Two former German Township standouts pass away
Today蘑菇视频 Memory Lane is comprised of items from the mail bag and my notebook.
It is my sad duty to report that two former Fayette County athletes have passed away recently, both were former standouts at German Township High School during the 1940s and 鈥�50s.
Speedy Murnis Banner died on Wednesday at the age of 75.
Banner was profiled in a 2007 edition of Memory Lane. Banner was small by today蘑菇视频 football standards. He played high school football at 150 pounds, and in college bulked up to about 170 pounds. He was fast and elusive, but his lack of size took a toll on his football career.
鈥淲ith that size they probably wouldn鈥檛 even blink at me now,鈥� Banner said in his Memory Lane article.
Banner starred at German Township High School in the late 1950s, where he played football, baseball, basketball and ran track.
The Uhlans in those days were always competitive on the football field. In Banner蘑菇视频 sophomore season in 1956, German went 7-3. The Uhlans posted a record of 7-2 in 1957, and Banner scored seven touchdowns and three extra points. In Banner蘑菇视频 senior campaign in 1958, the Uhlans went 5-4. Banner scored 13 touchdowns and notched four extra points.
鈥淲e won our share of games,鈥� Banner said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we were as successful as the 鈥淲ard and Ford鈥� era. We had to step up a little bit in class because for some reason people didn鈥檛 want to play us in our class. We had to go to Pittsburgh, and we went to Johnstown and we played a lot of Double A teams. We played Class A teams, but not as many as we should have. Our top local rivals were Masontown, South Union and North Union.鈥�
Banner went both ways for the Uhlans. He played halfback on offense and defensive back on defense. He garnered All-Fayette County honors as a senior in football.
鈥淚 played baseball, ran track and played basketball,鈥� Banner stated. 鈥淚 played basketball really to stay in shape. Football and baseball were my two best sports. I loved to play baseball, I was an outfielder. Legion baseball was good and the county league, even before I played 鈥� way back it was very good 鈥� the mines had teams and they were really good. I used to go watch them play as a kid.鈥�
In 1956-57, German was 20-6 on the hardwood. In 1957-58, the Uhlans went 18-7, and they were 18-2 in 1958-59.
Banner graduated from German in 1959 and decided to attend Maryland on a scholarship.
鈥淚 was going to go to the University of Arizona to play baseball,鈥� Banner explained. 鈥淎 couple of weeks before I was going to go I got a letter saying that they wanted me to play football too. Maryland had recruited me and I had a lot of friends going down there, so I thought I鈥檒l just go down there if I鈥檓 going to play football too. I鈥檒l just go to Maryland, it was closer to home, but that was more or less why I did it.鈥�
Maryland in those days recruited Western Pennsylvania heavily.
鈥淲e had Rich Novak, Tom Sankovich and Joe Hrezo, they were ahead of me,鈥� Banner said. 鈥淭om Rae, Bill Swaney was down there at one time and Rich Yauger. There were a few of us down there. When I was a freshman, they brought in like 27 or so kids from Pennsylvania.鈥�
Banner played at Maryland from 1959 to 1962.
鈥淔or the most part we were very competitive,鈥� Banner recalled. 鈥淥ne year we had a chance to go to a bowl game, but we were upset in the final game of the year by Virginia. We had good players like Gary Collins and Tom Brown, who played for the Green Bay Packers. Roger Shoals, who I think was with St. Louis, and Walter Rock, who played with the Redskins and 49ers. We had some players on those teams.鈥�
Banner was utilized at different positions for the Terps.
鈥淭hey used me as a regular on defense in the secondary,鈥� Banner stated. 鈥淥n offense I played wide receiver, flanker and halfback. We ran the I formation and I did kickoffs and punt returns.鈥�
Injuries plagued Banner at Maryland.
Banner was retired and living in College Park, Maryland. Banner was the husband of Eileen M. Banner; father of Rich (Holly) Banner; grandfather of Mitchell, Brendan, and Miranda; brother of Carol Kerr, Anne Marie Rattay, and Margaret Persan.
News also came of the death of Bob Spenik, who passed away on Jan. 15 at the age of 83. Spenik was a standout end at German Township on football teams that posted records of 7-1-1 in 1948, including a 42-6 pasting of Uniontown. The Uhlans went 5-2-2 in 1949 and 5-3 in 1950.
Spenik was honorable mention All-Fayette County as a senior in 1950.
After graduating from German in 1950, Spenik went on to a fine college career at Morris Harvey (now University of Charleston).
Spenik was captain of the football team, winning several bowl games and championships and was selected as one of eleven 鈥淎ll-Time time football team鈥� members for Morris Harvey College. He was inducted into the University of Charleston (Morris Harvey) Golden Eagle Football Hall of Fame in 1995, and in 1998, he was inducted into Washington-Greene County Sports Hall of Fame.
He began his teaching career as a math teacher and football coach at Poca High School, Poca, West Virginia. He later taught and coached football at Tuckahoe High School, Eastchester, New York. The majority of his career (30-plus years) was with the Bronxville High School, Bronxville, New York, as coach, teacher, assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent of Bronxville Schools. In the 1960s, Bob had an outstanding coaching career. In Bronxville, he had a 37 consecutive football-game winning streak with a record of 52-4. He was awarded Coach of the Year in 1964, 1965, 1967 & 1969 (New York Daily News, New York Tribune, Westchester County) and top high school coach in Northeast.
Spenik is survived by his son, Robert, and his wife, Linda, daughter Christina and her husband John, five grandchildren Kristoffer, Alexander and Sofia Spenik and Owen and Emily Butler. He is also survived by one brother, Ed Spenik, two sisters, Marlene Otonicar and Geraldine Straka.
A reminder that the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame will unveil its ninth class at its annual announcement social on Wednesday, May 3, at 7 pm at the Ivory Ballroom in Uniontown. This year蘑菇视频 Hall of Fame Golf outing is slated for Friday, June 16, at Uniontown Country Club. The Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame banquet is Saturday, June 17, at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
George Von Benko蘑菇视频 鈥淢emory Lane鈥� column appears in the Monday editions of the 蘑菇视频. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.