Remembering the Youngstown City Series and Steel Valley Conference

coldshoulder

coldshoulder

Well-known member
Back in January 2020, poster QCity started a thread titled "Remembering the Youngstown City Series" in the Boys Basketball Forum. It got a little action, but really started taking off about 10 months ago in February, 2023, and has now run out to 8 pages, 210 replies, and 13,000 views. I began searching the Youngstown Vindicator archives on Google Newspapers in mid-March, 2023 and came across numerous Vindy All-City teams from the 60's, 70's, and 80's which I posted in the thread.

I am now going to start researching the Vindy archives for the All-City Football teams, which include many outstanding football players, quite a few who went on to solid college careers, with some even advancing to the NFL. My intention here is to spark some memories of days gone by while marveling at the impressive array of talent that was selected for these All-City teams for the Youngstown City Series. I would invite any and all posters to add their recollections, especially where these gridiron greats played in college.

First up is the 1961 All-City team:

1961 Yo City Series FB.png
 
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coldshoulder said:
Back in January 2020, poster QCity started a thread titled "Remembering the Youngstown City Series" in the Boys Basketball Forum. It got a little action, but really started taking off about 10 months ago in February, 2023, and has now run out to 8 pages, 210 replies, and 13,000 views. I began searching the Youngstown Vindicator archives on Google Newspapers in mid-March, 2023 and came across numerous Vindy All-City teams from the 60's, 70's, and 80's which I posted in the thread.

I am now going to start researching the Vindy archives for the All-City Football teams, which include many outstanding football players, quite a few who went on to solid college careers, with some even advancing to the NFL. My intention here is to spark some memories of days gone by while marveling at the impressive array of talent that was selected for these All-City teams for the Youngstown City Series. I would invite any and all posters to add their recollections, especially where these gridiron greats played in college.

First up is the 1961 All-City team:

View attachment 51680
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Cardinal Mooney won the 1961 City Series title with a perfect 7-0 league record. Rayen had been the first team to accomplish a 7-0 CS record in 1960. It was only possible to do so from 1959-1967. The Cardinals had a late potential game-tying TD called back against Canton CC for their only loss.

1961 MOONEY
URSULINE W 32-14
EAST W 36-6
SOUTH W 12-0
HUBBARD W 12-0
WILSON W 41-12
CHANEY W 28-0
NORTH W 34-0
RAYEN W 50-12
CANTON C.C. L 0-8 (ALAN PAGE)
8-17-0 City


I can help with colleges of some of them anyway. The 2nd team that year had several guys that went on to the next level as well.

E - John Horney - Mooney - Notre Dame - member of the 1966 National Champion - played in the famous 10-10 tie with Mich. St.
E - Andy Matey - Chaney - YSU
OT - Dick Toriello - Mooney - U. of Detroit
OT - Bill Canacci - East - New Mexico U.
OG - Paul Rish - Ursuline - YSU
C - John Cox - Mooney - YSU
QB - Ron Caruso - East - Ohio U.
FB - Joe Mogulich - Mooney - Miami (Fla)
Back - Ray Sattler - Mooney - Miami (Fla)
Back - John Rorick - Ursuline - YSU
Back- Jimmy Jones - South - Geneva
DB - Ray Repasky - Mooney - YSU
LB - Carey Brown - East - I was told by some of the Mooney guys that he might have been the best they played against and they played against Alan Page. I was also told that he went straight to the CFL but I could never verify that.

2nd team:

OT - Fred Moosally - Ursuline - Navy
OG - Tom Detesco - Mooney - jr. - John Carroll
OG - Paul Krispinsky - Wilson - Heidelberg
QB - Joe Minotti - Mooeny - soph. - Miami (O)
Back - John Greene - Ursuline - jr. - Georgia
Back - Pete Ostapiak - Wilson - jr. - Hiram
FB - Lou D'apalito - South - Toledo
 
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YTOWN said:
The Exponent made a mistake? Sacrilege! That's akin to saying Bingo isn't a sacrament! BTW very few people know this but that was the real reason that Martin Luther was excommunicated, he said that publicly :)
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I will increase my tithe accordingly to atone for this malfeasance.
 
For those posters not familiar with the Youngstown area, the Youngstown City Series consisted of six Youngstown schools -- South, North, East, Chaney, Rayen, and Woodrow Wilson -- all public schools. Youngstown parochial schools Cardinal Mooney and Ursuline were members from 1958 thru 1970.

North was the first school to close, following the 1979-80 school year, due to declining enrollment. South was closed following the 1992-93 school year, while Rayen and Wilson closed in 2007. East and Chaney are the only two remaining (along with Ursuline and Mooney), although Chaney has toggled back and forth in the past decade between a traditional high school, a "Performing Arts" school, a STEM-focused school, and maybe even a year or two as a junior high school.
 
@YTOWN
A minor detail but at the time it would have been Youngstown University, it didn't become Youngstown State University until almost 1970. The last year it went by Youngstown College was 1955.
 
Iam younger but my first recollection of the youngstown city series was the broadcast of various city series games on Time Warner local access channel. Must've been in the early to mid 90s.
 
simkon said:
@YTOWN
A minor detail but at the time it would have been Youngstown University, it didn't become Youngstown State University until almost 1970. The last year it went by Youngstown College was 1955.
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That is true. YU became YSU in 1967. I just figured it would be more recognizable to list it as YSU.
 
I played Class B baseball in the late 80’s. My coach was John Rorick (maybe the spelling was this. I wonder if this was the same guy. Had a son on the team who played at Fitch.
 
Next up, the 1962 All-City Series team, which included three repeaters (Mogulich, Sattler, and Horney). Also, Rayen's Roy Winston was first-team All-City Series in basketball for the 1962-63 season.

1962 Yo City Series FB.png
 
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Mooney repeated as CS champions, again with a perfect 7-0 league record. The only team to ever do so in back-to-back seasons. All 11 offensive starters went on to play college ball. Youngstown South had 3 future NFL players and finished 6-2-1 but Mooney hammered them 38-0. This was the first season that Mooney played 10 games and all of them were at South or Rayen. Their lone loss was to the Bo Rein Niles team that was in the middle of that 48-game unbeaten streak.

1962 MOONEY
PITTSBURGH 5TH AVE. W 52-0
RAYEN W 14-8
NILES L 6-16
EAST W 20-8
URSULINE W 14-6
SOUTH W 38-0
WILSON W 28-0
NORTH W 38-6
CHANEY W 48-6
CANTON C.C. W 32-8 (ALAN PAGE)
9-17-0 City

Mooney had three repeaters from 1961 on the 1st team All-City in 62. John Horney, Joe Mogulich & Ray Sattler. The above picture does not show the positions of the All-City Players for 1962 but as far as colleges I know the following:

E - John Horney - Mooney - Notre Dame - (AP Honorable Mention AA at ND in 1966)
OT - Henry Hannah - Mooney - Michigan - (AP Honorable Mention AA at Mich. in 1966)
OT - Henry Orr - South - BGSU
OG - Tom Detesco - Mooney - John Carroll
OG - Ed Matey - Chaney - YSU
OG - Tom Nunziato - Rayen - Hiram
QB - Rick Ballantine - Rayen - Columbia
FB - Joe Mogulich - Mooney - Miami (Fla)
Back - Ray Sattler - Mooney - Miami (Fla)
Back - John Greene - Ursuline - Georgia
Back- Pete Ostapiak - Wilson - Hiram
LB - Dom Colaprete - Mooney - YSU
DB - Roy Winston - Rayen - YSU

There is one thing I never understood about some of the Vindicator All-City teams that this year in particular illustrates. They picked one LBer for 1st team but three on the second team which includes Jamie Rivers of South and BGSU and the Cardinals & Jets in the NFL and Bill Lenkaitis, a junior, of South and Penn St. and the Chargers and Patriots in the AFL and NFL. Why one LB on1st team and three on the 2nd team? The 2nd team featured three future NFL players.

2nd team:

E - Bob Thompson - Wilson - YSU
E - Tony Tocco - Mooney - Detroit U. & Miami (Fla)
OT - Rich Buzin - Wilson - jr. -Penn St. - Rams & Giants in the NFL
OT - Jim Halloran - Mooney - jr. Ohio U.
QB - Joe Minotti - Mooney - jr. Miami (O)
Back - Jim Shaw - Ursuline - jr. - Miami (O)
LB - Jamie Rivers - South - BGSU - Cardinals Jets in the NFL
LB - Bille Lenkaitis - South - Penn St. - Chargers & Patriots in the NFL
DB - Jerry DeNicholas - Mooney - DePauw

The Vindy finally went to a full defensive All-City team in 1967, first team only on O & D but added an Honorable Mention to it.
 
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coldshoulder said:
For those posters not familiar with the Youngstown area, the Youngstown City Series consisted of six Youngstown schools -- South, North, East, Chaney, Rayen, and Woodrow Wilson -- all public schools. Youngstown parochial schools Cardinal Mooney and Ursuline were members from 1958 thru 1970.

North was the first school to close, following the 1979-80 school year, due to declining enrollment. South was closed following the 1992-93 school year, while Rayen and Wilson closed in 2007. East and Chaney are the only two remaining (along with Ursuline and Mooney), although Chaney has toggled back and forth in the past decade between a traditional high school, a "Performing Arts" school, a STEM-focused school, and maybe even a year or two as a junior high school.
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Didn't East close, then reopen when Rayen and Wilson cloosed in a new building ? At one time Youngstown, Warren, and Canton had 12 high schools combined that had football teams. That number is now 4 and at one time was 3.
 
Impalaman said:
Didn't East close, then reopen when Rayen and Wilson cloosed in a new building ? At one time Youngstown, Warren, and Canton had 12 high schools combined that had football teams. That number is now 4 and at one time was 3.
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Yes sir. The original East closed following the 1997-98 school year and reopened in 2007 in a different building and a different mascot and colors which upset many East alums. They went back to the Golden Bears and blue & gold colors in 2017 I think it was. I assume you are taking about public schools only with that 12 number between Youngstown, Warren & Canton.

Ursuline joined the City Series for football in 1941 and Mooney was first eligible for the title in 1959. Both left the City Series following the 1967-68 school year. Their first year of title eligibility for football in the SVC was the 1970 season.

Scipio said:
I‘m not sure but weren’t most of them in the larger divisions also?
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As late as 1972 when they playoffs started all the City teams except North were AAA. The Bulldogs were AA as far back as I can remember. I think Rayen dropped to AA for football in 1975 and East in 76. I believe it stayed that way until OHSAA went to 5 divisions in 1980 when all 7 remaining schools, North had closed, were in D2.
 
I chuckle as I saw Bill Canacci photo above from the 61 season. Bill was an all star at East. We worked together for 22 years and he always had entertaining stories about the City Series. Bill spent many years in the Cleveland area but has been back to the Valley for awhile, now in Howland. Now an old East warrior,lol
 
YTOWN said:
Yes sir. The original East closed following the 1997-98 school year and reopened in 2007 in a different building and a different mascot and colors which upset many East alums. They went back to the Golden Bears and blue & gold colors in 2017 I think it was. I assume you are taking about public schools only with that 12 number between Youngstown, Warren & Canton.

Ursuline joined the City Series for football in 1941 and Mooney was first eligible for the title in 1959. Both left the City Series following the 1967-68 school year. Their first year of title eligibility for football in the SVC was the 1970 season.
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Thank you to YTOWN for the corrections and clarifications regarding the closing dates (and conference affiliation time frames) for the Youngstown city schools. After I started this thread, I thought it would be important to identify the schools and when they ceased to be in existence, and in the case of Mooney and Ursuline what years they were in the City Series. Without cross-checking I just used the most current information in Wikipedia, which *surprise* isn't quite accurate. But I posted that info anyway, figuring (correctly) that experts (YTOWN 😌, and/or others) would make any necessary corrections.
Impalaman said:
Didn't East close, then reopen when Rayen and Wilson closed in a new building ? At one time Youngstown, Warren, and Canton had 12 high schools combined that had football teams. That number is now 4 and at one time was 3.
Click to expand...
 
@YTOWN My father knows most of the players that have been mentioned above. Some he knew from church and some from working at McKelvey's Department Store or at Allen's Drugtown or the VA, and some just from the neighborhood. There was only like 4 guys he didn't know. One of the player's he said served as an altar boy with his one brother at St. Pat's.
 
Well, it's not quite the 12 days of Christmas, but it's close 🙂. Here's the next installment of Youngstown City Series football, 1963:

1963 Yo City Series FB.png
 
Just looked up Vindy Archives in Google
In 1979 North was Single A. I believe its their only year. August 26th Sunday edition. Started the year beat triple A Ashtabula by 30
 
nupanther said:
Just looked up Vindy Archives in Google
In 1979 North was Single A. I believe its their only year. August 26th Sunday edition. Started the year beat triple A Ashtabula by 30
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You are absolutely correct about their classification. I forgot that they did drop to A their last year. They were in the same computer region as Mogadore and they just happened to play the Wildcats in the regular season. Mogadore beat North, 9-8 in week 9. The next week, in the last game the Bulldogs ever played, the Garcia Lane-led South High Warriors beat North 52-0. Mogadore went on to win their first state championship and finish a perfect 12-0. The Bulldogs only won 2 games in 1979. In addition to Ashtabula the other was Wheeling, W. Va. Park, which I think was probably the equivalent of AAA in Ohio at that time but I don't know that for sure. North also had a tie with Chaney to finish at 2-6-1 in their final year. North was always smaller than the rest of the City schools.
 
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YTOWN said:
The Exponent made a mistake? Sacrilege! That's akin to saying Bingo isn't a sacrament! BTW very few people know this but that was the real reason that Martin Luther was excommunicated, he said that publicly :)
Click to expand...
When Norwalk St. Paul had their Summer Festival, bingo was the stuff of legends. I know, I helped contribute

True story
 
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