Early agate
ON THIS DATE
Dec. 19
1941 – Sammy Angott of Washington dominates Lew Jenkins in a unification bout to win the undisputed world lightweight boxing title at Madison Square Garden.
1948 – The Philadelphia Eagles win the NFL title, beating the Chicago Cardinals 7-0 in a major snowstorm. Philadelphia’s Bucko Kilroy recovers a fumble on the 17-yard line in the fourth quarter, and Steve Van Buren later scores from the 5.
1958 – Waynesburg High School’s wrestling team defeats Washington and Lee 38-13 in Arlington, Va., to extend the Raiders’ winning streak to 33. Jim Husk (167) has Waynebsurg’s only pin in the match.
1969 – Mapletown improves to 7-0 as Bob Clites scores 26 points in a 77-63 win over visiting Beth-Center.
1970 – Gary Skinner’s 15-foot jump shot with one second remaining in the third overtime gives California State a 65-63 victory over Point Park at the Pitt Field House. Cal plays with only one of its regular starters as eight black players on the Vulcans sit out the game after demanding the school hire a black assistant coach and black adviser.
1970 – Chartiers-Houston wins its second consecutive California Invitational wrestling tournament team title by edging runner-up McGuffey. The Bucs, with five individual champions, earned the title when Jim McConnell upset McGuffey’s undefeated Tom Teagarden by judges’ decision in the 112-pound final.
1972 – Iowa State’s Johnny Majors agrees to a five-year contract to become head football coach at Pitt.
1976 – Terry Bradshaw throws three touchdown passes – two to Lynn Swann – and Franco Harris runs for 132 yards as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Baltimore Colts 40-14 in the AFC playoffs.
1978 – Kevin Clark scores 31 points, including his 1,000th career point, as undefeated Waynesburg College outscores Mercyhurst 110-95 in a run-and-gun game at College Gym.
1978 – Bentworth’s boys basketball team remains undefeated in Section 16-A by defeating Mapletown 80-52. The Bearcats show up with their gold road jerseys, the same color as Mapletoewn’s home jerseys. After a considerable delay, Mapletown’s players each wear black practice jerseys with roman numerals taped on the back. Bentworth’s Kevin Tony scores 27 points.
1986 – Seton La Salle defeats Washington 62-40 to end the Little Prexies’ 41-game boys basketball section winning streak that dated back to December of 1982.
1988 – Tony Petrarca and Clayton Adams each score 15 points and Duquesne ends an 8-year losing streak against Pitt by defeating the Panthers 80-76 at the Palumbo Center.
2005 – Ringgold High School running back Robert Heller, who rushed for 1,586 yards and scored 17 touchdowns, is named Class AAA first team all-state by the Associated Press.
2006 – The Millersville University women’s basketball team overcomes a 14-point second-half deficit and defeats California 55-48 at Hamer Hall. The loss ends Cal’s 23-game winning streak against PSAC opponents.
2007 – New York Islanders forward Chris Simon is banned for 30 games, drawing the longest suspension in NHL history again. Simon’s latest infraction was stepping on Pittsburgh’s Jarkko Ruutu with his skate during a Dec. 15 game. This is the seventh suspension of Simon’s career.
2009 – Ben Roethlisberger completes 29 of 46 passes with three TDs and 503 yards, becoming the first Pittsburgh quarterback to throw for 500 yards in a game during a 37-36 win over Green Bay. He hits rookie Mike Wallace for a 19-yard touchdown on the final play. It’s the first 37-36 game in NFL history.
Dec. 20
1957 – Ollie Payne scores a layup in the “sudden death” period to give Charleroi High School a 75-73 victory over visiting Bethlehem Joint, the last Washington County basketball team to suffer a loss in the season. Payne scores a game-high 33 points. The game was tied 69-69 after regulation and 73-73 after one overtime.
1968 – Waynesburg High School’s wrestling teams defeats host West Greene 29-17, giving Raiders head coach Ernie Closser his 100th victory.
1970 – Pittsburgh’s John “Frenchy” Fuqua sets the team rushing record with 218 yards on 20 carries, including touchdowns of 72 and 85 yards, but the Steelers lose to the Philadelphia Eagles 30-20.
1975 – Trinity, with four individual champions, wins the team title over runner-up Canon-McMillan at the Western Conference wrestling tournament at Chartiers Valley. The Hillers’ winners are Tom Sams (105 pounds), Tony Gallo (112), Bob Piatt (138) and Gary Sams (155).
1985 – Waynesburg College’s basketball team improves to 7-0 with an 88-77 victory over visiting Salem. The Yellow Jackets, however, lose leading scorer Harold Hamlin to season-ending knee injury.
1985 – Waynesburg High School’s Tammy McIntire scores 34 points as the Raiders’ girls basketball team wins at Mon Valley Catholic, 63-42.
1988 – Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky turns down an offer to become Temple’s head football coach.
1989 – Washington High School defensive tackle Marvin Merriweather is named to the Associated Press Small School All-State football first team.
1993 – Adam Sarson scores 30 points and grabs 18 rebounds to lead Peters Township to a 55-53 upset of visiting Uniontown.
1999 – Defensive lineman Brandon Doppelheuer and linebacker Lanfer Simpson of Waynesburg, along with South Fayette quarterback Niel Loebig and Fort Cherry running back Mike Vernillo, are named to the Associated Press Small School All-State Football first team.
2003 – St. John’s (Minn.) provides a perfect ending for coach John Gagliardi’s record-breaking season, snapping Mount Union’s NCAA-record 55-game winning streak with a 24-6 victory in the Division III football championship game.
2003 – Trinity plays two boys basketball games in one day as part of the Tri-State Hoopfest. The Hillers defeat California 68-48 in a game that starts at 10:30 a.m. Then, nine hours later, the Hillers fall to Wheeling Park 77-71.
2005 – Beth-Center linebacker Matt Stay is named to the Associated Press Class A All-State first team defense.?
2009 – Ben Roethlisberger passes for a team-record 503 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown to rookie Mike Wallace on the game’s final play as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Green Bay Packers 37-36 at Heinz Field.