GLASSPORT HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS

RESEARCHED BY GEORGE J. GORUN (1992)*

THE STORY OF ATHLETICS AT GLASSPORT HIGH SCHOOL

GHS sports were spawned at the little red-brick school at Fairview and Harrison in the Otto section, continued at the Ninth Street grounds, and later between the school and the portable building which housed the commercial department where Dave Parker set up a couple of hoops. The old Jackson Barn at Seventh and Hemlock was another site as was the McKeesport Y.M.C.A., graduating to the new Junior-Senior High School Gymnasium, and finally including the new Memorial Stadium at the old Ninth Street grounds.

Much of the early credit can be attributed to pioneer Principals Boggs, Dodds, and Jenkins of the old high school. Barney Morrow and "Sox" Reed were the first football coaches hired by the school board. Dave L. Parker gave football a new prominence in 1923 and 1924. From there through the early 1950's administrators Will H. Floto and Melvin J. Naser fostered school sports programs.

The glory years of football can be credited to Dr. Roy M. Hickes who produced five WPIAL championships. Hickes also pushed the Gladiators to a final Class "B" playoff in basketball. Basketball reached its zenith under Robert E. Whirl who developed numerous champions and a Class "B" final.

Many other head coaches added to the advancement of Glassport High School sports: Will H. Floto, Henry Goehring, Joseph A. Srp, Bruno Lorenzi, Vincent McKeeta, Myron T. Ghetian, William F. Hornfeck, George J. Gorun, George Hays, Michael Kurka, Joseph Como, and Thomas Lokash.

Early track meets at the Schenley Oval in Pittsburgh featured Mike Shyosky in 1930 and Leonard Dulac in 1932 in the Allegheny County Track meets.

On the following pages is a history of varsity sports at Glassport High School beginning with 1917 and ending in 1966, when the school district merged with Port Vue, Liberty and Lincoln Boroughs to form the South Allegheny School District .

• Volleyball
• Girls Basketball
• Boys Basketball
• Baseball
• Football

VOLLEYBALL

THERE IS NO WRITTEN RECORD OF VOLLEYBALL IN THE GLAHISEAN THROUGH 1931

SUMMARY VOLLEYBALL

PLAYOFF RECORDS

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Early girls basketball at Glassport High School was coached by Mr. Gergley. Marie (Stabler) Stewart , who later was to coach the girls teams in the Golden Era, was one of Coach Gergley's stalwart players. Dr. Roy M. Hickes coached the girls in the 1929-1930 and 1931-1932 seasons. Marie Knauff succeeded Hickes and coached for the next two seasons, 1932-1933 and 1933-1934. Marie L (Stabler) Stewart coached from 1934-1935 through 1938-1939 when the sport was abandoned.

• Existed from 1925-1939
• WPIAL Section Champions: 1935-'36, 1936-'37, 1937-'38
• WPIAL Champions: 1936-'37, 1937-'38
• Jr. A.A.U. Champions: 1936-'37
• A.M.A Champions: 1937-'38

Lost WPIAL Final: 1935-'36 (GHS-35 Elizabeth-38)

BOYS BASKETBALL

Roy M. Hickes recollects that "Basketball at Glassport High School began when Dave L. Parker put up a couple of hoops at the high school between the old high school and the portable. (This portable was later dismantled and erected on borough property between Fourth and Fifth Streets as the home of the old Glassport American Legion). We cleared the snow and went at it. Three games were played; one at Stowe Township High School. The uniforms were those that a bunch of us had with the name "Federals" on them. We played at the McKeesport YMCA. Some of the players were { Myles Kelly, Willard Smith, Al Hacker, Walter McGovern, and me. Gergely was the first real coach from 1925-1926 through 1926- 1927."

The old Jackson barn at Seventh and Monongahela Avenue was used for some class games.

Although the YMCA in McKeesport was used for the first school sponsored games, there is no written record through 1928-1929. Joseph A. Srp coached from 1927-1928 and when the Junior-Senior High School opened in 1929 until 1931 - 1932.

Since no Glahisean was printed from 1924 through 1932 games were not recorded. The Glahesian began anew in 1933 and continued until 1966, providing a record of sports activities. Some of the early squads may be available from other community sources. Most of the basketball players from 1924 through the 1931 -1932 season are listed.

BOYS BASKETBALL SUMMARY

WPIAL Section "B." Champs: 8 times
• 1935- 1936
• 1939- 1940
• 1940- 1941
• 1942- 1943
• 1943- 1944
• 1944- 1945
• 1947- 1948
• 1949- 1950
WPIAL Section "A" Champs
• 1952-1953
• 1953-1954
WPIAL Section "B." Ties
• 1934-1935
• 1950-1951
• 1951-1952
WPIAL FINAL "B."
• 1935-1936 GHS: 27 FindleyTwp.: 29
• 1942-1943 GHS: 26 New Wilmington: 28

BASEBALL

Joe Srp coached the early teams in the late 1920's and the early 1930's. There are no written records before 1930, except the first victory ever over a fine McKeesport baseball team. In that game Glassport defeated McKeesport's "Lefty" Kalbaugh who later went on to pitch for the Washington Senators of the American League. Glassport's Bob Shaw got the first hit of the game. The following information identifies some of the players or coaches for the years from 1922 to 1945.

1922 William Dugan, Alva Nowells, George Hawk

1923 William Dugan, H. Smith, Bob Shaw

1932 RichTronek, M. Morrissey, H. Smith, Glenn Reed, H. Greinert, Henry Herskovitz

1925 Frank Duncan, Roy M. Hickes

1926 Myron Antico

1927 Wliliam Brown

1928 Emerson Marks, Harry Kwiatowski

1929 Merrill Granger (In later years he became Sports Editor of The McKeesDort Daily News. )

1930-31 Coach: Joseph A. Srp

1934 Coach: Joseph A. Srp

1935 Coach: Bruno Lorenzi

1936 Coach: Charles Bloom

1937-1945 No Record

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1964-65 No record in Glahisean

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Summary
SECTION CHAMPIONS 10 TIMES
1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1963

FOOTBALL

EARLY FOOTBALL AT GLASSPORT HIGH SCHOOL IN THE FIRST WARD OF OTTO AT HARRISON AND FAIRVIEW AVENUES.

The first coaches were Principals Boggs, J.C. Jenkins and Dobbs. About 1918-1919 the Glassport School Board hired their first Head Football Coach, Barney Morrow, and Assistant, "Sox" Reed.

Their 1919 team defeated Elizabeth 10-7 at the old Ninth Street grounds for the district championship. Bill Babyak scored Glassport's only touchdown and Sammy Weiss drop-kicked the extra point and a field goal.

The infamous 144-0 loss to West Newton occurred in the early 1920's.

Principal Will H. Floto succeeded Barney Morrow and coached until 1923 when Dave L. Parker took over and culminated with the undefeated 1924 club. This squad lost to Pitcairn 3-0 for the county "B" championship at Duquesne.

After Parker left to coach Duquesne High School, Henry Goehring came in from West Newton and coached until 1927. Joseph A. Srp began coaching in 1928 and continued until the new high school was opened in 1929. Srp and Roy M. Hickes were co-coaches in 1930 and 1931. Hickes assumed the head coaching post in 1932 and was to win five (5) WPIAL Class "B" titles.

The new Gladiators, a name coined by Merrill Granger, Sports Editor of the McKeesDort Dailv News and a former Glassport High School student, were to win two more titles in Class "A" under coach Myron Ghetian in 1943 and Mike Perkosky in 1944.

All together the Gladiators won seven (7) titles, lost two (2)playoff games and lacked points under the Gardner system to compete in playoff games later.

Some of the following players are listed in the year they played or were graduated. Beginning with 1932 the full squads and records are listed from Melvin J. Naser's records or from the Glahisean. .

Joe Spanbauer-Offensive End, Defensive Center
Vincent McKeeta-Halfback
Robert Davis-3rd Team Guard

*This documented was extracted from a book entitled "The History of Sports in the Glassport School District 1898 - 1966", which was researched and edited by George J. Gorun(GHS 1933) in 1992. Some of the material comes from a document entitled "Memoirs of Glassport School District 1913 - 1961" by Melvin J. Naser, Supervising Principal (1938-1961). The work of Dr. Velma Backstrom Saire(GHS 1951) for producing the fnal draft and layout of the manuscript is gratefully acknowledged, as well as the work of Teresa Honacki Tkac(GHS 1950) and Andrew Hrehocik (GHS 1946) for typing the original manuscript. The contributions of Charles C. Shaw (GHS 1928), reporter for the McKeesport Daily News and radio announcer for Station WCAU, Philadelphia, PA are also recognized. Advisor to the work was Dr. Roy M. Hickes (GHS 1925), Teacher and High School Principal (1929-1951).

Page last updated February 2, 2008