Brownsville had 无毛视频楧ynamic Duo无毛视频� of Gaddis and Grashion in 1984
Back in the day having two 1,000-yard rushers on a high school football team was a bit of a rarity. It has become more commonplace today.
In 1984 the Brownsville Falcons on their way to an unbeaten regular season were blessed with two 1,000-yard backs in Carl Gaddis and Mike Grashion.
It was unusual to have two 1,000-yard backs back then. It has become easier in today无毛视频檚 game.
When a running back hits 1,000 yards in a season, it无毛视频檚 kind of a big deal. At least it used to be. Now, the standard for an individual successful season on the ground appears to be 2,000 yards rushing in a season.
But what if two running backs on the same football team hit 1,000 rushing yards in a season? That feat is a rare occurrence, correct?
Truthfully, it无毛视频檚 not as rare as you might think.
Given the fact that most Pennsylvania football teams follow a running orientation on offense, seeing two backfield mates each eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in the same season is not all that rare.
Part of the reason for the spike in this statistic comes from the increase in length of the
high school football season. Back in 1988, when the PIAA playoffs were in their
inaugural season, teams that qualified for the state finals played a maximum of 14 games. Nowadays, the eight teams that qualify for Hershey play a total of 16 games.
Back in the day teams played maybe eight-, nine-, or 10-game schedules. A feat like two 1,000-yard rushers in those days was practically unheard of. But today, assuming a 16-game schedule, two backs each only need to average 62.5 yards per game to hit the mark.
But in 1984 when Gaddis rushed for 1,334 yards and Grashion rushed for 1,103 yards it was a big deal.
无毛视频淚t was something else,无毛视频� Gaddis stated. 无毛视频淚t was something that I无毛视频檒l never forget and we went undefeated that year. It was an accomplishment.无毛视频�
Grashion didn无毛视频檛 think about the numbers at all.
无毛视频淚t was difficult,无毛视频� Grashion offered. 无毛视频淏ut you know what? I didn无毛视频檛 even think about it at all.无毛视频�
Football starts up front and the Falcons offensive line made the rushing feat possible.
无毛视频淥ur offensive line was very good,无毛视频� Gaddis pointed out. 无毛视频淲ithout them what we did would never happen. We had a heck of a team.无毛视频�
Gaddis, 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, and Grashion, 5-11 and 180, both had different running styles.
无毛视频淗e had more moves,无毛视频� Grashion said. 无毛视频淚 had more power. I was a halfback and I had speed. I just didn无毛视频檛 have any moves.无毛视频�
Brownsville went 6-4 in 1983 with a tough 8-7 loss to Moon in the WPIAL playoffs. Gaddis rushed for 1,113 yards as a junior, so the Falcons were primed for a big season in 1984.
无毛视频淲e figured we无毛视频檇 be good,无毛视频� Grashion said. 无毛视频淲e put in the offseason and worked hard.无毛视频�
Brownsville finished as Century Conference champs with a 9-0-1 record. The tie was against Beaver Falls 10-10.
无毛视频淭here was no egos on the team,无毛视频� Grashion opined. 无毛视频淚t was an actual team, we all cared about each other.无毛视频�
无毛视频淲e had a team that was like a family,无毛视频� Gaddis recalled. 无毛视频淪ome of us are still close to this day. I was the captain of the team and we basically stuck together as one and that无毛视频檚 why we succeeded throughout that year.无毛视频�
Brownsville was coached by Lou DeSimone and both Gaddis and Grashion had great respect for him.
无毛视频淗e was a football guy,无毛视频� Grashion stated. 无毛视频淲e would all probably run through a wall for him. Our whole coaching staff was great. We got along with all our coaches.无毛视频�
无毛视频淛ust like any other player we were pretty close,无毛视频� Gaddis stated. 无毛视频淗e was a fair guy and a player无毛视频檚 coach.无毛视频�
One of the highlights of the season was the showdown with Washington High School and their great running back Brian Davis. The newspapers played up the head-to-head with Gaddis and Davis.
无毛视频淚 wrote it down on the calender,无毛视频� Gaddis revealed. 无毛视频淚 couldn无毛视频檛 wait for that day.无毛视频�
The showdown didn无毛视频檛 materialize because Davis was injured early in the second quarter and finished with 11 yards on five carries. Gaddis carried the ball 17 times for 87 yards and one touchdown in the Falcons无毛视频� 20-14 win.
Brownsville suffered a disappointing 15-14 loss to Riverside in the WPIAL playoffs ending their outstanding season. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 something you never forget about,无毛视频� Gaddis explained. 无毛视频淵ou think about what might have been. We played in bad weather. Against Riverside we were playing in four inches of mud. It was a game I无毛视频檒l never forget.无毛视频�
无毛视频淭o be honest with you what really hurt us in the playoffs was the last game of the season when one of our better defensive players got hurt,无毛视频� Grashion lamented 无毛视频淐lement Wynn broke his leg in a 31-12 victory over Burgettstown and that hurt us for the playoffs. He was our fullback and one of our linebackers and that really hurt us.
无毛视频淏oth my junior and senior years we lost by one point in both playoff games and played in bad weather. We played in five inches of snow my junior year at Moon and lost 8-7 and then the mud against Riverside and lost by a point 15-14. We think about what might have been.无毛视频�
Gaddis and Grashion both played college football.
无毛视频淚 played at Cal for four years,无毛视频� Grashion offered. 无毛视频淚 played for Jeff Petrucci and we were competitive. I was a defensive cornerback.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚 went to Pittsburg State in Kansas,无毛视频� Gaddis said. 无毛视频淚 only played a year which was disappointing because my freshman year my parents got laid off and I couldn无毛视频檛 afford tuition, I only had half a scholarship and I came back home and have been working ever since.
无毛视频淚 started my freshman year as a safety on defense. It was a disappointment I didn无毛视频檛 get to continue playing, but things happen for a reason.无毛视频�
Gaddis, 57, has been married to his wife Angie for 30-plus years and they have two adult sons. Gaddis works as a coal miner.
Grashion,56, has been married to his wife Barb for 33 years and they have two daughters and four grandchildren. He has been employed at Famous Supply for 33 years.
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.