George Guido: Highlands football had memorable season 20 years ago

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, December 25, 2018 | 10:24 PM

The Highlands football program achieved some notable firsts in 1998.

It was the first undefeated, untied regular season, the first playoff win in school history, and that team handed West Allegheny’s Tyler Palko the only playoff defeat.

The team was honored among other undefeated Golden Rams teams at this season’s homecoming night in October.

Looking back at that team of firsts on its 20th anniversary, Highlands went 9-0 in the regular season and knocked off West Allegheny at Staresenic Stadium before losing a semifinal game to Moon under coach Tim Karrs.

“I think you had a team that played well together and bought into our program,” Karr said last week from his North Carolina home. “They were really hard workers and very coachable.”

The seed was planted for the team the previous year with a 7-2 regular season mark — losing only to North Catholic and Burrell. The Golden Rams suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the opening round of the 1997 playoffs to Blackhawk, 31-28.

Keys to the team were quarterback Jarrod Sleppy and tailback Mark Corbett.

The season opened with a 41-0 victory over Derry Area — the same score the Golden Rams defeated the Trojans by a year earlier. Sleppy and Corbett scored two rushing touchdowns each.

The following week, the Highlands defense took center stage, holding Hampton to 9 yards rushing, and Corbett, Sleppy and Ben Findon had interceptions.

Sleppy’s career at Highlands almost didn’t happen. He was ready to turn in his pads two years earlier.

“He was ready to quit as a sophomore,” Karrs recalled. “We were in the middle of two-a-days, and he came to me and said he was told nobody from Tarentum could ever start at quarterback for Highlands. I told him that was nothing but a bunch of baked beans.”

Next was a 27-7 win over Elizabeth Forward and a resounding 42-6 decision over Pine-Richland, a struggling program at the time.

After outscoring opponents 159-13 over the first month of the season, the Game of Year against fellow unbeaten Valley loomed.

With a full house of 7,000 fans in New Kensington looking on, the Golden Rams won 20-19 on a touchdown by Sleppy with 8 minutes, 58 seconds left in the game.

Sleppy was jammed at the Valley 3 and tried the left side. Vikings defensive end Mike Martin had Sleppy by the ankles, but he broke free for the decisive score.

Valley quarterback Dom Girardi passed for 195 yards and a touchdown. Oddly enough, Girardi now coaches Highlands.

The next week, the Golden Rams traveled to Johnstown, and Karrs was worried about playing at Point Stadium, soaked by heavy rains.

Karrs’ concerns were put to rest early as the Golden Rams scored four touchdowns in the first 14 minutes. Corbett ran the ball twice and scored on touchdown runs of 59 and 68 yards and later hauled in a 57-yard scoring pass from Sleppy.

The following week, Highlands held the Alle-Kiski Valley’s leading rusher, Burrell’s Dane Park, to 36 yards as the Golden Rams prevailed 17-0.

Highlands concluded the regular season with victories over Knoch (45-7) and Kittanning (4-0).

The Golden Rams drew a first-round bye after winning the Greater Allegheny Conference and earned a home playoff game against West Allegheny.

Highlands was eager to counter five previous playoff seasons in which it was eliminated in the first game.

Sleppy intercepted Palko twice and scored a touchdown as the Golden Rams built a 21-3 lead as fullback Ben Magdinec scored from 4 yards.

Corbett ran for 109 yards as Sleppy was slowed by an ankle injury.

“That meant a lot for me because I played on that field,” Karrs said regarding his big season as Har-Brack quarterback in 1963. “The community really stepped up for us, and I had some great assistant coaches, all but one of whom taught in the school. We tried to get all 44 players in the game, even if it was only for one play or on special teams.”

The season ended the flowing week in the semifinals as Highlands, averaging 35 points per game, was blanked by eventual champion Moon, 10-0, to finish 10-1.

George Guido is a Valley News Dispatch scholastic sports correspondent. His column appears Wednesdays.

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