6 WPIAL linemen named finalists for 5th annual Bill Fralic Award

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, November 16, 2023 | 2:13 PM

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A scratched Atlanta Falcons helmet. A Pitt helmet dotted with reward stickers. A shiny national player of the year trophy. A Penn Hills No. 79 jersey that casts a shadow like the man who wore it.

Those items and more will be part of a special exhibit honoring local football legend Bill Fralic at the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at Heinz History Center.

“Bill Fralic was a true Pittsburgh original,” said museum director Anne Madarasz.

Said Fralic’s widow, Susan, who put her arms around the glass case: “Thank you for honoring and caring for No. 79.”

Organizers and museum staff introduced the Fralic exhibit Thursday morning during a news conference where the six finalists were announced for the fifth Bill Fralic Memorial Award, given to the WPIAL’s best interior lineman.

The museum is the permanent home of the award.

This year’s finalists are: Cameron Chmura of North Allegheny (Class 6A), Ryan Cory of Pine-Richland (5A), Courtney Dunn of McKeesport (4A), Rico Steele of West Miffin (3A), Mike Crist of Steel Valley (2A) and Cam Branch of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (A).

Coaches nominate players throughout the season, and a panel chooses the finalists and winner. This year’s winner will be unveiled at a pancake breakfast Dec. 2 at Longue Vue Club in Verona.

Chmura (6-foot-3, 290 pounds), a Marshall commit, is a fierce two-way lineman for North Allegheny (10-1), which plays Central Catholic (10-1) at 6 p.m. Saturday in the WPIAL Class 6A championship at Norwin.

Cory (6-4, 285), an offensive guard and defensive tackle, is committed to Wisconsin. He has led Pine-Richland (9-3) to the WPIAL Class 5A championship, where the Rams will take on Peters Township (12-0) at noon Saturday at Norwin. He has 44 tackles, five for loss, and two sacks.

Dunn (6-3, 260), who has Division I FCS offers from Saint Francis (Pa.) and Duquesne, tells it like it is in his “X” bio: “I hate QBs.”

Steele (6-4, 300) has 10 Division I scholarship offers, but he made a verbal commitment to Bowling Green. He is the son of West Mifflin head coach Rod Steele.

Crist (6-3, 300) is a two-way lineman for Steel Valley who has an impressive Hudl highlight video chock full of pancake blocks. He introduced the reel on “X” with the words, “Anyone got syrup?”

And Branch (5-11, 260) is a key run-stopper for OLSH. He has an opportunity to play at Division III Saint Vincent.

The award continues to be a lasting eulogy to Fralic, the one-of-a-kind lineman who played at Penn Hills and Pitt before a nine-year career in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions.

Fralic was a gentle giant who lost a battle with cancer in 2018.

“In today’s world of name, image and likeness, can you imagine the sponsorship opportunities Bill would have attracted?” said Dan Miller, a trustee on the Fralic Foundation board.

Bob Lawson, who played with Fralic at Penn Hills and Pitt from 1981-86, said Fralic inspired fear in opponents. Fralic was a two-time Heisman Trophy nominee.

“When the vein in his neck popped up,” Lawson said, “it was time to bring out the bull.”

Dawson went to Pitt as a wide receiver but left as a tight end.

John Gagetta was an assistant at Penn Hills when Fralic played in the WPIAL.

“He was very humble,” Gagetta said. “His brother-in-law said at the funeral that Bill had 10 personalities, and seven of them were nice. The other three were what he became on the field.

“His goal was to get people on their back, and he did that.”

Past winners of the Fralic Award are Logan Danielson of Thomas Jefferson (2019), Miguel Jackson of Pine-Richland (2020), Sean FitzSimmons of Central Valley (2021) and Joe Enick of Penn-Trafford (2022).

The guest speaker at this year’s ceremony will be Tom Flynn, a former Penn Hills and Pitt star like Fralic who was the 1984 Pro Football Weekly NFC Rookie of the Year when he led the conference with nine interceptions.

Flynn won a Super Bowl title with the New York Giants in 1987.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: McKeesport, North Allegheny, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Pine-Richland, Steel Valley, West Mifflin