PAST FOOTBALL ARTICLES
THIS MATERIAL IS TRANSCRIBED FROM THE 1963 CENTENNIAL BOOKLET ENTITLED "MAHANOY CITY, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 1863-1963, A HISTORY". THE HISTORIANS WHO COMPILED THIS HISTORY WERE: JOSEPH H. DAVIES, CHAIRMAN CHARLES H. ENGLE ELWOOD M. YOUNG
Transcribed by: Shirley E. Thomas Ryan June 22, 2002
SUPPLEMENT SPORTS IN MAHANOY CITY
BY BILL KERN
..... The tail end of the 19th Century and the first decade was a "berry" of sports events, particularly here in Mahanoy City.
Football prowess was a must that involved the Reliance team of town and the Emeralds of Shenandoah. A major battle between the two teams developed in 1904 with the game being played in Hazleton. Special trains were run over the Lehigh Valley tracks. Numerous fights broke out and delays in the playing of the contest resulted in a no decision match. Great stars made their appearance at this time, such as Frank Copley, his brother Charley, who later played for Muhlenberg and Missouri colleges and afterwards with the Akron, Ohio Pros in 1920, along side of the immortal Fritz Pollard and against Thorpe, Guyon, Calac, all great Indian performers on the gridiron. The Foley boys, Paddy and Jim, Kull, O’Donnell and others were tops at this time. Pat O’Brien, all 140 pounds, was good despite the fact that football in those days was actually brute strength. The same can be added about "Shorty" Brennan. And then how about the 1906 Young Shamrocks with Capt. DeFrehn Fallon, Dick Deihl, Abe Hawkes, Barrett Kull and the Robinsons.
In 1914, the Milo football team of town played the best in the region, including the famed Coaldale "Big Green: of Jim Gildea, Blue Bonner, the Older Honey Boy Evans along with McFadden, etc., and then there were the always tough clubs from Shenandoah, Jacksons and Morea. In fact, Morea and Mahanoy City battled in 1914 on Johnny Mitchell’s Day for a side bet of several thousand dollars with Mahanoy coming out on top by the score of 27-10. Joe Boley, Mike O’Brien, the Zagarinsky brothers, Joe Murtin, Copley, along with Morea’s Charley Peters, Paul Ferry, Campbell, McElhenny, Charley Heeney were some of the players participating. Dugey Donavan of Shenandoah and "Bumper" Downey of Jacksons played for the locals around that time. Bill Sheehan came along a few years later and became a pro with the Gilberton team of the Fritz Pollard era in 1925. Tommy Myers, outstanding athlete at Mahanoy City High fame, was picking up All-American mention for his great backfield play at Fordham University in 1923 and was named on the honorable mention list by Walter Camp’s All-American group.
Mahanoy City’s pride and joy, the Curley Indians, took the spotlight on the football from 1924 through 1927, in fact, the club were coal region champions during the year 1927. They had a terrific urge to be good and really were, to say the least. They battled the might Gilberton Orange Buds of Matt Rice, and what a player he was! Kenny Weeks (general chairman of the Centennial Committee here in town), along with Paul Petrucka, Zakmare of St. Clair were all outstanding football players at that particular time. The Curley Indians really went after the best in the region and had a well-moulded ball club that included: the 1924 edition - Leon Keiser (deceased); Charlie Chesnuskie, Herbie Beckett, Steve Mall, Albert Grouge, Jack Hall, Frank Kersavage, Joe Kuchinsky, Tony Maff, Frank Seick (coach); Steve Engle, Billy Josephs, John Curley (deceased); Todd Curley, Jim Curley, Pete Conrad, Tony Malchuski, Joe Whalen (captain and deceased); Joe Curley (water boy and deceased); Ed Hanley and Frank and Joe Sieck (mascots). Additions to the 1925 squad were Jim Curley captained included: Tom Dixon (deceased); Red "Mick" Holland, Steve Gavala, Jimmy Sullivan, Bull Peel, Mark Holland, Albie Kluchinsky, Bill Walinchus, Tom Kelly and Mickey Pell. Bobby Coombe was the new mascot while John Cornelius (deceased) was the business manager and acted as secretary-treasurer of the team while Baron McCann (deceased) was the ticket collector. The Indians were not too active in 1926 but came back in 1927 to capture the coal region championship under the coaching of Bill Sheehan (well known beer and soda distributor). The new additions to the squad included Ed "Scrappy" Byron; Bill Wendell, Ducky Dunsavage, John (Gyp) Downey, "Wop" Faust and Ben Brentari. It’s interesting to note that back in 1925 during the miners strike, Jim and John Curley, Billy Joseph, Mickey Pell, Packy Groudge and Ed Hanley decided to go back to Mahanoy City High to play some football under Johnny Goepfert and at that time the Page 95 - Eligibility rule was set at age 20. One of the outstanding games played by the club was the 7-0 loss to a strong Harrisburg Tech team on the Island.
Mahanoy City produced a number of outstanding football performers, who went on to stardom in college and in particular, Dr. Bill Walinchus (practicing dentistry at his 400 West Centre Street address) who played at Mahanoy City High and went on to star at the University of Pittsburgh and performed in the Rose Bowl contest; Ed "Ski’ August, considered one of the outstanding greats in high school and Villanova College, who had seen action with the Provident Steamrollers in pro ball; Al Sadusky, another topnotch athlete, who went on to stardom at Western Maryland where, he too, received All-American mention; Al (Lezousky) Leeson, who starred at Pittsburgh and is the father of one of the state’s outstanding gridders Rick Leeson, now in his second year at Pitt and in later years, Joe Matalavage, who after a brilliant career at Mahanoy City High, moved into the Naval Academy at Annapolis and had the honor of being the team captain in his final year.
Mahanoy City was unable to crash the championship circle as a charter member of the Eastern football conference. The school finished runnerup in 1958 and again as Mahanoy Area last year. The 1958 team, spearheaded by Johnny Pilconis, son of head coach Joe Pilconis, lost out to Shenandoah for the championship on a "technicality" under the rating system. Pilconis directed his only unbeaten but tied eleven here in 1962, when Mahanoy Area battled Tamaqua High for the Southern Division honors and the now Golden Bears will be a part of the Centennial Program as they meet St. Clair here under the arcs in an effort to keep their victory streak intact.
Transcribed by: Shirley E. Thomas Ryan June 22, 2002
SUPPLEMENT SPORTS IN MAHANOY CITY
BY BILL KERN
..... The tail end of the 19th Century and the first decade was a "berry" of sports events, particularly here in Mahanoy City.
Football prowess was a must that involved the Reliance team of town and the Emeralds of Shenandoah. A major battle between the two teams developed in 1904 with the game being played in Hazleton. Special trains were run over the Lehigh Valley tracks. Numerous fights broke out and delays in the playing of the contest resulted in a no decision match. Great stars made their appearance at this time, such as Frank Copley, his brother Charley, who later played for Muhlenberg and Missouri colleges and afterwards with the Akron, Ohio Pros in 1920, along side of the immortal Fritz Pollard and against Thorpe, Guyon, Calac, all great Indian performers on the gridiron. The Foley boys, Paddy and Jim, Kull, O’Donnell and others were tops at this time. Pat O’Brien, all 140 pounds, was good despite the fact that football in those days was actually brute strength. The same can be added about "Shorty" Brennan. And then how about the 1906 Young Shamrocks with Capt. DeFrehn Fallon, Dick Deihl, Abe Hawkes, Barrett Kull and the Robinsons.
In 1914, the Milo football team of town played the best in the region, including the famed Coaldale "Big Green: of Jim Gildea, Blue Bonner, the Older Honey Boy Evans along with McFadden, etc., and then there were the always tough clubs from Shenandoah, Jacksons and Morea. In fact, Morea and Mahanoy City battled in 1914 on Johnny Mitchell’s Day for a side bet of several thousand dollars with Mahanoy coming out on top by the score of 27-10. Joe Boley, Mike O’Brien, the Zagarinsky brothers, Joe Murtin, Copley, along with Morea’s Charley Peters, Paul Ferry, Campbell, McElhenny, Charley Heeney were some of the players participating. Dugey Donavan of Shenandoah and "Bumper" Downey of Jacksons played for the locals around that time. Bill Sheehan came along a few years later and became a pro with the Gilberton team of the Fritz Pollard era in 1925. Tommy Myers, outstanding athlete at Mahanoy City High fame, was picking up All-American mention for his great backfield play at Fordham University in 1923 and was named on the honorable mention list by Walter Camp’s All-American group.
Mahanoy City’s pride and joy, the Curley Indians, took the spotlight on the football from 1924 through 1927, in fact, the club were coal region champions during the year 1927. They had a terrific urge to be good and really were, to say the least. They battled the might Gilberton Orange Buds of Matt Rice, and what a player he was! Kenny Weeks (general chairman of the Centennial Committee here in town), along with Paul Petrucka, Zakmare of St. Clair were all outstanding football players at that particular time. The Curley Indians really went after the best in the region and had a well-moulded ball club that included: the 1924 edition - Leon Keiser (deceased); Charlie Chesnuskie, Herbie Beckett, Steve Mall, Albert Grouge, Jack Hall, Frank Kersavage, Joe Kuchinsky, Tony Maff, Frank Seick (coach); Steve Engle, Billy Josephs, John Curley (deceased); Todd Curley, Jim Curley, Pete Conrad, Tony Malchuski, Joe Whalen (captain and deceased); Joe Curley (water boy and deceased); Ed Hanley and Frank and Joe Sieck (mascots). Additions to the 1925 squad were Jim Curley captained included: Tom Dixon (deceased); Red "Mick" Holland, Steve Gavala, Jimmy Sullivan, Bull Peel, Mark Holland, Albie Kluchinsky, Bill Walinchus, Tom Kelly and Mickey Pell. Bobby Coombe was the new mascot while John Cornelius (deceased) was the business manager and acted as secretary-treasurer of the team while Baron McCann (deceased) was the ticket collector. The Indians were not too active in 1926 but came back in 1927 to capture the coal region championship under the coaching of Bill Sheehan (well known beer and soda distributor). The new additions to the squad included Ed "Scrappy" Byron; Bill Wendell, Ducky Dunsavage, John (Gyp) Downey, "Wop" Faust and Ben Brentari. It’s interesting to note that back in 1925 during the miners strike, Jim and John Curley, Billy Joseph, Mickey Pell, Packy Groudge and Ed Hanley decided to go back to Mahanoy City High to play some football under Johnny Goepfert and at that time the Page 95 - Eligibility rule was set at age 20. One of the outstanding games played by the club was the 7-0 loss to a strong Harrisburg Tech team on the Island.
Mahanoy City produced a number of outstanding football performers, who went on to stardom in college and in particular, Dr. Bill Walinchus (practicing dentistry at his 400 West Centre Street address) who played at Mahanoy City High and went on to star at the University of Pittsburgh and performed in the Rose Bowl contest; Ed "Ski’ August, considered one of the outstanding greats in high school and Villanova College, who had seen action with the Provident Steamrollers in pro ball; Al Sadusky, another topnotch athlete, who went on to stardom at Western Maryland where, he too, received All-American mention; Al (Lezousky) Leeson, who starred at Pittsburgh and is the father of one of the state’s outstanding gridders Rick Leeson, now in his second year at Pitt and in later years, Joe Matalavage, who after a brilliant career at Mahanoy City High, moved into the Naval Academy at Annapolis and had the honor of being the team captain in his final year.
Mahanoy City was unable to crash the championship circle as a charter member of the Eastern football conference. The school finished runnerup in 1958 and again as Mahanoy Area last year. The 1958 team, spearheaded by Johnny Pilconis, son of head coach Joe Pilconis, lost out to Shenandoah for the championship on a "technicality" under the rating system. Pilconis directed his only unbeaten but tied eleven here in 1962, when Mahanoy Area battled Tamaqua High for the Southern Division honors and the now Golden Bears will be a part of the Centennial Program as they meet St. Clair here under the arcs in an effort to keep their victory streak intact.
