GREAT PENNSYLVANIA TEAMS

 

UNIONTOWN  1965

By Hal Wilson

 

 

Uniontown’s mighty 1965 WPIAL AA champions earned the highest numerical index ever in Dr.

Roger B. Saylor’s Pennsylvania scholastic football ratings. The Red Raiders (pictured at

the bottom of the page), played and defeated many of the WPIAL’s strongest teams in the

regular season, then came from behind to conquer what may have been Butler’s best ever team

by 14-7 in a great AA title game at Pitt Stadium.

 

In a steady rise to WPIAL prominence, the Red Raiders had lost only to Latrobe in an 8-1 1950

season, and then gone unbeaten and untied in a ten win 1951 campaign, only to be denied an

opportunity to play for the AA title by the Gardner point system. Frank Machinsky, a first team

All-Stater and later an All-Big Ten tackle on Ohio State’s 1954 National and Rose Bowl Champions,

was the anchor of this fine team.

 

In 1957, Uniontown was again unbeaten and untied in a flu-shortened eight game schedule. Again,

the Red Raiders were denied a place in the AA playoff  by the Gardner system. Sandy Stephens,

the star quarterback, was the All-America QB on a two-time Minnesota Big Ten champion team. The

Golden Gophers were National Champions in 1960 and Rose Bowl Champions after the 1961 season.

Guard Ron Firmani, a standout guard in 1957, was named to the All-State first team. Others on this

team who gained later gridiron fame were Bill Munsey and Mike Natale.

 

The 1962 Red Raiders finally reached the WPIAL AA pinnacle in 1962, ironically without a playoff.

No other team had a spotless AA record. This fine squad had a great tandem of ends in Ron Sepic and Tom Fee. Sepic was considered by many the best scholastic player in Pennsylvania. At 6-5, 200, he was the

top vote getter on the All-State first team while Fee was selected to the third team. Sepic, an

All-Stater in basketball as well, played the hoop sport at Ohio State. As a junior, Sepic was a

key player on Uniontown’s PIAA State A basketball champions.

 

The closest 1962 game was a 14-7 triumph over a strong Mt. Lebanon team. The 10-0 perfect season

was climaxed when the Raiders conquered the Johnstown Trojans, 12-0.

 

The 1965 team was Coach Leon Kaltenbach’s third eleven at the Fayette County seat. The Red Raider

mentor had taken over after Bill Power stepped down after the 1962 championship. Kaltenbach had

played for Clairton and then went on to a career at guard for Clemson University. His Red Raider

record after three seasons was 25-1-2. The 1963 team lost only to undefeated Washington, 20-19,

while the 1964 Raiders were unbeaten with only a 6-6 tie with Johnstown marring the season. After

1965, Kaltenbach had four more strong teams at Uniontown before relocating to Georgia.

 

 

A 1963 star, Ben Gregory,  returned a punt for the winning TD in the first Big 33 clash with Texas

and later starred for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

 

In the 1965 AA epic at Pitt, the Red Raiders fell behind Butler and its Saul brothers, Rich and Ron,

7-0 in the first half. The Golden Tornado had size and ability. The field was muddy and covered

with sand in places. A strong wind was blowing.

 

In the second half, stellar halfback Ray Gillian led the Uniontown comeback. Beginning early in the

third quarter, a gutty twelve play drive led to paydirt. A fourth and one was converted at the

Raiders own 37. Later in the drive, Wilfred Minor passed 12 yards to  Gillian at the Butler 22.

A 13 yard Minor strike to junior end John Hull carried to the end zone and Uniontown’s conversion

tied the game.

 

Late in the fourth quarter, a Rich Saul punt rolled dead at the Uniontown 13. 1:53 remained in

the game. Gillian ran from the 17 out to the 36 and a personal foul penalty put the Red Raiders

on the Butler 49. Several Gillian carries behind the blocking of fullback Phil Vassar gained a

total of  30 more yards in the drive. Gillian also caught a nine yard Minor pass on a crucial

fourth down. Gillian then swept right behind the blocking of Vassar and halfback Trip Radcliffe,

cut back and, with Vassar and Radcliffe taking down more would-be Butler tacklers, raced in for

the winning touchdown. The decisive drive had covered 87 yards in just nine plays. The Red Raiders

had won the coveted AA championship for the second time in four seasons.

 

In the game, Gillian had gained 112 rushing yards on 18 carries and caught five passes for 41 more.

The Butler Golden Tornado were held to only two first downs in the second half.

 

During the 1965 regular season, Uniontown had trailed tough Washington 7-0 at the half but came

back to prevail over the Little Prexies, 13-7. At Mt. Lebanon, the Blue Devils drove to the Red

Raider five to open the game. The home team lost the ball and the rest of the game was all

Uniontown as the Raiders won, 20-0. Penultimate opponent Brownsville had eliminated Clairton

from the AA race the previous week, but Phil Vassar scored three times as the Red Raiders rolled,

29-0.

 

In the season finale, Uniontown faced unbeaten Trinity before a standing room only crowd at

W & J’s College Field in Washington. The Raiders were not to be denied as  Minor threw for 103

yards and intercepted a Hiller pass. Uniontown won the showdown, 32-6.

 

Ray Gillian was named All-State first team halfback. He went on to star on Ohio State’s powerful

1968 National Champions. Big end Ray Parson was a second team end. He had a fine career at

Minnesota, was named the Golden Gophers’ MVP in 1969, and played for the Minnesota Vikings.

Junior end John Hull was selected on the 1966 All-State third team.

 

Other stars on this superb team included quarterback Minor, who could run and throw, and fullback

Vassar, who was a strong runner and blocker.

 

Tackle Marling Edenfield later played for the Wyoming Cowboys and halfback Radcliffe for the

Bucknell Bisons. Radcliffe and Vassar said recently that Kaltenbach had been a demanding coach

who was very straight forward and  “drove us hard to make us better”. “He could have been

successful at any level”.

 

The 1965 Red Raider championship offensive lineup:

 

E  50  John HULL               6-1      205

T  72  Terry BRADY             5-10     195

G  63  Jim ZIMCOSKY            6-0      175

C  81  Bob BURKE               5-11     185

G  61  Joe CROFTCHECK          5-8      165

T  71  Marling EDENFIELD       6-1      210

E  55  Ray PARSON              6-5      230

Q  20  Wilfred MINOR           5-10     180

H  48  Ray GILLIAN             5-11     192

H  26  Trip RADCLIFFE          5-10     175

F  33  Phil VASSAR             6-0      205

 

Three defensive regulars were 56 Mike LEMANSKY at end,  205 pound 74 Gary NULL at tackle, and 

back 25 Nelson MUNSEY in the secondary. 32 Ed NYPAVER spelled Radcliffe at running back and 64

Jim NATALE was an able offensive guard.

 

The talented Munsey later played with the Wyoming Cowboys and enjoyed a fine NFL career at

Baltimore.