Abe Atiyeh finished second at 185 in 78. George was the heavyweight champ several years later.
OT: Last game between Wilkes-Barre GAR and Meyers
- Thread starter diontechristmas
- Start date
I was at that game!Wow brings back memories. I'm a 1978 grad from WVW and remember charlie D beating us on the last play of the game...we scored to go ahead and kicked off....he ran it back for a TD to win the game....he was special.... Also Myers fb team sent our cheerleaders an box of kotex with all their names written on them
I lost touch with Charles after HS...like happens with so many. we just had our 40th HS reunion and he was a no-show. The last time I recall being in his company was in 80-81 at a pub called The Domino. I still have some good friends who recall being with Charlie in the spring of 82 at his adopted parents home on NFL draft weekend. Charlie was told he would be a late first day or second day pick. It never happened and he was devastated. To make matters worse the Chiefs and Giants called immediately after the draft to offer a FA deal. The Cowboys also called. For some reson, and I blame his lawyer, he signed with the Cowboys who already had 3 rb's under contract. One guy named Dorsett and another named Newhouse. Charlie had no chance of making that team. But I KNOW he would have made the Chiefs or Giants...he was that tough. I don't know if that led to his problems....but it is a sad situation.
And since I am on a roll. The "other" WBASD school...Coughlin High School plays its last game ever on Friday nite. CHS is actually the oldest school in the district and has a proud PSU alum in Bucky Greeley. And since I spent 30+ yrs in that bldg as a teacher, and got to be decent pals with Dick Anderson when he would come recruit WB, i will be taking in the Crusaders last game. And it will be sad.....
maybe you missed the link but here it is http://www.charliewysocki.com. As far as I know, Charlie isn't doing too well. Search 'Dave Pacella' he was one of Charlie's teammates at MD, and has been trying to look out for him. I read somewhere that Charlie was back in an institution and trying to get better as of a few months ago. If you go back and look at the HWT brackets when Leo won, Dave Pacella lost to the second place guy. I applaud Dave for working so hard to help Charlie (look at his website) I tried to send some money, but the go fund campaign is over.
For the record, I don't think Charlie was going to make it in the pros, pretty sure the Cowboys timed him at 5.0 or 5.1, still he was a great collegiate back!!!
Thanks sluggo...I have heard the same things about Charlie. I honestly don't care to read them. Sometimes life really stinks.
Great thread. So bkmtn, you were teaching when Ron Solt was at Coughlin?
Mom was a Coughlin grad, and taught at Meyers in 60s.
So many great players in the Wyoming Valley Conference through the decades. Just think of the legends who played at Meyer's field (W-B Memorial). Are they keeping the football field, or will they demolish the stadium when they bring down ole Elmer?
Mom was a Coughlin grad, and taught at Meyers in 60s.
So many great players in the Wyoming Valley Conference through the decades. Just think of the legends who played at Meyer's field (W-B Memorial). Are they keeping the football field, or will they demolish the stadium when they bring down ole Elmer?
My wife is a CHS grad.....I'm also an engineer working on the new high school....it will be a nice school for sure....
They are keeping the field as far as I know....I actually was teaching at a CHS feeder school when Solt was playing. But i drank a few beers with his HS coach, does that count?
Ole Elmer isnt going anywhere for a while....and you wouldnt want ot go in there. Doesnt look anything like it did when I was a student there. New school...I say the over/under is 2025....but Greg will disagree with me...
Class of 74. Best HS football team I ever saw. They had 30 pts scored on them all year I believe. 8 shutouts! Had something like 10 Div 1 players in football, baseball, basketball and wrestling on that squad. Dudish could have pitched in the pro's....I am still good friends with him. He does a ton of running.
Ok...glad I am out. I seriously got out at the right time. 35 yrs was plenty!
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I graduated in the late 90’s. Among the last years before the town and high school changed greatly.
Solt was in the 84 draft. I don't recall if he redshirted or not at MD. So if he didn't it would have been 80 and if he did RS it would be 79.
Fwiw the last I heard Ron was in pretty bad physical shape, pretty sickly etc. I think Duda gave him some kind of job at Lackawanna (sp) just to give him something
I know his son graduated a couple years back. when i saw dad he looked fine, but who knows. I know he did some roids back in the day...
I hear you. After my dad graduated and went into the Air Force his family moved to Freeland. I remember when we would go back to Hazleton in the late 70's, every time he would say "boy, I'm glad I got out of this town." Even then the only worthwhile thing was The Knotty Pine, now even that's not there anymore.
Maurice Peoples......
In My senior year we were consolidated into the Wyoming Valley West school system; Plymouth Area, Kingston Area & Forty Fort Area. I played football & baseball for Plymouth Area.
Reading this thread regarding the W-B schools, I recalled playing against Maurice Peoples. I played safety and my main assignment was to shadow ( I guess the term these days?) Maurice.
On offense, my position was punting & receiver, Peoples played DB so were also had matchups while on offense.
Being a senior with four years of varsity experience, balanced the playing field a little playing against Maurice since he was two years younger. He was fast.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Peoples
1993
About This Inductee
Maurice Peoples is a graduate of GAR Memorial H. S. and started his career in 1967 as an AAV Jr. Olympic Triple Jump Champion. In 1968, he was PIAA Triple Jump State Champion with a new state record of 48’4 (record lasted 19 years). He was the State Champion PIAA triple jump in 1969 and was second in the 220 yd. dash-time 21.6, third place in the 440 yd. dash-50.0, in his senior year at GAR. He also scored 1000 pts. while playing basketball for GAR. He was awarded All-Scholastic Basketball award and received gentleman, athlete, and scholar award at GAR. While at Allen Hancock Jr. College, Santamaria, Calif., he was the Jr. College National 400 meter Champion. In 1971, he was the Jr. College National 400 meter Champion. In 1972, while at Arizona State Univ. he was the NCAA 400 meter Champion and the AAU 400 meter Champion. He was a member of the U.S. National Track & Field Team and a member of the U.S. Olympic Team. Peoples ranked number two in the World 400 meter dash. As a senior at Arizona State Univ. in 1973, he was the NCAA 400 meter champion, and AAU 400 meter dash champion. He ran the fastest 400 meter split in the world-43.11 (record still holds) and is a member of Arizona Stata Univ. Athletic Hall of Fame. Also in 1973, he was ranked number two in the world 400 meter dash. He was a member of the 4X400 relay team that broke the world record in 1974. In 1976, he ranked number four in the world 400 meter dash. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic team, member of International Track & Field team, member of European U.S. tour team, member of Asia U.S. tour team, and a member of Olympic Development team.
Sluggo, were you raised in the Wyoming Valley? You're very familiar with local athletes in the W-B area.
WD....Charlie took the Wysocki name during his junior year. But legally, with all the paperwork that needed to be done with an adoption, it wasn't official/legal name change until after his senior year of wrestling. That is why it was Degraffenreid in the program.
So from reading the Times Leader, the game is sold out (3000 tix sold), and there is heightened security inside and out of the stadium. Tailgating will be monitored before and after the game. Look forward to the reports, hope they are able to play with the looming weather.
BTW, since we're on a Wyoming Valley thread, anyone care to throw out their favorite kielbassi joint up and down the river? Personally, I like Kaminski's in Duryea and Fetch's in Wyoming (also great home made horseradish) for smoked. Enjoy Jerry's in Nanticoke for fresh, and there's a little market on Hazle Ave off of Blackmon St that I enjoy for fresh. But unfortunately, as that neighborhood has devolved, there are safety issues in visiting that area.
I live in MD, but always load up before I come home. No shortage of great kielbo joints in the Valley. Please share yours as I know that I'm missing some.
BTW, since we're on a Wyoming Valley thread, anyone care to throw out their favorite kielbassi joint up and down the river? Personally, I like Kaminski's in Duryea and Fetch's in Wyoming (also great home made horseradish) for smoked. Enjoy Jerry's in Nanticoke for fresh, and there's a little market on Hazle Ave off of Blackmon St that I enjoy for fresh. But unfortunately, as that neighborhood has devolved, there are safety issues in visiting that area.
I live in MD, but always load up before I come home. No shortage of great kielbo joints in the Valley. Please share yours as I know that I'm missing some.
Fred’s Domino Inn. It was the place to be. I was there many times. Survived a raid. Just walked out front door. Can’t think of wife’s name.
The raid was couple months before I turned 21. Cooled it a little after that.
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I am a Coughlin 73 grad, but my wife went to Meyers class of 74. My Father in law was a big deal in the St Therese teeners league for 20 some years EVEN THOUGH HE HAD 5 DAUGHTERS. My wife always told me he would listen to the kids talk on the bench and as a result, her and her 4 other sisters were not allowed to set foot in Miner Park without parental supervision! There were several good players from Meyers mentioned, but one name I didn't see was Mickey Dudish. He was a good back in his own right and went to Maryland and essentially became a pretty good blocking fullback. I got involved with my father in laws season tickets and was fortunate to go out to South Bend in 1992. He made several trips out there and he told me on one trip, they went out to a bar the night before the game and got to talking to some Irish fans. When they found out he went to the same high school as The Rocket, he became an instant celebrity.
I spent more time in that place under 21 than I did over 21!
Interesting thread. I lived in Hazleton In the early 90’s and saw the merger of the high schools. Watched a few Hazleton High games before the merger in the old stadium including a contest against State College whose QB was the infamous MM.
The has been a lot of change around where I grew up in the Warren Youngstown area of NE Ohio due to major population decline. Population is about 50% of what it was when I was in school. Multiple high school closures and some mergers. No longer a big hotbed of football players feeding big time college programs like it was back in the day. I got to see a lot of future college stars and NFL players during their high school years as well as Al Bundy (Ed O’Neil) who was an assistant coach for Youngstown Ursuline, one of our opponents at the time.
The has been a lot of change around where I grew up in the Warren Youngstown area of NE Ohio due to major population decline. Population is about 50% of what it was when I was in school. Multiple high school closures and some mergers. No longer a big hotbed of football players feeding big time college programs like it was back in the day. I got to see a lot of future college stars and NFL players during their high school years as well as Al Bundy (Ed O’Neil) who was an assistant coach for Youngstown Ursuline, one of our opponents at the time.
