Franks led Masontown football to 1950 WPIAL title
Submitted photo
Masontown head football coach Gene Franks (right) works with assistant coaches John Lozar (left) and Richard Bartges during the Gunners鈥� 1950 WPIAL championship season.
Submitted photo
Masontown蘑菇视频 football team won the WPIAL football championship in 1950. The team was coached by Gene Franks. Team members in the first row from left: M. Tinti, R. Murphy, E. Franks, R. Burnsworth, J. Dufala, F. Vittone, C. McManns, J. Brechun, W. Griffith and H. Mahan. In the second row from left: J. Malinsky, F. Balint, V. Cobbs, D. Dunlap, T. Parnell, J. Vargo, R. Sokol, D. Kreson, A. Bulazo, R. Urbany, F. Ludrosky, C. Benford, W. Rozzi and Pete Barchetti. Third row from left: R. Jackson, R. Crowe, C. Triplett, E. Merti, R. Pento, G. McManus, A. Pastor, L. Glover, D. Havrilla, C. Chepes, J. Glova, J. Smith, L. Bergman, M. Chrin, K. Triplett and R. Glagola.
Masontown High School had some outstanding football teams under the guidance of Gene Franks.
The Gunners were a perennial power in Fayette County football.
Coming into the 1950 campaign, the Gunners had to replace five regulars and three top reserves from the 1949 squad that went 8-0-2. The two ties were against Carmichaels and German. Still, the standard at Masontown was win, win, win.
鈥淚f we played Notre Dame, I鈥檇 still expect to read in the papers that Masontown is favored,鈥� Franks quipped.
As the 1950 season unfolded, Masontown was viewed as a dark horse for Class B honors. The front wall was strong and stubborn, but the Gunners were not a great offensive team. Still they went on to post a record of 9-1-1.
鈥淲e were tough defensively,鈥� former Gunner Max Tinti stated. 鈥淲e rocked a few guys defensively.鈥�
Masontown was involved in some very close games during the season, including a 0-0 tie with Class A South Union in the second game of the season. That game ended with the Blue Devils stopping the Gunners鈥� Dick Glagola on the one-foot line on the final play of the game.
鈥淚 was as much at fault as anybody was,鈥� Glagola offered. 鈥淚 ran into my own player on the last play before time ran out, I just missed my hole.鈥�
Masontown, with a 35-man roster, withstood some injury problems throughout the season.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 play in four games,鈥� Tinti said. 鈥淟eroy Glover got hurt, Dick Glagola got hurt, Eddie Merti got hurt, we overcame the injuries, we were a tough bunch.鈥�
The Gunners tallied 126 points and surrendered 26.
鈥淲e ran the single wing,鈥� Pete Barchetti said. 鈥淎bout 90 percent was running plays, we passed very little.鈥�
鈥淚t was all teamwork,鈥� Tinti explained. 鈥淚 never heard anybody say, 鈥榥ice going,鈥� because when we scored a touchdown, 11 guys scored. It took 10 guys to get him in that end zone.鈥�
鈥淲e won because of pride,鈥� Glagola said.
The lone loss was to Class A German, 14-6. It was the first setback for Masontown in 25 games. They hadn鈥檛 lost since Point Marion edged them, 7-6, in the fourth game of the 1948 season.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 know what it was to lose,鈥� Tinti said.
鈥淭hat was a big rivalry,鈥� Barchetti recalled. 鈥淭hey had Buddy Ward and Jim Ford, and Happy Ford scored a touchdown for German.鈥�
鈥淲e really went at it with German,鈥� Glagola said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 like each other.鈥�
The architect of Masontown蘑菇视频 success was Franks, who was entering his 17th season coaching the Gunners.
鈥淗is nickname, 鈥淭he Old Fox,鈥� fit him well,鈥� Barchetti said. 鈥淗e used psychology all the time and it rubbed off what he was doing. He was very personable and he really came across to the boys. He really stressed fundamentals. We did it over and over again until we did it to perfection.鈥�
鈥淗e was tough on us, but he was fair,鈥� Tinti said. 鈥淵ou would run through a brick wall for him, we loved him.鈥�
鈥淐oach Franks was tough,鈥� Glagola stated. 鈥淏ut as time went on you would run up against a stone wall for him. I know I would. We loved and respected him.鈥�
Following the WPIAL Gardner points system, Aspinwall, undefeated in Class B play, was awarded 139 points. Masontown finished second with 131 points, setting up a championship game showdown at Clairton. The Cavaliers came into the game as two touchdown favorites.
Things went bad for the Gunners at the beginning of the game.
鈥淓arly in the game Charles Chepes centered the ball back to me,鈥� Glagola recalled. 鈥淗e centered it so hard that I bent my two thumbs trying to catch the ball and it hit me in the chest and went about 25 yards in the direction we were going, but they recovered and went in for a touchdown. We played hard and we came back.鈥�
Masontown蘑菇视频 defense shutdown Aspinwall蘑菇视频 offense, and the Gunners tallied a second-quarter touchdown and scored again in the third quarter to notch the WPIAL Class B title with a 12-6 win. Coach Frank蘑菇视频 coaching proved to be the difference as he came up with the right call when the Gunners needed it.
鈥淲e ran the single wing, I was a spinning fullback,鈥� Tinti explained. 鈥淲e ran a play called 24, it was the fullback spinner. I would get the ball and fake to the halfback and go off tackle. We must have run that play 80 percent of the time against Point Marion. Coach Franks knew that Aspinwall was there watching. We played East Beth the following week and we didn鈥檛 run that play too much. In the championship game against Aspinwall down at Clairton, I played the week before against German Township and hurt my back again.
鈥淚 played three plays in the championship game, we recovered a fumble on about the 13 yard line in the third quarter. Coach sent me in and told me to run 26, which is where I gave the ball to the halfback. He said run 26 and 26 and then 45 double reverse. The first play I ran, I gave the ball to the halfback and three guys tackled me. Second play, same play and three guys tackled me. They were looking for the spinning play. Third down, I gave it to Glover, and he gave it to Joe Dufala, and Fauster Vittone pulled out and threw one block and Dufala walked into the end zone. That was the 鈥淥ld Fox鈥� and that蘑菇视频 the same play he beat that coach with in 1940.鈥�
It was the fifth WPIAL Championship for Masontown. They had won titles in 1937, 1940, 1945 and 1947.
鈥淲e were very proud that we won Masontown蘑菇视频 fifth championship.鈥� Barchetti said. 鈥淲e brought that plaque into the school and everybody was very pleased. The town really supported Gunner football.鈥�
鈥淭he town always supported us, Tinti stated. 鈥淲e had a great following.鈥�
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.