Oct 31, 2015 5 min read

The last time a Trinity football team won a WPIAL championship was 1948. Since then, there have been a few Hillers squads that excelled.

The 1965 team was undefeated until the final game of the regular season when it lost at home to mighty Uniontown.

The 1977 Hillers were very good but played some of the best teams in the WPIAL on a weekly basis in the Western Conference.

Trinity’s 2005 team pulled off the biggest upset in modern WPIAL playoff history when it upset second-seeded Penn Hills.

The best Trinity team since 1948, however, might have been the 1986 Hillers, who won 10 games and advanced to the second round of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs.

Bob Johnson coached both the 1977 and the 1986 teams.

“We were very good in ’77, but playing in the Western Conference was a challenge every week. We had quality players,” Johnson said.

The ’86 Hillers finished the regular season with a 9-1 record and went 10-2 overall. In the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs, the Hillers beat Derry in the quarterfinals, 10-7, as B.J. McClay kicked a 20-yard field goal with less than six minutes remaining to provide the winning margin. It was the first playoff win in Trinity history.

The Hillers lost to Kiski in the semifinals.

“There was an adjustment period for us going from Quad-A to Triple-A,” Johnson said. “We played in the Big 10 Conference.” Johnson said.

“I enjoyed the players we had in 1977. … The ’86 team was special. The guys were always together, no jealousy. The main thing with them was, ‘Let’s go out and win.'”

Brian Hilk who played running back and linebacker, was the captain and leader of the Hillers.

“I know we were not intimidated by anyone. We were tough and we were mean,” laughed Hilk.

What made the Hillers so tough?

“Trinity Middle School,” Hilk said. “We spent two weeks at the middle school for summer camp. We stayed there, ate there and formed a bond. It was tough, a lot of guys slept on cots. I had an air mattress. The doors were locked. We couldn’t make phone calls. Our parents and girlfriends couldn’t see us. It was all football. Those two weeks really brought us together.

“Sure, in the offseason we worked out together but this was different and we all knew we had a quality group of guys.”

The group was talented. The Hillers won their first nine games of the season.

Ron Parry, who coached the defense, said Hilk led the way. “He set a great example of how to play the game as a team. He was our leader on and off the field.

“On offense, there was quarterback Andy Vore. We had a successful running game. We seldom had to pass. We ran the veer-option. Rodney Long and Brian Hilk each rushed for more than 1,000 yards. Vore was so good at running the veer.”

Long scored Trinity’s only touchdown in the playoff win over Derry, on a 59-yard run in the second quarter that tied the score at 7-7. Hilk had a game-saving interception with a little more than one minute remaining, after McClay had given the Hillers the lead.

“We had a solid kicking game,” Johnson said.

The punter was Tim Johnson, the coach’s son, who punted 41 times in 11 games for a 33-yard average. Andre Trainer averaged 44 yards on 44 kickoffs.

McClay (5-11, 203) was not only a good kicker but excelled as the right guard on offense.

After two weeks of boot camp at the middle school the Hillers were set to start the season. They opened the regular season against arch-rival Wash High.

“The guys couldn’t wait to play Wash High,” Parry recalled.

“No doubt,” added Hilk. “We wanted to start the season with a win over a good team and our biggest rival.”

The Hillers prevailed with a 16-0 shutout, one of recorded by the Hillers. Four other opponents were held to a total of 26 points.

Despite losing to the Big Macs of Canon-McMillan in the last game of the regular season, 21-20, the Hillers were Big 10 Conference champs.

Hilk led the way on the field, but it was the Hiller Gorilla – the school’s so-called mascot at the time — who brought good luck to the team.

Fred Tarpley wore the Gorilla suit for six years.

“The kids locked on,” Parry said. “He (Gorilla) would show up at home and away games.

Tarpley’s son, Eric, was a sophomore on that ’86 team and went on to play at W&J.

The ’86 Hillers produced a number of players who were selected to various all-star teams. Hilk was named the Defensive Player of the Year on the Washington-Greene all-star team. Johnson was Coach of the Year.

Hilk played his college ball at Akron, then spent four seasons in the Canadian Football League.

Johnson and Parry also coached at Upper St.Clair and spent a few years coaching under John Luckhardt at W&J.

Bill DiFabio writes a column for the Observer-Reporter on local sports history.