Oct 6, 2022 4 min read

ON THIS DATE

Oct. 8

1932 – Rab Currie of Monessen runs 45 yards with a lateral to the Penn State one-yard line late in the fourth quarter, setting up Waynesburg College’s game-winning touchdown as the Yellow Jackets defeat host Penn State 7-6. It’s the second win in two years for Waynesburg over Penn State.

1969 – Fort Cherry High School’s golf team becomes the first undefeated and untied sports team in school history as it finishes the regular season with a win over Avella. The Rangers’ Brad Danjou shoots 72 and sets a course record for Meadowbrook Golf Club with a 32 on the back nine.

1970 – The Trinity Area School Board promotes Gaynor Stoner to head varsity boys basketball coach. Stoner had been the Hillers’ assistant coach for one year.

1976 – Craig Conklin scores on a 48-yard run on the game’s opening possession and undefeated Waynesburg thwarts two second-half scoring threats from visiting Chartiers-Houston to blank the Bucs, 8-0.

1979 – Franco Harris scores on a 17-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Rocky Bleier rambles 70 yards for a score in the fourth quarter as the Pittsburgh Steelers take sole possession of first place in the AFC Central Division with a 51-35 victory at Cleveland.

1982 – The Hartford Whalers’ Blaine Stoughton is suspended for eight games by the NHL for cross-checking the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Paul Baxter in the face.

1999 – Fort Cherry High School’s Mike Vernillo becomes the WPIAL’s all-time rushing leader by gaining 195 yards, including touchdowns of 10 and 48 yards, in the Rangers’ 43-6 win at Cornell. Vernillo finishes the game with 6,616 career yards to pass Penn Trafford’s Matt Gavrish.

2001 – Burgettstown’s David Vallina makes a six-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to defeat Upper St. Clair’s Mark Cimarolli and win his second straight WPIAL golf championship at Cedarbrook Golf Course.

Oct. 9

1959 – Mickey Bitsko scores five touchdowns and Charleroi remains undefeated with a 30-7 victory over Beth-Center. Bitsko scores on runs of 1, 10, 7 and 50 yards and returns an interception 102 yards for his final touchdown.

1969 – Danny Murtaugh is again hired as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Murtaugh, who guided the Pittsburgh Pirates to a world series championship in 1960, retired in 1964 after seven years of managing because of ill health.

1972 – Manny Sanguillen hits his first home run in nearly two months and drives in the game-winning run in the eighth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2, in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series at Riverfront Stadium.

1981 – Fred Fallenstein kicks a 32-yard field goal in the game’s final minute to give host Charleroi a 21-20 victory over Albert Gallatin and sole possession of first place in the Century Conference.

1987 – Garrett Rawls rushes for 158 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries, Mike Palm boots a 43-yard field goal and Charleroi holds Burgettstown to only one first down in the second half as the Cougars remain undefeated with a 24-0 victory.

1991 – Andy Van Slyke hits a solo home run in the first inning and an RBI-double in the third as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Atlanta Braves 5-1 in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at Three Rivers Stadium.

1991 – Pittsburgh Penguins owner Edward DeBartolo agrees to sale the Stanley Cup champions to a group headed by former Hartford Whalers chairman Howard Baldwin and Morris Belzberg, who briefly owned the Minnesota North Stars.

1999 – Wesley Cates rushes for 253 yards and four touchdowns in California University’s 33-12 victory over Lock Haven and sets the Vulcans’ single-season rushing record with 1,251 yards.

2009 – Avella’s football team pulls off a stunning upset, scoring the final 16 points to defeat once-beaten Fort Cherry, 22-21. Aaron Mangari catches a 57-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Geresti and Jared Magon runs in the two-point conversion to give Avella the lead in the fourth quarter. After the game, Avella coach Frank Gray tells the Observer-Reporter, “I’m as happy right now as I’ve been in my whole life. … This is one for the ages.”