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I just finished reading Neil Rudel's point-counterpoint column on Penn State's 1986 national championship win over Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.
I, too, had the pleasure of being in attendance and agree it is my number one memory.
I took my father to the game. Being from Pittsburgh, it was only his second Penn State game and would be our last game attended together.
I will remember the trip and game always.
I remember walking through the parking lot on the way to the stadium prior to the game to see all the T-shirt vendors walking around selling T-shirts that said "Miami Hurricanes National Champions" for $30 all the while chanting.
These same T-shirts were being huckstered in the parking lots after the game with these same vendors chanting "Miami national championship T-shirts only $5."
Karma.
The game started off with a feeling of "oh boy" as Miami's defense had its way with our offensive front. To be honest, I thought, "Oh no, not again" as I had attended the Orange Bowl the year before, and we lost to Oklahoma.
But over the years as a Penn State fan you sort of get used to saying it will be okay, it will be OK.
Our defensive backs were laying the lumber to the heralded Miami receivers, who were dropping passes looking to get hit.
What a game. When D.J. Dozier scored the touchdown in the end zone in front of us, it was bedlam. I'll never forget the feeling. Well at least until that last drive down the field by Miami.
Then the "Oh no, not again" feelings tried to take over. But when Pete Giftopoulos intercepted that pass and took a few steps and knelt down at the opposite end of the field, the feelings were just unbelievable. Wow.
Then on the bus back to our hotel, which was all Penn State fans from our trip, it did not take hotel management long to realize that the pool area was not going to close at midnight.
The party lasted until roughly 3 a.m.. I really don't think many people were in their rooms.
I know nobody was asleep.
Thanks for resurrecting some great memories.
Chuck Banas
Tyrone
Croft left strong legacy in Cove
Sherman Croft, 95, passed away last month at Homewood Retirement Center at Martinsburg.
Sherm had a distinguished career in education at the Spring Cove School District. He can also claim to be the last of two basketball coaches at Morrison Cove High School who produced Juniata Valley League championships.
Leon Kensinger, another native of Morrisons Cove, coached the first league winner during the 1941-42 season.
Croft took over the team in the mid-1950s from Frank Moore and won the league's crown in the last year before MCHS consolidated into what is now Central High.
In an interview with me in 2002, he recalled, "I inherited a good program from Frank Moore and had six solid regular players (Steve Parks, Ron Smith, Bill and Dick Replogle, Reagan Carper and Lowell Ritchey) and other talented backups. The scoring was pretty well spread around."
During Croft's coaching tenure, the Williamsburg High boys basketball program had gained prominence in the region, but MCHS prevailed over the Blue Pirates in a tie-breaking, regular season-ending game, 58-42.
In post-season play, Morrison Cove beat Kishacoquillas and Renova in District VI Class B playoffs, but lost to Laurel Valley in the final.
Croft was among the last departing faculty members and coaches in the building that housed Morrison Cove High School. It began in 1901 and was intended to be Founders Hall of the fledgling University of Southern Pennsylvania. When that concept faltered it briefly became in 1916 Morrison Cove College, a venue for teacher training.
The building become a vocational high school in 1919. The gymnasium was built as a project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and was opened in 1937.
The structure is now home to Canary (computer) Labs, and the gym is used as a practice facility for Central High teams.
James Wentz
McLean, Va.