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Determination and grit helped Southmoreland product Tom Surlas play football at one of the legendary college football programs.Surlas battled hard to play in high school at Southmoreland and transformed himself into a solid football player.“I went to St. JosephĢƵ Catholic School in ...

Plevin excelled in three sports

Former Fairchance-Georges standout Tom Plevin is a throwback to a different era when athletes didn’t concentrate on one sport, but played several.Plevin excelled on the gridiron, the hardwood and the baseball diamond for the Runners in the 1960ĢƵ.“I lettered three years in each sport,” ...

Athletics were springboard for Wydo’s success

Like many athletes of his era, South UnionĢƵ Bill Wydo used athletics as a springboard to success.“It helped me get a degree,” Wydo explained. “Football was such a big influence on my life, because it opened doors for me.”Wydo, a standout football player at South Union High School, ...

Contz saw many firsts in his career

The athletic career of former Belle Vernon star Bill Contz is filled with firsts. In high school he was a member of the Leopards first conference championship football team, and first WPIAL championship basketball team. In college, he was on Penn StateĢƵ first national championship football ...

Pisuala was two-way tackle at Southmoreland

When you hear the name “Hondo” most folks think of former Boston Celtics star John Havlicek or the character played by John Wayne in the movie. The local sports scene also had a “Hondo” in former Southmoreland football and baseball star Al Pisula.“You know who tagged me with that ...

Elliott is another hidden gem

In researching Fayette CountyĢƵ glorious baseball past, I have uncovered another hidden gem. Eugene Birminghouse Elliott was born Feb. 8, 1889, in Fayette City, Pennsylvania.I was unable to find much information on ElliottĢƵ youth, the trail heated up when he started playing minor league ...