Mercer gallery honors sports
It was the missing link to a part of Mercer County sports lore that had been absent for many years.
The Mercer County Historical Society, hooking up the Mercer County Hall of Fame, recently opened the doors to a new Sports Gallery, located in the facility just off Courthouse Square in Mercer.
The gallery features hundreds of items, old and new, which helped make Mercer County’s sports tradition.
A large crowd turned out for the opening, which featured a number of dignitaries including state Sen. Bob Robbins, a past inductee into the Mercer County Hall of Fame. Others on hand were David M. Miller, president of the historical society, and Society executive director Bill Philson.
Attending from the Hall of Fame were president Jim Tamber, Paul Saternow, chairman of the Mercer County Hall of Fame committee and the one who got the ball rolling for the gallery.
The Sports Gallery is seeking items to place in the new facility. Things like pictures, awards, trophies, old uniforms, or any type of sports memorabilia. Saternow asks Mercer County residents to look around in their homes to come up with items that can be used.
The Sports Gallery is open daily during the Historical Society’s business days.
‘Whiskers’ book
Sharon’s Bill “Whiskers” Jacobson grew up during the time in the Shenango Valley when sports were really flourishing. Sharon and Farrell dominated the sports scene for the most part especially in football and basketball.
“Whiskers” excelled in baseball, softball and basketball, and at one time was one of the finest ping-pong players around. Jacobson, a Mercer County Hall of Fame inductee and a member of the association’s board of directors, has authored a book entitled “Anything for a Bet.”
The book is on sale and includes a number of area residents.
Woods is finalist
Former Hickory punter Ben Woods is one of 10 national finalists for the Ray Guy Award. Woods is a senior at the University at Buffalo. He is averaging a career-best 42.3 yards per punt and has had 18 inside the opponents’ 20.
Only 13 of his 46 punts this season have been returned. Woods holds the Buffalo record for career punts (265) and yardage (10,114). He is also the nation’s active leader in punts and punting yards and ranks fifth in Mid-American Conference history in punting yardage.
The winner will be announced at the national awards show on ESPN on Dec. 6.