There were many sports stories of local interest during 2001. Many of the best had already occurred before I arrived on the scene as the Sports Editor in late June. Nevertheless we will attempt to note some of the best of local sports that took place during the 2001 year.
Of course there are as many opinions about which ones should be placed at or near the top and no doubt there will be some listed here the readers may not consider the most noteworthy and others the readers won’t think should be left out. We hope you will agree the ones we place in our Top Five would be on everybodys list somewhere.
Football is always big in the northern part of Blair County. Both of the local schools posted good seasons. Tyrone came back after a mediocre 2001 campaign to post a strong 7-4 that included a big look at a number of Golden Eagle heroes of the future due to necessity caused by a small graduating class and injuries and illness. Bellwood-Antis extended their home winning streak to 17 games at the end of the 2002 season and extended their consecutive regular season win streak to 26 and ICC win streak to 20 before Bishop Guilfoyle knocked off the Blue Devils in the second game of the year. Bellwood-Antis then went on to post an 8-1 regular season before falling to Windber in the District playoffs 6-0.
Sometimes when we watch sporting events, we get carried away with the thrills and the action, but deep down sports are just one way an athlete stretches his perspective toward the actual goal of getting the best education possible. The combination of individual skills and teamwork learned carries over to the real world. We must never lose sight of this goal, which means so much more than touchdowns or home runs or baskets or record times. When athletics make it possible for a student to continue his or her education, that is the ultimate that sports can accomplish.
Our top story of the year therefore are the accomplishments of two young ladies who because of their combined educational work in their studies and their work on the athletic fields have been fortunate enough to secure full scholarships to continue their educations beyond high school. Christina Burnett and Amy Gilliland have the right stuff, the combination of athletic skills and classroom abilities to command the attention of colleges and universities who want them to continue their life preparation at their sites.
To be able to watch Christina Burnett on the basketball court or on the track was poetry in motion. Christina is talented enough to be able to do exceptionally well at any sport she attempted. Christina has medaled at the State Track and Field championships at Shippensburg in both 2001 and 2002. She placed second this past spring in the triple jump and third in the long jump and has a total of five state place medals at States. Burnett earned a full scholarship and is presently attending Duquesne University.
The Tyrone swimming and diving team is actually only a swim team. Without a diving coach or program, Amy Gilliland was the District Six diving champion as a freshman and sophomore and second as a junior and senior. Gilliland was the District Pole Vault champ in both her junior and senior years and placed sixth at States as a sophomore and fourth as a senior. Amy is continuing her education after signing a full scholarship to the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colroado.
The Number two story of 2002 is the success of the Bellwood-Antis boys relay teams and Andrea Genesi at the state track and field meet at Shippensburg. Andrea became the first Bellwood-Antis girl tp medal at the State Tournament in the pole vault, joining Gilliland on the medal stand with a sixth place finish. The 1600 meter relay team of Matt Plummer, Matt Rogers, Dave Plummer and Cory Daly set a new school record in the preliminaries on Friday at States and then bettered their own best time by nearly three full seconds just a day later to place sixth in the finals. The B-A boys 400 meter relay team composed of Cory Daly, Matt Plummer, Dan Houser and Damion Miller finished fourth in the finals. Both relay teams were undefeated in dual meets for the Blue Devils and savede their best times for the states when it counted most. Genesi and both relay teams all return for the 2003 track season except Dave Plummer.
Daily Herald story Number three is the continuation of Tyrone and Bellwood-Antis fotball players having their prowess acclaimed by recognition on All-state teams. Local players from either Bellwood-Antis or Tyrone have been the norm in the past few years. This year has been no different. Both local schools are represented in 2002. Tyrone wide receiver Aaron Jeffries, who set a team record in receiving yardage with 870, breaking the old mark set by Steve Johnson in 1999 when Tyrone won the state championship was selected to the AP Small School Second Team All-State squad. Jeffries, who had the advantage of being the favorite receiver of senior quarterback Tyler Mertiff, who also set a new record with 1595 yards passing, rededicated himself to the excellence he showed at all times on the football field.
Bellwood-Antis was represented by senior defensive end Ryan McCartney, who was also chosen to the AP Small School Second Team. McCartney led the Blue Devils in pressures, quarterback sacks and running back sacks and was second among linemen in tackles. On offense, Ryan led the team in receptions and yardage in 2002 and placed in the top eight in both career recptions and receiving yards.
The Number Four Story is the repeat of Martin Oil winning their second straight George B. Kelley Federation title during the summer. The Martin Oil team continued their win streak from 2001 adding to the 31-0 season a year ago by winning their first 14 games to run thr streak to 45. Coached by Ed Davis, the defending Federation champs finished the regular season 19-3 and ripped through three playoffs series undefeated to claim their second successive title. Martin Oil was a totally different team in 2002, replacing seven starters from the undefeated team of 2001. Using speed from literally every player on the squad, Martin Oil ran, pitched, hit and defensed their way to the championship. Martin Oil has a 57-3 mark over the last two years and their entire starting pitching staff back for the 2003 season.
Story Number Five has a nice ring to it. It concerns a certain number that is always a milestone when surpassed. It is the Number 1,000. Two Tyrone basketball players passed the 1,000 point barrier. They didn’t just break the plateau, they passed It and kept right on going.
It has been quite a senior year athletically for Tyler Mertiff. After a record-setting effort as quarterback for the Golden Eagles with 1.595 yards passing, Mertiff reached another milestone that few high school basketball players get to realize. Against St. Maria Goretti in the Hollidaysburg Tournament last weekend, Tyler scored his 1,00th point. Tyler contributes back to his community through helping with coaching younger players and is a symbol of what Tyrone and high school sports should be.
Alanna Daniels is now playing basketball at Seton Hill. Daniels equaled the 1,000-point plateau against Bald Eagle Area in late February, 2001, in a playoff contest at the Hollidaysburg Junioir High School gym. Danniels played two more games and finished with a total of 1,039. Ironically both Daniels and Meretiff scored their 1,000th point on the same floor, Daniels in a district playoff game and Mertiff in a tournament.
Other sporting events that might be considered include: The Bellwood-Antis boys track and field team winning the Mountain Conference League by finishing undefeated, Mountain Conference League meet, B-A Invitational and West Coaches meet; The Tyrone VFW All-Star baseball team winning the section and going to the state tournament at Bellefonte, The Bellwood-Antis boys cross country team winning the Mountain Conference; Tyrone’s Jim Gillam qualifying for districts in golf, the only area qualifier; the success of the Tyrone girls’ volleyball team recording a 14-4 league record in just their third year of competition; Tyrone grad Eric Castorina earned a starting position on the IUP basketball team; Tyrone walk-on Doug Roseberry and his Pitt teammates winning the Insight Bowl 38-13 over Oregon State and finishing 8-4 for coach Walt Harris; Penn State going 9-3 during the regular season and playing in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s day after two years without a bowl; The new Altoona Curve ownership bringing Mario Lemeaux, Jerome Bettis and Bill Cowher, plus a winning record to Blair County Ballpark.
