Two-way legend: St. John grad Woleslage excelled as player, official
Submitted photo
Jim Woleslagle (right) is shown during his playing days at St. John High School.
Submitted photo
St. John graduate Jim Woleslage is shown during his playing days at Staunton Military Academy.
Former Uniontown St. John High School basketball standout Jim Woleslagle played during the golden age of high school hoops in the city of Uniontown during the decade of the 1960s. During this period Uniontown High School captured two PIAA state championships, Laurel Highlands one state title and St. John one PCIAA catholic state championship.
鈥淲e had great coaching with Abe Everhart, Horse Taylor and Lash Nesser,鈥� Woleslagle marveled. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine three schools so close in proximity where you had three coaches like that and you had that kind of success.鈥�
Woleslagle started on his basketball path at an early age.
鈥淚 started playing in seventh grade in the CYO league,鈥� Woleslagle said. 鈥淭hen at St. John蘑菇视频 on the junior high team in ninth grade. I started playing on the playgrounds in high school. It was a place to develop your game.鈥�
Woleslagle was on s St. John team that posted a record of 12-10 overall and 4-2 in the Parochial League in 1965-66. The Eagles went 14-7 and finished second in league play at 4-2 in 1966-67. They lost in the PCIAA playoffs to Renovo St. Joseph蘑菇视频, 66-59.
During Woleslagle蘑菇视频 senior campaign St. John posted a record of 14-8 and went 5-3 in league play.
鈥淚 started as a junior and senior,鈥� Woleslagle recalled. 鈥淲e were competitive and I had some good players around me. My junior year I had Joe Sharp, Joe Prah plus the Boyles Ken and John. Unfortunately my junior year I broke my arm at home against St. Vincent prior to the playoffs and my senior year I broke my arm again and missed some games.鈥�
Woleslagle saw limited action as a sophomore scoring five points. He led the Eagles in scoring as a junior with 346 points despite missing two games. That number was good for 10th place in district scoring.
As a senior he missed four games, but still finished second in district scoring behind Laurel Highlands鈥� Wil Robinson with a total of 408 points. Woleslagle notched four 30-plus point games that season with a career-high, 35-point effort in a 79-59 win at Mapletown.
鈥淚 did a little bit of everything,鈥� Woleslagle said. 鈥淢y senior year I led the team in rebounding. I played defense as well as I could play. I played underneath, so I was probably in today蘑菇视频 terminology a swing forward. I had my time and I played ball back in those days.
鈥淚 had some big games. It蘑菇视频 like anybody else you get hot you get hot. I took my share of shots, don鈥檛 misunderstand me, but some days you get on a streak and everything you throw up goes in. I did have days like that, but I wasn鈥檛 afraid to throw it up either.鈥�
Woleslagle had some thoughts on his head coach, the late James 鈥淟ash鈥� Nesser.
鈥淟ash and I had a really good relationship,鈥� Woleslagle said. 鈥淕uys like Danny Pie and Larry McHugh, Denny Hanna, we had a good relationship (with Nesser). I can remember going up to his house. Coach Nesser was a special person. He worked you, but he was a great man. He was a leader and a motivator, nobody quit on him. He was a good guy to play for.鈥�
The Parochial League is long gone, but Woleslagle remembers the rivalries.
鈥淭he Parochial League were tough games especially against Geibel and Father Kolb,鈥� Woleslagle remembered. 鈥淓very game was packed at St. John蘑菇视频, the walls would sweat and the windows were fogged up.鈥�
Woleslagle remembers a time when the city of Uniontown was Hoop Crazy!
鈥淏asketball in the city of Uniontown was great,鈥� Woleslagle opined. 鈥淲e still had the playground system going. We had adult leagues in the summer which played at night and a summer league that played most of the time in the afternoon. We had great crowds for those games. Those were great times.
鈥淚 played on a team with George Bortz, we were called the Colonels and were sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken and we had nice red Kentucky Fried Chicken shirts. The church league had some really good teams.鈥�
Woleslagle graduated from St. John in 1968.
鈥淥ne Saturday Wil Robinson and I, and I think Mark John might have went with us,鈥� Woleslagle explained. 鈥淕annon College wanted Wil, the coach flew us out of Connellsville Airport up to Erie. We visited Gannon and flew back. They told coach John that if they could get Robinson we will also take Woleslagle. Robinson went to West Virginia and the Gannon coach told me he had connections at Staunton Military Academy. They don鈥檛 give scholarships and you will have to pay your way, but I highly recommend you go there. I think the program would be great for you. My parents and I drove there and met with the coach and went there for their post-graduate course. They played in a good military league.鈥�
In 1968-69 Woleslagle helped Staunton post a 21-4 record and win the Virginia Military School League Championship. Woleslagle earned a spot on the All-Tournament team. One of the high points for Woleslagle was a 29-point explosion in a 93-66 win over arch rival Hargrave Military Academy.
鈥淎lthough hampered by a leg injury in December, Jim came along in the second half of the season to complete a very successful season,鈥� Staunton coach Lt. Col. William M. Pandak stated at the time.
鈥淚 had a good year there and I picked up weight and strength,鈥� Woleslagle pointed out. 鈥淚 left there one year later after picking up 30 pounds and I was 180 pounds through eating right and diet. I got recruited by Ohio University and I went there and I was in school so I wasn鈥檛 taken in the draft during the Vietnam War. I played freshman ball and our season didn鈥檛 start till January. I played four or five games with almost no statistics. I called my dad and said college is not for me and he said come home and find a job.
鈥淚 returned to Fayette County and got into the work force. The rest is history. I worked at Gallatin Bank for awhile and eventually went to work in the coal mines. I was in the mines in early 1972 and worked there for 15 years.鈥�
During this period Woleslagle took the test to become a basketball official.
鈥淚 started officiating in 1971-72,鈥� Woleslagle said. 鈥淚 worked about 30 years as an official. I broke it up for about six years because I got hurt in the mines in 1983. Then I had to start working shifts in 1982-83. I did my first varsity basketball game with the late Gene Steratore at Uniontown the second year I was officiating. Gene said, 鈥榃olfie you are now a varsity official and I don鈥檛 want to see you ever working a JV game again.鈥� Second or third year I took off and I had varsity games.鈥�
The back injury that he suffered in the mines led Woleslagle to undergo back surgery.
鈥淚n 1985 I had surgery and that got me out of the mines and that got me into my real estate career,鈥� Woleslagle stated.
Woleslagle returned to the hardwood and was a top flight official. He and former St. John teammate Denny Hanna worked as an officiating tandem on many games. They both retired from officiating in 2009.
鈥淚 worked games for coach Nesser when he was at Uniontown,鈥� Woleslagle recalled. 鈥淭hat was interesting. Back then you would have to get your own games. Hanna and I worked the Geibel-Frazier game for years, home and home.
鈥淚 have great memories as an official. Hanna and I would work the big games in Westmoreland County and the Westmoreland County guys would work Uniontown-Laurel Highlands or other big games in Fayette County. It was a great experience.鈥�
Woleslagle worked in real estate from 1989 until he retired in 2012.
Now 71, Woleslagle resides in Naples, Florida with his wife of 30 years, Donna. They have no children.
鈥淟ooking back I鈥檓 pleased,鈥� Woleslagle said. 鈥淪ports and officiating was a big part of my life. I enjoyed it. I made lifelong friends.鈥�
George Von Benko蘑菇视频 鈥淢emory Lane鈥� column appears in the Sunday 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.