In the first half of the 20th century, nine different high schools fielded athletic teams in Greene County. Unfortunately, each of these schools had a proud sports history that has been subsumed by consolidations. I thought I might revisit some of their histories and accomplishments. Last month, we covered Mt. Morris and Nineveh High Schools.
Rogersville / Center Township Panthers
In 1910, Center Township was one of five local high schools invited to Waynesburg College’s annual Track and Field Day. In 1914, they organized a basketball team that started playing games in a broom-maker’s garage. They played Company K, Waynesburg and Nineveh. Reid Bristor was the star of the team, and he led a band of “ball hawks” in Whyte, West, Stahl, and Bland. In the 1915-16 season, they finished the regular season undefeated, including a win over a powerful Waynesburg team. However, they settled for the bronze at the county tournament when Waynesburg got revenge in the semi-finals. However, the lack of a gym caused interest in the sport to wane.
Throughout the ’30s, the Panthers fielded competitive football teams that hovered slightly above the .500 mark for the most part. During the 1938 season, every boy in the school either played on the team or served as a manager. The following year, Center defeated Waynesburg for the first time by a 7-6 score.
The only spring sport in 1947 was boys’ softball. The following year they switched to baseball. In ’49, they “acquired new baseball suits” and played their first season in the WPIAL. However, an automobile accident mid-season badly injured five players as they drove to a game. The rest of the season was canceled.
The Panthers played an exhibition basketball game against Mt. Morris at the 1947 County Coaches’ Undergraduate Tournament. The following year, they had their first full season. There were few wins in those days. It was no wonder given the circumstances. Each year, 15 or so boys would hitchhike the seven miles to Waynesburg three days a week to practice in Waynesburg High School’s gym.
The first four years of the 1950s, the Panthers improved on the gridiron and became competitive. Fifty boys came out for the team during the 1950 season. In 1952, they tied arch rival Richhill (6-6) under the lights at Waynesburg’s College field in front of a large crowd.
Aleppo Pioneers
Aleppo was so small that it was hard to field both a track and baseball team. However, sporadic attempts were made to gather nine boys for the diamond. The school dropped football in 1933 because there weren’t enough boys to field a team. In 1937, they started a six-man team. Soon the other small schools along the Mason-Dixon Line would form a six-man conference, the Greene- Wetzel League. In addition to the Pioneers, the teams included Hundred, Pine Grove, Wallace and Smithfield from West Virginia. The small schools that would become West Greene would join depending on how many boys came out for the team each year. In 1945, Aleppo played three 11-man games and won two of them including victories over Richhill and Cameron. The games were heavily attended, and Aleppo dominated the league during its existence.
Richhill Township/ Wind Ridge Ridge Runners
The Ridge Runners won the 1932 county football championship. The team featured surnames such as those associated with the area to this day: Bristor, Burns, Headley, Hughes and Loughman. In 1937, the school graduated future Waynesburg College and Pittsburgh Steeler star Jack Wiley. He played tackle for the Steelers from 1946-1950 and was one of the first football players to have his likeness on a trading card. Wiley returned to Waynesburg to coach the Jackets from 1951-1954, compiling a 22-9-1 record. Waynesburg University’s football stadium was named in his honor in 1998.
The Ridgers played boys’ softball until 1947. In 1948, they began a 10-game home and away baseball schedule with Carmichaels, Waynesburg, Mapletown, Center Township and West Beth. Bill Hughes of Rutan donated a field. Jim and Frank Burns were an effective battery that gave the squad a solid season.
The school continued to play Class B football in the 1940s and became very competitive. In 1951, they went undefeated but did not make the playoffs due to a lack of Gardner points. They had tied Midway (Ft. Cherry) and Center Township. Instead of the WPIAL playoffs, they played Midway for the Class C Championship under the lights at Waynesburg’s College Field. However, Midway won the rematch 13-0. That same school year, they finished third at the 1952 county track meet. Frank Burns won the 220, and Buck Gray won the javelin. Richhill also had a baseball team until the school switched exclusively to track in 1953.
Corrections: Thanks to the readers who informed me Dick Paugh was not identified in our photo as one of the members of the 1957 Mt. Morris track team in last month’s column. Also, Jimmy Johnston of Nineveh High School was misidentified as Jimmy Johnson.