RAY SWANSON | Keystoner Remembering two special guests

My name is Ray Swanson, and I approve this message.
Sound familiar?
It was 1973, and coach Eddie McCluskey and his Farrell High basketball team were preparing for the Annual Ralph Dresch Holiday tournament. The event drew some of the top teams in the state.
The tournament that year was extremely tantalizing, as Fran LaMendola was bringing in his Ringgold Rams, who featured an exciting young player named Joe Montana. Ringgold had won the tourney the previous year, but Montana was the only returning player.
Basketball talent
Montana was a tremendous athlete, and his basketball talents may have surpassed his football capabilities. In fact, he could have been destined for the NBA if he so desired. He did, however, opt for football at Notre Dame.
At Farrell, all eyes were on Montana. A packed house came to see him perform. He didn't let them down. He was a polished young player. He could shoot well, pass effectively and was a strong rebounder, the complete player.
Farrell didn't lose many games at home in those days, and the Steelers came up a winner over Ringgold, but the Rams went on to defeat Boardman in the consolation game.
Montana lost his billfold while in town. It was found and returned to the Rams' ace by Joe Duich, Farrell High's athletic director.
In later years in the NFL, Montana's seasons with the San Francisco 49ers were brilliant, but painful. He had numerous surgeries, including one on his back that many thought would end his career. He later concluded his career with Marty Schottenheimer and the Kansas City Chiefs.
While with the 49ers, Montana was the architect of four of their five Super Bowl championships.
Following one of their Super wins, owner Eddie DeBartolo brought his team to Youngstown. Montana was one of the players.
Also appearing was coach Bill Walsh and George Seifert, who later replaced Walsh. Montana officially retired from the NFL at the age of 38.
Thorpe's day
We're turning back the clocks once again to a warm October afternoon in 1922 at Youngstown's Oakland Field.
Fans turned out in droves as the great Jim Thorpe was coming to town to play for the Pottsville (Pa.) team that was pitted against the local entry, the Youngstown Oaklands.
The crowd that gathered that day saw one of the greatest athletes of all time run rampant. He was even better than his press clippings.
The Oaklands, coached by Father John I. Moran of the Sacred Heart Church of Youngstown, were rough and rugged but not tough enough. Final score, Thorpe 24, Oaklands 12. Thorpe had scored all of Pottsville's points.
Football games in the 1920s can be compared to today's NHL action. Fights broke out frequently and a little imbibing at halftime helped ruffle the feathers of the players. Some games lasted eight or nine hours.
In 1950, Thorpe was selected by U.S. sportswriters as the greatest American athlete and the greatest football player of the first half of the 20th century.
To Youngstown, however, it was the day Jim Thorpe came to town.