The Glory Days poll series has ended. Readers can now review polls from Cathedral Prep, Central Tech-Academy-Tech Memorial, Corry, East, Fairview, Fort LeBoeuf, General McLane, Girard, Harbor Creek, Iroquois, McDowell, Mercyhurst Prep, North East, Northwestern, Seneca and Strong Vincent.
Results will be featured in the Erie Times-News Kickoff preseason guide to be published in mid-August.
Click below to see the results.
Seneca has struggled to put together a string of winning seasons throughout the years, but the Bobcats have had several brief stretches of success. Seneca, which never did win an Erie County League title, is still searching for its first region title.
Seneca
1967: The Bobcats broke a string of seven consecutive losing seasons with a 5-2-1 record. Seneca began another string of six straight losing seasons after 1967.
1974-75: Seneca ended a six-year run of losing records in impressive fashion. The Bobcats went 7-1-1 in 1974 and followed with another 6-1-1 mark in 1975.
2001: Under Randy Gunther, the Bobcats stopped a streak of 25 consecutive losing seasons with a 6-3 mark. Seneca closed the season in style, upsetting first-place Harbor Creek 14-2. Paul Nies, Scott Brumagin and Shawn Lynch starred for the Bobcats.
2005-06: Gunther led the Bobcats to a milestone season in 2005 as they went 6-4 and reached the playoffs for the first time in school history. Seneca then made it two seasons in a row in 2006 as they finished 7-4 and advanced to the postseason again. The season included a regular-season upset of D-10 runner-up Fairview. Jim Stalford, Shawn Giewont, Shane Cyphert and Mike Gdanetz were key contributors.
Northwestern has had some sensational runs during its football program’s history, so this should be an intriguing Glory Days vote:
Northwestern-Albion
1945 Albion: Northwestern’s predecessor went 6-0-0 to claim the Erie County League B Division championship. It was the school’s only title in 18 seasons.
1976: The Wildcats went 7-0-1 in the Erie County League to claim the title. Alan McClymonds and Randy Cavazza were instrumental in the championship season.
1985: Under coach Don Costa, Northwestern opened the season with a 13-12 loss to Corry and then won its final 10 games, including a 40-7 romp over Reynolds in the D-10 title game. Mike Miczo ran for more than 1,600 yards and Eric Mikovich was a standout quarterback.
1991-94: This four year-period includes two years under John Gage and two under Dave Merritt. The Wildcats went 35-10 during this stretch and made the playoffs three times. In 1993, Northwestern went 12-1, winning ECL and D-10 titles before losing in the PIAA Western final. D.J. Hough, the new coach of Northwestern, was an offensive star with more than 1,500 yards. Linebacker Tim Gage, a member of the Erie County All-Time Team, also was a key player during the era.
1996-97: In Dave Merritt’s final two seasons as coach, the Wildcats went unbeaten during the regular season and claimed ECL championships. Their only losses came in the D-10 playoffs. Merritt’s final record was 45-9 in five seasons.
North East is next in the Glory Days series. We’ve picked five eras for the Grapepickers, including two recent stretches.
North East
1946-57: The Grapepickers were steady contenders in the County throughout this period, including 5-1-1 seasons in 1946-47 and 1957. The 1950 team shared the County Major League title. Later, the 1953 team won the title and the 1954 squad shared it. Tony Sanfilippo and Jim Concilla starred on the latter two teams.
1967-68: The Grapepickers reigned in the late 1960s, winning the Erie County League title with an 8-0 mark in 1967 and then adding a co-title in 1968. North East went 15-1 during the two seasons. Bob Heiden was a standout for the Grapepickers.
1979: Rip Simmons returned as coach and led North East to an ECL co-championship by beating fellow champion Fairview 20-7 in the final game of the season. Kevin Baird, Glenn Kirsch and John Manison were among the standouts for the Grapepickers. North East won eight in a row after an opening, one-point loss to Northwestern.
2001, 2003-05: Excluding a 1-9 season in 2002, the Grapepickers were turned in a 28-13 record and advanced to the playoffs four times under Matt Shesman. The ’Pickers were D-10 runners-up in 2001. The 2004 team went unbeaten in the regular season on the way to the Region 4 title. Rickie Thompson, Zac Kuchta and Mike Artise were among the stars from the era.
2007-10: The most recent four teams have been outstanding for Matt Shesman, compiling a 33-12 record, winning the Region 4 title in 2008 and claiming second-place finishes the past two seasons. North East is 20-2 in the region during the past three years. Curtis Bailey, Jimmy Bailey, Jordan Elchynski and Spencer Cornelius were among the key contributors.
This poll will close July 12 at 11:59 p.m.
Up next: Northwestern
For more information on the Glory Days, click below.
Strong Vincent made its mark in Erie County history by winning the area’s first PIAA championship in 1991. The Colonels won several City titles back in the 1930s and ’40s but didn’t see its program really take off as a yearly power until the 1990s. Vincent is currently the only Class AAAA team in District 10.
Strong Vincent
1934-47: Under coach Sam Kramer, Vincent won two outright City titles and tied for four more. The 1934 team had Vincent’s top record during this era with an 8-2 mark.
1956: Coach John Krkoska led the Colonels to their first City title in 17 seasons with a 7-2 record. Bob Groenendaal starred at quarterback for Vincent, while leading the City in scoring.
1989-94: Vincent became a power with Joe Bufalino as coach, winning the school’s only PIAA title in 1991. That team, led by Tim Romanski and Quentin Orlando, went 15-1. Vincent advanced to the D-10 finals three other times during this period. The Colonels went 52-18 during the six seasons.
2003-09: Tom Cacchione reestablished the Colonels as a District 10 powerhouse, leading Vincent to four D-10 titles during these seven seasons. Mario Henry, Donte Harden and Deonte Flemings were a few of the big names that helped the Colonels go 70-17 and make six trips to the D-10 finals.
This poll will close July 11 at 11:59 p.m.
For more information on the Glory Days, click below.
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This Glory Days segment is going to be short because Mercyhurst Prep’s program has existed for just 20 years. After some early struggles, the Lakers had their first winning season in 1998. Mercyhurst has since established itself as a D-10 Class A power.
Mercyhurst Prep
2000-01: Jeff Nichols led two teams that featured big-play stars such as Jovon Johnson, Levonne Rowan and Dywon Rowan. After going 6-4 in 2000, the Lakers won their first nine games of 2001 and entered the state rankings. However, the team’s quest for a District 10 title ended against Sharon.
2006-07: Matt Morgan needed two years to transform a program that had lost 20 in a row into a District 10 title contender. In 2006, the Lakers went 11-1 and won the Region 2 title before losing in the D-10 semifinals. In 2007, an unsung Mercyhurst Prep team finally broke through, winning its first D-10 title and posting a 13-1 record. That run included dramatic last-second victories in the semifinals and title game. Jayson Nickson, Buddy O’Leary, Billy D’Andrea and Joe Jelinek were a few of the standouts.
2009-10: After a mediocre 2008, the Lakers went 8-0 in back-to-back seasons in Region 2 on the way to a 22-2 overall record. Running back Aaron Horton set the District 10 record with 2,444 yards in 2010, and Chris Kurzik scored 21 touchdowns for the high-scoring Lakers.
This poll will close July 10 at 11:59 p.m.
For more information on the Glory Days, click below.
McDowell has been a steady winner throughout the years starting with Millcreek in the early 1930s. This should be an interesting vote because each of the eras was impressive.
McDowell
1933-45 Millcreek: Gus Anderson compiled a 121-38-15 record at Millcreek from 1931-50, and the prime years of that era were 1933-45. In that span of 13 seasons, the team had four unbeaten seasons (1933, ’35, ’40, ’45) and five one-loss seasons (1936, ’39, ’41, ’43, ’44). In 1935-36, Millcreek had 17 shutouts in 19 games. That’s dominance.
1963-71: The Joe Moore era produced a string of powerhouse teams. The Trojans went 41-4 from 1967-71, including an unbeaten season in 1968 and a 20-game winning streak. Jeff Davis, Mike Bartoszek, Dave Ciacchinni, Chuck Britton and Gary Renaud were a few of the standouts.
1984: Joe Sanford started his coaching run at McDowell with an unforgettable season. After a 6-2 loss to New Philadelphia, Ohio, in their season opener, the Trojans won nine straight and claimed the Metro League title. McDowell capped the season with a 14-0 win over Cathedral Prep, thanks to 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Greg Lewis.
1995-97: Coach Ron Rudler led the Trojans to three consecutive District 10 titles and three straight appearances in the PIAA Western final. McDowell was 12-2 in 1995, 13-1 in 1996 and 11-2 in 1997. That’s a combined record of 36-5. Brian Caldwell, Laban Marsh, Brad Orlando, Ryan Erven, Aaron Slocum and Geoff Heyl were a few of the premier contributors.
This poll will close July 9 at 11:59 p.m.
Up next: Mercyhurst Prep
For more information on the Glory Days, click below.
Iroquois is up next in the Glory Days poll. Lawrence Park and Wesleyville each had strong football traditions, but when they merged in 1965, they formed a powerful program at Iroquois. We’re going to treat the Iroquois program like the Central Tech poll and include eras from all three schools. Vote in the poll at upper right.
Iroquois-Lawrence Park-Wesleyville
1926-30 Wesleyville: During a five-year span, Wesleyville went 28-9-2, including a 7-0 season in 1927.
1935-38 Lawrence Park: A brilliant four-year run of 29-3-3 was capped by unbeaten seasons in 1937 (8-0-1) and 1938 (9-0).
1946-49 Wesleyville: The program put together another nice run, going 25-7 in four seasons. That included records of 8-1 (1946), 7-2 (1947) and 6-0 (1949).
1956-61 Lawrence Park: The team went 44-9-1 during this run, as Ed Poly began building his Erie County power at Lawrence Park and later Iroquois. The Humphreys brothers — Jack (1956-58) and Terry (1960-62) — were star players for Lawrence Park, along with quarterback Sandy Dalglish (1957-59). All three were named to the Erie County All-Time Team in 2004.
1965-66 Iroquois: The Braves were unbeaten in the Erie County League in each of their first two seasons of existence, compiling a 17-1 overallrecord. Chuck Dengel, Skip Kellogg and Tony Major starred for Iroquois’ prolific offense.
1989-92 Iroquois: In his first four seasons as Iroquois’ coach, Phil Glass led the Braves to four playoff berths, three consecutive District 10 finals appearances and back-to-back titles in 1990 and 1991. The 1991 team rolled through 12 games in District 10 play before suffering its only loss in the PIAA playoffs. Troy Stenger, a running back and defensive back, was an all-state selection.
This poll closes July 8 at 11:59 p.m.
Up next: McDowell
For more information on the Glory Days, click below.
Corry is the next school up in our Glory Days poll. One coach, Lou Hanna, had several strong periods, but it was difficult to break them into individual eras, so we fit them all into one 16-year span. Vote in the poll at upper right.
Corry
1924-26: The early days of Corry football started strongly, as the team posted an 18-7-1 record over three seasons.
1948-63: In this 16-year period, Hall of Fame coach Lou Hanna leads the Beavers to 102 victories, winning seven times or more in eight seasons, including undefeated seasons in 1953 and 1956.
1980-82: Under Joe Sanford, Corry won Erie County League championships in 1980 (8-1) and 1982 (9-1). Chip Nuzzo starred for the Beavers during the first two seasons. Bryan Griswold was a line standout for both championship teams.
1990-96: John Wilson led the Beavers to seven consecutive winning seasons, including an ECL title and a trip to the D-10 finals in 1992 with a 9-3 record. Lucas Marsh starred for Corry at receiver. The Beavers also went 9-2 and reached the D-10 title game in 1996.
This poll will close July 7 at 11:59 p.m.
Up next: Iroquois, Lawrence Park, Wesleyville
For more information on the Glory Days, click below.
Voting ended Thursday for the Central Tech-Academy-Tech Memorial football Glory Days poll. The 1993-94 Central teams that won back-to-back District 10 titles and advanced to the PIAA Western finals were comfortable winners in the poll.
Here are the results:
Which were the Glory Days for the Central Tech-Academy-Tech Memorial football programs?
Total Voters: 178
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It’s Harbor Creek’s turn in the Glory Days summer football series. The Huskies have plenty of years to choose from, so this vote should be interesting. Cast your vote in the poll at right.
Harbor Creek
1943-48: After an unimpressive beginning to the program in the 1930s, Harbor Creek teams went 30-10-2 during this six-year run. Included among the teams were two unbeaten squads — 5-0-1 in 1943 and 7-0 in 1948 under first-year coach John Fails. Arnold “Rip” Simmons starred in 1948 with 15 touchdowns and 91 points.
1953-56: John Fails led the Huskies through a strong stretch in the mid-1950s during which Harbor Creek went 21-10 in four seasons while facing strong area competition. The 1953 team posted four shutouts, and the 1954 squad went 6-2 and recorded a 13-12 victory over Strong Vincent, a milestone win for the program against City competition.
1972: Coached by Tony Sanfilippo, the Huskies won their first ECL title in 21 seasons by finishing 7-1. Doug Henry was a standout in the backfield and Ollie Whaley was a star on the line.
1977-78: Wayne Boyd was a scoring machine and Dave Uglow was a terror on the line as the Huskies finished second to Fairview in the ECL in back-to-back seasons. Harbor Creek went 7-2 in 1977 and 6-2-1 in 1978.
1990-91: Record-setting quarterback Chad Vogt led the first of Dan Budziszewski’s Erie County League champions, helping the Huskies to a 10-1 mark in 1990. Again led by Vogt, Harbor Creek reached the D-10 playoffs and finished 8-3 in 1991.
2000-04: The Huskies compiled a 39-11 record during this stretch and claimed shares of the ECL title three times from 2000-02. Kyle Smith excelled at defensive end, and running backs Josh Vogel and Dave Murzynski left a trail of 1,000-yard seasons in their wake. Led by Murzynski and all-around standout Stephen Blose, the Huskies reached the D-10 final in 2004.
2006-07: Eric Divell and Josh McAnulty were offensive stars as the Huskies, still under Dan Budziszewski, won back-to-back Region 4 titles and advanced to the D-10 finals. Harbor Creek went 8-3 in 2006 and 12-1 in 2007.
This poll closes July 6 at 11:59 p.m.
For more information on the Glory Days, click below.
Up next: Corry (Polls are out of order because of delays in finding information on some programs.)
Readers picked the late 1990s and early 2000s as Cathedral Prep’s golden era of football. The Ramblers made two trips to the PIAA title game and claimed one state championship during that time. They also boasted such notable stars as Bob Sanders, Charles Rush, Ed Hinkel, Jawan Walker and Joe Dipre, all of whom made the City of Erie All-Time Team in 2004.
Prep’s Glory Days will be featured in the upcoming 2011 Kickoff preview magazine. Here are the poll results:
Which were the Glory Days for the Cathedral Prep football program?
Total Voters: 294
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