Artist designs logo celebrating Jeannette football's 700th win

Kristie Linden
Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015 3:40 p.m. | Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015 3:40 p.m.

Kristie Linden | Trib Total Media

Diane Rinier of Jeannette designed the logo that will adorn T-shirts and other merchandise that celebrate the Jayhawks' 700th win, which the team anticipates winning early this season. The 2015 season kicks off at noon Saturday at Riverview High School in Oakmont.

Details

Be part of the 700 wins celebration

The team and the Jeannette Varsity Football and Cheerleaders Parents Club plan to commemorate the 700th win Sept. 25, before and during a home game against Wilkinsburg High School.

A pre-game ceremony will be coordinated to include current and former football players, coaches, support staff, band members and cheerleaders.

Those who plan to participate should order special 700th victory T-shirts.

There are red and blue shirts available for $10 for all former football players, coaches, support staff, band members and cheerleaders.

Shirts are available to the general public for $12.

These shirts can be ordered through the Parents Club. Contact Terry Riffer by calling 724-396-4344 or by sending an email at tsarif2@comcast.net to place an order. The last day to order is Sept. 10.

Players under Coach Roy Hall will wear red, those who played for Coach Ray Reitz will wear blue, Coach Bob Murphy's players will wear red, Coach Art Tragesser's players will wear blue and those who played with Coach Joe Mucci will wear red.

Anyone who attends the celebration who played before Mucci's time should wear blue.

Players whose careers spanned two coaches, should wear the color of the coach they had during their senior year.

Former cheerleaders will wear red and former band members will wear blue.

Balloon sale

Jeannette cheerleaders will sell red and blue balloons for the Sept. 25 game.

Balloons are $2 each and can be purchased in memory or in honor of a family member, loved one, friend, etc.

Balloons can be purchased at home opener against Serra Catholic on Sept. 11.

All of the balloons sold will be placed throughout McKee Stadium during the Wilkinsburg game, celebrating Jeannette's 700th win.

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The 2015 football season kicks off for the Jeannette Jayhawks at noon Saturday, but the campaign to reach 700 wins this year is well under way.

Jeannette, which enters the season with 698 wins, will be the first team in Westmoreland County to reach the 700-win mark and just the second team in Western Pennsylvania to earn that honor. New Castle earned its 700th victory in 2012.

The Jeannette Varsity Football and Cheerleaders Parents Club and the school district's athletic department has several plans to celebrate this milestone.

This spring, the club held a contest to solicit local artists to design a logo representing the team's 700th win and Diane Rinier answered the call.

Rinier, a lifelong resident and 1969 Jeannette graduate, often enters artistic contests. Her mother, Ursula Sollecchio, is an artist and they often created together. Her father is the late Vincent Sollecchio.

She's planning to enter the Jeannette Arts Council logo design contest that is currently under way.

Her winning design features a Jayhawk kicking a football — which has flames shooting out the back — through the goal post. The football says “700 wins” and the picture is framed by the words Jeannette Jayhawks.

“It just kind of came to me,” Rinier said, who added that the Jayhawk and the goalpost was where her vision began. “I'm pleased with how it turned out and I'm proud to be a part of this. I haven't comprehended it yet.”

Rinier, retired from Jeannette Hospital and Excela Health, and her husband, Tony Rinier, a retired teacher, still attend a lot of Jeannette football games. Their son, Shaun, played for the Jayhawks and their daughter, Brooke, was a cheerleader. At one time, Rinier was president of the parents' club.

The big celebration planned to mark the 700th win is set for Sept. 25, the home game against Wilkinsburg.

Part of that celebration calls for former players, cheerleaders and band members to wear special shirts indicating the years they represented Jeannette (see sidebar).

Shaun, who is now a teacher at Penn-Trafford, and Brooke, who is now a marketing director at Duncan Financial in Irwin and mom to 4-year-old Gia, plan to attend the festivities.

“They already have their shirts,” Rinier said, with a big smile.

The shirts for alumni to wear that night must be ordered by next Thursday.

“It's a tradition — going to games.

“You see people you know, it's really something. The Steelers are to Pittsburgh as the Jayhawks are to Jeannette.”

Reserved season tickets will be on sale from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday at McKee Stadium's upper ticket booth.

Season tickets are $20, covering four regular season home games.

In her free time, Rinier enjoys painting and visiting thrift stores in search of pieces to redo and upcycle.

“My mother was detailed in her artwork and I can't do the abstract stuff,” said Rinier, who is considering joining the Jeannette Arts Council. “My granddaughter inspires me. ”

Rinier spends a lot of time babysitting Gia and the two like to work on art projects together, just like Rinier and her mother.

“When we had kids, (my mother) had them all over for craft day,” Rinier said, joking that every day is craft day for Gia.

Kristie Linden is an editor for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at klinden@tribweb.com or 724-838-5154.