SHOOOOOOT!

.

One of the great things about our  Class of 1959 get-togethers is that we get to share in some of the great Clearfield Area High School moments that we may have missed.

At our 70th birthday party, I had the opportunity to speak with Tom Hartsock, Class of 1953, who is married to our classmate Bonnie Wilson Hartsock.  During the course of our chat, we spoke of our late, great wrestling coach Art Weiss, Sr., who passed away in May.  We discussed Art's coaching style and how he quietly communicated with his wrestlers.

Tom, an outstanding football player and wrestler, recalled the January 1953 bout with undefeated Canonsburg in the third meet of the 1953 season,  Emotions were high with a lot riding on the outcome. 

The Bisons were coming off an undefeated 1951-52 season and riding a 12-meet winning streak.  Canonsburg had a similarly impressive record with four future state champions in the lineup.  Both teams ruled their districts - Clearfield in District 6-9 and Canonsburg in the powerful Western Pennsylvania District 7.  These were not usual opponents.  In those days, Coach Weiss scheduled his teams against the best in the state. 

To top it off, the meet was taking place before 2,000 rabid wrestling fans at Clearfield's  National Guard Armory. 

As the meet was winding down, Canonsburg led 19-16 with one bout to go - Tom Hartsock vs. Gene Smittle at 185 pounds.  The outcome was anything but assured . Tom was tough but so was Smittle, who was undefeated with falls in his two previous bouts.

Weiss, as usual, was calm and direct, saying only, "You know what you have to do, Tom."

Not so with the team's high-strung, outstanding returning state champion, Johnny Johnston, who had scored a fall at 128 pounds.  "Listen to me, Tom.  Listen to me." Johnny shrieked.  " I'll tell you what to do.  Don't listen to anyone else.  Listen to me!"

Of course, implicit in Johnny's message was:  Don't listen to anyone else, not even Coach Weiss.

As the crowd roared, Tom opened the bout with a takedown and back points and led 6-0 at the end of the first period.  Things were going well but the situation was still tense.  He needed a fall. A win by decision would only tie the team score.  Up to that point, he had not heard a peep from Johnston.

Tom chose the top position to start the second period, and Smittle immediately made his move in an attempt to reverse or escape.. 

All of a sudden, Tom heard a piercing scream:  SHOOOOOOOOT!

Right on cue, Tom shot the half nelson and crotch, put Smittle's on his back, and scored the meet-winning fall at 1:10 of the second period. The crowd went wild and Tom was mobbed by his teammates and fans.

"When I came off the mat, I was happy but a little shaken," Tom said. " I asked, 'Did I do all right?, John? Did I do all right?' "

"You were great," Johnston said. "You did just what I told you."

The next day, The Progress headline read "Hartsock's Fall Nets 21-19 Win for Clearfield Matmen"

(Thanks to Mona Mollura Croyle for digging out this Progress sports page.  Click on page to enlarge.)

"Johnny wasn't too happy about that," Tom said.  "In fact, I think he was pretty upset.  I guess he thought he should have had the headline."

Epilogue:

Gene Smittle recovered to win the PIAA championship at 185 pounds the following year.

Tom Hartsock married our beautiful classmate Bonnie Wilson.

Tom wins again.

- Dennis Mollura