Join the Sharon Historical Society as we celebrate the release of our newest book, “Pads of Glory: 125 Years of the Sharon High School Football Tradition,” with a special lecture. In this lecture, we’ll explore the history of Sharon High School football, which dates back to 1899. Over 125 years later, high school football in western Pennsylvania remains a staple of our sports culture. Take a step back in time and walk under the entranceway into the Sharon Stadium, which was built in 1934. The open arched windows, the old brickwork, its classic design, and the natural grass field create a special ambiance on a cool fall football evening. In the early years, the Sharon ‘Yellow Jackets’ as they were known until 1934, played on 4 different sites: Pargny Park Field, Buhl Farm Field, Elks Park field, and Steel Hoop Field. It was not until 1928 that the team played its games at the current location between Forker Blvd. and N. Myers Ave. Initially, wood bleachers with a seating capacity of 1,500 surrounded the field. This event will celebrate the release of our newest book with over 200 pages of in-depth research paired with historic and current photography.

There have been some great memories of great teams and players in old Tiger Stadium. Only nine Sharon head coaches worked the sidelines for the Tigers since the stadium was built including Dave Stewart, Webb Forsythe, and Jim Wildman. Extraordinary teams included the undefeated 1931 squad, the once-tied 1937 team, undefeated teams in 1956 and 1966, and state runners-up squads in 1994 and 1995. Memorable crowds at the Stadium include nearly 10,000 spectators at the 1956 Sharon-Farrell game and the 1996 Sharon-Wilmington Game featuring undefeated teams. It would be impossible to list all the great Sharon players, but a few are Joe Bosco, ‘Rube’ White, Dick Bestwick, Wally Jones, Frank Gitschier, Jim ‘Spike’ Moran, Mike Sebastian, Jim Hubicz, Randy Holloway, Mike Connell, Teryl Austin, Mike Archie, Marlin Jackson. The visiting players who displayed talents on this field were Terry Hanratty, Joe Namath, Tony Dorsett, Mike Ditka, Hugh McGinnis, Randy Crowder, Lorenzo Styles, Andre Coleman, and the Saul brothers from Butler.

This lecture is provided by Tony Molinari, lead researcher and author, with Brian Kepple and Lyle Bieber. This lecture is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. No reservations or tickets are required.

The event will be at the Sharon Municipal Building, City Council Chambers, 155 West Connelly Blvd. Sharon, PA 16146 on Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 6:00 pm.