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Old memories of a new field

6 min read

Last week, I had the opportunity to check out the beautiful turf installed at Wash High Stadium.

Gone is the natural grass, replaced by an artificial material that is soft as a feather.

Standing at the 50-yard line, I began to think of all the great teams and players who played there.

The following are a few stories from people who made memories on the grass field.

Rich Celani, current president of the Washington-Greene County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, was one of many who played there.

“I was a single-wing back and I got to play five years,” Celani said. “Back then, eighth grade through 12 could play on the varsity. We were pretty good. Our 1952 team lost a big game to Aliquippa, 13-12. Some outstanding players played for us.”

One was Joe Comfort, a fullback who went on to play at Georgia. John Collar, a wide receiver for the Prexies, played at North Carolina and in the Blue-Grey Football Classic.

What was Celani’s memorable moment of that time in the 1950s?

“That’s easy,” he said. “When we played Trinity at home. The crowd was so large people would have to (stand around) the field. There were six or seven thousand fans. The rivalry back then was intense.”

One of Bob Stock’s best moments occurred on that field in a game against Mt. Lebanon in his senior season of 1961.

“I caught a pass and went 80 yards for a touchdown,” said Stock. “We won, 28-17.”

Stock scored twice in that game.

“Beating Trinity was fun,” he said. “We had great crowds and a great atmosphere.”

Stock played alongside some great players, including Ted Vactor, Jerry Sandusky, Jim White and Bob Riggle. Riggle and Vactor played in the NFL.

One of the more familiar faces at Wash High Stadium was Bob Wagner, who was athletic director at the school for 25 years and a three-sport standout.

“The 1984-85 season, watching Brian Davis play, was special,” Wagner said. “He was the greatest running back I’ve seen at any level.”

Joe Nicolella was a player for Wash High and later officiated games there. What stands out for him was a chance for glory knocked away during a game in the 1940s.

“I was a center and linebacker,” he recalled. “I blocked a kick, but one of my lineman knocked it away or I could have scored a touchdown.”

Current Wash High football coach Mike Bosnic remembers two games in particular in his six seasons.

“Two upsets back in 2009,” Bosnic said, “beating Charleroi and Jeannette.”

The victories came on back-to-back weeks late in the season. The Prexies downed Jeannette, 24-16, in Week 7 and Charleroi, 20-18. Wash High scored 18 points in the final 10 minutes to beat Jeannette. The win over Charleroi came when Marquis Brown returned a fumble 66 yards for a touchdown in the final minute and added a two-point conversion run.

One of the main architects of great memories at the stadium was Guy Montecalvo, first as a player, then as a longtime coach. He played from 1970-72 and several games during that era stand out.

“Three games come to mind,” he said. “We beat a good New Brighton team, 24-20. (It was the) same with West Mifflin. It was a barn-burner, 42-29. Both took place in ’72. During my junior year, we lost to Farrell, 54-35.”

Two of Montecalvo’s teammates, George and John Reihner, went on to play for coach Joe Paterno at Penn State.

“In 1980, my first game as head coach, we beat Trinity 13-12 on a punt return for a TD,” Montecalvo recalled. “Time was running out as John Cohen ran it in for a score.”

Then there was the Nov. 11, 1983 game.

“That’s one for the books.” smiled Montecalvo. “My wife was in the maternity ward at Washington Hospital. I had a game to coach but I didn’t want to leave the hospital. My daughter was born at 6:30 p.m. The field was near, so I got there in time for the game.”

The voice of the Prexies blaring out over the public address system is Brad Scott. He has done that job for 33 years and has many memories. One stands out.

“It was 2012 and we were losing to Jeanette by three points,” he said. “They were punting the ball and it was blocked by Daron Whitaker with about 30 seconds left. Shai McKenzie caught the ball and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown.”

There were special moments involving the fans at the stadium.

“I’ll never forget Guy’s son, Jimmy, after battling cancer, was sent out to kick the extra point,” Scott said. “The crowd gave him a standing ovation.”

Bob Gregg has announced games for WJPA Radio there since the 1980s. He has many memories, including the days when he was in the Prexies’ marching band.

“I remember being in the Wash High band sitting in the far corner bleachers (now removed),” he said. “I can hear the cheers and the applause as Dave Pattison announced the entrance of the Washington High School Little Presidents Varsity Marching Band.”

Gregg has called some memorable games. Which one stands out?

“In was the mid-1980s with Brian Davis making his full-speed cuts, leaving defenders to tackle the air,” he recalled. “Then there’s the 1997 Little Prexies’ rally from a 28-12 deficit to Quaker Valley with less than four minutes to play to win, 35-28, in regulation.”

One of the Prexies’ longtime coaches, George Robinson, played at arch-rival Trinity. In his 23 years of coaching at Wash High, Robinson holds this memory:

“I remember like it was yesterday. Randy Jackson broke his arm and went to the hospital. He sneaks back to the game,” Robinson recalled. “He was told he couldn’t play but he made his way back in the lineup. He caught a TD pass against Beth-Center.”

Robinson played at the stadium as a member of two semi-pro teams, the Washington Generals and Western Pennsylvania Mustangs.

“We got paid $50 a game and got a $10 bonus if we made a good catch, blocked a punt or grabbed an interception,” he said.

Bill DiFabio writes a bi-weekly column about local sports history for the Observer-Reporter.

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