Two-school star: Studnicki excelled at Marion, then Bellmar after merger
Submitted photo
Bellmar graduate Henry Studnicki is shown during his minor-league playing days with the Hornell Dodgers.
Submitted photo
Henry Studnicki is shown during his playing days at Bellmar High School.
Former Mon Valley sports editor John Bunardzya wrote the following in his column in the old Charleroi Mail in 1955: 鈥淛ust this week, two Fayette City district youngsters packed their bags and headed for sunnier climes for a try at fame and fortune in professional baseball.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e Henry Studnicki and Don Young, two of the best-looking prospects ever developed in the nearby community.鈥�
Studnicki was a three-sport standout in football, basketball and baseball at Marion High School and then at the merger of Marion and Vernon High Schools known as Bellmar.
鈥淚 went from first grade up through 11th grade at Marion,鈥� Studnicki recalled. 鈥淚n 12th grade I went to the first class of Bellmar.
鈥淚 played JV football at Marion as a sophomore. Our rival was Vernon High School. They were always tough for us. I became the starter at quarterback after the first game my junior year.鈥�
Marion posted a record of 5-3-1 in 1950, the last year before the merger.
鈥淲e had Don Klochak, he was an outstanding player,鈥� Studnicki said. 鈥淗e went on to play running back at the University of North Carolina and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and AFL Denver Broncos.鈥�
At Bellmar in 1951 the Hurricanes, under Bap Manzini, went 7-2-1 with losses to North Union, 13-7, and Ramsey, 38-0, and a 13-13 tie with California.
鈥淚 thought we鈥檇 have a lot of trouble with Marion and Vernon together,鈥� Studnicki said. 鈥淚 thought there would be a lot of friction, but there wasn鈥檛.鈥�
One of highlights for Studnicki in his senior campaign was a three-touchdown night in a 40-0 win over Centerville.
Studnicki had a lot of respect for Manzini as a coach.
鈥淚 thought he was an excellent coach,鈥� Stucknicki said.
In basketball the 5-foot-11, 155-pound Studnicki started playing first team as a sophomore at Marion and was a three-year starter, finishing up his senior campaign at Bellmar.
鈥淲e were OK in basketball at Marion, I would say half and half,鈥� Studnicki opined. 鈥淢y senior year we won our section at Bellmar. We were pretty good. The only trouble was we went to Pitt Field house for the WPIAL playoffs and we got beat by North Union, 50-46. Jack Flora was our coach my senior season.
鈥淥ur baseball teams at Marion we were OK. We won Section 23 before losing to Jefferson in the WPIAL playoffs. In 1950 Marion lost the Section 22 playoff to Perryopolis, 5-4. Ram Barker was our coach. Manzini was my baseball coach my senior year when it was Bellmar. We were so-so, but we did beat section champ Perryopolis in a game. I was a shortstop and outfielder as a sophomore, center fielder and shortstop as a junior and I played left field as a senior for Bellmar.鈥�
Studnicki had an outstanding sandlot career in baseball in 1953. He was an outfielder for Perryopolis, champions of the North Section of the Big 10 League. Studnicki owned the distinction of being one of the youngest players 鈥� he was only 18 at the time 鈥� to ever perform in the annual Big 10 League All Star game in 1953. In 1954 he was also selected to play for the Mon Valley League All Stars in an exhibition against the Pigeon Creek League All Stars.
In that exhibition game, Studnicki made the defensive fielding gem of the day with an over-the-shoulder circus catch of Rocky Mitchell蘑菇视频 long smash to left center. The Merchants came out on top with a 4-3 win before an estimated 1,000 fans at Fayette City Ball Field.
Studnicki was a sandlot baseball player in the old Mon Valley League for Fayette City and Monessen Ozarks. He played in Big 10 League from 1953 for Perryopolis until July 3, 1957, when he was with Fayette City Legion. He was drafted by the U.S. Army and served two years as a radio operator with Morris Code and continued in the reserves.
Before giving up his amateur status, Studnicki lettered in basketball and baseball at California State Teachers College, which is now Cal U.
鈥淚 actually went there to play football,鈥� Studnicki revealed. 鈥淏ut they had single wing football and I didn鈥檛 care too much for that.鈥�
Studnicki played left field his freshman year in 1953 and shortstop his sophomore year in 1954 for the Vulcans under coach Andy Sepsi.
Studnicki was signed by Dodgers scout Jim Russell for a $200 bonus in the summer of 1954. He played minor league baseball in the Dodgers organization two springs 鈥� 1955 and 1956 in Hornell, New York, Class D. He played left field and first base until a wrist injury and went on the voluntary retired list at the end of May 1955. He went back to Dodgers camp at a later date in 1956, was reassigned to Hornell, and played left field until the end of May but he struggled to produce at the plate and was eventually released.
In 1955 Studnicki played in 12 games at Hornell and batted .343 with two home runs. In 1956 he batted .192 in 16 games with three home runs.
鈥淚 just couldn鈥檛 hit,鈥� Studnicki lamented. 鈥淓verything I hit went right to somebody. I always had hit until I went to Hornell in 1956. I don鈥檛 remember striking out, but I kept hitting the ball to somebody. I was disappointed, but I came back and played pretty well for Fayette City.鈥�
Studnicki played for Monessen PNA from 1959 to 1963, then for Wyano in 1964 as a first baseman until the team was booted out of the league. After Wyano, he was done playing baseball.
A graduate of California State Teachers College in 1957, Studnicki went into teaching. He student taught at Monessen the second semester of 1957, teaching geometry, and also taught 7th, 8th, and 9th grade math for 10 weeks until the end of school year. He taught at Bellmar Junior-Middle School from 1960, retiring after the 1992-1993 school year. Subjects he taught included Algebra I and Algebra II, Geometry, and 7th and 8th grade Math.
鈥淚t was a rewarding career,鈥� Studnicki said.
Studnicki, 85, resides in Rostraver with his wife of 58 years, Babe. They have three children: Lorraine, Joyce and John.
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.