1979 Bedford Undefeated Football Team
Class of 2014
Row 1: Mike Keller, Dave Grazer, Kevin Elliott. Row 2: Billy Creps - Manager, Mike Hill, Rusty Brown, Ron May, Tracy Page, Dave Statler, Dan Brozovich, Joe Daley, Brian Fisher. Row 3: Dana Kuhns, Dan Clark, Steve Detwiler, Mike Smith, Dean Diehl, Jim Cowles, George Fox, Brian Kendall. Row 4: Hoby Bingham, Greg Pyle, Rick Borosky, John Stankan, Jeff Sciranko, Scott Yetter, Ron Foor, Gary Schrift. Row 5: Bill Lohman - Manager, Bruce Lightner, John Speranza, Bob O'Brien, Keith Rose, Jeff May, Mike Stankan, Dave Brozovich. Row 6: Kurt Homoki, Barry Keister, Lenny Taylor, Scott Anderson, Shawn Davidson, Brian Lightner, Mike Windows, Steve Wertz. Row 7: Steve Goad, Dave Mitchell, Terry Creps, Eric Hagstrom, Scott Ash, Ken Fisher, Lee Roy, Ron Hocker, Chris Nouse.
Bedford Team Opponent
38 Ligonier Valley 7
18 Somerset 7
16 Portage 14
34 Windber 0
34 Everett 14
42 Bishop McCort 12
26 Richland 6
34 North Star 12
40 Westmont Hilltop 14
282 9-0-0 86
Head Coach
Dean McGee
Assistant Coaches
John Topper
Gary Waugerman
Dave Wertz
After a 7-1-1 record in 1978, which included a 19-13 loss to Windber and a 7-7 tie with Everett, Bedford Coach Dean McGee welcomed 12 lettermen, many of them last year starters, to the opening football practice on August 15, 1979.
There was no talk of an undefeated season for Coach McGee. In his 21 years as a head coach, he had never coached an undefeated team. He had eight teams that had lost only one game.
Coach McGee did say before the first game that this was probably the fastest backfield he ever had. The backs included five seniors; Rusty Brown, George Fox, Tracy Page, Gary Schrift, Jeff Sciranko, and junior Brian Kendall. Second year starting Quarterback Rusty Brown was the fastest and the leader of the team.
The line also had starting linemen returning. Dean Diehl, Steve Detwiler, and Dana Kuhns returned along with lettermen juniors Terry Creps and Scott Ash. Last year starter Hoby Bingham and Greg Pyle, who missed his sophomore and junior year because of injuries, will start at ends.
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Bedford Team Opponent
38 Ligonier Valley 7
18 Somerset 7
16 Portage 14
34 Windber 0
34 Everett 14
42 Bishop McCort 12
26 Richland 6
34 North Star 12
40 Westmont Hilltop 14
282 9-0-0 86
Head Coach
Dean McGee
Assistant Coaches
John Topper
Gary Waugerman
Dave Wertz
After a 7-1-1 record in 1978, which included a 19-13 loss to Windber and a 7-7 tie with Everett, Bedford Coach Dean McGee welcomed 12 lettermen, many of them last year starters, to the opening football practice on August 15, 1979.
There was no talk of an undefeated season for Coach McGee. In his 21 years as a head coach, he had never coached an undefeated team. He had eight teams that had lost only one game.
Coach McGee did say before the first game that this was probably the fastest backfield he ever had. The backs included five seniors; Rusty Brown, George Fox, Tracy Page, Gary Schrift, Jeff Sciranko, and junior Brian Kendall. Second year starting Quarterback Rusty Brown was the fastest and the leader of the team.
The line also had starting linemen returning. Dean Diehl, Steve Detwiler, and Dana Kuhns returned along with lettermen juniors Terry Creps and Scott Ash. Last year starter Hoby Bingham and Greg Pyle, who missed his sophomore and junior year because of injuries, will start at ends.
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Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Recap:
Game #1 - Bedford got off to a fast start scoring 32 points in the first half against Ligonier. Jeff Sciranko scored the third touchdown. After fumbling a punt, he picked it up and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown. Gary Schrift intercepted a pass and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown just before the half. Coach McGee said afterwards that he was surprised how good the defense played.
Bedford 8 24 0 6 38
Ligonier 0 0 0 7 7
Touchdowns - (B) George Fox one yd run, Rusty Brown one yd run,
Jeff Sciranko 88 yd punt return, Gary Schrift 31 yd interception
return and Brown one yd run, (L) Crone one yd run - Extra Points -
(B) Brown run, Sciranko run, Tracy Page run, Sciranko pass from
Brown, (L) Clark kick
Game #2 - With several key players suspended by Coach McGee for missing practice on Labor Day, Bedford played a sloppy first half at Somerset. Coach McGee said that the players suspended could play after Bedford got a lead. Somerset scored first on a 23 yard pass and kicked the extra point. Bedford scored late in the first half on a 54 yard run by Brian Kendall, but a run failed for the extra point. Somerset led at the half 7-6.
Bedford came out fired up in the second half. They took the kickoff and in seven plays scored, capped off by a one yard run by George Fox. Run failed for the extra point but Bedford took the lead 12-7 and the suspended players were allowed to play. In the fourth period Rusty Brown set the score at 18-7 with a seven yd run for a touchdown. Bedford held Somerset to 23 yards in the second half and one first down and that was on a penalty.
Bedford 0 6 6 6 18
Somerset 0 7 0 0 7
S - Td 23 yard pass - ExPt kick good
B - Kendall 54 yd run - ExPt run failed
B - Fox one yd run - ExPt run failed
B - Brown seven yd run - ExPt run failed
Game #3 - Bedford traveled to Portage. Bedford jumped out to an 8-0 lead when George Fox scored on a 3 yd run and Rusty Brown ran the ExPt. Neither team scored until the 4th quarter when Portage tied the score on a one yard run and a run for the extra point.
The Bison came right back and scored on a 15 yd run by Rusty Brown followed by a key extra point on a pass from Brown to Greg Pyle. Portage did not give up, scoring on a 42 yard pass to pull Portage within two, 16-14, with one minute and 10 seconds left in the game. Portage tried a run on the extra point to tie the score, but nose guard Steve Detwiler made the first hit in the backfield followed by several team mates to deny the extra points. Bedford recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock. Bedford won 16-14.
Bedford 8 0 0 8 16
Portage 0 0 0 14 14
(B) Fox three yd run ExPt Brown run
(P) Glass one yd run ExPt Gorba run
(B) Brown 15 yd ExPt Pyle pass from Brown
(P) Sossong 42 yd pass from Gorba ExPt run failed
Game #4 - Since the Bisons beat Windber 42-14 in 1975, Windber beat Bedford three straight games 19-16, 21-20 and 19-13. The last game kept Bedford from an undefeated season. Three years of frustration came to a quick end when Bedford jumped out to a 20-0 lead at the half. The Bisons scored on touchdown runs of 25 yds by Jeff Sciranko and 4 yds by Brian Kendall. Rusty Brown then threw a 68 yd touchdown pass to Sciranko. This was Bedford’s only pass completion of the game.
Bedford 6 14 14 0 34
Windber 0 0 0 0 0
B -Touchdowns: Jeff Sciranko 25 yd run, Brian Kendall 4 yd run, Sciranko 68 yd pass from Rusty Brown, Gary Schrift 34 yd run, Brown 25 yd run
ExPts Brown run and Schrift run
Game #5 - Last year Bedford and Everett played to a 7-7 tie. Bedford made sure that this would not happen this year, scoring 20 first quarter points and leading 28-0 at the half. Rusty Brown led the Bedford attack rushing for two touchdowns, passing for another and returning an interception 52 yds for a touchdown. Bedford led 34-0 before the subs gave up two Everett touchdowns.
Bedford 20 8 6 0 34
Everett 0 0 0 14 14
B - Touchdowns: Rusty Brown 8 and 15 yd runs, Jeff Sciranko 18
yd pass from Brown, Brian Kendall 18 yd run, Brown 52 yd
interception return
E - Kenny May 27 and 3 yd run
B - ExPt: Sciranko run and Brown run
E - Jeff Fabian run
Game #6 - Due to heavy rains the Friday game with Bishop McCort was postponed to Monday, but it did not slow down the Bedford offense. The Bisons used about every play in Coach McGee’s playbook scoring five touchdowns to lead 36-0 at the end of three quarters. In the fourth quarter, Bedford played reserves, McCort scored two touchdowns to the Bisons one setting the final score at 42-12.
B - Touchdowns: Brian Kendall 21 yd run, George Fox 18 yd run,
Rusty Brown 61 yd run, Kendall 5 and 3 yd runs, and Ron May 11 yd.
B - ExPts: Brown run, Schrift run, and Fox run
BM - Touchdowns: D. Parlick 13 yd pass from M. Burgo and D.
Seidel 23 yd run
Game #7 - In their last home game played in the mud and cold the Bisons did not disappoint the home crowd scoring three touchdowns to none for Richland in the first half. Rusty Brown brought the crowd to their feet scoring the third touchdown with a dazzling 74 yd run. Brown scored another touchdown in the third quarter to give the Bison a 26-0 lead and the reserves played most of the fourth quarter giving up a Richland touchdown setting the final at 26-6.
B - Touchdowns: Brian Kendall 37 yd run, George Fox 1 yd run,
Rusty Brown 74 and 1 yd run - ExPt: Fox run
R - Touchdown: Layton 5 yd run
Game #8 - Shaking off some first half difficulties the Bisons won their eight straight this year and 12 straight going back to 1978. Bedford again was led by Rusty Brown who scored three touchdowns and passed for another. The score was 14-12 late in the first half when Brown hit Hoby Bingham with a 60 yd touchdown pass. With the score 22-12 in favor of the Bison at the half, the defense tightened up and the offense scored two Brown touchdowns in the second half to win 34-12.
Bedford 0 22 6 6 34
North Star 0 12 0 0 12
B - Touchdown: Rusty Brown 5 yd run, George Fox 3 yd run,
Hoby Bingham 60 yd pass from Brown, Brown 1 yd and 6 yd run
ExPt: Gary Schrift run and Brian Kendall run
NS - Ron Hetzer 8 yd run and Jim Fleegle 34 yd pass from Tim Lints
Game #9 - With an undefeated season on the line the Bisons traveled to Westmont for a Saturday afternoon game. In the past Bedford has had trouble with the Hilltops, especially at Westmont. Bedford jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter on touchdowns by Rusty Brown on a 20 yd run and then a 24 yd pass Brown to Greg Pyle. Westmont came right back with a touchdown on 12 yd run by Shawn Dorian. Both teams missed the extra points and the score was 12-6. Brown gave the Bisons some breathing room with 5 yd touchdown run and he also ran in the extra point to make the score 20-6 at the half.
The Bisons came storming out of the locker room for the second half and took complete control of the game scoring three touchdown in the third quarter for a 40-6 lead. Every player on the team got into the game as the Bisons won 40-14.
Bedford 12 8 20 0 40
Westmont 0 6 0 8 14
B - Touchdowns: Rusty Brown 20 yd run, Greg Pyle 24 yd pass from
Brown, Brown 5 yd run, Trac y Page 1 yd run, Gary Schrift 5 yd run,
and Shawn Davidson 47 yd pass from Schrift
ExPt: Schrift run and Brian Kendall run
W - Touchdowns: Shawn Dorian 12 yd run, Bill Frick 49 yd pass
from Chabon
ExPt: Scott Merdis
The 1979 team became the fourth undefeated team in Bedford Football History joining the 1924, 1929, and the 1945 teams. The team also won the Big Nine and the Mountain Conference Championship.
There were 10 players who made the County All Star Team with 8 making it on offense and defense. Rusty Brown was All-State -Honorable Mention. He led the county in scoring with 108 points and was second in the Johnstown Tribune.
The 1979 football team was the start of one of the best fall and winter boy sports season.
Football 9 - 0
Basketball 27 - 2 District 6 AA Champions
Wrestling 16 - 1 District 5 Champions
Total 52 - 3
Rusty Brown was the point guard on the basketball team.
Wrestling: Jeff Sciranko, Brian Kendall, Dean Diehl, Steve Detwiler and Scott Ash were district champs - Terry Creps and John Stankan were starters.
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Game #1 - Bedford got off to a fast start scoring 32 points in the first half against Ligonier. Jeff Sciranko scored the third touchdown. After fumbling a punt, he picked it up and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown. Gary Schrift intercepted a pass and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown just before the half. Coach McGee said afterwards that he was surprised how good the defense played.
Bedford 8 24 0 6 38
Ligonier 0 0 0 7 7
Touchdowns - (B) George Fox one yd run, Rusty Brown one yd run,
Jeff Sciranko 88 yd punt return, Gary Schrift 31 yd interception
return and Brown one yd run, (L) Crone one yd run - Extra Points -
(B) Brown run, Sciranko run, Tracy Page run, Sciranko pass from
Brown, (L) Clark kick
Game #2 - With several key players suspended by Coach McGee for missing practice on Labor Day, Bedford played a sloppy first half at Somerset. Coach McGee said that the players suspended could play after Bedford got a lead. Somerset scored first on a 23 yard pass and kicked the extra point. Bedford scored late in the first half on a 54 yard run by Brian Kendall, but a run failed for the extra point. Somerset led at the half 7-6.
Bedford came out fired up in the second half. They took the kickoff and in seven plays scored, capped off by a one yard run by George Fox. Run failed for the extra point but Bedford took the lead 12-7 and the suspended players were allowed to play. In the fourth period Rusty Brown set the score at 18-7 with a seven yd run for a touchdown. Bedford held Somerset to 23 yards in the second half and one first down and that was on a penalty.
Bedford 0 6 6 6 18
Somerset 0 7 0 0 7
S - Td 23 yard pass - ExPt kick good
B - Kendall 54 yd run - ExPt run failed
B - Fox one yd run - ExPt run failed
B - Brown seven yd run - ExPt run failed
Game #3 - Bedford traveled to Portage. Bedford jumped out to an 8-0 lead when George Fox scored on a 3 yd run and Rusty Brown ran the ExPt. Neither team scored until the 4th quarter when Portage tied the score on a one yard run and a run for the extra point.
The Bison came right back and scored on a 15 yd run by Rusty Brown followed by a key extra point on a pass from Brown to Greg Pyle. Portage did not give up, scoring on a 42 yard pass to pull Portage within two, 16-14, with one minute and 10 seconds left in the game. Portage tried a run on the extra point to tie the score, but nose guard Steve Detwiler made the first hit in the backfield followed by several team mates to deny the extra points. Bedford recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock. Bedford won 16-14.
Bedford 8 0 0 8 16
Portage 0 0 0 14 14
(B) Fox three yd run ExPt Brown run
(P) Glass one yd run ExPt Gorba run
(B) Brown 15 yd ExPt Pyle pass from Brown
(P) Sossong 42 yd pass from Gorba ExPt run failed
Game #4 - Since the Bisons beat Windber 42-14 in 1975, Windber beat Bedford three straight games 19-16, 21-20 and 19-13. The last game kept Bedford from an undefeated season. Three years of frustration came to a quick end when Bedford jumped out to a 20-0 lead at the half. The Bisons scored on touchdown runs of 25 yds by Jeff Sciranko and 4 yds by Brian Kendall. Rusty Brown then threw a 68 yd touchdown pass to Sciranko. This was Bedford’s only pass completion of the game.
Bedford 6 14 14 0 34
Windber 0 0 0 0 0
B -Touchdowns: Jeff Sciranko 25 yd run, Brian Kendall 4 yd run, Sciranko 68 yd pass from Rusty Brown, Gary Schrift 34 yd run, Brown 25 yd run
ExPts Brown run and Schrift run
Game #5 - Last year Bedford and Everett played to a 7-7 tie. Bedford made sure that this would not happen this year, scoring 20 first quarter points and leading 28-0 at the half. Rusty Brown led the Bedford attack rushing for two touchdowns, passing for another and returning an interception 52 yds for a touchdown. Bedford led 34-0 before the subs gave up two Everett touchdowns.
Bedford 20 8 6 0 34
Everett 0 0 0 14 14
B - Touchdowns: Rusty Brown 8 and 15 yd runs, Jeff Sciranko 18
yd pass from Brown, Brian Kendall 18 yd run, Brown 52 yd
interception return
E - Kenny May 27 and 3 yd run
B - ExPt: Sciranko run and Brown run
E - Jeff Fabian run
Game #6 - Due to heavy rains the Friday game with Bishop McCort was postponed to Monday, but it did not slow down the Bedford offense. The Bisons used about every play in Coach McGee’s playbook scoring five touchdowns to lead 36-0 at the end of three quarters. In the fourth quarter, Bedford played reserves, McCort scored two touchdowns to the Bisons one setting the final score at 42-12.
B - Touchdowns: Brian Kendall 21 yd run, George Fox 18 yd run,
Rusty Brown 61 yd run, Kendall 5 and 3 yd runs, and Ron May 11 yd.
B - ExPts: Brown run, Schrift run, and Fox run
BM - Touchdowns: D. Parlick 13 yd pass from M. Burgo and D.
Seidel 23 yd run
Game #7 - In their last home game played in the mud and cold the Bisons did not disappoint the home crowd scoring three touchdowns to none for Richland in the first half. Rusty Brown brought the crowd to their feet scoring the third touchdown with a dazzling 74 yd run. Brown scored another touchdown in the third quarter to give the Bison a 26-0 lead and the reserves played most of the fourth quarter giving up a Richland touchdown setting the final at 26-6.
B - Touchdowns: Brian Kendall 37 yd run, George Fox 1 yd run,
Rusty Brown 74 and 1 yd run - ExPt: Fox run
R - Touchdown: Layton 5 yd run
Game #8 - Shaking off some first half difficulties the Bisons won their eight straight this year and 12 straight going back to 1978. Bedford again was led by Rusty Brown who scored three touchdowns and passed for another. The score was 14-12 late in the first half when Brown hit Hoby Bingham with a 60 yd touchdown pass. With the score 22-12 in favor of the Bison at the half, the defense tightened up and the offense scored two Brown touchdowns in the second half to win 34-12.
Bedford 0 22 6 6 34
North Star 0 12 0 0 12
B - Touchdown: Rusty Brown 5 yd run, George Fox 3 yd run,
Hoby Bingham 60 yd pass from Brown, Brown 1 yd and 6 yd run
ExPt: Gary Schrift run and Brian Kendall run
NS - Ron Hetzer 8 yd run and Jim Fleegle 34 yd pass from Tim Lints
Game #9 - With an undefeated season on the line the Bisons traveled to Westmont for a Saturday afternoon game. In the past Bedford has had trouble with the Hilltops, especially at Westmont. Bedford jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter on touchdowns by Rusty Brown on a 20 yd run and then a 24 yd pass Brown to Greg Pyle. Westmont came right back with a touchdown on 12 yd run by Shawn Dorian. Both teams missed the extra points and the score was 12-6. Brown gave the Bisons some breathing room with 5 yd touchdown run and he also ran in the extra point to make the score 20-6 at the half.
The Bisons came storming out of the locker room for the second half and took complete control of the game scoring three touchdown in the third quarter for a 40-6 lead. Every player on the team got into the game as the Bisons won 40-14.
Bedford 12 8 20 0 40
Westmont 0 6 0 8 14
B - Touchdowns: Rusty Brown 20 yd run, Greg Pyle 24 yd pass from
Brown, Brown 5 yd run, Trac y Page 1 yd run, Gary Schrift 5 yd run,
and Shawn Davidson 47 yd pass from Schrift
ExPt: Schrift run and Brian Kendall run
W - Touchdowns: Shawn Dorian 12 yd run, Bill Frick 49 yd pass
from Chabon
ExPt: Scott Merdis
The 1979 team became the fourth undefeated team in Bedford Football History joining the 1924, 1929, and the 1945 teams. The team also won the Big Nine and the Mountain Conference Championship.
There were 10 players who made the County All Star Team with 8 making it on offense and defense. Rusty Brown was All-State -Honorable Mention. He led the county in scoring with 108 points and was second in the Johnstown Tribune.
The 1979 football team was the start of one of the best fall and winter boy sports season.
Football 9 - 0
Basketball 27 - 2 District 6 AA Champions
Wrestling 16 - 1 District 5 Champions
Total 52 - 3
Rusty Brown was the point guard on the basketball team.
Wrestling: Jeff Sciranko, Brian Kendall, Dean Diehl, Steve Detwiler and Scott Ash were district champs - Terry Creps and John Stankan were starters.
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