearce's reckless disregard for his body sets the tone for Steel Valley. ILBs Pat Klingensmith and Lebe lead a Jeannette attack that accounted for 10 sacks against Brownsville last week. Theys has slowly worked his way back at FS. Advantage: Steel Valley SPECIAL TEAMS This was the difference of last year's meeting, where Jeannette converted three Steel Valley turnovers (two fumbles on punt returns and a blocked punt) into touchdowns. It's still a weakness for the Ironmen, evidenced by freshman kicker Neal Krysinski's three TD-saving tackles on kickoffs. Jeannette has a solid P in Anton Hall and PK in Dave Blasioli, and Klingensmith is dangerous on kick returns. Advantage: Jeannette Prediction Steel Valley 27, Jeannette 21 ---------------------------------------- WELL CAN'T WIN THEM ALL AS JEANNETTE SUFFERS THERE FIRST LOSS TO STEEL VALLEY AS I WAS TOLD BY WHJB THAT JEANNETTE WON I FIND OUT ON WTAE STEEL VALLEY WON 24-10..... JEANNETTE STILL HAS 2 GAMES LEFT AND DID GREAT ALL YEAR..... THEY WILL BE THE CENTURY CONFERENCE CO-CHAMPIONS...... HOWEVER STEEL VALLEY COACH SAID NO CHAMPIONSHIP WAS WON YET.... ---------------------------------------- STEEL VALLEY MOVES INTO CONFERENCE LEAD WITH VICTORY OVER JEANNETTE By Jeff Martinelli THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW Jeannette football coach Bob Murphy knows one regular-season game does not make a season. And maybe that's why he was looking to next week after his Jayhawks lost to Steel Valley, 24-10, Saturday at Campbell Field in Munhall. "They know that there's a season left for us," Murphy said. "We've got a short week and another game coming Friday." The victory gives Steel Valley (7-0, 5-0), the third-ranked team in Class AA in the Tribune-Review WPIAL Coaches Poll, sole possession of first place in the Century Conference with two weeks left to play in the regular season. It was the first loss of the season for Jeannette (6-1, 5-1), which is ranked fourth in the poll. "We didn't do some things very well in the first half," Murphy said. "They came at us, and we made our share of mistakes." And the Steel Valley defense took advantage of the miscues to set up its offense. The Ironmen limited Jeannette to 34 yards rushing and 72 total yards in the first half as they rebounded an early 2-0 deficit. After a bad snap, punter Nate Krysinski kicked the ball that sailed over his head out of the end zone to give Jeannette the lead on the safety. At that point it looked as though it would be a rough afternoon for the Ironmen, who had already turned back one threat when Jeannette took the opening kickoff to the Steel Valley 24, before Brad Pearce sacked Jayhawk sophomore quarterback T.J. Detruf for an 11-yard loss. Jeanette fullback Matt Lebe takes Steel Valley linebacker Dan Drane (56) for a ride for longs yardage as Romar Watts closes in. (James Knox/Tribune-Review photo) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It set the tone for the game," Steel Valley linebacker Dan Drane said of Pearce's sack. "Pearce is a player that is full of energy. And when he does something big and makes the big play, it gets the defense fired up." The Ironmen - and Drane - were turned on full blast from there out. After Steel Valley picked off a Detruf pass in the second quarter, the Ironmen went on a five-play, 33-yard touchdown drive that featured a 21-yard pass to Doswell, a 5-yard run by Posipanka, and a 10-yard run by Bobik before Wilson finished with a 16-yard touchdown run on his first carry of the drive. Wilson, who rushed for a game-high 122 yards on 25 carries, scored again with 7:59 left in the first half on a 26-yard run to cap a three-play drive to give Steel Valley a 14-2 lead. And if that kind of scoring wasn't quick enough, Steel Valley showed it can it grind it out as well when it opened the second half with an 80-yard, 12-play scoring drive, taking 6:39 off the game clock. Doswell scored on a 26-yard reception from Getsy, who was 8-of-13 for 120 yards and the touchdown. It was a drive that made things extremely difficult for Jeannette. "Well, coming out in the second half, that's exactly what you don't want to happen," Murphy said. "We felt we wanted to stop them as well as we could and then get a quick score. To their credit, they moved the ball." And so did Jeannette in the fourth quarter as Matt Lebe, who rushed for 60 yards, capped a 13-play, 52-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 7:15 left in the game. With two weeks left in the regular season, things do not look too bad for the Jayhawks, who finish the season with East Allegheny and Charleroi. Those two teams are a combined 2-12. Meanwhile, Wehrer won't get too excited over the victory and put this big game in perspective. "Whether we won or lost this game, the season wasn't going to be over today," Wehrer said. "No championships were won today." ---------------------------------------- Jeannette Update Jeannette Jayhawks 49 Charleroi Cougars 20 Final Sports - Oct. 23, 1999 JEANNETTE WINS, CLINCHES PLAYOFF BERTH By Les Harvath FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW The Jeannette Jayhawks clinched a Century Conference playoff berth with a convincing 49-20 win over Charleroi on Friday night at Jeannette McKee Stadium. Jeannette (7-1, 5-1) took advantage of three Charleroi turnovers in the first half and scored touchdowns on six consecutive possessions in the second and third quarters, as the Jays dominated the game from the opening kickoff. Jeannette sophomore quarterback T.J. Detruf completed 8 of 9 passes for 160 yards, including touchdown strikes of 33 yards to Matt Lebe, 41 yards to Bob Dent, and 18 yards to Mike Theys. After Pat Klingensmith's seven-yard touchdown run gave Jeannette a 7-0 first-quarter lead, Charleroi embarked on one of their more unusual possessions of the season. Taking over at the Jeannette 18-yard line, Charleroi tied the game on a 10-play drive that consumed 6:35, climaxed by a Jeff Dumm-to-Mark Tedrow nine-yard touchdown pass. "We got off to a bad start," said second-year Charleroi coach Jim Dumm. "You can't give a great team liike Jeannette field possession and expect to win. Our early turnovers got us deeper and deeper in the hole." After Charleroi tied the score, Klingensmith scored his second touchdown, on a six-yard run. Mike Theys' two-yard score and the Detruf-to-Lebe touchdown pass gave the Jayhawks a 28-7 lead. With 21 seconds remaining in the first half, Dumm and Andy Debnar connected on a 53-yard touchdown pass to cut Jeannette's halftime lead to 14 points. "We needed a win like this," said Jeannette coach Bob Murphy, referring to the Hawks' loss to undefeated Steel Valley last week. "After the loss, our guys worked hard all week, and their effort paid off. It's nice to clinch the playoff spot, but we have to wait to see what happens next week with the rest of the conference (regarding playoff positioning). Our good field position played a big part in the game tonight." Detruf stepped in as Jeannette's quarterback in the second game of the season when Joe Deluzio went down with a broken collarbone. For the season, Detruf has completed 56-92 passes for 784 yards. "T.J. is an accurate passes," said Murphy. "He got us started in the second half." Murphy also found delight in the play of Deluzio, who played in his first complete game since the injury, recording a pair of interceptions to lead Jeannette's defense, which held Charleroi to 206 yards in total offense. Charleroi's Justin Spada was the game's leading rusher with 75 yards on 15 carries. ---------------------------------------- JEANNETTE FINISH REGULAR SEASON IN STYLE BY FINISHING WITH A RECORD OF IN CONFERENCE 6-1 OVERALL 8-1 WITH A VICTORY OVER EAST ALLEGHENY!!!!!! ---------------------------------------- JEANNETTE JAYHAWKS 33 EAST ALLEGHENY WILDCATS 6 JEANNETTE OVERWHELMS EA Pat Klingensmith returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown to lead Jeannette, ranked sixth in the Tribune Review's coaches poll, to a 33-6 Century Conference victory over East Allegheny. Pat Klingensmith rushed for 62 yards for a touchdown on the next series before leaving with an unspecified injury. Brian Klingensmith rushed for 126 yards on 15 carries to help Jeannette (8-1, 6-1) finish alone in second place in the Century Conference. T.J. Detruf tossed two touchdown passes for Jeannette. Adam Wagner completed 13 of 25 passes for 113 yards for East Allegheny (1-8, 1-6). ---------------------------------------- Sunday, August 30, 1998 'PLAYOFF BOULEVARD' LEADS THROUGH JEANNETTE By Dave Ailes FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW If city fathers decide to re-name Clay Avenue, Jeannette's main drag, here's a suggestion: "Playoff Boulevard." Almost every year, whether the Jayhawks are rebuilding or reloading, they qualify for the WPIAL football playoffs. It's been that way each of Bob Murphy's two years as head coach, and the previous 27 years when he served as a top assistant. And don't bet against Jeannette in 1998. Their chances are even better since the WPIAL has expanded the post-season format to include four teams from every conference. On the other hand, it won't be a stroll through the park, either. Jeannette's conference, the Class AA Century, has added powerhouse Brownsville, which was 9-1 in AAA last year. Brownsville made the playoff finals a year ago, and the Century's defending champion, South Park, went to the state finals. "It's going to be a hornet's nest again," Murphy predicted, pointing out another entry, Steel Valley, has the same type of outstanding football reputation as Jeannette. Making the Jayhawks' job more complicated are graduation losses of two-year quarterback Gabe Smith and top running back Jeremy Binakonsky. Eleven other contributors also graduated. It's time to reload. The leading quarterback candidate is Joe Deluzio. Another junior, Mike Theys, is chief among tailbacks. Theys is the kind of outstanding athlete who could play quarterback, too, if necessary. The new faces won't slow the run-and-shoot, said Murphy. "I know we're going to throw the ball a lot, and I'm convinced we'll throw it well." Dan Agapito brings experience to the wide receiver position, along with Dave Blasiole and Tim Pershing. The slotback candidates are Brian DeGuffrey, Jeremy Frye, Matt Clark, and Jared Kulik, while the key tailback slot includes one of the team captains, Marcillo Dodson, to go with Pat Klingensmith and Matt Lebe. "We've got some good speed," said Murphy. At Jeannette, that's like saying most of the classrooms are indoors. There's always speed in Jeannette's backfield. "We don't have anybody the caliber of Mycal Jones (sophomore kick returner at Northwestern). But you don't get players like Jones very often - high school or college." The Jayhawks are approaching the trenches from a new direction. The coaches plan to use as many of their linemen as possible on a rotation basis. "The kids are going to play almost equally," said the coach. Assuming inevitable injuries along the way, plus a roster that numbers only 32, the coaches want every Jayhawk to earn his wings. "All of them are going to see action, Murphy said." The leading linemen include 280-pound Eric Keto and 290-pound Matt Schultz. The others - who began training camp as interchangeable parts of Jeannette's puzzle - are Jonas Wolfe, Clayton Kebe, Chris Lewis, Joe Lewis, Justin Elliott, Jordan Giles, Ron Marquis, Erik Bartlett and Mike Cox. Murphy, whose Jays open at Deer Lakes, said, "I don't think we've ever had as challenging a schedule as this year's. "Overall, we've got a young team with pretty good speed and an excellent attitude. A lot will depend on getting off to a strong start, and building some momentum before we head into the conference schedule." The rest will depend on Jeannette's reputation as a football team that gets better as it ages, like fine wine. It goes all the way to Playoff Boulevard. FAST FACTS 1997 Results 1997 results 7 Yough 14 39 Southmoreland 7 0 Bentworth 21 26 Charleroi 14 45 South Allegheny 13 6 South Park 20 32 Freeport 6 21 Beth-Center 9 28 East Allegheny 0 WPIAL playoffs 17 Aliquippa 0 21 Sto-Rox 6 13 Shady Side Academy 14 Seniors Name Pos. Ht. Wt. x-Dan Agapito WR 6-1 185 x-Marcello Dodson WR 6-1 185 x-Justin Elliott LB 5-11 190 x-Jeremy Frye DB 5-9 160 x-Eric Keto OT 6-3 285 x-Clayton Lebe OL 5-10 265 x-Chris Lewis DE 5-11 180 x-Tim Pershing WR 5-11 185 Matt Schultz OL 6-2 300 Josh Valerio WR 5-11 170 x-Jonas Wolfe OL 5-11 210 Juniors Derk Barnett DE 6-0 170 x-Dave Blasioli WR 5-8 165 Ken Bush DB 5-8 165 x-Matt Clark DE 6-2 195 Norman Dean DB 6-0 170 x-Joe Deluzio QB 6-0 165 Brian DeGuffroy SB 5-8 165 Jim Garlets LB 5-9 170 x-Jordan Giles OT 5-9 215 x-Anton Hall OL 5-11 200 Jeremy Lewis OL 6-0 180 Joe Lewis DE 6-0 170 x-Pat Klingensmith SB 6-1 185 x-Jarod Kulik DB 6-0 165 x-Ron Marquis OT 6-1 210 x-Mike Theys RB 6-0 175 Sophomores Sophomore Eric Bartlott OL 5-11 195 Casey Ciampi DB 5-6 120 Mike Cox OL 5-11 210 Bob Dent WR 5-11 180 John Hockman OL 5-11 170 Matt Lebe LB 5-9 175 Freshman Tom Detruf QB 5-11 175 x-Lettermen ---------------------------------------- WHERE HAVE YOU GONE JOE DELUZIO? TO WIDE RECEIVER By Paul Schofield TRIBUNE-REVIEW Joe Deluzio was the starting quarterback at Jeannette High School when the football season began back in September. But as the Jayhawks (8-1) prepare to battle Beaver Falls (7-2) in the WPIAL Class AA playoffs Friday night at McKee Stadium, Deluzio will be lining up at a new position. The 6-foot, 160-pound senior is now playing wide receiver and defensive back. He lost his job to sophomore T.J. Detruf when he (Deluzio) sustained a broken collarbone during the second game of the season at Freeport. Because Detruf has played so well at quarterback, Jeannette coach Bob Murphy did not want to make a switch. So Deluzio made the change. "I wanted to help the team," Deluzio said. "I was needed as a receiver and defensive back. I just wanted to play." And because he made the sacrifice, Deluzio has made Jeannette a stronger team. "He gives us more depth," Murphy said. "Joe had given us a huge lift, especially in the secondary. He is playing more now than he did when he played quarterback. "Joe is unselfish and a first-class person. He is more interested on what he can do to help the team, not what the team can do to help him." Detruf, who moved into the starting job in the third game of the season, finished the regular season by completing 60 of 101 passes for 870 yards and eight touchdowns. Deluzio wasn't the only starter to miss time this season. Running back Mike Theys, a senior, cracked a bone in his arm and missed the first five games. Matt Lebe, a junior, has picked up the slack in the running game by rushing for 748 yards. "We're a better offensive football team this year," Murphy said. "We're more experienced." Jeannette will face a team in Beaver Falls that also starts a sophomore quarterback. Justin Sciarro has completed 62 of 121 passes for 1,044 yards and 13 touchdowns. "When you get into the playoffs, everyone is a challenge," Murphy said. "Sciarro has a great arm and moves well. We'll probably be recruited heavily when he's a senior." Beaver Falls finished third in the Midwestern Conference behind Aliquippa and Center. It is coached by Rick Mancini. "We're looking forward to the game," Mancini said. "Jeannette has a lot of tradition, and so do we. When I look at them, they look like a mirror imagine of us." ---------------------------------------- JEANNETTE HISTORY FROM 1895-1999 September 2, 1999 A CENTURY OF THRILLS By BILL BECKNER, JR. and GREG TROUT Six WPIAL championship teams; three WPIAL runner-up teams; 549 overall wins; ten players who went on to play professionally. Needless to say, the next 100 years of Jeannette High School football will have a tough task in matching the first 100. The Jayhawks' football program, one of the most successful in Pennsylvania history, kicks off its 100th season Friday night against Deer Lakes, and they'll do it at the same time they unveil the new version of their longtime home. McKee Stadium, home of the 'Hawks since 1937, has been renovated since last season, and while it may hardly resemble its former self in the physical sense, from an emotional standpoint, all the history of the great Jeannette teams of the past remains as strong as ever. The legend that has become Jeannette High School football began in the fall of 1900 (just five years after a team from the city battled Latrobe in what many believe was the first professional football game ever played), when the Jayhawks won the first game ever played in school history, a 41-33 victory over McKeesport. The rest, as they say, is history. The names associated with Jeannette football are known and respected throughout the region - Getto, Semenko, Hoak, Barnes, Mucci, and on and on. Jeannette definitely has a big history for a small town. IN THE BEGINNING... After playing just three games from 1900-1905, the Jeannette High School football program truly began to take shape in 1906, when Dr. B.F. Jenkins took over as coach. The program was actually mired in mediocrity at first, posting just three winning seasons from 1906-1922. In fact, three seasons were cut short. In 1915, the team played five games, posting a 1-3-1 mark before the rest of the season was cancelled because of the team's sub-par academic performance. In 1916, four games were canceled for unknown reasons, and in 1918, the team played just two games because of a flu epidemic. In 1923, however, things began to roll and the Jayhawks began the journey that would turn the program into one of the standard-bearers of Southwestern Pennsylvania football. Coach Frank W. (Pie) Williams took over in '23 and the Jayhawks responded with a 6-2-2 record, their first winning season since the 2-0 mark in the flu-ravaged 1918 season. The following year, the 'Hawks posted an 11-1 mark, with the only loss coming to Norwin 19-12. A controversy over the use of ineligible players ensued, however, and after a series of forfeits, the 1924 record was amended to 3-8. Williams left the team after the '24 season with an outstanding two-year mark (on the field) of 17-3-2, but his successor would do even better. Lloyd Jordan took over in 1925 and in his three seasons at the helm, the Jayhawks would go 25-2-2, including a 10-0 mark in his final season, 1927, in which Jeannette outscored its opponents 319-13. During the five years Williams and Jordan coached the team, the Jays dominated, outscored their 51 opponents 1268-186, an average score of 25-4. One of the standouts on those Jeannette teams was Mike Getto. After graduating from Jeannette in 1925, Getto was an All-America tackle at Pitt and went on to coach professionally with the NFL's old Brooklyn Dodgers under Jock Sutherland. He later became head coach at the University of Kansas. The 1928-29 Jayhawks' teams were successful under one-year coaches. In '28, Joseph Harrick led the squad to a 9-1 mark, and in '29 Blair McMillan's Jays went 7-2-1. With the start of the depression came a bit of a swoon in 1930, the first year of a two season stint for coach C. Arthur Dahl. Dahl went 5-3-2 in '30. A 1930 graduate, John Love, would become the first Jayhawks alum to play in the NFL. After playing tackle at Pitt, Love signed with the Steelers in their second year, 1934, but saw his career come to an end during his rookie year because of an ankle injury. Love later coached at Connellsville for five seasons. The Jays bounced back in '31 to post a 7-2-1 mark and set the stage for the first of many magical seasons in Jeannette. THE BARNES ERA ... In 1932, a gentleman by the name of A. Markley Barnes took over the Jayhawks. When he left 26 years later, after the 1958 season, he would be the Jayhawks' winningest coach and a local legend. During his tenure, the 'Hawks would post 22 non-losing seasons, including eight years of eight wins or more. The first of those winning campaigns was Barnes' rookie year as coach in '32. After a 21-6 win over Sewickley to start the season, the Jays, led by Buster Clarkson, who would later play pro baseball, gave up just eight more points the rest of the season on their way to a perfect 9-0 mark and the school's first WPIAL championship. The perfect season was clinched in front of an estimated 15,000 fans in a 13-6 win against Greensburg at Offutt Field. The title was shared with New Castle and McKeesport that season as no playoffs were held in that era. In 1933, the Jayhawks may have been just as dominant, not allowing a point in their first six games. After a 19-6 win over Youngwood and a 20-0 victory over Washington, Jeannette lost a chance at a second title when they were beaten by Greensburg 13-0, a loss which ended a 19 game winning streak. Ironically, Greensburg was the last team to beat the 'Hawks to that point in 1931, and that was just the beginning of many huge games between the teams over the years. After slumping to 4-4-2 in 1934, Barnes ran off back-to-back unbeaten seasons in '35-'36, the lone blemish being a 13-13 tie in '35 against Vandergrift. The '36 team posted nine straight shutouts to start the season, and wasn't scored upon until the final game of the year, a 25-6 win over Hurst. The defensive performances of those teams were incredible, as the Jays blanked 17 of their 20 opponents over those two seasons, including 11 in a row at one point. Among the stars of that era were John Eibner and Albert ``Chick'' Caviggia. Eibner graduated from Jeannette in 1934 and went on to become an All-SEC tackle at Kentucky. He played pro ball with Philadelphia in 1941-42, then returned after military duty in World War II to play one more season with the Eagles. He would later coach at the University of Florida. A 1936 graduate, Caviggia went on to star at LSU and was selected to play in the Chicago College All-Star game in 1942. After leaving the Tigers, Caviggia played for the New York Giants in 1945, but injuries ended his career prematurely. After the glory comes the fall, they say, and that's what happened at Jeannette over the next two seasons. The Jays went 4-3-1 in '37 and slumped to 1-7-2 in '38. 1937 would later provide some fond memories, though, as that would be the year the new McKee Stadium opened. Despite the team's stuggles at the time, the Jays had a star in Alex Piasecky. A 1938 graduate, Piasecky went to Duke, then played three years for the Washington Redskins as a two-way end before moving to the All-American Football Conference for a season with the Miami Seahawks. After a couple of down years, the 1939 team bounced back to go undefeated (10-0), allowing just 20 points. The season was capped with a 6-0 win over Ambridge which gave Jeannette its first outright WPIAL title. The only touchdown of the game came on a 95-yard return of the opening kickoff by the Jayhawks' Bill Olezewski. The next 16 seasons were a roller coaster ride for Barnes and the Jayhawks. There were some solid seasons (7-1 in 1940, 7-1-1 in '42, 7-2 in '46 and 8-1 in '51) and some not-so-solid ones (3-5 in 1941, 3-4-2 in both '43 and '45, and 2-7 in '50). After a 9-1 season in 1954, the Jays went 5-4 in '55, but were ready to bounce back and return to their former glory. The post-war years saw two stars rise to the pro ranks from Jeannette - Jack O'Brien and Mel Semenko. O'Brien graduated from Jeannette in 1950 and went on to the University of Florida before going pro with the Steelers and seeing time in the Canadian League. Semenko left Jeannette in 1955 and went on to the University of Colorado. A successful pro career followed in the CFL with the British Columbia Lions, Ottawa Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes. The 1956 team, led by future Penn State and Steelers standout Dick Hoak, ran the table, going 10-0, outscoring their opponents 204-33. It all could have came to an end, however, in the final game of the season against Greensburg at Offutt Field, but the 'Hawks came away with a memorable 14-6 win. ``Bob Mitinger (of Greensburg) caught a pass down behind our defense and fell down on the one-yard-line. We were ahead 7-6. They had four shots to get into the end zone and they didn't get in,'' said Hoak. ``We took the ball right at the end of the third quarter, we drove 99 yards and kept the ball the whole fourth quarter, except for about a minute, and scored and then qualified to play Charleroi for the championship.'' Ironically, Mitinger and Hoak would become teammates at Penn State a short time later. Mitinger would win All-America honors and go on to play for the San Diego Chargers, while Hoak spent ten years with the Steelers as a player before joining their coaching staff. Hoak points out he wasn't the only star on that Jayhawks' championship squad. ``Wayne Tucci ... went to Purdue,'' he said. ``I had three cousins on that team - Charles Evans, Buddy Torris and Frank del Gross. Buddy went to Penn State, Charlie went to Clemson. We had a kid named Bob Lavella. Bob went to West Virginia ... I remember all of them.'' That victory gave the Jayhawks a shot at their third WPIAL title, and they capitalized, beating Charleroi 16-13 on a Jim Burzio field goal in the final seconds. Ironically, that was the only field goal that Burzio ever attempted with the Jayhawks, and it won a championship. Barnes would coach for two more seasons, posting a career record of 168-68-13, the most wins ever by a Jeannette coach. After Barnes' tenure came to an end, the Jayhawks' program hit the skids and suffered through the next decade, posting just 27 wins from 1959-67 under four coaches - Alfred Amann, Joseph Mastro, William Baughman and Thomas Duff. Bob Tatarek, a 1964 graduate, would go on to bigger things. After attending the University of Florida, where he made honorable mention on All-America teams as a junior and senior, Tatarek went on to play with the Buffalo Bills for four years after being a second round draft choice in 1968. He was later traded to Detroit and spent two years with the Lions, before going to the old World Football League and playing with the Birmingham Americans and Jacksonville Sharks. After going a combined 2-16-1 under Duff in 1966-67, Jeannette made a change that would result in more than 30 years of top notch football. THE MUCCI ERA ... Joe Mucci was the first head coach at Greensburg Central Catholic prior to coming to Jeannette in 1968 and before his retirement in 1985, he would lead the 'Hawks to 149 wins, two WPIAL titles and four WPIAL championship game appearances. After three years at the helm, Mucci's 1971 team posted the first perfect season at Jeannette in 15 years, going 11-0 and winning the WPIAL Class AA title over Beaver 14-7 in a game that saw two huge defensive plays near the goal line by Jeannette's Dan Ereditario and a game-winning 62 yard run in the fourth quarter by fullback Russ Matt. ``We had such an outstanding bunch of kids (on that team), from our captains on down,'' said Mucci. ``I think we had a group of kids who were very dedicated, who worked very hard, had a tremendous attitude.'' The next season, the Jays moved into the Keystone Conference, went 10-0 in the regular season and in the process won the first of five section crowns in a seven year span. Jeannette returned to the WPIAL Class AA final, but lost to Gateway 20-0. That loss ended a 21 game winning streak. The way the 'Hawks actually got to the final was highly unusual. There was no overtime in the playoffs in '72, and after playing to a 14-14 tie with Monessen in the semifinals, Jeannette was awarded the win by virtue of gaining more total yards than the Greyhounds. A 1972 graduate, Steve August was a late bloomer in football, but turned out to be star. After leaving Jeannette, August went to the University of Tulsa and was later a first round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 1977 and went on to have a solid NFL career. In fact, in the '77 draft, August was involved in the Seahawks' trade with Dallas that allowed the Cowboys to select Pitt legend Tony Dorsett. Another perfect regular season followed for the Jays in 1973, giving Jeannette 27 straight regular season wins. That streak would reach 29 before a 19-14 loss to East Allegheny in Week 3. The Jays beat Greensburg-Salem 40-13 in the first round of the playoffs but were eliminated the following week by Mt. Lebanon 33-14. Despite posting winning record in each of the next seven seasons, the 'Hawks could not get past the opening round of postseason play until 1981, the second year of the new Allegheny Interscholastic Conference. The '81 team ran the table, going 9-0 in the regular season, then beat Riverside (29-13) and Charleroi (13-0) before taking the WPIAL title with a tremendous defensive effort in 26-7 win over Freeport. The '82 team (10-2) won its third straight AIC title and made it to the WPIAL final again, but lost to Beaver 18-13. Undaunted by the '82 loss, the Jayhawks would again go perfect in 1983, led by Dante Wiley, Maurice Chamberlain and Mark Brasco. After wins over South Park (29-7) and Washington (21-19), Jeannette beat Canevin 6-0 on two Brasco field goals to take their second WPIAL Class AA title in three years. ``In '81 and '83, we had such a good array of athletes,'' said Mucci. After a 9-2-1 season in 1984, Mucci said farewell to the sidelines by posting an 11-1 mark in 1985, good for the championship of the AIC. Although Mucci would leave coaching after the '85 season, his influence can be felt to this day on the Jayhawks' sideline. Two of Mucci's disciples picked up for their legendary mentor, and the 'Hawks haven't missed a beat. THE GOOD NEW DAYS ... Art Tragesser and Bob Murphy, two longtime Mucci assistants, have continued building on Mucci's foundation of success right up to the turn of the century. Tragesser took over from Mucci in 1986 and posted an outstanding record of 73-33-3 in his 10 seasons at the helm. He led the Jays to his first AIC title in 1989 and made it to the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated by Freeport. After another AIC title in 1991, Tragesser led Jeannette to a milestone in 1993 - the 500th win in school history. It came in a 14-0 win at McKee Stadium over Greensburg Central Catholic. The following season, after moving to the Century Conference in the WPIAL's realignment and installing a new run-and-shoot offense, Tragesser and the 'Hawks returned to the WPIAL championship game for the first time since 1983. The Jays beat Seton-LaSalle (41-34) and Beth-Center (12-7) in the first two rounds, but a worn down and beaten up Jeannette squad was no match for powerful New Brighton in the final, losing to the Lions 36-7 in what would be the 'Hawks last trip to the finals to this point. After winning the Century Conference title in 1995, Tragesser left Jeannette to take over at Penn-Trafford, where he continues to be one of the top coaches in the WPIAL. Tragesser has many memories of his days as coach of the red, white and blue, but a few, in particular, stand out. ``We had a lot of big games there. I think the biggest game we had that I can remember was the playoff game against Greensburg (early 1970s),'' he said. ``We had won the Keystone Conference, and Greensburg had won the Foothills Conference. The Keystone was kind of looked down upon as maybe not a very good conference. It was Quad-A, but it was mostly smaller schools. It snowed, and it was cold, and we just had a great game. We beat a team that was supposed to beat us.'' ``Working with Joe (Mucci) was great. We had a lot of good times together, and we're good friends. I had a chance to work with a lot of different kids and families, like the Halls, the Cooks, the Morgans, the Washingtons, the Matts and the Chamberlains and all those guys. A lot of good memories.'' Taking over for Tragesser was his offensive coordinator, Bob Murphy. 1999 marks Murphy's fourth year as head coach, and his .750 winning percentage (24-8) during his tenure is third all-time among coaches who have spent at least three years at Jeannette (Jordan .897, Mucci .807) Murphy's first team won the 1996 Century Conference title before losing to Mars in the WPIAL quarterfinals 26-12. In '97, The Jayhawks almost made it back to the WPIAL championship game, but let a 13-0 lead against powerful Shady Side Academy get away in a muddy quagmire at Valley and lost 14-13 in the semifinal matchup. Last season, the Jays (7-3) once again made the postseason, but fell just short, 3-0, to North Catholic in the first round of the WPIALs. Murphy also has fond memories of the glory days in ``J-Town.'' ``We had many big games at the old stadium,'' he said. ``One that jumps out in my mind is the year we played Greensburg in a playoff game in the snow in the early seventies. They brought the streetsweeper in to try and clear some of the snow off the field, and I don't know how cold it was at that game, it couldn't have been much colder. But the crowd at that game was just enormous. There was probably 12,000 people at that game.'' ``In my early years, I was always up in the press box during the games, fighting the hornets and whatever else you would find crawling around in that old press box. We had a lot of good seasons and a lot of good games.'' ``Jeannette football tradition is so great. There have been WPIAL championship teams, but in between, there have been so many other great conference championships and outstanding teams. You can't always measure it by `did they win the WPIAL championship?'.'' A major part of the Jeannette tradition, Mucci, is rightly proud of the job his successors have done. ``As a head coach, one of the things you try to do is surround yourself with good people,'' said Mucci. ``I couldn't have chosen any better than Bob Murphy and Art Tragasser. ``It makes me feel proud because these are the type of people that I surround myself with. We worked hard and committed a lot of time. Believe me, success didn't come easy ... but I always found out that success breeds success. These guys were in a successful program and when they took over, I think it became part of their whole new programs and believe me, they'll continue winning.'' A NEW, OLD HOME ... Sixty-two years after it was used for the first time, Jeannette's McKee Stadium has received a facelift for the 1999 season. The old traditions of Jeannette football remain, but in a new-look setting with all the modern conveniences. The old cinder track has been replaced with a new all-weather surface, new restroom and concession facilities have been constructed, along with a new press box. The new stadium should seat close to 4,200 people. ``McKee was always a nice place to play a high school game,'' Tragesser said. ``The surface of the field was always as good as you could get for grass. We always played well there. It was just a nice place to play.'' Although the physical appearance of McKee Stadium has changed, one thing that remains constant is the love of football in the Jeannette community. ``It's one of the last spots where it's still (the city's) high school,'' said Hoak. ``It's a way of life in Jeannette. We were brought up that way.'' ``There's something about this town ... it has a spirit that's so prevalent in this community,'' said Mucci. ``I love this caliber of town, this caliber of the community, and above all working with the children and youngsters of Jeannette has been just a wonderful, wonderful experience.'' A banquet will be held tonight at Pitzer's in Jeannette, with members of all six championship teams and several of the Jayhawks who went on to pro careers attending. A reception will be held Friday before the season opener at the McKee Middle School cafeteria and the former players will also be honored at McKee Stadium before the game. MY PERSONAL NOTE TO SAY THAT JEANNETTE PLAYS BEAVER FALLS TONIGHT IN FIRST ROUND... JEANNETTE JAYHAWKS 27 BEAVER FALL 14 Final LEBE POWERS JEANNETTE PAST BEAVER FALLS By Paul Schofield TRIBUNE-REVIEW Someone from the Jeannette boosters club gave hot dogs to the football team to eat after Friday night's WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at McKees Stadium. Just minutes earlier, Jeannette chewed up a pretty good Beaver Falls squad. Matt Lebe scored three touchdowns, and the Jeannette defense forced six turnovers in an impressive 27-14 victory over Beaver Falls. The victory puts Jeannette (9-1) in the quarterfinals against top-seeded Aliquippa, which defeated Freeport, 47-0. The site, time and date of the game will be announced Monday. "We got off to a slow start," Beaver Falls coach Rick Mancini said. "That's because Jeannette played well defensively. They were aggressive and did a good job stopping a lot of things we like to do." Beaver Falls (7-3) hoped to pound the ball at the Jeannette defense with running backs Gerris Wilcox and Daine Williams. But the Jeannette defense was up to the task thanks to the play of Lebe, Anton Hall and Eric Barlett. "We'll challenge anyone who wants to try to pound the ball at us," said Lebe, who also recovered a fumble on defense. "We were surprised they didn't try to throw the ball more." Jeannette jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter after Hall blocked a Beaver Falls punt. Six plays later, Lebe scored on a 1-yard run. Defensive back Mike Theys recovered a Beaver Falls fumble two plays later, but the Beaver Falls defense stiffened as Jeannette moved the ball to the Tigers 6. "We couldn't get anything going in the first half," Mancini said. Neither team mustered much offense in the second quarter. Jeannette hurt itself with penalties, Beaver Falls lost another fumble and Theys intercepted a pass. The second half belonged to the Jeannette offense. After the Jayhawks missed a 35-yard field goal on their first possession, they scored touchdowns on their next three. "We made a few adjustments at halftime," Jeannette coach Robert Murphy said. "The line did a great job." Lebe, who rushed for 126 yards, said, "The offensive line took control in the second half. They were opening up some huge holes." Jeannette took a 14-0 lead early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Tom Detruf tossed a 3-yard scoring strike to Bob Dent. Detruf, a sophomore, had a big night. He completed 11 of 14 passes for 89 yards and outshined Beaver Falls sophomore Ron Sciarro, who completed only 5 of 14 passes for 16 yards. Beaver Falls, stymied all night by the Jeannette defense, finally showed signs of life when Wilcox raced 73 yards for a touchdown to cut the Jayhawks' lead to 14-7 with 8:54 left. Jeannette then seemingly put the game away after Derk Barnett recovered an onside kick. Lebe capped the 49-yard drive with an 8-yard run with 4:57 left and added a 17-yard touchdown with 3:01 left after Beaver Falls failed to get a first down on its next possession. Beaver Falls did add a late score when Williams, who rushed for 118 yards, scored on a 5-yard run with 2:32 left. Williams set up the score with a 66-yard run. "Other than the two big runs, the defense played well," Murphy said. "We sure made things interesting in the fourth quarter." After the second Beaver Falls touchdown, kicker Richard Morris recovered an onside kick. But on the next play, Wilcox fumbled, and Lebe recovered to end the suspense. "We made a few mistakes in the second quarter," Lebe said. "We can't afford to make them next week." ---------------------------------------- JAYS TOP TIGERS 27-14 By JOHN WIELAND for The Standard Observer Going into Friday night's contest, the Jeannette Jayhawks knew they had to contain Beaver Falls sophomore quarterback Justin Sciarro to weaken the Tigers' offense. For the majority of the game they did, riding on the heels of Matt Lebe who rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Jayhawks take care of their first round Class AA playoff foe 27-14. ``My line did a heck of a job. That was the key to the game,'' said Lebe. The Jays' defense quickly set the tempo of the contest, as Anton Hall and Pat Klingensmith blocked a Tigers' punt on their first possession, giving the Jayhawks their first crack with the ball. That led to Jeannette's first touchdown drive, covering 38 yards in 10 plays. Lebe did the honors, pounding the ball over the line from one yard out. Just one play into the Tigers' next series, Mike Theys pounced on a Daine Williams fumble, giving the Jayhawks an opportunity to break the contest wide open. But the Hawks couldn't take advantage of the mistake, and instead created many of their own, including committing six penalties for 60 yards before the midway point of the second quarter. The Jayhawks' shortcomings in the second quarter stymied their ground attack as the Tigers contained Lebe and put tremendous pressure on quarterback T.J. Detruf. ``I think early on to their credit they got some pressure on us,'' said Jeannette coach Bob Murphy. ``We didn't have a lot of time to throw, they sacked us a couple of times early on.'' On the other side of the ball, the Jays' defense came ready to play, forcing five turnovers on the night. Theys was key early on, knocking down a pass on a drive midway through second quarter that was about to go for big yardage. Then, he intercepted a pass late in the second quarter to stall a drive. ``We did manage to get some pressure on them, which gave us the ability to defend the pass. Our guys broke on the ball well, and knocked some passes down that could have been very big plays,'' said Murphy. ``Theys, (Joe) Deluzio and (Jared) Kulik made some pretty nice plays.'' The Jayhawks took a 7-0 lead into halftime. The second half started out slow and quickly turned into a tale of two teams not ready to give up. The Jayhawks slowly moved the ball downfield to start the third, running 12 plays, chewing up 6:12 on the clock, only to see the drive stall because of penalties. The most critical was a flag that caused a Pat Klingensmith touchdown to be called back. On the Jayhawks' next possession, they again went 12 plays, with Detruf hitting Bob Dent for a three-yard score to put the Jayhawks up 14-0. On Beaver Falls' (7-3) next play, Gerris Wilcox scampered 73 yards into the end zone narrowing the gap to seven, at 14-7. However, the Jayhawks responded in timely fashion, going 54 yards in six plays, as Lebe scored his second touchdown on the night, to make it 21-7. Lebe found the end zone with 3:01 left, bolting 16 yards to expand the lead to 27-7. The Jays (9-1) next will face unbeaten Aliquippa, which also advanced to the quarterfinals with a 47-0 win over Freeport Friday. That game's site and time is yet to be determined. ---------------------------------------- JEANNETTE PUZZLED BY AMBRIDGE SITE By Paul Schofield TRIBUNE-REVIEW It's bad enough that the Jeannette football team must face Aliquippa (10-0), the top-ranked Class AA team in the Tribune-Review Football Coaches Poll, in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL playoffs Friday. But the site, Ambridge High School, has Jeannette coach and athletic director Robert Murphy and the loyal Jayhawks fans asking why. That practically makes the game a home game for Aliquippa. "It is a good trip for us, that's for sure," said Murphy, whose team must drive 1 ½ hours to the game while Aliquippa has a short 10-minute trip. "Obviously, we are happy to be playing the game. "We can't control things like where they put games. If that's where we must play, we have to go down their focused on winning." Jeannette, which owns a 9-1 record, traveled to Aliquippa two years ago and knocked off the Quips, 17-0, in their famous stadium, "The Pit." Murphy is confident his team can do it again at Ambridge. The WPIAL announced the sites for the quarterfinal round in Class AAAA, Class AA and Class A on Monday, and for the most part found neutral spots for all the games, which will be played at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Larry Hanley, executive director for the WPIAL, spent all day Sunday and early Monday trying to secure spots. Some locations such as Ringgold, West Mifflin and Mt. Lebanon were not available because both teams are in the playoffs. "First of all, we think Ambridge is a great site to play football," Hanley said. "I'm aware that Ambridge is a bit of a trip to send Jeannette down there. (But) it's always been a great football night (at Ambridge). "Could we have found another site? Possibly. But Ambridge is a great site, Aliquippa is the No. 1 seed, and Jeannette didn't have to travel last week." The other Class AA sites are more centrally located. Washington (9-1) will play Quaker Valley (7-3) at Chartiers Valley, Waynesburg (10-0) will face Center (9-1) at Canon-McMillan, and Brownsville (7-2) meets Steel Valley (10-0) at Charleroi. "People have this idea I can snap my fingers, and we can go anywhere we want to go, but that's not true," Hanley said. "We hope we can give everybody a reasonably good place to play their game. "Sometimes you have to go a little farther to get a quality site. I understand people's concern with that. There a lot of factors that go into (choosing a site)." Norwin and Penn-Trafford were spared long trips by the WPIAL. Both teams will play their next games in Westmoreland County. Norwin (7-3), which upset Penn Hills, 20-10, will play Ringgold (8-2) on the artificial turf at Franklin Regional High School, while Penn-Trafford (8-2) will play against McKeesport (6-4) on the new turf at Hempfield Area High School. "It wasn't until yesterday that I knew Hempfield would be available," Hanley added. "They had to call someone in to do some finishing touches on their field project." Running lanes still need to be painted on the track at Spartan Stadium. McKeesport advanced to the quarterfinals by shocking Quad North Conference champion North Hills, 28-19. Chuck Colborn, Ringgold coach and athletic director, was not upset with the choice of Franklin Regional. He said he thought the site might be Hempfield. "We are a fourth-place team," Colborn said. "We have no say in that stuff. That's the WPIAL's decision." The two other Quad-A games will be played on grass. Mt. Lebanon (9-1) will face Gateway (7-3) at Montour High School, and No. 1 Woodland Hills (10-0) will meet Bethel Park (8-2) at Baldwin. "When we used the turf field, we tried to use them on the same side of the bracket," Hanley said. "Team A can't say that we had to play in the mud, while Team B got to play on the turf. We try to level the playing field in that respect. "With regard to the site set up at this time, we have several of our turf fields out of commission for one reason or another. Peters Township is a good example. Peters Township is under construction, and we are going to have to shuttle people around there." There are other sites which can't be used because they returned the site availability questionnaire and said facilities were not available, Hanley said. In Class A, Monessen (10-0) will meet Monaca (8-2) at Fox Chapel, No. 1 South Side Beaver (10-0) goes against Riverview (7-3) at Ellwood City, Fort Cherry (9-1) tangles with Farrell (5-5) at Blackhawk, and South Fayette (8-2) meets Brentwood (9-1) at Peters Township. The Class AAA pairings will have Pine-Richland (8-2) at Belle Vernon Area (9-0), West Mifflin (8-2) at West Allegheny (9-0), Elizabeth Forward (6-4) at Moon Area (8-1), and Thomas Jefferson (8-2) at Burrell (6-3). ---------------------------------------- November 11, 1999 ALIQUIPPA, JEANNETTE JAYHAWKS WILL GO AT IT FRIDAY NIGHT By GREG TROUT SPORTS EDITOR Both have great tradition. Both have high-scoring offenses. Both have strong, stingy defenses. Only one, however, will survive to play in the WPIAL semifinals. Top-seeded and undefeated Aliquippa (10-0) and the Jeannette Jayhawks (9-1) will go at it Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in a WPIAL quarterfinal at Ambridge with a trip to the Class AA ``Final Four'' on the line. If there was a dream matchup in the second round of the Class AA playoffs, this is it, as both teams bring the capability of scoring from anyplace on the field at anytime. Aliquippa, coached by Mike Zmijanac, blew out Freeport 47-0 in last week's quarterfinals, while Jeannette topped Beaver Falls, another Midwestern Conference team, 27-14 at McKee Stadium. That game saw a solid performance by both the Jayhawks' offense and defense. Matt Lebe rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns and T. J. Detruf completed 11 of 14 passes for the Jays. On the defensive side of the ball, Jeannette held the Tigers' fine quarterback, Justin Sciarro, to 16 yards passing and forced six turnovers. On the down side, the Hawks did have a few problems, but not enough to outweigh the positives. ``When you win a playoff game, you're always going to be happy about it. We had some penalties I wasn't particularly pleased with ... but nonetheless, we were thrilled to win against a good Beaver Falls team,'' said Jeannette coach Bob Murphy. As they did all season, the Jayhawks saw several players play key roles against Beaver Falls. Detruf and Lebe have been solid all season and that continued against the Tigers. Mike Theys, Joe Deluzio, Jared Kulik and Pat Klingensmith are back in top form after injury problems. Also, receiver Bob Dent, who saw his productivity go up as the season went along, caught a key touchdown pass last week. That depth and versatility could pay some big dividends in the remainder of the postseason. ``It's very, very important, because what it does is give you some balance to your offense, and some balance as well to your defense. You're not just looking for one person necessarily to win the game for you and you can draw from that,'' said Murphy. ``I think that's been one of the keys to our success this season.'' While the Jayhawks have many weapons to depend on, so do the Quips. ``They're a great football team. They're 10-0 because they are outstanding. They have big play potential. They have some Division I players on that team, without a doubt,'' said Murphy. ``They're very well coached as well.'' The Quips attack starts with senior running back Vashon Patrick and junior quarterback Bernard Lay. Patrick (5-11, 190), who gained nearly 1,000 yards in the regular season, blew up for 219 and three touchdowns last week against Freeport. Lay (6-1, 175), meanwhile, was five of nine for 110 yards and a touchdown against the Yellow Jackets. He was the WPIAL's 10th leading passer during the regular season, throwing for 1,235 yards and 17 touchdowns. He is also a threat running the ball. ``It all starts with their quarterback, who is just a tremendous athletic talent. He can throw the ball and run the ball. He's a very heady kind of player,'' said Murphy. Lay has a crew of fine receivers to throw to, led by 6-2, 180 pound junior Quanear Gaskins. Gaskins had a three touchdown game earlier in the season against Freedom and returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown last week. He averaged nearly 20 yards a catch in the regular season. Defensively, the Quips have been hard to move the ball on. They are allowing less than eight points a game and their secondary and line have been keys to that statistic. ``They have some skilled players in their secondary. They'll match up - they'll play real up-close, tough man-to-man or they can play a real good zone. They can cover a lot of ground,'' said Murphy. ``Their size up front is also considerable.'' Much has been made this week of the fact that Jeannette must make a long trek to Ambridge, technically a neutral site, while the Quips just have to cross the bridge to get to the game. Jeannette however, may have some factors on their side. The Jayhawks won a playoff game at ``The Pit'' in Aliquippa two years ago, and they also have the right mental approach coming in, according to Murphy. ``One thing I'll say about our kids ... they don't worry about where they're playing or who they're playing. Our kids, we feel, are pretty tough kids,'' he said. ``The opponent they are facing ... I don't want to say they don't respect them, because they do, but they certainly don't fear them.'' The winner of this game will face the Washington/Quaker Valley winner in the semifinals next week at a site and time to be announced. ---------------------------------------- SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACKS EXCEL IN PLAYOFFS By Kevin Gorman TRIBUNE-REVIEW They have a common bond, and it's not just that they are four sophomore quarterbacks who have led their teams to the WPIAL quarterfinals. That's true of T.J. Detruf of Jeannette, Tim Eckman of Burrell, Luke Getsy of Steel Valley and Tyler Palko of West Allegheny. Despite their youth, they have assumed leadership roles on some of the WPIAL's most talented teams. Tonight, they'll show why. Eckman and Burrell (6-3) play host to Thomas Jefferson (7-3) and Palko and West Allegheny (9-0) play host to West Mifflin (8-2) in Class AAA. Detruf leads Jeannette (9-1) against Aliquippa (10-0) at Ambridge and Getsy and Steel Valley (10-0) face Brownsville (7-2) at Charleroi in Class AA. All WPIAL quarterfinal games start at 7:30 p.m. "This is definitely unusual to have so many sophomore quarterbacks that are very good," Jeannette coach Bob Murphy said. "It's nice to have someone with that ability. You like to have a person that can make plays under pressure." That is only one trait this fantastic foursome has shared this season. They are poised in the pocket. They are tremendous athletes and excellent students. Because of those qualities, their coaches have granted them the opportunity to change plays at the line of scrimmage. And, more often than not, their choice works. Their teams have combined records of 34-4, and all four quarterbacks should finish with 1,000 or more passing yards. Reaching the semifinals, however, would be new territory for them. None of their teams advanced past the second round last year. That's something the sophomore quarterbacks want to change. Not that, after a full season, any of them are viewed as sophomores anymore. Murphy saw talent in the 6-foot, 180-pound Detruf and moved him to the varsity last season. Detruf was the backup to Joe Deluzio until a broken collarbone sidelined him at Freeport in Week 2. Detruf has played so well in Deluzio's absence that when the senior returned, Murphy decided to stick with the sophomore and moved Deluzio to wide receiver. "In practice, we didn't see a lot of the things he's doing on the field," Murphy said, noting Detruf's improvisational skills on the scramble. "And he's going to get better with experience." Steel Valley's Getsy, coincidentally, got his first start the same way last year. The 6-2, 175-pound Getsy was splitting time with senior Dale Cornetta before he suffered a broken collarbone in Week 2. Ironmen coach Ed Wehrer never hesitated to play the strong-armed Getsy. The freshman responded by passing for 1,436 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year. This season, he has teamed with running back Devin Wilson to guide Steel Valley to its second undefeated season in three years and the Century conference title. "There's a lot expected of you because I had a good season last year," said Getsy, a straight-A student who has played football since he was 6 years old. "I've been around the game a long time. Ever since I was little, my dad has been showing me how to play quarterback. Football comes natural to me." Same for Tyler Palko, a 6-2, 200-pound lefthander who is perhaps the best college prospect of the four. Palko absorbed the game by tagging along with his father, West Allegheny coach Bob Palko, throughout the Indians' WPIAL Class AAA championship season in 1997. It was no surprise he was an impact two-way player last season. "He was thrown into the fire," Bob Palko said. "But he was baptized in the playoffs. He would get nervous before our playoff games. And he was only an eighth-grader. He wasn't even going to play." Tyler displayed big-time skills in a 34-0 win over defending WPIAL AAA champion Moon in Week 4, including an unforgettable play in the third quarter. On a play designed to go left, Palko scrambled right under pressure, short-stepped to the sidelines and threw a touchdown pass before falling out of bounds. "For him to make that play ... I thought he was going to get sacked," said West Allegheny senior Mike Bracken. "He surprises me every single day." Added Burrell coach Tom Henderson: "He looks like he's been there 20 years. He doesn't get rattled. That's impressive for a kid his age." Bob Palko hears frequently about Burrell's Tim Eckman because his wife works with Eckman's father and they exchange highlights every Monday in the office. Henderson used a three-quarterback rotation before going strictly with Eckman in Week 3. The 6-4, 190-pound Eckman played so well that his competitors, seniors Josh Maxwell and Kevin McArdle, became two of his favorite targets at receiver. Eckman came through in the clutch against Pine-Richland, passing for 243 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown to clinch the top seed in the Greater Allegheny Conference and a first-round bye in the AAA playoffs. "Right from the get-go we saw he had a lot of potential," Henderson said of Eckman, also a straight-A student. "The nicest part is when you teach him something, it doesn't go in one ear and out the other. It's accomplished. You can tell he works on it." It wasn't the first time Henderson turned to a sophomore quarterback. Kevin Horwatt led the Bucs to the Class AA semifinals in 1994, then helped Burrell win the WPIAL title and the state final as a junior the next year. All four quarterbacks - and their coaches - are expecting similar results in the future. "People always say, `You're doing good and you're only a sophomore. Just wait until you're a senior,'" Getsy said. "I'll take things as they come." The sooner the better. ---------------------------------------- WITH JEANNETTE LOSING IN PLAYOFFS THEY ARE DONE BUT THEY STILL DID A GREAT JOB THIS YEAR FINISHING WITH A 9-2 RECOND :-))))))) ---------------------------------------- Aliquippa defeats Jayhawks By JOHN GRUPP for The Standard Observer Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac emerged from the halftime locker room Friday night with a three-point lead and a one-track mind. ``We were snuffing them up front and we were going to run the ball,'' he said. No. 1 Aliquippa (11-0) didn't a throw a pass in the second half, wearing down Jeannette on both sides of the ball in a 27-9 victory over the Jayhawks on Friday night at Moe Rubenstein Stadium in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals. Running behind a determined offensive line, junior tailback Vashon Patrick rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns as Aliquippa turned a 12-9 halftime lead into a lopsided victory. ``It's easy calling plays when you're knocking their linemen down the field,'' Zmijanac said. ``We just had to overpower them,'' said Patrick, who pushed his season total to 1,374 rushing yards. ``We could tell they were getting tired at the end of the first half.'' Leading 12-9 at halftime, Aliquippa scored two touchdowns in a 1:07 span of the third quarter to stay unbeaten and earn a WPIAL Class AA semifinal rematch with nemesis Washington (10-1) next week. The site and time of that game will be determined. On the opening drive of the third quarter, Patrick carried eight times for 64 yards on a 77-yard drive, capped by his 2-yard run for a 20-9 lead. Two plays later, junior Monroe Weekley picked up a fumble and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown to give the Quips a 27-9 lead. ``I saw the ball lying on the ground and my eyes just got big,'' Weekley said. It was Weekly's second touchdown of the night. Early in the first half, he dropped back into coverage and intercepted a T.J. Detruf pass, returning it 15 yards for a 6-0 Aliquippa lead. ``My coach kept telling me if I dropped back into coverage, I would get one,'' Weekley said. ``My defensive linemen got their hands up in the air and the quarterback threw a bad pass and I caught it.'' After Dave Blasioli's 26-yard field goal cut the Aliquippa lead to 6-3, the Jayhawks went ahead 9-6 on Pat Klingensmith's 2-yard touchdown run with 3:36 to play in the second quarter. Klingensmith had set up the touchdown when he intercepted Aliquippa quarterback Bernard Lay, who went 3 for 11 for 39 yards and one interception, at the Quips' 20 and returned it to the 2. But Jeannette's lead lasted only 19 seconds as Michael Lowe returned the ensuing kickoff 79 yards to the Jayhawks' 6, and Patrick scored on the next play. Aliquippa will play Washington next weekend at a neutral site. Washington has defeated the Quips three consecutive games, including 30-7 in last year's WPIAL semifinals. ``It's payback time,'' Weekley said. ---------------------------------------- Mentoining Gerald Foster about how great a football player he is which comes natural especially when you played for the Jeannette Jayhawks.... That is why i mention him on this page good luck Gerald in everything you do :-)))) Foster runs wild as Dukes stomp Canisius By Josh Naggy FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW Gerald Foster met with reporters with a stunned look on his face after breaking three single-season Duquesne records Saturday afternoon in the final college game of his career. "I still have a hard time believing it," Foster said. "It's a great feeling that I don't want to end." Foster, a Jeannette graduate, caught six passes for 182 yards and scored two touchdowns as Duquesne defeated Canisius, 68-12, to win its third Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship in five seasons. Foster finished the season with 72 receptions for 1,340 yards and 10 touchdowns. All are Duquesne single-season records. He wasn't the only senior to finish his season on a high note. Cornerback Kevin Thompson entered the game with one interception this season. In the locker room before the game, he talked with his coaches and teammates about making some big plays. In his career finale, Thompson intercepted three Bryan Roland passes and returned one 54 yards for a touchdown. "The work up front by the defensive line made my job easy," Foster said. "They threw the quarterback off his game and made him easy to read." The Dukes' (8-3, 6-1) point total is the third highest in the school's history and the highest total ever in the MAAC. It's the most points scored by one team at Rooney Field and the most given up by Canisius (1-10, 0-7) in the school's history. Canisius was competitive early in the contest. Ryan Nice intercepted a pass in the end zone to keep Duquesne from going up 14-0 in the first quarter. Canisius then drove the ball 80 yards in 10 plays and made the score 7-6 on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Roland to Luke Rood. The extra point was wide-left, and the Dukes put Canisius away on the next play from scrimmage. Quarterback Tony Zimmerman hit Foster streaking down the right side line for a 55-yard score. Duquesne scored 41 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters and rested its starters in the fourth. Duquesne coach Greg Gattuso said he is tired from the season but would like at least one more game. "When we were on the field I said to the kids, `I want to keep talking to you. I don't want this to end,' " December 9, 1999 Longtime Jeannette team physician dies By MARJORIE WERTZ Staff Writer For 15 years, Dr. Omar Ayoub dedicated his life to the Jeannette Jayhawks athletes. The fun-loving sports physician, known as ``The Hawks' Doc'' died Wednesday at the Irwin home of his daughter, Samantha Ayoub. ``He really took care of the kids,'' said John Dobrinick, funeral director and historian of Jeannette Jayhawks football. ``If they got sick, he had them up at his house and his wife would make them soup.'' Described as a devoted fan, Ayoub and his buddies, Dobrinick and Joe Constantine, got together every Friday night before a Hawks' football game. ``We had a ritual,'' Dobrinick noted. ``We'd smoke cigars and then go out to eat before every home and away game.'' Penn-Trafford football coach Art Tragesser remembers Ayoub as a ``good-hearted individual'' and a ``great person for the team.'' ``Jeannette won three WPIAL championships (in 1971, '81, and '83) when Ayoub was our team doctor,'' Tragesser said. ``And we won 10 to 12 conference championships.'' Ayoub played high school football under Pete Dimperio, a renowned coach at Westinghouse High School. His love of the game, according to former Jeannette coach Joe Mucci, stemmed from his experiences in high school. ``Doc had such strong feelings for Jeannette,'' Mucci said. ``The city was similar to where he grew up. He was so excited to become a part of our athletic department.'' Mucci began as coach at Jeannette in 1968 through the 1985 season and remained as the school's athletic director until his retirement in 1997. ``You'd always see Doc on the sidelines with his pipe,'' he said. Current Jeannette athletic director and head football coach Bob Murphy credited Ayoub with giving so much of himself to the student athletes at the high school. ``He was a wonderful person, so caring and giving,'' Murphy noted. ``He cared about everyone, not just the athletes.'' In addition to his duties as athletic physician, Ayoub was a general practitioner in the Jeannette area for years. He is survived by four daughters, Samanatha Ayoub, with whom he resided, Stephanie Robinson of Jeannette, Anne Forrest of Massachusetts, and Amanda Ayoub of Oregon; and two grandchildren. ``I will always consider Doc a great friend,'' stated Mucci. MORE TO COME AS I WILL KEEP UPDATING THIS PAGE :-) |
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