Through the Years: Highlands’ rally sealed 1997 win vs. Freeport

By: George Guido
Thursday, August 25, 2022 | 12:01 AM

Each Friday 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.

Joe Signorella passed for a touchdown and scored another as Highlands came from behind to defeat Freeport, 14-10, on Aug. 29, 1997, at James Swartz Memorial Stadium.

75 years ago

• Har-Brack recovered three Sharon fumbles and scored on each as the Tigers opened the season with a 25-6 win. Ed (Big Mo) Modzelewski scored three touchdowns.

• Defending WPIAL Class A champion Springdale romped to a 31-0 victory over defending Class B champ East Deer to christen revamped Veterans Memorial Field. Springdale had rented Tarentum’s Dreshar Stadium in 1946.

60 years ago

• Things didn’t go well for Kiski Area in its first football game. Future U.S. Congressman and state Auditor General Don Bailey returned the first of nine Cavaliers fumbles for Greensburg as the Golden Lions prevailed 47-0.

• Ken High opened the season with a 20-13 victory over Erie Tech. Bob Biletnikoff, brother of Hall of Fame receiver Fred Biletnikoff, scored an Erie Tech touchdown to tie the score but was intercepted by Pete Rowe with 20 seconds left to preserve the Ken High win.

50 years ago

• Burrell inaugurated the Keystone Conference with a 12-0 shutout at Plum. Jacy Morrow and Cal Fastuca accounted for the Bucs scores.

• Defending WPIAL champion Kiski Area opened the season with a 21-7 win at Norwin. Larry Gibson threw scoring passes to Don Cocco and Joe Stone.

40 years ago

• Leechburg quarterback Joel Ceraso scored on an 11-yard keeper, and Mark Adams added a 19-yard touchdown run as the Blue Devils blanked Riverview, 12-0.

• A.J. Pagano’s 61-yard scoring run lifted Knoch to a 21-13 victory over Mars.

25 years ago

• Burrell’s Brock White set a single-game rushing record that still stands, racing for 320 yards on 19 carries and four TDs as the Bucs sailed past Ford City, 48-29.

10 years ago

• Valley ended a 22-game losing streak with a 14-7 victory over Deer Lakes. Chaz Cheatham’s catch from Ty Matthews on fourth-and-goal at the 11 with a minute left sealed the win.

• New Springdale coach Dave Leasure, taking over for Chuck Wagner, guided the Dynamos to a 48-12 win at West Shamokin. Sean Dugan and Kyle Rogers scored three TDs each.

Five years ago

• An 11-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Fitzroy to his brother, Klay, in the game’s first four minutes sent Apollo-Ridge on its way to a 34-7 victory over Leechburg.

• Freeport’s Austin Romanchak ran for four touchdowns, passed for another and scored a 45-yard interception return as the Yellowjackets won 43-6 on the first WPIAL game of the season following a 6 p.m. kickoff.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Highlands, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, Plum, Riverview, Springdale, Valley