Early agate
ON THE AIR
Dec. 16
1945 – The Cleveland Rams beat the Washington Redskins 15-14 for the NFL championship. The deciding play turns out to be a first-quarter automatic safety when the Redskins’ Sammy Baugh passes from his own end zone and the wind carries the ball into the goal post.
1966 – A first-period win by heavyweight Earl Phillips gives Washington High School a 27-25 victory over Chartiers-Houston in the Little Prexies’ season-opening wrestling match.
1969 – Mapletown remains the only undefeated basketball team in Washington and Greene counties after defeating host Fairchance-Georges 67-51. Mapletown outscores the Runners 19-4 in the fourth quarter. Bob Clites scores 26 points and Tom Wiley has 16 for the Maples.
1970 – Villanova University basketball player Howard Porter, though still playing for the Wildcats, signs a contract with the ABA’s Pittsburgh Condors. Porter goes on to lead Villanova to the national title game and is named the Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Eventually, because of Porter’s contract with the Condors, the NCAA rules that Villanova must forfeit all of its wins after Dec. 16.
1982 – Beth-Center’s Diane Hess sets the school single-game scoring record with 39 points in the Bulldogs’ 65-43 girls basketball victory over previously undefeated Bentworth.
1986 – Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is named the Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated.
1987 – Maria Janco scoresd 19 points and becomes only the third player – boy or girl – in Canon-McMillan history to score 1,000 career points as the Big Macs defeat Baldwin 60-53 in the Section 5-AAAA opener.
1996 – Pitt names Ohio State assistant Walt Harris its head football coach, succeeding Johnny Majors.
2000 – Jerome Bettis rushes for 104 yards and Richard Huntley scores two touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Washington Redskins 24-3 in the final football game at Three Rivers Stadium.
2003 – Kent Tekulve resigns after two seasons as the Washington Wild Things’ director of baseball operations and assistant coach.
2003 – Defensive backs Kenny Evans of Washington and Marques Parks of South Fayette are named to the Associated Press Class AA all-state football first team.