Playing Through the Whistle

by S. L. Price

  223 Just three months later . . . : “Beaver County Mall”, Beaver County Chamber of Commerce, Beaver County Times, December 1, 2005, page 47 (page 3 of advertising section).

  223 “It calmed down” . . . : Steals, author interview.

  224 When Mann came home . . . : Mann, Richard, author interview, February 25, 2013.

  224 When students returned . . . : “Aliquippa Enrollment Off, Following Recent Patterns”, Beaver County Times, September 2, 1970, page 1.

  225 “My first day on the job” . . . : Mann, author interview.

  225 “Eventually they ended up getting there” . . . : Peake, author interview.

  225 Only twenty-nine boys . . . : “Aliquippa Stuns Central, 14–12: Quips Win After 15 Straight Losses”, Evushak, Ron, Beaver County Times, September 14, 1970, page B4.

  225 And by late October . . . : Yannessa, author interview.

  225 “He goes 2-7-1” . . . : Yannessa, ibid.

  225 The just-reported 1970 census results . . . : 1970 Census of Population, United States Census Bureau, Washington, D.C., 1970.

  225 On September 25 . . . : “Ernie Pitts Shot Fatally”, Beaver County Times, September 26, 1970, page 1.

  225 “We were real close” . . . : Frank, Willie, author interview, October 31, 2011.

  226 “It was heartbreaking” . . . : Yanessa, author interview.

  226 In the summer of 1972 . . . : Steals, Mervin, author interview, May 6, 2013.

  229 “A lot of my friends used to fly around the country” . . . : ibid.

  230 “A small riot” . . . : Dorsett, author interview.

  230 “I could always see it coming down” . . . : ibid.

  231 Dorsett played his first Hopewell season . . . : Dorsett, Frommer, 10.

  231 His senior year, the Quips’ only consolation . . . : “Strength, Ball Control Produce Viking Win: A Typical Quip-Hopewell Game”, Rose, Ed, Jr., Beaver County Times, October 16, 1972, page C3.

  231 “I put a defense on him” . . . : Yannessa, author interview.

  232 “Come in this place” . . . : Dorsett, author interview.

  232 “I wanted that money” . . . : ibid.

  232 While a freshman at Pitt . . . : Millman, Coyne, 183.

  232 “He was the brother that I always wanted to be like” . . . : Dorsett, author interview.

  233 First college running back to amass 6,000 . . . : Millman, Coyne, 186.

  233 Pitt media official . . . : ibid, 183.

  233 He finished his twelve-year pro career . . . : “Tony Dorsett”, Pro Football Hall of Fame, http://www.profootballhof.com/players/tony-dorsett/stats/.

  233 “My older brothers” . . . : Dorsett, author interview.

  234 When it came time for the annual team banquet . . . : “Sports Bound Aliquippa Wounds”, Cook, Ron, Beaver County Times, February 22, 1981, page A10.

  234 And the players were no different . . . : Yannessa, author interview.

  235 But on August 24, 1972 . . . : “Aliquippa Grid Star Larry Jones Dies”, Beaver County Times, August 25, 1972, page 1.

  235 The Quips went 2-8 that year . . . : Aliquippa Quips 1910-2010.

  235 “You win the coin toss” . . . : “Aliquippa Turns Red Hurricanes Blue”, Rose, Ed, Jr., Beaver County Times, October 12, 1974, A8.

  235 But he had been telling his team all week . . . : ibid.

  236 “We came home” . . . : Yannessa, author interview.

  236 In 1968, James Ling . . . : Inman, Wollman, 172–178.

  237 “The best in the world” . . . : Central Intelligence Agency, World Steel Market: Continued Trouble Ahead, Washington, D.C., 1977, page 10.

  237 Fresh off a 1973 agreement . . . : Inman, Wollman, 186; Hoerr, John P. And The Wolf Finally Came: The Decline of the American Steel Industry. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1988, chapter 12.

  237 “Stuff started to happen” . . . : Betters, Mark, author interview.

  237 “The Aliquippa plant seemed impregnable” . . . : Hoerr, 479.

  238 “That place was his life” . . . : Battalini, author interview.

  238 But in Aliquippa, this was masked by plans for another capital expansion . . . : Inman, Wollman, 190.

  238 “Let’s face it, men” . . . : ibid, 187–188; JALTeam Almanac 27, no. 4, Winter 1974, page 3.

  239 “And they called me to work” . . . : Gilbert, Aileen, author interview, September 22, 2010.

  240 The football stadium was renamed . . . : “Disappointed . . . But Not Discouraged”, Emert, Rich, Beaver County Times, September 23, 1972, B3.

  241 “You should hear what the whites are saying” . . . : Yannessa, author interview.

  241 “It was tremendous” . . . : “Sports Bound Aliquippa Wounds”, Cook, Ron, Beaver County Times, February 22, 1981, page A10.

  241 “We used to have so many meetings” . . . : Yannessa, author interview.

  242 Before pancreatic cancer killed him . . . : “Sports Bound Aliquippa Wounds”, Cook, Ron, Beaver County Times, February 22, 1981, page A1.

  242 “Just a wonderful human being” . . . : Yannessa, author interview.

  242 “People rioting” . . . : “Will Aliquippa Get Last Chance?”, Bechtel, Sam, Beaver County Times, February 20, 1976, page B1.

  242 The school’s reputation in the region . . . : “Aliquippa Denies Version of Melee”, Beaver County Times, February 11, 1976, page A3.

  243 “I’ve got to have the most difficult job” . . . : “Will Aliquippa Get Last Chance?”, Bechtel, Sam, Beaver County Times, February 20, 1976, page B1.

  243 In October of 1976, Aliquippa High forfeited . . . : “Quips Found Guilty in PIAA Investigation”, Beaver County Times, October 27, 1976, page D1.

  243 Steadily improving . . . : Aliquippa Quips 1910–2010.

  243 “Yeah, Don Juan would recruit kids” . . . : Steals, author interview.

  243 The Beaver County Times had one version . . . : “Classes Back in Session at Aliquippa”, Beaver County Times, March 1, 1977, page A3.

  243 “I was there” . . . : Short, Dan, author interview, October 13, 2011.

  244 “The next thing you know” . . . : Wytiaz, Dave, author interview, November 11, 2011.

  245 “Every day we’d come to work” . . . : Yannessa, author interview.

  245 The projects of Valley Terrace . . . : “Project Problems Many, Obvious”, Walker, Joe, Beaver County Times, March 12, 1977, page A1.

  245 “We had some selfish sons of bitches on that team” . . . : Short, author interview.

  246 After the Quips suffered a gutting 20-19 loss . . . : “Cougars Dunk Quips, Hamilton”, Beaver County Times, November 5, 1977, page B2.

  246 “This is not my team” . . . : Yannessa, author interview.

  246 “A lot of us” . . . : Short, author interview.

  247 “All you knew” . . . : McBride, author interview.

  247 Starting in October 1977 . . . : “Police Comb Woods for Date of Slain Youth”, Beaver County Times, October 24, 1977, page A3.

  247 A series of what would amount to eighteen murders . . . : “Serial Killer Admits to 2 Findlay Deaths in 1977”, Harlan, Chico, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 27, 2007.

  247 “I had a gun shop” . . . : David, George, author interview, January 6, 2012.

  247 Yet Aliquippa remained spared . . . : “State Police Hope Faint for Nabbing Slippery Suspect”, Grotevant, Bob, Beaver County Times, June 8, 1978, page 1; “The Crimes and the Capture”, Beaver County Times, February 24, 2007.

  248 Three weeks later . . . : “The Crimes and the Capture”, Beaver County Times, February 24, 2007.

  248 “Uncle Sam trained him” . . . : Smith, author interview.

  248 Stories he told . . . : “Edward Surratt: A Man No One Really Knew”, Beaver County Times, February 25, 2007, page A11.r />
  248 “He was good friends with the family” . . . : Patrick, Timmie, author interview, November 27, 2011.

  248 “A very liked gentleman” . . . : Marocco, author interview.

  249 “He could’ve cut you up” . . . : Patrick, author interview.

  249 “Sometimes people just take a turn” . . . : ibid.

  250 “This has got to stop somewhere” . . . : Short, author interview.

  250 “No one left that gym” . . . : McBride, author interview.

  250 And as the season unrolled . . . : Aliquippa Quips 1910-2010.

  251 “Everything became a lot easier” . . . : Yannessa, author interview, October 8, 2010.

  251 To “its super-sparkling best” . . . : “Aliquippa Plans Giant Presidential Welcome”, Leherr, Dave, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 23, 1978, page 3.

  251 “Anybody who cares about sports” . . . : “Crowd Cheers Carter on Aliquippa Visit”, Grotevant, Bob, Beaver County Times, September 24, 1978, page 1.

  252 It didn’t hurt that Aliquippa High had crushed Moon . . . : “Aliquippa Emerging as Title Contender”, Cosgrove, Randy, Beaver County Times, September 24, 1978.

  253 “I dropped the ball” . . . : Short, author interview, September 25, 2010.

  253 “When we lost that game” . . . : Yannessa, author interview, October 8, 2010.

  255 “He was already married” . . . : Baldwin, Delois, author interview, March 3, 2012.

  255 “They used to always beat me up” . . . : Baldwin, Jeff, author interview, November 1, 2011.

  256 “My daddy was in an accident” . . . : ibid.

  257 “Who? No, Henry” . . . : Baldwin, Delois, author interview.

  257 “The November 29, 1978, edition of the Beaver County Times . . . : “Aliquippa Woman Held in Husband’s Death”, Beaver County Times, November 29, 1978, page A3.

  257 A death certificate . . . : Beaver County Register of Wills, death certificate for Baldwin, Henry, December 4, 1978.

  257 Apparent contravention . . . : Pennsylvania Slayer’s Act, http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/LI/consCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&ttl=20&div=0&chpt=88.

  258 “Football and basketball are the same thing” . . . : Zmijanac, author interview.

  259 “Have you lost your fuckin’ mind?” . . . : Zmijanac, author interview, March 26, 2012.

  259 “Mike was a good teacher” . . . : Yannessa, author interview, March 29, 2012.

  259 “If I’m not going to move up to varsity” . . . : Zmijanac, author interview.

  260 “Punching . . . kicking and stomping” . . . : “What Now? Dome Brawl Leaves McNie Seeing Red”, Vranes, Marc, Beaver County Times, December 31, 1978, page C6.

  260 “On the floor” . . . : Zmijanac, author interview.

  261 Things’ve gotten bad there . . . : Evasovich, John, author interview, November 6, 2011.

  261 “I was in a black neighborhood” . . . : Leighton, Chris, Reverend, author interview, February 17, 2014.

  262 “Good news, Ma” . . . : Pollock, Jonha, author interview, July 7, 2013.

  262 “I don’t think I hit the ground with my feet” . . . : ibid.

  263 “It’s crazy” . . . : ibid.

  263 “All five” . . . : Baldwin, Jeff, author interview.

  263 The doctor at Aliquippa Hospital . . . : “Ex-Area Grid Star Wounded”, Beaver County Times, June 15, 1981, page A5; Baldwin, Jeff, interview.

  263 “You know what actually saved me?” . . . : Baldwin, Jeff, author interview.

  263 The class of ’81 had gone 12-1 . . . : Aliquippa Quips 1910-2010.

  263 Lost the ’80 WPIAL final . . . : “Last Lesson Painful One for Aliquippa”, Bires, Mike, Beaver County Times, November 23, 1980, page C1.

  263 First-team All-State . . . : “All-Staters; Quips’ Baldwin, Shannon on UPI First Team”, United Press International, Beaver County Times, December 11, 1980, page C1.

  264 “The problem with Jeff Baldwin” . . . : Yannessa, author interview.

  264 “I just lost the desire” . . . : Baldwin, Jeff, author interview.

  264 “He put so much in me” . . . : Brown, Jamie, author interview, April 28, 2012.

  265 There on page one . . . : “Reagan Firing Controllers; Union Claims Strength”, United Press International, Beaver County Times, August 6, 1981, page A1.

  265 And inside . . . : “A Good Omen for the Future at J&L Steel”, Beaver County Times, August 6, 1981, page A6.

  266 From 151 million . . . : Hoerr, 606.

  266 The loss of 337,552 jobs . . . : ibid.

  266 “Ling’s goal in doing this” . . . : Inman, Wollman, 309.

  266 “They thought I was crazy” . . . : Suder, George “Juke”, author interview, June 6, 2012.

  266 24,000 jobs . . . : Carter, Jimmy, news conference, September 24, 1978, Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Jimmy Carter, 1978, Book 2: June 30 to December 31, 1978, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1978, page 1,661.

  266 “It was a workman’s paradise” . . . : Grandstaff, Gary, author interview, August 26, 2013.

  267 “Collapsing assumptions” . . . : Tuchman, Barbara. A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978: xiii.

  267 “We also lost a lot of competition” . . . : Briem, Chris, author interview, October 11, 2010.

  268 “People would work for six hours” . . . : Grandstaff, author interview.

  269 “The union would defend everybody” . . . : Macroglou, Bill, author interview, August 16, 2013.

  269 “We’ve defended some people” . . . : Eritano, Pete, author interview, January 6, 2012.

  270 “We feel the impact is going to be minimal” . . . : “J&L to Shut Down Rod and Wire Mill”, Beaver County Times, September 15, 1981, page A1.

  270 In March 1982 . . . : “J&L Work Force Slashed”, Wasko, Rick, Mayfield, Dave, Beaver County Times, March 18, 1982, page A1.

  270 Grandstaff . . . : Grandstaff, author interview.

  270 The White House was calling . . . : “Union Begs Reagan for Help”, Musala, Jane C., Beaver County Times, September 14, 1983, page 28 (page 1 of Moon Township-Coraopolis Area section).

  271 Crime in Aliquippa . . . : “Old Steel Town Hopes to Survive Recession”, Robbins, William, New York Times, August 23, 1984.

  271 “They’d put in a new round caster” . . . : Malesky, Jerry, author interview, September 24, 2010.

  272 On January 3, 1985 . . . : “LTV Idling 500 at Aliquippa Works”, Bickert, Tom, Beaver County Times, January 4, 1985, page A1.

  272 “I shut the welded tube down” . . . : Suder, George “Juke”, author interview.

  272 On May 17, 1985 . . . : “LTV: Death of a Mill; Workers, Union Officials Bitter”, Bickert, Tom, Beaver County Times, May 18, 1985, page A1.

  272 Only 13,374 Aliquippans . . . : Census of 1990, United States Census Bureau, Washington, D.C.

  272 “Who cries when I cry” . . . : Walker, author interview.

  PART FOUR

  279 By 1980 Aliquippa’s population was down to 17,094 . . . : Census of 1980, United States Census Bureau, Washington, D.C.

  279 By ’90 . . . : Census of 1990, United States Census Bureau, Washington, D.C.

  279 Official capacity, 5,500 . . . : “Top Quip; Yannessa Brings Football to Life in Aliquippa”, White, Mike, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 25, 1985, page 16.

  280 “Johnny, you got to get more involved in the program” . . . : Evasovich, John, author interview, November 6, 2011.

  280 Three of the four previous WPIAL . . . : Aliquippa Quips 1910-2010.

  280 National Public Radio . . . : “NBC Show to Highlight Aliquippa High School”, Xander, Rick, Beaver County Times, October 8, 1985, page C5.

  281 “Ain’t you fuckin’ somethin’” . . . : Zmijanac
, Mike, author interview, September 23, 2010.

  281 In the fall of 1983 . . . : “Yannessa Decides to Retire”, White, Mike, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 31, 2008.

  282 “Craig T” . . . : Yannessa, Don, author interview, March 29, 2012.

  283 “Just something for coming” . . . : ibid.

  283 Yes, its tenth-to-twelfth grade enrollment of 449 students . . . : “WPIAL Realigns Football Classes, Conferences”, Dulac, Gerry, Pittsburgh Press, December 23, 1981, page B-5.

  283 The Quips kept losing . . . : Aliquippa Quips 1910–2010.

  283 “We’ve got the copper trophy” . . . : “Mt. Pleasant Pulls a Surprise”, White, Mike, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 28, 1983, page 20.

  283 660 jobs . . . : “More Employees Furloughed at Aliquippa Works”, Swauger, Bill, Beaver County Times, September 23, 1984, page A1.

  283 A 5-foot-5 butterball . . . : “Ex-Quips’ Star Looks to Impress Gladiators”, Neupauer, Nick, Beaver County Times, May 13, 1990, page C1.

  284 The ’84 Quips bulled through the regular season . . . : Aliquippa Quips 1910–2010.

  284 In the WPIAL AAA title game . . . : “Aliquippa Trades Silver for Gold”, Perrotto, John, Beaver County Times, November 23, 1984, page C1.

  284 “Hey”, he screamed . . . : Yannessa, author interview.

  284 Still, some five hundred fans . . . : “The Victors: Quips Bring Home the Gold”, Weiss, Steve, Beaver County Times, November 25, 1984, page A1.

  284 Two days later, Sunday’s Beaver County Times . . . : ibid.

  285 The next September . . . : “Top Quip: Yannessa Brings Football to Life in Aliquippa”, White, Mike, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 25, 1985, page 16.

  285 “I want to get the Indian and the horse to parachute out of a helicopter” . . . : ibid.

  286 He promised his players . . . : America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions, “#2. 1985 Chicago Bears”, CBS, February 3, 2007.

  286 “Go out and win one for Lefty” . . . : “Ditka: ‘Basic Guy’ Molds Uncommon Team”, Berkow, Ira, New York Times, January 20, 1986.

  286 Lost the ’84 NFC title game . . . : Ditka, Mike, with Telander, Rick. In Life, First You Kick Ass: Reflections on the 1985 Bears and Wisdom from Da Coach. Champaign, Ill.: Sports Publishing LLC, 2005: 6-9.