Leopard Pride: Petrucci’s football era at BVA celebrated at annual golf outing
In Jeff Petrucci无毛视频檚 first season as Belle Vernon football coach in 1975 after coming over from Ringgold, his first order of business was establishing a winning culture at BVA and instilling pride that would be the bedrock of a successful program.
Based on the GITO golf outing (Greek无毛视频檚 In Town Open), which was held June 25 at Cedarbrook Golf Course, the seeds that Petrucci planted years ago have borne fruit. Forty golfers, many former BVA football players, participated and about 40 more guests who had ties to BVA showed up for the cookout following the golf outing.
无毛视频淚t is something we tried to establish when I came to Belle Vernon as a coach,无毛视频� Petrucci stated. 无毛视频淭o establish that our teammates are our family. We did it. Look at them, they are still together.
无毛视频淟ast year when Bill Contz called me, I had no knowledge of this. Now I won无毛视频檛 miss it because this is a very important part of my life. These kids were so important, even 40 years later. It无毛视频檚 more important to me than it is to them. I truly believe that.无毛视频�
The GITO golf outing was started by former Leopard Jimmy Drizos and this was the eighth get-together.
无毛视频淭hese are just good buddies from childhood,无毛视频� Drizos said. 无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 several guys I was in kindergarten with, guys I played Little League baseball with, Midget League football with, and we无毛视频檝e just been good friends. I had to leave home in the 1980s and it无毛视频檚 tough to leave home. I left for Washington, D.C., and I无毛视频檓 now in Charlotte.
无毛视频淭hese are the best guys in the world and I kept close with them. Several guys are here that not only played football in my era, but we have guys that are younger than us that have kept on the tradition and kept up friendships. It is cross-generational and we无毛视频檝e actually been fortunate to have nephews, sons, brother-in-laws come and join. It has nothing to do with me, it has everything to do with everyone else.
无毛视频淚 called some guys in 2014 and said I无毛视频檓 coming to town, does anyone want to go and play golf? We had such a good time and we said we should do this more often and invite some more guys. It grew to this and that无毛视频檚 how The Greek无毛视频檚 In Town Open started.无毛视频�
In Petrucci无毛视频檚 six campaigns at Belle Vernon he was 46-17-1. Belle Vernon didn无毛视频檛 lose a conference game in three years. In 1978, 1979 and 1980 the Leopards were 25-0-1 in conference play with three straight WPIAL playoff appearances.
Petrucci looks back on the run of conference titles with a great deal of pride.
无毛视频淥nce we got it rolling we all believed,无毛视频� Petrucci stated. 无毛视频淲e worked hard, we had great kids with really good football coaches that cared about their kids and it was just a real big family atmosphere.无毛视频�
无毛视频淭he Pride is still there,无毛视频� Contz said. 无毛视频淐oach Petrucci played such a pivotal role. He was an agent of change and he put Belle Vernon football on the map. We reached a level that the school hadn无毛视频檛 achieved before and it was primarily due to great coaches that surrounded him, work ethic, a can-do attitude, why not us, whatever analogy works, but something changed when coach Petrucci arrived and we无毛视频檙e all grateful because of it.无毛视频�
The GITO golf outing is proof positive that the bonds of BVA football remain very strong.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 just a figurehead,无毛视频� Drizos said in downplaying his role. 无毛视频淐oach Petrucci is here and coaches Denny Neupaver and Dave Simon, they pushed us and they were hard, but they made us better. They treated us equal, we didn无毛视频檛 have any superstars on our team, but we played as a team and those are values that we have taken on into our adult life. We talk about the past, but we make memories every year.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚t is a unique get-together,无毛视频� Contz offered. 无毛视频淚t is a gathering of old friends who enjoy each others无毛视频� company and it is great to see so many friendly faces that carved out some time from their weekend to get together and catch up.
无毛视频淚t means as much to us to see Petrucci. We无毛视频檙e all getting on in years and most of us are in our early 60s and we无毛视频檙e not quite sure how many more years we can continue to do this. It无毛视频檚 a great mix of people and I couldn无毛视频檛 be more thrilled to be part of it.无毛视频�
Leopard pride was on full display at the GITO golf outing.
无毛视频淥ur conditioning at the end of every practice was called prides,无毛视频� Petrucci said. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 what we did and we ran until we dropped.无毛视频�
That pride is being passed on to the younger generation.
无毛视频淲e have a younger generation that has embraced this,无毛视频� Contz explained. 无毛视频淲e hope we pass the torch to them at some point and they take a leadership role. Leopard Pride is a great way to summarize what you see here today.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.