Early agate
ON THIS DATE
Sept. 4
1951 – East Washington High School cancels its football season, citing a lack of players. Principal Thomas R. Shupe made the announcement after a meeting with prospective football players. Only 16 candidates, including five freshmen, attended the meeeting.
1972 – Mark Spitz of the U.S. wins his seventh gold medal at the Munich Olympics when he swims the third leg in the 400-meter medley relay.
1976 – Scott Orndoff scores on runs of one and 25 yards as West Greene defeats visiting Edgewood 22-6 for the Pioneers’ first victory in 34 games.
1981 – Led by George Dudley’s 215 rushing yards, Canon-McMillan scores the game’s final 40 points and defeats visiting Peters Township 40-7 in a season-opening football game.
1987 – Mark Wise completes eight of nine passes with two going for touchdowns as Washington defeats Trinity 31-19 in the football season opener. The Prexies overcome a big game by Trinity’s John Hairston, who rushes for 171 yards on 18 carries, including a 92-yard touchdown late in the first half.
1988 – Quarterback Brian Kaderli connects with Jon Broglie for an 83-yard touchdown pass with 1:33 remaining to give Peters Township a 20-14 win over visiting Mt. Pleasant.
1999 – Washington High School scores two touchdowns in the final seven seconds of the first half and defeats host Trinity 48-14, spoiling the debut of new Hillers coach Ed Dalton.
2011 – Englishman Gary Christian shoots a final round of 4-under-par 67 to finish at 17-under and win the Nationwide Tour’s Mylan Classic at Southpointe Golf Club.
2011 – Wild Things pitcher Justin Hall strikes out 14 over 11 innings as the Wild Things win their season finale, 6-2, in 12 innings at Windy City.
2011 – Tavon Austin returns a kickoff for a touchdown as West Virginia defeats Marshall 34-13 in a game stopped early in the fourth quarter because of lightning. The game was delayed for three hours late in the third quarter because of severe storms, resumed and halted again with 14:36 remaining. After a wait of another hour, the game was called off. It was the first game for WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen.
Sept. 5
1942 – The Butler Yankees defeat the visiting Washington Redbirds 8-3 in the deciding playoff game to win the Governor’s Cup and the Pennsylvania State Association baseball league championship.
1965 – Buddy Parker resigns as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers after the team’s fourth preseason game, a 23-9 loss to San Francisco.
1969 – Terry Pozum throws a 70-yard touchdown pass to Mike Lubich in the first quarter and its all the points Jefferson-Morgan needs as the Rockets defeat Frazier 7-0 to give Ernie Benedict a win in his debut as J-M’s head coach.
1973 – With his team in second place in the National League East Division and less than a month left in the season, Bill Virdon is fired as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates and replaced by Danny Murtaugh. It’s Murtaugh’s fourth stint as Pirates manager.
1975 – Jeff Broadwater scores on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter and two-time defending WPIAL champion Jefferson-Morgan wins its 21st consecutive football game, 10-0, over Fairchance-Georges. The game is completed with lights working on only one side of the field.
1984 – Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris signs a one-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Harris is 363 yards shy of Jim Brown’s NFL career rushing record of 12,312 yards.
1990 – Zane Smith pitches a one-hit shutout and Barry Bonds drives in Gary Redus in the bottom of the ninth to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 1-0 win over the New York Mets in the first game of a doubleheader sweep at Three Rovers Stadium.
1993 – Bob Charles shoots four-under-par 68 in the final round and wins the $1.05 million Quicksilver Classic PGA Senior Tour event at Quicksilver Golf Club. Dave Stockton finishes in second place.
2002 – Brandon LeDonne passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns as California University routs visiting Geneva 45-0 in John Luckhardt’s debut as the Vulcans’ head coach.
2007 – Mario Garza hits two home runs and the Washington Wild Things beat the host Gateway Grizzlies, 10-7, to take a 2-0 lead in a Frontier League playoff series.
2009 – Pittsburgh’s Ross Ohlendorf becomes the 40th major league pitcher to strike out the side on nine pitches in an inning, but doesn’t figure in the decision as the Pirates lose 2-1 to St. Louis in 10 innings.