By CORY ISENBERG
Since 1998, Ebensburg’s Rich Vetock has been producing the Pennsylvania Football News (PFN) annual resource guide.
The 400-plus page book contains a plethora of information, including a listing of all the high schools, colleges and universities in the state that have football, along with schedules, coaches names, classification, last year’s record, school mascots and colors and stadiums.
But in addition, the guide has other useful and interesting facts including district and state coaches of the year, a listing of schools with more than 500 wins as well as coaches with 200-plus wins (Laurel Valley coach Jerry Page will be in next year’s edition).
George Curry entered the season with the most coaching wins, getting 406 with Lake Lehman, Berwick and Wyoming Valley West and is still an active coach.
Don Bailey of Forest Hills (1974-present) entered the season with 280 wins while Bellwood-Antis coach John Hayes (1980-present) had at 227.
The gridiron records for the state and the nation are also included in the guide along with Associated Press and United Press International All-State Teams, rosters from the Pennsylvania squad in the Big 33 Classic and Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association East-West Game and district champs through the years.
Other individual achievements that are noted include All-PFN teams along with 4,000-yard rushers and passers.
Juan Gaddy of Easton is the state’s rushing leader with 5,116 yards.
Former Bishop Carroll standout Paul Forcellini is the top area rusher with 5,056 yards while the Huskies’ Chad Schilling is at 4,975 and Charlie Banks of Meyersdale had 4,835.
Downingtown East’s Pat Devlin is the state’s top passer with 8,162 yards. Richland’s Marco Pecora is the area’s top passer with 6,772 yards while Brandon Bailey of Forest Hills was at 5,667.
Vetock notes in the guide that the comprehensive list of Pennsylvania football players who played professionally in the United States took many hours to compile.
The latest addition to the book features a section about whatever happened to schools throughout the state. Some schools no longer exist or dropped football or became part of another school district.
For instance, in District 5, because it just happened so recently, people tend to remember that Turkeyfoot Valley School District dropped football, and ended up combining its program with Rockwood. I never remembered, however, that Hyndman had football at one point.
When going back to do research, there are some school names that are harder to figure out.
In the District 6 section, I remembered that Bald Eagle-Nittany and Lock Haven joined together to form Central Mountain and that Chief Logan and Kishacoquillas are now Indian Valley, but I didn’t remember what schools Captain Jack, Laural Lamar or John Carroll became a part of (Mount Union, Homer-Center and Cambria Heights, respectively).
Vetock includes information regarding all 12 districts along with independent schools.
The book can be purchased for $22, including shipping and handling. For more information go to pafootballnews.com.
Cory Isenberg is a sports writer for The Tribune-Democrat.
