FC’s Vernillo ran into the record books
A number of outstanding athletes played for legendary coach Jim Garry at Fort Cherry. Former NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer, current Cincinnati Bengals’ head coach Marvin Lewis, Westminster standout Brad Tokar, and former WPIAL rushing champion Mike Vernillo were just a few of the players who called Garry coach.
Vernillo, the most recent of that group, left Fort Cherry as the WPIAL’s rushing leader.
Vernillo began playing sports at age 6. By the time he finished his scholastic career, he rushed for 7,646 yards, which was the seventh best total in the state at the time and left him as the WPIAL’s all-time leading rusher. That record has since been broken.
“The youth programs at Fort Cherry helped me learn about respect, honor and teamwork,” said Vernillo. “I was 7 when I started to play football for the Little Rangers. It was serious football. We played tough teams and kids from local communities and schools such as Carlynton, Montour, Canonsburg, West Allegheny and Sto-Rox.”
Vernillo was talented enough to be playing with the older players, something he welcomed on Fort Cherry’s varsity.
“Coach Garry was old -chool. Run the football, run, run,” he said
Vernillo played defensive back in his freshman season, but was soon moved to running back when the coaches realized his ability.
During a game against top-rated Northgate, Vernillo played running back in the second half and scored the game-winning touchdown.
“The system we had on offense was nothing new to me. We ran the same plays in youth football. There was no second-guessing. I knew the plays since they were the same ones used since 7th grade,” said Vernillo.
Vernillo wore No. 32 in high school for a reason.
“I took 32 because my dad wore 32 when he played for Fort Cherry in the ’70s,” he said. “I still have his jersey.”
Vernillo rushed for more than 1,600 yards in helping Fort Cherry win the first of three Ohio Valley Conference championships while he was at school.
In 1997, Vernillo reached 4,000 yards rushing as a junior, becoming the fastest player to reach that milestone in WPIAL history.
His high school statistics were truly impressive: 7,646 rushing yards, 927 carries, 102 touchdowns. His rushing record stood until Rushel Shell of Hopewell passed it in 2011. Shell began his college career at Pitt but is now playing for West Virginia.
Vernillo was honored by numerous outlets: the Associated Press, USA Today and the Observer-Reporter. USA Today named him the top football player in an August 1999 edition. He was a three-time Player of the Year by the Observer-Reporter.
Vernillo played in the Big 33 game, which stands as one of his highlights in high school.
“It was Pennsylvania versus Ohio. I was the running back for PA and scored a touchdown in the end zone where my parents were seated,” he recalled. “We crushed Ohio and Ben Roethlisberger was their quarterback.”
West Virginia won the recruiting battle for Vernillo.
“I wanted to play for Don Nehlen,” said Vernillo. “I committed to WVU my junior year in high school. Boston College and Maryland were also interested.”
Then, Nehlen retired, which surprised Vernillo. Rich Rodriguez replaced Nehlen and brought a different style of football to WVU.
“It was huge,” Vernillo said. “I stayed and watched over 20 scholarship kids leave. As a redshirt freshman, I told my dad I didn’t want to play and at the same time, I didn’t want to sit out a year (transferring to another Division I school). So, recruiting started all over again.”
Enter Slippery Rock, a Division II school in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
“I got lucky. There was a scholarship award; an alumni grant that was given to one player. I was fortunate to be that one player,” Vernillo said.
Despite such a great career, Vernillo does have one regret.
“We couldn’t win a championship for Coach Garry,” he said.
Garry died in 2007 after retiring from coaching in 2003 following more than 40 years with the Rangers.
Vernillo was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame, Class of 2014.
Bill DiFabio writes a bi-monthly column on local sports history.