George Guido’s Through the Years: Big crowd watched Knoch beat Freeport

By: George Guido
Thursday, November 7, 2019 | 6:39 PM

Each Friday throughout the high school football season, the Valley News Dispatch will take a look back at the games, players and events that are part of local scholastic history.

It was an Alle-Kiski Valley playoff matchup 40 years ago before 7,000 fans at Highlands Stadium as AIC North champion Knoch defeated AIC East champ Freeport, 10-0. A 45-yard pass from Don Griffin to Gary Bastin was the game’s only touchdown.

100 years ago

• Parnassus defeated Saltsburg, 6-0, in a game played at the Kiski School. Right halfback Hankey scored the game’s only touchdown and ran for 206 yards.

75 years ago

• Joe Kocon scored all three touchdowns for Har-Brack as the Tigers whipped Tarentum, 18-7, at Dreshar Stadium. Kocon’s final TD was on a 60-yard run.

60 years ago

• Ford City handed Kittanning its first conference loss, 7-6. Jim Tomaswick scored the Glassers’ TD and Bob Buriak kicked the deciding the extra point. Harry Beckwith scored for the Wildcats.

• Larry Facchine scored three TDs as Vandergrift knocked off Tarentum, 32-13. Gary Huffman added two touchdowns for the Blue Lancers.

50 years ago

• Highlands fullback Bill Chada scored three touchdowns as the Golden Rams crushed Johnstown, 38-6, at Point Stadium.

• Fox Chapel secured the first winning season in the school’s nine-year history with a 26-6 victory over Churchill. Mike Joseph and Rich Kriston had two TDs each for the 5-4 Foxes.

40 years ago

• Highlands flanker Chuckie Debor, despite bleeding from a nose injury, caught a 47-yard scoring pass with 9 seconds left. Mike Hudak then booted the PAT for a 7-6 win at North Allegheny.

25 years ago

• Burrell’s defense held Canevin to 55 yards in a 27-0 home playoff victory. Johnny Horwatt scored two touchdowns as the Bucs held the WPIAL’s leading rusher, Rich Baumgart, to 34 yards.

• Hampton, making just its second WPIAL playoff appearance, was limited to 60 yards rushing in a 26-7 loss at McGuffey. Bryan Cullen’s 88-yard kickoff return was the lone Talbots score.

10 years ago

• Springdale upset Monessen, 21-14, in an opening round Class A playoff game. Bill Arch scored on a 6-yard run with 30 seconds left to win it.

• West Allegheny proved to be too much for Knoch as the Indians prevailed, 31-17. Jacob McTighe caught two TD passes for the Knights.

Five years ago

• Despite 125 receiving yards on the night from Jeremy Jackson of Highlands, Seton LaSalle stopped a Golden Rams possession with two minutes left to preserve a 28-21 victory.

• Washington scored twice in the final 54 seconds of the first half against Apollo-Ridge to break open a close WPIAL quarterfinal game, leading to a 58-30 victory.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Fox Chapel, Highlands, Springdale