Tag: Shamokin

Fights and Forfeit: The 1928 Minersville-Shamokin Football Game

Note: This post was written by friend of the blog Shayne Schafer. Follow Shayne on Twitter for more Schuylkill County football history: @shayne_schafer. If you have an article you’d like to contribute to this site, send an email to pafbhistory@gmail.com.

On Saturday, October 28th, 1928, the Shamokin Greyhounds traveled to Minersville for an early-season clash. Minersville (2-1) had picked up shutout wins over St. Patrick’s and Pottstown. The Miners had multiple starters out after a rough Week 2 loss to Hazelton. Shamokin (0-2) hoped to take advantage and get back on the right track after two close losses to Mauch Chunk and Wyoming Seminary. Spirits were high and the Shamokin-Dispatch reported on the festive attitude of those supporters making the trek to Minersville.

M. A. A. Park
The setting for the matchup, M. A. A. Park was the home of Minersville High School athletics until 1935. Now Kings Village Plaza, Minersville Park was also the home of the Pottsville Maroons. | Photo courtesy of Ronald M. Coleman and Joseph E. Szeliga

Things didn’t go as planned; Shamokin forfeited with less than two minutes left in the game. The reports of this game would be wild, with stories of fans rushing the field, fights, cheating, dirty play, and inhospitable conditions created by Minersville and its supporters. Interestingly, depending on whose town’s newspaper you read, you would get a completely different account of what occurred.

Continue reading “Fights and Forfeit: The 1928 Minersville-Shamokin Football Game”

Teams Nearing Milestones in 2016

With the 2016 season less than a week away, it’s a good time to check in on upcoming milestones teams across the state can reach this season.  All of the current statistics come from the Wins List published on this site, which is based primarily on the research of Dr. Roger Saylor and can be found here.  Because 2016 will feature a 15-game season, all teams that fall within 15 games of each milestone are included below.

*Numbers in parentheses indicate statistics entering the 2016 season.

WINS

800

  • Berwick (789)

700

  • Central [Philadelphia] (692)
  • Williamsport (690)
  • Aliquippa (687)

600

  • Shamokin (596)
  • North Penn [Lansdale] (594)
  • Central Bucks West (594)
  • Altoona (590)
  • Erie Cathedral Prep (586)

500

  • Reading (499)
  • Roman Catholic (499)
  • Chambersburg (496)
  • Cumberland Valley (496)
  • Wilkes-Barre Meyers (494)
  • Nanticoke (493)
  • Lancaster Catholic (492)
  • Pen Argyl (489)
  • Clarion (488)
  • Camp Hill (487)
  • Uniontown (486)
  • Juniata (486)
  • Erie McDowell (485)

400

  • Shenango (399)
  • Lewisburg (398)
  • South Philadelphia (397)
  • Springdale (395)
  • Mercersburg Academy (393)
  • Cameron County (393)
  • Muhlenberg (393)
  • Karns City (393)
  • Gateway (393)
  • Ligonier Valley (392)
  • California (392)
  • Riverside [Taylor] (392)
  • Brentwood (392)
  • Union [Rimersburg] (392)
  • Conemaugh Township (392)
  • Mars (391)
  • Allentown Central Catholic (387)
  • North Allegheny (387)
  • Homer-Center (386)
  • Avonworth (385)

300

  • North Schuylkill (299)
  • Olney (298)
  • Exeter Township (297)
  • Conrad Weiser (297)
  • Warrior Run (296)
  • Southern Huntingdon (295)
  • Blackhawk (295)
  • Central Columbia (294)
  • Youngsville (292)
  • Sheffield (292)
  • Susquehannock (291)
  • Hughesville (291)
  • Archbishop Carroll (291)
  • Archbishop Ryan (290)
  • Upper Perkiomen (289)
  • Kiski Area (289)
  • Belle Vernon (289)
  • Knoch (286)
  • Bishop Canevin (285)
  • East Allegheny (285)

200

  • Cambria Heights (199)
  • Apollo-Ridge (199)
  • Martin Luther King (198)
  • Greencastle-Antrim (196)
  • Dover (196)
  • Wallenpaupack (196)
  • Academy Park (196)
  • Glendale (194)
  • Lakeview (194)
  • Northgate (194)
  • Perkiomen Valley (193)
  • Maplewood (189)
  • Serra Catholic (187)
  • Mid-Valley (187)
  • Keystone (186)

100

  • York County Tech (94)
  • West Chester Rustin (89)
  • Bishop Shanahan (86)

GAMES PLAYED, min. 1000

List includes week and opponent when team would reach milestone.  The week refers to the team’s game number; the PIAA is referring to games on August 26th as “Week Zero,” but those games will be shown here as “Week 1.”  If a team plays two scrimmages, its “Week 1” may be a week later than the “Week 1” of a team who plays one scrimmage.  All schedules via Western PA Football and Eastern PA Football.

1200

  • Easton (1199) – Week 1 vs. Stroudsburg
  • Steelton-Highspire (1198) – Week 2 vs. North Schuylkill

1100

  • Connellsville (1095) – Week 5 at Kiski Area
  • Pottstown (1094) – Week 6 vs. Pottsgrove
  • William Penn Charter (1092) – Week 8 at Chestnut Hill Academy
  • Beaver Falls (1087) – Week 13, playoffs
  • Greensburg Salem (1086) – Week 14, playoffs

1000

  • Titusville (998) – Week 2 at Fairview
  • Carlisle (995) – Week 5 vs. State College
  • Curwensville (995) – Week 5 vs. Kane
  • Ellwood City (995) – Week 5 vs. Valley
  • Oil City (995) – Week 5 vs. Grove City
  • Hollidaysburg (993) – Week 7 at Tyrone
  • Hanover Area (990) – Week 10 at Nanticoke
  • Sharpsville (989) – Week 11, playoffs
  • Latrobe (987) – Week 13, playoffs
  • West Catholic [Philadelphia] (985) – Week 15, playoffs
  • LaSalle (985) – Week 15, playoffs

Wins List Now Updated for 2015

The Wins List has now been updated for all teams through the end of the 2015 season – you can check it out here.  All 1,178 programs to record at least 1 game played by the Dr. Roger Saylor Football Records are included in the list.  Before you look at the list, though, be sure to quiz yourself on naming all 113 programs with 500+ wins.  Note that one of those programs is now defunct.

After you take the quiz, check out some observations of the list (SPOILER WARNING IF YOU’RE PLANNING ON TAKING THE QUIZ).  Have anything to add or find anything cool/interesting/strange in the list?  Let us know in the comments.  And, as always, please let us know if there are any errors or corrections.

TEAMS WITH 800+ WINS

TEAM WINS WIN %
Mount Carmel 833 0.715
Easton 807 0.696

 

TEAMS WITH 700-799 WINS

TEAM WINS WIN %
Berwick 789 0.700
Steelton-Highspire 725 0.628
New Castle 718 0.639
Jeannette 709 0.686

 

TEAMS WITH 600-699 WINS

TEAM WINS WIN %
Central (Philadelphia) 692 0.623
Williamsport 690 0.595
Aliquippa 687 0.676
Greensburg-Salem 681 0.645
Penn Charter School 677 0.644
Frankford 676 0.700
Huntingdon 675 0.648
Coatesville 673 0.621
Pottsville 666 0.563
Washington 663 0.639
Ridley 662 0.782
Monessen 657 0.649
Dunmore 655 0.649
Clairton 650 0.643
Johnstown 646 0.608
Wilkes-Barre Coughlin 646 0.572
Norristown 644 0.584
Sharon 638 0.595
Beaver Falls 635 0.608
Tyrone 634 0.634
Warren 633 0.570
Rochester 631 0.608
McKeesport 625 0.608
Beaver 624 0.609
Windber 614 0.629
Northeast (Philadelphia) 610 0.598
DuBois 609 0.588
Saint Joseph’s Prep 609 0.587
Hollidaysburg 605 0.628

 

MOST GAMES PLAYED (MINIMUM 1,100)

TEAM GAMES FIRST YEAR
Pottsville 1224 1893
Mount Carmel 1206 1893
Williamsport 1206 1892
Easton 1199 1895
Steelton-Highspire 1198 1894
West Chester Henderson 1178 1895
New Castle 1177 1892
Wilkes-Barre Coughlin 1175 1892
Chester 1175 1890
Central (Philadelphia) 1160 1887
Berwick 1158 1888
Warren 1158 1893
Shamokin 1147 1893
Norristown 1145 1894
Reading 1139 1892
Lebanon 1137 1900
Shikellamy 1126 1893
Roman Catholic 1125 1895
Coatesville 1124 1903
Sharon 1115 1899
Phoenixville 1111 1894
Johnstown 1108 1898
Lancaster McCaskey 1102 1890
Allentown Allen 1102 1896

 

DISTRICT WINS LEADERS

DISTRICT TEAM WINS
1 Coatesville 673
2 Berwick 789
3 Steelton-Highspire 725
4 Mount Carmel 833
5 Windber 614
6 Huntingdon 675
7 New Castle 718
8 Westinghouse 549
9 DuBois 609
10 Sharon 638
11 Easton 807
12 Central (Philadelphia) 692
Independent Penn Charter 677

 

TEAMS WITH 500+ WINS & 500+ LOSSES

TEAM WINS LOSSES
Pottsville 666 512
Shamokin 596 510
West Chester Henderson 584 535
Shikellamy 566 521
Lancaster McCaskey 545 509
Shenandoah Valley 537 501
Lower Merion 537 502
Connellsville 530 506
Chester 526 560
Hazleton 522 504
Allentown Allen 512 535
Cheltenham 504 509

 

(Image: 1928 Steelton football team. Source: Steelton-Highspire School District – http://www.shsd.k12.pa.us/domain/255)