Twenty-five Years Ago in Greene County Sports
A quarter of a century used to seem like a significant period of time to me. I mean, realistically, it is one-third of the average lifespan. However, when I look back at sports in the county these events seem like yesterday.
On the local diamonds, the Carmichaels’ women had a successful year, going 10-7 and beating Chartiers-Houston in the opening round of the playoffs. The Waynesburg Raiders’ baseball team won their section for the third year in a row and finished 15-3. They reached the WPIAL Championship game at Three Rivers Stadium before falling to Canevin 1-0 in a pitchers’ dual for the ages. Lee Fritz lost his only game of the season after the Raiders left two men on base in the final inning. Fritz was named First-Team All-State and graduated with a .475 career batting average.
On the gridiron, the Raiders picked up in the new decade right where they left off after their 1999 WPIAL title. After an undefeated regular season, they easily defeated New Brighton (26-6), North Catholic (32-14) and Center (41-15) in the playoffs. In the championship game at Three Rivers Stadium, they faced traditional AA power Aliquippa. They lost a tough 14-6 decision after star quarterback Lee Fritz was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury in the first half.
The Carmichaels Mikes also won the Tri-County Conference title that year. The 2000 squad finished the regular season undefeated before losing to Duquesne in the first round. At one point that season, the defense went 23 consecutive quarters without giving up a point. They allowed only 20 total points in the regular season.
On the hardwood, the West Greene Lady Pioneers won the 1999-2000 section title after an 18-6 record and qualified for the playoffs. Jackie Methany finished her career that season with 1,419 points.
At Jefferson-Morgan, Calvin Wilson (1,684) and Tommy Curtis (1,008) both joined the 1,000 Point Club. The team also had success, winning section titles in both 2000 and 2001. The 2000 team received a first-round bye and defeated Serra Catholic in the quarterfinals 53-48. They lost a tough 53-49 game to Cornell in the semi-finals but qualified for the PIAA Tournament. After defeating Forbes Road 65-47 in the opening round, they fell to eventual state champion Kennedy Christian.
The Maples boys also made the playoffs that year but lost to St. Josephs 61-54 in the first round
At Waynesburg University, Ray Robinson was named First Team All-PAC on his way to becoming the school’s second highest career scorer.
On the local mats, three Raiders claimed WPIAL titles. Chad Seybold (125) won the first of his two titles and was joined on the podium by teammates Travis Rastoka (140) and Lanfer Simpson (Heavyweight).
Raider alum Josh Koscheck finished as the NCAA Runner-up that year at Edinboro University. The following year, he became the Fighting Scots second NCAA Division I Champion after going 42-0 in the 174-pound weight class. He was also the school’s first four-time Division I All-American.
On the links, Waynesburg Central had the first of their back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2000. That year, Jamie White, Scott Bedilion, and Brent Walker all qualified for states. Under coach Tom McCombs, the Carmichaels Mikes had a successful season, going 13-5. West Greene had a competitive team as well. At the Greene County Country Club, Dave Jamison won the club championship.
Waynesburg Central’s 2000 boys’ cross-country team was undefeated at 10-0. Jocelyn Lindsay was in the second year of her incredible career for the Raider women. She won her second of her four WPIAL titles and finished as the PIAA runner-up. (She won state titles in 1999 and 2002). At Jefferson-Morgan, Shana Yourchik qualified for the PIAA high jump for the first of her four successive years at the event.
The Rockets’ volleyball team won the first of back-to-back section titles that year and made it to the WPIAL semi-finals after defeating Burgettstown and Elderton. The Lady Raiders also qualified for the playoffs that year after a 10-5 season.
Today, I’m sure many of these young men and women are watching their own kids write the next chapters of our collective sports memories. However, for those of us of a certain age, these images are so fresh in our minds it strains credulity that so many years have passed since these accomplishments.