No one can be sure how manyReturn to Topical Recreation and Sports Page
One can cover the sports history of the past 75 years only too briefly in the space available. It is the story of the "town" team being replaced by teams of various age levels, improved facilities, and the high school becoming the center of interest.
First, vacant lots in every block provided play space, then there was Kidd Field off Sharon Road, the two Dravo Fields, and now the fine Gypsy Glen complex. Basketball began in the Beaver College gym, moved to the Municipal Building with its net from ceiling to floor and the protruding stage, and then to the present Junior High. There was no oval track in the early days, but on Market Street's cinders track history was made. There were tennis courts on Fair Avenue, in Bouquet Park and behind the County Jail.
The almost unbelieveable football record, a 20-year state mark for consecutive winning seasons, a 26 game winning streak, II conference titles, four appearances in WPIAL finals, climaxed by a Class A championship in 1972, has made Gypsy Glen a center of community pride and a magnet for college coaches. But changing schedules, better facilities and equipment, better competition make it impossible to equate teams or players of different eras. Beaver's success of the past 20 years has not dimmed the exploits of former equally talented athletes.
Claude Thornhill, Pitt tackle and later head coach at Stanford, was one of the few to achieve early collegiate fame, but from the 1954-74 era, twenty athletes went on to play on major university teams and in 1972 Beaver had its first All-American in John Skorupan, Penn State linebacker.
In baseball, Tom McCreery had 12 years in the big leagues, and others went to the Pirates, Whitesox and Phillies. The famous Beaver Greys of the early 1900's still compete in the County League. Then came younger teams, a state Junior Legion title, the teenage "PJ's" and their state Honus Wagner title in 1935, Connie Mack and Knee-Hi ball, and a state title in1952. High school teams made the WPIAL Playoffs three times in the 50's.
No one can be sure how many
generations of local youth have
made "the falls" in Gypsey Glen a
clandestine swimming hole.
WPIAL Mile Relay Champions
in 1926 were (LEFT TO RIGHT)
Fred Pusch, Tom Chandler,
coach Haywood Taylor, present
day Mayor Bob Linn, and
Fred Strother
Tragedy as well as victory stalked Beaver athletes of this era. Mike Casp, one of the great backs of Beaver history and captain of the 1961 Army team, was killed in Viet Nam. Navy Captain Roger Netherland, the youngest of five brothers to play at Beaver and wearing two gold stars on his Distinguished Flying Cross and three on his Air Medal, was listed as missing for six years in Viet Nam before being declared dead. Star PJ pitcher Joe Pinder won the Congressional Medal of Honor, posthumously, for his bravery on the beach on D-Day.
Beaver's basketball team made the WPIAL playoffs in 1961, and there were Beaver players on Duke, Duquesne and Pitt squads when they were bidding for national recognition. Some remember the popular and winning girl teams of the mid 20's.
Two girl gymnastic performers brought inter - national prominence as did two nationally rated track stars. Standout track teams of the 1909-1910, and 1914 preceded the first WPIAL Champion - ship squad of 1926.
In tennis there were several ranked performers, and then in the late 60's and early 70's, Beaver girls and boys, sometimes entire families, dominated the seeded lists of West Penn tournaments. The high school team made nine trips to the WPIAL playoffs, six to the finals, and won three titles.
Beaver's Bill Butler setting the Geneva record
of
:09.8 in the 100 yard dash. Butler, a graduate of
Howard University Law School, is now Chairman
of the State Parole Board.
Behind a wall of blockers,
Beaver's Jeff Hardy rolls up
yardage as Beaver wins the
1972 WPIAL Championship.
