Early agate
ON THIS DATE
Feb. 19
1952 – Washington High School wins its 21st consecutive basketball game and finishes the regular season undefeated by beating Trinity 86-32. John Riser scores 24 points for Wash High.
1966 – Trinity wins its first section basketball championship by defeating Washington 44-36 to bag the Section 5 title. Joe Lynch scores 18 points for the Hillers.
1966 – Joe Paterno is hired as the 14th head football coach at Penn State, one day after Rip Engle retired as the Nittany Lions’ coach.
1971 – Fred Sams scores 28 points as Wash High beats host Peters Township 111-39 to win the Section 12-B basketball title.
1980 – Michael Seibert of Washington and Judy Blumberg finish seventh in the ice dancing competition at the Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, N.Y.
1973 – Hayden Buckley, an assistant at West Virginia, is named head football coach and athletic director at Waynesburg College.
1977 – California State’s Bill DePaoli remains undefeated by decisioning defending champion Pete Morelli of Clarion 6-4 in the 118-pound final at the Pennsyvania Conference wrestling tournament.
1985 – Undefeated Washington (21-0) extends its basketball winning streak to 48 games and clinches the Section 18-AA-A title with an 85-49 victory over visiting Bentworth. Tony Ellis scores 20 points for the Prexies.
1992 – The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire Rick Tocchet, Kjell Samuelsson, Ken Wregget and a draft pick from the Philadelphia Flyers for Mark Recchi, Brian Benning and a draft pick. The Penguins also trade Paul Coffey to the Los Angeles Kings for Brian Benning, Jeff Chychrun and a first-round draft choice.
1994 – West Greene heavyweight Dude Bennington decisions Southmoreland’s Jason Hawse 8-5 in the match’s final bout to give the Pioneers a 27-24 victory in the WPIAL Class AA Team Tournament championship at Charleroi.
1996 – Avella pulls off the biggest upset so far in the WPIAL boys basketball playoffs, defeating Cornell 70-60 in a Class A first-round game at Trinity High School. Rich Tranquill and Shaun Sweder each score 18 points for the Eagles.
2000 – Beth-Center’s Malissa Mort becomes the first female wrestler to advance to the WPIAL Championships with a 7-6 decision over Brownsville’s Brian Gildea in the 125-pound consolation finals of the Section 3 and 4 tournament at West Greene High School.
REGISTRATION
Registration for the Washington Youth Baseball 2021 spring season is now open online at www.washyouthbaseball.com. An in-person registration also will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. March 14 at Lew Hays Pony Field. Registration is for children ages 4 through 18. A birth certificate and proof of insurance is needed for new signups. For information, please visit washyouthbaseball.com or email washyouthbaseball@gmail.com.