tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386243187863820022.post8253378338033656791..comments2024-02-20T10:34:28.922-05:00Comments on <center>Ambridge Memories</center>: Ambridge Recreation CenterNancy Bohinsky Knisley, AHS '67http://www.blogger.com/profile/11605598125276458027noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386243187863820022.post-68147340033387358432015-03-19T12:24:26.344-04:002015-03-19T12:24:26.344-04:00jd aka john domansky
norm vanlier playrd w/chicago...jd aka john domansky<br />norm vanlier playrd w/chicago bulls w/mike jordon & the greatest bunch of BB players, watched many Bulls games, did not know norm was from midland, babe pireeli & joe namath, were rochester & beaver falls grads, that played AHS, mike ditka another Chicago great, as coach & player, 1956 grad of aliquippa, dick butkus was chicago product, met him & whole family at a friends funeral 2000s. daughter of our friend married a butkus, a nephew went to our school & saw ditkas at games etc. a 1949 schenley school grad, lived near hear & started up the hospital in munster ind. james robinsonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386243187863820022.post-21605237641558970002014-06-17T21:17:58.727-04:002014-06-17T21:17:58.727-04:00In the late 50's we used to rollerskate in the...In the late 50's we used to rollerskate in the basement of the rec center on Saturdays.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07344618535500465887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386243187863820022.post-42184431667906176612014-05-19T19:56:49.129-04:002014-05-19T19:56:49.129-04:00As a child, I took evening Karate lessons at the P...As a child, I took evening Karate lessons at the Park Road Elementary School gymnasium during the early 1970's. I remember that one time we had to move into the basement of the rec center for class. It was very dirty and dingy, and I was frightened of the place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386243187863820022.post-72087548880889284912014-04-14T21:22:48.052-04:002014-04-14T21:22:48.052-04:00I was lucky enough to witness some of the greatest...I was lucky enough to witness some of the greatest playground basketball in the history of Beaver County on this playground. It was the summer of 1966...the summer before the 1966-67 school year....the year of one of the greatest highschool basketball teams of all time---the 1967 state champion Ambridge Bridgers. The players on that team met up daily at the Rec Center playground. The DiVenzios had just moved to Ambridge and once the word got out that Dick was playing with Dennis Wuycik and the others at the playground, the crowds started to show up to check them out. Curiosity got the best of the other great county basketball players in the county, and the next thing we knew, Jarrett Durham from Aliquippa, Norm Vanlier from Midland, and other great hoop starts from the county were showing up on a daily basis. You could see that this county had produced and was producing great hoops talent. Well, Ambridge went on to go undefeated and win the state championship....but the two closest games they played all year were the ones with their chief rival, Aliquippa. if the WPIAL playoffs were operated the way they are now, those two teams would have met a third time, probably in the semi-finals or the finals of the WPIAL. But, during those years, only the champions of each section qualified for the playoffs. Ambridge defeated Fox Chapel with the vaunted Nelson twins, an extremely talented Mt. Lebanon team in the WPIAL championships to advance to the PIAA playoffs. In the state semi-finals, Ambridge defeated the vaunted Schenley team featuring Ken Durrett and Petey Gibson, two City League legends...It was off the the PIAA finals in Harrisburg and Ambridge had one of the easiest game in the history of the PIAA, defeating the Eastern finalist, Chester by the score of 92-63. Arguments are still going on today over which team was better.....the 1965 Midland Leopards with Norm Vanlier and Simmie Hill or the 1967 Ambridge Bridgers with Dickie DiVenzio and Dennis Wuycik. My money rides with Ambridge because all the good teams had two great players.....Ambridge had a third-Frank Kaufman. When the other teams set up to defend DiVenzio and Wuycik, they always overlooked Kaufman......and he made them pay for it. And Just think, this legendary team put on tremendous shows for the kids of Ambridge on the Rec Center playground that summer. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com