Keeping the tradition alive: Stu McLee followed in footsteps of talented relatives
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Uniontown无毛视频檚 Stu McLee (32) is shown during a Red Raiders game against West Mifflin.
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Uniontown无毛视频檚 Stu McLee scores against Hempfield.
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Stu McLee points to his championship on the Uniontown School of Champions sign.
The McLee family has played a large role in the history of Uniontown High School athletics. Stu McLee upheld the family tradition well during his time with the Red Raiders.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a very proud history,无毛视频� McLee stated. 无毛视频淚 can actually go back to my mother无毛视频檚 brother Donald McLee that played football in the 1950s. Then going up the ladder Ray Parson was my cousin, Arnie Belt was a cousin. There无毛视频檚 an abundance of great athletes that were all related. Kevin McLee who played at Georgia, Reggie and Bill McLee at West Virginia, and cousin Brad McLee who played at Michigan State. That无毛视频檚 just scratching the surface. It无毛视频檚 a great lineage, it really is. I knew about it, I heard about it and read about it. I watched my brothers and cousins play for the Red Raiders.无毛视频�
McLee was a track and basketball standout for the Red Raiders in the 1980s.
In track McLee无毛视频檚 specialty was the high jump.
无毛视频淚 used to watch my brother Brian McLee and Terence Jackson jump. Marc Vassar and I would watch when we were younger,无毛视频� McLee explained, 无毛视频渁nd we just learned from watching those guys.无毛视频�
McLee finished in sixth place in the WPIAL high jump in 1986 with a mark of 6 feet, 5 inches, and did not qualify for the PIAA tournament. In 1987 McLee captured the WPIAL Class AAA high jump title in a jump off with Penn Trafford无毛视频檚 Dave Laukas. Mclee and Laukas both went out at 6-11. Both had the same number of misses. After Laukas and McLee missed again at 6-11, the bar was lowered to 6-10. Laukas was short on his attempt. McLee cleared the bar for the gold medal.
In the PIAA championships McLee and Laukas battled once again. Both cleared 6-10 and McLee won the championship in a jump off. Uniontown teammate Marc Vassar finished sixth with a jump of 6-7.
无毛视频榃inning the championship and following in Jackson无毛视频檚 footsteps was really something special for me,无毛视频� McLee stated.
无毛视频淚 loved both basketball and track. I grew up playing basketball in the East End and I played at Bailey Park and Grant Street as all my older brothers did, and track was something watching Jackson and my brother Brian. It was just a thrill to see these guys jump and I said I just want to do this one day. I want to be like them and I want to jump and the results turned out well.无毛视频�
McLee followed in his brother无毛视频檚 footsteps on the hardwood. Coach Lash Nesser commented on Stu and the long line of McLees playing for the Red Raiders back in 1987.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e had five of them in my years here,无毛视频� Nesser said. 无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 know what there names were. I just call them McLee.无毛视频�
In 1985-86 the Red Raiders posted a record of 11-10. In 1986-87 Uniontown finished 20-5, in the WPIAL playoffs they beat Bethel Park 68-52 and lost to Central Catholic 62-50. In the PIAA tournament the Red Raiders had a nice run. They downed Altoona 71-69, Moon 78-69 and were beaten by Meadville 85-67.
Stu McLee played JV basketball as a sophomore and then tallied 212 points as a junior and had 363 points as a senior. McLee had a 25-point efforts his senior year against McKeesport on Feb. 6, 1987 in a 79-65 win. He hit for 25 in the 71-69 PIAA victory over Altoona and followed that up with 24 points in the 78-69 win over Moon.
无毛视频淚t was a an excellent run,无毛视频� McLee said. 无毛视频淚 was disappointed that Meadville came out on us and just played a great game against us. That was a tough game for me I think I only scored four points.
无毛视频淲e had talent. When we look back we say to ourselves we could have done it. I was blessed with my career at Uniontown. I had some memorable stories and I无毛视频檓 happy.无毛视频�
McLee enjoyed playing for the legendary James 无毛视频淟ash无毛视频� Nesser.
无毛视频淚 used to watch coach Nesser coach my brothers,无毛视频� McLee offered. 无毛视频淚t a great experience playing for coach Nesser. He had that winning spirit, you had to hustle, he wanted to win. He got the most out of his players.无毛视频�
When McLee graduated from Uniontown in 1987, he played some college basketball at Waynesburg.
无毛视频淚 had a stint at Waynesburg,无毛视频� McLee recalled. 无毛视频淚 went to Waynesburg for a little bit. College is not for everyone and it just wasn无毛视频檛 for me. At that time my mother无毛视频檚 sister had passed and I came back home. Cousin Troy McLee who played at Uniontown went to school in Iowa and settled in Milwaukee and brother Brian at that time moved up there. So I moved there and was employed by Milwaukee Public Schools and I worked there for 30 years as a teacher无毛视频檚 aide, I came back home in December of 2020. I work with Fayette County Head Start.无毛视频�
McLee, 52, resides in Uniontown with his wife Colivia who is the sister of former Connellsville High School standout West Turner. They have been married for about six and a half months.
无毛视频淟ooking back I was very satisfied with what I was able to accomplish in athletics,无毛视频� McLee said. 无毛视频淚 upheld the family tradition in athletics and I was truly blessed with great athletes in my family and it carried on down the line.无毛视频�
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.