Panthers make Pitt stop in Old Forge

Enjoying a few days off between summer workouts and the start of training camp, a few members of the University of Pittsburgh football team stopped in Old Forge to visit longtime Panther supporters at GI’s Bar on the corner George and Mary Streets.

West Scranton’s Hubie Graham brought roommates Tino Sunseri and Joe Trebitz to the Pizza Capital to meet with owners Mike Lettieri and Anthony Cusumano, and a pack of rabid Pitt fans who were thrilled to hangout for a few hours with the trio.

Graham, a former all-state performer for the Invaders, transferred to Pitt this year after spending his first two seasons at Illinois. He will sit out this season per NCAA rules before playing the 2011 and 2012 seasons in Blue and Gold.

Sunseri is slotted to be the starting quarterback this season for the Panthers. The redshirt sophomore is the son of former Pitt All-American linebacker Sal Sunseri who is now the defensive coordinator at Alabama. He was an all-state performer for Pittsburgh Central Catholic while in high school.

Trebitz, from Boca Raton, is also a redshirt sophomore and will battle for playing time at both inside linebacker positions.

Missing from the visiting group was Old Forge’s own Caleb Wilson who is a walk-on redshirt sophomore wide receiver for the Panthers. Wilson is spending the summer in California studying in a prestigious mdeical program offered by UCLA.

New teams on OF sked

It’s Dream Game time again, and come tomorrow there will be only 21 days until local football players officially don the helmets, shoulder pads and spikes to begin the start of the high school football season with double-sessions.

Old Forge has an interesting schedule this season as they open September 3 at Lake-Lehman. It will be the first time the Blue Devils and Black Knights have met on the football field in the 93-year history of Old Forge football. Lake-Lehman is a Class 2A school and was 4-6 in 2009 playing in the Wyoming Valley Conference’s Division II.

The Blue Devils then open its home slate against Wilkes-Barre GAR on Sept. 10. The Grenadiers was 8-2 last season in the WVC Division II and were the No. 2 seed in the District 2 Class 2A playoffs. The teams have met just once previously, in 1939 when Old Forge lost 34-0 to GAR during a 2-8 season for the Blue Devils. Old Forge scored just 27 points all season in 1939.

Old Forge will then travel to Shickshinny on Sept. 17 to take on Class 1A rival Northwest. The Rangers were 9-4 last season and are the District 2 champions last season after beating Riverside in the title game. The Blue Devils are 4-0 all-time against Northwest, with the last two victories coming in the D2 playoffs, including a 20-13 win for the 2006 Class 1A crown.

Honesdale comes to town in Week 4 on Sept. 24 and is on the schedule for the first time since 1995 when they beat Old Forge 41-14. The Hornets and Blue Devils have played nine times with all meetings occurring from 1987-1995. Old Forge is 4-5 all-time against their former Suburban Conference rivals. The Hornets are a Class 3A school and have won just five games in the past three seasons playing in the Lackawanna Football Conference’s Division I.

The Blue Devils then travel to arch-rival Riverside on Oct. 1 in Week 5 before beginning its LFC Division III schedule at home in Week 6 on Oct. 8 against Montrose. Old Forge then travels to Lackawanna Trail on Oct 15. for the second straight season before hosting Mid Valley on Oct. 22 and Holy Cross on Oct. 29. The Blue Devils then travel to Susquehanna in Week 10 on Nov. 6 for its only Saturday game of the season.

Wings or Horns?

In case you missed it – and if you did you must have been on a great vacation on some tropical island – Old Forge’s arch-rival, the Riverside Vikings, have a bit of controversy hanging over their heads. Well on the side of them anyway.

Yes that’s right. there is an argument going on over which decal should represent the Taylor-Moosic school on their red helmets. For years, the Vikings have worn Philadelphia Eagles-type decals on their helmets. But the school board has decided they should wear Minnesota Vikings-type decals on their helmets starting this year.

The Viking horn is no stranger to Riverside. The Vikes wore the horn for a period of three or four years in the early part of this decade. But the wing has long been the symbol of Riverside football. Riverside also once sported the word “VIKES” or “VIKINGS” on the side of the helmet in blue letters during a few seasons in the 1980s.

What ever the Vikes wear on the side of their helmets this year probably won’t matter. The team is loaded with talent and should provide a tough matchup for the Blue Devils on Oct. 1.

Yanniello returns

Former Old Forge standout Jared Yanniello has made his way back north after spending a season at Mars Hill College in North Carolina playing baseball. Yanniello will spend this season playing at Marywood University, joining former Old Forge teammate John Stolan on the Pacers club. Pittston Area’s Jon Woytach, who plays Legion baseball in Old Forge, is also on the team.

Field of Dreams

If you saw a bevy of activity going on down at the Miles Street Community Park this weekend then you witnessed the Pennsylvania Little League 9-10 year old All-Star softball state tournament which is being played in Old Forge.

Eight teams from across the state of Pennsylvania have descended on the Pizza Capital to vie for a state title.

Bob Horlacher out of District 31 is the local team in the tournament, representing Section 5. Other teams include, Lehigh, Shippensburg, Chester Valley, Warren, West Point, Indiana and Milton.

Twelve pool-play games were scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday with the East and West championship games set for today at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. The state title game will take place Monday at 6 p.m.

PD Sports

FOLLOWING THE FORGE

New teams on OF sked

Wings or Horns?

Yanniello returns

Field of Dreams

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