When Sports Were Played: The first WPIAL football playoff game decided by statistics
For today’s “When Sports Were Played,” we go back to Nov. 17, 1972 and a WPIAL football playoff game between Monessen and Jeannette that was like no other, and the O-R was there. Because there was no overtime in high school football at that time, the winner was determined by a statistic.
PITTSBURGH – Both playoff games in last night’s WPIAL Class AA doubleheader at Three Rivers Stadium left spectators mumbling in disbelief as Gateway upset Kiski and Jeannette tied Monessen.
Jeannette was awarded the victory on the basis of total yardage after battling to a 14-14 tie against the Greyhounds.
As a result, Jeannette will move into the finals next week against Gateway, winner over Kiski in the second game, 22-13.
With just four minutes remaining in the game, and Monessen leading 14-6, Jeannette recovered a fumble on its own 25-yard line. On the first play after the recovery, Terry Gregory hit halfback Jerry Hoak for a first down at the Monessen 38.
Monessen held its opponent and took the ball over on downs on its own 31. But on the very next play, Jeannette recovered another fumble and a penalty gave the ball back to the Jayhawks on the Monessen 11. With 1:06 remaining, Gregory then hit George Washington on the one for a first-and-goal, and followed with a sneak up the middle to put his team within two points of the Greyhounds.
Gregory then passed to Hoak for the two-point conversion that tied the game. Monessen was in possession of the ball when time ran out.
Jeannette gained 244 yards for the night, compared to Monessen’s 177. It was on that basis that the Jayhawks were awarded the chance to play Gateway in the Class AA championship.
Monessen led 6-0 at halftime on a second-quarter touchdown pass of eight yards from Ted Harhai to Terry Smith.
Washington scored on a 17-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to tie the score at 6-6, but Harhai scored on a one-yard plunge and threw a two-point conversion pass to Tony Benjamin to give Monessen a 14-6 lead with 9:21 remaining.
Monessen played most of the game without its top offensive player, halfback Bubby Holmes, who left the game because of injury in the second quarter.
Jeannette had a 174-61 edge in passing yardage.