Morris’ coaching career led to hall induction
For decades, Jim Morris was known as coach. Now, add the label of hall of famer.
Morris will be one of the honorees at the Washington-Greene Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame banquet.
The banquet will be held Friday, June 14 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Meadow Lands. Ticket prices are $45 each. Tables of 10 are $450. The ceremony starts at 6 p.m.
Make checks payable to P.S.H.O.F. Mail checks to PSHOF, PO Box 921, Washington, PA, 15301 or go to wash-greenesportshall.org and purchase your tickets through Paypal.
Joining Morris in the class are Jeff Casper (Trinity), Emily Briggs (Chartiers-Houston), Mike Deegan (Trinity), Drew Headlee (Waynesburg), George Linck (Washington), Blanca D’Hoedt (Trinity), Sarah Riske (Peters Township), Patrick Sadler (Trinity), Brian Simmons (Peters Township), Penny Starkey (Abington H.S., Philadelphia), Joe Marconi (Special Honoree) and the 1973-74 Jefferson-Morgan football team (Team of Yesteryear).
The follow is a brief bio on a portion of the athletes.
James Morris
n South Hills Catholic
n Indiana Teacher’s College
Morris coached football for more than 50 years in six decades. He is a former head coach at Avella High School and is currently an assistant coach at Chartiers-Houston. He also served as an assistant coach and special team’s co-ordinator at Washington & Jefferson College under John Luckhardt and John Banaszak.
Morris led Avella to consecutive WPIAL championship game appearances in 1975 and 1976 as head coach. He was an assistant football coach at Avella for 12 years and head coach for 17 years. Mr. Morris also served as the school’s Athletic Director.
At W&J, he worked for 13 years and was part of two teams that participated in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, NCAA Di-vision III national championship games in 1992 and 1994.
He also coached wrestling and baseball at Avella and most re-cently served as assistant girls’ basketball coach at Avella.
Drew Headlee
n Waynesburg High School
n University of Pittsburgh
Headlee was a PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Champion in 2002. He was a four-year letterman with a career record of 137-28. He was a four-time, top-four WPIAL place winner and three-time PIAA qualifier.
At Pitt, Headlee was a four-year letterwinner and three-year captain. He was a three-time NCAA qualifier and two-time Eastern Wrestling League champion. Headlee gained All-American status as a sophomore in 2005 at 133 pounds. He fell just short of being an All-American as a senior.
Throughout his career at Pitt, Headlee captured a number of tournaments, including the Mat Town Invitational in 2004 at 125 pounds, the 2006 Body Bar Invitational at 133 pounds at Cornell and he was a University National Freestyle Champion. He won the final Olympic Trials Qualifying Tournament in 2012 with a 4-0 record, while defeating three former All-Americans. Headlee was a silver medalist at the 2013 Pan American Games.
1973-74 Jefferson-Morgan Rockets
n Team of Yesteryear – Football
The Rockets were the WPIAL Class B football champions 1973 and 1974 and conference champions in 1973 and 1974.
The Rockets defeated Western Beaver, 35-6, in the 1973 championship game and Midland, 20-0, in the 1974 championship game. Jeff-Morgan went 10-0 in 1974 and was 9-0-1 in 1973, its only blemish a tie with rival Carmichaels. The team had a two-year mark of 19-0-1.
The 1973 team was coached by Walt Whitehead and the 1974 team was coached by Dave Eavenson. The 1973 Rockets ended a two-season, Chartiers-Houston undefeated streak of by upending the Bucs, 15-0. The team featured a number of outstanding players, including Dennis Garrett, Jon Culp and Jeff Culp, Steve Yourich and Kevin Martin, among others. In 1973, the team allowed just 43 points, including three shutouts.
George Linck
n Washington High School
n Slippery Rock University/ California University
Linck served as athletic director for 27 years at Bentworth High School. He oversaw success in a number of programs for the Bearcats in boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, baseball, volleyball, wrestling and football. Linck fought for and initiated a track and field program and pursued a place to practice. It eventually led to PIAA medalists and PIAA champions.
Linck was a former member and president of the Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Association and honored as the Dick Kohl Memorial Athletic Director of the Year. He was active in the Pennsylvania Athletic Directors Association and coordinated Tri-CADA’s scholarship program for many years.
Linck was a highly regarded football official both in high school and college. He worked five WPIAL football championships, one PIAA title game and the 2007 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl – NCAA Division III championship game. He also officiated volleyball and basketball and played football and baseball at Wash High. He coached volleyball for three years at Bentworth and was an assistant baseball coach for nine seasons there.
He coached youth baseball for 20 years and coached Washington Pony World Series teams in 2001 and 2004.