Donora Historical Society to host free football game film event

For some football players, watching game film isn’t the most exciting part of the practice week.
Silent videos while the coach barks out each mistake can feel like a final exam.
Time can change the sentiment around game films, though, especially in Donora, where high school football hasn’t been played for nearly 50 years, since Donora’s merger with Monongahela to create Ringgold in 1969. By some, these films are cherished, serving as the only remnants of storied Donora High School football.
To commemorate those football teams, especially those from the 1960s, the Donora Historical Society is hosting a free game film event, called “Return to Glory,” at the Cro Club in Donora Saturday at 3 p.m.
“Donora is a rustbelt town whose glory days have far since past, and it’s in the process of reinventing itself, and we’re trying to help in that,” said Mark Pawelec, the event’s organizer and volunteer at the Historical Society.
The Donora Historical Society has about 100 game films in its possession. While most are from Donora games, Pawelec, who grew up in Donora and still lives there, said they have films from other high schools, too. Most of the films are from the 1960s and are about 16-20 minutes long.
Since the films are silent, Pawelec said the main objective of the event is for attendees to share their stories while watching the games.
“I’m just hoping that those guys get the ball rolling and start telling their stories, and some of them are crazy,” Pawelec said. “That’s the fun part.”
Pawelec said the Historical Society isn’t exactly sure how the majority of the game films were in their collection. Their best guess is from the last head coach at Donora High School, Rudy Andabaker, who also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1950s. Along with those films, other people in the community have found films in their houses and given them to the Historical Society.
Along with Andabaker, Rich Mongulluzzo, a former Donora assistant coach in the 1960s, found six to eight games in his basement from the illustrious 1967 and 1968 football seasons.
After winning back-to-back WPIAL titles in the 1940s and succeeding throughout the 1950s, the Dragons had a few tough years in the 1960s. Because of declining enrollment, Donora dropped down a classification in 1967 and went undefeated the next two seasons.
“(We’ll) discuss and take a look back and review old memories,” Mongulluzzo said. “(It will also) promote the Donora Museum Society and what they’re doing. I think Mark and them do a terrific job as far as putting things together.”
The original films are on eight-millimeter film, which required transferring to CDs. The Historical Society sent the films to Deb Cheplic of New Eagle to convert them into CDs.
“She’s been a huge bonus for us, because she’s been able to take the time to do these for us and charge us a reasonable price,” Pawelec said.
Game CDs are made-to-order and cost about $25. Pawelec said several players from the 1960s Donora teams have already bought game CDs, including former major leaguer Ken Griffey Sr. Griffey, who graduated from Donora in 1969, was a four-sport athlete in high school and one of the best players on the football team.
Griffey’s success is only one of the many stories people still tell in Donora, Pawelec said. He expects people to tell stories of “legendary” Donora head coach Jimmy Russell, Larry Crawford and many others.
“It was cool that we got these games converted and these guys got to relive their glory days from high school, but the byproduct from all these was when you got together with all these guys, they had these great stories to tell,” Pawelec said.
The 3 p.m. event at the Cro Club, at 329 Castner Ave., is free to the public, and the Historical Society will be accepting donations. The Smog Museum will also be welcoming guests from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday to tour its Donora football exhibit.
For more information, visit www.DonoraHistoricalSociety.org or call 724-823-0364.