Ex-sports anchor Boney weathers the storm at 33

By Greg Gulas

He’ll mark his 29th anniversary at the television station later this month.

BOARDMAN — Stan Boney will mark his 29th anniversary at WYTV Channel 33 on Oct. 29.

It’s the station to which viewers tune in for his weather reports and since March 17, his news co-anchor duties.

What many forget, however, is Boney arrived in 1979 as the station’s weekend sports anchor.

Speaking to the weekly Curbstone Coaches membership Monday at the Blue Wolf Banquet Center, Boney noted there was much on which to report in sports when he arrived.

“This town is a great sports town, there’s no doubt about it,” Boney said. “I was lucky to come in at such a special time in that YSU was making a run at the Division II national championship, and my first major assignment was their appearance in the Zia Bowl; the NCAA’s title game at the time.

“Players like Keith Snoddy and Jim Ferranti, and also then head coach Bill Narduzzi always seemed accessible and accommodating,” Boney said. “That made my job so much easier so I was very fortunate in that respect.”

Boney noted that recently departed YSU basketball and baseball coach Dom Rosselli was also very accommodating while he covered the YSU sports scene. It wasn’t until years later, however, that he really appreciated his help and assistance.

”Years ago, The Rayen School and South High School used to play on Thanksgiving Day,” Boney said. “Their battles were classic and as I was looking for someone to interview; someone who actually played in those games, Coach Rosselli was very gracious about doing the interview.

“His candor and recollections of those games were very special. He was a great interview,” Boney said.

Boney is a native of Findlay, the city that claims Ben Roethlisberger, former Ohio State and Cleveland Cavaliers Dave Sorenson and the first Indianapolis 500 winner, Ray Harroun, as native sons.

Boney’s lifelong ambition is to write a book; a project that he has now undertaken with the Cardinal Mooney football program as its subject matter.

His sports journalism interest comes naturally where college classmates at Ohio University included Peter King of Sports Illustrated; Tim Povtak (a Poland native) of the Orlando Sentinel; Jay Marriotti formerly of the Chicago Sun-Times and Tony Grossi of The Plain Dealer.

“I always wanted to write a book and when I returned home several years ago, I found that their current basketball coach, who was also an English teacher, had done a book on the first 100 years of its basketball program,” Boney said.

“The book really piqued my interest, however, I didn’t want it to just be an encyclopedia of statistics and facts. I wanted it to be a novel so I set out to find the right subject locally, then settled on the Cardinal Mooney football program.

“With Jim Traficant as the school’s first quarterback, the legend of running back Ted Bell, assistant coach Ron Stoops’ untimely passing on the sidelines and their great coaching legacy, it has been a fun project and much of the research and writing has been done through the 1973 season.

“The project, though, is on hold for the time being due to my new duties at the station,” he said.

Boney is proud that his daughter, Mollie, a former Cardinal Mooney golf standout and member of the YSU women’s team, chose to remain at home and further her education and athletic career in her hometown.

“We need to encourage our young talent to stay here. They are born here, raised here and also educated here. While some choose to go away to college, we still need to actively encourage them to return to the Valley,” Boney said.

Next week, Cindy Martin, the YSU women’s basketball coach, will be the guest speaker.