Keeping the tradition alive: Stu McLee followed in footsteps of talented relatives
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Uniontown蘑菇视频 Stu McLee (32) is shown during a Red Raiders game against West Mifflin.
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Uniontown蘑菇视频 Stu McLee scores against Hempfield.
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Stu McLee points to his championship on the Uniontown School of Champions sign.
The McLee family has played a large role in the history of Uniontown High School athletics. Stu McLee upheld the family tradition well during his time with the Red Raiders.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 a very proud history,鈥� McLee stated. 鈥淚 can actually go back to my mother蘑菇视频 brother Donald McLee that played football in the 1950s. Then going up the ladder Ray Parson was my cousin, Arnie Belt was a cousin. There蘑菇视频 an abundance of great athletes that were all related. Kevin McLee who played at Georgia, Reggie and Bill McLee at West Virginia, and cousin Brad McLee who played at Michigan State. That蘑菇视频 just scratching the surface. It蘑菇视频 a great lineage, it really is. I knew about it, I heard about it and read about it. I watched my brothers and cousins play for the Red Raiders.鈥�
McLee was a track and basketball standout for the Red Raiders in the 1980s.
In track McLee蘑菇视频 specialty was the high jump.
鈥淚 used to watch my brother Brian McLee and Terence Jackson jump. Marc Vassar and I would watch when we were younger,鈥� McLee explained, 鈥渁nd we just learned from watching those guys.鈥�
McLee finished in sixth place in the WPIAL high jump in 1986 with a mark of 6 feet, 5 inches, and did not qualify for the PIAA tournament. In 1987 McLee captured the WPIAL Class AAA high jump title in a jump off with Penn Trafford蘑菇视频 Dave Laukas. Mclee and Laukas both went out at 6-11. Both had the same number of misses. After Laukas and McLee missed again at 6-11, the bar was lowered to 6-10. Laukas was short on his attempt. McLee cleared the bar for the gold medal.
In the PIAA championships McLee and Laukas battled once again. Both cleared 6-10 and McLee won the championship in a jump off. Uniontown teammate Marc Vassar finished sixth with a jump of 6-7.
鈥榃inning the championship and following in Jackson蘑菇视频 footsteps was really something special for me,鈥� McLee stated.
鈥淚 loved both basketball and track. I grew up playing basketball in the East End and I played at Bailey Park and Grant Street as all my older brothers did, and track was something watching Jackson and my brother Brian. It was just a thrill to see these guys jump and I said I just want to do this one day. I want to be like them and I want to jump and the results turned out well.鈥�
McLee followed in his brother蘑菇视频 footsteps on the hardwood. Coach Lash Nesser commented on Stu and the long line of McLees playing for the Red Raiders back in 1987.
鈥淚鈥檝e had five of them in my years here,鈥� Nesser said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what there names were. I just call them McLee.鈥�
In 1985-86 the Red Raiders posted a record of 11-10. In 1986-87 Uniontown finished 20-5, in the WPIAL playoffs they beat Bethel Park 68-52 and lost to Central Catholic 62-50. In the PIAA tournament the Red Raiders had a nice run. They downed Altoona 71-69, Moon 78-69 and were beaten by Meadville 85-67.
Stu McLee played JV basketball as a sophomore and then tallied 212 points as a junior and had 363 points as a senior. McLee had a 25-point efforts his senior year against McKeesport on Feb. 6, 1987 in a 79-65 win. He hit for 25 in the 71-69 PIAA victory over Altoona and followed that up with 24 points in the 78-69 win over Moon.
鈥淚t was a an excellent run,鈥� McLee said. 鈥淚 was disappointed that Meadville came out on us and just played a great game against us. That was a tough game for me I think I only scored four points.
鈥淲e had talent. When we look back we say to ourselves we could have done it. I was blessed with my career at Uniontown. I had some memorable stories and I鈥檓 happy.鈥�
McLee enjoyed playing for the legendary James 鈥淟ash鈥� Nesser.
鈥淚 used to watch coach Nesser coach my brothers,鈥� McLee offered. 鈥淚t a great experience playing for coach Nesser. He had that winning spirit, you had to hustle, he wanted to win. He got the most out of his players.鈥�
When McLee graduated from Uniontown in 1987, he played some college basketball at Waynesburg.
鈥淚 had a stint at Waynesburg,鈥� McLee recalled. 鈥淚 went to Waynesburg for a little bit. College is not for everyone and it just wasn鈥檛 for me. At that time my mother蘑菇视频 sister had passed and I came back home. Cousin Troy McLee who played at Uniontown went to school in Iowa and settled in Milwaukee and brother Brian at that time moved up there. So I moved there and was employed by Milwaukee Public Schools and I worked there for 30 years as a teacher蘑菇视频 aide, I came back home in December of 2020. I work with Fayette County Head Start.鈥�
McLee, 52, resides in Uniontown with his wife Colivia who is the sister of former Connellsville High School standout West Turner. They have been married for about six and a half months.
鈥淟ooking back I was very satisfied with what I was able to accomplish in athletics,鈥� McLee said. 鈥淚 upheld the family tradition in athletics and I was truly blessed with great athletes in my family and it carried on down the line.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.