Through the Years: Kiski Area added to collection of coal buckets 50 years ago

By: George Guido
Thursday, November 3, 2022 | 9:01 AM

Each week throughout the high school football season, the Valley News Dispatch will take a look at the players, coaches and events that shaped our scholastic legacy.

Kiski Area won its fourth consecutive Foothills Conference title with a 36-6 victory over Greensburg Salem before 12,000 fans Nov. 3, 1972, at Offutt Field. Tailback Mike Hansen scored three touchdowns for the Cavaliers to become the WPIAL’s leading scorer with 118 points.

75 years ago

• Har-Brack defeated Munhall, 20-12, in a battle of undefeated teams before 16,000 fans at West Field. Ed “Big Mo” Modzelewski scored a pair of touchdowns for the Tigers.

• Tarentum finished the season undefeated as Chris Warriner scored three touchdowns to pace the Redcats to a 38-19 victory over the Penn High Indians, now known as Penn Hills.

60 years ago

• East Deer-Frazer blasted Saltsburg, 47-13. Ted Paulovich scored three touchdowns for the Bucks, and Joe Novosat added two more.

• Apollo kept alive its WPIAL title hopes with a 20-7 victory at South Huntingdon. Gary Rearic scored all three touchdowns for the Striped Tigers, whose fans outnumbered those for the home team near Ruffs Dale.

50 years ago

• Burrell’s Danny Harris threw three TD passes to Tom Herback as the Bucs finished 3-3-3 with a 35-20 win at East Allegheny.

40 years ago

• Despite losing starters from 20 of 22 positions from the previous season, Freeport qualified for the WPIAL playoffs with a 27-7 win at Leechburg. Tom Kyler scored three Yellowjackets TDs.

• Burrell secured its first conference title in 14 seasons with a 30-20 victory over Valley. Tom Brown led the Bucs with four touchdowns.

25 years ago

• Blackhawk tied the first-round playoff game with 23 seconds remaining in regulation at Highlands, then won it in the second overtime on a field goal by Erik Blackburn.

• Valdez Hails rushed for a career-high 253 yards as Deer Lakes downed Knoch, 28-7.

10 years ago

• In the playoffs for an A-K Valley record 11th consecutive season, Springdale fell in the first round to Brentwood, 34-6. Dynamos running back Sean Dugan finished with 4,262 career rushing yards, second best in local history.

Five years ago

• No. 8-seeded Fox Chapel gave No. 1 Penn-Trafford all it could handle in a Class 5A playoff opener before the Warriors scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull out a 28-21 victory.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Blackhawk, Brentwood, Burrell, Deer Lakes, East Allegheny, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Highlands, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, Penn Hills, Penn-Trafford, Springdale, Valley