Galiffa was part of dynamic duo at Donora
In the late 1960s, the Donora High School Dragons won many football, basketball and baseball games while being led by the duo of Bernie Galiffa and Ken Griffey.
The Dragons’ football team featured Galiffa, the star quarterback, throwing to Griffey, his favorite receiver who played the tight end position.
In 1967, during his senior year at Donora, which is now part of the Ringgold School District, Galiffa completed 88 of 149 passes for 1,873 yards and 22 touchdowns. Those numbers surpassed Joe Namath’s Western Pennsylvania high school records of 125 completions, 1,115 and 17 touchdowns. Galiffa’s exploits attracted the attention of Sports Illustrated, which included him in their “Faces in the Crowd” section.
“He was a tremendous athlete,” said Steve Russell of the Mid Mon Valley chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. “Bernie left his opponents gasping in thunderstruck amazement.”
Galiffa and Griffey, who was a junior during the 1967 football season, were named to the All-WPIAL Class A.
Galiffa had 125 football scholarship offers and decided West Virginia would be his collegiate home. He played for Mountaineers coach Jim Carlen and then an energetic young guy named Bobby Bowden, who became WVU’s coach in 1970.
As the Mountaineers’ quarterback, Galiffa was outstanding.
“I got to see him play on several occasions. He was something to watch. He was smooth,” said George Von Benko of the Fayette County chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
Galiffa started at quarterback in 1971 and ’72, leading the Mountaineers to records of 7-4 and 8-4. In 1971, Galiffa threw a 89-yard touchdown pass to Chris Potts, a former Wash High standout. It is the third-longest pass play in West Virginia history.
As a senior, Galiffa passed for 2,496 yards, which set the WVU single-season record that stood until Marc Bulger broke it in 1998. With Galiffa directing the fourth-highest scoring offense in the nation, the Moutaineers played in the Peach Bowl against North Carolina State.
“Bernie had a couple of great receivers to throw to in Danny Buggs and Marshall Mills,” Von Benko recalled. “In the backfield, he had a great runner in Kerry Marburry.”
Galiffa turned down a shot at the NFL after the New York Giants offered him a free-agent contract.
In 1976 and ’77, Galiffa played for the semi-pro team, the Ohio Valley Panthers.
Griffey, like Galiffa, excelled in three sports: football, basketball and baseball. Griffey was a standout in basketball, scoring 925 career points.
He was a regular on the Donora team that won 22 straight games before losing the final game of the year to Laurel Highlands in the 1968 WPIAL Class AAA championship game.
On the football field, Griffey caught 66 passes for 1,701 yards and his combined total for rushing and receiving was 2,026 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was selected to play in the annual Pennsylvania Big 33 Football Classic in Hershey.
Griffey, however, excelled in baseball and was drafted in the 29th round by the Cincinnati Reds in 1969. After four productive years in the Reds’ farm system, he got called up to the majors in August of 1973. In 19 years in the majors, Griffey played on two world series championship teams and in three all-star games. In 1980, Griffey was he Most Valuable Player of the all-star game.
Galiffa, who died in 2014 at age 63, also excelled in baseball, as a catcher with a strong arm. In August of 1968, the Pirates invited him to Forbes Field for a tryout.
Like Griffey, Galiffa had success in basketball as he received 75 scholarship offers but turned them down to play football for the Mountaineers.
Bernie’s two older brothers were outstanding football players. Art Galiffa was the quarterback at Tennessee and Ron Galiffa was a quarterback at Geneva. His uncle was even more celebrated. Arnold “Pope” Galiffa was an All-American football player at Army and finished fourth in the 1949 Heisman Trophy voting.
Bernie Galiffa and Ken Griffey were two of the best all-around athletes to play at Donora.
Of course, another was baseball Hall of Famer Stan “The Man” Musial.