Nov 22, 2023 8 min read

By John Sacco

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

On a wet, rainy, dreary day at Three Rivers Stadium in November 1993, the sun finally shined again on the Washington High School Little Prexies football program.

Wash High’s 12-7 victory over Riverside ended a 67-year WPIAL football championship drought.

Wash High suffered heartbreaking one-point losses in WPIAL championship games in 1952 and 1990.

But this day, the Little Prexies were not going to be denied.

Off a dramatic, overtime semifinal win over West Allegheny, 17-14, which avenged an embarrassing, lopsided regular-season loss to the upstart Indians, Wash High was poised to claim the championship trophy.

After the game, coach Guy Montecalvo said the following to his team in the jubilant locker room: “This is going to be a day you’re going to remember the rest of your lives.”

Thirty years later, those words ring true.

“That senior class was the greatest group of guys ever,” said Andy Molinaro, the team’s leading receiver and interceptor as a sophomore. “I fell in love with football because of them. I wanted to win that year, not for me but for them. It was the greatest year ever.”

“That team was so well-balanced – run, pass and defense,” said Mike Bonus, Wash High’s senior quarterback. “We were confident and realized we could be something special.”

“We were very close, all friends,” said two-way starter Captain T.J. Gilmore, who now commands ships in the U.S. Navy. “Still to this day, we remain close. Outside of my family, those guys are family. I care about them and love them all. We could look at each other in the eyes in the huddle and understand what we were playing for and that we had to do it together to reach ultimate success.”

Wash High’s offensive line was one of the program’s best. That group included three players who went to Division I programs – senior tackles Jamaal Edwards and Jonathan Miles and Brian Pelkey. The other starters included seniors Rahmaire Brooks and Gilmore at guard and center Brian Barnhart. Another senior, Julious Pettis, was also a valuable member.

In addition to Steve Pirris, Wash High leaned on Aaron Gatten, Joe Evans, David Thorn and Josh Stacher at running back. The late Chris Dimmack was the split end with Molinaro at flanker. Damon Reed was the top reserve.

Defensive starters included Thorn and Evans at middle linebackers with Stacher as their backup, Brooks played nose guard and the defensive line included Miles, Edwards and Barnhart. The outside linebackers were Pelkey, Bonus, Pettis and Gilmore. The secondary featured Dimmack, Molinaro, Pirris and Marvin Mallory at corner with Gatten at strong safety and Jason Bainer or Reed at free safety.

The majority of Montecalvo’s coaching staff from the 1993 season is deceased, including Matt Midea, George Robinson and Moses Bailey. Eric McWilliams and Don Snoke are the only living varsity assistants.

Wash High won its first eight games with the only tight one coming in a 9-7 decision at Sto-Rox. But a Week 9 loss at West Allegheny, 24-6, left the Little Prexies in need of a victory over rival Burgettstown in the regular-season finale to qualify for the playoffs. A loss to the Blue Devils would have resulted in a second straight non-playoff season.

“That was not acceptable,” Brooks said. “The stakes were high, as high as expectations.”

Brooks said Montecalvo delivered a message in his pregame speech before the Burgettstown game that finally struck a chord with the entire team.

“He referred to our 1992 highlight film and a song in it,” Brooks recalled. “He made it clear: saying ‘we’re playing for something and they’re playing for nothing (except to wreck Wash High’s season).’ “

“It changed right there. We realized if we were going to have a chance to accomplish what we thought we could, we had to go win that football game.”

The Little Prexies did just that, dismantling Burgettstown, 41-14, at Wash High Stadium.

The other regular season wins that season for Wash High came against Trinity (30-12), Charleroi (41-7), Waynesburg (42-14), Carlynton (35-3), Quaker Valley (42-14), Canevin (27-6) and Center (27-0).

Off to the playoffs

Wash High defeated Burrell, 20-0, in the quarterfinals, and earned a rematch with West Allegheny.

“The first game was a slap in the face,” Bonus said.

“It was totally unexpected,” Brooks said. “I blame myself. We were arrogant going into that game and we paid, big time.”

Several Little Prexies still didn’t believe they would lose a second straight game to the Indians. But this time they would not underestimate them.

It was a classic back-and-forth battle. West Allegheny missed two early field-goal attempts but did take a 6-0 lead. Bonus hit Dimmack for a 14-yard touchdown pass to take the Little Prexies to a 7-6 halftime lead.

West Allegheny struck early in the third quarter to take a 14-7 lead. Wash High was without its leading rusher as Pirris suffered an injury and could not play.

Gatten stepped up and he and Bonus led Wash High. Gatten hauled in a short pass from Bonus and raced down the right sideline for a 60-yard TD.

The game was tied at 14-14 heading to the fourth, which was scoreless.

In overtime, Dimmack picked off a pass in the end zone to thwart the Indians’ possession.

That set up the Little Prexies.

West Allegheny kept them out of the end zone and Wash High turned to Bainer to kick them to Three Rivers Stadium.

Bainer’s field goal split the uprights and Wash High had avenged its loss and advanced to the championship game.

“I knew coach had confidence in me,” Bainer said. “The only thing I remember is keeping my head down and thinking about the process. That season will always have a special place for me. We had a great team.”

“So many people stepped up along the way,” said Pirris, now a neurosurgeon. “We grew up together, hung out together and just bonded. We had each other’s backs the whole way through.”

“The unity, camaraderie and overall togetherness of that team was so special,” Montecalvo said. “The quality and character of that group is easily seen in what those guys have done post-high school in college, their family lives and their vocations.”

Champions again

The conditions for the championship game were difficult.

Rain, a slick turf and a wet football caused fumbles, drops and slips.

Wash High’s offense did enough. Pirris and Evans scored rushing touchdowns. Bonus made some key throws.

Wash High stopped Riverside time and again.

“The defense stepped up,” Montecalvo said.

Pelkey played the game of his life with three sacks. Gatten stepped up with big tackles, two for loss late in the game. Molinaro made a big interception. Thorn, who had dropped two punt snaps earlier in the game, booted at 42-yard punt that left the Panthers with a long field to make one more attempt.

On third down, a bad snap left the ball on the turf. Brooks went to the turf to recover the fumble and sealed the victory.

“He was a coach on the field,” Gilmore said of Brooks. “He was respected by everyone. Rahmaire was the heart and soul of our team. It was appropriate.”

Added Evans: “At the time, I’m not sure we realized how long it had been for Wash High. We knew we had the kind of players and people to win it. It was such an honor.”

“It couldn’t have been more fun,” Pelkey said. “We achieved our goal. We got to play at Three Rivers Stadium, and we won. It was remarkable.”

Wash High was the first team from Washington County to play in the PIAA playoffs.

The Little Prexies defeated Forest Hills, 21-0, in the state semifinals, before losing to Dallas, 31-7, in the state finals.

“Injuries and other factors didn’t allow us to be or play at our best,” Evans said. “It was tough. But it didn’t diminish our accomplishments.”

Gattten gave all the credit to the seniors.

“It was them,” Gatten said. “We had great senior leadership. They brought younger guys along. We had talent and togetherness.”

“The crazy thing is, I didn’t even decide to play football that year until the beginning of August,” Molinaro said. “Football was an afterthought for me as a young kid. I was better in baseball and basketball. If I didn’t start on the baseball team in the spring of 1993 as a freshman and become good friends with Pirris, Bonus, Dimmack and those guys, I probably wouldn’t even have gone out for the football team.

“It was the greatest year ever.”