South High School - Sohian Yearbook (West Mifflin, PA)

Page 125 text:

rst Perfect Season. . 5 ta 3 i ixx I -fm SU. S il f Fred Weston, Joe Urbanek Row three: Merl Steimer, Joe Parsyck, Jim Panaia, Tom Cratty, Jay Kacho Top row: Tom Hollenbeck, Al Joos, Glenn Steimer, Paul Bonosky, Jack Edmundson, Bill Best, John Zaluski, Chuck Correll, Dan Logue, Larry Wilson, Mike Stetor, Craig Slaubaugh, John Santa, Kirk Brown touchdowns. Perry was also the leader in punt re- turns with 22O yds. on T4 returns, and pass intercep- tion returns with 3 interceptions returned for 54 yds. With l 5 touchdowns for a total of 90 points, he was also the leading scorer for the Spartans. Tiberio and Scott Mullen were elected by the team to the position of Mr. Football 1966. Senior fullback, Scott Mullen played outstanding football, offensively and defensively for the Spar- tans all year and was instrumental in their fine sea- son. Scott was the Spartan's leading rusher with lO2 carries for 563 yds. for an average of 5.5 yds. per carry. Mullen scored on 4 touchdowns, 5 P.A.T.'s and shared a safety with senior defensive end Tom Cratty for a total of 30 points. Jim Cominotti, senior offensive end, was the sec- ond leading pass receiver with 29 receptions for 423 yds, and third leading scorer with 32 points. Def- ensively a standout. Jim recovered 3 fumbles and in- tercepted a pass. Senior guard, John Murtha, led all tacklers with 58 tackles and 25 assists. He was followed closely by senior Mike Barca, tackle, with 47 tackles and 22 assists and Bob Creely, guard, with 45 tackles and 25 assists. Besides being outstanding on defense, any running play led by these three and senior center, Ed Thompson, and junior tackle, Terry O'Donnell, was bound to gain yardage. Even with the over-whelming loss of all these tal- ented seniors, followers of South's grid fortunes have something to look forward to. Besides tackle Terry O'Donnell, John Zaluski, a fine sophomore halfback, Don Lynch, an outstanding player on both offense and defense, Joe Parsyck, a hitting defensive end, and we hope, Bill Himmelwright, a tough end who broke his leg midway through the season, will be back to lead South to many more successful sea- sons. ln retrospect, this season will have to be rememL bered as one of the most successful in our school's history. Being undefeated and untied is something many schools, larger and older than ours, cannot boast.

Page 124 text:

South's Gridders Recore K S Ig C ...- 3 . .. 4 4 3 3 0 r 95.2 F :S tswllei ' Bottom row: Bill Himmelwright, Pat Hamilton, Terry O'Donnell, Bob Creely, Terry Widel, Ed Thompson, John Murtha, Mike Barco, Jim Cominotti Perry Tiberio, Scott Mullen Row two: Chuck Troy, Dutch Kaufman, Don Lynch, Paul Kelly, Bob Mitchell, Bruce Yount, Al Hornfeck, Francis Stupar Needless to say, the 1966-1967 Spartan football season was the most successful in the short six year history of South High. ln only his second year at South, Head Coach Ned Mervios and a capable staff of assistant coaches handed West Mifflin, as well as South High, its first undefeated and untied team. Led by a sparkling offense which scored a total of 272 points and followed by a stingy defense which allowed only 29 points all year, never gave up more than a single touchdown in any game, and shut-out a total of five opposing teams, this year's Spartan football team dazzled nine consecutive adversaries on the way to a perfect season. This year's first victory came over Class A Munhall and was followed by eight straight victories, six over Class B opponents, and two other triumphs over class A teams. The most exciting game this seosonwos the T5-8 victory over Scott. This contest was a see-saw battle at North Braddock in a sea of mud. Scott drew first blood but the Spartans came back and took the lead, 7-6. After a brace of safeties, one for each I20 team, South again had the lead, and never again trailed. Scott Mullen scored an insurance touchdown to give South the final point spread. Late in the game, Perry Tiberio intercepted a pass deep in Spar- tan territory to stave off a North Braddock drive, in- suring Southern victory. For his outstanding offen- sive and defensive play, Scott Mullen received hon- orable mention forthe Back of the Week in the Daily News. This year's star-studded squad was loaded with seniors, twenty-two of them. Heading the list, senior quarterback Terry Widel threw 76 completions for T159 yds. and l6 touchdowns with only 4 intercep- tions. Widel was also the third leading rusher, Terry was chosen, along with senior end Jim Cominotti, for Alle-Mon Conference All Star team. Widel was also selected to W.P.l.A.L. Class B All Star Team and Daily News Back of the Week along with senior halfback Perry Tiberio. Tiberio was the leading rush- er for the Spartans with 5l7 yds. and the leading pass receiver with 33 receptions for 599 yds. and 9

Page 126 text:

Head Coach - Ned Mervos Our end coach, Bill Howley, is an- other completely local product. He is a graduate of Munhall High School and of the University of Pittsburgh. He was a member of the T963 football squad at Pitt which finished with a 9-l record. Coach Howley was drafted by the Pitts- burgh Steelers in l965, but because of a recurring knee iniury, upon which he had two unsuccessful operations, he was unable to compete for the pro- Club. Bernie Tennant is another brand- new addition to our coaching staff. Coach Tennant played halfback at North on the W.P.l.A.L. Class AA Championship team. He also played on the Waynesburg College football squad. We at South also owe a debt of grat- itude to Coaches Belich and Stagan, the iunior high coaches, who took time to come to South and aid Mr. Mervos and his staff. No group of boys, no matter how talented, is a 'iteam without the cohe- sive force of a coaching staff. By the same token, no team can be success- ful without a good coaching staff. We at South and, indeed, the whole West Mifflin community owe Mr. Mervos and his coaching staff a Thank you. I22 Coaches Foresee Promisine The success any team attains either, on the foot- ball field or any other arena, must in part be attrib- uted to the quality of the coaching. The quality of our coaching staff is equaled in few schools in the state. South's head mentor, Ned Mervos, shares with many other coaches the opinion that football is not a contact , but collision sport. In only his second year here, Coach Mervos has made the name of south one of the most feared and respected in West- ern Pennsylvania football circles. Mr. Mervos attend- ed South High School in Pittsburgh and after gradu- ation continued his education, both academically and athletically, at Pitt and Youngstown University. Before coming to South, Coach Mervos was an as- sistant coach at West Mifflin North, and helped lead them to the W.P.l.A.L. Class AA football champion- ship. Not enough can be said for Mr. Mervos either as a coach or as a man. Mr. Felix Zabrosky, a backfield coach, is a gradu- ate of Glassport High School. Coach Zabrosky played football for Wittenberg College and coached at Wilmerding and Griffin llndianal High Schools. He now coaches South's fine gymnastic team and teaches history and health. Mr, Nick Bracco, another backfield specialist, is also a local man. He attended Munhall High School, where he played football, after which, he went on to play for the Bulldogs of the University of Georgia. Before coming to South to teach history and coach, Mr. Bracco was head coach at Mt. Pleasant High School. 1 avi, ,SWL --,.. V Aa., I N s::4,x Assistant Coaches - Bernie Tennant, Nick Bracco, Felix Zabroski, and Bill Howley.