Hostetler talks about other Cougar greats

Part 1 of the Hostetler story featured him discussing select Charleroi High stars.

He continued, moving on to the highly successful Jeff Petrucci.

“I didn’t see too much of him during my senior year because he was just coming up, but I saw him in practice,” Hostetler said. “You could tell that he was more of a natural coming into his own. It takes time to get out there and get your opportunity to run the offense the way you want to.

“Even our coach, Rab Currie, knew what he wanted — and we knew we had to adhere to it. He was a very strong coach. He directed with precision.

“Then there’s George Kalamaras, Stan Kemp, Don Saunders and many others – we all came up through a strong feeder system that had lots of support in Charleroi,” Hostetler added. ”Sports was so prevalent and successful.”

Charleroi sports historian Tom Jenkins was a 1957 Little League teammate of Hostetler, Kemp and Saunders. That team won the championship.

“It remains the only championship I ever won,” Jenkins said with a laugh. “George was the epitome of being a Charleroi Cougar.”

Hostetler didn’t limit his praise to Cougars.

He said, “The Valley was full of stars. When you look at Monessen, they were usually loaded. Bill Malinchak was a great receiver. Ben Jones and Eric Crabtree were outstanding running backs. There was Ralph Nuzzaci who went to Clemson with me as a freshman. I think two years later a nose guard named Ray Mullen from Belle Vernon Area came to Clemson and did well.”

Hostetler recalls fierce football competition in the 1960s, saying his Cougars played in a strong league with great rivalries, and not just Monessen.

“Teams were hard-nosed back then and when you came up against Brownsville or Donora, you knew you were in for a good game. It was exciting to get ready for. What I remember most about Donora was how hard fought every game was. It didn’t matter if it was football or baseball.”

Hostetler spent some time on the sidelines himself.

“I coached football for four years and sent a number of athletes off to college,” he recalled. “Lester Johnson went to West Virginia, Tim Gillespie to South Carolina and Mark Taylor to Furman. It was so much easier when you can get talent like that and get them on the field. It makes you really look smart.”

Jenkins added his input to some of the players Hostetler mentioned.

“Charleroi named the stadium after Myron Pottios, who graduated in 1957 then played for Notre Dame. He was an 11-year pro linebacker with the Steelers, Rams and Redskins. He was probably the top football player in Charleroi history,” Jenkins said. “Pottios was named to three Pro Bowl teams. He played for coaches such as Buddy Parker in Pittsburgh and George Allen in Los Angeles and Washington.”

With the Redskins, Allen built a team of older experienced players and his team earned the nickname “The Over the Hill Gang.” Old, yes, but winners.

John Verkleeren was a 1962 CHS graduate. Jenkins said, “His nickname was ‘Hop.’ He was big and strong, and he played football, basketball and baseball. He got All-State Honorable Mention as an end in football and he was All Section in basketball. He got a scholarship to Pitt for football and he played defensive end for the Panthers.”

Verkleeren, a retired cardiologist, lives in Kansas City, MO. “He made it into the CHS Football and the school’s All Sports HOF. He’s also in the Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame.”

Kalamaras, a 1963 grad was “very versatile.” He played football, basketball, and baseball. He captained all three sports as a senior. Nicknamed ‘Greek,’ he was a halfback and an end on offense and a defensive back. In basketball he was the point guard, and in baseball he was an outstanding shortstop. He played baseball and basketball at North Carolina-Wilmington.”