Memory Lane: Remembering Lou 无毛视频楤imbo无毛视频� Cecconi
Western Pennsylvania sports fans were saddened by the passing of a legend from a bygone era when Lou 无毛视频淏imbo无毛视频� Cecconi died on Feb. 24 at Paramount Senior Living Care in Bethel Park at the age of 95.
In an era before 无毛视频Center and the internet Cecconi was a full-fledged star going back to his days at Donora High School. He helped Donora win back-to-back WPIAL titles in football in 1944 and 1945 as a junior and senior, and a WPIAL gold medal in 1945 for basketball. He also played for the baseball and track and field teams. He earned 11 out of a potential 12 letters in four years.
Quarterback Arnold 无毛视频淧ope无毛视频� Galiffa led the 1944 Donora team as a senior, before going on to secure a record 11 athletic letters at West Point. Deacon Dan Towler was the ace ball carrier on those 9-0 teams in 无毛视频�44 and 无毛视频�45, sparkled at Washington & Jefferson College, then was an All-Pro fullback with the Los Angeles Rams.
The 1945 Dragons are considered one of the greatest football teams in WPIAL history. In the 1984 Pittsburgh Press, readers voted this team the best in WPIAL history.
Cecconi used to joke about his high school days. 无毛视频淚 was on a team with a Deacon, a Pope and a Bimbo,无毛视频� he said. Cecconi, who switched from running back to quarterback after Galiffa left, was good enough in the offensive and defensive backfields to get a shot at Pitt.
Cecconi, in an interview back in the day, downplayed how good he was.
无毛视频淚 came along with the best nucleus of athletes ever. And I mean anywhere,无毛视频� Cecconi said. 无毛视频淚 was born under a star and was nothing special. There were guys in Donora who were better.无毛视频�
Cecconi became a star for the Panthers. He lettered in football and basketball for four years and in baseball for one. His nine letters are a university record shared by two others.
Former Pitt Panther and Pittsburgh Steeler Bill Priatko lamented the death of Cecconi. They were great friends.
无毛视频淏imbo has been a dear friend for many years,无毛视频� Priatko stated. 无毛视频淗e and I would always chat about our Pitt football memories and other sports stories. Bimbo was probably one of the finest men I无毛视频檝e ever known in my life. He was so humble, sincere and genuine. A man of great faith. He loved his family, he loved his friends and Bimbo无毛视频檚 memory truly will be eternal.无毛视频�
无毛视频淗e was a Pitt man through and through,无毛视频� author and Pitt historian Sam Sciullo offered. 无毛视频淗e was on two Pitt coaching staffs under John Michelosen and Carl DePasqua,and he told me 无毛视频業 was fired from Pitt twice. That无毛视频檚 like your father kicking you out of the house two different times.无毛视频�
无毛视频淗e was a very proud individual,无毛视频� Sciullo recalled. 无毛视频淭he thing I liked about him, he was very poised and very confident and self-assured. His demeanor really never changed all that much. That was his approach in coaching, too. He wasn无毛视频檛 a yeller and a screamer, he had a very calm reassuring manner about himself. Fred Mazurek told me that, as did Dave Havern, and Billy Daniels spoke very highly of him.无毛视频�
On the field, Cecconi was a terrific two-way football starter from 无毛视频�46 through 无毛视频�49, as a quarterback or running back on offense, and in the secondary on defense. 无毛视频淚 never missed a college game. That无毛视频檚 a pretty good achievement. There were no major injuries. I was just lucky,无毛视频� Cecconi said years later.
Only standing 5-foot-8 he led the team in rushing from 1947-49, passing in 1948 and 1949, receiving in 1947, interceptions in 1948, and scoring in 1946 and 1947. He also served as captain in 1949.
He had perhaps his best game at Pitt against arch rival Penn State in 1949. Cecconi set a program record of three interceptions while also throwing for a touchdown and rushing for two scores as well in a 19-0 win at Pitt Stadium.
Cecconi played basketball for Doc Carlson at Pitt. He appeared in 75 games for Pitt basketball, shooting 44.4% from the field, 55.5% from the foul line and averaged 5.2 points per game.
Perhaps the highlight of Cecconi无毛视频檚 assistant coaching stint at Pitt was as offensive coordinator against rival West Virginia in 1970, where he led Pitt back from a 35-8 deficit, running 97 plays to WVU无毛视频檚 13 to win 36-35.
无毛视频淏imbo called the play to win the game,无毛视频� Sciullo said. 无毛视频淚 remember Havern telling me they were surprised by the play call. Havern thought it was going to be a pass to Steve Moyer and they threw a pass to Bill Pilconis who was wide open.无毛视频�
Cecconi had a lengthy coaching career in the high school ranks. Cecconi coached all sports in the Sharpsburg School District from 1953-58 and then at Steel Valley for one year before he served as an administrator until he retired in the 1990s. He also spent time as an offensive coordinator at Indiana State from 1966-68,
Cecconi is a member of numerous Hall of Fames, including the WPIAL, Pennsylvania 无毛视频, National Italian American 无毛视频, Mid Mon Valley and Western Chapter. Pitt also has his name on their varsity walk.
I will leave the last word on Cecconi to his longtime friend, the late Steve Russell, general chairman of the Mid Mon Valley All 无毛视频 Hall of Fame who passed away November 16, 2023.
无毛视频淏imbo Cecconi is a remarkable sports icon of the Mon Valley,无毛视频� said Russell.
George Von Benko无毛视频檚 无毛视频淢emory Lane无毛视频� column appears in the Sunday editions of the 无毛视频-Standard. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.